Category: Review

Events, Musical Theatre, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Greyhound Hotel and HOLY SHIP! The Stage Show

Camp musical comedy is making waves

By Myron My

Set during the 1920s, Holy Ship! is a loose combination of love story and ode to the perils of being at sea. However, life on board ship and the romance between Bonnie (Danae Vincent) and Charlie (James Traille) is not why we’re here. Holy Ship! is about fun, and with all the songs, dances, burlesque, circus acts, tap dancing and flesh on display, it would be very difficult not to have plenty of it here.

The majority of Holy Ship! is about being camp, naughty and sexy. Yet our narrator and Captain of the ship, Andy Balloch did create a beautiful a cappella moment that really echoed the loneliness of life at sea, and Vincent – in particular – and Traille owned their songs convincingly, and with seemingly little effort.

Holy Ship! 2

Despite these strong voices however, I did feel the ballads were misplaced in this production overall. There is little character development and I found it difficult to care about the central relationship beyond a superficial level, and was eager to return to the cheeky and more dynamic performance elements.

The merman scene for example, performed by Mr. Boylesque 2012 Raven, was a great addition, allowing the show the opportunity to surprise, stun and reel us back in. Furthermore, the tap-dance number, and the silk and the rope routines were nicely spaced-out and offered something different and visually engaging for the audience to enjoy.

Ian Knowles has clearly put in some hard work with the choreography and on the whole, the dancers have great control and remain in perfect rhythm in their Charleston-inspired numbers. As there is not much in terms of set, the atmosphere created by the live band, and the period costuming and make-up allow the speakeasy era to make itself clearly present throughout the show.

Holy Ship! is the largest show in 150 years that the Greyhound Hotel has hosted and it’s easy to see why. There is nothing small about this production: everything is large, loud and showy but more importantly, the show is sexy, enjoyable and fathoms of fun.

Venue: Greyhound Hotel, 1 Brighton Rd, St Kilda

Season: Until 13 July | 8:00pm

Tickets: $35 Full | $25 Conc

Bookings: www.holyshiptix.com & at the door

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Comedy, Dance, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Revolt Productions Presents TWO POUND PARLOUR

Vegas vaudeville – with a twist

By Myron My

Set in post-apocalyptic Vegas, Miss Friby’s Two Pound Parlour showcases a variety of dance, burlesque, cabaret, vaudeville and all those things in between.  With live music from Rapskallion, it’s a sexy – and sometimes messy – two-hour rollercoaster of fun for the audience.

Two Pound Parlour

Our MC for the evening, Miss Friby (Elizabeth Dawson-Smith) wins the audience over with her conflicting nature throughout the show. She is charismatic yet vulgar, charming yet rude, confident yet insecure. She definitely has the ability to lead this raucous evening with style, and she does it with much ease.

All of Miss Friby’s girls, Trailor De’Lamore, Zaire De Congo, Loreal Disastre and Lady Steponhe show impeccable commitment to their roles in every skit, dance and performance number. The standout of the night for me was Lady Steponhe, with her excellent comedic timing and remarkable physical fitness that allowed her to pull off such amazing routines.

The highlights of Two Pound Parlour included “Heaven In A Box” by Steponhe, which had the audience in stitches, the stomping-dance routine led by Zaire and the kissing skit/song between Trailor and Steponhe. All the dance numbers were varied and engaging to watch, however, I felt the skit/performance aspect of Two Pound Parlour was sometimes a disappointment, such as the Vegas wedding and Loreal’s rendition of “Not In A Gay Way”.

There were a few sound and mic issues, such as hearing the performers when we shouldn’t be and not being able to hear them when we should.  As great as the band was, there were moments where their sound overpowered the singing of the ladies on stage and made it difficult to hear the lyrics.

