Category: Performances

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: The Window Outside

Delicately funny, cleverly truthful and beautifully told

By Myron My

Written by Belinda Lopez, The Window Outside would at first glance be considered a heartbreaking love-story, but on deeper inspection it is a celebration of life and love as a family deals with various hurdles that their relationships and circumstances have thrown at them.

The four actors truly tapped into the fine nuances of their characters, especially Carrie Moczynski with her portrayal of Evelyn as a wife attempting to hold on to the past that she once knew. Rick Burchall as Frank, sustained a strong presence on stage including the scenes where he was “stuck” in his wheelchair. His subtle facial mannerisms and shift from passive to active were very well-performed.

One thing I would have liked to see was to see some more anger and spirit in Sharon, played by Nadia Andary. One could clearly sympathise with what her character had been forced to sacrifice but I felt her outbursts and angry moments needed to be more passionate, loud and even aggressive. In contrast to Sharon however, was Mandie Combe’s Miranda: the younger daughter and the ‘white sheep’ to Sharon’s black. The two actors had a strong rapport and their poignant scenes together came with a history attached where you could easily believe that this in fact was a family.

The  music added another layer of depth to the story, with some very carefully selected songs that heightened the drama that was unfolding. The short home-video montage in the opening scene was also effective in being able to show the love that the central couple had for each other and quickly create a back-story for them without having to spend time talking about it.

The Window Outside thus struck a chord with me – and with many audience members. It opens up discussion on so many controversial issues including euthanasia, assisted-care living, the responsibility a child has to a parent and to what extent this should be taken, and the desire for living life the way you want to.

These concerns are all dealt with sensitively and honestly – sometimes humorously too, but these are the really beautiful moments – the truth in comedy. Overall, a wonderful play to help you appreciate the joy of love in all its forms.

Venue: La Mama Courthouse, 349 Drummond St, Carlton.

Season: Until 21 October| Wed – Sat 8:00pm, Sun 2:00pm

Tickets: $20 Bookings: www.trybooking.com/BVLU

Events, Musical Theatre, Performances, Review, Whats On

Review: THE PRODUCTION COMPANY presents Promises, Promises

A rare chance to see a superb show

By Adam Tonking

The Production Company’s Promises, Promises stars Matt Hetherington as Chuck Baxter, a low-level accountant in a huge corporation, struggling to be noticed both by his bosses while the girl of his dreams, waitress Fran Kubelik is played by much-loved Marina Prior in ever-reliable form. The show itself is genius, taking a filmic masterpiece in Billy Wilder’s The Apartment, and adapting  it to the stage with glorious music from Burt Bacharach, complete with his exciting and idiosyncratic shifts in meter and harmony. Add to this Neil Simon’s witty and skilfully crafted dialogue, and Hal David’s heartfelt lyrics – how could this show not be amazing?

Hetherington turns his Jack-Lemmon charm on the audience from overture to finale, particularly in the number “She Likes Basketball.” The supporting leads, Chelsea Plumley and Robert Grubb, also gave stellar performances. Plumley was either sorely underused, or used to perfection, playing a small cameo role in one of the most entertaining scenes in the show. She trod a beautiful line between dignity and a complete shambles, all delivered with perfect comic timing and fully-realised characterisation. Grubb was perfectly cast as Dr. Dreyfuss, turning something of a sourpuss into a loveable curmudgeon.

I was delighted to see the orchestra on stage. Half the joy of music theatre for me is the visceral experience of live musicians, and watching them under the tight direction of Guy Simpsonwas pure bliss. The ensemble were spectacular – and aren’t the ensemble the most underappreciated aspect of any show?

Here though, “Turkey Lurkey Time” and “A Fact Can Be A Beautiful Thing” were beautifully executed, and two of the best numbers in the production thanks to the energy and enthusiasm of the ensemble. Particular mention should be given to Hester Van Der Vyver, who with her small but pivotal role as Miss Olsen, came close to stealing the show.

The Production Company has enjoyed a brilliant year with its inspired choices, and their production of Promises, Promises ends it beautifully. In excitedly looking forward to their 2013 program, I can only suggest that you quickly rush to see this too-seldom performed, absolute gem of a show.

Promises, Promises is on at the State Theatre, October 3 to October 7. Book at artscentremelbourne.com.au or call 1300 182 183.

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

REVIEW: The Lichtenstein Nursing Home Massacre

More puppet blood!

