Tag Archives: review

Review: Hilt (Mirror Mirror)

Posted in Theatre by

hiltVenue: Old 505 Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Mar 12 – 30, 2014
Playwright: Jane Bodie
Director: Dominic Mercer
Actors: Alexandra Aldrich, Joanna Downing, Stephen Multari, Sam O’Sullivan

Theatre review
Jane Bodie’s script seduces with intrigue and structural complexity. Her characters divulge little of themselves, but we witness their interchanges at close range. At play is the way these contemporary Australians interact with each other, and we see how connections are formed in our modern lives. Bodie sets up what at first seems to be unconventional relationships, but over the course of her storytelling, we begin to question whether these are exceptional cases that we witness, or actually, a rare confession of common experiences.

Direction and performances tend towards naturalism, which makes Hilt “audience friendly”, turning challenging ideas into digestible concepts. Director Dominic Mercer succeeds in creating believable characters and communicating details of their stories, but could benefit from taking a little artistic license in expression. Real life sometimes needs sprucing up for the stage.

Mercer’s cast is a focused one, and all have clear trajectories with their individual motivations and destinations. Alexandra Aldrich plays Kate with a lot of graveness, which is an accurate depiction of the dark world in which she dwells, but prevents some of the dialogue from being more dramatic and punchy. Stephen Multari is effective in highly emotive scenes that require anger and frustration. Both actors seem constrained by the subtle and minimalist setting. Supporting actors Joanna Downing and Sam O’Sullivan provide excellent support and necessary lightness, helping add variety to the show’s palette of moods.

This is an Australian story that is as valid as any. It does however, have an unexpected sophistication in the incisive way it talks about family, marriage and sex. Nothing in the twenty-first century can truly be claimed as being unique to any cosmopolitan city, but Hilt certainly articulates a lot about what life today is like in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, etc. It provides a mirror into the things we do. Its accuracy and originality might be disorientating, but good art is known to do that.

www.venue505.com/theatre

Review: Monkey (Creative Practice Lab UNSW)

Posted in Theatre by

rsz_monkey-505Venue: UNSW Io Myers Studio (Kensington NSW), Mar 11 – 15, 2014
Director: Ben Winspear
Playwright: Les Winspear (based on the traditional Journey To The West)
Actors: Students from UNSW School of the Arts & Media

Theatre review
The enduring tale of Journey To The West is one of enlightenment and aspiration. It is also about mentoring, development and progression, all of which come together to make Les Winspear’s contemporary retelling of Monkey a natural thematic choice for a production involving young people. The characters in the story are mischievous, imperfect and unafraid of failure. This serves as great catalyst for students to approach their play with a sense of playfulness and daring.

Director Ben Winspear’s style is brave and bold. He is faithful to the story, but is audacious in vision. Rules are made to be broken, and one is tempted to conclude that rule-breaking is a method he cherishes when creating magic in the theatre. Or perhaps, it is simply his outrageous imagination that reaches beyond convention and the predictable, into a space that feels refreshing and original for contemporary audiences. Indeed, the director’s ability at materialising the fantastical details of Monkey, not only gives us a work that is dynamic and highly amusing, it provides a safe and spacious springboard for his student actors to experiment and perform. The wildness of this world they create, encourages lively expression but also comprises a healthy protection for those who need it. This is a stage so full of colour and vigour that nothing can look out of place.

Design is excellent. All aspects, from costume and props, to set, sound and lighting are thoughtful, inventive and confidently executed. It is by no means a show about polished production values, but what this crew achieves with a minuscule budget in the most basic of venues, is impressive. It is a beautiful collaboration of disciplines that works together to tell a story with clarity, wonder, and a lot of fun.

