Category: Festivals

Comedy, Festivals, Review, Stand-Up Comedy, Whats On

REVIEW: Ivan Aristeguieta is LOST IN PRONUNCIATION

Come for comedy, and be charmed!

By Jessica Cornish

‘Tis the season for comedy: the 2014 Melbourne International Comedy Festival has begun. Last night I was lucky enough to have tickets for Ivan Aristeguieta’s sold-out preview of Lost in Pronunciation.

Lost in Pronunciation

Performing in the Portland Hotel’s cosy Pool Room, we were treated to an hour of steamy bikram comedy. However, I’m assured the bikram experience was a one-off event due to a broken air conditioner, but to be honest it didn’t make the performance any less enjoyable. He likened our dilemma to a Spanish adage which roughly equated to being trapped inside a soup lid: it defiantly conjured up some strange images in my head, but seemed accurate.

This light-hearted hour of comedy was essentially the highlights of Australian life through the eyes of an exotic Venezuelan. Luckily for Ivan, Australia has been kind to him – until people learn he’s from Adelaide, and then it’s another story entirely…

Making fun of Aussies’ adoration of yeasty vegemite and tomato sauce is a running joke that he subtly weaves into each segment as he segues between family-friendly witty stories and meringue-style covers of beloved Aussie folk songs.

Ivan has great facial expressions and was very charming and charismatic on stage. His comedy style wasn’t aggressive and didn’t rely on belittling people in the crowd. It was happy and harmless fun, and included a dig at our homophobic PM which is always entertaining.

However, at times I did feel as though I had snuck in to an exclusive Latino club. Three-quarters of the crowd were South American, which even included a Venezuelan contingent who adored the show. They definitely embraced the chance to reminisce about life back home and how different life in Australia is, and to laugh at themselves as well. However, the material wasn’t so refined as to be alienating, and I certainly enjoyed the show overall.

Chosen as one of five up-and-coming comedians to participate in Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s The Comedy Zone, Ivan definitely put on a good night’s entertainment and a polished preview performance. He will be performing at the Pool Room until April 20.

Tue-Sat 8.15pm
Sun 7.15pm
Cost: $15 – $22

Bookings: http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/lost-in-pronunciation-ivan-aristeguieta

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Festivals, Music, Performances

REVIEW: Ginger and Tonic are 50 SHADES OF GAY

Just bought their CD…

By Narelle Wood

The a cappella group Ginger and Tonic’s 50 Shades of Gay is more than just good singing of songs by gay composers, iconic gay songs and a song from Marvin Gaye: it provides a whole lot of sass and a whole lot of laughs through the group’s comedic styling and homosexual humour.

Emma, Jane, Carena and Sheona have amazing voices and not only an incredible ability to harmonize but to construct musical arrangements that segue seamlessly from one song to another: 4-non-blondes and Sophie B Hawkins, a Ricky Martin tribute, and a medley from the big six Divas of our time, among some of the best.

50 Shades of Gay

Emma, Jane, Carena and Sheona have amazing voices and not only an incredible ability to harmonize but to construct musical arrangements that segue seamlessly from one song to another: 4-non-blondes and Sophie B Hawkins, a Ricky Martin tribute, and a medley from the big six Divas of our time, among some of the best.

For most groups an ability to sing would probably enough to sustain an hour’s worth of good entertainment, but on this musical trip through every colour of the rainbow, the girls also test the knowledge of the audience in some Spicks-and-Specks style gaymes: musical trivia with a gay twist.

On the lighter side of the 50 shades are songs such as “The Love Shack”, a Lesley Gore tribute, and a Minogue sister battle, that showcases the humour with which this performance had been put together. This is mostly accomplished through the part-clichéd, part-sassy, part-sexual dance moves, some wild gesticulations and animated facial expressions.

But it isn’t all fun and games. Ginger and Tonic through their performance of Rufus Wainwright’s “Natasha” demonstrate that they can sing with the stillness of the most seasoned performers and this highlights just how good their voices are.

The night, for me, ended far too soon as I would have been happy to continue counting down (or counting up in this case) well past the 50 songs and well in to the hundreds. It’s okay though because I’ve since found their CD on I-tunes.

I would like to describe Ginger and Tonic as Pitch Perfect meets the Spice Girls, but the comparison just isn’t fair. Ginger and Tonic are definitely in a league of their own.

