Category: Review

Dance, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: The New 2015 Production of BALLET REVOLUCION

Vibrant, vital and intoxicating

By Christine Young

As far as revolutionaries go, Cuba’s Ballet Revolución dance company is to dance what Che Guevera was to guerilla warfare. Bloody powerful!

Ballet Revolución

Ballet Revolución breaks every rule, not just of ballet, but of conventional dance performance. The nineteen dancers, twelve men and seven women, are seasoned international performers who come from different, multiple in some cases, disciplines: classical ballet, contemporary, folklore and modern dance. This is true ensemble dancing with only a handful of solo, duo or trio numbers sprinkled through the show.

There aren’t enough adjectives in the English language, or in Spanish I’d wager, to describe the amazing spectacle that is Ballet Revolución. Under the expert guidance of Artistic Director Mark Brady, and choreographers Aaron Cash and Roclan Gonzalez Chavez, the dancers deliver a high-energy, diverse and captivating show. The mix of dance styles – ballet, street, Latin-American and contemporary – are interspersed cleverly throughout the performance. And the dancers display some remarkable physical feats of strength, agility and grace.

Meanwhile, the music (directed by Osmar Hernandez) is provided by a live on-stage band which includes two singers, Cuban drums, trumpet, electric guitars, keyboards and a standard drum set. For much of the show though, the band is covered in darkness or soft light to keep the focus on the dancers.

Ballet Revolución dances across its genres to stirring renditions of modern hits from Lorde, Beyonce, Sia, Jessie J, Rihanna, Bruno Mars as well as a couple of oldies from Prince and The Police. The audience is taken everywhere from a ballet recital to a nightclub dancefloor. This makes it sound like organised chaos. Wrong. It’s so much more.

The choreography, music and lighting are meticulously planned and realised by the cast, crew and creative masterminds.
And the lighting should have its own credit in the cast list. Vibrant colours typical of Latin America feature throughout the show. There is a lot of soft lighting used which creates an interesting juxtaposition of darkness and radiance.

The costumes designed by Jorge Gonzalez are often unique and complement individual dances and lighting arrangements. All I an say is … sequins, sequins, sequins, darling! The sequined tops worked especially well as they also sparkled and danced under dim lighting.

Overall, Ballet Revolución offers a unique and unforgettable experience. Vamos!

Venue: Arts Centre Melbourne
Date: Until 5 July, 2015
Time: 7.30pm, 2pm or 2.30pm
Tickets: From $84.90
Booking: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au

Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Evelyn Krape in MORE FEMALE PARTS

Highly anticipated

By Caitlin McGrane

As a loud, outspoken feminist I was terribly excited about More Female Parts. I’d greedily devoured the press notes about the show, playwright Sara Hardy’s creation specifically for Evelyn Krape based on Krape’s 1982 show Female Parts. The show delivered an interesting and unique one-woman show exploring femininity and aging. The show consists of three monologues: ‘Can’t Sleep, Can’t Sleep’ was a clever depiction of life for women after 60 when nothing seems to be going right; ‘Penthouse Woman 2044’ portrayed a woman living a privileged and tragic life in the near future (interestingly in 2044 I will be Krape’s current age); and ‘Hip Op’, a witty feminist fairytale about Emily, a smart little girl who grows into a woman facing the glass ceiling.

More Female Parts

Each monologue was performed with charisma and gusto by Krape, clearly having an absolute ball on stage. She is a fantastically physical, exuberant and witty performer, and the audience seemed captivated throughout her performance, particularly during the third act when Emily encountered difficulties in hip and career. It was unfortunate then that the show didn’t grab me in an emotional way. Despite Krape’s brilliant physicality and clear passion, the script occasionally felt a touch stale and clichéd. I would have liked to see more heart in the characters and less ‘performance’ from Krape to leave the audience with a message. It is certainly important to acknowledge the seriously problematic dearth of roles for women over 40, so it is brilliant to see older women on stage and screen; however, I would have liked more from More Female Parts, particularly in addressing some of the issues briefly alluded to such as domestic violence and the male gaze.

Hardy is clearly a talented playwright, and Lois Ellis a talented director, however, I think that this production would have been more affective with fewer metaphorical nods and winks to the audience. I don’t think society has embraced feminism enough for it to cope with a feminist fairytale, let alone an ironic feminist fairytale.

