Tag Archives: theatre

Review: Aria (Ensemble Theatre)

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Venue: Ensemble Theatre (Kirribilli NSW), 24 Jan – 15 Mar, 2025
Playwright: David Williamson
Director: Janine Watson
Cast: Tamara Lee Bailey, Rowan Davie, Danielle King, Tracy Mann, Suzannah McDonald, Sam O’Sullivan, Jack Starkey-Gill
Images by Prudence Upton

Theatre review
Monique thinks she is a better mother than she actually is, the same way she overestimates her talents as a singer. That delusory characteristic seems to be transmissible between generations, with Monique’s three sons demonstrating a similar lack of awareness about their own shortcomings. It is a wealthy family that we find in David Williamson’s Aria, a farcical take on aspirational whiteness in modern Australia.

Personalities in the play, including Monique’s daughters-in-law, may not be entirely irredeemable, but this family is certainly hard to like. Their flaws provide the basis for the comedy, and even though direction by Janine Watson tends to be overly considerate and forgiving of these objectionable figures, Aria is effortlessly digestible, as it delivers a steady stream of laughter throughout. Watson can also be credited for her judicious portrayals of womanhood, in something that can easily veer into misogyny.

Actor Tracy Mann is admirably precise with her depictions of the matriarch, able to make believable all the outrageous things Monique says and does. It is a uniformly exuberant cast, but chemistry is not quite sufficiently harnessed between performers; conversations often sound stilted, for relationships that require a greater sense of intimacy. A commitment to honesty can be detected in the ensemble’s efforts, which does help us understand all the discordance, but a more exaggerated approach for the humour could make it a more elevated theatrical experience.

Rose Montgomery’s set design is appropriately stylish for the kind of affluence being explored, along with her excellent work on costumes, telling in an instant, so much of what we need to know about these individuals. Lights by Matt Cox and sounds by David Bergman are mostly utilitarian in nature, in a staging that is much more about dialogue than atmosphere.

Monsters have children all the time. It is likely that same element of inadequacy in their psychology, making them behave narcissistically, that makes them want to procreate. In Monique, we observe that nothing she has tried, can really make up for that sense of lack. She continues to be a pain to others and to herself, even after creating offspring that fulfil their obligation of constantly patronising and mollifying their parent. With her advanced age, it is perhaps prudent to not wish to change her, but to find ways to circumvent all the damage she cannot help but leave in her wake.

www.ensemble.com.au

Review: A Model Murder (Sydney Festival)

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Venue: Darlinghurst Courthouse (Darlinghurst NSW), Jan 4 – 25, 2025
Playwright: Sheridan Harbridge
Director: Sheridan Harbridge
Cast: Blazey Best, Marco Chiappi, Amber McMahon, Ryan Morgan, Maverick Newman, Sofia Nolan, Anthony Taufa 
Images by Neil Bennett

Theatre review
It was 1954 when Shirley Beiger shot and killed her boyfriend in Sydney. The story quickly became a media sensation, with the trial attracting inordinate amounts of public attention and scrutiny. In Sheridan Harbridge’s theatrical retelling A Model Murder, named after the perpetrator’s profession, the simple open and shut case is expanded to provide a nostalgic perspective of the celebrity criminal, a phenomenon which has only increased in prominence through the years.

The show is immensely entertaining, made captivating at every juncture by Harbridge’s imaginative renderings of a brief moment in time. There may not be substantive explorations into Beiger’s psychology leading up to the catastrophic incident, but A Model Murder proves a charming and approachable examination of an intriguing morsel of our city’s history.

Staged within an actual courthouse, with production design by Michael Hankin taking care to accentuate the authenticity of the surrounds, and enhanced by striking costuming that adds considerable visual flair. Lights by Phoebe Pilcher are thoroughly considered, not only to deliver dramatic effect, but also a sense of sumptuousness to this biography about someone renowned for her physicality. Sounds by Zac Saric and music by Glenn Moorhouse, fill the space not only with tension, but also an unmistakeable glamour befitting the subject matter. Also elevating proceedings is Vi Lam’s alluring movement direction, for the many musical interludes that pay tribute to our city’s nightlife and entertainment industry.

Actor Sofia Nolan is appropriately enigmatic as Beiger, with an inscrutability that only makes her presence more compelling. The supporting cast is highly endearing, especially Blazey Best and Amber McMahon who bring magnetism along with wonderful idiosyncrasies, to their meticulous embodiments of some very colourful characters.

