Category: Theatre

Festivals, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW; Jimmy Chinn’s A DIFFERENT WAY HOME

Double monologue was a hit with delighted audience

By Margaret Wieringa

We start in the living room of Leslie. He is an old man, or perhaps he just seems older than he is because of his lingering cold, awful breathy wheeze and the difficulty he has at getting around. But he wouldn’t complain, instead, he’d welcome you in for a cuppa and a natter. Though don’t expect to get a word in!

A Different Way Home

Michael Dalton is Leslie, who tells us about his life; his mother, only recently passed away, his sister and brother who’ve migrated to Australia and Canada respectively, and ‘Our Maureen’, the evil sister who lives around the corner. We’ve all met a Leslie – welcoming and friendly, but bitter and full of anger and regret.

His home is sweet – old, furniture that is clearly well-loved, trinkets to fill an op shop, and a real sense of cosy. The set welcomes the audience as much as Leslie does. Throughout, the lighting subtly directs our eye across the stage, but also creates a real melancholy when required.

In the second half we meet Maureen (again played by Michael Dalton). We’ve come to expect a real piece of work from Leslie’s description, and there is certainly a sense of that. Similarly to Leslie, she is bitter, but perhaps slightly more aware of the world around her – though possibly equally as deluded about her place in it.

Michael Dalton plays both characters with the black humour, yet genuine sadness that playwright Jimmy Chinn requires from his words. Dalton and director Zoe Warwick have created two distinct yet clearly interwoven characters that connect instantly with the audience.

And did I mention that it is funny? The play carries a lot of emotional weight, but the audience with whom I enjoyed the performance roared with laughter many times during the show. The show is part of the Victorian Seniors Festival this year: festival participants were well-represented in an audience who clearly loved this show as particularly suited to them.

A Different Way Home is being presented by the community partner annecto and the City of Stonnington as part of the Victorian Seniors Festival 2015.

Where: Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel St, South Yarra, Prahran
When: 6-11 October
Tickets: $32.40-$36.50, http://chapeloffchapel.com.au/

Festivals, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Ben Schiffer’s HIS GHOSTLY HEART

Lights out for intimacy and intrigue

By Myron My

Performed at this year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival, His Ghostly Heart is an intimate 30-minute two-hander with a couple lying in bed just after having sex. Written by Ben Schiffer, best-known for his work on TV series Skins, and directed by Richard Edge, its exploration of love and what it means to be loved is designed to be performed entirely in the dark.
His Ghostly HeartUnfortunately, due to the necessity of the exit sign inside the performance space, the venue was not in pitch blackness which was ultimately integral to the show’s overall effect. While you could not see facial expressions, the body outlines and movement were still quite visible. In order to experience this the way I understand it was intended, I did have my eyes closed during the performance.

Riley Nottingham and Bundy Marston are well cast as the young couple in love, and with my eyes shut, I was able to listen to their voices, and their intimate emotional state is quite clear in the delivery of their lines and the pauses and silences between words. We hear the sense of achievement in Tom’s voice when he exclaims that they lasted three songs, while the self-loathing in Daisy’s voice when she announces “I’m disgusting” is easily felt. When Tom is naming all the areas of Daisy’s body that he loves, you can clearly picture his loving and cheeky face as his lips touch those aforementioned parts.

The build-up to the twist ending is cleverly constructed and highly effective, however, towards the end of His Ghostly Heart, the music and sounds being played are so loud that is it hard to hear what is being said. This ultimately makes it difficult to remain invested in the story and keep connected with the characters. Marston also seemed to struggle with the demands of the character in the final third, as the emotion that she has been working with earlier in the piece is not as focused and her lines begin to simply feel shouted.

Despite these closing shortcomings, His Ghostly Heart provides a very unique Fringe experience in its premise and light-starved performance. It remains a touching exploration of facing the realities of life and love and how, sometimes, darkness is much more of a comfort than the harsh light of day.

Venue: Fringe Hub, Upstairs at Errol’s, 69-71 Errol Street, North Melbourne, 3051
Season: Until 3 October | Tues-Sat 10.30pm
Tickets:$20 Full | $16 Conc | Cheap Tuesday
Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival

Festivals, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: and now we wait. By STEPHANIE CLARK

Taking shelter during a school shooting…

By Myron My

Playing at the 2015 Melbourne Fringe Festival, Stephanie Clark’s and now we wait. plays out like a grim re-imagining of The Breakfast Club for, in this case, there is a shooter loose in the school and the five teenagers find shelter in an unused theatre. While they nervously remain hidden, not knowing where the shooter is and waiting for the nightmare to end, the group gradually faces some truths about themselves and what is ultimately important to each of them.

and now we wait.

