Category: Review

Events, Musical Theatre, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: The Production Company’s SHOWBOAT

Difficult classic musical beautifully re-staged for modern audiences

By Narelle Wood

Off the back of Guys and Dolls, The Production Company have put together another brilliant production, this time bringing to the stage Show Boat, directed by Roger Hodgman.

Mostly set in the Deep South during the late 1800’s, the story follows the characters of the Show Boat over the best part of 30 years. The show mostly centres on the cautionary love story of Captain Andy’s daughter Magnolia (Alinta Chidzey) and the no-good-river-gambler Gaylord Ravenol (Gareth Keegan).

Showboat - Alinta Chidzey and Gareth Keegan

But the show is about more than just the clichéd moral tale for good girls who meet bad boys and fall in love at first sight. The setting also allows for exploration of race relationships, the changing nature of entertainment (especially with the advent of new technology) and, perhaps most poignantly, the idea that no matter how much things might change, things also stay very much the same.

Chidzey and Keegan were tremendous in their roles as Magnolia and Gaylord, although Chidzey’s wig did seem a little too blonde for her darker features. Philip Gould was charming as Captain Andy, who, along with Ellie May (Nicole Melloy) and Frank (Glenn Hill) brings much needed light-heartedness to temper the darker side of the show. Judith Roberts provided some straight-laced humour as Parthy, and the exceptionally strong cast is rounded off with Christina O’Neill as Julie, Heru Pinkasova as Queenie and Eddie Muliaumaseali’i as Joe. While the performances of all the cast members including the ensemble were brilliant, Muliaumaseali’i’s performance of Ol’ Man River gave me chills, and it can only be described as sublime.

My expectations of any show from The Production Company is extremely high and I never walk away disappointed. Once again the costuming was great, from the 1800’s dresses complete with bustles to the asymmetrical raised hemlines of the 1920’s. Hodgman cleverly addressed the need to have a boat on stage through some stunning use of digital imagery. And given that I overheard a number of people singing on the way out of the theatre, I’d say that the orchestra did a pretty good job too.

If you didn’t see Guys and Dolls then Show Boat is an absolute must; the production value is priceless, the performances flawless, and, once again, Muliaumaseali’i’s rendition of “Ol’ Man River” is something not to be missed.

Venue: State Theatre, Arts Centre, Melbourne
Season: 21st to 23rd July 7.30pm, 20th August 1pm, 23rd August 2pm and 24th August 3pm.
Tickets: Full $48-$119 | Conc $24-$105
Bookings: http://artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on

Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Mockingbird Theatre’s QUILLS

Delving into the darkness

By Ross Larkin

Quills might be Mockingbird Theatre’s most ambitious production to date. It’s their eighth show in two years and the first to be staged at North Melbourne’s Meat Market Pavilion.

Quills is about the Marquis de Sade’s last days and the discovery that even while incarcerated he has been writing 1200 page tomes depicting all things pornographic, sadistic and vile. The Marquis is stripped of his quills and paper in order to be silenced, yet finds other clever and twisted ways to maintain his mind’s workings until eventually he is stripped of everything else from limb to head.

Quills

Written by Doug Wright, the play sits somewhere between witty, unsettling, grotesque, political and shameful. Its success lies in the suggestion that the Marquis’ censors are the real criminals: far more insane and twisted than the Marquis himself. It’s a big bite for even the longest standing companies to chew, with its three-hour duration, non-stop dialogue and heavy array of social issues, and although the usually savvy Mockingbird Theatre and director Chris Baldock succeed on some levels, the production sadly falls short on others.

While the Meat Market Pavilion is a genius choice for the old lunatic asylum with its stark, wide-open spaces and shadowy corners perfectly lit to reflect such an environment, the scenes (with seating organised in traverse) are spread too far apart, making some dialogue difficult to hear and some scenes difficult to see with full impact.

The supporting cast of asylum inmates create some great atmosphere despite being distracting at times: however, it is for the main players to bear the bigger issues. Adam Ward’s performance as Dr Royer-Collard is so theatrically heightened as to be better suited to a caricature pantomime or circus ringmaster, whereupon every second line is shouted ad nauseam. Fortunately Andrea McCannon as Renee Pelagie and Dylan Watson as Abbe de Coulmier keep things grounded with their fine and believable portrayals.

