Category: Performances

Circus, Comedy, Events, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Cranked Up at CIRCUS OZ

Everything it’s cranked up to be

By Jessica Cornish

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday Circus Oz,
Happy 35th birthday to you!

35 years on and Circus Oz is still in full swing, and just launched their 2013 reconstructed season of Cranked Up. The quirky production (founded on their previous show From the Ground Up) is loosely focused on the idea of the ‘construction, building and fabrication’ of Australia, and entertained its audience with its wild and witty antics in pantomime style.

Cranked Up

The multi-talented cast were very versatile, and personal highlights included drummer Bec Mathews in her pendulum-like structure flying across the space as acrobats weaved in and around the swinging object, the table skilfully juggled on the soles of Hazel Bock’s feet, and commentary by Indigenous clown/actor Mark Sheppard. The finale of act 1 was also mesmerising, with a trampoline scaff (scaffolding) tower acting as the centre piece for manic acrobats flinging themselves off this structure in a visual frenzy of back flips, jumps and dives.

The show was highly enjoyable and lots of fun. However, opening night jitters got the better of some performers with a few dropped balls, missed flips and slightly less-than-flawless scene changes. Likewise some of the banter from the MCs was slightly hard to follow at times, and I got a little lost in the dialogue. However, I am certain given a week these issues will iron themselves out, and the show will just keep evolving and getting better and better!

Circus Oz is an amazing company that consistently promotes social inclusion and equity for all Australians, and newly-arrived members of our community. Facilitating numerous workshops and performances in some of our most remote Indigenous communities and detention centres, and donating thousands of tickets to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre on a regular basis, they are a company that values both human diversity and ‘ having a good time’. And Cranked Up is a great show that allows all people to come together and enjoy themselves in the crazy and incredible antics that are Circus Oz. What are you waiting for?!

Where: Under the (HEATED) big top at Birrarung Marr

When: 19 June- 14 July

Cost: From $24

Bookings: Phone 136 100, or at Ticketmaster Outlets or via www.ticketmaster.com.au

Circus, Events, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: NICA’s ONE FALSE MOVE

A glimpse of the dazzling future of Australian circus

By Myron My

One False Move is a showcase circus performance featuring NICA’s second-year artists in some impressive and intense acts. The show is inspired by film noir and there are a lot of shady characters, deadly women and clever use of various iconic props that help support this genre.

One False Move

The lighting design by Eduard Ingles, the costumes by Emily Barrie and the live music throughout the show (by the performers themselves) all add to that film-noir feel: edgy, dangerous and exciting. What One False Move then does very well is infuse touches of comedy throughout. A perfect example is the use of black screens sliding across the stage, dropping off and picking up performers in their travels where we witness murders and sexual escapades aplenty but with the comic timing adding a strong dose of humour.

As with any circus show there is a risk of failure: an off-the-mark landing, a prop getting a mind of its own or a loss balance. Part of the skill of being a good performer is how you recover from this, and with occasional hiccups occurring all the students remained highly professional and ensured the show kept on going. This embracing of and then triumphing over problems ultimately gets the audience on side, and made the consequent accomplishments even more worthy of cheers.

Another important focus required for circus shows is to retain engagement with the audience. What these guys are doing is not easy but they need to be able to make it look easy and be relaxed with their audience. Chelsea Angell and Ashleigh Tomasini‘s cheeky and flirtatious audience interaction whilst doing their Russian wheel routine was a wonderful example.

I was also very impressed with the pole act by Isabel Rose and Patrick Denison – despite the physical demands of such an performance, they both remained beautifully in the realm of film noir and worked together to create an act that had great sexual tension between the femme fatale and the brooding man. Other notable performers included Morgan Wilson, Angelique Ross, Dylan Rodriguez and Jon Bonaventura who all provided some highly entertaining moments.

NICA’s One False Move has some tremendously talented performers in it and I feel confident the future of the circus industry is more than safe in the powerful hands of these charismatic young people.

Venue: NICA National Circus Centre, 39-59 Green Street, Prahran.