By Christine Moffat

This rollicking Punch-and-Judy-inspired puppet show is an entertaining little murder mystery.  Billed as a 60-minute show, on preview night it clocked in at closer to 90 minutes.

The puppeteers run the entire show in the dark from behind the set, and I think the technicalities involved needed a bit more breaking in.  The show suffered from the delays, as the gaps where the audience faced a quiet, darkened stage strung out the plot, and frequently diminished the suspense that the puppeteers continually worked very hard to create.  In a more serious show this would have been disastrous, but as this show is designed to be a lot of horrible fun, it managed to keep the audience engaged.

The crowd at Lemony S Puppet Theatre are very skilled at creating atmosphere, and the show benefited from many a foggy, suspenseful night scene.  What you see and what you don’t is always a tantalising element of a whodunit, and this was particularly well staged and performed.  I loved the novel way that we were made privy to the view through a character’s binoculars.  The audience is also provided with individual binoculars so that we can enjoy the detailed interactions between characters.  Use these especially for the fabulous mad scientist’s lair, which provides a lot of chuckles, plus a few clues.

Part B movie, part gruesome medieval puppet show; be prepared for a bit of mystery solving and a good laugh. Despite the long running time the show delivered almost everything it promised.  This is a well-written show, with a fabulously tied-in sound and music scheme, and the puppeteers were fantastic.  It appears a little rough around the edges, but I got the sense that this was deliberate.  It’s ripped like a cool kid’s pair of jeans.

The show was full of intrigue, adult content, including plenty of saucy puppet quickies, and lots of murders.  The only thing it did not deliver enough of was blood, “more puppet blood!” I say.  If you have ever watched The Rocky Horror Picture Show and wondered what sort of puppet show Dr Frank-N-Furter would write; book a ticket to The Lichtenstein Nursing Home Massacre and enjoy the ride.

28th September – 7th October for Melbourne Fringe Festival

Thu, Sat, Sun 6:30pm | Wed, Fri 8:30pm (Tue performance 6:30 Oct 2)

La Mama Courthouse, 349 Drummond Street, Carlton

Bookings: www.lamama.com.au

Tickets: $25 Full | $15 Concession

Performed and created by Jacob Williams, Kirstian Bagin and Tim Denton with Sarah Kreigler

Written by Sarah Kreigler and John Paul Fischbach

Sound design by Steph O’Hara

www.lemonys.net.au

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Review: POLLY’S PARTY at La Mama

Become part of the party!

By Myron My

Upon entering Polly’s Party you are asked to make a choice. Do you want to be inside Polly’s Party or outside Polly’s Party? My friend and I instantly decided to be inside Polly’s Party, not quite sure what that would entail.

We are taken away from the rest of the audience and to a white room with eight green stools, a projector, Lady Gaga music playing and the lady herself, Polly (Renae Shadler). Dressed in bright-multicoloured tights and a sexy, silver “spacesuit” top to rival Gaga, Polly greets us with punch and dance.

The outside audience watches through a one-way mirror and it is from the very beginning the idea of social media watching us and how we put on performances for our fans, followers and friends is explored. We are even encouraged to use social media to make comments, take photos and post videos during the performance.

A big variable for a performance piece such as this is audience participation. In my experience, audience members can be very shy about participating and of the five who did, two absconded to the outside party and one created a few awkward and uncomfortable moments for others. However, Shadler does not break character at all and it is obvious and admirable she has developed Polly so well that she can just be her without a need to “act” like her.

Polly’s Party broaches the subject of self-worth and how that has lately been defined through social media and our increasing need to create a cyber personality for the world to see. Her desperation to have more friends on Facebook and to have a higher Klout score than Justin Bieber touches on society’s crumbling wall of realism.

Unfortunately, Polly’s Party doesn’t really dig any further. It’s a fun and energetic ride with 110% energy levels but insight and depth into social media and its effects is lacking. Once Paula, a shy, introverted suburban Aussie girl, is introduced, you can see the sadness and the eagerness to be accepted into society and it would have been great to see more of that vulnerability and need explored.

Venue: La Mama Courthouse, 349 Drummond St, Carlton.

Season: Until 23 September| Wed, Sun 6:30pm, Thurs – Sat 7:30pm

Tickets: $25 Full | $15 Conc

Bookings: 03 9347 6948 or www.lamama.com.au

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Hoy Polloy & Baggage Productions Present RHONDA IS IN THERAPY

Moving and masterful cast performance

By Myron My

Rhonda Is In Therapy by Bridgette Burton is the latest production from Hoy Polloy Theatre Productions and deals with a young mother’s grief and loneliness since the tragic passing of her child.

