Tag Archives: theatre

Review: Proof (Ensemble Theatre)

Posted in Theatre by

proofVenue: Ensemble Theatre (Kirribilli NSW), Jan 31 – Mar 8, 2014
Playwright: David Auburn
Director: Sandra Bates
Actors: Matilda Ridgway, Catherine McGraffin, Adriano Cappelletta, Michael Ross

Theatre review
There seems a fine line between genius and madness. Both are by nature alienating, and people who present these qualities frequently feel misunderstood or isolated. In our age of overdiagnosis and hypervigilance, mental conditions seem to be everywhere, presenting to society innumerable challenges relating to the way we manage them in daily lives. As we continue to obsessively pathologise every less than common behaviour including the display of extraordinary talents, so do our tendencies to impose conformity throughout our communities. Proof is a story about a woman’s gift in mathematical ability, and the pressures she faces from living a less than conventional life.

Sandra Bates’ direction relays the story clearly, and pays close attention to dynamics between characters. We have a good sense of who these people are, and the world in which they live is portrayed vividly. Tragic elements of the play are fleshed out particularly well, with themes of death, illness, betrayal and jealousy providing tension and gravitas. The production is however, less effective in its lighter moments, where some of the comedy can be stiff and muted. Bates’s work might not be consistently strong through every scene, but where the drama does work, things get fabulously explosive.

The four actor ensemble is tight and even. These are generous performers who have opened up to their audience and to each other. The frisson between characters is a highlight of the show, and their interchanges are thoroughly enjoyable. Michael Ross plays Robert with ardour and depth. He delves into a realism that appeals to our empathy, but also performs the character’s madness with a fiery gusto that keeps us engrossed. Lead actor Matilda Ridgway is committed and present. She has a warmth that allows us to identify readily with Catherine’s ordeal, but her emotional range requires further expansion in order to hit all the right notes required by the emotionally complex script.

David Auburn’s writing delivers a story that is intriguing and passionate. It is also deceptively simple, and only with protracted excavation can all its subtleties be brought to light in the theatre. In this new production by Ensemble Theatre, we are treated to a fascinating story, told with an authenticity and a gentleness that will resonate with anyone who has ever wondered about the insanity and ingenuity that resides in every person.

www.ensemble.com.au

Review: Short+Sweet Dance 2014 (Short+Sweet)

Posted in Dance by

shortsweetdance1Venue: New Theatre (Newtown NSW), Jan 21 – Feb 2, 2014
Festival Directors: Joshua Lowe & Adam Wheeler
Photography by Pia

Theatre review
Short+Sweet Dance is a platform for emerging and professional choreographers from a wide range of genres to develop and showcase their work. It is also an opportunity for the Aystralian dance community to share and exchange ideas. This review is based on the Gala performance, which presented best pieces from this year’s festival, where more than 45 works from all over Australia featured over two weeks. It is noteworthy that a vast majority of performers are very young, but their abilities range widely. One of the strengths of this collection of works is the way in which each dancer’s capacity is taken into account, and no one is required to stretch too far beyond their faculties. The program is also memorable for its diversity, with artists from different backgrounds working across a good range of genres.

We commence with Familiar Strangers by Joseph Simons, who bases his abstraction on celebrity culture, and expresses a point of view that is characteristic of queer young men. Kirsty Fromholtz’s And Then Patterns (pictured above) features four dancers, each with a unique way of moving, is tender and probably the most emotionally engaging piece in the show.

Burlesque styles are explored in Natalie Pelarek’s Sink Or Swim, and Eva Crainean’s Girl Getting Bitter, both with a strong female presence, dealing with themes of gender difference. Sink Or Swim in particular, handles the subject matter very well, with extremely effective use of humour and sees Renelle Loretta Jones’ outrageous comic chops stealing the show.

