Category: Performances

Events, Performances, Theatre, Whats On July 28, 2014

REVIEW: Red Stitch Presents GLORY DAZED

Tense, difficult, wonderful drama

By Margaret Wieringa

The house lights have been brought down slowly. The audience remains in the quiet and dark for a long moment before the lights snap on and three actors stand, staring off stage: inert, but not quite frozen. Then banging and shouting from offstage, fear flashes on their faces, and the tension of the next hour or so is set.

Premiering in Australia after winning awards as a radio drama and during its season at the Edinburgh Festival, Glory Dazed by Cat Jones is the story of a soldier returned from serving in Afghanistan who cannot settle back into life in Northern England.

It is Andre De Vanny as ex-soldier Ray who carries this performance, capturing all of the anger, fear and vulnerability of a displaced young man who feels hard-done by his circumstances – but demands to be acknowledged. It is a familiar character, the type of man who you may see in a pub or stumbling down the street and you know to avoid because his emotions are expressed through aggression and derision. In the tiny theatre at Red Stitch, it is impossible to escape, and De Vanny made this a wonderfully difficult play to watch.

While Ray is a man I don’t want to encounter, it is the other characters that I empathise with, trapped with this unpredictable time-bomb. Jonathan Peck captures the vulnerability of Simon who is no physical match for Ray, yet needs to find a way to stand up to him. Then there is Leanne, played by Laura Jane Turner, the young staff member who is naïve enough to flirt with the handsome, charming Ray and be taken into his games even when his darker side is revealed. And then Carla. Oh, Carla. Emily Goddard broke my heart as the ex-wife who needs to be free from this animal, yet can see the broken man beneath the bravado.

It was as much the space and the silences that made this performance: director Greg Carroll let the story unfold slowly, with all the pain that this involved. Sometimes, theatre hurts.

Venue: Red Stitch Actors Theatre, Rear 2 Chapel Street, St Kilda East
Season: 23 July – 23 August
Tickets: $20-$39
Bookings: 9533 8083 or boxoffice@redstitch.net

Musical Theatre, Performances, Review, Whats On July 20, 2014July 20, 2014

REVIEW: Victorian Opera’s INTO THE WOODS

Stunning cast in superb production

By Adam Tonking

Into The Woods is admittedly one of my favourite musicals. With the movie adaptation due out at the end of the year, now is the perfect opportunity to see Stephen Sondheim’s masterful exploration of fairy tales in all its original glory, and fortunately, Victorian Opera have staged an immensely enjoyable production of this wonderful show.

The amazing cast deftly handle all of Sondheim’s tricky score and dense lyrics. Truly impressive, in that even at its most tongue-twisting, not a single syllable was lost on the audience, allowing us to enjoy every witty line and every beautifully crafted lyric. Sondheim writes wonderful characters for women, the three main ones in Into The Woods being The Baker’s Wife, The Witch, and Cinderella , and the three actresses in these roles were more than up to the task.

Christina O’Neill was perfect as The Baker’s Wife, never missing a single moment in the character’s development, bringing energy to some of the weaker spoken scenes, and providing blessed relief in the challenging, exposition-heavy second act with her stunning rendition of “Moments In The Woods.” Queenie van de Zandt was in usual glorious form as The Witch, bringing an engaging pragmatism to the role’s more obvious malice, allowing a clearer understanding of the character. Her skilled handling of The Witch’s rap was awe-inspiring, but she was truly breathtaking in my favourite song “Last Midnight.” Lucy Maunder as Cinderella was spectacular, and her duets with O’Neill were some of the most touching of the night. Among the men, particular praise should go to John Diedrich as the Mysterious Man for bringing one of the weakest characters and a terribly awkward part to life.

Clearly I cannot lavish enough praise on Victorian Opera’s Into The Woods. This is simply a magnificent production of a gorgeous show. Don’t miss your chance to see it. It’s playing from now until Saturday 26 July at the Arts Centre in Melbourne. Book tickets at www.victorianopera.com.au or by calling 1300 182 183.

