Category: Performances

Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: INH Productions Presents STiFF

Good comedy is never easy

By Myron My

A synopsis of STiFF by April Phillips reads like the premise of a wacky new TV sitcom: a prostitute inherits a funeral parlour from her estranged father. The land is worth millions but to claim it, she must run the business for five years. Undeterred, she gets her three ‘colleagues’ to assist and use the parlour as a secret brothel. However, had this been a TV sitcom, I’m afraid it would not have lasted more than a few episodes.

Stiff

The set design by Shawn Klueh and Ashley Reeves was by far the strongest element in this show. They were able to blend both environments – funeral parlour and brothel – quite nicely with simple touches to convey the juxtaposition of these two worlds.

STiFF had much comic potential so it’s disappointing to note the script was quite weak. Given the fun one could have combining sex and death, a lot of the humour felt either very juvenile or something that my grandparents would have a quiet giggle about.

Furthermore, I don’t feel like the script stayed true to the characters it attempted to bring to life. They were full of stereotypes and clichés and lacked any real depth. This is mostly evident in Sherry (Lauren Bradley) the ditzy one who just can’t get a clear thought. Bradley does the best she can with this one-dimensional character but she is ultimately forgettable.

Aynslie Watson as protagonist Angel Delight seemed awkward and unsure of herself the night I attended. There are times when you do see some life being breathed into her character but for the most part, she was unfortunately not able to carry the show. Similarly, Claire Watt as Roxanne Paine lacks the conviction, intimidation and strong presence that a dominatrix ought to have. She looked the part with her leather corsets and tattoos but the delivery of lines had me in no doubt that this was someone pretending to be someone else.

Marcus Ingleby as transvestite Delilah had the strongest performance on opening night. He was convincing and confident in his role and he delivered the best laughs throughout, especially during his scenes as Father Father.

From a directorial perspective, there were numerous times that all four actors needed to speak up to be heard which resulted in punch lines being missed. What was even more frustrating though was the number of times the actors had their backs to the audience as they were performing in scenes so comic expressions or reactions were lost.

STiFF may have had cast and director changes in the last twelve months, but I feel they still could have taken more time to improve this show. Work needed to be done with the actors and their character development and understanding, and sadly the writing just wasn’t up to scratch. Perhaps the lesson learnt here is it’s more important to focus on putting on a really good comical show than just putting on a show.

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

Season: Until 25 August | Mon-Sat 8:00pm, Sun 5:00pm

Tickets: $30 Full | $25 Conc

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

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: George Tabori’s MEIN KAMPF

Bold and confronting comedy

By Myron My

The farce Mein Kampf revolves around Hitler’s younger years as a man who is struggling to become an artist (and to secretly take over the world – including New Zealand). In Vienna, he meets a well-educated, bible selling Jewish man Shlomo Herzl, and through this chance encounter, chaos ensues. Written in 1987 by George Tabori – himself a survivor of the holocaust – it is somewhat autobiographical yet it is also a complete fabrication, and knowing this really sets the mood quite fittingly for Mein Kampf.

Mein Kampf

The three leads; Mark Wilson (Shlomo), Glenn van Oosterom (Hitler) and Mark Bonanno (Lobkowitz) are just phenomenal. Their comedy timing is impeccable and their superb facial expressions and physicality are a testament to the skills and dedication they have brought to the roles. The three of them ensure that every line they deliver is with utter conviction. Wilson is on stage for the whole show – nearly 2 hours – and there is not one scene where he wavers or his energy lowers in this demanding role. Van Oosterom is most impressive as the man with the short and fiery temper, especially when he threw himself into one of his many angry speech-giving tirades the vehemence of which would turn the character’s face red from frustration.