The four actors all find the subtleties of their characters and flesh them out into life. Jamieson Caldwell as the naïve young student who begins an affair with Rhonda brings a sense of innocence to the proceedings, which is a great contrast to Kelly Nash’s therapist who subtly attempts to break down the defensive wall created by Rhonda.

Louise Crawford is brilliant as Rhonda, a mother who can’t let go of the guilt that is eating her inside. The scenes showing Rhonda at different periods of her life when things were more happy and simple, and then switching to the present with all her emotional conflict, are compelling to watch. Ben Grant’s portrayal of a loving and supportive husband who is quietly struggling to keep it all together for his family is superb and made him the shining star of this production.

The subtle comedy still implicit in pain and human suffering is captured beautifully here and there are some truly honest moments presented; the scenes between Rhonda and her therapist boast some sharp and witty dialogue. However, Rhonda Is In Therapy could have done with some tightening, especially towards the end. There were a few scenes that didn’t add much to the story and slowed proceedings down a little.

The other minor downfall was the scenes that involved the ‘children’. The performers would “imagine” the child being present as voiced by one of the other actors. At times, there were voice recordings played which had the dialogue of both the adult and child. Both these devices really detracted from the intimacy the play was striving for, and reminded the audience that they were in fact watching a performance and not something that was otherwise powerfully real.

Despite these issues, Rhonda Is In Therapy is a thoroughly engaging performance piece with some stellar acting from its four stars.

Venue: fortyfive downstairs, 45 Flinders Lane.

Season: Until 23 September| Tues to Sat 8:00pm, Sun 5:00pm

Tickets: $40 Full | $35 Conc

Bookings: 03 9662 9966 or www.fortyfivedownstairs.com

Dance, Events, Performances, Review, Whats On

Review: EIFMAN BALLET’S Tchaikovsky

The fervid life in dance of a great artist

By Bradley Storer

In addition to their season of Anna Karenina, the Eifman Ballet also presents their original production Tchaikovsky, an expressionistic journey through the composer’s life and imagination set to his own music.

We begin at Tchaikovsky’s death bed as he is tormented by fever dreams and hallucinations, chased by phantoms from his own creations. As he retreats further into his mind we are taken into flashbacks from his life, his disastrous marriage, his insecurities and inability to connect with others, either romantically or in society at large.

Throughout the performance, Oleg Markov as Tchaikovsky danced the role with an intense but wounded poeticism, forming the impression of a man with immense genius but an equally great terror of rejection and loneliness. He was matched in brilliant lyricism by the Double (Oleg Gabyshev) and the Prince (Ivan Zaitcev), projections of Tchaikovsky’s inner turmoil and ideals of perfection. In the dances between these male characters, there is an equal balance of wonder and veiled eroticism.

Tchaikovsky’s fear of women becomes refracted and split into figures of monstrous femininity, the dark fairy Carabosse, the Queen of Spades, and a mysteriously malevolent bride who entangles him in her wedding veil. His wife (played here by Natalia Povoronzuik) unfortunately receives little time to create a full impression, and comes off a little flat and one-dimensional.

Tchaikovsky’s patroness and lifelong friend Nadezha von Meck (played by Nina Zmeviet) receives better treatment, becoming almost as equally important in the performance as Tchaikovsky himself – she becomes the audience’s main focus of empathy as we see her supporting and reaching out to the doomed composer, and her pain as he slowly slips away from her.

Because the dreamscape of the ballet is so fractured and fluid, the narrative becomes imagistic and can be a little difficult to follow without the aid of a program. Ultimately it seems like no overall message is being communicated in Tchaikosvky’s story – we see him live and we follow him to his death, but I personally was left unmoved at the end of the ballet. However, it is a world-class production with amazing performances and brilliant dances, and is well worth a visit by any ballet aficionado.

Sept 7-9, 8pm Fri-Sat, 2pm Sat-Sun

Regent Theatre Melbourne

Book online at Ticketmaster

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Thorny Devil Theatre Presents OUT AT SEA

A difficult work doesn’t quite make waves

By Christine Moffat

Three strangers (Fat, Medium and Thin) are stranded on a raft together in the middle of the ocean.  They have run out of food, and it is decided that someone must be eaten, for the greater good.  Through the tense scenario of these castaways, the play explores the justifications and machinations that people employ to get what they want.

