Category: Events

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On May 25, 2013

REVIEW: Barry Lowe’s THE DEATH OF PETER PAN

Boyish bildungsroman and lingering love story

By Myron My

Barry Lowe’s The Death of Peter Pan is a tragic and beautiful story of growing up and becoming a man. Set during the 1920’s, it follows the life of Michael Llewelyn-Davies – the adopted (and favourite) son of Peter Pan author, James Barrie – and his chance encounter with fellow student Rupert Buxton.

Kieran McShane and Jordan Armstrong do a flawless job as the two protagonists, Michael and Rupert respectively. Rupert’s arrogance and brashness is a perfect contrast to Michael’s ambivalence and fear of what is happening, and this dynamic ultimately leads to a first kiss, first love and first heartbreak for Michael. There are some strong relationship-defining moments on stage, including the scene at the Parisian whorehouse and Michael’s swimming lesson. The affection and tenderness between the characters has a heartfelt authenticity, and this is mainly due to the talents of these two performers.

The two are supported by a more-than-capable ensemble cast including Sean Paisley Collins as Roger Senhouse, Michael’s flirtatious college friend. Collins is superb in his role: not overdone and revealing a serious and sensitive side that (when it does come to the surface) leaves quite an impact. Similarly, Ian Rooney’s J.M. Barrie is impressive as he plays out the nuances of a man still trying to live in his own Peter Pan moment.

Robert Chuter returns to the Chapel to direct The Death of Peter Pan and his focus on and image of this production is breathtaking. He has put together a very fine cast and crew, including costume designer Elissa Hullah and hair and make-up artist Rebecca Vaughan whose efforts warrant particular mention. The show does use blackouts between scenes and although I am not generally a fan of these visual interruptions, the haunting musical score by Andrew Bishop was able to keep us utterly absorbed in the moment.

The Death of Peter Pan is Australian theatre at its unrivaled best. It’s always a joy to be enveloped by a production that has brought everything so seamlessly together and its effects will still be felt long after having seen it.

Venue: Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel St, Prahran

Season: Until 2 June | Wed-Sat 8:00pm, Sun 6:30pm

Tickets: $30 Full | $28 Conc

Bookings: www.chapeloffchapel.com.au or 8290 7000

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On May 24, 2013

REVIEW: Heaven at LA MAMA

Teen drama tackles big issues

By Myron My

What happens when we die? What happens when we are confronted with death and begin to question our own mortality? Heaven attempts to deal with these questions when a young girl (Jessica Clarke) is killed by a bakery van and three classmates attempt to bring her back from the afterlife.

It’s only been two years since Heaven was written but unfortunately it already has an outdated feel with regards to its language. I did not feel convinced 15-year olds speak like this – but perhaps I am way out of touch with the youth of today. I do understand what writer/director Kit Brookman was attempting to achieve here, but the switches from child-like behavior (playing with toy robots in one scene) to the characters dealing with profound issues like life after death ended up seeming contrived. The ending left me with many questions that did not necessarily need to be answered but would have benefited from having some clarity brought to them.

I felt the characters could also have been developed more as they appeared to be mere familiar teen stereotypes: the nerd, the goth, the jock, and the brain. Having said that, the cast do their best (appropriately) to bring life to them. Lachlan Woods as Stewart was very good in displaying not only the jock’s bravado but also his emotional insecurities. Another special mention goes to Sarah Ogden, who brings some incredibly touching scenes to the stage as Sally.

Furthermore, there are a number of great ensemble moments in this play, in particular the séance between Max (Andre Jewson), Sally and Stewart, which has some genuinely funny dialogue. There is a good blend of humour and truth in Heaven, with the final scene being quite a touching one.

On the technical side, the score by Tom Hogan and lighting design by Richard Vabre added strong emotive elements to the narrative. When used, they not only created an intimacy and the almost claustrophobic environment that Heaven required, but were able to increase the tension and heighten the mood of what was coming.

Heaven tries to cover a vast array of topics in the spectrum of life and death. Some it does quite well, and others it should have stayed away from. Overall, the admirable acting and production elements are let down by a story whose script doesn’t quite hit the mark.