Events, Performances, Whats On July 20, 2014July 20, 2014

REVIEW: BalletLab’s LIVE WITH IT – We All Have HIV

Profoundly affecting

By Myron My

BalletLab Artistic Director Phillip Adams and visual artist Andrew Hazewinkel’s current production, Live With It: we all have HIV,is a compilation of various performance pieces centred on living with HIV/AIDS. Each of these are unique in their own right and provide profoundly different perspectives on how the disease has affected the participants’ lives.

There are highly interesting pieces throughout, including one from a young dancer called George who takes us through the daily contents of his bag. His experience with HIV/AIDs is mentioned casually and flippantly but his words still drive a strong message home. Another one by John shows us a number of photographs depicting captured moments in the fight for equality for homosexuals, with a poignant final impression.

However, the one that created the biggest impact on me was Michelle, a white straight woman, who tells us how she contracted HIV/AIDs via the bundle of hospital tags she has acquired over the years of treatment. She manages to powerfully convey the fear and ignorance of people around her and the frustration, helplessness and determination that she has endured.

I did find some performances difficult to connect with and was left wondering what the significance might have been or what the artist was trying to have me feel. Given these pieces are so personal and intimate, and considering there is such creativity on display, it’s not surprising that not every one is going to impact every member of the audience.

Throughout Live With It: we all have HIV, there is a projection listing various events from the late 70s to today. Some are world-changing events such as 9/11 and others are pop-culture references like the release of Strictly Ballroom. Interspersed are facts on the HIV/AIDS epidemic with some frightening statistics on reported cases and death each year (which has steadily been on the rise) showing that we have all been “living with it” for decades.

As someone who has been fortunate enough to not have been personally affected by HIV/AIDS, Live With It is a stark and stirring reminder of how we all need to come together and open up discourse not only to stop the discrimination and stigma faced by people with HIV/AIDS, but to work towards a world where this disease is no longer present. A powerful piece indeed.

Venue: Arts House, Meat Market, 5 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne.
Season: Until 27 July | Tue – Sat 8:30pm, Sun 27, 3.00pm
Tickets: $25 Full | $20 Conc | $15 Student
Bookings: www.artshouse.com.au or 9322 3713

Cabaret Review, Performances, Whats On July 11, 2014

REVIEW: Andrew Stano has NAILED IT!

A familiar cabaret face with an exciting new show

By Bradley Storer

The atmosphere for the opening night of Nailed It!, a showcase of new musical work, was casual but friendly as performer Andrew Strano (previously seen as one half of cabaret duo The Bad Boys of Music Theatre) walked out onstage and sincerely thanked the audience for coming, and apologized for his co-writer Loclan Mackenzie-Spencer’s absence due to a conducting commitment for a certain blockbuster musical playing at the Regent.

The pair have constructed an array of fantastic original songs, mainly (at least in this showing) involved with relationships, love and growing up. They explore it both in a comedic sense, as in one song which brutally deconstructs the mating habits of bees and flowers, and in a sincere heart-felt manner – but every song manages to find a surprising (and usually hilarious) perspective. Take, for example, a pretty Jason Robert Brown-style ballad expounding the benefits of incest, or a wacky upbeat number comparing a love of babies to crack addiction. The highpoint of the show is a brilliantly written ballad about accidentally destroying a car with a twist that makes it genuinely heartbreaking.

Strano is a charming presence onstage, with a rich, warm vocal tone and a refreshingly quiet charisma that makes him easy to relate to and wins the audience over whenever he speaks. The banter and links between songs is deceptively playful and improvisational, which is a credit to director Casey Gould for making it seem simultaneously perfect and made up on the spot. The music stand in front of Strano physically blocked him from fully connecting with the audience during the opening number, but was used later for some effective choreography. Strano was accompanied on opening night by Robyn Womersley, whose playing throughout was assured and expressive.

Nailed It! is a delightful showcase for the talents of a wonderful new musical duo, and the wonderful work on display promises great things for their future which I look forward to seeing!

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place (access from Little Collins St)
Date: Wednesday 9th – Sunday 13th July
Time: Wednesday/Sunday 8pm, Thursday/Friday/Saturday 9pm
Price: All tickets $20, Preview $15
Booking: www.thebutterflyclub.com or at the door

Events, Performances, Review, Whats On July 6, 2014July 8, 2014

REVIEW: Luke Hocking in IMPOSSIBLE OCCURRENCES

Modern-day magic with old-fashioned charm

By Jessica Cornish

A century and a half ago, séances, Ouija boards and magic tricks were all the rage – however, these days, entertainment usually comes in a slightly less mystical form than Impossible Occurrences.

