Category: Performances

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Performances, Whats On

REVIEW: Isabel Hertaeg’s DEATH BY SOPRANO

Daring diva with a killer voice

By Christine Moffat

Isabel Hertaeg has a dream to be an operatic soprano, but she’s noticed that they don’t always have the best of luck.  Her theory is, if she can work out what keeps killing them off, she has some hope of surviving a role!

Death By Soprano

Hertaeg has serious soprano-envy, and this is a very good thing.  As a result, we were treated to a fabulous array of soprano deaths, without all those annoying tenors getting in the way to spoil it.

The show began with Hertaeg coming onstage as the tragic Ophelia, whose gory death details I won’t spoil.  Suffice to say, this reviewer’s sick sense of humour was switched on in the first three minutes of this show.  Once poor Ophelia is no more, Hertaeg outlines her approach: she will explain the A-Z of soprano deaths.  Accompanied wonderfully by Amy Abler, Hertaeg then starts her alphabetical annihilation with ‘A is for Avalanche’.

If it had gone wrong, this show could have turned into one big highbrow in-joke, with opera aficionados tittering away whilst the common folk looked on confused.  Instead, it turned out to be an intelligent concept, wrapped in a delightfully dark show, and decorated with Hertaeg’s wonderful voice.

The cute little prop jokes kept the comedy bubbling along, and the many, many deaths took care of the pathos.  Watch out for Brunhilde (a highlight), who ticks both the prop comedy and pathos boxes at once!

Although the show is a tragic comedy, with little quips sprinkled throughout, Hertaeg did not skimp on the opera.  Her performance of Butterfly’s aria in particular was intensely moving.  On top of being funny and having an amazing voice, Hertaeg also managed to sing in Italian, French, Russian, English and German.  I’m beginning to feel a little soprano-envy myself…

Show information:

Death by Soprano

Wednesday 20th March 2013

The Butterfly Club

Carson Place (just off Little Collins Street in the Melbourne CBD)

www.thebutterflyclub.com

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Fleur Murphy’s SHADOWS OF ANGELS

Superb performances in a dark and gritty play

By Myron My

Shadows Of Angels is a play that delves into the minds and stories of the Australian female criminal: each tale dealing with a painful situation and event that links them all together.

The set of this production is bare apart from a chair, and a spotlight falls onto the cast as they individually take to the stage and tell their story to the audience. With so little visual stimulation, it’s even more important to have a talented cast to carry the story.

Shadows of Angels

For the most part the casting is spot on. H. Clare Callow is the standout as the “Man Femme”, showing equal parts vulnerability, yearning and sorrow. Meg Spencer is also particularly strong as the “Pretty Femme” portraying the tougher, angrier side of the femme fatale. Mel Dodge’s “Good Femme” rounds out the great performances.

My issue was with Rosemary Johns as the “Old Femme” and it was not at all due to the fine acting and effort that was put into the role, but I feel Jones was miscast here as the “Old Femme”. This was a woman who performed illegal abortions in a secret room and was about to flee from the police but Johns just seemed too sweet and gentle and I had problems believing her character would be capable of committing these crimes.

Fleur Murphy’s script is brilliant. The problem I often find with shows that use monologues is the narrative remains stagnant. However, with Shadows of Angels there is a steady pace that allows the narrative to flow and grow. Even more importantly, these are engaging characters that paint the scene with such vivid imagery that you often forget there is just that one chair on stage.

Chris Saxton has directed a show that stays with you long after it’s over. His efforts in creating the right blend of horror and sympathy both emotionally and physically on stage are what theatre is meant to be about: creating a world that envelops you until you feel like you are actually there.

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

Season: Until 23 March | 8:00pm

Tickets: $24 Full | $20 Conc

Bookings: www.owlandcat.com.au/shadows.html

Dance, Events, Festivals, Performances, Review, Whats On

Review: SKELETON at Dance Massive

Getting down to the bare bones…

By Myron My

Choreographed by Larissa McGowan and featuring in the Dance Massive festival this month, Skeleton has a set of characters discover the hidden stories of pop-culture icons including headphones, baseball bats and a BMX bike.