Other stand outs include Jay Bailey’s Jaybird, which features a completely live soundtrack by the incredibly impressive beatboxer L.C.Beats. Also from the world of hip hop is Amber McCartney, whose interpretation of “popping and locking” in Hard-Boiled Wonderland, which utilises precise physical articulation brings to the program a sense of wonder and intrigue. No Fungus, No Tree by Sean Marcs and Anna Healey is an unusual work that features two very focussed and captivating performers. Their segment using Yazoo’s 1982 recording “Only You” is beautifully minimal and highlights the fantastic chemistry between the two. Nyunga by Thomas E.S. Kelly delivers an indigenous perspective and stars dancing sisters, Taree and Caleena Sansbury, who are truly delightful and graceful in their quiet confidence.

Our young dancers need to be congratulated for the training they put into their vocations. The amount of dedication in their art is evident in their skill and on their flesh. Their exploration into human physicality and visual mediums provides us with new and enlightening ways of looking at our own bodies and relationships with this vast universe in which we dwell. List of prize winners below.

Outstanding Choreography (joint winners):

  • Sean Marcs and Anna Healey for creating and performing No Fungus, No Tree – exploring the world of the symbiotic; and
  • Brianna Kell and Alexandra Andrews for creating and performing Salt – an inspired investigation

The People’s Choice (audience voted):

  • Swing Dancin’ – Natasha Crane’s infectious and quirky mix of styes performed by 25 artists

Award for Audacious Work:

  • Eva Crainean for Girl Getting Bitter – a comical, sexy and vengeful piece commenting on serious social issues and the femme fatale stereotype.

Outstanding Female Dancer (shared):

  • Amber McCartney for Hard-Boiled Wonderland – a movement study inspired by the work of Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami; and
  • Rosslyn Wythes for /Lu:p-/   – inspired by entrances, exits and the cyclical process where, within each loop, different information is revealed.

Outstanding Male Dancer: 

  • Harrison Hall for his solo work Melekh – “casting a shadow of light from within the darkness”.

www.shortandsweet.org

Review: Legend! (Decorum / Sydney Independent Theatre Company)

Posted in Theatre by

legend1Venue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), Jan 28 – Feb 15, 2014
Playwright: Pat Sheil
Director: Lex Marinos
Actor: John Derum
Image by Katy Green Loughrey

Theatre review
‘Slips’ Cordon is in his home, reminiscing. We don’t know why, or who it is he speaks to, but there is certainly no shortage of tall tales to share. Pat Sheil toys with our “European history” in his script, re-writing events involving our iconic war heroes, legendary sporting personalities, celebrated performers, and various significant political figures of times past. These revisions are amusing, and depending on your level of affinity with the “source material”, possibly even hilarious.

Cordon is played by the effortlessly charming John Derum, who carves out a character that is immediately endearing. This is an actor who revels in spinning yarns, and his enjoyment of the limelight is infectious. We are drawn in and are glad to be his captive audience. Derum is excellent at punchlines. Indeed, the show does at times, feel like a stand up comedy routine, where a comedian simply tells jokes, without much concern for context or character development. We do not learn very much about Cordon, but he does make us laugh.

This is a clever script that could work well in the form of a novella, but Derum’s interpretation adds a dimension of time and place that is strangely (and ironically) authentic, even though we are free to imagine where and when the action before our eyes actually takes place. Legend! is only mildly iconoclastic. In fact there is an air of reverence for these legends that hangs heavily over the production. Rest assured that our sacred cows are left unscathed.

www.sitco.net.au

Review: Hotel Sorrento (The Genesian Theatre)

Posted in Theatre by

rsz_sorrento3Venue: The Genesian Theatre (Sydney NSW), Jan 18 – Feb 22, 2014
Playwright: Hannie Rayson
Director: Shane Bates
Actors: Sarah Purdue, Melanie Robinson, Gemma Munro, Barry Moray, Martin Bell, Oliver Beard, Lyn Turnbull Rose, Rob White
Image by Mark Banks

Theatre review
One of the key functions of art (if art has any function at all), is to express and represent concepts of identity. In the case of the Australian identity, the discussion is always a fascinating, and complex one. We are intrinsically invested in the issue, and the diversity of perspectives makes for effortlessly dynamic discourse. Hotel Sorrento was written in 1990 and talks a lot about who we are, who we like to think we are, what others think of us, and why we care. It presents a view of Australia as a nation trying to find its feet, almost like an awkward teenager in the later stages of puberty, unsure of itself but determined to establish something substantial and defined.