We are shaped by endless tales of this city. Whether remembered or forgotten, we live in the midst of the countless infinitesimal narratives that have made Sydney and Gadigal what it is, connected through time that is cyclic yet amorphic. Human skin provides the illusion of our disconnectedness, but the truth is that this place determines so much of who we become. The stuff that we make manifest, seeps into one another. Our decisions will always be born out of culture, much as the current epoch exalts notions of individuality. The truth remains that humans can only survive through care, even though our natural inclinations so often seem to push us the other way.

www.sydneyfestival.org.au | www.lpdprod.com

Review: Jacky (Belvoir St Theatre)

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Venue: Belvoir St Theatre (Surry Hills NSW), Jan 16 – Feb 2, 2025
Playwright: Declan Furber Gillick
Director: Mark Wilson
Cast: Danny Howard, Mandy McElhinney, Guy Simon, Greg Stone
Images by Stephen Wilson Barker

Theatre review
Having moved to the city, and now starting to put down roots, Jacky is hoping to finally be able to buy his home. Even though he is of Indigenous background living on unceded lands, he accepts that the prevailing system requires a lot of jumping through hoops, before he can be granted approval for a loan. In Declan Furber Gillick’s marvellous play Jacky, we watch as the titular character twists and contorts himself into all manner of awkward and humiliating states, in order that he may feel like he is getting ahead in life.

Jacky strives for success and is willing to compromise endlessly his own integrity to attain his dreams. However, the realities of a colonized existence gradually reveal demands that extend beyond his personal sacrifices. Furber Gillick’s writing makes an exceptionally powerful statement about injustice, through a narrative of normative modernity, contextualising contemporary politics in a way that resonates with all. His work is blisteringly spirited, whilst being consistently witty and entertaining, effortlessly holding our attention as it drives home some of the hardest truths about the foundations of our communal life.

Direction by Mark Wilson is commensurately daring, memorable for pushing the delicious but agonising drama to the edge of our nervous limits. Difficult discussions are presented unvarnished, allowing us to consider these matters of national importance with absolute candour. Although unyieldingly serious, the show is often very funny, filled with ironic humour for an experience nothing less than scintillating.

Design elements of the production are all rendered with efficacious simplicity. The set by Christina Smith delivers logical demarcations of performance space. Emily Barrie’s costumes help create believable personalities from everyday life. Lights by Matt Scott, along with sounds by James Henry, offer uncomplicated solutions that signal movements in time and space.

Leading man Guy Simon sets the tone with restraint and charisma. His minimalist style of presentation is thoroughly mesmerizing, perhaps due to the contrast with the many provocative situations Jacky finds himself in. Simon articulates perfectly the immense complexities involved, when Indigeneity has to navigate structures that are fundamentally about the entrenchment of white supremacy. 

Danny Howard plays Jacky’s brother Keith, with wonderful effervescence and disarming depth. An admirably nuanced Mandy McElhinney in the role of Linda confronts the values of our white middle class, asking troubling questions about whether a person can survive the economy, without furthering racist agendas. Greg Stone is fearless as Glen as he demonstrates most convincingly, the extent to which racism can appear so benign yet be so damaging.

Linda and Glen are entirely oblivious to the hurt and harm they cause, in fact they only ever think of themselves as being generous and helpful. We see in them, the familiar intention to do good, followed by a painful observation of devastating results. We are reminded of the famous words from American activist Audre Lorde, that “the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house”. In Jacky it can be seen so clearly, the very real problems that hold us back, and only if we really want to, we can detect the solutions that Jacky provides.

www.belvoir.com.au | www.mtc.com.au

Review: Pride And Prejudice (Old Fitz Theatre)

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Venue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), Jan 14 – Feb 8, 2025
Playwright: Kate Hamill (adapted from the Jane Austen novel)
Director: Emma Canalese
Cast: Victoria Abbott, Steve Corner, AJ Evans, Lucy Lock, Mym Kwa, Abbey Morgan, Dylan O’Connor, Idam Sondhi
Images by Phil Erbacher

Theatre review
It is the old story of how Elizabeth and Darcy fell in love, but this time in an adaptation two centuries after Jane Austen’s original. Kate Hamill’s sassy but faithful take on Pride and Prejudice provides a tonal update, allowing the novel to play to contemporary audiences seeking a revisit of the traditional romance.