It is Adrian Carr, however, who plays the Marquis, with the greatest weight on his shoulders. It’s a brave role for anyone to attempt: a daring, witty, controversial sexual deviant and naked for half the show. Throughout Act One, Carr comes across as more irritating than sinister with no signs of much-needed light and dark shading, yet by Act Two he proves he has a handle on the complex and multifaceted character of the Marquis, and delivers some chilling moments indeed.

As usual, the quality Mockingbird stamp can be seen overall in Quills: it’s just a shame that the questionable areas were significantly felt.

Quills is playing now from August 5 – 15 at 8pm and Sunday August 10 at 5pm at the Meat Market Pavilion, 5 Blackwood street, North Melbourne. Tickets at http://www.mockingbirdtheatre.com.au/

Events, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Elbow Room Presents THE MOTION OF LIGHT IN WATER

Two strange tales interweave

By Myron My

Despite not being a massive fan of science-fiction, I really enjoyed The Motion of Light in Water. It was engaging with a well-written script, great work from a technical point of view, and the acting was of a high standard.

Jacinta Yelland as Rydra in The Motion of Light in Water_ Photo Credit LachlanWoods

Inspired by the life and works of writer Samuel R. Delaney and poet Marilyn Hacker, The Motion of Light in Water takes place in two parallel worlds. The first is set in 1964, where we meet ‘Chip’ Delaney (Ray Chong Nee), an African American, who is in an interracial and open marriage with Marilyn (Laura Maitland), a Jew.

It’s in 2116 when I became a little unsure of the second story, revolving around space captain Rydra Wong (Jacinta Yelland). Rydra is on a mission to crack a linguistic code that will prevent an alien invasion on humanity. Both stories look at complex issues of sexuality, identity and moral responsibility but in very different ways and if you’re not familiar with Delaney’s work, the narrative can get quite muddled in the space plot.

The whole cast do a superb job bringing the characters to life but Chong Nee in the dual role of ‘Chip’ and Brass is extremely charismatic to watch. His switch from one to other is seamless and he does a great job in portraying both. Yelland as headstrong Rydra is also a strong presence on stage and appears to love playing the role. I was also impressed by Paul Blenheim in his numerous roles, but particularly enjoying seeing him as The Baronees which provoked quite a few laughs from the audience during her short appearance.

The costumes designed by Zoe Rouse were satisfyingly authentic for the era of the 60s, and the metallic shimmering outfits in the future seemed very fitting and worked well with the set design by Matthew Adey of House of Vnholy.

Elbow Room has taken on an immense challenge with creating The Motion of Light in Water. Produced by anyone else, this queer sci-fi love story could have been a disaster, but with Marcel Dorney’s taut script and direction, this company have created a unique and thought-provoking piece.

Venue: Theatreworks, 14 Acland St, St Kilda.
Season: Until 27 July | Tues-Sat 8:00pm, Sun 5:00pm
Tickets: $25 Full | $20 Conc
Bookings: 9534 3388 or http://www.theatreworks.org.au

Cabaret, Events, Musical Theatre, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: The Production Company’s GUYS AND DOLLS

High-rolling fun

By Narelle Wood

What more can you ask for in a musical than gangsters, gambling, broads and the promise of salvation? Guys and Dolls, this year’s first of The Production Company’s annual three-show season, delivers all the cheek, humour and charm that this musical needs and a whole lot more.

The premise of the story is that Nathan Detroit (Adam Murphy) needs find a place and some funds in order to hold his ‘oldest established, permanent floating crap game’. Opportunist Detroit takes advantage of Sky Masterson’s (Martin Crewes) gambling nature and bets Masterson that he cannot persuade Sarah Brown (Verity Hunt-Ballard), the sergeant of the Save-A-Soul Mission, to go with him to Havana, Cuba.

Chelsea Plumley and Adam Murphy in Guys and Dolls

While Masterson’s in pursuit of Sarah, Sarah’s in pursuit of souls to save her mission, and Detroit is trying to save himself from getting married to his long-term fiancée, Miss Adelaide (Chelsea Plumley).

The casting is superb. I did find it initially difficult to see Hunt-Ballard as Sarah Brown rather than Mary Poppins, mainly due to both characters having similar attributes of refinement. However once Sarah and Masterson meet, the Poppins-ness completely dissolves. The character of Miss Adelaide has some of the best material of the show, including iconic songs such as “A Bushel and A Peck”, “Adelaide’s Lament”, and “Marry the Man Today”. It is Plumley’s ability to pull off the unique intonation of the Miss Adelaide character in both dialogue and song, along with the embodiment of a desperate doll in love, which makes Plumley’s performance a show-stealer.