This production features a committed cast, including Oliver Beard who plays Troy, an awkward teenager just beginning to understand the mechanisms at play in his family that give meaning to his very being. Sarah Purdue is the strongest actor on this stage, creating a Hilary that is tender and moving despite her parochialism. Purdue’s knack for naturalism provides the perfect tone for the production and she successfully shows us the depths of her character even when the details are not all spelt out in the script. Lyn Turbull Rose is delightful and infectious in a scene talking about yearning and passion as Marge, and Martin Bell injects much needed humour in a show that tends to be overly serious at times.

Shane Bates’ direction focuses on storytelling, and the clarity of his plot is a pleasure. The show however, seems to be a bit oversimplified, and the characters seem a little analogous. We are left with a desire for something more colourful, with slightly more complication and inconvenience. Nevertheless, it is exciting to see a great script remembered and revived with such fitting respect and genuine affection.

www.genesiantheatre.com.au

Review: Triple Bill (Ockham’s Razor)

Posted in Theatre by

ockhamsrazorVenue: Seymour Centre (Chippendale NSW), Jan 21 – 26, 2014
Directors: Ruth Naylor-Smith, Deb Pope, Meline Danielewicz
Music: Derek Nisbet, Patrick Larley, Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Performers: Alex Harvey, Charlotte Mooney, Grania Pickard, Steve Ryan

Theatre review
Aerial acrobatics can be relied upon to provide exciting thrills, as it easily evokes sensations of tension and vertigo, but to create narratives and imagery that bear strong aesthetic appeal within that framework is a challenging one. Ockham’s Razor succeeds in presenting beautiful imagery and emotionally involving pieces while allowing acrobatics to remain centre stage. Their stylistic choices are always simple, but they are masters at communicating to our eyes. They know exactly what we look at at every point in time, and they feed us everything we need by controlling how our eyes move and what we focus on.

Their show incorporates the art of miming, through which they surreptitiously acquire our empathy and identification. Relationships between characters are established ambiguously, but our connection with them are certain. In Arc, we see a love triangle set against a backdrop reminiscent of a shipwreck. The performance plays with ideas of emotional turbulence, using it to create a sense of breathtaking danger at every turn. Memento Mori presents life and death as a romance, one that is always at the brink of devastation. Their movements in space allegorise our intimate relationships with love and death, with moments of tenderness, and cruelty. The final work Every Action… injects humour into their craft. It is the liveliest section of the triple bill, cleverly applying mischief and playfulness to their acrobatic skills. The team looks especially effortless in their approach here, but are still able to elicit gasps of surprise and pleasure from the crowd.

Opening night saw fairly long intervals between each work. It is understandable that set up has to be completed thoroughly with no room for error, but with each break, the mood in the auditorium slumps down from the fervour we had been left with at the end of the previous piece. It truly does feel like a waste to not pick up from the enthusiasm and keep building up on the energy. Hopefully subsequent performances will see the gaps shortened.

Music and lighting design are thoughtfully created, adding to the ethereal elegance of these works. There is always a stillness that pervades, like an acknowledgement of the things that could go horribly wrong at any time. We are captivated, by the super-human stunts unfolding before us, the sheer beauty of the choreography, and the irresistible urge to imagine all the “what if’s” that could result from playing with gravity.

www.ockhamsrazor.co.uk

Review: Short+Sweet Cabaret 2014 (Short+Sweet)

Posted in Theatre by

sscabaretVenue: New Theatre (Newtown NSW), Jan 8 – 19, 2014
Festival Director: Kate Gaul
Musical Director: Daryl Wallis
Image by David Paul Jobling

Theatre review
Featuring a diverse selection from the Sydney cabaret scene, Short+Sweet encapsulates the best of our weird and whacky performers, all of whom are idiosyncratic and many, talented and original. The inaugural event concluded with an awards night where winners were announced (list below), based on votes from a judging panel, as well as audience selections. It is noteworthy that among the 40+ acts, a vast majority of participants were female, even though the winners list reads to be fairly gender balanced. This is a space that attracts female artists, and Short+Sweet should be lauded for its establishment.

