Category: Review

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Review: HIMMELWEG – Way to Heaven

A complex and difficult play adroitly staged

By Adam Tonking

We are so far removed from the world of Nazi Germany in World War II that the true stories of the atrocities that took place are often near impossible to believe.

Himmelweg is one of the lesser known and more bizarre of these horror stories, and it is a rich source of material for a play, presenting several tricky moral dilemmas for the characters and the audience to navigate. It is also an important and fascinating exploration of this deeply disturbing period in our history.

Redroom Theatre and director Alister Smith present an excellent production; the lighting and set design, as well as the sound, are spare and elegant and used effectively to evoke the era, and also to separate the play into its abstract first half and more naturalistic second half.

I think the material could have benefited from an older cast, simply because the emotional complexity may have been beyond such a young group of actors. However, they still acquit themselves capably, in particular the actors portraying the Commandant and Gottfried. These characters have to carry the entire second half in what is more or less the Commandant talking at Gottfried, and the actors performed admirably.

At a running time of two hours, there should have been plenty of material to sustain the action, however the second half becomes very repetitive with very little new information introduced.

The cast, under the superb direction of Smith, work valiantly to keep the story moving and inject as much interest as possible, but can’t quite keep the material from slowing the pace.

I think the cast and the production team deserve commendation for staging what is a difficult and challenging piece, yet a terribly important story from a time that should not be forgotten, and I encourage everyone to see it.

Himmelweg is on at Theatre Works 14 Acland Street, St Kilda from June 21 to July 1.

Book at www.theatreworks.org.au or by calling 9534 3388.

Circus, Events, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Circus Oz – FROM THE GROUND UP

Nostalgia, comedy, spectacle and surprise: the perfect circus experience

By Kim Edwards

The Circus Oz Big Top at Birrarung Marr by the Yarra in the heart of Melbourne was simply athrill last night with a noisy excited eclectic crowd. It’s been a long time since I attended a circus, and as an adult my only experience had been vague disappointment at a rather dirty, tired, jaded show. This time and for this company however, the atmosphere was of joyous excitement and anticipation, and I honestly felt as revved up as the kids behind me who could scarcely sit still…

From the Ground Up did not disappoint: after plenty of theatre and performance art viewing in my career, I was rapturous to be genuinely amazed, surprised and delighted by this show. I loved the happy front-of-house folk, the great seating design to ensure there isn’t a bad seat in the house, the fantastic use of space and non-stop performance action, and the energised, hilarious, charming and extraordinarily multi-talented cast.

They tumbled and flipped and clowned and sang and swung and joked and juggled: I caught my breath as Mason West teetered precariously atop the Chinese pole, was mesmerised by Luke Taylor’s witty and dexterous video-game inspired block juggling, and laughed spontaneously at Flip Kammerer’s aerobic antics. It’s a wonderful idea to develop the show’s characters so thoroughly and make the audience look forward to the reappearance of their favourites, including Jeremy Davies’ slapstick magic acts and dainty Stevee Mills’ death-defying trapeze work. (N.B. I was surprised to find the program such good value, and the performer collector cards are an inspired idea!)

Special mention must go to the utterly spectacular band: Bec Matthews’ drumming was a highlight, MD Carl Polke was extraordinary on every instrument he picked up, and Ania Reynolds at the piano was both completely charismatic and remarkably skilled.

However, well-deserved crowd favourite was MC Ghenoa Gela, whose glorious stage presence and natural charm were simply palpable. The show’s loose theme of searching for the ultimate Australian song is both clumsy and unsuccessful: indeed, the violence and bitterness of some satirical lyrics seemed unpleasantly incongruous in what is otherwise such a family-oriented and jubilant celebration of our indigenous heritage, multiculturalism and shared artistic culture. However, the lovely ‘fruit salad’ metaphor that spoke so meaningfully and beautifully about cultural identity and difference (and related so poignantly to the real sense of family within this company, and the eclectic nature of the show itself) was superb, and with Ghenoa’s warmth and easy empathy, I hope it is this narrative theme that will be developed to cement this dynamic and diverse production.

With their ‘fruit salad’ audience also of families, elders, politicians, outrageously-costumed students and couples on dates, perhaps the greatest praise to offer From the Ground Up was the vigorous cheering and clapping, and the infectious, uncontrollable laughter of little kids throughout. It’s an earthy, jokey, raw, thrilling, touching, and triumphantly Australian show – and everything I thought circuses had forgotten how to be. Loved it!