The humour in Mein Kampf is used not to poke fun at the atrocities that occurred under Hitler’s regime but behind the entertainment, we are reminded of the tragedy. Shlomo attempts to persuade Hitler to get into politics and later Hitler comments he will purchase Shlomo a gift: an oven, so he can keep warm.  Tabori famously wants us to recognise that the holocaust and events surrounding it “are taboos that must be broken or they will continue to choke us”. The writing is sharp and witty, and despite its plentiful laughs there are poignant moments in the script with dark forebodings of what’s to come. There are a couple of times where the momentum did get lost ever so slightly, including when Frau Death (Uschi Felix) comes to visit and a long scene between Shlomo and his love Gretchen (Stephania Pountney).

I really enjoyed Mein Kampf as I am a firm believer in the idea of there being comic value in everything and through humour we can be educated and informed. The cast were flawless and the laughs kept coming. However – and this is where I feel quite conflicted – there were about ten minutes where I was left morally dubious and extremely uncomfortable. I’m a vegetarian and I don’t impose this view on others but in one scene, a dead chicken is brought on stage and hacked up and drained of its blood with various parts being ripped out, all  by Himmlisch, a young Himmler (Samuel Macdonald). It may have been dead, but I was still shocked and disgusted at seeing this and it really dampened my whole experience of this otherwise impressive performance. I feel that as a theatre production, there should be other creative and more sophisticated ways of conveying these visuals and ideas.

Nonetheless, director Beng Oh has done a great job in putting this production together and the importance of having Mein Kampf performed is highlighted with what has been occurring in the world recently. Even after all these years it is very easy for society to discriminate and be hateful towards people because of perceived differences. The absurdity of Tabori’s play succeeds in insisting that we don’t forget, and more importantly, don’t allow anything like those events to happen again.

Venue: La Mama Theatre, 205 Faraday Street Carlton
Season: Until 25 August | Wed-Sat 8:30pm, Sun 6:30pm
Tickets: $25 Full | $15 Conc
Bookings: http://lamama.com.au or 9347 6142

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Melbourne Writers’ Theatre Presents HOW TO SURVIVE AN EARTHQUAKE

Traumatic tale powerfully realised

By Darcy Whitsed

How To Survive An Earthquake could easily be named How To Affect Your Audience With An Incredibly Sad And Harrowing Narrative. It is written by Christine Croyden and details the relationship of two estranged sisters, Stephanie (Jessica Gerger) and Jane (Sarah Plummer) after the death of their mother.

How to Survive an Earthquake

The difference in the sisters’ lives and attitudes is immediately apparent, with Stephanie returning from her duties as a UN peacekeeper to be met by Jane, a Melbournian who has given up the past few years of her life to be a full-time carer for their mother.

The actors relish in the challenge of the show, being required to transform characters, ages and places within split seconds and they achieve this with impressive ease. I did however feel as though the emotional range of the characters was only from sad to sadder to distraught. This is likely due to the content of the play but I personally would have loved to have seen some upbeat moments to contrast with and heighten the tragic ones, especially during the scenes when the sisters where reflecting nostalgically.

How To Survive An Earthquake’s director Glenda Linscott flexes her directorial muscle in the realisation of the story, utilizing lots of non-naturalistic theatrical elements and conventions.  The narrative jumps back and forth in time, displaying the sisters’ often painful memories. These transitions are effectively marked with a repeated line or moment that has a visible effect on the characters. This is extremely effective in segueing between scenes and also showing how the memories still affect the characters emotionally and physically.

The technical elements of How To Survive An Earthquake are also superbly integrated into the action. With a combination of live and pre-recorded music composed for the show, the soundscape is gorgeous. Sound designers Dom Buckham and Millie O’Sullivan both perform live from behind the audience: an extremely effective addition, with drums, guitars and other instruments being used with impeccable timing to enhance the dramatic moments of the show and cater perfectly to the audience.

The lighting designed by Jason Bouvaird is also stunning. It utilizes symbolic colours and gobo effects perfectly to mark varying time frames, flashbacks and memories throughout the story’s disjointed narrative.

Overall, this production of How To Survive An Earthquake is a technically well-rounded piece of theatre that tackles how emotional pain can stand between redemption – and forgiveness.