Highlights include Thomas Albert and Samuel Valentine, two ridiculously talented young men who wrote several original songs and the script for Dirty Sexy Politics, which showcases their skills in comedy and musical performance. Theirs is unquestionably one of the most substantial and confident compositions in the festival, and are greatly deserving of both their award wins.

Harry & Liv is a sibling pairing, by real-life siblings Charlotte and Evan Kerr. Their musical talents and chemistry as a duo are outstanding, leaving an indelible impression and winning them two awards. The brother’s performance of “I Go To Rio” is a particularly effervescent moment in the festival. There are a few pieces in the festival that would benefit from extended renditions (they are only allowed 10 minutes each), and this is one of them.

Another duo Jacqui Dark and Kanen Breen wow’d the audience with their vocal abilities in Strange Bedfellows, a piece about twisted friendships that features unrelenting camp humour. Camp features heavily in the festival. In Dance With De Vil, Brendan Hay plays Cruello de Vill (Cruella’s son) with enough flamboyance and vitriol to make his mother beam with pride, and to win Best Male Cabaret artist.

Other memorable performers include Anne Wilson who presented two creations including the hilarious Pastor Dorcas who very excitedly warns her congregation about Judas who is known for “back-stabbing” (that’s a paraphrase). Great work also, from Irene Nicola who starts off with a nerdy striptease and ends with some unexpectedly beautiful singing, but not before providing a very dense lecture on performance theory and psychoanalysis.

Musical director of the festival is Daryl Wallis, who must be congratulated for the brilliant accompaniment he provided to more than half the acts. He has had to perform a very wide range of styles for performers from all kinds of backgrounds, and on many occasions, supply crucial dramatic or comedic accents. Wallis’ contribution to the festival’s success cannot be understated.

Peoples Choice for Best Cabaret Dirty Sexy Politics

Judges Choice for Best Cabaret Harry & Liv

Best Original Music Thomas Albert and Samuel Valentine Dirty Sexy Politics

Best Script Cienda McNamara Hardly the Portrait of a Lady

Best Comedy Hardly the Portrait of a Lady

Best Burlesque The Good The Bad and the Fugly

Best Newcomers Charlotte and Evan Kerr Harry & Liv

Best Female Cabaret Artist Cienda McNamara Hardly the Portrait of a Lady

Best Male Cabaret Artist Brendan Hay Dance With De Vil

www.shortandsweet.org

Review: Chi Udaka (TaikOz / Lingalayam)

Posted in Dance, Music by

chiudakaVenue: Seymour Centre (Chippendale NSW), Jan 16 – 18, 2013
Directors: Anandavalli & Ian Cleworth
Choreographer: Anandavalli
Music: Ian Cleworth, Riley Lee, Aruna Parthiban, John Napier

Theatre review
Chi Udaka sees a collaboration between two Australian companies from disparate backgrounds. TaikOz’s performance is based on Japanese percussion and wind instruments, and Lingalayam explores traditional Indian dance and music. Both companies work with specific disciplines and cultural influences, but come together to seek out a mode of expression that combines their respective talents. Whether discovering similarities or using disparities, Chi Udaka features a showcase with flashes of symbiosis, discordance and parallels.

Directors Anandavalli and Ian Clenworth do not seem to work with an ideal outcome in mind, but focus instead on a sense of exploration and surprise. What results is a production that is unpredictable and intriguing. One unifying component is a mesmerising quality that both cultures possess within their own forms, and their show together is definitely an enthralling experience. There is a spiritual element that is undeniable in the work, and in spite of the diversity in modern religious lives, it appeals to the sacred in each person, and aims for an uplifted audience.