Season: Until 29 June | Wed-Sat 7:30pm, Sat 1:30pm, Thurs 1:00pm

Tickets: $27 Full | $22 Conc

Bookings: http://www.nica.com.au

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Review: La Mama Presents DITTO, A STORY

Unusual look at the theatre in theatre

By Myron My

Ditto, A Story is a love tale between three actor friends trying to get all they can out of life. Not only are they looking for the one but they are also in search of their one big break.

The most intriguing part of Ditto…A Story is when the three friends attend their ‘audition’. It’s an audition performed live that is taken by a different director each night.

Ditto

On opening night, Deborah Leiser Moore, a director who creates a lot of physical and immersive performance-based works takes the actors through her own audition process. It’s very much art imitating life and you can’t help but feel nervous and anxious for the actors and that you are intruding on a very personal moment where they are genuinely vulnerable.

Unfortunately the three characters of Freya, Que and Moqui upon whom this story turns (Malina Maria Mackiewicz, Mischa Grunenberg and Reece Vella) lacked believability, and I felt more exploration was needed regarding their desires and wants. There were times I felt reminded that I was watching actors on stage rather than the actual characters.

The set consists of a number of sheets as curtains hanging on a line from one side of the stage to the other that the actors slide open and closed to go “backstage”. The busker (Annie Schofield) sits at the end of the stage and sets the “chapter” of each scene by playing drums and at times naming locations such as ‘bar’ or ‘taxi’. I quite enjoyed this process as it allows the visual to be created as you see it.

Lech Mackiewicz’s script has moments of sharp and witty dialogue, however there are times where things occur out of nowhere that seem implausible or there is no development on these revelations. In the final scene for example, there is a change in the relationship between Que and Moqui and Freya that seems out of place but is left up in the air.

Ditto, A Story takes a very innovative approach to theatre with its audition element and breaks the barrier of observer and participant in interesting ways, but it falls short in allowing its characters to establish an enduring connection with the audience.

Guest directors:


Deborah Leiser Moore (June 19)

Melanie Beddie (June 20)

Suzanne Chaundy (June 21)

Cheyney Caddy (June 22)

Daniel Schlusser (June 23)

Venue: La Mama Theatre, 205 Faraday Street Carlton

Season: Until 16 June | Thurs-Sat 7:30pm, Sun 6:30pm

Tickets: $25 Full | $15 Conc

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

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Attic Erratic Presents DOMINO

Witnessing the fall of man

By Myron My

On its first preview night, Domino – the latest production by Attic Erratic – takes us to a post-apocalyptic world where we meet the last five people left alive.

They engage in a dangerous roleplay game where the lines of illusion and reality quickly becoming blurred, and soon lead to something more sinister…

Domino

The lighting design by Laura Harris is, put simply, amazing. Her ability to capture the mood and emotions needed for this production and the shadow play she creates reinforces the overall theme of impending doom for this group of five men. The detailed set design and use of multimedia to support parts of the story all bring the technical aspects of this production to a high level.

However, Giuliano Ferla’s script, whilst able to draw you in to the lives of these five men, is a little confusing and you would not be blamed if you walked out feeling somewhat unfulfilled by the story. Some clarity or slowing down the pace to provide more explanation would have made a huge difference.

What the script – and direction by Danny Delahunty – does extremely well though, is developing the five characters played by Alex Duncan, Joseph Green, Kane Felsinger, Matt Hickey and Spencer Scholz . In the beginning, the men are edgy, jumping around and quite physical with each other, and the set and the “simplified” language being used indicate that humanity has regressed to primal, Neanderthal ways.

As the story continues, the men then degenerate further into the most base level of man with an intensely dramatic final scene. Being preview night it’s understandable that some nerves would be apparent, but for this performance it was Scholz and Felsinger in particular who were most convincing with their characters.

Overall, the fine acting and the superb technical design guarantee to make Domino a unique and engaging night of theatre.

Venue: Industrial School, Abbotsford Convent, 1 St Heliers St, Abbotsford

Season: Until 29 June | Tues-Sat 8:00pm, Sunday 7:00pm

Tickets: $20 Full | $18 Conc

Bookings: www.atticerratic.com

Events, Festivals, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: The Seven Ages of Joyce for BLOOMSDAY

Piecing together the broken life of a brilliant man

By Ross Larkin

It is, at first, anyone’s guess as to what one can expect from The Seven Ages of Joyce, a theatrical exploration of the life of Irish novelist and poet, James Joyce for this year’s  Bloomsday in Melbourne Festival.