That said, it is not entirely without merit. The production values were excellent, Rainbow Sweeney (set and costume design) and Emma Valente’s (lighting design) work was effective and expertly put together; the lighting at times gave Krape an ethereal glow. Production and stage manager Meg Richardson and producer Debby Maziarz have helped lead this small, all-female team towards a rare and often charming production. Special mention must also go to the only three men involved in the production, the voice overs: Tom Carmody, Ross Campbell and Peter Crouchman; they couldn’t have done it without you boys.

More Female Parts is now showing at the Arts Centre until 4 July. For tickets go to: http://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/theatre-drama/more-female-parts

Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Patricia Cornelius’ SHIT

Wonderful, gritty and real

By Deborah Langley

With the most natural, raw, uncomfortable and hilarious opening monologues we have probably ever seen in Australian theatre, Patricia Cornelius’ Shit smacks you in the face and commands you to sit up, strap yourself in and FINALLY start paying attention to the women and girls who defy our social order and expectations.

Shit

These are the underbelly of womenhood we as a society so rarely want to admit exist. The women we try and ignore when walking down the street and would never sit next to on the tram. You know the type, the ones whom some would callously say “were asking for it”…

Shit tells the stories of three of these types of women, Billy (Nicci Wilks), Bobby (Sarah Ward) and Sam (Peta Brady) as they come to terms with their past, of abuse, rape, suicide, bashings (“Sometimes you’re just in the wrong place at the wrong time”), and shines a light on the bleak harshness of our society (“What right have you got to want?”)

Moving effortlessly and gracefully from gritty sarcasm to shocking realism, I often found laughter caught in my throat as what started as jovial banter turned sharply into an intense truth which is perhaps too hard to swallow without the humour. With this, Shit takes you on an emotional journey which is given breathing space beautifully by director Susie Dee and the physical theatre which is interspersed throughout the performance.

An outstanding performance I should add, as rapid fire dialogue is spat like bullets, particularly by Bobby (Ward) who gives venom to her words. While Billy (Wilks) moves from frighting to loveable and back again in an instant, is captivating to watch, but it is Sam (Brady) who takes our heart as the most vulnerable of the pack.

Shit is independent theatre at its best. It has something to say and from that first opening monologue you just want to hear it. How refreshing it is to see such captivating work being staged at a mainstream theatre – maybe now their voices can be heard by the many. Will you listen?

SHIT by Patricia Cornelius
Season: 25 June – 5 July 2015
Venue: Southbank Theatre, The Lawler
Tickets: $25 each
Booking: 03 8688 0800 or mtc.com.au

Image by Sebastian Bourges

Comedy, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: George Kapiniaris in ZORBA THE FREAK

Aussie comedy icon brings in the laughs

By Christine Young

George Kapiniaris bounds onto the stage with the zest Greeks are famous for.

“I didn’t know there were Greeks in Frangers. Are there Greeks in Frangers?”

Yes, we’re here. A small cheer came from the audience. It’s easy to imagine that, in venues closer to the city, the crowd roars back.

And Kapiniaris must have boundless energy because he’s also currently touring the nation with Wild Wogs. Μπράβο! When does he sleep?

Zorba the Freak

The Franger/Frankston audience of the comedian’s latest one-man show Zorba the Freak took a little while to warm up but Kapiniaris wasn’t deterred. He gave us his all. Maybe we even got a better performance because we were slow to engage. While the show pays tribute to being Greek – including an hilarious sequence of 1980s song parodies – Kapiniaris also comically muses on marriage and parenthood. He also happily takes the piss out of himself as well as Greek attitudes to Cypriots, Macedonians and Turks. And, of course, ‘Skippy the Bush Kanagarouthas’ (Anglo-Australians) are sent up too.

Kapiniaris is a pioneer of ‘ethnic humour’ in Australia (though ‘ethnic’ seems a misnomer because we all have an ethnicity).  Even so, he has a long list of television and theatre credits which haven’t relied on his Greek heritage. Interestingly, this probably couldn’t have happened without his role in the ground-breaking 1987 play, Wogs out of Work, which co-starred Nick Giannopoulos, Mary Coustas and Simon Palomares. The show that came about because non-Anglo/Celtic actors couldn’t land roles in mainstream theatre launched diverse careers for Kapiniaris and his peers. It’s also paved the way for countless migrant comedians since.

However, back to Zorba. This show is not just for people from Greek or migrant backgrounds. Kapiniaris’s antics are ‘totally relatable’, as an audience member, who was in hysterics, told me. This reviewer was also impressed by an Australian woman who knew several innocent Greek words starting with ‘fak’. I’m half-Greek and I only knew two of them!