Venue: La Mama Theatre, 205 Faraday Street Carlton

Season: Until 2 June | Wed-Fri 8:30pm, Sat-Sun 6:30pm

Tickets: $25 Full | $15 Conc

Bookings: http://lamama.com.au or 9347 6142

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On May 23, 2013

REVIEW: RePlay Theatre’s THE WOMAN TAMER

Ambitious production of an Australian classic

By Myron My

Originally written in 1911, The Woman Tamer by Australian playwright Louis Esson has just been given a makeover over a 100 years later by RePlay Theatre for a limited run this week at The Owl and the Pussycat.

The play begins in the foyer of the theatre with a man and a woman (Jack Beeby and Clara Pagone) dressed in period costume, singing a song with a ukulele. However, they are also covered in ghoulish make-up and at the end of the song they guide us into the theatre. The two stand in the doorway strumming away until the doors close, evoking a strong and uneasy emotional response and offering a hint of the horror that is to come.

Unfortunately, I found the story very difficult to follow due to the overwhelming visuals: the choreographed ‘dances’, the make-up and costumes, the music and at times, the two completely different scenes occurring at the same time. Whilst all this was engaging and captivating to watch, it resulted in me losing a lot of the actual narrative.

Robert Reid‘s direction is strong overall, but does allows things to get a little convoluted and left us trying to figure out what’s going on. There are some profound themes in this play including an examination of domestic violence against women, so adding all these other layers and levels to it jeopardized the focus on the issues and created a haphazard experience for the audience.

However, the cast (Beeby, Pagone, Tom Molyneux and Kate Brennan) were quite skilled in their roles. This play is peopled with emotionally and physically-demanding characters, and they were all committed, with particular mention going to Beeby who seemed to relish his character and really gave it his all.

RePlay Theatre have succeeded in producing an interesting contemporary reinterpretation of the original text of The Woman Tamer, but unfortunately have managed to also ostracize the audience in our endeavours to connect with the play.

Venue: The Owl and the Pussycat, 34 Swan St, Richmond

Season: Until 25 May | 7:00pm

Tickets: $25 Full | $20 Conc

Bookings: http://www.owlandcat.com.au/thewomantamer.html

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On May 23, 2013May 23, 2013

REVIEW: Backyard Theatre Presents UNCONDITIONED HEART

Jack and Jill reunited

By Darcy Whitsed

As most theatre-goers in Melbourne know, or should know, the La Mama Theatre is both a hub for creative independent works as well as an extremely intimate space. This was the setting for Backyard Theatre’s new show Unconditioned Heart that opened this week.

The show starred four actors: Vanessa Chapple (Woman), Lily Fish (Jill), Rob Gaetano (Jack), Paul Roberts (Man) and a puppeteer Dan Goronszy, and was focused around the return of Jack to his sister Jill after being overseas for several years.

Unconditioned Heart utilized a lot of different theatrical elements to tell its story, combining movement, shadow puppetry, scenes of dialogue between Jack and Jill ranging from realistic to non-naturalistic and story-telling monologues from both lead characters. Most of these elements blended very well together, however there were times (such as during the shadow puppet sequence) when there was simply too much happening, especially the abstract movement. On the tiny La Mama stage it became almost distracting, and hard to focus on all of the action. That being said, Lily Fish’s exquisite monologue combined with the exceptional shadow puppetry (the stage was cleverly hidden in the solitary set element of a cupboard) provided the audience with a gorgeous moment that in my opinion stole the show.

Lily Fish was definitely the stand-out performance. Her character Jill had such a sense of sadness, desperation and vulnerability in her interactions with the other characters, none of which was explicitly explored in the story but it was incredible to see the nuances of emotions and thought that had gone into her performance. The other ensemble members were also very strong with a lot being demanded of them in terms of the different performance elements that were used to convey the story, such as movement and non-verbal communication.

The technical elements of Unconditioned Heart were very well considered for the venue and style of the production. La Mama is very small so everything is extremely visible and raw to the audience members and this fact was definitely not ignored in the design of the show. The lighting and sound effects were simple but well-used and the scenes flowed together efficiently and were marked effectively with lighting changes.

The costuming was also simple, representing the different characters’ personalities, but seemed a little too random and it would have been satisfying to see a more unified decision or element within the ensemble.

Overall, Unconditioned Heart is a short, sharp, thought-provoking piece of theatre. It ambitiously combines a wide range of performance elements that for the most part work well, but at times seem to not synchronize perfectly. It is carried by strong actors and gorgeous shadow puppetry.

