Category: Theatre

Events, Festivals, Performances, Review, Theatre

REVIEW: Outer Urban Project’s URBAN CHAMBER – BEYOND

Inspiring

By Tania Herbert

In a time when it can be difficult to even turn on the television without a sea of racist vitriol, what a blessing to be able to witness diversity in all it’s forms coming together in Outer Urban Project’s Melbourne Festival work Urban Chamber – Beyond.

Outer Urban Project - Beyond

Our thematic host for the evening, poet Komninos Zeros describes himself as a “submerging artist- submerged into a sea of emerging artists”, and we are introduced to two dozen very special (mostly young) people who hail from every continent of the globe.

There’s nothing like a confident, smiling young person telling you “you are all my family” to get a warm buzz to begin an evening, and although initially feeling a little like attending a school concert, the smooth transition of artistic piece after artistic piece soon convinced the audience that they are in the presence of a particularly unique and talented collaboration.

Based around the notion of ‘Home’ as a place and a feeling, Beyond uses a massive range of creative presentation to explore this issue, and explores concepts of age, culture, and diversity to remind us that we are all different, and we are all the same. Beat box, rap, stomp, contemporary dance, classical, poetry, lyrical – and a couple of other things that defy categorisation – were appreciated both together and separately, and the merging of people and genres was inspirational.

Were there flaws? Sure. We’re speaking about young people with varying degrees of training and professional experience. But was there an abundance of talent? Absolutely.

As a not-for-profit organisation, Outer Urban Projects includes amongst its values both respect and courage. I am not quite sure what these guys do to nurture such a warm, engaged, respectful and brave group of young people, but I certainly did appreciate the opportunity to be witness to the outcome.

Whilst it’s a short run of only two nights for the Festival, I would recommend keeping this mob on your radar, as if you are looking for an opportunity to really connect with your art or support a wonderful art-based social cause, this is a great place to start. It may not be one of the showiest pieces at Melbourne Festival, but Beyond really does encapsulate the spirit of the best of Melbourne – diverse, different, and truly welcoming.

Urban Chamber – Beyond ran at the Melbourne Recital Centre on the 25th and 26th of October (6pm and 8pm), and do visit the website for more info and check out your options for supporting this lovely initiative.

http://outerurbanprojects.org

Events, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Exhibit A Theatre Presents FLESH WOUND

All in the family

By Myron My

A young man is on the run from the mob and finds safety in his sister’s apartment in a Camden Council flat in London. However, it seems this could end up being the most dangerous place he could be… Produced by Exhibit A: Theatre and directed by Nicholas Pollack, Flesh Wound looks at the ties between family, violence and class.

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I was very impressed with Benjamin Rigby and Belinda Misevski’s dynamic performances as half-siblings, Vincent and Deidra. Their mannerisms and behaviours are highly convincing portrayals of living in such a fraught and troubled environment. In contrast, Jeremy Kewley’s softly-spoken, cool and collected Joseph manages to stand his own ground between these two loud and obnoxious characters and demands attention with just a look or a stance. The work on all their accents has clearly paid off; they do not waver at all and sound authentic throughout.

I found Che Walker’s script haphazard with its story and character development. It unfortunately waits too long before it starts creating and working on the tension, and then falls into the trap of becoming repetitive and mundane. It is only in the final half hour where things really pick up with intrigue, suspense and a genuine uncertainty over who – if anyone – is going to survive the day. Furthermore, despite the excellent performances, I feel the characters have too many inconsistencies in their behaviours that are not explained or justified, and we are forced to simply accept them.

The set by Brett Ludeman displays much thought and creativity in the design process. Despite not even being used in the play, the various smashed glass bottles strewn “outside” the council flat really help in setting the scene for this broken, damaged world. Furthermore, the structural design of the flat itself is an interesting idea and one that cleverly represents the type of lives these people lead.