Melbourne songstress Maria Maroulis opens and closes the show with the stirring ‘Dinata’ which was made famous at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games by Eleftheria Arvanitaki. The musical interludes, which include some bouzouki (what else?) and audience participation, add to the liveliness of Kapiniaris’s antics.

While the show wasn’t a side-splitter for me personally, most of the audience was laughing up a storm. So don’t take my word for it: go and see Zorba the Freak for yourself!

Venue: Frankston Arts Centre, Victoria; touring nationally
Dates: 3rd July (Wollongong, NSW), 17th October (Sydney, NSW), 24th October 2015 (West Wyalong, NSW)
Booking: www.georgekapiniaris.com

Cabaret, Festivals, Review

REVIEW: Natasha York in THESE THINGS TAKE WINE

Raise your glasses to wild and witty cabaret

By Narelle Wood

Natasha York takes us to the slightly grittier, grungier side of cabaret in her one-woman show, These Things Take Wine.

These Things Take Wine

Performing a selection of songs from Amy Winehouse, Elton John, Michael Jackson and many other familiar tunes, York takes us on a journey through her love affair with wine and all antics wine-related. York debunks the stereotype that cabaret is glamorous by embracing the look and behaviour of ‘drunk Tash’. In fact York’s intoxicated performance is so believable that the only thing indicating that York might be sober is her unfaltering vocal performance.

York’s drunken anecdotes cash in on the ‘it’s funny because it’s true’ motif. These familiar stories makes it hard not to smile and laugh throughout the cleverly selected and witty rewritten songs, not to mention the repartee between York and her accompanist and musical director Daniele Buatti. Buatti adds some deprecating humour to the performance, calling out some of the more obvious puns for what they are – not particularly ‘punny’.

These Things Take Wine unfortunately had only a short run at the 2015 Melbourne Cabaret Festival, but hopefully this is not the last we hear from York or this show. This show is cabaret, comedy and drinking rolled into one, making it a perfect accompaniment to a good night out.

Venue: Alex Theatre, Level 1, 135 Fitzroy St, St Kilda

Tickets: $35 Full | $32 Conc

Bookings: www.natashayork.com

Image by Ange Legas

Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: La Mama Presents IN SEARCH OF OWN ROE

Engrossing quest in mysteries past

By Margaret Wieringa

When Vanessa O’Neill gave birth to her son, she wanted to be able to share her proud Irish heritage with him, but soon discovered there was a big hole in her family history; her great grandfather Owen Roe was buried in an unmarked grave with his thirteen-year old daughter, and the rest of the family were buried nearby. Who was he? What was his life like? How did he end up there?

Vanessa O'neill

This one-woman show is a culmination of O’Neill’s research, her experiences and many aspects of her life during this time, and it is absolutely captivating. From the moment she first addresses the audience to her departure up the La Mama staircase, we are on her side. We too want to know who Owen Roe was and to see the charming and endearing (and very funny) O’Neill bring closure to this chapter.

Through the show, she plays a wide range of characters, cites poetry, and sings songs. She could easily have gone through the show without props or costumes, but those that she chose were a delightful touch. There were two pieces of art, one on either side of the stage; a map of Ireland and a family tree. These were beautifully designed by Annie Edney, the Celtic background that is so significant to this piece was clearly displayed in both.

The sound for the performance is extremely important (not including the lounge singing from across the road which was an annoyance that was, through the engaging performance, easy to ignore). In the opening scene, which I felt ran a little long though, the soundscape established a sense of history, or ghosts from the past haunting the research, haunting O’Neill. At times, the sound lead the performance, and other times sound designer and composer Darius Kedros added to the final touches to well-created scenes.

There were questions left unanswered (as much for the performer as the audience) which left us wanting more at the end, but overall this was a funny, emotional and clever performance by a strong and confident performer, and I really enjoyed myself.

In Search of Owen Roe is playing at La Mama Theatre In Faraday St, Carlton until July 5. Tickets are $15 and $25 – visit www.lamama.com.au

Circus, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Circus Oz Presents BUT WAIT… THERE’S MORE

Fun but familiar

By Myron My

Circus Oz returns to Melbourne with But Wait…There’s More, fusing circus acts with consumerism and “infobesity”; the idea that everything is being commodified and the world is moving at faster speeds than before.

But Wait... There's More

The opening act of Lilikoi Kaos and her hoops was amazing. With hoop acts becoming a dime-a-dozen in recent circus productions, Kaos brought so much energy and fun to the routine it was impossible not to get swept up by the momentum. The program definitely does not lie when it compares her as a “mixture of Jessica Rabbit, Lucille Ball and Tank Girl”. Kaos has a unique talent that is great to watch on stage.