This is also a Mrozek play, and for those new to his work, there is a always social or political metaphor simmering underneath a darkly comic surrealist plot.  In Out At Sea, the key metaphor is the exploitation of the ‘little man’ (Thin) by those capable of controlling (Fat) and profiteering (Medium) within a communist society.

Sadly, in this reviewer’s opinion, on opening night the play did not meet its full potential, as it lacked the real sense of tension required to do the piece justice.  The stage was a raft suspended by wooden pallets above the concrete floor in the space; it was primitive and greatly evocative of the characters’ bleak situation.  However, it did not seem as if the players were trapped on the raft, and in general there was not enough of a feeling of confined space in the show.

The absence of tension was also in part due to the direction.  Each character too often sat comfortably on suitcases and trunks fashioned into stools, and there seemed to be far too many pregnant pauses.  Either of these factors alone can cause the energy drain from a performance.  The combination of them both in this production created a sense of slowness that the actors were unable to properly overcome.  That being said, the four actors individually created performances that were interesting and thoughtful, and that generated some good comic moments despite the pace of the play.

The play was staged at Revolt Art Space in Kensington.  This venue has a real retro-punk vibe, and is a surreal mixture of old warehouse and gold-mine theme park: an excellent choice for staging the work of an old school surrealist like Mrozek.  Overall, this is only the second production for Thorny Devil Theatre, and Mrozek is notoriously difficult both to direct and to perform.  I believe it bodes well that they are staging challenging pieces in interesting spaces, and I look forward to seeing more work from them in future.

Show information:

Sept 5 – Sept 15

Wed-Sat 7:30pm / Sun 6pm / Saturday Matinee (15/9 only) 3pm

Revolt Productions, 12 Elizabeth Street Kensington, 3031

Tickets: Full $22.50 / Conc. $17.50 / Preview & Matinee $12.50

Book online at revoltproductions.com or by phone on 03 9376 2115

Written by Slawomir Mrozek

Directed by Eben Rojter

Performed by Carli Jones, Katharine Innes, Jacob Pruden, and Stu Duffield

Events, Performances, Theatre, Whats On

Review: RRAMP – The Collector, The Archivist & The Electrocrat

Dark, edgy surrealism that is still evolving

By Myron My

Two people agree to join a lonely woman in her band and live in her house full of various strange objects that she stores in jars, including childhood scabs. Together they form an electronica-dance-metal-rock outfit and perform songs about childhood, loneliness and chickens with infected eyes. Welcome to RRAMP, a show devised by Christine Johnston, Lisa O’Neill and Peter Nelson.

The particular contrast of Johnston and O’Neill’s characters is strong and effective. With her piercing eyes, stern expressions and graceful movements, The Collector (Johnston) towers over the scattered, submissive and comedic Archivist.

There is a certain Tim Burton-esque element to The Collector with her big long eyelashes and jet-black hair with white strands along her pale face, which makes the audience that extra bit nervous to be in her presence.In fact, the moment when Johnston first breaks the fourth wall and talks to us is quite intimidating but exposes the performance control she possesses. Having walked by the audience, quietly judging our appearances, we even broke into awkward laughter upon hearing of her approval.

The musical score is one of the highlights of RRAMP but was let down by some clumsy song lyrics and a few songs that that were a bit too lightly humorous and out-of-place in the dark, macabre environment that had just been established. This emotional shift seesaw-ed throughout the show and prevented me from investing in these characters who didn’t seem to develop further and therefore began to lose my interest.

Lighting designer David Walters must be commended for his brilliant and precise design. The synchronicity between the music, the lights, the performers and the animations playing along the back of the stage was quite impressive.

It is evident a lot of work and thought has gone into creating a complex piece that incorporates so many aspects of performance theatre. However, narrowing down the gaps between music, acting, dance, comedy, and the dark and macabre aspects would give all three performers the opportunity to create stronger characters that the audience can care about and connect with.

Venue: Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall.

Season: Until 8 September| Wed to Sat 7:30pm, Sat 3:00pm matinee

Tickets: $25 Full | $20 Conc

Bookings: 03 9322 3713 or artshouse.com.au

Events, Music, Performances, Review

REVIEW: Black Arm Band Present DIRTSONG

Musically superb, but connections were lost…

By Anastasia Russell-Head

A palpable sense of anticipation filled the darkened Elisabeth Murdoch Hall at the Melbourne Recital Centre, the diverse audience ready to be transported and transfixed by the music and artistry of some of Australia’s finest Indigenous musicians. And the musicians did not disappoint.