All performers appear to be students. It is a big cast, with varying degrees of ability, but unified by a common level of enthusiasm and commitment. Some seem to be appearing on stage for the very first time, and others are brazen and ambitious. Most are allowed their moment in the sun, and each bask in their own, in idiosyncratic, joyful ways. There are performers who impress with their use of voice, and some with their dance. Actors who charm us with comic timing, as well as those with outstanding physicality, and presence so strong, they steal our attention for a second or two.

Although Monkey and his friends reach a penultimate moment of glory, what we remember most after all the dust has settled, are his qualities of mischief and joy. We often forget the importance of the light, for the weight of darkness makes for easy victories, especially in the arts. It is unimportant what the scriptures at the end of Monkey may contain, if the journey that is taken fills itself with all that is gallant, and good.

https://sam.arts.unsw.edu.au

Review: Seven Kilometres North-East (Version 1.0)

Posted in Theatre by

rsz_7km_ss_3Venue: Seymour Centre (Chippendale NSW), Mar 8 – 22, 2014
Devisor and performer: Kym Vercoe
Singer: Sladjana Hodzic

Theatre review
Kym Vercoe’s Seven Kilometres North-East is structured like the travels she has been on. Adventurous and purposefully vague, we don’t really know what is happening until we get there. The experience of exploring unfamiliar terrains is replicated in Vercoe’s work. We are at times bewildered and anxious, trying to make sense of everything that is exotic, alien and strange; and at other times, we discover people who tell fascinating stories and places that narrate histories, beautiful and horrific.

The plot of the piece takes us on winding roads, and bumpy rides. It is not the most comfortable of journeys, with challenges appearing at almost every turn. Vercoe does not aspire to make things easy to stomach. Instead, she places emphasis on authenticity, and a sense of reverence for all that she had met during her time in the Balkans. Her performance style is dynamic and colourful, which keeps us engaged. She has a warm enthusiasm that asks for our trust, and we stay on with her, subconsciously aware that our guide is peeling layers off an onion with a core that will be worth the trek. Indeed, the concluding moments of the show is as dramatic and powerful as any work of fiction that aims to hit you like a ton of bricks.

At tonight’s performance, three people walked out. The third chose to leave at a particularly heightened and tense section towards the end. The stage is on ground level, and at that moment, the performer was standing close to the audience and near the exit. The departer got out of her seat and walked deliberately in front of Vercoe and headed our of the theatre. It looked like a protest. Perhaps there are nuances in the politics of the region that are too complex for an 80 minute performance to encapsulate, or maybe Vercoe is making a statement that is shocking to some. For those of us who are afar, and frankly, only mildly familiar with the travesties in recent Bosnian history, Seven Kilometres North-East seeks to appeal on a humanist level. What Vercoe shares comes from the personal and it speaks to us personally. Larger contexts are not required, when telling tales of murder and genocide.

PS (10 Mar 2014): Some information has come through about the walkouts after the review above was published. The producers say that one relates to urgent work matters and another was the result of an audience member texting during the show and being asked to stop by someone else.

www.versiononepointzero.com

Review: Stop Kiss (Unlikely Productions / ATYP)

Posted in Theatre by

rsz_gxmphotogrpahy2014-1-3Venue: ATYP (Walsh Bay NSW), Mar 5 – 22, 2014
Director: Anthony Skuse
Playwright: Diana Son
Actors: Olivia Stambouliah, Gabrielle Scawthorn, Aaron Tsindos, Ben McIvor, Robert Jago, Kate Fraser, Suzanne Pereira
Image by Gez Xavier Mansfield

Theatre review
One of the main things explored in theatre is emotion. We ask, what are these different things we feel, how do we create these feelings, how do we differentiate between cheap and authentic sentiment, and how do they affect our lives as individuals and collectives? Stop Kiss leaves its audience with such emotional intensity that these questions come to the fore. Diana Son’s script tells the simplest of stories, but its unique structure in terms of a non-linear timeline, and an unusual depiction of romantic love, keeps us enthralled, and speaks deeply to the most basic humanity in us all .