Based in Warragul, Impact Theatre is an enterprising company that focuses on young people writing and creating original theatre productions. The cast ranges from 18-21 years of age, is a combination of first-time and regular performers with the company. While different skill levels and experience that influence the ability to play more nuanced characters are evident, the entire cast (Emily Legg, Sarah Hartnell, Kyle Wright, Daniel Warenycia and Clark herself) remains dedicated to the characters and the situation they find themselves in. However, Hartnell as uptight smart girl Emily, and Wright as the jokester Nick, provide the most convincing performances of the night.

With her writing, Clark ensures the dialogue remains authentic and deliverable in a way you would expect real teenagers to speak. The flashbacks to what the students were doing before the gun shots are heard are well thought-out and the lighting and sound effects used in these moments is cleverly executed. There are, however, times when dialogue and actions in and now we wait. seem rather forced and there are also a few discrepancies with the story. The cutaways to the three news reports could easily be omitted for more dramatic effect, to allow the audience to be just as much in the dark about the situation as the characters and to allow us to stay fully enclosed in their world.

Julia Lambert‘s direction artfully increases the panic and fear that is slowly seeping into the teenagers and she creates some great visuals in how dual scenes are played out. The open incorporation of outside influences into the show is a nice touch, including one moment in particular where, as one latecomer to the show opened the door to the venue, the entire cast froze in terror as if it were the gunman coming in.

and now we wait. is a great opportunity to support and see an enjoyable show by a group of dedicated and promising young actors and writers. The subject matter is convincingly explored and there are some chilling moments throughout the show that will remain with you long after the climactic ending.

Venue: Northcote Uniting Church, 251 High St, Northcote.

Season: Until 2 October | Wed – Sat 8pm
Tickets: $25 Full | $20 Conc
Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival

Festivals, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: The Last Great Hunt Presents FAG/STAG

Authentic, open, affecting theatre

By Myron My

After rave reviews and an extended season at Perth’s Fringe World Festival in 2015, Perth-based theatre company The Last Great Hunt have brought FAG/STAG to this year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival. Written and performed by Jeffrey Jay Fowler and Chris Isaacs, it is the simple story of two best friends, one gay and one straight, who are going through some pretty challenging times in their lives.

FAG STAG Image by Jamie Breen

Jimmy (Fowler) and Corgan (Isaacs) each take a seat on opposite ends of the stage. At their disposal, they each have a mobile phone to check their dating apps (grindr for Jimmy and tinder for Corgan) and a PlayStation controller. Using these two items, they recall the moments of their lives leading up to their friend Tamara’s wedding. Tamara also happens to be Corgan’s ex-girlfriend. Corgan is still not completely over their break-up and Jimmy has just broken up with his boyfriend. Life is great.

As an audience member, I much prefer to be shown things in stories rather than be told. However, due to the overall style of the production, I was immediately drawn into FAG/STAG. Having been created through long form improvisations that were later recorded and transcribed, there is a genuine sense of vulnerability coming from the actors as they explore what it means to be a 20-something male in Australia who doesn’t quite have it all together. The duologues are extremely natural in language and in delivery with the experiences of love, happiness, fear and sadness they encounter being so familiar that you cannot help but relate to them with your own.

Fowler and Isaacs are not afraid to play with silence and allow the audience the time to fully comprehend the situations the characters find themselves in. There are some deeply honest and moving elements in FAG/STAG, where the effects stayed with me long after the show ended. However, there are many humorous moments in the show as in life, and the ability that Fowler and Isaacs have in noticing these moments and bringing them to the surface is highly skillful. The final minutes of the performance perfectly sum up what the two have been exploring and created something which will now forever be linked to an iconic song for me.

Just like life, not everything is completely resolved by the end of FAG/STAG, but you walk out with the hope that Jimmy and Corgan are better and stronger because of their experiences and perhaps so are we. Ultimately, despite our individual differences, we are all the same and we all share the same experiences and thoughts and it’s important to be there for each other. Even if it’s just to play Donkey Kong.

FAG/STAG is the kind of theatre that I wish was made more often. FAG/STAG is the kind of theatre that people need to go and see.