Similarly the enchanting balletic unicycle act by Kyle Raftery and April Dawson was mesmerising and the accompanying music created an almost whimsical environment. In fact, all the music, led by Ben Hendry and Ania Reynolds, was the one consistently superb factor throughout the show. Each act’s musical soundtrack was perfectly suited to build the mood and the suspense, and change the tone as needed.

Towards the end of last year, I saw Circus Oz’s Close to the Bone. Perhaps it was the more intimate and intense setting of the Melba Spiegeltent that allowed the acts to draw you in, but under the Big Top tent, many of the acts felt lacklustre and uninspiring. There were minimal wow moments and even though circus can be more than just “wow”, when you’re performing in this type of environment, on this type of stage, there needs to be plenty of dramatic climax and intensity.

This was more noticed in the second half of the shown which lacked the variety and the suspense needed to maintain my interest. The performers, such as the consistently amazing Sharon Gruenert, are clearly talented and accomplished in their fields, but as an audience member, there are only so many familiar flips and jumps that a show can have before it stops being interesting.

As a theme, the exploration of consumerism and information-overloading didn’t seem to work within the confines of circus, and despite Candy Bower‘s great voice, the singing numbers were out of place and broke the momentum of the acts. However, the set-ups for the bigger acts were great to watch as the whole ensemble playfully worked together to prepare the stage.

There is no denying that there are a number of highly skilled performers within the company and Circus Oz knows how to put on a good show: I’ve seen them do it before, numerous times. Unfortunately, But Wait…There’s More is not one of their better showings. For all the glitz and sparkle, I didn’t find much substance within the acts – which I guess is where you could argue society is trending with our obsessions on “infobeity” and consumerism.

Venue: Circus Oz Big Top, Birrarung Marr, Melbourne (between Federation Square and Batman Avenue).
Season: Until 12 July | Wed- Sat 7:30pm, Sat 1.30pm, Sun 3pm
Tickets: $22 – $95 (plus booking fees)
Bookings: ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100

Image by Rob Blackburn

Cabaret, Events, Review

REVIEW: Melbourne Cabaret Festival Opening Gala 2015

Glorious beginnings for another promising festival

By Bradley Storer

This year’s Melbourne Cabaret Festival Opening Gala, keeping with the festival theme of ‘Keeping it Fresh’, took place at St Kilda’s new Alex Theatre, with excerpts from fresh new festival acts from all over Australia.

Melbourne Cabaret Festival

Dolly Diamond provided a lovely opening to the show, passing through the audience offering roses while singing a charming medley of tunes from ‘Oliver!’, accompanied by Cameron Thomas, and introduced our host for the evening – musical theatre performer and former Australian Idol finalist Rob Mills. Mills, admitting it to be his first gig as an MC, was a charming and competent host throughout the evening, even having to strike the stage and bring out props with enthusiasm and energy.

Annie Lee shed her usual garb as the eldest of the acclaimed Kransky Sisters to deliver both a touch of glamour and gawky physical comedy to the little-known poetry of the Weimar era in excerpts from her show ‘Lighthouse Berlin’. The Strange Bedfellows, Jacqui Dark and Kanen Breen, stormed the stage to deliver contemporary Weimar-style cabaret with jaw-dropping vocal power and charisma, traversing such territory as a German-language version of ‘Tainted Love’, a new number based around the misdeeds of Rolf Harris all the way to Amanda Palmer’s gutsy anthem for humanity ‘Sing’.

Winner of the Your Theatrics International Cabaret Competition, Noni McCallum, took to the stage next and proved beyond doubt the reason for her win – a ballsy belt with a dry, self-deprecating wit, McCullum narrated the humours of dating past age 30 before ending with the simultaneously hilariously and surprisingly touching ‘Ikea Song’. A capella groups Ginger and Tonic and Suade showcased their trademark exquisite harmonies combined with witty and risqué songwriting, providing viewpoints on the modern dating scene from both feminine and masculine perspectives. Closing the night were the Queens of the City, a drag group whose members entertained the audience with sassy banter, Cher-impersonation and stunning contemporary pop vocals.

The wide variety on show at the Gala aptly displays the variety and breadth of talent, both local and international, that Melbourne Cabaret Festival draws year after year and which bodes well for the festival’s future in years to come.