Direction by Emma Canalese intends to deliver a farcical perspective of Pride and Prejudice, but what audiences find is something frightfully immature and painfully unfunny, with a cast that seems completely incapable of agreeing on a definitive style of presentation. Some approach their roles with banal naturalism, and others bring grating hyperbole, in a show that achieves not a moment of harmony. Design elements are individually adequate but when combined, form a staging that proves hard on the eyes.

The reverence surrounding classics like those by Austen, can become so consecrated that the idea of gheretics choosing to interrogate them can feel deeply appealing. Trying to deconstruct the work of artistic giants however, is clearly a formidable task that few can accomplish. Poor efforts exist however, to remind us that while there should be things regarded sacred, they should at the same time be available for reinvention, even if to demonstrate the endurance of those icons.

www.oldfitztheatre.com.au | www.artistexperiment.com | www.instagram.com/dreamplaneproductions

Review: Hamlet Camp (Carriageworks)

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Venue: Carriageworks (Eveleigh NSW), Jan 14 – 25, 2025
Playwrights: Brendan Cowell, Ewen Leslie, Toby Schmitz
Cast: Brendan Cowell, Ewen Leslie, Toby Schmitz, with Claudia Haines-Cappeau
Images by Daniel Boud

Theatre review
Three actors are in a therapeutic facility, seeking help for their obsession with Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Each had previously embodied that role and for years after, find themselves unable to shake off that experience. Brendan Cowell, Ewen Leslie and Toby Schmitz too had performed Hamlet in previous years, so it is understandable that we may regard their collaborative work Hamlet Camp a semi-autobiographical account of their relationship with the Danish prince.

It may be a highly exaggerated iteration, but more than a few kernels of truth can be found in this confessional manifestation of these artists’ entanglements, with one of the Bard’s most beloved creations. Hamlet Camp deals with artistic conundrums, in particular the troubles associated with acting. We see characters unable to extricate themselves from a world infinitely more appealing than the realities we all have to tolerate, even if it is a literal Shakespearean tragedy that they find themselves trapped within. In their art, they can revel in a truth so immense, that everything else in daily life can only pale by comparison.

The show’s concerns may be insular, with observations too granular for most, but Hamlet Camp is nonetheless highly enjoyable, with Cowell, Leslie and Schmitz orchestrating theatrical chemistry that proves irresistibly amusing. They may not convince us to join in their infatuation, but watching them depict that manic and compulsive enthusiasm, in exquisite harmony and unison, is an unequivocal delight. Supported by lighting designer Jimi Rawlings and sound designer Steve Francis, who bring just enough embellishment to the presentation, Hamlet Camp demonstrates itself to be the kind of theatre about theatre, so full of passion that we can only respond with enchantment.

www.carriageworks.com.au | www.modernconvictfilms.com

Review: Siegfried & Roy: The Unauthorised Opera (Wharf 1 Theatre)

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Venue: Wharf 1 Sydney Theatre Company (Walsh Bay NSW), Jan 8 – 25, 2025
Composer: Luke Di Somma
Libretto: Luke Di Somma, Constantine Costi
Director: Constantine Costi
Cast: Christopher Tonkin, Kanen Breen, Cathy-Di Zhang, Simon Lobelson, Louis Hurley, Danielle Bavli, Russell Harcourt, Thomas Remali, Kirby Myers 
Images by 

Theatre review
Siegfried & Roy: The Unauthorised Opera by Luke Di Somma and Constantine Costi chronicles, with both reverence and sardonicism, the life and times of the infamous Las Vegas stalwarts from Bavaria. Icons of magic and of queer culture, Siegfried & Roy have left an indelible mark with almost half a century in showbusiness. Their signature aesthetic, characterised by unmitigated flamboyance and camp, thoroughly inform Di Somma and Costi’s work, that we discover to be a sincere tribute to the trailblazers, albeit replete with comedic irony.

Directed by Costi, the show is a remarkably enjoyable look into the condensed history of the couple, not only as stars of entertainment, but also as covert figureheads of gay identities from a time before liberation. There is a wonderful tenderness to the portrayal of the pair, with performers Christopher Tonkin and Kanen Breen (as Siegfried and Roy respectively), delivering palpable chemistry alongside their individually brilliant interpretations of these enigmatic characters. We perceive the superficiality that is characteristic of these pop luminaries, but also feel invested in their humanity without requiring the storytelling to delve into exploitative renderings of their biography.