Melbourne dates: June 20, 2012 to July 15, 2012

Click HERE for tickets and show information

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Showko’s JAPANESE PUPPET RAGUKO

Prepare to be enchanted!

By Myron My

I was surprised that I’d never heard of Rakugo theatre prior to this evening (considering I had lived in Japan for two years) so I was quite excited to witness The Butterfly Club hosting the number-one Rakugo performer in Australia, Showko (even if through her own admission, she is the only Rakugo performer in Australia!)

 Rakugo is a 400-year-old traditional form of storytelling involving a lone storyteller using minimal props whilst kneeling on a cushion. Movement, action and characters are all expressed through body language, voice and facial expressions. Remarkably, Showko only utilizes half the small stage of The Butterfly Club but is able to create a world twice as big in our minds.

Showko warms up the crowd so effectively that you don’t even realize the show has begun purely because you are mesmerized by her genuine excitement to be here and sharing with us the magic of storytelling and creation.  There are not many performers who can win over an audience with their opening line being about the joys of heated toilet seats.

In one hour, Showko manages to create an entire Japanese comedy show with puppetry, ventriloquism (and at one point, triple ventriloquism), song, bamboo magic and…monsters. The time and effort that has gone into creating the puppets is evident and Showko works wonders as she manages to bring them all to life with their own distinct personalities. I’m now on the hunt for my very own Cucumber Sushi Monster.

A few minor technical issues with music stopping and lighting changes requested took us out of the world Showko was creating for us, but such was her passion and charm that she drew us right back in.

By the end of the performance, there was not one person (I was watching) walking away without a smile on their face – perhaps Showko had really got everyone in touch with their inner child.

Date: June 14th, 15th, 16th  7pm/17th  6pm

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 204 Bank Street, South Melbourne

Tickets: $23 / $20

Bookings: thebutterflyclub.com

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Review: UNCLE VANYA by Hotwire Productions

An engrossing interpretation of a modern masterpiece

By Anastasia Russell-Head

Chekhov’s works, like Shakespeare’s, serve to unite humanity and human foibles across time and continents.

More than a century after Uncle Vanya was first penned, and on the opposite side of the globe, we’re still dealing with the same stuff – complaining about our lives, falling in love with the wrong people, allowing ourselves to be irritated and manipulated by our relatives, and falling victim to paralyzing inaction.

Director and adaptor Laurence Strangio brings the characters in this play slightly out of history, and makes their plight poignantly relevant to today by, as he writes in the program notes, not feeling “bound by historical accuracy”.

Although ostensibly the characters remain in nineteenth-century Russia, the language and idioms are not forcibly “historical”, but fall naturally onto twenty-first-century ears – drawing the similarities through time rather than highlighting the differences between then and now.

A superb ensemble cast portray the quirky characters with relish, from the hyperbolic gravitas of Peter Finlay’s Professor, to Bruce Woolley’s dry and proudly eccentric Dr Astrov. Although not always the most convincing member of the cast, Sarah Ranken brings a quiet strength and pathos to the character of Sonya, especially in her moving speech at the end of the play. Notable mention must also be made of Richard Bligh and Louise O’Dwyer.

The sumptuous set makes use of the full width of iconic theatre space fortyfivedownstairs, drawing the audience into the action, and feeling almost like we’re inside an isolated night-time country house alongside the characters. All it needed was an open fireplace to complete the illusion! A couple of sight line issues and passages in which characters deliver lines to the back wall are very minor flaws.

Although not by any means a short play (allow three hours, including interval) this production kept my attention throughout, made me laugh, nearly made me cry, and certainly made me think about what it is to be human and to construct a life. In the words of Uncle Vanya, “to start a new life… where to begin?”

MAY 16 – JUNE 3 

Fortyfivedownstairs

45 Flinders Lane

Tuesday – Saturday 8pm

Saturday matinee 4pm

Sundays 6pm

Tickets: $38 / $25 / $15 school groups

Bookings:  03 9662 9966 / fortyfivedownstairs.com

Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Review: MTC’s Australia Day

A valiant attempt to grapple comically with a complex topic

By Kim Edwards

Jonathan Biggins‘ new play sets out to explore an event that has noticeably increased in patriotic popularity in recent years while remaining fraught with issues about our sense of cultural identity.