50 Shades of Gay was performed for the 2014 Midsumma Festival at The Butterfly Club. For more information, visit http://www.gingerandtonic.com.au/

Cabaret, Events, Festivals, Whats On

REVIEW: Daniel Kilby is EUROTRASHED

One man’s trash is Eurovision treasure

By Narelle Wood

Eurotrashed: Europe’s Living a Celebration for this year’s Midsumma Festival provides a great opportunity for both Eurovision tragics and newbies to experience first hand Europe’s own version of a tacky television talent show.

Eurotrashed

The format of Eurotashed follows closely that of the real Eurovision contest: several countries, several songs and usually several artists. However, in this one-man show it was Daniel Kilby’s role to perform the full gamut of genres that these countries offer; everything from ballads to pop to swing, and something from San Marino that has strong potential of turning up on K-Pop.

Kilby’s great trashy performance provided some iconic Eurovision touches and therefore opportunities to take a shot, because Eurotrashed is not just about singing: it’s also about drinking. Amongst my favourite moments were Kilby’s all-white outfit (drink), the creepy over emoting (drink) and the overly enthusiastic French translation (drink – this isn’t strictly in the drinking game rule book, but it should be). I couldn’t help but wonder whether there needed to be a little bit more trash in the Eurotrashed repertoire. For instance there were no costume reveals or wind machines (or cheap pedestal fans) and there was only some subtle sparkle found on Kilby’s glittery converse shoes.

The lack of over-the-top trash did provide a stripped-back Eurovision experience that highlighted Kilby’s ability to sing and dance: talents that are actually optional in the Eurovision contest itself. So with a strong vocal performance and no strange staging effects for distraction, I found myself tapping my foot to the sweet German sound of swing, wishing for a glow-stick to sway during the Estonian power ballad Kuula, and being strangely entranced by Kilby’s convincing rendition of “I Feed You My Love”.

It isn’t exactly clear whether Eurotrashed is targeted at the Eurovision neophyte or die-hard fan, but either way the opportunity to participate in the voting process at the end definitely rounds out the Eurovision experience. I am though a little upset that my favourite song, “Waterline” from the hyped-up-on-red-cordial-Bros-look-alike-Irish-twins Jedward, did not win.

Eurotrashed is a little show, with huge heart and even bigger potential, which left a smile on my face and catchy song lyrics in my head.

Dates: 29 Jan – 2 Feb
Thu – Sat 7pm
Wed & Sun 6pm

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne

Bookings: http://www.thebutterflyclub.com/shows

Festivals, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Midsumma Festival’s THIRD REICH MOMMIE

Disturbingly funny

By Narelle Wood

With a title like Third Reich Mommie, I knew this performance was either going to be good, bad or completely bizarre; it was all three and didn’t disappoint. The storyline centres on the dysfunctional relationship between an ex-actress turned spy turned agoraphobic mother Bridgette (Christopher Bryant) and at-times sweet and at other times homicidal daughter, Cassidy (Trelawney Edgar).

Third-Reich-Mommie Credits Sarah Walker Photography

Caught in the middle of the neurosis is a sexually confused and charged boy, Jock (Nathan Burmeister), who’s captured the attention of mother and daughter, and the gestapo-esque housekeeper, Ada (Ashleigh Goodson) who juxtaposes her caring nature and sugary singing voice with random bouts of shouting in German.

The plot was initially hard to follow as it twists and turns in such a way that you know someone is up to something, but you’re not exactly sure what is afoot right up until the end when Bridgette Van Kamp’s sordid past and Cassidy’s ‘shining’ future is revealed.

The humour is, for the most part, completely inappropriate but also indiscriminate, targeting Jews, Nazis, homosexuals, Germans, mothers, fathers, and children, and the cast make no apology for this in their performance. Christopher Bryant’s physicality as well as his timing resulted in him delivering some of the show’s most controversial lines, jokes about incinerators and death camps, with comedic flair.

Daniel Lammin, the director, had warned us of some late changes due to unforeseen technical difficulties; the only thing I noticed was how smooth the lighting, scene and sound transitions were given the small number of people in the performance group. It was at times hard to hear, partly because of the acoustics of such a large room, partly the competing noise from the rest of the convent and partly the German accents.

For me Ashleigh Goodson stole the show, which was no mean feat given the strength of the other performers and the seemingly superfluous role that her character played. However it was Ada, and in turn Goodson’s portrayal of the character, that enabled me to slowly put together what appeared to be random schizophrenic conversations.