As creator of Two Pound Parlour, Dawson-Smith’s dedication and hard work has clearly come through and has put together an enjoyable show that has something to suit all – as long as you have a naughty side to explore…

Venue: Revolt Productions, 12 Elizabeth Street Kensington

Season: Until 14 July | 7:30pm, Fri-Sat 10:15pm

Tickets: $35 Full | $30 Conc

Bookings: http://revoltproductions.com

Events, Musical Theatre, Performances, Review, Whats On

Review: The Production Company Presents GYPSY

Everything’s coming up up roses

By Bradley Storer

The Production Company brings together a star-studded cast in this presentation of what can be described as the greatest musical in the American tradition. Like a musical version of King Lear, Gypsy presents the tale of Mama Rose as she fights, batters and tramples all the obstacles in the way of propelling her two daughters to stardom, even as they resist and try to escape her iron grip.

Caroline OConnor

Christina Tan as the young girl who grows up to be the eponymous Gypsy Rose Lee, is perfect as both the boyish, plain Louise at the beginning of the show, looking adorably innocent in her baggy oversized clothes, as well as the glamorous and seductive burlesque star that she becomes over the course of the narrative. However, in the strip tease sequence in Act Two (which illustrates Gypsy’s rise to her full potential as well as to stardom) Tan does not fully embody the burgeoning self-confidence and realisation that would bridge the gap between the two sides of the character.

Gemma-Ashley Kaplan as Baby June, Rose’s favoured child, brings both perkiness, a bright piercing belt and an underlying exhaustion to the role – her younger counterpart is equally amazing, possibly more so in some of her dances! Nathan Pinnell as the dancer who runs away with her steals the show with just one song and a brilliant choreographed dream ballet (choreography by Andrew Hallsworth).

The brilliant Caroline O’Connor is a phenomenon as Mama Rose, bringing layer upon layer to this larger-than-life character. This is a woman so consumed by her dreams and fantasy of stardom (vicariously lived out through her daughters) that she is hopelessly disconnected from everyone around her, most of all her family. In every one of Baby June’s dances we see Mama Rose flitting in and out of the background and off to the side of the stage repeating the choreography; whenever she by chance enters the spotlight her face breaks out in with unadulterated pleasure that is simultaneously comic and pathetic. O’Connor’s characterization brings to mind those other great tragic characters of American literature, Willy Loman and Blanche DuBois, both sustained and eventually destroyed by their dreams.

Matt Hetherington as Herbie, her lover/business partner is quite subdued, but the pair have a sweetness that makes the disintegration of their relationship as a result of Rose’s ambition all the more poignant – here Hetherington shines with a quiet dignity.

Gale Edwards brings an expansive directorial vision to this great American musical, emphasising how all these characters, whether or not they are onstage, are performers – acting out their own internal fantasies or forced to live inside a role that has been thrust on them by someone.

Venue: The State Theatre, The Arts Centre, 100 St Kilda Rd

Dates: Sat July 6th/Wed 10th/Thur 11th/Fri 12th/Sat 13th at 7:30pm; Sat July 6th/Sat 13th at 2pm; Sun July 7th/Sun 14th at 3pm

Prices: From $23 (C Reserve U18) to (A Reserve) $115

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

Comedy, Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Charles Ross is ONE MAN LORD OF THE RINGS

Speedily, spectacularly, and side-splittingly funny!

By Kim Edwards

I’ve sat here with a blank screen for some time now when poised to write this review. I have one significant problem.

How to even begin to express how ridiculously and riotously fun this show is!

One Man Lord of the Rings

Forget stretching The Hobbit into three epic movies: actor-comedian Charles Ross has compacted the entire Lord of the Rings movie trilogy into 70 minutes for your unmitigated viewing pleasure. That’s right, one actor to play them all – all the significant characters (so obviously not Arwen), that unforgettable score (with some hilarious new lyrics), every clashing sword and roaring troll sound effect, and Tolkien’s sprawling oliphauntine plot – jam-packed into just over an hour of the best belly-laughs I’ve had in a long time.

The show, directed by TJ Dawe,  is unashamedly for the fans. You won’t believe the phenomenal pace and energy with which Ross tears through these famous films, and the uninitiated would be completely lost in moments as he springs and flings himself from character to character and twists and turns in and out of scenes.