Under Anthony Skuse’s wonderful direction, Stop Kiss is both theatrical and sincere. There is masterful use of space, which gives the production a sophisticated aesthetic. In spite of budget constraints, the show is a handsome one. Set design is thoroughly considered, and elegantly executed by Gez Xavier Mansfield, and lighting by Sara Swersky is subtle yet varied and effective. The many scene transitions are established with elegant flair. We jump around in time and space with minimum fuss and maximum efficiency.

The love story and its romance are managed with restraint. Skuse deliberately downplays a lot of the drama, so that its powerful concepts work overtime in our heads. Like a striptease, we are only ever given just enough information so that our minds can conjure up all the salacious details on their own. The cast benefits from this sense of inhibition, as it allows for a somewhat ironic magnification of their inner worlds. We seem to obtain a better insight into what people are thinking and feeling when they are prevented from doing too much.

Gabrielle Scawthorn’s performance as Sara is marvelous, culminating in a final scene that can only be described as heartbreaking. The character she has created is not only believable, we find ourselves in constant need of seeing more, and knowing more. Her work is equally committed whether playing light or dark, and she tells her character’s story with careful compassion that is beautiful to watch. The connection Scawthorn makes with her audience is as intense as Sara’s falling in love in the story.

Olivia Stambouliah plays Callie with vivacity and complexity. Her energy keeps the show uplifted and dynamic, and her focus is magnetic. There is a steely determination in her performance that is at times impressive, but at others, slightly distracting. The actor sometimes works too hard but her final moments onstage are truly remarkable, and intelligently crafted. Ben McIvor has two memorable scenes as Peter. He finds a balance between tenderness, frustration and despondency, and portrays a character that is empathetic and immediately affable.

It is probably not a rare occurrence that tears are shed in the theatre, but the emotions in Stop Kiss are exceptional. We cry because we understand that true love is precious and rare, but we also cry in the knowledge that homophobic violence is widespread and alive. The play ends in a dark place, but it thankfully leaves us with a morsel of hope. Tears can be self-indulgent, but they are also the beginning of every important and necessary change in the places we live. This play may not be obviously political, but one hopes that its gentle approach would have an effect on those who have yet to be converted by our more strident preachers.

www.facebook.com/unlikelyproductionspresent

Review: Tidy Town Of The Year (3 Quacks / Sydney Independent Theatre Company)

Posted in Theatre by

tidytownVenue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), Mar 4 – 22, 2014
Playwrights: Victoria Greiner, Sarah Hodgetts, Andy Leonard
Directors: Deborah Jones, Sean O’Riordan
Actors: Victoria Greiner, Sarah Hodgetts, Andy Leonard
Image by Katy Green Loughrey

Theatre review
It is probably true that a show cannot contain too many amusing ideas. Tidy Town Of The Year has no shortage of amusing lines and concepts, but trying to keep up and absorb them all can be challenging. Its writing and direction lack breathing space, often making the show feel overwhelming. Timing is key in humour. Even with clever and inspired ideas, attention needs to be paid on editing and delivery for communication to happen, especially in comedies.

In spite of these imperfections, performances are actually polished and confident. It is a fast-paced show, with a cast that is full of enthusiasm and buoyancy. We may not always catch the jokes that they attempt to relay, but their energy can be infectious. More variation in tone could be explored to prevent the actors from playing at the one level that they are most comfortable with, but their overall commitment to the work is a delight.