An unfortunate flaw in the production is lighting design. Largely due to the restrictions of the York Theatre, which does not have conventional wings to allow for floods of light to illuminate the performers bodies effectively, the production has a muted look that prevents a greater, more direct connection with the audience. Relying on lamps from fly bars and footlights work well in the more subdued sections, but they detract from the efforts on stage in the more rousing moments of the piece.

Chi Udaka is a modern Australian marriage, imagined and realised by adventurous and brave people in the arts. It is a new dawn in our continuing re-definition of the Australian identity in our artistic and social landscapes, and while things may not always be smooth and easy going, this is a show that demonstrates a desire for purity and a respect for pluralism. It is a joyful moment when we are able to cherish all our different histories, and converge with trust and peace to create a new voice, one that embraces all that is good about the land on which we live and breathe.

www.taikoz.com
www.lingalayam.com

Review: On The Shore Of The Wide World (Pantsguys / Griffin Theatre Company)

Posted in Theatre by

pantsguysVenue: SBW Stables Theatre (Kings Cross NSW), Jan 8 – Feb 1, 2014
Playwright: Simon Stephens
Director: Anthony Skuse
Actors: Alex Beauman, Paul Bertram, Kate Fitzpatrick, Huw Higginson, Graeme McRae, Lily Newbury-Freeman, Emma Palmer, Amanda Stephens-Lee, Alistair Wallace, Jacob Warner

Theatre review
Conventions of drama seek to draw in audiences, to create a kind of psychological and emotional engagement that other art forms do not offer quite as readily. Plays about family dynamics in particular tend to provide an experience that is about sentimentality, whether melancholic or uplifting. On The Shore Of The Wide World however, keeps viewers at arms length, encouraging an objective perspective and intelligent discourse about contemporary middle class family lives. This does not mean that the audience is alienated to an extent that we do not care about its characters. Conversely in fact, Anthony Skuse’s direction appeals to our humanity and allows us to empathise with each diverse personality, while engaging deeply with their challenges and circumstances.

One of the main techniques employed to place the material in an intellectual framework is the positioning of actors on stage even when the scene unfolding does not involve them. We see these “extraneous” characters watching and thinking about what is being played out, and try to scrutinise their responses. This causes a constant tension that adds dimension to every plot development, for we are always reminded of repercussions and contrasting points of view.

The ensemble is marvellous. Characterisations are convincing and intentions are clear. We know who these people are, what they think, and how they feel about each other. Kate Fitzpatrick plays the role of grandmother Ellen with restraint and a whole lot of authenticity. It is a minimal performance that works splendidly within the confines of the intimate theatre, and we never question the validity of the actor’s choices. Fitzpatrick’s work is wonderfully elegant, telling her story very persuasively, while being very still. The most memorable performance in the production belongs to Huw Higginson. The role of Pete is written with a lot of thoroughness, and Higginson’s interpretation is equally exacting. His portrayal is subtle and vulnerable, but the actor is unafraid of dramatics when they are required. His chemistry with all co-players are palpable, creating an on stage family that is entirely believable.

This is an unusual theatrical experience, one that talks to its audience with intelligence about themes that are universal. It addresses our concerns with honesty, but does not provide convenient resolutions. Like a good parent, this is a show that tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.

www.griffintheatre.com.au

Review: Wittenberg (Brevity Theatre / Sydney Independent Theatre Company)

Posted in Theatre by

rsz_wittenbergVenue: Old Fitzroy Theatre (Woolloomooloo NSW), Jan 7 – 25, 2014
Playwright: David Davalos
Director: Richard Hilliar
Actors: David Woodland, Alexander Butt, Nick Curnow, Lana Kershaw

Theatre review
Wittenberg is a play that examines the struggle between theology and philosophy. We are positioned along with Hamlet (in his younger years) in the centre of the action, caught between reason and religion. David Davalos’ text is a dense one. Western literature is referenced relentlessly, creating a post-modern structure based on citations of classical concepts, characters and quotations.