Venue: Fringe Hub, Arts House, 521 Queensberry St, North Melbourne, 3051

Season: Until 3 October | Tues-Sat 9pm, Sun 8pm

Tickets:$25 Full | $20 Conc | $15 Cheap Tuesday

Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival

Image by Jamie Breen

Festivals, Performances, Theatre

REVIEW: Melbourne Fringe Presents SUBURBIA

Driving out into the dark streets for immersive theatre experience

By Myron My

Most people dream of having their own little slice of the suburban dream; a loving family, a dog and a place to call home. What could be better than that? However, if you look under the surface, you’ll find that things are not always what they seem. Playing as part of the 2015 Melbourne Fringe Festival, Suburbia offers a glimpse into these lives we know little about.

Suburbia

My fellow two passengers and I meet at the steps of the North Melbourne Town Hall and are led to a parked car and the driver takes us through the streets of North Melbourne, stopping intermittently at various locations where we get to witness our neighbourhood in a very different light. We don’t stay at any location more than a couple of minutes and there is barely any dialogue exchanged. The soundtrack composition by Simone Gustafsson that plays in the car is perfectly suited to the theme of the night, provoking feelings of uncertainty and curiosity.

It is up to us to determine the scene, relationships and mood purely by what we see. There’s the couple having a heated argument in their car and the woman who is crossing the roundabout with determination. Suburbia is about showing us these snippets into the lives of those around us: those we don’t know and those we don’t see. The most striking moment of all was something that lasted just mere seconds but is the creepiest thing I have seen in “real life” in a very long time and I wonder what would have happened had someone from the public just happened to walk by.

Timing is of the essence with this show. As we drive from one vignette to another, there is no doubt that the rest of the cast (Cazz Bainbridge, Xavier O’Shannessy, Ross De Winter, Anneli Bjorasen, Claudia Nugent, Davina Wright and Carolyn Butler) is frantically racing to get to their next location on time (not that this haste is ever obvious, however).

As we are driven around, my voyeuristic urges begin to slowly take over and I begin to look through other people’s windows and watch as local people walk past or cycle by or take their dog out for a late-night walk. I wonder if they’re aware of what is also happening right in front of their eyes.

Suburbia is an enjoyable immersive experience that will linger in your mind long after the car pulls back up to the North Melbourne Town Hall. The shared experiences with your fellow passengers can be varied (ours were), but the performance is a reminder that just because we don’t see these people in our own neighbourhoods doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

*Playing at Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall until Oct 3, the current 2015 Melbourne Fringe season of Suburbia is completely sold out*

Image by Rebekah Kamsky, featuring Davina Wright and Xavier O’Shannessy

Festivals, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Adam J. Cass’ BOCK KILLS HER FATHER

Violence comes to light

By Myron My

My second play by writer Adam J. Cass during this 2015 Melbourne Fringe festival continues with his running critique of society and the treatment of its people. However, unlike the refugee theme of Fractured, Bock Kills Her Father contemplates the long-lasting effects a group of women must deal with after being at the mercy of one man.

Bock Kills Her Father

Penny Harpham‘s strong direction never allows the action on the small La Mama stage to become overwhelming or cramped, especially when there are five aggressive and angry characters on stage. The choreography for the fight scenes is executed well, with some very convincingly painful moments. There is only one time where the fight scenes disappoint and that is when Sarah (powerfully played by Annie Lumsden) is attacked. Due to the hardness of the adult women we had previously seen, it felt more like something young children would do to each other and as such, its intensity was lost.

Despite this, Cass has created a script that draws the audience into the pressure cooker of how a patriarchal society – and in this case, a cowering unseen man – still has the power to control these women’s lives. For the most part, the language is raw and authentic and I could not help but be reminded of Patricia Cornelius’s Shit, which played during MTC’s NEON season earlier this year. In fact, thematically Bock Kills Her Father could easily be appreciated as a natural prequel to Shit, in considering how the cycle of women being victims will continue to repeat itself if society does nothing.

These women however – the five actors on stage – do a great job in these physically and emotionally demanding roles. Emina Ashman, as the slightly unhinged D’Agostino, captures the attention of the audience in every scene she is in. Ashman’s portrayal is a perfect combination of endearing, annoying and incredibly frightening. Together with Marissa O’Reilly and Ruby Hughes (as Taylor and Chambers), the three women are all highly convincing in their characters and in their relationships with each other. I would have liked to see the Lead Actress* be pushed slightly more with difficult title character Bock, to ensure all her character’s choices seem genuine and not forced.