Skeleton

The performance definitely lives up to its name. The stage is skeletal: the bare essentials are the set of lights along the back wall and just a handful of props. The dancers wear white, grey or black clothing, so no complex colours are on display here. Meanwhile, there is the clever staging device of two black sliding panels that constantly move back and forth across the stage throughout the performance. As they do, they drop off or pick up performers and/or props with such precision timing that it really is a blink-and-you-miss-it exchange.

McGowan’s choreography is brilliant and all the dancers have put some extreme effort and dedication into executing it. Jethro Woodward’s score is as haunting as it is mesmerizing as the dancers move, contort and manipulate their bodies to some extreme choreographed sequences. The interesting inclusion of various film voice-overs and the incorporation of those dialogues into the performance were well-crafted.

Despite an impressive performance by all, including Tobia Booth-Remmers, Lisa Griffiths and Lewis Rankin, it was the intense presence and obvious skill of Marcus Louend and McGowan that really left an impression on my mind.

Yet as an audience member, whenever I see a performance of any sort, I want to walk away having felt something, and on the whole, I just didn’t experience this with this production. As mentioned earlier, I appreciated the strong technical performances but Skeleton lacked an emotional connection for me to drive it home. This might again have been a deliberate decision considering the piece’s title, but it may also have to do with its length, for even though the performance time falls just under an hour, it did start to become repetitious and the amazement over what we had earlier witnessed did start to wane.

Skeleton is an interesting piece of contemporary dance exploring pop icons from the past and how very easily they can be forgotten. It’s a very impressive performance but with only the unsatisfactory bare bones of a narrative on offer, perhaps more fleshing out of the ‘story’ behind it is actually needed.

Venue: The Malthouse, 113 Sturt St, Southbank

Season: Until 23 March | 8:00pm, Sat 5:00pm

Tickets: $49 Full | $41 Conc

Bookings: www.dancemassive.com.au

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

REVIEW: Lee Serle’s P.O.V.

Experience the dance like never before

By Myron My

Commissioned by Lucy Guerin for contemporary dance festival Dance Massive and choreographed by Lee Serle, P.O.V. is a unique dance piece that looks at proximity, reactions and interactions with audiences as participants rather than just mere observers.

Being fortunate enough to grab one of the 36 swivel stools on the stage, I was thrust into this bold experience. The four dancers – Serle, James Andrews, Kristy Ayre and Lily Paska – appear and begin dancing in unison through the grid-like formation, gradually breaking off, going down various paths, like balls in a pinball machine.

P.O.V.

It’s very much an up-close-and-personal-feeling as an audience member, seeing the heavy breathing and the sweat dripping off their brow. These guys are definitely giving all they’ve got – and it works.

We are initially ignored and you can’t help but feel like an intruder. Eventually we are acknowledged and then warmed to and then we interact with the dancers in extremely unique and personal ways. P.O.V. is about blurring the line between audience member and participant: looking at how we deal with each other and what we feel from that. As Serle himself explained in his notes, it is much like life and about taking the time to interact with one another.

I went through a range of emotions throughout P.O.V: laughter, warmth, intrigue and even loneliness when asked to wear a blindfold and to experience part of the show in that state.

Hearing movement and laughter and not being able to see it allowed me to go in a deeper place and explore those emotions for some time and it was quite a moving experience. Upon removal of the blindfold it was a surprise to see everything that had occurred in the space of those minutes to other participants: all safe, all fun, and all-willing.

P.O.V. is part dance and part theatre performance and was a great introduction to Dance Massive. Highly recommended show, but do get in early to grab one of the seats on stage, as it really does make the performance so much more unique.

Venue: Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall, 521 Queensberry St

Season: Until 16 March | 8:30pm

Tickets: $25 Full | $20 Conc

Bookings:  www.dancemassive.com.au

Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Review: THE JOY OF TEXT by Robert Reid

School controversy cleverly examined

By Myron My

Written by Robert Reid, The Joy of Text receives a second life at La Mama Theatre after premiering with Melbourne Theatre Company last year.

The Joy of Text

Set in a high school, RePlay’s production deals with the politics and concerns faced by teachers and students on a daily basis – and some issues that do not occur so often…

We are witness to some very wordy and intense monologues and discussions about what happens when the line of student/teacher relationship is crossed; who is the victim and why – or is there even a victim? Would two years make the world of difference?