Set design by Pip Runciman provide just enough visual cues for imagery that recalls the excess of both Las Vegas and of Siegfried & Roy, but it is Damien Cooper’s lights that imbue a sense of opulence that transports us to that space of farcical extravagance. Costumes by Tim Chappel too are appropriately outlandish in style, with an unmistakeable wit that really makes an impression. All of this grandiosity is perhaps most effectively epitomised in the music, conducted by Di Somma to bring an immense spiritedness that has us absolutely riveted.

Siegfried & Roy never wanted to give us more than the surface, but it is the persistence and the longevity of that obsession with artificiality, that ultimately forms something paradoxically meaningful. They have become unwitting symbols of kitsch, of escapism, of dedication and of defiance. Their story is one of personal triumph, a rare example of queer forebears attaining stratospheric success with seemingly little compromise on authenticity. Perhaps their legacy can now contribute to their rainbow community, in ways they were unable during the cruelly oppressive epoch of the previous century.

www.sydneyfestival.org.au

Review: Ghost Quartet (Hayes Theatre)

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Venue: Hayes Theatre Co (Potts Point NSW), Jan 8 – Feb 1, 2025
Music, Lyrics and Text: Dave Malloy
Director: Brandon Pape
Cast: Cameron Bajraktarevic-Hayward, David Butler, Hany Lee, Willow Sizer
Images by Angel WL

Theatre review
Dave Malloy seems to concede that Ghost Quartet is more a concept album than a work of theatre, with each song being preceded by the announcement of its “track number”. A highly fractured narrative makes it nigh on impossible to closely follow the story, but the eclectic music is undeniably enjoyable.

Direction by Brandon Pape delivers an occasionally haunting experience, but the show is mostly memorable for the warmth with which it showcases the cast of four. Cameron Bajraktarevic-Hayward, David Butler, Hany Lee and Willow Sizer bring exceptional musicianship to the performance, and along with brilliant sound engineering by Em-Jay Dwyer, we discover in Ghost Quartet to be a real treat for the ears. Sumptuous lighting design by Sidney Younger elevates the presentation so that it feels more than a concert, but it is doubtful if the work is truly satisfying for audiences with expectations of a conventional musical.

There are certainly more than a few manoeuvres that can be considered experimental in Ghost Quartet, and that artistic spirit is an admirable quality to encounter at any production. Whenever we talk about ghosts, it is hard to deny that it is ultimately the living that is always the real concern. It is an exercise in examining what has been left behind, just as we pay tribute to every work of art that attempts to push boundaries, and that propels us into new spaces. However much we may or may not enjoy it at the time it occurs, it is the artist’s imagination that offers suggestions for new ways of being, providing inspiration for us to move towards somewhere better than yesterday. 

www.hayestheatre.com.au | www.antipodestheatre.com

Review: Converted! (ATYP)

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Venue: The Rebel Theatre (Sydney NSW), Jan 3 – 25 , 2025
Book: Vic Zerbst
Music & Lyrics: Vic Zerbst, Oliver John Cameron
Director: Hayden Tonazzi
Cast: Helen Dallimore, Paul Leandre Escorrido, Ashley Garner, Cassie Hamilton, Nat Jobe, Melody Kiptoo, Scarlet Lindsay, Teo Persechino, Megan Robinson, Redd Scott, Teo Vergara
Images by Daniel Boud

Theatre review
Teenagers at the “Fix Yourself!” camp are hoping to improve their self-esteem, but like most other places, an overbearing and stifling emphasis on heteronormative values, is instead deteriorating their sense of self worth. Converted! by Vic Zerbst and Oliver John Cameron is an often charming musical about queer youth, and their struggles in a world determined to negate and change their nature. The plot may on occasion be incoherent, but its idiosyncratic style and array of spirited tunes, help to keep us amused and attentive.

Vibrant direction by Hayden Tonazzi ensures that the show is consistently energetic and irrepressibly quirky. A cast brimming with sincerity passionately imparts its story, including performers Helen Dallimore and Nat Jobe who stand out for the comedic nuance they bring to their roles as camp counsellors. Music direction by Mark Chamberlain introduces variation to our experience of songs that could otherwise feel formulaic. Uncomplicated choreography by Jeremy Lloyd ensures a theatricality without compromising the natural movement of characters.

Whimsical set and costume designs by Savanna Wegman set the tone for this cheeky and cheerful presentation. Lights by Brockman give the production its polish, along with a captivating colourfulness that represents perfectly queer culture, and the tradition of defiance against banality that it exemplifies.