Melbourne-born-and-based magician Luke Hocking brings us a glimpse of classic on-stage entertainment pre-television and internet. Dressed sharply in a traditional tuxedo, Luke performs a mix of magic standards and well-executed sleight-of-hand tricks as he conjures up the seemingly impossible in his sixty-minute performance.

Impossible Occurrences relied solely on the deft showmanship and award-winning skill of Luke, with lighting design and professional audio non-existent. In a venue seating a mere 45 people a night, this intimate performance is definitely a nice change from the usual theatrical night out where production values are sometimes better than the talent they are meant to be supporting.

The only issue with this venue choice is that because there is neither raked seating nor a raised stage area, it was sometimes difficult to see clearly the illusions unfolding. Luke did his best to ensure tricks were performed at an elevated level; however, a small rostrum would probably help those who are in the third row have a more pleasurable experience, in not having to cram their necks and constantly worry they’ll miss some exciting visual spectacle.

The show was well-structured, and clearly also well-crafted and executed. Notes were transformed into different values, marine creatures appeared from thin air, and crowd participation levels were extremely high throughout the whole night.

Luke Hocking‘s charmed and charming show is a refreshing change of atmosphere and a unique contrast to the usual entertainment available around Melbourne. Impossible Occurrences will be performed every Friday night until September 5 at the Marriott Hotel, corner of Lonsdale and Exhibition Streets. Make sure you book in advance for performances, as there is only limited seating available: http://events.ticketbooth.com.au/event/3826689

Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On July 5, 2014July 5, 2014

REVIEW: Moira Buffini’s LOVEPLAY

Love, Sex, Influence and Evolution

By Narelle Wood

From the outset it was clear that Loveplay by Moira Buffini was not so much about love as it was about the influences of love and the consequences of these on the relationship.

The premise behind the 90-minute play was to explore the influences of love through the ages, beginning from the Classical Age of AD 79 through to The Age of Excess in 1992. Some of the scenes in the earlier eras were confronting, including strong inferences of rape, and while this didn’t continue through to the more modern times, sex featured heavily throughout the play.

Buffini’s script is exceptionally well written, with some brilliant comedic moments scattered amongst the darker themes. The ensemble cast (Chris Saxton, Michelle Myers, Luke Cadden, Kathryn Tohill, Trudi Boatwright, Jacob Pruden, Fleur Murphy and Myles Tankle) play a variety of characters across the ages, and in a rare occurrence, each member of the cast held their own to provide a true ensemble performance.

Given the limited staging options that the Mission to Seafarers offers, the transitions between the ten different eras are achieved, not only through costume changes, but also through prop reveals and lighting. The deliberations between the eras are important as the language of the play offers a limited realism as far as the etymology of language and the portrayal of women are concerned. While it would be obviously difficult to write the earlier scenes in the appropriate version of English, there were some words that were glaringly out of place. The female characters in the earlier eras also seem to have a strong voice, and although I initially found this distracting from the authenticity of the play, in hindsight it did offer a fresh feminist perspective on women and their relationships to and through love.

While I’m not sure I agree completely with Buffini’s take on love and the influences of love, Loveplay provides both an interesting and unique perspective that resulted in a thought-provoking and entertaining experience.

Venue: Mission to Seafarers, 717 Flinders St, Docklands
Season: July 4th – 20th
Tickets: $28 Full | $25 Conc
Bookings: www.tbctheatre.com

Cabaret Review, Events, Performances June 30, 2014June 30, 2014

REVIEW: The Butterfly Club Presents #FIRSTWORLDWHITEGIRLS

Hashtag this

By Myron My

Don’t you hate it when your most recent Facebook profile photo gets fewer than 50 likes? Or when you have more clothes than wardrobe space? Or when you’re too hot with the heater on but too cold with the heater off? Welcome to the world of first world problems brought to the stage in #FirstWorldWhiteGirls.

Performed by Judy Hainsworth and Kaitlin Oliver Parker, #FirstWorldWhiteGirls is a one-hour, laughs-aplenty cabaret of petty issues that we all seek to embrace as real problems.