Where: La Mama Theatre, Carlton

When: May 22^nd – June 2^nd 2013

Time: Wed – Fri 6.30pm, Sat – Sun 8.30pm

Tickets: Full $25, Conc $15

Bookings: (03) 9347 6142 or online

Comedy, Events, Review, Theatre, Whats On May 21, 2013May 22, 2013

REVIEW: One Man, Two Guvnors with MTC

Comedy chaos from a slapstick script

By Ross Larkin

If you’re a lover of farce or pantomime – you are, no doubt, in for a treat with One Man, Two Guvnors.

Based on Goldoni’s 1746 work, The Servant of Two Masters, Richard Bean’s version smacks of slapstick, and then some. Played out with such frantic urgency from the get go, it’s necessary at times to sit back and take a breather from the hysteria.

Owain Arthur plays Francis, a rolypoly Welshman caught in a cat-and-mouse-frenzy between a woman disguised as her dead gangster brother (Rosie Wyatt) and a small-time crook (Leon Williams), along with additional obstacles (namely the crook’s daughter played by Kellie Shirley, and the gangster’s fiancé performed by Edward Bennett).

The energy and commitment of the actors is constant and remarkable. Arthur, in particular, is frankly genius in such a farcical role. Boisterous physical comedy, spontaneous jokes and audience interaction come naturally to the accomplished actor, as does his ability to improvise when things steer off course.

The supporting cast do well to compliment Arthur, considering how seemingly easy it might be to fall into the shadow of such a showman, and at times, offer a few unique laughs themselves.

One’s overall enjoyment of this production, however, largely depends on one’s appreciation for the acquired genre of farce.

Even if completely lost in the madness, the theatrical language and manic, farcical physicality can often instruct an audience when to laugh, regardless of true comical value.

Clowns and caricatures may delight some as they pick on unsuspecting patrons in the first row, or ask the audience for answers. “Could this be happening? What to do? What to do?” is an example of the degree to which One Man, Two Guvnors trips into pantomime territory.

However, traditional theatre goers may be bored to tears with the protagonist asking the audience for a sandwich repeatedly, or the hillbilly musical interludes, which, although polished and noteworthy, overstay their welcome.

Sadly, Bean’s script is low on witty dialogue, and relies very heavily on physical comedy and engaging performances, which, thankfully, have both been recruited in this British National Theatre tour.

Be warned, though, if melodramatic malarkey and audience participation are not your cup of tea: in spite of their success in those areas, there is little else left to offer.

One Man, Two Guvnors by Richard Bean is playing now at Melbourne’s Arts Centre Playhouse until June 22, 2013. Tickets available at http://www.mtc.com.au or by calling the Box Office on 03 8688 0800.

Events, Festivals, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On May 19, 2013

REVIEW: The Daniel Schlusser Ensemble’s MENAGERIE

A daring exploration of the essence of a life

By Christine Moffat

Menagerie is a composite of many ideas, combining the real and imagined life and companions of playwright Tennessee Williams. This is experimental theatre, bordering on performance art, something that the Daniel Schlusser Ensemble has become known for. A circus of characters in and around a small, seedy shack create a cacophony of noise and movement. It’s a risky combination: when it worked, it created sublime theatrical experiences. When it didn’t, the result was prettily arranged tableaux better suited to photography.

There is no arc or emotional journey within this show. This type of experimental work is aiming for more than a good story: it is seeking the essence of an event, or in this case, a life. Through a controlled mayhem, director Daniel Schlusser weaves six incredibly capable actors into a tragically beautiful tapestry. Throughout the piece, the cast became a dysfunctional family. Each performance seemed to exploit the personal strengths of each actor. Josh Price (Williams) and Zahra Newman (Ozzie) both delivered powerful, potentially dominating performances. Price was particularly interesting as the many dishevelled versions of Williams. These larger roles were tempered and complimented by the subtle work of Kevin Hofbauer (Frank) and Edwina Wren (Rose). Jane Badler (Edwina) and Karen Sibbing were erratic, tragic and hilarious, and owned the audience more than once.

The set, designed by Dale Ferguson, was almost a character in itself. It consisted of the claustrophobic hut, surrounded by an assortment of rough amenities that suggested both squalor, and the enmeshed, suffocating family that plagued the real Williams. Although not emotionally affecting in the way a traditional theatre piece would be, Menagerie achieves a sense of truth about Williams’ internal world that you instinctively believe. The ensemble appear to have taken what is known about Williams the artist and worked backwards to present a valid hypothesis of how that complex man was created. This achievement indicates the method in their mayhem.