I’ve had a few modest viewings of the trilogy myself, but was delighted at how vividly the films came back to me as a man in black coveralls with no set or props conjured up Middle Earth and its inhabitants with some impeccable impersonations and inspired physical comedy (I’ve mentioned this is all done by one man, right?)

My particular favourites include Ross’ Hugo Weaving and Christopher Lee, (although then there were the Gollum and Frodo portrayals…) while the fight with the Balrog, the fly-bys of the Nazgul, and the death of Denethor were outrageously funny and clever (and then there was the fall of Boromir, the march of Ents, the reveal of Eowyn…) Not only did we enjoy the clever characterisations and witty scene segues, but Ross integrates plenty of in-jokes and comic critique to round out his reinterpretation of the classic films.

One Man Lord of the Rings is a tour de force like no other (save perhaps the previous show One Man Star Wars whereupon the pun is intended) – the energy, ingenuity and mimicry is as masterful as a born-again wizard, as hilarious as a drunken hobbit, and as brilliant as the glowing elvish engraved on a ring of power. It’s all done by one man you know, and there are only two more performances in Melbourne: tomorrow night (Friday July 5) and Saturday night (July 6), 7:30pm at the Arts Centre Playhouse.

Have I managed at all to convey the amount of fun I had watching this? No? Then you’d better don your mithril vest, grab your elven sword and go see for yourself…

Bookings: Artscentremelbourne.com.au, Ticketmaster outlets or Ph: 1300182183

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Alex Ellis is DROWNING IN VERONICA LAKE

Secret life of a silver screen star

By Myron My

On the 40th anniversary of her death, Drowning in Veronica Lake is a moving look into the life of 1940s Hollywood film star Veronica Lake.

We enter the theatre and see a buxom blonde with red lipstick, dressed in a white gown that literally covers the whole stage. She is frozen in place, and perhaps in time too.  With the trademark peek-a-boo golden locks covering one eye, Alex Ellis is the mirror-image of the dazzling and tragic celebrity that was Veronica Lake.

Drowning in Veronica Lake

It’s a flawless performance by Ellis as she encapsulates all the dreams and insecurities of Lake, from the beginning of her story of fame with her bright eyes and aspirations of being a big Hollywood starlet to her first loves. Slowly though, the anxieties slip in as Lake’s glamorous life descends into a series of box-office flops, failed marriages, tax fraud, alcoholism and her ultimate death at 50 from renal failure.

Throughout the play, Ellis also impersonates a few of the people who had an influence in Lake’s life, including her mother and a myriad of ex-lovers but the mobility issue of the dress she is wearing hinders these people from being truly individual. However, this limitation does then suggest that these people have “helped” make Lake what she is now so they are in fact a part of her.

From a technical point of view, Drowning in Veronica Lake is also impressive. With its unwavering spotlight on Ellis, the lighting design is very effective in conveying the idea that this was Lake’s life: constantly in media focus and without a moment of privacy. The music is quite poignant and provides a strong nostalgic backdrop in recreating the era.

Phil Ormsby’s confronting script doesn’t simply paint Lake as a victim of society or ‘the system’ nor yet as a mere perpetrator of her own destructive choices but allows the audience to question this conflict long after they’ve left the theatre. Drowning in Veronica Lake is a powerful one-woman show that needs to be seen – let us hope for a return season soon.

This production was performed at GasWorks Arts Park on June 28 and 29th 2013.

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Angus Cameron’s CHIASMUS

Taking theatre to the streets

By Myron My

Written and directed by Angus Cameron, Chiasmus is an original production presented this month by Four Letter Word Theatre in the unexpected ‘theatre space’ of an underground parking lot.

Chiasmus begins in a quite structured manner with the actors confined to performing in a large outlined white square, but by the start of the second act things are going outside the square – metaphorically and literally. The actors are suddenly very self-aware: they begin talking to the audience and using the whole carpark for their scenes, and the foundations of the play itself become unpredictable.

Chiasmus

James Gand-Hunt (Otto) and Eva Tokkola (Hannah) are both confident in their roles and appeared the most comfortable with their characters on this preview night. Sean Paisley Collins, although obviously talented as evident in previous productions I have seen, is however miscast as The Man. On this night, he just couldn’t quite seem to deliver the evil and sinister side required for the role.