The cast here could not be faulted. There was amazing energy between them and a connectedness with the characters they played. Colin Craig does have the added pressure of carrying the play with his portrayal of central character 17-year-old student Danny, but does an amazing job of showing a perfect balance between Danny’s vulnerability, intelligence and bratty behavior.

Another notable mention would be Elizabeth Thomson‘s impressive work as the long-suffering English teacher Diane who wants to introduce a controversial text to the syllabus about a student’s relationship with a teacher. Kasia Kaczmarek (Ami) and Jason Kavanagh (Steve) also give strong, authentic performances in their respective roles.

The inclusion of a projection on the stage showing more to an environment was a brilliant idea by director Peita Collard: mixing the acting in the projection into the acting on stage was played out perfectly.

For example, Diane telling a student on screen to pick up the rubbish on the floor interrupts a conversation that Ami and she are having on the stage. The student does so but as soon as Diane turns her back to her, the student just throws it back on the ground and returns to her friends. This production thus does an incredible job of mixing multimedia to expand and augment the story.

The Joy of Text explores an education system where there is still a lot of grey areas about serious ethical dilemmas, resulting in panic and metaphorical lynching when these issues occur in our schools.

This is a very smart and insightful production with moments of comedy the cast do a wonderful job playing about with, and leaves a strong impression that will have you thinking about and discussing the play and its themes long after you’ve walked out of the theatre.

Venue: La Mama Courthouse, 349 Drummond St, Carlton

Season: Until 24 March | Wed, Sun 6.30pm | Thu, Fri, Sat 7.30pm

Tickets: $25 Full | $15 Concession

Bookings: http://lamama.com.au

Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: MTC Presents OTHER DESERT CITIES

Powerful family politics play out to the bitter end

By Ross Larkin

Jon Robin Baitz’s Other Desert Cities is surely one of the more intriguing and gripping contemporary plays of the last decade. Unpacking the fragile segments of family politics saturated with love and lies, tension and grief – Baitz’s comedy drama reveals its inner belly at just the right pace.

MTC OTHER DESERT CITIES photo BUSBY

The MTC’s version opened this week, to a very receptive crowd. Director Sam Strong has perfectly cast Robyn Nevin as the simmering Polly, doing everything in her power to suppress her past, while maintaining an edge of ruthless charm. Nevin is utterly convincing in her portrayal of a privileged, somewhat manipulative woman who is dangerously close to breaking down.

Daughter Brooke, however (Sacha Horler), enters with nothing left to lose, and very little tolerance for her family’s insincerities. Horler offers a tremendous balance of light, shade and the chasm in between. Her unwinding and revealing at just the right pace and level of authenticity showcases Horler as the diverse and believable actress she is. The beautiful aspect to Nevin and Horler’s performances is that one does not ever see them ‘working’: we cannot see the acting, we are only absorbed by the truth of the characters.

John Gaden as husband Lyman is equally fitting in his transformation from loving family man to nervous wreck. It’s a demanding role which could very easily fall flat with a less-experienced actor or under the wrong direction. Gaden doesn’t disappoint with his direct and uncompromising performance.

Ian Meadows and Sue Jones as son Trip and Aunt Silda respectively begin as borderline caricatures, with pantomine gestures and postures. Fortunately, however, in spite of restricting themselves initially to exaggerated comic relief, Meadows and Jones do manage to absorb themselves in the unfolding drama, and by the end, both deliver powerful punches.

An obvious choice was made to stage most of the family drama in a living room behind large glass windows, to create the feeling that one is on the outside observing the action, like trapped fish in a bowl. While this technique was aesthetically interesting and in line with the play’s concept, it did, at times, prevent complete engagement between audience and drama. There was literally a wall between us, which more than likely prevented some great opportunities for intimacy.

Nonetheless, Strong has achieved great momentum with Other Desert Cities, helped in no uncertain terms by its brilliant lead actors, and this remains one of the most riveting and unforgettable plays of our generation. 

Venue Southbank Theatre, The Sumner

Season dates 2 March to 17 April 2013

Tickets from $58, Under 30s just $33

Bookings Southbank Theatre Box Office 03 8688 0800 or mtc.com.au

Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Sly Rat Theatre Presents THE MARTYRS

Holy horror and humour

By Myron My

The Martyrs is the first production by new company Sly Rat Theatre that looks at religion, the church, and its scandalous history of child sexual abuse and pornography. Despite the heavy themes, it somehow manages to create a great balancing act between being horrifying and humorous.