Menagerie (part of NEON Festival of Independent Theatre)
Venue: MTC Southbank Theatre, The Lawler
Dates: 18 to 26 May 2013
Show times: Tues – Sat 8pm, Sun 5pm (duration 90mins + interval)
Tickets: $25
Bookings: 03 8688 0800 or www.mtc.com/neon

Comedy, Events, Musical Theatre, Review, Whats On May 16, 2013May 16, 2013

REVIEW: Legally Blonde – The Musical

Omigod, you guys – Lucy Durack is the new pink!

By Kim Edwards

Appropriately playing at The Princess Theatre (that has enjoyed a facelift in pink lighting for the occasion), Legally Blonde – The Musical has opened in Melbourne. Based on the 2001 Reese Witherspoon romantic comedy, Elle Woods, a beautiful blonde sorority girl from Malibu, is dumped by her boyfriend and decides following him into Harvard law is the only solution for winning him back. It’s fluffy, frivolous, decidedly fuchsia – and wonderfully good fun.

Lucy Durack as Elle is simply effervescent: that beautiful lucid voice and irrepressible vivaciousness on stage is coupled with astute comic timing and delicate character nuances. The effect? Irresistible! Rob Mills does a sound job as Elle’s smarmy ex, Warner, and his song ‘Serious’ is a musical highlight. Cameron Daddo is svelte and smooth as predatory Professor Callahan, while Helen Dallimore comes into her own by the second act when she lets loose as Elle’s new best friend Paulette, and Mike Snell is uproariously funny in his cameo as sexy delivery man Kyle. However, it is David Harris who wins the most hearts as scruffy love interest Emmett Forrest: his disarming naturalism forms an appealing contrast to the high theatricality of the rest of the cast.

For this is definite musical comedy, from the cheer-leading dance moves and cute Barbie doll sets to the scene-stealing antics of Bruiser the purse puppy and Rufus the bulldog. Most of the changes made to get the movie onto the stage are admirable, with new topical jokes and witty lyrics: the opening number ‘Omigod You Guys’ and the cheeky ‘Is He Gay or European?’ are both hilarious and endearing. Less successful is the rather awful title song, the problematic implications of the infamous ‘bend and snap’ technique, and the rather silly plot developments in Act Two, whereby we are left wondering what Elle has actually accomplished for her career and her gender if the legal system and ‘real world’ outside of Delta Nu proves to be as ridiculous and sexist as sorority life.

However, these minor quibbles ultimately do not detract from the merits of this particular Australian production. Legally Blonde – The Musical is pretty in pink, joyously energising, and sparklingly funny. The costumes aren’t always as visually exciting as one might hope, but there is plenty of colour and spectacle, elegant and fluid scene changes, excellent character work from the rest of the cast – and Lucy Durack. Come prepared to fall a little bit in love with this show – and a lot in love with its leading lady.

Legally Blonde is now playing at The Princess Theatre in Melbourne. Tickets are available online through Ticketmaster or ph: 1300 111 011.

Comedy, Events, Performances, Review, Whats On May 15, 2013May 15, 2013

REVIEW: Michael Burke and CUBEHEAD

A show that thinks outside the square

By Myron My

In Cubehead, Michael Burke creates two characters, each with their own existential crisis. One is the eponymous extra-terrestrial Cubehead, and the second is… well, Michael Burke.

Burke fuses the stories of two very different beings as they search for something more to life than what’s just around them. The respective narratives were strong but the transitions between Cubehead and Burke’s tales were a little awkward.

Initially the device was quite humorous, but continually having a recording advising the audience when to open and close their eyes to allow Burke to prepare for the next scene forced us to come out of the experience and reminded us that we are watching a show.

The pre-recorded narration also posed an issue with pace and flow in Cubehead. At times, Burke would be standing on stage, waiting for the narration to be completed before continuing on with the show. Even though he would sometimes be waiting in character, it was very difficult as an audience member to remain engaged with the performance in this way.

However, there are some genuinely funny moments scattered throughout, and a good level of creativity (seeing what Burke can do with some old Nokias was a highlight).

Naturally, Burke seemed very relaxed and more comfortable when he was himself, especially when reminiscing about the ten-day silent ‘retreat’ he went on. The people he met there and things he experienced had us all intrigued and could easily have been a show on its own.