Australia Day revolves around the comedic shenanigans and personal squabbles of a small country town committee organising festivities for January 26. Amidst the minor chaos from the months leading up to the big day itself, the committee members attempt to express contrary opinions on what being Australian might mean, and what the day should or should not be celebrating…

I wanted very much to like this play. Although described as satirical, the comedy comes across  more as farce: broad, obvious humour, self-aware characters cracking jokes, and the occasional slapstick moment. The opening night audience was particularly delighted with the regular topical jokes on politics and pop culture, although the laconic and understated delivery so beloved of Australian comedy was missing here in favour of a highly theatrical and rather forced style.

This performance decision was somewhat at odds with the wonderfully detailed and delightfully quotidian sets by Richard Roberts capturing so perfectly the servicable colour schemes, generic plastic furniture and mismatched detritus of a local school hall and  event marquee. In this space the characters were emphatically larger than life, and this lack of naturalism became a problem when the script wanted to address more serious concerns.

A hard-working cast wrestled valiantly with this, and with some extraordinary character revelations: Geoff Morrell and Alison Whyte gave polished performances as rival politicians, Peter Kowitz endeavoured to balance ocker comic relief with offensively cheerful racist, and Valerie Bader and Kaeng Chan soon settled into their more staid and thus more loveable  characters comfortably.

David James gave a strong appealing performance as hapless Robert, but at a climatic moment in the play it would have been wonderful to see this character rise above the recurring emotional outbursts and support an earlier claim ‘being ordinary’ was admirable instead of being forced into the melodrama.

Strangely, although script and characters feel like they are working very hard, and there is an earnest effort to temper the comedy with serious issues, all potentially poignant moments or ideas in Australia Day are actually stalemated. Meaningful questions or contentious debates about race, gender, identity, politics, parenting and social interaction are constantly sidetracked with comic interruptions or clunky deus-ex-machina plot developments, and the finale deliberately pours cold water on any potential answers or options arising from the issues raised.

Australia Day is pleasurably fun and enjoys the support of a dedicated cast and crew, and perhaps the relentless irresolution is meant to highlight ongoing concerns about our national identity, but in teetering between light-hearted laughs and high melodrama, there is still disappointment this evocatively-named play never quite manages to say anything important or memorable about us as Australians.

Venue: Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse
Dates: 21 April to 26 May 2012
Booking: MTC Theatre Box Office 03 8688 0800 or mtc.com.au; Arts Centre 1300 182 183 or artscentremelbourne.com.au

Events, Opportunities, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: An Appointment with J Dark

Do you dare?

By Bradley Storer

The event began mysteriously:  a text message calling me to a rendezvous with a stranger named J Dark. Sent directions as if on a treasure hunt, I attended with an equal mixture of anticipation and dread for the coming events.

In this journey through the catacombic backrooms of the North Melbourne Town Hall, the participant is guided through a series of questions, choices, locations, situations and judgements, all incredibly personal but never exploitative, in search of revelation and new knowledge.

The enigmatic but gentle J Dark is at times therapist, partner, confidant, monster, and lover – the only constant in your guide, much like the labyrinth itself, is their unpredictability and mutability.

A piece like this is incredibly difficult to review, as each person will of course experience something as unique and varied as they themselves.  To describe any further would ruin the surprise and inherent joy of this piece, which is the thrill and danger of interacting directly with a performer (who may or may not be a performer) without the restrictions of traditional theatrical performance – like free-falling without a safety net.

While I cannot vouch for everyone’s enjoyment or revelation, this evening left me with a series of beautiful and striking images which haunt me still – a pale vampiric face lit by candlelight; the gloomy gothic ring of striking bells; a mesmerizing love song delivered directly in my ear; and, most important of all, an unopened door behind which lies a terrifying and thrilling adventure.

An Appointment with J Dark is an amazing and vibrant piece of theatre for those willing to take the plunge into the unknown.

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

Season: Wednesday, 18 April – Sunday, 6 May 2012

Time: Wed – Sun, 3pm, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm and 9pm. 35 – 50 minutes no interval (pending audience engagement).