Pride is not only about individuals overcoming challenges. It pertains to the continuation of legacies, and the understanding that freedoms that have been won, remain under constant threat. Pride necessitates that we remember the monumental sacrifices that had been made, and that we are prepared to extend victories to all others who still have to fight for justice. Queers are fervent in celebrating our authenticities, if only to demonstrate that truth and integrity are never to be feared. 

www.atyp.com.au

Review: Elf: The Musical (Sydney Opera House)

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Venue: Sydney Opera House (Sydney NSW), 19 – 29 Dec, 2024
Book: Bob Martin, Thomas Meehan
Music: Matthew Sklar
Lyrics: Chad Beguelin
Director: Eric Giancola
Cast: Brianna Bishop, Oscar Bridges, Simon Burke, Andrew Dunne, Gareth Isaac, Madeleine Mackenzie, Lara Mulcahy, Katrina Retallick
Images by Daniel Boud

Theatre review
Buddy embarks on a journey to New York to find his biological father, having recently learned that he is not a natural-born elf. Elf: The Musical was created several years after the success of the 2003 motion picture on which it is based, bringing further joy to the holiday season for audiences of all ages.

Under Eric Giancola’s effervescent direction, this stage version emerges as a comedic delight determined to leave crowds beaming with pleasure. Charming choreography by Mitchel Woodcock is a memorable feature, adding richness and dynamism to the narrative’s inherent momentum. Splendid video design by David Bergman increases the kineticism of the experience, working with our imagination to render believable a wide range of locations, as it delivers irrepressible colour and movement to have us mesmerised.

Performer Gareth Isaac plays Buddy with an appealing naivety, and along with his vibrant ebullience,  convinces us to invest in this story about an oversized Santa’s helper. As Santa, Laura Mulcahy’s natural charisma shines to great effect, completely enchanting with the confidence and humour she introduces. Simon Burke and Katrina Retallick are notable for their magnetism in the roles of Mr and Mrs Hobbs, both effortlessly captivating, as parental figures in Buddy’s search for belonging.

Christmas may always be first and foremost about the birth of a deity, but increasingly we regard it to simply be a time for togetherness and harmony. No matter our beliefs, it becomes a greater possibility during these festivities to lay down the arms, and to hold sacred a moment, if only for remembering to hope for peace on earth, and mercy mild.

www.sydneyoperahouse.com

Review: The Pigeons (KXT on Broadway)

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Venue: KXT on Broadway (Ultimo NSW), Dec 7 – 21, 2024
Playwright: David Gieselmann
Director: Eugene Lynch
Cast: Tel Benjamin, Lib Campbell, Micaela Ellis, Kath Gordon, Jackson Hurwood, Kandice Joy, Mark Langham, Andrew Lindqvist, Dominic Lui
Images by Justin Cueno

Theatre review
Robert has had enough of the rat race and is calling it quits. Things in the office are always chaotic anyway, so his disappearance seems not to have changed the tone of daily life very much. Any interpretation of its narrative however, is probably not of much importance for David Gieselmann’s The Pigeons, in which form and style take precedence over actual content or story.

Direction by Eugene Lynch, along with choreography by Cassidy McDermott-Smith, introduce a great amount of frenzied energy to the piece, but never quite draws us into any real fascination with the artistic experimentations taking place on stage, only becoming increasingly alienating over the course. The cast can be credited for their undeniable investment into the experience, with players like Tel Benjamin, Lib Campbell and Kath Gordon leaving good impressions with their rendering of comedic moments when opportunities arise.

Costumes by Lily Mateljan may only mimic dreary aspects of humdrum normalcy, but a moment of extraordinary absurdity involving a necktie, certainly proves delightful. An adaptive set design by Lochie Odgers too delivers an element of surprise in later portions of the show. Lights by Topaz Marlay-Cole are well considered, but available equipment proves restrictive in the implementation of the designer’s more creative ideas. Music and sounds by Christine Pan, often delightfully performed live, are effective in reminding our sensibilities to venture somewhere surreal.

Pigeons have a homing instinct that means they always come back. Our human nature can be thought of as something that always wishes to return to square one, but evidence suggests that we are capable of breaking out and moving forward. Art especially should have the capacity to resist repetition, and our artists can be relied on, to introduce new ways of thinking and being, even if the ways they choose to challenge us, can be difficult.

www.kingsxtheatre.com | www.theothertheatre.com.au