Cameron’s direction was strong and used the space effectively to create a dark hostile environment. There were however quite a few moments where the actors are away from the audience and shouting over each other, and this made key dialogue incredibly hard to hear due to the echoing acoustics in this performance space.

There were sensitive topics brought up in the narrative such as abortion and child abuse but I don’t feel they were developed enough. With such a lot going on already in this play, if such issues are to be tackled they need to be explored and brought into focus rather than introduced flippantly.

Chiasmus does a great job at keeping us interested in what is happening and the hard work that Four Letter Word Theatre has put in to this unusual theatre experience is evident. Cameron stated he’d like to make his work an “even more polished, fully produced show” and I will be very interested to see this play reincarnated in a more measured and developed form.

Venue: Collingwood Underground Carpark, 44 Harmsworth St. Collingwood.

Season: Until 30 June | 7:30pm, Sun 6:00pm

Tickets: $15 Full

Bookings: email fourletterwordtheatre@gmail.com

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Comedy, Events, Review

REVIEW: Sarah-Louise Young is JULIE, MADLY, DEEPLY

Practically perfect

By Bradley Storer

Let’s get one thing straight first off: Julie Andrews does not appear in this show.

Julie Madly Deeply

This is the point that both British cabaret starlet Sarah-Louise Young and her accompanist make in the first five minutes of Julie, Madly, Deeply, a loving tribute to the musical/movie star who has touched the lives of so many.

After Andrews’ recent visit to Australia this show could not come at a more appropriate time. Over the course of an hour the audience is taken on a guided tour of Andrews’ life and career leading up to the present day, summoned up through a series of characters (and a grab-bag of comically mismatched accents) who all influenced the British legend in one way or another.

Young as a performer channels her own version of Andrews’ delightful open-heartedness, combined with a goofy comic physique, spritely choreography and a sunny soprano voice. Describing herself as Andrews’ number-one fan, dressed in an awkward pseudo-Maria von Trapp outfit and bobbed brown wig, Young’s adoration for her subject and love for sharing her with an audience creates an atmosphere of intense community.

A downside is that the charmed life of Dame Julie lacks the conflict and drama necessary to make it a truly compelling narrative, which subsequently means the show does not travel along a hugely satisfying dramatic arc. However Young does manage to find some darkness in the sugary sweetness – a manic medley of Andrews’ most famous songs is intercut with the heart-breaking inference that her busy schedule left Andrews no time to deal with the collapse of her first marriage.

Julie, Madly, Deeply is infused with a warmth and glow similar to the great lady herself, coupled with the songs that awaken the child inside any adult with a heart, making this a performance impossible not to enjoy.

VENUE: Chapel off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel St, Prahran

DATES: Friday 21 June – Saturday 22 June (plus post-performance Q&A with Sarah-Louise Young Sat 22nd at 3pm Matinee)

TIMES: 7:00pm Fri & Sat, 3:00pm

TICKETS: At the door, Phone: 03 8290 7000, Email: chapel@stonnington.vic.gov.au, Online at www.chapeloffchapel.com.au

PRICE: $40 Full, $35 Concession

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

REVIEW: Cranked Up at CIRCUS OZ

Everything it’s cranked up to be

By Jessica Cornish

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

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

Cranked Up

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

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

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

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

When: 19 June- 14 July

Cost: From $24

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

Circus, Events, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: NICA’s ONE FALSE MOVE

A glimpse of the dazzling future of Australian circus

By Myron My

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

One False Move

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tickets: $27 Full | $22 Conc

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

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Review: La Mama Presents DITTO, A STORY

Unusual look at the theatre in theatre

By Myron My

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

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

Ditto

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

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

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

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

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

Guest directors:


Deborah Leiser Moore (June 19)

Melanie Beddie (June 20)

Suzanne Chaundy (June 21)

Cheyney Caddy (June 22)

Daniel Schlusser (June 23)

Venue: La Mama Theatre, 205 Faraday Street Carlton

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

Tickets: $25 Full | $15 Conc

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