Best known for his 1922 novel Ulysses, many (with the exception of Joyce aficionados), may not be aware of the controversy his work attracted, largely due to his use of obscenities and interest in the abject.

bloomsday-in-melbourne

This fact alone, however, suggests a (potentially) very dry two hours of biographical examination indeed, and it was fair to wonder if much padding might be required to sustain such an engagement.

Yet, perhaps surprising to us all is the extent of Joyce’s irreverent and quirky personality, and moreover, the bloodline of torment and mental dysfunction from which he came.

Undoubtedly, director Wayne Pearn faces a challenge in staging a fragmented re-telling of Ulysses along with Joyce’s writing process and life throughout. Incidental characters are rife, as is Joyce’s famous stream-of-consciousness in a dialogue-heavy and, at times, erratic production.

Fortunately, Pearn’s casting alone saves The Seven Ages of Joyce from a potentially immediate death, for this character driven-play with music and singing relies on extraordinarily versatile actors, who must decipher and showcase some heartily challenging text and structure.

Much of his cast of nine require the skill and commitment to interchange between as many as ten characters, consistently manipulating vocal tone, accent, physicality and objective – an assignment for only the brave and experienced performer.

Kevin Dee, as the novelist in question, faces the arduous task of writing out loud and recalling passages at great length, yet does so with ease, while Corrine Davies and Stephanie Lillis, who play a variety of the major female roles, excel at moving between comic charisma and gut-wrenching tragedy.

The supporting cast, however, not only compliment and genuinely support the leads, they provide a much-needed injection of pace and spice, with outstanding performances throughout.

With a simple backdrop, ambient lighting, and intermittent live music and song, the players and creators of The Seven Ages of Joyce manage to bring to life eccentric individuals, manic colour and heartbreaking drama.

The Seven Ages of Joyce opens tonight at 7.30pm, and thereafter on Saturday June 15 at 6pm and Sunday June 16 at 1pm and 6pm.
45 Downstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.
Bookings: fortyfivedownstairs.com or 03 9662 9966.

Events, Festivals, Music, Performances, Review

REVIEW: Melbourne Jazz Festival and CASSANDRA WILSON

Innovative, iconoclastic and exquisite

By Anastasia and Peter Slipper

The Melbourne International Jazz Festival certainly brought out the star power for their closing night last night with a standing ovation for singer Cassandra Wilson at Hamer Hall.

Cassandra Wilson

Wilson’s voice – honey-smooth, seductive and powerful – had the entire audience under her spell for two deceptively long sets, so that it almost seemed that she had the power to control time itself. Infused with the swampy blues sound of her native Mississippi, her performance showcased songs ranging from her early career to her latest album, Another Country, released last year. Wilson’s performances of covers were as heartfelt and individual as that of her own material, and the encore of Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time was a masterpiece.

She is known as a performer who transcends genre, and this performance was no exception, although the blues were never far away. The backing ensemble of bass, percussion, guitar, violin and harmonica wove elements of latin, country and folk around jazz- and blues-based grooves in a perfect synergy. Arrangements were often sparse, providing plenty of opportunities for the five musicians to show off their improvisatory prowess – exciting and very much in-the-moment.

Swiss harmonica player Gregoire Maret was an absolute stand-out, kicking off the gig with his version of Stevie Wonder’s The Secret Life of Plants. Often compared with Wonder, Maret created supple tendrils of sound from his chromatic harmonica, building into virtuosic extended solos.

The diversity of Wilson’s performance reflected the nature of jazz in the twenty-first century – it doesn’t fit into neat little boxes of genre, or exist in isolation, but is one of many musical styles constantly evolving and adapting with new influences and innovation.  Under the stewardship of Michael Tortoni the Melbourne International Jazz Festival is to be commended for reflecting this diversity in the programming for 2013 – and these reviewers are certainly looking forward to what delights next year’s festival may bring.

Cassandra Wilson performed at Hamer Hall on June 9 2013 for the Melbourne International Jazz Festival.