With good acting, bad characters and a completely bizarre storyline, it is definitely worth keeping an eye out for any future runs of Third Reich Mommie.

Venue: Abbotsford Convent, Rosina Auditorium CBD

Season: 16 – 25th January 2014

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Festivals, Whats On

REVIEW: Drew Downing is REBEL

Gay icons, Hollywood heroes and rock-star charm

By Myron My

Drew Downing returns to The Butterfly Club as part of this year’s Midsumma Festival with his new cabaret show Rebel. Our eponymous rock star recounts his life growing up homosexual in the 60s, the era of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’.

Despite being the preview performance, Downing was very relaxed, confident and charming on stage. His quips and interaction with the audience, although not a common occurrence, are used effectively in creating an intimate environment for him to share his stories. He remains committed to his character and is highly convincing as Rebel.

Rebel

I was also very impressed by Downing’s voice and the original songs he performed. Supported by his three-man band (and at one point, jumping on a piano himself), his songs show an intimacy and poignant emotional level that is not often seen or heard. It is evident a lot of time went into perfecting the lyrics, especially with the ballads. Downing does not overplay this emotion but rather, remains very true to it.

However, I feel the narrative in Rebel gets lost at times, with one too many sub-plots preventing us really getting into the nuts and bolts of the story. The show sells itself as an expose of the character’s love affairs with classic screen stars Rock Hudson and James Dean, yet he does little more than gossip about his one-night stands and then moves on to other stories, giving the impression that interactions with these momentous gay icons have had no actual effect on him.

That said, the subsequent contrast of his stories revolving around his relationship with his closeted Uncle Randy and family back home work well in subtly exploring the ignorance and intolerance of that era when it came to homosexuality.

Downing’s acting, stage presence and most importantly, rock-star voice make Rebel well worth seeing, and I will be keen to see what he comes up with next.

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

Season: Until 26 January 9:00pm, Sun 8:00pm.

Tickets: $28 Full | $25 Conc

Bookings: http://www.thebutterflyclub.com

Events, Festivals, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Mockingbird Theatre Presents THE TEMPEREMENTALS

Unmissable Midsumma fare

By Ross Larkin

“Before Stonewall, a braver bunch of us stood up to the plate… before there even was a plate”.

The Temperamentals is a curious little piece based on true events. Written by Jon Marans in 2009, it made a significant impression off-Broadway, and has maintained a cult following and critical respect since. Local favourite Mockingbird Theatre provides the perfect team to re-imagine this important story as an inclusion in the 2014 Midsumma Festival and a Melbourne premiere.

The Temperementals

The Temperamentals is set in the USA in the 1950’s, when homosexuals were forced to lead secret lives of façade and repression in a society of bigotry. However, five young men dared to reveal their truths and confront the world around them, by founding the first gay rights organisation called the Mattachine Society. The group is accelerated into ambition when its member, Dale Jannings (Sebastian Bertoli) is arrested by an undercover cop in a public toilet.

Bertoli is exceptional as the unassuming Jannings, with the ability to maintain striking presence and poignant subtlety at once. In fact, director Chris Baldock’s casting overall is outstanding. The small ensemble of five, most of who play a variety of characters, exhibit genuine versatility and chemistry with highly accomplished direction.

Tim Constantine in particular, who plays Austrian fashion icon Rudi Gernreich, engages charisma, shame, passion and hurt with an understated three-dimensional beauty that allures audience members during his journey. Angelo De Cata, as Mattachine Society protagonist Harry Hay, is also a solid centrepiece, embodying a brave but pained man with excellent conviction, while supporters Angus Cameron and Jai Luke add a kick of colour and humour to the otherwise intense circumstances.

The Temperamentals is a slow-burner, with more telling than doing, and may not grab you until you’ve truly fallen for its beloved characters. However, it’s most certainly worth holding tight for, because fall you will – in another highly praiseworthy example of Chris Baldock and Mockingbird’s ability to stage some of the most noteworthy theatre in town.

The Temperamentals is playing now at The Brunswick Mechanics Institute Performing Arts Centre (corner of Glenlyon and Sydney Roads, Brunswick) as part of the 2014 Midsumma Festival.

Tue 21 Jan – Sat 25 Jan at 8pm
Sun 26 Jan at 5pm
Tue 28 Jan – Sat 1 Feb at 8pm

Bookings:http://www.trybooking.com/61975

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Festivals, Whats On

REVIEW: Michael Griffiths is IN VOGUE

Strike a pose

By Ross Larkin

A young man singing and playing Madonna songs on the piano, and assuming her as a ‘character’, relaying snippets of life anecdotes between tunes?