Supporting the main cast is an equally strong chorus and production team, including stunning costume design by Tim Chappel and musical direction by Guy Simpson. The dancing throughout the instrumental version of “Luck Be Our Lady”, provided by the male members of the chorus, is exceptional, as is the performance of “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat” which also showcases how effectively director Gale Edwards and choreographer Nathan M. Wright utilise the space.

The Production Company‘s shows are always a treat, and this production of Guys and Dolls is simply delicious.

Venue: State Theatre, Arts Centre, Melbourne
Season: 23rd to 26th July 7.30pm, 23rd July 1pm, 26th July 2pm, and 27th July 3pm.
Tickets: Full $48-$119 | Conc $24-$105
Bookings: http://artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on

Musical Theatre, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Victorian Opera’s INTO THE WOODS

Stunning cast in superb production

By Adam Tonking

Into The Woods is admittedly one of my favourite musicals. With the movie adaptation due out at the end of the year, now is the perfect opportunity to see Stephen Sondheim’s masterful exploration of fairy tales in all its original glory, and fortunately, Victorian Opera have staged an immensely enjoyable production of this wonderful show.

Victorian Opera 2014 - Into the Woods © Jeff Busby

The amazing cast deftly handle all of Sondheim’s tricky score and dense lyrics. Truly impressive, in that even at its most tongue-twisting, not a single syllable was lost on the audience, allowing us to enjoy every witty line and every beautifully crafted lyric. Sondheim writes wonderful characters for women, the three main ones in Into The Woods being The Baker’s Wife, The Witch, and Cinderella , and the three actresses in these roles were more than up to the task.

Christina O’Neill was perfect as The Baker’s Wife, never missing a single moment in the character’s development, bringing energy to some of the weaker spoken scenes, and providing blessed relief in the challenging, exposition-heavy second act with her stunning rendition of “Moments In The Woods.” Queenie van de Zandt was in usual glorious form as The Witch, bringing an engaging pragmatism to the role’s more obvious malice, allowing a clearer understanding of the character. Her skilled handling of The Witch’s rap was awe-inspiring, but she was truly breathtaking in my favourite song “Last Midnight.” Lucy Maunder as Cinderella was spectacular, and her duets with O’Neill were some of the most touching of the night. Among the men, particular praise should go to John Diedrich as the Mysterious Man for bringing one of the weakest characters and a terribly awkward part to life.

Clearly I cannot lavish enough praise on Victorian Opera’s Into The Woods. This is simply a magnificent production of a gorgeous show. Don’t miss your chance to see it. It’s playing from now until Saturday 26 July at the Arts Centre in Melbourne. Book tickets at www.victorianopera.com.au or by calling 1300 182 183.

Events, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Moreland Theatre Company Presents THE ODD COUPLE

Classic comedy revisited

By Margaret Wieringa

Oscar is a happy-go-lucky divorcee who has his mates over every Friday night to play poker in the squalor of his apartment. When Felix his uptight buddy suddenly becomes single, Oscar saves him from his despair by allowing him to move in. However it is clear that Felix’s obsessive cleanliness and Oscar’s carelessness cannot exist together happily for long.

In this production of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple, the poker game is underway as the audience comes in, and once the show starts, we meet four likable New Yorkers, wisecracking and ribbing each other (Lloyd Bissell, Travis Handcock, Nick Lawson and Riley Nottingham). It’s the scenes with these guys I liked the most, especially when Oscar and Felix are thrown into the mix. The accents are good and consistent and the characters are held strongly by all throughout. Unfortunately however, at times some of the jokes seemed to have been sacrificed in order to keep the accents accurate. But with a Neil Simon script, if you miss one joke, you only need to wait a moment for another.

The Odd Couple

Brian Edmond does a fine job playing the slobby Oscar, capturing the sarcastic humour and the element of nastiness of the character but still allowing his heart to shine through. His performance is contrasted nicely with the entrance of David Lawson-Smith as Felix, especially with the variety of ailments he suffers in his first fifteen minutes onstage. These two were able to draw the audience in to the lives of the men, but were the most enjoyable when interacting with the larger cast. The delightful English accents of the two extremely fashionable ladies (Andrea Mentlikowski and Teresa Noble) were a breath of fresh air, just when the tension between the two men was getting to be enough.