At heart, this is a show with a great deal of eccentricity, but the eccentric is by nature an entity that finds connections challenging. It has the capacity for brilliance and originality, but to convey its genius, a bridge needs to be found. In the theatre, ideas are exchanged and laughs can be shared, but only when the linkage between show and audience is established. This isn’t always easy, but the quest for it is always rewarding.

www.sitco.net.au

Review: Travelling North (Sydney Theatre Company)

Posted in Theatre by

rsz_398087-6086798c-83c3-11e3-b691-c4bd5b62f2b6Venue: Wharf 1 Sydney Theatre Company (Walsh Bay NSW), Jan 10 – Mar 22, 2014
Playwright: David Williamson
Director: Andrew Upton
Actors: Alison Whyte, Bryan Brown, Harriet Dyer, Russell Kiefel, Emily Russell, Andrew Tighe, Sara West

Theatre review
David Williamson’s 1979 play about a Melbourne couple moving up north, finds new life with the Sydney Theatre Company. Andrew Upton once again focuses attention on people and stories, and keeps visual design to a minimum. Set and props are rendered virtually invisible, except for an effective three tiered curved stage reminiscent of Australian landscapes. Upton’s direction brings out the realism of relationships and characters, creating everyday personalities that we are able to identify and relate to easily. There is a tendency for Williamson’s concepts to appear overly mundane as a result of Upton’s minimalist vision, but the production is kept buoyant by a healthy dose of humour that thrives in the midst of its pervasive simplicity.

Bryan Brown is miscast as the elderly Frank. Brown is charming, handsome and carries an air of magnificence that is completely at odds with the story about a sick man at the end of his days. We love his performance, which is always funny and sometimes poignant, and we understand everything his character goes through, but ultimately Brown’s celebrity gets in the way of the depiction of a regular old “cobber” we should feel sorry for.

Alison Whyte plays Frances with a lovely balance of strength and gentility, and while her role makes life choices that might not be entirely clear, the actor manages enough conviction and solidness to sell us her story. Noteworthy in the support cast include Harriet Dyer who does not miss any opportunity for comedy, and Andrew Tighe who makes good use of his physicality and costumes to carve out a very memorable character. Tighe brings authenticity and lightness to the production, and we anticipate his every appearance.

The relevance of Travelling North‘s staging today is not immediately relevant. Its themes of family, marriage, ageing, and seachanges unify many of our lives, but this 35 year-old play struggles to make a fresh statement about the Australian experience. It does, however, showcase some of our idiosyncrasies as a people, and is an occasion for us to excel at quite a bit of self-deprecating humour.

www.sydneytheatre.com.au

Review: Noises Off (Sydney Theatre Company)

Posted in Theatre by

noisesoffVenue: Sydney Opera House (Sydney NSW), Feb 17 – Apr 5, 2014
Playwright: Michael Frayn
Director: Jonathan Biggins
Actors: Alan Dukes, Lindsay Farris, Marcus Graham, Ron Haddrick, Danielle King, Genevieve Lemon, Tracy Mann, Josh McConville, Ash Ricardo

Theatre review
Sydney Theatre Company’s new production of the now classic farce, Noises Off, is comedy at its broadest. This comedy of errors is not sophisticated in concept but its execution under the directorship of Jonathan Biggins is highly accomplished and outlandishly dynamic. From men falling off staircases to women sitting on sardines, and girls in gartered lingerie to boys in bell bottoms and mullet hair cuts, Biggins approaches Frayn’s 1982 work with the most basic of motivations. He wants to make us laugh, and he is determined to pull out all the stops to make it happen.

The cast Biggins has assembled shares his vision. They show no qualms in playing for laughs at every available opportunity, which means that not all characters are clearly defined, and some plot lines get lost in all the mayhem, but the entertainment value of their show is guaranteed. Josh McConville as Roger/Garry impresses with his athletic agility and the most exaggerated physical gags in the production. The volume of his performance sets the standard for how extravagant the actors can go on that stage.

Tracy Mann plays Flavia/Belinda with more subtlety, but her use of voice is strongest in the cast. The excessively, and comically, stagey English accent from the era not only assists with a more distinct characterisation, its overt articulation actually provides clarity to the many twists and turns that occur in the busy story. Ash Ricardo as the Vicki/Brooke “bimbo” characters triumphs in spite of the restrictive and narrow scope given. Her energetic interpretation brings a fresh edginess, and the running joke about her contact lens is a big crowd pleaser. Marcus Graham, usually known for dramatically serious roles, is surprisingly effective as Lloyd. Like the rest of the cast, his enjoyment of the show is genuine, and infectious.