While Bock Kills Her Father isn’t the most polished of works, the grittiness and dirtiness of the world we find ourselves in makes this work in its favour. Nothing is ever going to be perfect for these women; they are unlikely to find inner peace and let go of their inner rage until those who have done them wrong are forced out of hiding and held accountable for what they have done. Bock Kills Her Father is an enthralling piece of Fringe theatre that has a lot to say about society’s treatment of women.

Venue: La Mama Theatre, 205 Faraday Street, Carlton

Season: Until 27 September | Wed 6.30pm, Thurs-Sat 7:30pm, Sun 4:00pm

Tickets: $25 Full | $15 Conc

Bookings: 
Melbourne Fringe Festival

* The lead actress requested that her name be removed from the article

Festivals, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Rama Nicholas is MARY WEATHER’S MONSTERS

Monstrously funny and surprisingly profound

By Myron My

Rama Nicholas returns to Melbourne Fringe 2015 in fighting spirit with Mary Weather’s Monsters. Set in 1890 in London, we are introduced to monster-hunter and Lord Protector of London, Mary Weather. She has caught every single monster known to man: giant spiders, werewolves and swamp monsters to name but a few. However, she now she faces her greatest challenge yet, a challenge that will have her questioning her beliefs of what is a good and what is evil.

Mary Weather's Monsters

Nicholas plays all 11 characters in the show and her instant transformation from one to the other is testament to her consummate skill. Each person/monster in her story has a distinct voice and appearance and not once does she waver in her dedication to each character.

There are not many performers I’ve seen who can convincingly transport their audience to another world without a single prop or stage piece. Nicholas has only her talent of storytelling at her disposal and she does not disappoint. The story is told in a very arch and cheeky manner and Nicholas knows when to gloss over things and when to go into greater detail. Subsequently, the audience never quite knows what is going to happen next but there is enough trust to know that she is going to give us a very good time.

Mary Weather’s Monsters can be seen as an allegory for acceptance and standing up for those who are not able to do so for themselves. It’s about being true to yourself and challenging something when you are not convinced by it. Alternatively, it can also be seen as a fun homage to the monster genre and a damn funny show. Either way, you won’t be leaving the show disappointed.

Nicholas’ character work is masterful, and her ability to tell a concise, intriguing and enjoyable story will ensure that the shows she creates will always be winners. Despite it being early days into the Fringe festival, if Mary Weather’s Monsters is not on your must-see list, then you’re just doing Fringe wrong.

Venue: Fringe Hub, Arts House, 521 Queensberry St, North Melbourne, 3051

Season: Until 3 October | Tues-Sat 8pm, Sun 7pm

Tickets:$25 Full | $22 Conc | $18 Cheap Tuesday

Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival

Festivals, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: James Tresise and Sean M Whelan in ALL THE ANIMALS WE ATE

Getting in touch with our animal spirits

By Myron My

Last year, James Tresise’s mother passed away. During that same time, Sean M. Whelan’s pet spoodle passed away after thirteen years. In All The Animals We Ate presented at this year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival, the two come together to grieve and mourn the passing of someone they love and to celebrate their life. Death may be the end of one thing but it not need be the end of everything.

All the Animals We Ate

There is a lot of heart in this show; it’s hard not to feel the sadness as Whelan recalls the moment he found out his beloved dog Cady had died. Despite the show being predominantly about the loss of animals, we are invited to link these experiences to any sense of personal loss we’ve had, let it be animal or human. This empathy is created in part through the animal impersonations the two performers take on throughout, emphasising their connections to human beings.

Technically, the show comes together in a very subtle but effective way. The music is nostalgic and creates a sense of yearning and supports the visuals that are being projected on the wall. If Whelan’s words alone are not enough to imagine the environment and emotions being described, the music and projections more than do that, transporting us away from the performance space and into their stories.

At times however, the story itself gets a little lost with everything they are trying to say. There are moments of dialogue that don’t seem to have a real clear purpose, such as the digression about dinosaurs, or that seemed awkward and out of place, such as the urination on the lemon tree anecdote.

There are some beautiful moments where the connection between being an animal and being a human is touchingly affirmed. With a little more clarity and structure established in the story Tresise and Whelan wish to tell, All The Animals We Ate can be a beautiful homage not only to Cady but also to everyone that anyone has ever lost.