Events, Festivals, Music, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Melbourne Jazz Festival’s CHUCHO VALDES AND THE AFRO-CUBAN MESSENGERS

A glorious experience

By Christine Moffat

Chucho Valdés is truly a genius.  He is an innovative virtuoso who, after more than 50 years as a pianist and band leader, is still composing and playing with panache and energy.  He also has a long history of award-winning composition and performances, and is a teacher and practitioner of Afrocuban-Jazz.

Chucho Valdes

His band The Afro-Cuban Messengers (Gaston Joya on bass, Rodney Barreto on drums, Yaroldy Abreu Robles on congas and Dreiser Durruty Bambole on bata) are labelled on Valdés’ official website as “a group of Cuban phenoms” – this is an apt description, as they are the epitome of artistry and dynamism.

The composition ‘Blues Scherezada’, one of the few songs with minimal percussion, was a masterclass in jazz fusion, with amazing bowing work by bassist Joya.  The majority of the pieces performed involved driving rhythms of Barreto, Robles and Bambole in a truly Afrocuban way, intertwinging classic African call and response vocals with a Latin beat.

Last night’s performance was a testament to the effect jazz can have on the body and mind.  Valdés’ style of Aftocuban-Jazz is a heady combination of sophisticated piano and bass with those powerful drums.

The mixture of sound sparkled and bounced around Hamer Hall like light refracting off a polished gemstone.  The audience was transported by the music, and rose for a standing ovation for the final number, and for the encore that we were given in response.

If you have the opportunity to see this act live, do not miss it.  You will be rewarded with an evening of unparalleled jazz, from a fabulous ensemble led by a man well and truly in his musical prime. Amazing.

Chucho Valdés and the Afro-Cuban Messengers performed at Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall on 8 June 2013 pm as part of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival. See www.melbournejazz.com for more details.

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Theatreworks Presents PALACE OF THE END

Gritty and gripping tales of war

By Myron My

Written by Judith Thompson, Palace of the End is a touching and eye-opening look at war in Iraq and its devastating impact through three monologues that are inspired by real stories of people who have been damaged by the everlasting effects of war.

It’s a unique set design at Theatreworks: the stage is constructed into a narrow ten seat wide performance area, creating an intimate (if not claustrophobic) environment, which allows these monologues to reach us to more dramatic level. Furthermore, each performer is given a designated area where their monologue is to take place with minimal props that are simply but effectively used to create the scene.

Eugenia Fragos as Nehrjas al Saffarh - Photo credit Sarah Walker

Some interesting direction by Daniel Clarke had the actors on stage from the very beginning, remaining static in their respective environments. Occasional small movements or subtle reactions to what someone else was saying were made thhroughout, reminding us that even though these three people never met, their lives are very much intertwined and affected by this war.

As an audience member, it could be quite difficult to watch three half-hour monologues and remain engaged, but the talented cast are more than able to convincingly draw us into their world. Hannah Norris plays A Soldier, a character inspired by Lynndie England the American soldier who was involved in the abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib. The unlikeable and redneck soldier shows no remorse for her actions and sees herself as the all-American hero. Following Norris, and showing a distinctly softer and calming perspective is Robert Meldrum as David Kelly, the British weapons inspector who died upon revealing that the weapons of mass destruction were a lie told to justify the invasion in Iraq.

However, it was Eugenia Fragos as Nehrjas Al Saffarh who really imparts to us the horrors of the war. Married to the leader of the Communist Party in Iraq at the time of the Ba’athist Coup, Saffarh’s story of her and her family’s torture is a harrowing tale and Fragos captures the emotion, trauma and pain she experienced and you will find yourself hanging on her every word.

This  production of Thompson’s Palace of the End has taken a sensitive issue and rather than preaching about whether this war is right or wrong allows the stories to speak for themselves. It challenges our notions of right and wrong and demands that in all war we consider exactly what it is we are fighting for.

Venue: Theatreworks, 14 Acland St, St Kilda

Season: Until 16 June | Tues- Sat 8:00pm, 15 June 2:00pm & 16 June 5:00pm

Tickets: $32 Full | $25 Conc

Bookings: 9534 3388 or http://www.theatreworks.org.au

Dance, Events, Music, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: The Australian Ballet Presents VANGUARD

Mesmerising modern ballet reaches new audiences

By Ross Larkin

Few art forms command the same degree of discipline as that of dance. The absence of external tools, leaving solely the body as instrument, requires as much stability and fine-tuning as any solidly, hand-crafted alternative. The commitment is therefore not only a full-time one, but one which must be lived and breathed.