Location: La Mama Courthouse, 349 Drummond Street Carlton

Dates: Aug 14 to Sept 1, Wed to Sat 8pm, Sun 5pm.

Tickets: $30/conc $20.

Bookings: 03 9347 6948 or lamama.com.au

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Fernando Arrabal’s THE TWO EXECUTIONERS

Parodoxes of humanity and morality brought to light

By Myron My

Directed by Mammad Aidani, The Two Executioners deals with the repercussions of a woman who reports her husband to the authorities for an unnamed crime. As he is tortured upstairs, the woman and her two sons argue over their guilt and betrayal.

There are many questions raised throughout the play: why has Francoise reported her husband? What crime has Jean committed? How has this woman created such a strong hold over her sons?

The-Two-Executioners

None of these are fully answered and we are left to our own creative devices to ponder and resolve. The lighting also plays a part in creating this intense and ambiguous atmosphere with a lot of shadows being deliberately cast on the actors. The stage is never fully lit with only small pockets given light at a time, thus literally keeping us in the dark as to what is truly happening and who is in control. Another effective direction of Aidani’s was to have the torture of Jean occur off stage – with the audience able to hear his screams of pain our imaginations are forced to create the horror.

Wahibe Moussa is exceptional as Francoise. She initially comes across as a desperate woman and a victim, but slowly crosses the line to manipulator and betrayer. It’s not always clear which way she will go and as Moussa plays the role full of subtleties, you are left guessing even after the play has ended as to whether Francoise was indeed a good person with high morals – or the true villain of this story.

Clearly Francoise is the protagonist of this tale, but I would have liked to see more character exploration with her sons, Maurice and Benoit (Shahin Shafaei and Osamah Sami). Maurice has a lot of anger but also displays conflicting emotions towards his mother which needed justification, and would have been great to see Shafaei able to deal with these contradictions in the narrative. Sami may have had a few opening night nerves but quickly found his way and established his character as Francoise’s ‘favourite’ son, but I felt the ensuing tension between him and his brother needed to be developed further.

There are times when the story does flounder and get repetitive in its dialogue which can sometimes take you out of the moment and undercut the drama. However, what draws you back in is the beautiful and poetic language used throughout the play, which is not surprising given playwright Fernando Arrabal‘s background in poetry.

Overall, The Two Executioners has some strong performances, some lovely writing, and brings to surface many dark questions about good and evil and right and wrong that will keep you thinking long after the lights come down.

Venue: La Mama Theatre, 205 Faraday Street Carlton

Season: Until 25 August | Wed-Sat 6:30pm, Sun 4:30pm

Tickets: $25 Full | $15 Conc

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

Dance, Events, Musical Theatre, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: 2013 Australian Tour of HOT SHOE SHUFFLE

Tap into this!

By Christine Moffat

The story of Hot Shoe Shuffle, in essence, is of the seven ‘Tap Brothers’ who are called to New York for the reading of their father’s will and to meet April, their long-lost sister.  To gain their inheritance, they must recreate their father’s famous act ‘The Hot Shoe Shuffle’, and it must include the dance-challenged April.

Hot Shoe Shuffle

Hot Shoe Shuffle is an original Australian show, but created in the form of an old-time movie musical, and the current season at Her Majesty’s Theatre is the 21st anniversary production.  Despite the show’s classic format, it is hard to believe it was written two decades ago, as it has all the vibrancy and energy of a debut season.

The first half of the show is like tutti-frutti icecream: a brightly coloured sugar-rush of comedy, condensed plot twists, slapstick humour, great music and dynamic tap numbers.  The second half, mainly the famous review act ‘The Hot Show Shuffle’, is like champagne sorbet.  It is elegant, ritzy, and jam-packed with dance routines reminiscent of a black-and-white Fred Astaire film.

The score is a who’s who of timeless composers, including songs from Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Ira Gershwin and Peter Allen.  The costumes for this production by Janet E Hine are a master class in what wonderful costuming can bring to a show, contributing to creating and developing the characters before our eyes.  And the choreography (David Atkins, Dein Perry, Drew Anthony) showcases the versatility of tap, including routines that were romantic, drop-dead glamorous and a sensational drunken dance by the brothers.