In Vogue

You’d be forgiven for rolling your eyes at the very notion.

However, I’m willing to risk offending many a die-hard Madonna nut, by going so far as to say, that Michael Griffiths, a WAAPA graduate of Jersey Boys fame, has more talent in his little pinkie than the material girl could fantasise about. Yet, Griffiths’ extraordinary talent is undermined by the show’s non-musical content.

Madonna is widely both loved and laughed at. Her unprecedented success and fame go hand-in-hand with immense failures, criticism and controversy: selling bucket-loads of records one minute, and being scorned for acting attempts and outlandish behaviour the next.

Griffith’s portrayal and director Dean Bryant’s vision for this year’s Midsumma Festival show no shame in showcasing Madonna in her weaker light, highlighting her often shallow lyrics and narcissistic ways to the point of mockery, even bordering on disrespect. Yet: cue the singing and playing and we’re suddenly enchanted by gorgeous and moving renditions of ‘Like a Prayer’, ‘Material Girl’ and other well-known pop classics, basking in the typically ambient lighting of fortyfivedownstairs and sounding more glorious than ever.

Sure, the aim of the dialogue is to be lighthearted and fun. Yet, unlike the duo’s other popular cabaret celebrating and portraying the career and personal life of Annie Lennox (Sweet Dreams: Songs by Annie Lennox, playing in conjunction with this show for Midsumma), In Vogue lacks elegant cohesion and purpose, and therefore struggles to flow as engagingly as it should. Whereas Sweet Dreams beautifully combined the heartbreaking (and often humorous) tales of Lennox’s love affair with Dave Stewart, intertwined with brilliant reinterpretations of her songs, In Vogue generally succeeds only where the latter is concerned.

However, Griffiths is such a musical talent that the show is justified by his renditions alone. In fact, I’m always left wanting more and more of his playing. It’s just that, in this case, I could take or leave the script.

In Vogue is playing now until January 26 – Wednesday to Sundays at 9pm at fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.

Bookings at www.midsumma.org.au

Events, Festivals, Performances, Review, Theatre

REVIEW: Outer Urban Project’s URBAN CHAMBER – BEYOND

Inspiring

By Tania Herbert

In a time when it can be difficult to even turn on the television without a sea of racist vitriol, what a blessing to be able to witness diversity in all it’s forms coming together in Outer Urban Project’s Melbourne Festival work Urban Chamber – Beyond.

Outer Urban Project - Beyond

Our thematic host for the evening, poet Komninos Zeros describes himself as a “submerging artist- submerged into a sea of emerging artists”, and we are introduced to two dozen very special (mostly young) people who hail from every continent of the globe.

There’s nothing like a confident, smiling young person telling you “you are all my family” to get a warm buzz to begin an evening, and although initially feeling a little like attending a school concert, the smooth transition of artistic piece after artistic piece soon convinced the audience that they are in the presence of a particularly unique and talented collaboration.

Based around the notion of ‘Home’ as a place and a feeling, Beyond uses a massive range of creative presentation to explore this issue, and explores concepts of age, culture, and diversity to remind us that we are all different, and we are all the same. Beat box, rap, stomp, contemporary dance, classical, poetry, lyrical – and a couple of other things that defy categorisation – were appreciated both together and separately, and the merging of people and genres was inspirational.

Were there flaws? Sure. We’re speaking about young people with varying degrees of training and professional experience. But was there an abundance of talent? Absolutely.

As a not-for-profit organisation, Outer Urban Projects includes amongst its values both respect and courage. I am not quite sure what these guys do to nurture such a warm, engaged, respectful and brave group of young people, but I certainly did appreciate the opportunity to be witness to the outcome.

Whilst it’s a short run of only two nights for the Festival, I would recommend keeping this mob on your radar, as if you are looking for an opportunity to really connect with your art or support a wonderful art-based social cause, this is a great place to start. It may not be one of the showiest pieces at Melbourne Festival, but Beyond really does encapsulate the spirit of the best of Melbourne – diverse, different, and truly welcoming.