Tickets: Full $20 / Conc $15

Bookings: artshouse.com.au or 03 9322 3713

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Review: MTC’s Boy Girl Wall

A theatre experience that is innovative, intriguing and highly engaging

By Christine Moffat

“Side by side in a leafy suburb, Thom lives in one flat, Alethea in another. It’s pretty clear that their respective unsatisfying lives would improve enormously if they just met each other. But with literally a wall between them, this seems highly improbable.”

This is the scant information ‘about the play’ that the programme divulges; a tantalising three sentences that give you no idea of the dynamic and entertaining 90 minutes you are about to embark on.

Boy Girl Wall is a story about life and love, not just those of the two protagonists, but also of the people, and especially the seemingly inanimate objects, around them.

It is not a story I can set out in this review without removing the magic of discovery as you watch the story unfold.  Suffice then to say, this show is an unorthodox, amusing, entertaining ‘trampoline-like’ experience.

Upon entering the theatre and being seated, you are presented with a set by Jonathon Oxlade that resembles a giant fold-up ping-pong table.  A woman sits to one side of the stage waiting.  This turns out to be Neridah Waters, musical designer and musician and understated partner-in-crime to Lucas Stibbard, the hilarious one-man-band-of-a-performer who delivers Boy Girl Wall.

The implied ping-pong effect is not diminished once the show is underway.  Stibbard appears to be made of energy, delivering an hour and a half of entertaining, intelligent, rapid-fire dialogue (and at least 25 personalities!) and story-telling in a way that makes you feel that the time flew by.

This show is a perfect example of minimalism at its best, where less truly is more.  The production has not much more than a cast of one, a musician, that table-tennis like set (much of which is ‘dressed’ in real time with a stick of chalk), a xylophone and a ruler.

The lighting design by Keith Clark apparently consisted simply of two large retro light globes and an old school overhead projector: all of which are used to great effect for comedy but also, surprisingly for lovely moments of pathos as well.

The ingredients for Boy Girl Wall may not sound like much of a theatrical shopping list, but with these few items this production delivers an evening of surprise, laughter, love and an unexpected dash of optimism for good measure.

Venue: The MTC Theatre, Lawler Studio

Season Dates: 17 April to 4 May 2012

Tickets: From $40; Under 30s just $25

Booking Details: The MTC Theatre Box Office 03 8688 0800 or www.mtc.com.au

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

REVIEW: The Musical of Musicals: The Musical

Hilarious for everyone, but a special theatre treat for the real fans…

By Meg Richardson

This is one musical that lives up to its name, for this satirical parody has been crafted to satisfy even the most obsessive musical theatre fans. As part of MICF this year, The Musical of Musicals: The Musical takes one simple plot line and tells it 5 times over in completely different styles, so while never repetitive, it is entirely hilarious.

The plot follows a young woman (Emma Hoy) who can’t pay her rent, her boyfriend (Jack Brown) and her older confidant (Bianca Bruce) and their constant battles with their demanding landlord (Josiah Lulham). Audiences also enjoy a one-man ensemble/narrator (Michael Leaver). The 5 famous composers that are acknowledged are Rodgers & Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerry Herman, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Kander & Ebb. For reasons obvious to anyone that has seen any of the works of these artists, each time the story is repeated in another of these styles, there is a totally different outcome.

MoMTM provides its fair share of laugh-out-loud, slaptstick moments that any audience would enjoy, but it is the true musical theatre fans that will really appreciate this show. Each section is full of references to the composers’ works from obvious musical cues to subtle dialogue references that only tickle the funny bones of those in the audience with the most astute theatrical knowledge. There is also a risky amount of blatant criticism of some of the trademark indulgences of the legends that almost invites a gasp of horror at the delivery.

The cast work seamlessly together as all but Lulham have worked together on the show previously. While they were all a joy to watch, Bruce’s stage presence is hard to tear your eyes from. Her comic delivery of diva Abby in Dear Abby (the Jerry Herman tribute) was enough to have viewers in stitches. The whole cast performed the show without microphones, but due to their ample talent, this was never an issue. Along with this finely-tuned cast, musical director Simon Bruckard uses only a single piano to provide fantastic support to his players and created some magical moments for the audience to enjoy.

Technically, the show could have had more support. There were times when it wasn’t clear if the follow spot was lagging behind as a gag or if the operator had actually fallen asleep but aside from that, it all moved quite smoothly.