While there seemed to be something odd with the floor (many of the characters were literally sliding about in a distracting manner), the set was fabulous, especially the wonderful wallpaper and the scruffy crocheted couch cushions that captured the life of a man living amongst things his wife abandoned.

It’s worth braving the wonderful Melbourne winter we’re loving at the moment for an evening of laughter.

When: July 17-19 & 23-26 at 8pm with a 2pm matinee on July 19
Where: Mechanics Institute, 270 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
Tickets: $20 full, $15 concession, groups 8+, $15 on Weds 23.
To book: call 0426 577 346 or www.trybooking.com/FBVE

Events, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Collette F Keen’s THE DEATH OF KINGS

Powerful examination of a tragic time

By Myron My

I recently watched the documentary We Were Here about the AIDS crisis in San Francisco during the 80s where gay men were dying in a matter of weeks from the “gay cancer”, and I had wondered how bad the situation had been in Australia. Three weeks later, I am watching the new theatre work The Death of Kings, which looks at that exact topic.

The Death of Kings

In 2010, Colette F. Keen and Adam Deusien interviewed a number of gay men who had experienced the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Sydney in the 80s. From there, Keen’s script for The Death of Kings was born.

Five actors – Mark Dessaix, Greg Iverson, Sebastian Robinson, Joseph Simons and Tyson Wakely – tell the various anecdotes and experiences gathered from that time. They are not restricted to performing on the stage; they walk around and utilize the whole venue to tell their character’s stories. There is very little in terms of set or props so it is up to the five men to make these words come alive, and they deliver strong and engaging performances, especially from Dessaix and Robinson. Deusien’s direction seems effortless and very organic, which ultimately means a lot of time and effort would have gone into giving it that naturalness.

The opening moments are lighthearted and humorous and recreate the blissful time just before the virus appeared in Sydney. From there, the story progresses to its spread, the effects it had on the gay community and the ultimate tragedy of the deaths. As one character movingly states, you would spend ten minutes every Tuesday reading the obituaries to see which of your friends had died that week…

Keen states the inspiration for making The Death of Kings was to ensure the stories of that period did not get lost in time. Personally I found a perhaps even more important reason in the need to remind people that this virus is still a huge issue in society and for us to know just what we are risking when having unsafe sex, especially when there are still many young gay men contracting HIV/AIDS.

The Death of Kings does not preach or force anything upon its audience. It presents the real stories of these people honestly and straightforwardly, with both depth and emotion. A show like this doesn’t happen often and The Death of Kings is one that needs to be watched by all people: gay, straight, man or woman.

Venue: Howler, 7-11 Dawson Street, Brunswick
Season: Until 19 July | 8:00pm
Tickets: $35 Full | $25 Conc
Bookings: http://h-w-l-r.com

Events, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Luke Hocking in IMPOSSIBLE OCCURRENCES

Modern-day magic with old-fashioned charm

By Jessica Cornish

A century and a half ago, séances, Ouija boards and magic tricks were all the rage – however, these days, entertainment usually comes in a slightly less mystical form than Impossible Occurrences.

Melbourne-born-and-based magician Luke Hocking brings us a glimpse of classic on-stage entertainment pre-television and internet. Dressed sharply in a traditional tuxedo, Luke performs a mix of magic standards and well-executed sleight-of-hand tricks as he conjures up the seemingly impossible in his sixty-minute performance.

Impossible Occurrences

Impossible Occurrences relied solely on the deft showmanship and award-winning skill of Luke, with lighting design and professional audio non-existent. In a venue seating a mere 45 people a night, this intimate performance is definitely a nice change from the usual theatrical night out where production values are sometimes better than the talent they are meant to be supporting.

The only issue with this venue choice is that because there is neither raked seating nor a raised stage area, it was sometimes difficult to see clearly the illusions unfolding. Luke did his best to ensure tricks were performed at an elevated level; however, a small rostrum would probably help those who are in the third row have a more pleasurable experience, in not having to cram their necks and constantly worry they’ll miss some exciting visual spectacle.

The show was well-structured, and clearly also well-crafted and executed. Notes were transformed into different values, marine creatures appeared from thin air, and crowd participation levels were extremely high throughout the whole night.