Laughter is the best medicine. Theatre goers can often be an uptight bunch. Jonathan Biggins’ Noises Off forces us to open up and it speaks to a different part of our minds. Like the brilliant extended section in Act 2 where virtually no words are spoken, but the biggest laughs are heard, our senses are kept busy. We work overtime to keep up, not with lines and ideas, but by observing all the funny unfold and responding with the thoroughly visceral, and biological, guttural guffaws from deep within… that space which is too often hidden away from the light of day.

www.sydneytheatre.com.au

Review: La Femme Boheme (The Spice Cellar)

Posted in Theatre by

lafemmeboheme1Venue: The Spice Cellar (Sydney NSW), Wed evenings
Performers: Mariesa Mae, Penelope Morgan, Olly Stanton, Antigone Foster (guest)
Image by Matt Waugh

Theatre review (of Feb 26, 2014 show)
La Femme Boheme are two stunning burlesque performers, Mariesa Mae and Penelope Morgan. Their residency at The Spice Cellar begins at 8pm every Wednesday night, showcasing a series of numbers, solo and partnered, designed to fascinate and allure. Also present at tonight’s performance were pianist Olly Stanton and guest singer Antigone Foster, providing further entertainment to complement the stars.

The femmes’ show is raunchy but also elegant. It appeals to audiences of all sexual persuasions, as their work is not only about providing titillation. There is humour peppered throughout the evening, with a resulting experience that is cheerily light-hearted. There is a sweet fairy tale, a funny monologue about Mae’s early discovery of the art form in primary school, and a sequence involving multi-coloured balloons worn like bananas on Josephine Baker.

The women are a perfect visual match. They are virtually identical in height and shape, but they are also entirely distinct in personality and styles. Morgan is coy, while Mae is assertive. The yin-yang dynamic gives the show a lovely balance, but Morgan does stand out with a little more polish and confidence. Her sequence in a glorious mirrored bath tub is a show stealer, and truly breathtaking.

Most of the music is pre-recorded, but Stanton and Foster’s live performances add good variety to the evening. The grand piano in The Spice Cellar sounds and looks fabulous, and Stanton playing cabaret and burlesque classics on it certainly elevates the tone of the proceedings. Foster’s vocals are strong and idiosyncratic, giving excellent counterpoint to the headliners, especially in more familiar fare like “Cry Me A River” and “Hey Big Spender”.

At the core of their show is a commitment to creating images of beauty. It is an interesting and rare balance that La Femme Boheme explore, one that does not alienate any adult; man or woman, gay or straight. Desire exists in many forms, and the ladies allow us to relate to them in different ways. Are they goddesses, kittens, heroines, or clowns? The choice is yours, but the performance is best consumed with an open mind.

www.thespicecellar.com.au
www.lafemmeboheme.com.au

Review: The Vaudevillians (Strut & Fret Production House)

Posted in Theatre by

vaudevillians1Venue: The Vanguard (Newtown NSW), Feb 18 – Mar 2, 2014
Musical Director: Richard Andriessen (Major Scales)
Performers: Jerick Hoffer (Jinkx Monsoon), Richard Andriessen (Major Scales)

Theatre review
The premise is simple. Spouses Kitty Witless and Dan Von Dandy were accidentally frozen under a torrent of snow and cocaine in the 1920s, but were discovered and revived in our very recent times of global warming. Both happen to be brilliant performers, and have found their way to Sydney, just in time to present their show for the Mardi Gras season.