Cubehead is not a performance where the laughs are fast and loud: Burke is not jumping around being wildly animated and attention-seeking. He has a quiet persona on stage and it is ultimately his subtle and intelligent humour that wins the audience over. This is a gentle comedy show that will have you thinking (and surprised four times). Oh – and bring a Furby…

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 256 Collins St (entry via Carson Place)

Season: Until 19 May | 9:00pm, Sun 8:00pm

Tickets: $23 Full | $20 Conc

Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com

Circus, Events, Review, Theatre, Whats On May 14, 2013May 14, 2013

REVIEW: Fear & Love & Clowns at THE MALTHOUSE

You think you know clowning…?

By Myron My

Fear & Love & Clowns is the first production from Fear & Love, a group of five soon-to-be graduate actors from the Victorian College of the Arts. Using clowning at its most fundamental level, we follow the story of four clowns who find themselves embroiled in a villainous plot.

There is a nice blend of slapstick and pantomine in this show: the characters bumble and stumble and fall, and sometimes the humour does get a little crass. However, there is great heart to the story which is told mainly through mime. The five actors – Alistair Frearson, Chelsea Zeller, Emil Freund, Tristsan Barr and Michael Gosden – successfully develop the narrative through animated and dynamic movement, gestures and facial expressions.

Furthermore, the performers display a high level of character physicality and give great individuality to their roles. Personally, I found Frearson to be quite exceptional in his clowning persona, as was Freund as the ‘straight’ clown. Frearson was also particularly strong as the villain of the piece, and really did create some genuinely tense moments with his evil doings.

Fear&Love&Clowns has solid direction, and a great production team behind it with Jackson Trickett on lighting and Bart Welch on sound with the latter’s vocal effects adding much to the show. On a performance level, whilst the energy generally remained high, it did waver occasionally with a few flat moments here and there. The cast and crew have done their best to keep the action short and pumping, but perhaps these moments still need addressing.

Fear & Love have attempted to engage their audience not only as observers but as participants in openly reacting to what we seeing – which is not hard when we’re offered themes such as sex, revenge and murder. Yes, this is still just clowning at heart, but it is a very different type of clown show – especially with an ending that would make Stephen King’s IT proud…

Venue: Tower Theatre, The Malthouse, 113 Sturt St, Southbank.

Season: Until 18 May | 7:00pm

Tickets: $28

Bookings: http://www.malthousetheatre.com.au or 9685 5111

Events, Review, Theatre, Whats On May 10, 2013May 10, 2013

REVIEW: One for the Ugly Girls at LA MAMA

Things get ugly

By Myron My

In One for the Ugly Girls by Tahli Corin, Alistair (Syd Brisbane) is an artist searching for a lookalike of his late wife so that he can bring her back to life on canvas.

Jade (Lori Bell) responds to his request online and although she is not the ideal image of beauty and not exactly what Alistair has envisaged, he agrees to paint her – until a second Jade (Hannah Norris) arrives and things get a little complicated.

Most of the themes that One for the Ugly Girls deals with are skimmed through and not much closure or complexity is given to the characters. The intense themes of loss, holding on to the past and longing to be loved are all present but they are just glossed over.

Furthermore, there is a lot of raw emotion in the play and sadly, it is to its detriment. The scenes of excessive shouting and yelling seem unnecessary and moments of anger towards others appear without real motive or reason.

Unfortunately Brisbane fails to get the audience to empathise with Alistair as we never really get to know what he is thinking and who he really is. There are a few times when the choices he makes seem to be completely out of character. Furthermore, the motivations of the two Jades for doing what they have done are never explained and you are left with quite a few questions by the end.

In saying that, I would have liked to see more of the two Jades’ relationship. Even though this was predominantly a story revolving around Alistair, there was so much going on between the two girls that it warranted some form of exploration, and suggested a history to be expanded upon. However, both Bell and Norris put in very strong performances and play their characters quite convincingly given the material they’ve got.

Overall, I felt stronger direction was needed by first-time director Adriana Bonaccurso for a play such as this, to allow the story to evolve in a more organic way. One for the Ugly Girls had the potential to be something special but lost its way in the process.

Venue: La Mama Theatre, 205 Faraday Street Carlton

Season: Until 19 May | Wed, Fri 8:30pm. Thurs, Sat-Sun 6:30pm

Tickets: $25 Full | $15 Conc

Bookings: http://lamama.com.au or 9347 6948