Overall MoMTM was a performance worthy of the deafening applause it received that can only be created by a true musical theatre audience.

Venue: The Open Stage @ The University of Melbourne
757 Swanston Street, Parkville, VIC, 3010
Dates: 18th April – 21st April
Times: Wednesday – Friday 7.30pm, Saturday 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Tickets: Adults $22, Concession $18, Groups (5 or more) $15
Bookings: www.themusicalofmusicals.com

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

Review: THE CAUTIONARY TALE OF BARRY VON PEABODY AND THE SCARLET ST THEATRE

It’s the little things in life…

By Adam Tonking

Prepare yourself for an avalanche of cute. The Cautionary Tale of Barry Von Peabody and the Scarlet St Theatre is an epic tale of death and redemption, about a child from Berlin in 1938 who grows up to sacrifice everyone he loves as rebellion against his strict German father. And it’s performed by Jacob Williams’ adorable and tiny little puppets.

The story itself sounds bleak and depressing, but ultimately the story is unimportant, and not even particularly well told. The focus here is the gorgeous puppets, and the artistry of Williams and his tiny little theatre. There is just no end to the detail Williams has put into his show – tiny little red velvet curtains on a tiny little stage with tiny little footlights and gargoyles. And it is damn cute.

The characters are eccentric-looking creatures, and Williams brings them to life through his impressive talent. After all this is an epic tale, covering several decades, different locations, and many different characters. All of this is manipulated by Williams alone: the cast, the set-changes, lighting cues, the special effects – he even manages to involve the audience. It is a monumental feat, and Williams pulls it off brilliantly.

Restricting the audience to fifteen at a time I assume was mainly for the logistics of ensuring everyone could see the tiny little puppets, but it also lent the show a sense of intimacy and comradery, not only with the audience but with the puppets and the puppetmaster as well. The novelty of all this adorableness never grows tiresome, and even stretches to cover any gaps in pacing and storytelling. This is all about the cute characters, adorable staging, and the clever manipulator Williams. Sit back, admire the technical brilliance, and prepare to say “Awwww!” a lot.

The Cautionary Tale of Barry Von Peabody and the Scarlet St Theatre is on at La Mama Theatre, 205 Faraday Street, Carlton 3053 from Tuesday 10 April till Sunday 22 April, at 6.30pm Tuesday, 8.30pm Wednesday, 9pm Thursday and Friday, and 4pm Saturday and Sunday. Book at www.lamama.com.au or by calling 9347 6142.

Events, Festivals, Performances, Review, Stand-Up Comedy, Whats On

Review: CELIA PACQUOLA is Delayed

Tons of charm, and hilarious story-telling

By Myron My

Celia Pacquola is brilliant and I will explain why. Her Melbourne International Comedy Festival show Delayed is full of energy and spark. Pacquola has quite a skill in storytelling and you can really see her getting into the moment as she relays the misadventures of her life as an expat in London.

Most notably this is seen in her eyes which express so much: almost a life of their own! In fact, if there were an award for the comedian with the most expressive eyes, Pacquola would win without a doubt.

Thankfully though, she doesn’t fall into the trap a lot of female comedians do and begin talking about being desperate or terrible with men. Pacquola looks at other much hard-hitting subjects like flight attendants who control time, bitch hair and lies our parents told us.

Covering quite an array of topics in 60 minutes could make for a bit of a convoluted and haphazard (word of the day) set, but Pacquola makes it all flow rhythmically and tie in with her long-term long-distance relationship story arc.

The intimacy of the room – helped by the full house – added to the relationship Pacquola established with her audience as she successfully talks about her two-year gap year without ever boring us. With extra shows being added due to popular demand, Pacquola’s show is one that cannot be missed.

Pacquola mentioned in her show that using your thumbs in a dance move will always make it look bad, because thumbs make anything look bad. I would like to prove her wrong and give two thumbs up for Delayed (and yes, I made a dad joke).

VENUE
Melbourne Town Hall
DATES
Until 22 April
TIMES
Tue-Sat 8.30pm
Sun 7.30pm
Fri 13th & Sat 14th April 6pm
PRICES
Full Fri & Sat $28
Full Wed-Thu
Full Sun $26
BOOKINGS
Ticketmaster 1300 660 013