Cabaret is about performance. Stories are rarely important, but storytelling is everything. The Vaudevillians are played by Jinkx Monsoon and Major Scales, American artists who are truly of an “international standard”. Scales provides excellent support to his leading lady. He is superb on the piano, and the re-arrangements he has created are intelligent and delightful. The choice of familiar songs by the likes of Madonna, Daft Punk, Cyndi Lauper, M.I.A., and Britney Spears makes for a setlist that would appeal to most, but it is his extravagantly comical interpretations that make them all so thoroughly entertaining. Scales does falter a little in confidence when performing his solo number, but it is wonderfully refreshing to see a highly animated and energetic piano man.

Jinkx Monsoon is a comic cabaret artist of the highest calibre. Clearly, The Vaudevillians is a work tailored to her specific talents and abilities, but the 80 minute show impresses and overflows with scintillating wit, belly laughs and stunning singing. Monsoon’s vocals are powerful, and she seems to have an infinite well of techniques for turning every line in every song into something that earns the audience’s laughter. A segment referencing Henrik Ibsen, “A Doll’s House 2: Electric Boogaloo” sees the leading lady attack Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” with the greatest amount of flamboyant drama one could ever wish to see. She is like a young Gloria Swanson, only louder and a whole lot sillier.

Combining disciplined training (you can hear it in her singing, and see it with her splits and headstands) and a sense of looseness that is unafraid of heckles and other chanced occurrences, Monsoon’s style is deceptively casual, and incredibly brave. It is live performance at its most thrilling, where the audience feels that anything could happen because the performers and the show’s structure allow, or even ask for it. There is danger in the air, the kind that is completely delicious and irresistible. The Vaudevillians is fun, entertaining theatre. Monsoon and Scales are silly as they come, but without a hint of stupidity, and their show is filled with genuine talent and quite genius creativity.

www.theofficialvaudevillians.com

Review: Everything I Know I Learnt From Madonna (Tunks Productions / Sydney Independent Theatre Company)

Posted in Theatre by

rsz_1899685_623939144321658_1856255859_oVenue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), Feb 18 – 22, 2014
Playwright: Wayne Tunks
Director: Fiona Hallenan-Barker
Actor: Wayne Tunks
Image by Katy Green Loughrey

Theatre review
Madonna, the pop star, means many things to many people. Like many brassy women in the public eye, she is regarded by gay communities as an icon. An outspoken proponent of the gay movement since the early 1990s, it is understandable that her place with LGBT people has endured the years. In this one-man play by Wayne Tunks, he talks about his obsession with Madonna in the introduction, then goes on to share with us his stories of coming out and relationships with various men, liberally quoting lyrics by his hero at every available opportunity. His script is an interesting one. It is almost as if Tunks is unable to verbalise his thoughts and feelings without the aide of Madonna songs, so her words keep appearing in his monologue, sometimes seamlessly, sometimes a little forced, but it is no doubt that his admiration is beyond skin deep, and that her work actually provides a space of solace. It looks a lot like religion.

Tunks is an actor full of vigour. He appears on stage and is determined to seize your attention, and for the entirey of his performance, we pay close attention to his stories. It helps that Tunks’ voice is commanding and versatile. It is naturalistic acting but there is definitely not a hint of mumbling, everything is said loud and clear, which is fortunate as the bareness of the staging and minimal direction of the near two hour work, leave nothing else for Tunks and his audience to hold on to.

The show overflows with earnestness. For a seemingly shallow premise of pop star fandom, it contains no irony and very little frivolity. We are presented love stories with a string of men, Sean, Warren, Guy, Jesus, and (presumably) Brahim. They are not particularly colourful events, in fact, slightly mundane. There isn’t really a set up of context, just a man keen to share with a captive crowd, and we are inspired by his fighting spirit that never gets dampened by failed relationships. He keeps getting back in business as though nothing’s better than more because ultimately, what can you lose?

“You’re never gonna see me standin’ still, I’m never gonna stop ’till I get my fill” (Over And Over, Madonna 1984).

www.tunks.com.au