The Martyrs

There was however an unfortunate feeling of general miscasting between the actors and the characters they were portraying except in the case of David Ryan Kinsman as Pastor Mike Foster, the zealous and energetic leader of the ‘Earthquakers’ who really jumped in and let himself be enveloped by the role. Another notable mention would go to Marika Marosszeky who played the adult-porn writer Valerie with great conviction.

The inclusion of a Jim Henson-esque ‘horror’ puppet as Chloe Barker was an intriguing decision. The collaboration of puppeteer (Cameron Powell) and voice actor (and producer Jennifer Piper) was very charming and humorous to watch. The swap from puppet to human was also an interesting idea which worked quite well. In contrast, the use of the clucking chicken-like anti-pornography group as an ongoing metaphor did pull you out of the show, and the narrative could have done with a little more clarity in direction as at times, as the plot did get rather too confusing and abstract for a truly enjoyable performance.

Ryan Hodge’s lighting and set design was very impressive. Throughout The Martyrs, scenes were lit in delicate degrees of brightness and shadow, playing with the idea of good and evil, light and dark, and sex and religion. The scenes that really stick in my mind are those where the actors are only seen as dark silhouettes and thus creating a very powerful impact. It was great to see the stage fully utilised and the performance being brought out into the audience: also, having us sitting in makeshift church pews helped to further create a strong connection to the themes being played out.

The Martyrs is a very ambitious first production by director Alan Chambers and writer Andy Harmsen and because of the strengths mentioned above and despite the issues noted, they have ultimately created an entertaining and reflective piece of theatre.

Venue: Revolt Productions, 12 Elizabeth Street Kensington, 3101

Season: Until 16 March (except 11th) | 9:00pm, Sun 2:00pm

Tickets: $28 Full | $25 Concession

Bookings: http://revoltproductions.com

Cabaret, Circus, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Review: CUT SNAKE at Theatreworks

Comic, crazy, commendable tale in a three-actor circus

By Christine Moffat

If you know the phrase ‘mad as a cut snake’, you have an inkling of what to expect from this award-winning show by the two years-young theatre company Arthur.  The show is mad, but thanks to playwrights Amelia Evans and Dan Giovannoni, there is fabulous method to the madness.

Although the show is acrobatic and surreal, with all emotions heightened, there is a base note of reality running underneath.  Evans and Giovannoni examine the central themes of friendship, love, death and the small moments in a life that change the world.

Cut Snake

The play revolves around four zany characters, Trix the snake, Kiki Coriander (Catherine Davies), Bob (Julia Billington) and Jumper (Kevin Kiernan-Molloy), any of which could justify their own circus act.  Despite this, the actors beautifully construct relationships that are accessible, relatable and touchingly domestic.

The direction of by devisor Paige Rattray is a great lesson in ‘less is more’.  The show takes place in a small circus tent on astroturf.  The ‘rough around the edges’ appearance is actually great stagecraft.  The show feels roughened, not rough: worn-in like a favourite pair of jeans.  This made the audience immediately comfortable in the high-energy, crazy, tiny theatre space.

Cut Snake is a strange, moving, funny, high-energy bundle of love and loss with a dash of experimental physics thrown in for good measure.  If you’ve ever had a best friend, ever thought about science or magic or asked yourself “What if?” then you will find yourself entertained and a little bit happier for having seen it.  As a bonus you will also find the answer to the million-dollar question: who would win in a fight between a horse and a hippo?  That alone is worth the ticket price.

Date: 25 Feb 2013 – 09 Mar 2013

Time: March 2- March 9 at 7:00pm, 11:30am matinees Wed and Fri

Price: Student groups $20, adults $30, conc/non-student groups $25 (plus booking fee)

Bookings: www.theatreworks.org.au

Location: Theatreworks, 14 Acland St, St Kilda

Please Note: This production is performed at an outdoor location near Theatre Works; meet in the foyer at least 15 minutes before performance commences.