Richard Hilliar’s direction is confident and precise. He places equal emphasis on dramatics and content, ensuring a show that appeals intellectually and is also fabulously entertaining. Hilliar does his best to make sense of the lines, which are frequently academic and cerebral, and while some of us might find it challenging to absorb everything, the direction succeeds in keeping us engaged at all times.

Design elements of the production are simple, elegant and effective. The set in particular, works well with the space and the performers. Lighting is creative but also unintrusive. It is a pleasure to see the Old Fitzroy stage given some three-dimensionality and lightness.

Performances are consistently strong, and all actors seem to be very thoroughly rehearsed. Intentions are clear, and their control over their tricky lines are very accomplished. David Woodland’s performance however, is completely show stealing. His portrayal of John Faustus is charismatic, committed and irresistibly convincing. He has a fearless approach that effervesces unceasingly, and he resonates strongly at every turn. We hear his points of view clearly, and we empathise with his vulnerabilities. His co-actors are not weak by any stretch of the imagination, but the show becomes unintentionally asymmetrical in its intellectual arguments due to the overwhelming persuasiveness of one side.

Ultimately, this is not a play that seeks to change anyone’s core beliefs, but it reminds us of the other, and the values it holds close. Wittenberg is about the plurality of our existences, and the constant negotiations we endure in making sense of our daily lives.

www.facebook.com/BrevityTheatreCo

Review: Am I (Shaun Parker & Company)

Posted in Dance by

rsz_r1222886_16043263Venue: Sydney Opera House (Sydney NSW), Jan 9 – 12, 2014
Director & Choreographer: Shaun Parker
Music: Nick Wales
Dramaturge: Veronica Neave
Dancers: Josh Mu, Sophia Ndaba, Jessie Oshodi, Marnie Palomares, Melanie Palomares, Shantala Shivalingappa, Julian Wong

Theatre review
With Am I, Shaun Parker & Company continues to redefine Australian dance and identity. This work relies heavily on traditional Indian forms of performance and Chinese martial arts, to create a new contemporary dance that is not only about Australia but also an international landscape. As societies come to terms with technological advancements and multiplicity in their cultural compositions, art begins to conflate and we seem to be arriving at a time when a universality, in creativity and practice, usurps geographical differences. Shaun Parker’s work is international not only because of its high standards, but also because of its global language.

Shantala Shivalingappa brings an Indian influence that gives the production a sense of dreamlike storytelling. She is an omnipresent narrator, with a magnetism that can only be described as enigmatic. Slight in stature and mild in temperament, it is a wonder that the audience’s attention is completely lost in Shivalingappa’s minimal performance style whenever she takes centre stage. Julian Wong’s talents as a martial artist are utilised to perfection. The way his disciplines are reinterpreted to create a new art form, is probably the greatest achievement of this work. The opening up of something that is seemingly rigid and old fashioned, in order to create a brand new redefining vocabulary in movement is an incredible feat, which the company should be extremely proud of. A particularly memorable moment sees the combination of Wong performing a “qigong” style routine along with Josh Mu’s responses using “popping” from the breakdance lexicon. The meeting of the two is breathtaking, and clearly (as words will no doubt fail), has to be seen to be believed.

Music is performed entirely live with a band and singers that have achieved a magnificent level of symbiosis with the dancers. Lighting design is creative and ground-breaking, with a “wall of light” that provides illumination in all senses of the word. The level of sensitivity at which both these elements are designed and directed is masterful. They are not often in the foreground of proceedings, but are absolutely crucial to the success of the show.

Am I is Shaun Parker’s meditation on spirituality. It inspires ideas on God, creation, and inevitably, the meaning of life. It is Parker using the performance space to ask the biggest questions, and what results is something transcendental and divine. This is a company determined to communicate, and the show speaks to audiences of all kinds. Its concepts are grand but universal; its tone sophisticated but never hoity-toity. It speaks to all, but seeks to appeal to the most sacred that is in us all.

www.shaunparkercompany.com