Jaz Flowers as April is reminiscent of a young Lucille Ball, using comedy, sex appeal and her knockout voice to full advantage.  Bobby Fox as Spring is surprisingly funny, vulnerable, almost accidentally charming, and refreshingly different to a stereotypical ‘leading man’.

David Atkins (also producer and director) makes a classy transition from his role as Spring in original production to wise mentor/slave-driver Max in this run, and yes, he can definitely still dance!  All of the cast are excellent dancers and their dance solos were fantastic, but stand-out performances includded Morgan Junor-Larwood as the gung-ho Slap and Mason Schaube as the adorable, but a bit slow on the uptake Slide.

The level of entertainment and fun in this show is phenomenal.  At the preview the cast received a well-deserved standing ovation.  A word of caution though – The Hot Shoe Shuffle is infectious: if you see the show, you may feel compelled to take tap lessons…

Melbourne dates: Aug 12 – Sept 8

Show times: Tues 1pm/ Wed 1pm & 8pm/ Thurs & Fri 8pm/ Sat 2pm & 8pm/ Sun 3pm

Venue: Her Majesty’s Theatre, 219 Exhibition St

Tickets: Premium from $110*/ A Reserve from $89*/ Groups 10+ from $69*/ Family from $276*/ Schools/Dance Schools groups 10+ $50* *(*booking fees apply)

Bookings: http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=HOTSHOE13

Official website: www.hotshoeshuffle.com

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre

REVIEW: Blue Cow Theatre Presents ART

We know what we like

By Myron My

How many times do we see a movie with a friend and we love it and they hate it? Or we go to a museum and are taken in by a piece of art but our friend thinks it’s rubbish. Generally we put it down to a simple difference of opinion, but not in Art.

Art

Produced by Blue Cow Theatre, Art is a French language play by Yasmina Reza and translated here by Christopher Hampton, and aesthetic conflict is at the heart of this comic yet dramatic play.

Serge (Jeff Michel) has bought a painting: a very expensive painting. A painting that is completely white. He loves it but one of his best friends Marc (Robert Jarman) thinks it is awful– to put it mildly – and can’t move on from this. Yvan (John Xintavelonis) is stuck in the middle of this argument trying to pacify the two, but eventually gets embroiled in their fight.

Michel, Jarman and Xintavelonis are perfectly cast in their roles. Their rapport and the strength with which they take on their respective characters was imperative for the success of a play such as this, as it relies so heavily on an emotional response from the audience.

I was particularly impressed with Xintavelonis’ nuanced performance as Yvan, especially in the excellent scene when he’s explaining why he is late for dinner.

The play uses a mixture of monologues, duologues and then ultimately a group scene to tell the story. As an audience member, your state of mind is constantly fluctuating between feeling like an uninvited voyeur to being made the privileged listener in a confessional.

This unease keeps you intensely engaged and wondering what is going to be revealed next and how the characters’ personal thoughts will compare and contrast to their conversations with each other .

Art looks at the fragility of friendship and how vulnerable we can become by letting people in. With a lovely blend of comedy and drama, this play explores the value of friendship, through the issues of art, personal opinion and aesthetic appeal and the importance we place on them.

This production was performed at GasWorks Arts Park on August 1st to 3rd 2013.

Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Reunion at THE BUTTERFLY CLUB

Clash of an ex-high school quartet

By Myron My

Reunion

In the short play Reunion, four friends organise a catch-up to see what life has been like for each since they graduated from high school five years previously. We meet best friends, Charlie and Phil (Gabriel Bergmoser and Finn Gilfedder-Cooney), Charlie’s ex-girlfriend Sophie (Ashley Tardy), and Jane (Kayla Symons), who seems to be harbouring some strong animosity towards the group. As the evening progresses and the shots are downed, secrets are revealed and the tense friendships are tested even further.