From the country-tinged vocals of Dan Sultan, to the superb and virtuosic didgeridoo playing of Mark Atkins and the soaring harmonies of an a-capella trio led by the band’s artistic director Lou Bennett, the performances were accomplished, heartfelt and beautiful.

Yet I felt a bit let-down by this performance. Having been blown away by the Black Arm Band’s inaugural production, murundak, at the Melbourne Festival in 2006, I was really looking forward to this newer show. Somehow, though, it just seemed to miss the mark slightly, and didn’t have quite the power or the energy of the earlier work.

The musicianship and talent of the performers could not be questioned – both the featured performers and the backing band were top-quality and produced excellent performances all round. The projected imagery on the backdrop was also visually engaging and often poignant.

However, this performance didn’t reach out and grab me. I was not drawn in by the performers. There was no program or translation to be able to understand the songs that, according to the publicity material, were performed in eleven different Aboriginal languages.

That is something that should be celebrated – but it’s meaningless to us, the audience, if we’re not given some context and explanation. The performers were not introduced, and the audience were not given any hint of what the songs meant to the musicians or why they were being performed that day.

It was a pity that more thought wasn’t given to the audience’s experience of this work, as the Black Arm Band is one of the most important musical ensembles in Australia today, and they have the opportunity and the talent to communicate something powerful and world-changing. Unfortunately, for this reviewer and on this day, this particular show didn’t quite live up to that promise.

Dirtsong was performed by Black Arm Band at the Melbourne Recital Centre on Saturday September 1, 2012

Dance, Events, Performances, Review, Whats On

Review: EIFMAN BALLET PRESENTS Anna Karenina

Rich, rampant and inspiring theatre

By Bradley Storer

In a rare treat for Melbourne audiences, the internationally renowned Eifman Ballet Company bring their acclaimed fusion of Russian classical ballet and contemporary dance to our shores. The company’s aim, under the direction of choreographer Boris Eifman, is the creation of new ballet repertoire that attains the same psychological and thematic complexity as modern drama whilst  exploring the sublime physical dimensions which other artforms cannot approximate. The classic Tolstoy epic, Anna Karenina, certainly qualifies in terms of grandeur and depth, and the Eifman Ballet explores the possibilities of this mammoth novel to their fullest extent.

Ballet by its nature requires plots that can be communicated simply, and in this respect the multilayered and complex narrative of Anna Karenina might have been a poor choice. However, by stripping back the story to focus centrally on the love triangle between Anna, Karenin and Vronsky, the most visceral and powerful elements of the original text are brought to the forefront.

The chorus skilfully express the smothering and oppressive social atmosphere of the St Petersburg court in their tightly formalized and compact dances, gorgeously outfitted in refined dark and grey outfits (alternating with the sleek black leather of the upper aristocracy) which renders them all grandly uniform. Against this unvarying palette come the ill-fated lovers Anna (played in this performance by Maria Abashova) and Vronsky (Oleg Gabyshev), their dances weaving in and out of the static patterns of the chorus burning to be free. Abashova’s achingly beautiful dancing begins trapped inside societal confinements imposed by both court and her husband, and through the first act Abashova shows the soul inside slowly waking to love. Gabyshev is a youthful and virile presence throughout, and when the pair finally consummate their growing passion in a stunning pas de deux, we see the full grace and beauty of their movements, hitherto hidden and stifled, break through the surface at last.

Oleg Markov as Karenin shows us his character’s hopeless entrapment with the bounds of society, the audience aware every moment of Karenin’s simultaneous yearning and inability to break free of the rigid movement imposed on him – when Karenin and his wife dance together, they resemble two puzzle pieces which will never quite fit together.

In Act Two, where Anna and her lover are relegated to the fringes of Russian society as a result of her affair, we delve into deep psychological exploration of the characters’ despair as Vronsky turns to drink and Anna to morphine addiction. The morphine-fuelled fantasy of flesh which Anna dreams is one of the more abstract and challenging aspects of the production, but the final scene which follows provides a thrilling coup de theatre which both matches and heightens the intensely operatic ending and cements this company’s reputation as boundary-pushing and artistically awe-inspiring theatre-makers.

Dates: 29th August to 2nd September, 2012

Price: $55 – $190

Venue: Regent Theatre, 191 Collins St, Melbourne

Bookings: www.ticketmaster.com.au