Hainsworth and Parker appear on stage dressed in their floral skirts, with furs and jewels, make-up on and hair in a quiff and master their portrayal of the cliche of well-off white girls – but in a way that still seems fresh and new. Significantly, these characters are not depicted as stupid, just hilariously privileged and ignorant.

A variety of musical styles are used throughout the show, which showcases the talented voices these performers have. There is a country music-themed song on the joys of retail therapy and a Broadway Julie Andrews-esque song on making our lives better. However, it’s their superb opening number that had me – and much of the audience – in utter stitches. The simple choreography throughout the show was used effectively and added an extra element to their songs.

There are a couple of “infomercial” moments thrown in, a memorable one – with the help of an audience member – being the benefits of going “bulimia shopping” and owning a tag gun. Hainsworth and Parker’s creativity and confidence showed in their ability to interact and use audience responses to build on,and their quick wit and good-natured humour was evident throughout.

The social media hashtag “FirstWorldProblems” has no doubt inspired #FirstWorldWhiteGirls and despite its title, you did not need to be white or a girl to understand and empathise (albeit shamefacedly at times) with all the problems they have. It’s a shame there were only two performances of this show at The Butterfly Club as word of mouth for this one would have spread like a wildfire for these two talented Brisbane performers.

#FirstWorldWhiteGirls was performed at The Butterfly Club between June 28 – 29, 2014.

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Festivals, Performances, Whats On June 27, 2014

REVIEW: Melbourne Cabaret Festival Presents I, DIVINE

Ambitious and exquisite art

By Bradley Storer

Out of the darkness in the Kew Court House came a delicate and lustrous four-part choral song, a ravishingly beautiful and mysterious ode that instantly enchanted the audience and transported us into the enigmatic world created by composer Caity Fowler and collaborator Emma Clair Ford in their new work, I, Divine. Two seemingly disparate figures, an ancient Grecian demi-goddess and a modern cyber-nerd, are drawn together through the medium of an internet chat room and forced to grapple with timeless ideas of fate, identity and the struggle to create your own destiny.

The piece is less like traditional cabaret and more of an experimental chamber musical written for four voices (two unnamed singers sit side of stage and contribute further vocals to Fowler’s compositions). Fowler’s entirely a capella score is wonderfully wispy, throbbingly earthy, and exquisitely fluid as needed, the four voices combining and layering in continuously exciting ways.

Ford as the demi-goddess Otrera, a lost woman in search of meaning to her existence, is poised and graceful whilst being entirely charming, her wonderful singing voice remaining grounded and solid throughout. Fowler’s cross-gender turn as the nerdy Brett exquisitely captures the outward shell of adolescent obnoxiousness that the no longer-adolescent Brett has never really outgrown, softening slowly to reveal the pain and fear that prevent him from maturing. Her lighter, more delicate vocal tone gorgeously combines with Ford in several of the show’s songs.

I, Divine skilfully intertwines Brett’s comic book stories with the ancient myths of Otrera’s upbringing to reveal the threads of the meta-narrative, the archetypal hero’s journey, in both their own tales and the show itself. One of the great joys of the piece is slowly watching the two characters, who seem to be the most dissimilar people in the world, realise their own similarities – captured beautifully in one duet comparing the Grecian goddess Artemis to a high school physics teacher.

This wonderfully ambitious work deploys a fantastically original premise that, although could have run thin eventually, never overreaches or overstays its welcome. I, Divine gently explores the human drive for self-determination and meaning, ending with the optimistic and uplifting message that change and triumph over adversity is always possible, but only if a person is willing to fight for it.

Venue: Kew Court House, 188 High St, Kew
Dates: Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 June
Time: 7.00pm
Duration: 60 minutes approx
Ticket prices: $30, $27 conc, $24 ‘Friends of the Festival’ card ($5 extra on the door)
Booking: http://www.melbournecabaret.com, http://www.hawthornartscentre.com.au or at the door.

Events, Performances, Theatre, Whats On May 30, 2014May 30, 2014

REVIEW: Fly on the Wall Theatre Presents TELENY

Taking it slow…

By Margaret Wieringa

When a young and sexually inexperienced man in 1920s Paris meets a talented pianist, the world and everything he believes in is turned upside-down. Believed to have been written by Oscar Wilde and his circle, Teleny pulls no punches when it comes to graphic and shocking sexual stories.