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Mockingbird Theatre Presents BLUE/ORANGE

Profound theatre – and prodigious talent

By Bradley Storer

After a stunning debut with their acclaimed production of The Laramie Project, Mockingbird Theatre Company continues their winning streak with a smaller-scaled but equally impressive showing of Joe Penhall’s Blue/Orange. This three-person play provides fantastic opportunities for the skilled actors of the company in its complex exploration of themes of mental illness, racism, colonialism and culture.

BlueOrange

The plot is focused on the diagnosis and treatment of a young African man under two psychiatrists with opposing approaches to mental illness. Kane Felsinger as the institutionalized Christopher is phenomenal, dispatching the play’s fierce Mamet-like dialogue with ferocity while never letting us forget the real emotional pain underneath his at times off-putting persona. Christopher, diagnosed continually as sitting somewhere in ‘the borders between psychotic and neurotic’, draws both his doctors and the audience through the blurry boundaries between delusion, deception and uncertainty.

Richard Edge as Robert, the older and more pragmatic psychiatrist, embodies a man who is characterized mainly by his own mediocrity alongside surprising vitality. This man, who at first attempts to downplay and normalize Christopher’s disorder before endeavouring to exploit it as fodder for his own academic gain, seems like that archetypal charismatic and slightly sociopathic career-climber we encounter in every kind of field, instantly recognizable and creepily personable. Christian Heath as Bruce, Christopher’s younger and more compassionate psychiatrist, provides a strong moral and emotional centre to the story which anchors events amongst flurries of academic debate and cultural abstraction.

The three actors are all equally brilliant, and director Chris Baldock has done a fantastic job of choreographing them into shifting patterns of empathy and aggression which make them simultaneously sympathetic and antagonistic. Even as the two doctors aim to heal Christopher his mental illness becomes simply another instrument in their battle, echoing the marginalization and exploitation of ethnic and social minorities in patriarchal Western culture which continues even today.

A wonderful and thrilling night of contemporary theatre meditating on grand macrocosmic themes, but with the aid of magnificently talented actors never leaves behind the confusion and painful reality of everyday life.

Dates: Thur 28 Feb – Sat 2 March 8pm, Sun 3 March 5pm, Tue 5 March – Sat 9 March 8pm, Sat 9 March at 2pm

Venue: Broken Mirror Studios, 2c Staley St, Brunswick

Tickets: Bookings available here

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Review: THIS TRICK (The Story of Orpheus and Eurydice)

To hell and back for love

By Myron My

Using the Greek myth but set in a contemporary world, This Trick invites us to be voyeurs to a very private moment for Orpheus and Eurydice, who are so in love with each other that the rest of the world is seen as a danger they do not wish to be engaged with.

I particularly enjoyed the contrast of passionate declarations of love intermingled with trivial domestic arguments such as leaving the milk out, thus allowing those simple moments to be more intense. Much of the emotional impact is to the credit of the two leads Penny Harpham and Matt Hickey, and their hypnotic performances.

This Trick

Both were very strong and capable in taking on these roles, and the scripted words flowed as naturally as any spontaneous conversation. The on-stage chemistry and level of intimacy between them was palpable, and comfortably portrayed their characters’ jealousies, insecurities and fears in giving themselves over completely to the person they love.

There is a fitting sense of visual minimalism in this production: the set  is mainly a white mattress and white curtains and some bottles of alcohol. The ethereal environment established by designer Hanna Sandgren is further alluded to with the leads also beginning in white clothing.

In contrast, the dynamic lighting design by Julia Knibbs helped emphasise the passion and enveloping darkness for the two lovers: casting many shadows on their faces and using firey red to show the fierce passion between the two reminded me very much of the related myth of Dionysus and the dangers of excess. The stagecraft and music throughout This Trick is also well-executed and you can feel a lot of work has been done on this by all involved including sound designer Jennifer Kingwell.

Writer and director Kat Henry of Stella Electrika has produced a piece of work that is sharp, witty and real – even though there are times the dialogue does reach extremes, it is perfectly fitting in This Trick. A very powerful production all round, and one that makes you question just how much love is too much love.

Venue: La Mama Courthouse, 349 Drummond St, Carlton

Season: Until 3 March | Tue, Wed 6.30pm | Thu, Fri, Sat 7.30pm | Sun 4.30pm & 6.30pm

Tickets: $25 Full | $15 Concession

Bookings: http://lamama.com.au