Luke Hocking‘s charmed and charming show is a refreshing change of atmosphere and a unique contrast to the usual entertainment available around Melbourne. Impossible Occurrences will be performed every Friday night until September 5 at the Marriott Hotel, corner of Lonsdale and Exhibition Streets. Make sure you book in advance for performances, as there is only limited seating available: http://events.ticketbooth.com.au/event/3826689

Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Moira Buffini’s LOVEPLAY

Love, Sex, Influence and Evolution

By Narelle Wood

From the outset it was clear that Loveplay by Moira Buffini was not so much about love as it was about the influences of love and the consequences of these on the relationship.

Loveplay

The premise behind the 90-minute play was to explore the influences of love through the ages, beginning from the Classical Age of AD 79 through to The Age of Excess in 1992. Some of the scenes in the earlier eras were confronting, including strong inferences of rape, and while this didn’t continue through to the more modern times, sex featured heavily throughout the play.

Buffini’s script is exceptionally well written, with some brilliant comedic moments scattered amongst the darker themes. The ensemble cast (Chris Saxton, Michelle Myers, Luke Cadden, Kathryn Tohill, Trudi Boatwright, Jacob Pruden, Fleur Murphy and Myles Tankle) play a variety of characters across the ages, and in a rare occurrence, each member of the cast held their own to provide a true ensemble performance.

Given the limited staging options that the Mission to Seafarers offers, the transitions between the ten different eras are achieved, not only through costume changes, but also through prop reveals and lighting. The deliberations between the eras are important as the language of the play offers a limited realism as far as the etymology of language and the portrayal of women are concerned. While it would be obviously difficult to write the earlier scenes in the appropriate version of English, there were some words that were glaringly out of place. The female characters in the earlier eras also seem to have a strong voice, and although I initially found this distracting from the authenticity of the play, in hindsight it did offer a fresh feminist perspective on women and their relationships to and through love.

While I’m not sure I agree completely with Buffini’s take on love and the influences of love, Loveplay provides both an interesting and unique perspective that resulted in a thought-provoking and entertaining experience.

Venue: Mission to Seafarers, 717 Flinders St, Docklands
Season: July 4th – 20th
Tickets: $28 Full | $25 Conc
Bookings: www.tbctheatre.com

Events, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: La Mama Presents THE ART OF FUCKING

Trying hard to shock

By Myron My

In The Art of Fucking, four friends are holding an intimate reunion for the return of one of their own who has spent the last year overseas. Through the course of the evening however, there are mentions of something that happened the previous year which has left its mark on each of them…

The Art of F---ing

The play is divided into three parts, with everyone meeting up for the reunion in the first. James Shaw excels in directing the cast and keeping the mannerisms and characterisations between the five long-time friends as natural as can be. With the characters confined to a living room for 45 minutes, keeping audiences entertained could have proved an arduous task, but Shaw explores the connection and relationships these characters ought to have carefully. and pushes for the minutest of interactions to occur.

Unfortunately, the same realism and appeal is not foregrounded in Phoebe Anne Taylor’s script which, try as the actors might, was full of dialogue that felt forced and unnatural. There are constant awkward silences scripted between a group of friends we are led to believe are very close and feel completely relaxed with one another, and much of this initial conversation was repetitive and seemed to have no purpose.

The second act is a monologue performed by Isabel Hertaeg who is great to watch as an actor, and delivers one of the more convincing performances of the evening. Hannah Bolt also manages to bring authenticity and emotion to her character throughout The Art of Fucking but it appeared some of the other cast needed to invest more in their characters to convey the honesty and depth they should have been feeling.

The third part of the show would have to be the weakest and is only saved by Shaw’s direction. The actors take turns in delivering the details of the night in question with rhyming couplets that could even have embarrassed Dr. Seuss. The revelation at the end of The Art of Fucking is more absurd than shocking and feels as if the narrative was forced as far as it could go to create that “shock value”, but sadly misses the mark.

The Art of Fucking is an example of trying to do too much in a limited time; the writing, the themes and the unfolding of the narrative all need more refinement in order to be able to leave any sort of lingering impact on the audience.

Venue: La Mama Theatre, 205 Faraday Street Carlton
Season: Until 6 July | Thurs-Sat 7:30pm, Wed, Sun 6:30pm
Tickets: $25 Full | $15 Conc
Bookings: 
http://lamama.com.au
 or 9347 6948