Vanguard

The Australian Ballet showcase this lifestyle to its full extent in their current production of Vanguard at the State Theatre. Three strikingly different pieces are presented back to back by highly accomplished choreographers George Balanchine, Jiri Kylian and Wayne McGregor with a beautifully, flawless outcome.

Opening with ‘The Four Temperaments’, originally choreographed by George Balanchine, performers are exposed under a stark, white light for the duration, with no external theatrical aids, save for the varied and glorious accompanying Orchestra Victoria. Viewers are hard-pressed to withdraw focus from the dancers’ palpable control and beautiful unity displayed with seemingly effortless execution.

Second offering, ‘Bella Figura’, raises the bar to stunning and mesmerising heights that impact the audience almost conspicuously. Rarely does one witness such effortless command of an audience’s attention. The moments of stillness and silence were breathtaking and captivating, and, unlike its predecessor, dramatic lighting and clever use of external elements were present in abundance, with particularly intriguing use of stage curtains.

The poignant direction of Kylian’s choreography encapsulated tasteful eroticism and tenderly seductive bodily engagement throughout, with unexpected comical moments in the form of puppetry dance.

Third piece, ‘Dyad 1929’, faces the challenge of following the former spectacular act, and initially feels slightly random and less focused, as the ensemble move frenziedly about a black polka-dot background to jarring, discordant music. Further into McGregor’s piece, however, the focus materialises with spirited passion and the gorgeously fluid dance proves as striking as its cousins, climaxing with the first male interaction of the evening.

The entire ensemble of Vanguard, each present for all acts, are graceful and flawless. Daniel Gaudiello, Lana Jones, Miwako Kubota and Calvin Hannaford leave impacting and lasting impressions, though every performer is worthy of mention.

Powerful and accessible, the Australian Ballet’s production of Vanguard is an experience deserving of a universal audience, and succeeds in moving viewers across all emotions.

Vanguard is playing now at the Arts Centre’s State Theatre with Orchestra Victoria until June 17, 2013

Events, Festivals, Music, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Maria Schneider and Darcy James Argue with the JAZZGROOVE MOTHERSHIP ORCHESTRA

Jazz queen reigns with a wave of her hand

By Anastasia Slipper

Maria Schneider

The anticipation was palpable as one of the world’s foremost jazz musicians walked onto the stage. Yet she didn’t hold an instrument or approach a microphone. In fact she didn’t make any sound at all. She merely held up a hand, and with a few gestures created exciting, complex and subtle music.

This mysteriously silent musician whom everyone had come to see was arguably the premiere big band composer and arranger of the last three decades – Maria Schneider. And her instrument? An eighteen-piece jazz orchestra, that she played like a puppet master, pulling all the strings to elicit finely-tuned dynamics and expressive solos.

From boisterous grooves such as ‘Gumba Blue’ to the haunting hymn-like lyricism of ‘Sky Blue’ the Sydney-based Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra effortlessly rose to the task of interpreting Schneider’s sumptuous works under the watchful eye (and hand) of the composer herself.

Members of the band were given plenty of soloistic freedom and space, resulting in some exciting improvisation, especially from sax players Roger Manins and Richard Maegraith. The blend of finely-crafted structure and precision together with sections of improvisatory exploration was exquisite, and a real feature of Schneider’s work.

Earlier in the evening, the band opened with a set of tunes by young Canadian composer Darcy James Argue, who also conducted his works. While not in the same league as Schneider, Argue’s style was innovative and energetic, using colour and effects extremely well. An early trumpet solo from Ken Allars featured half-valve techniques set against a backdrop of muted trombones, and set the tone for an enjoyable first set.

These two internationally-acclaimed composers, along with a fabulous Australian band, are proof that the big band era lives on – and has a great future ahead of it.

Maria Schneider, Darcy James Argue and the Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra  performed on June 6, 2013 as part of the Melbourne Intermational Jazz Festival.