Tag Archives: re:group

Review: Life Is A Dream (25A Belvoir)

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Venue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Sep 2 – 21, 2025
Playwright: Claudia Osborne (after Pedro Calderón de la Barca)
Directors: Claudia Osborne, Solomon Thomas
Cast: Thomas Campbell, Mark Lee, Shiv Palekar, Essie Randles, Shikara Ringdahl, Ariadne Sgouros, Ariyan Sharma
Images by Phil Erbacher

Theatre review
For his entire life, 22-year-old Segismundo has been confined to a room, conditioned by Astolfo’s daily refrain that he is “dangerous and destructive, but not in this room.” Claudia Osborne’s Life is a Dream, inspired by Pedro Calderón de la Barca’s 1636 masterpiece, reimagines this tale of captivity and destiny for a contemporary audience. The production balances quirky charm and moments of playful wonder with a grounded exploration of the human condition. Osborne’s version points to the enduring dictum that our choices carry consequences, and that, ultimately, we reap what we sow.

Under the direction of Osborne and Solomon Thomas, Life is a Dream achieves a rare balance. Its offbeat humour keeps the work buoyant and unpredictable, while its underlying seriousness lends the production weight and resonance. The staging stands out for its distinctive style and inventive sensibility, which not only sustain engagement but also encourage the audience to grapple with its themes while remaining open to curiosity.

Ariyan Sharma shines as Segismundo, capturing a sheltered innocence that feels wholly authentic while subtly conveying the hidden truths his character has yet to grasp. He is a thoroughly endearing presence, remarkable for an artistry that combines keen intellect with expressive physicality. Thomas Campbell’s Astolfo brings tension and intrigue, his clever rendering of ambiguity opening up a world of imagined backstories that lead to this extraordinary moment. The rest of the cast add layers of psychological complexity and emotional richness, and together their chemistry transforms Life is a Dream into a fully immersive and enthralling theatrical experience.

Set and costume design by Cris Baldwin evokes a contemporary space, grounded in a sense of normalcy that keeps the audience connected to the action. Kelsey Lee’s lighting and Madeleine Picard’s sound design weave the atmosphere with quiet finesse, lending the production an elegant rhythm that draws us deeper into the story and the emotional lives of its characters.

This updated Life is a Dream resonates as a warning: when we withhold kindness from those over whom we hold power, it is our own cruelty that breeds further cruelty. Amidst all the political turmoil of 2025, we are compelled to approach this centuries-old tale not with innocence, but with clear eyes, aware of the dangers we continue to create, and the responsibility we bear to break these tragic cycles.

www.belvoir.com.au | www.fervour.net.au | www.regroupperformancecollective.org

Review: UFO (Griffin Theatre Company)

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Venue: SBW Stables Theatre (Darlinghurst NSW), Apr 18 – 29, 2023
Writer: Kirby Medway
Director: Solomon Thomas
Cast: Matt Abotomey, James Harding, Angela Johnston, Tahlee Leeson
Images by Lucy Parakhina

Theatre review

The show begins with people shooting a stop motion film, involving puppet versions of themselves, on a miniature set. Using two cameras, the results of their animation are shown live on screens, as they voice their respective characters. UFO by Kirby Medway tells a mysterious story about four characters, hired to document the moment-by-moment activities of an appropriately huge Unidentified Flying Object parked on a golf course, stationary but for lights that are constantly flashing.

Thoroughly whimsical, UFO is directed by Solomon Thomas, who infuses a gentle humour, that crescendos to a satisfying comedic peak at its penultimate moments. There is undeniable creativity at play, admirable for the artists’ imaginativeness, and their unwavering commitment to idiosyncrasy.

Set design by Angus Callander is a charming manifestation of the productions’ dual needs, both theatrical and filmic, that allows for the staging’s refreshing imagery. Tom Hogan’s dramatic sound design is exceptionally enjoyable, full of tension, yet fascinatingly kitsch in its rendering of this sci-fi microcosm. Performers Matt Abotomey, James Harding, Angela Johnston and Tahlee Leeson are marvellously precise, and splendid with their timing, in a presentation that never fails to pique curiosity.

In the modern age, we seem always to be on the precipice of of technological advancements, that threaten to annihilate, and move us further into dystopia. UFO expresses this perennial anxiety, but demonstrates the wondrous joy that technology can and does deliver. Humanity and technology are much closer in essence than we care to acknowledge, maybe because we know too well, the resolutely destructive tendencies of our nature.

www.griffintheatre.com.au | www.regroupperformancecollective.org/

Review: Route Dash Niner (Re:group Performance Collective)

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merrigongVenue: Giant Dwarf (Redfern NSW), Dec 13, 2016
Written and performed by: Jackson Davis, James Harding, Mark Rogers, Steve Wilson-Alexander, Carly Young

Theatre review
We meet a group of Australian astronauts as they prepare to travel light years into deep space. It is a formal set up, something like a press conference perhaps, where we are furnished with information on this monumental undertaking. Route Dash Niner is a very droll, very stoic work of comedy. There are certainly moments where the audience laughs out loud, but the show seems more interested in simply keeping us amused, with a sense of humour that is about a captivating subtlety, rather than relying on a standard formula of delivering one punchline after another.

The performers are incredibly serious within their deadpan approach, and coupled with the gravity of the context being manufactured, we find ourselves in a curious situation where nothing is believable, yet everything feels real. Our reaction to the details of their absurd journey oscillates between laughter and logic. We participate as audience at a comedy show for half the time, and serious journalists participating in a sombre occasion the other half. It is an unusual theatrical experience, unnerving at times but ultimately, and surprisingly, compelling.

The quiet confidence of Route Dash Niner‘s unusual humour wins us over. Its science fiction may not feature remarkable intellect, but the creators’ refusal to underestimate their audience’s level of receptiveness, as many comics are want to do, gives the show a certain sophistication. The astronauts are expected to return in six months. What happens at the next symposium is anybody’s guess, but smart money is on something funny and more than a little odd.

www.regroupperformancecollective.org | www.routedashniner.com