Date: June 18th, 2015
Venue: The Alex Theatre, 1/135 Fitzroy St, St Kilda
Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Caryl Churchill’s LOVE AND INFORMATION

You’ve never seen anything like this

By Margaret Wieringa

The set gives the audience nothing to begin with– stark white, with white rectangular plinths arranged around the space. Then, as the audience are still settling in, a couple of people appear, the house lights drop suddenly and the rollercoaster is on.

Love and Information Photo Credit Pia Johnson

Every production of Love and Information will almost certainly be different to every other production ever staged because of the mysterious and challenging nature of the script. Caryl Churchill has written seventy-six scenes for the script, some of which are compulsory, some optional, and each production must have at least fifty-one of these scenes included. There is a set structure, yet within that structure there is flexibility both in the order of the scenes and the characters who speak the parts. Confused yet?

I love it when writers fool around with form – even should it not work, it is interesting to push what the audience expect and how messages can be delivered. But the unusual structure of Love and Information makes for a truly wonderful show.

The performance consists of a jigsaw of scenes of varying lengths and emotions. Some are long and drawn out, pulling the audience in; others are barely a thought, perhaps only a line or two. Between each, the performers run on and off stage, bringing along the props as required. It must be very organised chaos out the back with the number of props and costume changes that take place.

Initially, I thought that the loud music and extremely bright, colourful lighting that separated the scenes was going to get tedious pretty quickly. I learned pretty quickly to trust the work of director Kip Williams to create change within the similarities.

The cast are fabulous, so in tune with each other, tight on the changeovers and bringing a wide variety of characters. It is such a marvellous ensemble that each cast member is able to shine, though special mention must be made of Alison Whyte’s ability to stay extremely still in several scenes.

Love and Information is not a traditional story, but an exploration of emotion and relationships. It is hilarious, moving, beautiful, light, heavy and exciting. Go see it. Absolutely.

Venue: Malthouse Theatre, Sturt St Southbank
Dates: Jun 12 – Jul 4
Tickets: $35 – 60 via malthousetheatre.com.au/

Image by Pia Johnson

Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Q44 Theatre Presents FOOL FOR LOVE

Outstanding new production of a classic

By Myron My

The tale of two lovers in a tumultuous relationship has been told time and time again, to the point it can be difficult to tell such a story in a way that will draw your audience in and leave them wanting more. It can also be daunting to do well when using Sam Shepard’s well-known play, Fool For Love. However, in Red Theatricals‘ new production, they manage to do all this and a whole lot more.

Fool For LovePresented by Q44 Theatre Company, it’s an exhilarating ride watching this dark tale unfold and this is mostly due to the performances of its two leads, Mark Davis and Rebecca Fortuna who are, quite frankly, phenomenal. They have truly captured their characters and the chemistry is electric in their scenes together.

Davis’ transformation into Eddie the cowboy stunt man is one of the best male performances I have seen so far this year: with the assured way he walks, the charming and sexy way he looks, to the masculine way he slings a lasso and cleans his gun, Davis make this character highly complex and intriguing. Through the course of the play’s evening, we come to understand that Eddie is always going to get what he wants no matter what, even when he’s not sure what that is; he is simultaneously our hero and our antagonist.

Similarly, Fortuna’s depiction of the strong yet fragile May is genuine and honest. Purely from the look in her eyes, you can sense her character is stuck in a situation she does not know how to get out of, and that it will eventually end up killing her, either metaphorically or literally. Fortuna allows her whole body and performance to be painfully taken over by May as events culminate on this tragic evening.

They are ably supported by Sam Allen as the ghost-like Old Man, who sits side of stage in his rocking chair, drinking his alcohol. Even though he’s not in the action, we can sense his presence and the hold he has over these two lovers. William Prescott rounds out the cast as Martin, the man that May feels like she needs to be with but may not be who she wants to be with. Prescott plays Martin well as the polar opposite of Eddie, and you could even go so far as to say he is an Edgar to Eddie’s Heathcliff.

While I question one or two directing decisions, Gabriella Rose-Carter effectively creates much action on stage while keeping in the claustrophobic confines of a small, seedy hotel room. Rose-Carter has managed to bring out raw and passionate performances from all the actors in this production, which is rare to see these days.

32 years after it was written, Fool For Love still packs a punch, with its themes of love, family and patriarchal society still relevant today. Red Theatricals not only do justice to the play but also manage to put its own unique touches to it. This powerful production is already a firm highlight of 2015 and should not be missed.

Venue: Q44 Theatre, 550 Swan St, Richmond.
Season: Until 28 June | Wed- Sat 7:30pm, Sun 6:30pm
Tickets: $35 Full | $27 Conc
Bookings: Q44 Theatre