Urban Chamber – Beyond ran at the Melbourne Recital Centre on the 25th and 26th of October (6pm and 8pm), and do visit the website for more info and check out your options for supporting this lovely initiative.

http://outerurbanprojects.org

Festivals, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Teenage Riot for MELBOURNE FESTIVAL

Confronting the teen psyche

By Myron My

Teenagers cop a lot of flack for being insensitive, rude, aggressive and selfish. Teenage Riot by daring Belgian theatre company Ontroerend Goed brings to the stage eight such characters, but attempts to show that beneath this socially perceived exterior they are also frightened, self-aware, insecure and intelligent.

The performers – Edouard Devriendt, Alice Dooreman, Jorge De Geest, Ian Ghysels, Marthe Hoet, Nanouk Lemmerling, Elies Van Renterghem and Anna Jakoba Ryckewaert – look like they have come straight from the streets of Skins with their bright-coloured high-top sneakers and funky street wear, and they play these people with truth and sincerity.

Teenage Riot

Having the ‘action’ filmed inside a large cube with projections on the surface of the cube displaying what was happening inside really appealed to me, especially with the self-exposure of social media and the conflicting freedom and hazards of the Internet having such an influence on teenagers.

There are heartfelt confessionals on screen interspersed with appealing comedic performances that both highlight the serious and complex issues affecting teenagers, such as the lighthearted but ascerbic look at how to create the perfect eating disorder. It is during these moments that Teenager Riot really drives its message home that modern teenagers have a hell of a lot to deal with.

In terms of the show itself, I honesty could have done without the first twenty minutes of the show. It was too scattered in ideas and too fragmented in narrative to have any effect on me except for wondering what was going on and almost wanting to leave.

However, once it found its way, the remaining 50 minutes of the performance delivered a confronting and engaging exploration of the pressures that teenagers feel and deal with, the relationships they experience, and the revelation of how quickly their ‘friends’ can turn on them. In one instance, one character – who appears to be a leader in his circle – is giving tips on great sex. In the blink of an eye, he is suddenly ridiculed and mocked by everyone for something as petty as his bad skin.

Despite its rocky beginning, Teenage Riot stresses a lesson known by all, and reveals the shame that it’s not always put into practice: as adults who have experienced the transition ourselves, we should never underestimate teenagers in their capabilities and we should allow them to explore and grow (and sometimes make mistakes) without fear of rejection and alienation.

This production was performed at Arts Centre Melbourne between 15-18 October 2013 as part of Melbourne Festival.

Cabaret, Festivals, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Brief Encounter for MELBOURNE FESTIVAL

Famous movie romance revisited

By Myron My

Brief Encounter

As part of the Melbourne Festival, an adaptation of the 1945 film classic Brief Encounter has been brought to the stage. It’s a story of finding love through a chance meeting and the sacrifices one is willing to make to keep that love.

There are strong performances from the whole cast particularly including its two leads, Michelle Nightingale and Jim Sturgeon as lovers Laura and Alec. They are wholly committed to their characters even with the frenetic pace and sense of urgency that is felt throughout the show.

Talented Damon Daunno’s portrayal of Stanley is a highlight of the play: If he’s not utterly capturing our attention on stage he is playing various instruments such us the ukulele, guitar and bass as well as singing with the rest of the live band.

Emma Rice’s direction is impressive and I particularly liked her incorporation of “special effects” into scenes, such as the newspaper blowing in the wind and the wringing of water from clothes. The latter scene also had some well-crafted choreography after Laura and Alec fall into the lake and begin taking off their wet clothes.

The way the backdrop is used is another excellent example of the clever stagecraft in Brief Encounter, as is the multi-media platform used to convey this story. The pre-recorded scenes mesh very well with the action that is occurring on stage, paying beautiful homage to the film.

Visually and musically, there is much happening in Brief Encounter that it can distract from the story. However I found this actually works in its favour, as the plot is somewhat predictable and could otherwise be quite dull.

I’ve heard many comparisons by fans to the actual film version of Brief Encounter and claims of being disappointed the stage production doesn’t live up to those expectations but having never seen the film (this will be rectified soon) I walked out having thoroughly enjoyed this captivating show.

Venue: Athenaeum Theatre, 188 Collins Street, Melbourne.

Fri 11, 18 & 25 Oct at 8pm
Sat 12, 19 & 26 Oct at 2pm, 8pm
Sun 13, Sun 20 & Sun 27 Oct at 5pm
Tue 15 & 22 Oct at 6.30pm
Wed 16 & 23 Oct at 11am, 6.30pm
Thu 17 & 24 Oct at 8pm
 8:00pm

Tickets: Full from $79 | Conc from $69

Bookings: 1300 795 012 or http://premier.ticketek.com.au