Bergmoser, who is also the writer of Reunion, has created some highly entertaining dialogue between Charlie and Phil. Their rapport is very believable and easily establishes the long-time relationship between the two friends. Both Bergmoser and Gilfedder-Cooney also do extremely well in then bringing Charlie and Phil to life. By contrast, I was disappointed with the dialogue and characterisation of Jane and Sophie. I felt more work was needed to give these two women more depth and emotion.

Unfortunately the story of Reunion is also a bit disjointed and underdeveloped, so when it’s revealed why Jane is so angry with the group, I couldn’t help but feel a bit cheated. As an audience member, you are racking your brain throughout the play trying to determine what Jane’s issue could be, and when the reason comes out, my first thought was ‘Is that it?’

The lighting and sound design by Boden Lee Tennant worked effectively in creating the fluctuating atmosphere and I enjoyed the way the sound worked to set the environment for each scene. In fact it was so appealing, I would have liked this to have been continued throughout, with some traffic noises for scenes set outside or water running in the bathroom.

Reunion is a good attempt at character investigation and interaction: although there are still some creases that need to be ironed out, there is great potential for this show should the narrative and relationships be explored further to allow these characters to reach their full potential.

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

Season: Sunday 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th August | 9:30pm

Tickets: $23 Full | $20 Conc

Bookings: http://www.thebutterflyclub.com

Events, Music, Performances, Review

REVIEW: A VERY GAGA VARIETY FUNDRAISING NIGHT

Variety night an exciting preview for new musical

By Scarlett Harris

Last night at their new location on Carson Place in the city, The Butterfly Club hosted a Lady Gaga variety show in an effort to raise funds for the latest creative endeavour of Kin Collaborative’s Melbourne Uni student arm. Kin CoLaboratory’s MUD Festival entry, Gaga & Assange, promises to be a romp of epic pure-pop proportions.

Gaga and Julian Assange both rose to dizzying heights of infamy around the same time: she with her anthem of tolerance, “Born This Way”, and he with the release of U.S. diplomatic cables and apparent “honey-trapping” rape charges.

Gaga & Assange

Gaga & Assange plays on this theme of sex, introducing the two via a sex-tape- and STD-fuelled romp—a “Bad Romance”, if you will—and going on to dissect the egos and dogmas of two of pop culture’s most recognisable names and faces.

But as for last night, it was a riotous tribute to all things Mother Monster, with renditions of “Paparazzi” by Gaga & Assange creator, Will Hannagan; Gaga’s Tony Bennett effort, “The Lady is a Tramp”, with G&A director and MC for the night, Jeremy Russo; and “Bad Romance”, “Alejandro” and “Americano” by Melbourne bluegrass band The Scrimshaw Four.

Alex Frank and Alexia Brinseley had the audience in stitches for “Edge of Glory”, “Hair” and “You & I” (arguably the performances of the night), while Belinda Jenkin remixed “Dance in the Dark” and “Just Dance” into ballads, and James Worsnop and Nicola Guzzardi parodied “Telephone”. The Collaborative topped off the night with a mashup of two original songs from Gaga & Assange, staged by their very own Gaga, Laura Raiti.

After the success of this fundraising event, I’m looking forward to seeing whether the musical deals with our readiness to let certain things about its titular “characters” (because isn’t that what they are—especially Gaga—to an extent?) fly, like Gaga’s alleged cosmetic surgery and Assange’s abovementioned sexual assault, in order to embrace their wider messages of acceptance and freedom of information, respectively. All with a side of Europop club anthems to boot.

A Very Gaga Variety Fundraising Night was performed at The Butterfly Club on Wednesday July 17, 2013

Comedy, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Evgeny Shwarz’s THE DRAGON

Comedy trio Tripod spread their draconian wings

By Ross Larkin

Corruption. Power. Denial. Oppression… Sound amusing? Well, it is.