Venue: Fringe Hub, Arts House, 521 Queensberry St, North Melbourne, 3051

Season: Until 24 September | Tues-Sat 6.30pm, Sun 5.30pm

Tickets:$25 Full | $20 Conc | Cheap Tuesday

Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival

Festivals, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Adam J. A. Cass’ FRACTURED

Dark visions powerfully portrayed

By Myron My

We are now living in a dystopian world of the named and the unnamed, where safety and comfort are a thing of the past and children are now brought up in a society where the only games they remember are guessing how many bombs are going to go off in the night. Adam J. A. Cass’ Fractured explores this frightening vision through five “broken” souls.

Fractured

Danelle Wynne is the standout of the cast as Astrid, the almost feral child who is too afraid and suspicious of anyone to let her guard down. Her animal-like qualities and habits show how deeply she has been affected by her experiences and form a strong contrast to the rest of the people around her, such as Suzi Loo played by Nicole Morgan. Morgan is also strong in her character portrayal and her concluding scenes were completely and utterly engrossing. Rounding out the impressive cast are Natalie-Lynne Pillar, Josh Vasilev and Amy Firth.

I particularly enjoyed the lighting design with this show and the shadows that were beautifully created within the space. The scene of Rhodes (Firth) dragging in the screaming Astrid by the hair was particularly effective in utilising this, and thus heightening the powerful sense of unease early on in the show.

Peta Hanrahan‘s direction gives the actors (and their characters) plenty of opportunity to move and express themselves whilst not being too overwhelming for each other and the audience. Considering Cass wrote this work specifically for the performance space at Club Voltaire, the space is perfectly utilised and the stage design, while minimal, captures the overall mood of the show well.

However, there are a few scenes that confused me as to their purpose, especially in its attempts to be – as mentioned in the synopsis – immersive theatre. At one stage, members of the audience are handed sleeping pills only to have no real reason for this to occur, and the interaction is neither elaborated upon or discussed again.

Fractured explores the idea of having the courage to go on but also the need for compassion and humanity for people we don’t know but still need to care about and protect. The strongest, most effective moment of the performance for me happens before the show even started, and when you go to see it (as you should), you will understand what I am referring to. What endures then, is a profound sense of the responsibility we have to fellow humans who are less fortunate than us purely because of luck.

Venue: Club Voltaire, 14 Raglan St, North Melbourne, 3051

Season: Until 20 September | 7.30pm

Tickets: $25 Full | $20 Conc

Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival

Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Red Stitch Presents DETROIT

Neighbourly dangers unleashed

By Narelle Wood

I’ll be honest, I knew very little about Lisa D’Amour’s Detroit going in. I expected something gritty in keeping with my impressions of the city, and my previous experiences of Red Stitch productions had always been positive. In both cases, Detroit didn’t disappoint.

Detroit

The play is set in the backyards of two adjoining houses in what at one stage promised to be a housing estate with neighbours friendly enough to borrow cups of sugar from one another. When Kenny and Sharon move next-door, Mary and Ben take the opportunity to get to know their neighbours, a friendship is forged and things slowly spiral out of control. There is impending doom from the beginning; Mary and Ben are struggling with the economic downturn, Kenny and Sharon are not long out of rehab, and all four are looking for a way through their lives.

The tragedy in Detroit comes from Lisa D’Amour’s characters, rather than a set of tragic events. Mary (Sarah Sutherland), Ben (Brett Cousins), Kenny (Paul Ashcroft) and Sharon (Ngaire Dawn Fair) are complex in both the characters themselves and the relationships they forge with each other. But the complexities are restrained; it is a slow reveal of the different characters’ traits that leads to the tragic ends.. Upon entering the theatre the list of warnings about the content is extensive, but they are not overtly portrayed. Under Tanya Dickson’s direction, the cast create nuanced performances, striking a balance between overt friendly neighbours and the dark secrets the characters are hiding.

The small space of Red Stitch Actors Theatre doesn’t afford much opportunity for set changes, so the transitions between scenes are managed through multi-media projections of the suburbs and contrasting techno night-club music. The combination is jarring and reinforces the unlikeliness of the friendship between the two couples. The lighting and projections are at times eerie, especially when all four characters finally let go of their inhibitions.

Detroit is intriguing, disturbing and slightly nostalgic (thanks to Chris Wallace’s brief appearance to reminisce about the neighbourhoods of yesteryear). If you are looking to stretch your theatre repertoire this would be a good introduction to the darker side of entertainment; gritty, without the hyperbole.

Venue: Red Stitch Actors Theatre, Rear 2 Chapel St, St Kilda East
Season: Until 26th September, 8pm, 6.30pm Sundays, 3pm Saturday matiness
Tickets: Full $45| Conc $37
Bookings: redstitch.net