A grand piano dominates the stage, set among the stunning chandeliers and chaise longues. It is used innovatively throughout the performance, but none more so than in the beautifully choreographed sex scene between the two lovers. Actors Tom Byers and Dushan Phillips use every muscle in their bodies to create stunning visual images of love and lust, captured in the light and shadow of excellent lighting design.

The challenge to these two actors was not just the physical lovemaking scenes, but conveying the aloof and sarcastic nature of the pretty young things of Wilde’s world. At times, the emotion of the scene was lost in the words and tone, but once the characters lose themselves to love, the words came more naturally.

The second half of the performance opens with the salon scene – an orgy of delights, with naked men performing poetry (well, bawdy limericks), storytelling and a hilarious commedia dell ‘arte number, and ends in a violent act that director Robert Chuter has somehow managed to keep tasteful.

Unfortunately, for me, all of the good things about the play were severely outweighed by the self-indulgent length. When, after two-and-a-half hours the lights came on and we were informed that there would be a twenty-minute interval, there were various sounds of surprise from the audience. There were a considerable number of people who did not return after the interval, and I suspect it was the length more than the content. The performance would have benefitted from some severe editing to ensure that the story that was being told was kept, but that it didn’t drag on and on. Throughout the show, various non-naturalistic techniques were used to tell a lot in a very snappy manner, and perhaps more of this could have been incorporated.

Venue: Chapel off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel Street, Prahran
Dates: May 29 – June 15, Wednesday-Saturday 8pm, Sunday 6:30pm
Price: $37.50 Full, $34.50 Concession (+ Transaction Fee)
Tickets: www.chapeloffchapel.com.au or call (03) 8290 7000

PLEASE NOTE: THIS PERFORMANCE IS SUITABLE FOR MATURE AUDIENCES 18+ CONTAINS NUDITY, SIMULATED EXPLICIT SEX SCENES, DRUG USE, COARSE LANGUAGE AND SMOKE EFFECTS

Opera, Performances, Review, Whats On May 18, 2014

REVIEW: Victorian Opera Presents LA TRAVIATA

Lush and lovely revisit to a classic

By Margaret Wieringa

Violetta is a party girl, drinking and dancing and partying her life away in 1870s Paris. She loves being courted by numerous men and doesn’t believe in love – until Alfredo Germont woos her and steals her heart. Moved away from Paris to the countryside, Violetta is approached by Alfredo’s father who convinces her it is in Alfredo’s best interest to end it, and the famous tragedy plays out.

Directed by Henning Brockhaus and designed by Josef Svoboda, Victorian Opera presents this stunning production that has been acclaimed around the world. The feature that immediately grabbed the audience’s attention is the gigantic mirror that is raised before the performance commences. The backdrops are giant paintings on the floor and are reflected, along with the performers, in the mirror. This effect was magnificent, although it was not so successful during the restrained scenes at the country house, especially as it appeared the actors were climbing on the house at times which became unintentionally humourous. The appearance of doubling the size of the stage with the mirror showed a strong contrast between the decadence of the parties and the nightlife of Paris to the emptiness and loneliness of Violetta in her demise.

The production of La Traviata introduces Australian audiences to soprano Jessica Pratt, who held the audience in her hand every moment she was on stage. We lived her joy and delight and sighed as her fortune changed, and during several sections, audience members were heard called ‘Brava’. While the large social scenes were spectacular down to the tiny detailing on the costumes and the beautiful interactions between the various cast members, it was the duets that took my breath away; at the country house, with Violetta and Alfredo’s father, played with aplomb by Jose Carbo, and later in Violetta’s house between Violetta and Alfredo, played movingly by Alessandro Scotto Di Luzio.

This is an elegant production that is perfect not only for the seasoned opera lover, but also for those who have yet to take the plunge into opera. Brava!

Venue: Her Majesty’s Theatre
Dates: Saturday May 17, Tuesday May 20, Thursday May 22, Saturday May 24, Tuesday May 27, Thursday May 29
Times: 7:30pm
Booking: www.ticketek.com.au or phone 1300 795 012