Toby Schmitz has adapted Evgeny Schwarz’s 1944 satirical play The Dragon into a modern theatrical feast of fiery wit and cleverly apt and poignant dialogue.

From the outset, some skepticism is understandable. Has director, Marion Potts, created a fairy tale? A pantomime? A musical? It’s a little hazy. Soon after, however, it really doesn’t matter.

TheDragon

Melbourne’s ingenious comic trio Tripod (Scott Edgar, Steven Gates and Simon Hall) have not only written the music for the piece, they also perform their catchy soundtrack while portraying the good guy onlookers as well as the contrasting evil three-headed dragon – one hilarious head each.

Sir Lancelot (played with gorgeous charm by Jimi Bani) arrives in a small village to slay said dragon and relieve its inhabitants of the oppression and control inflicted by their so-called ‘almighty’, while rescuing a fair maiden (Nikki Shiels), condemned to wed the manipulative beast.

However, the brainwashed town and its foolishly egocentric and impressionable mayor (the ever-impressive Kym Gyngell), are under the illusion the dragon is to be worshipped as their all-knowing leader, and remain under its spell, oblivious to their repressed existence, and therefore resistant to Lancelot’s quest.

In an Orwellian struggle to revolutionise a totalitarian-wracked culture (coincidently, or more likely deliberately, in line with current Australian politics), Schmitz’s impressively astute and often poetic dialogue, meshed with Tripod’s loveable commentating music and lyrics, is a delightful merry-go-round of tension and fun.

Perched on a very effective revolving set, The Dragon is confronting, thought-provoking, amusing and highly satisfying, thanks to a brilliant script and soundtrack, not to mention a delightfully talented cast.

The Dragon is playing now until July 26, 2013.
Wed to Sat 7.30pm, Sat 2.00pm matinee,
Sun 5.00pm, Tues July 23 at 6.30pm.

The Malthouse Theatre, 113 Sturt Street, Melbourne.

Bookings on (03) 9685 5111 or at www.malthousetheatre.com.au

Events, Musical Theatre, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Greyhound Hotel and HOLY SHIP! The Stage Show

Camp musical comedy is making waves

By Myron My

Set during the 1920s, Holy Ship! is a loose combination of love story and ode to the perils of being at sea. However, life on board ship and the romance between Bonnie (Danae Vincent) and Charlie (James Traille) is not why we’re here. Holy Ship! is about fun, and with all the songs, dances, burlesque, circus acts, tap dancing and flesh on display, it would be very difficult not to have plenty of it here.

The majority of Holy Ship! is about being camp, naughty and sexy. Yet our narrator and Captain of the ship, Andy Balloch did create a beautiful a cappella moment that really echoed the loneliness of life at sea, and Vincent – in particular – and Traille owned their songs convincingly, and with seemingly little effort.

Holy Ship! 2

Despite these strong voices however, I did feel the ballads were misplaced in this production overall. There is little character development and I found it difficult to care about the central relationship beyond a superficial level, and was eager to return to the cheeky and more dynamic performance elements.

The merman scene for example, performed by Mr. Boylesque 2012 Raven, was a great addition, allowing the show the opportunity to surprise, stun and reel us back in. Furthermore, the tap-dance number, and the silk and the rope routines were nicely spaced-out and offered something different and visually engaging for the audience to enjoy.

Ian Knowles has clearly put in some hard work with the choreography and on the whole, the dancers have great control and remain in perfect rhythm in their Charleston-inspired numbers. As there is not much in terms of set, the atmosphere created by the live band, and the period costuming and make-up allow the speakeasy era to make itself clearly present throughout the show.

Holy Ship! is the largest show in 150 years that the Greyhound Hotel has hosted and it’s easy to see why. There is nothing small about this production: everything is large, loud and showy but more importantly, the show is sexy, enjoyable and fathoms of fun.

Venue: Greyhound Hotel, 1 Brighton Rd, St Kilda

Season: Until 13 July | 8:00pm

Tickets: $35 Full | $25 Conc

Bookings: www.holyshiptix.com & at the door