Exhibit A: Theatre is the creative vehicle for Misevski and Rigby, and even though the story of Flesh Wound didn’t really impress me, the strong performances by these two really made this a memorable play.

Venue: Goodtime Studios Basement, 746 Swanston St, Carlton

Season: Until 3 November | Wed – Sun 7:30pm

Tickets: $25 Full | $20 Conc

Bookings: http://www.exhibitatheatre.com

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre

REVIEW: Amber LOLipop Productions’ BELLA DU FREAK

Dark and deadly carnival

By Christine Moffat

Bella de Freak is half carnival freak show, half murder-mystery, set in the early 1930’s in the fictional country of Scalvadoor. This dark hybrid of a play begins by introducing the onstage identities of an interesting collection of characters, ranging from the darkly humorous clairvoyant Lucinda The Wise (Odette Crisp); to the chained, slobbering, and genuinely disturbing Wolf Man (Jack Goodwin).

Bella Du Freak

By setting a drama about human relationships at a 1930’s traveling carnival, writer and co-director Nikki Develyn shows a real knack for creating a great premise. The first half is the ‘freak show’, with each character performing their act. Co-director James Seamark’s performance as Ringmaster Jack Jr moves expertly from amusing to attractive to creepy in just a few lines, and provides a strong backbone for the first half of the play.

The young cast creates a realistic carnival show, with fantastic singing from both Monica McDonald (as Bonnie Sinclair) and Nichola Jayne (as Margie Hope). Jack Goodwin is endearing in his second role of Nathan the Bold, the show’s comic relief strong man. Writer Develyn played Madam Eve, a flighty nature-lover and spiritualist: her French accent was unfortunately patchy, and distracted from an otherwise solid performance. Jacob Ryan Machin was the stand-out act as Jayco the creepy clown: the energy and menace of his song is amazing.

The second half of the play involves behind the scenes intrigue surrounding the sudden death of Jack Snr, the previous ringmaster. It contained numerous very short scenes changing over in the same set. It became confusing and difficult to understand where the action was supposed to be occurring, and to keep track of the plot. Unfortunately this was a much weaker section of the play, and it felt as if the energy was sapped from the show and the audience.

When the play also ran an hour over time, it seemed mainly due to the constant scene change overs, and prompted this reviewer to consider the entire structure of the work. Perhaps if more of the stage was used, separate areas could be set up to establish clearer zones for each character’s trailer. Moreover, if the two halves of the play could be combined, with backstage scenes being interspersed with the carnival show, it would potentially keep the energy, whilst also speeding up the mechanics of the staging.

These problems aside, Amber LOLipop is a fresh, unique theatre company pursuing good ideas with great energy and deserve to be supported while they experiment and grow.

Bella Du Freak was performed from Oct 17 – 19, 2013 at the Malthouse Theatre, 113 Sturt St Southbank.

Festivals, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Teenage Riot for MELBOURNE FESTIVAL

Confronting the teen psyche

By Myron My

Teenagers cop a lot of flack for being insensitive, rude, aggressive and selfish. Teenage Riot by daring Belgian theatre company Ontroerend Goed brings to the stage eight such characters, but attempts to show that beneath this socially perceived exterior they are also frightened, self-aware, insecure and intelligent.

The performers – Edouard Devriendt, Alice Dooreman, Jorge De Geest, Ian Ghysels, Marthe Hoet, Nanouk Lemmerling, Elies Van Renterghem and Anna Jakoba Ryckewaert – look like they have come straight from the streets of Skins with their bright-coloured high-top sneakers and funky street wear, and they play these people with truth and sincerity.

Teenage Riot

Having the ‘action’ filmed inside a large cube with projections on the surface of the cube displaying what was happening inside really appealed to me, especially with the self-exposure of social media and the conflicting freedom and hazards of the Internet having such an influence on teenagers.

There are heartfelt confessionals on screen interspersed with appealing comedic performances that both highlight the serious and complex issues affecting teenagers, such as the lighthearted but ascerbic look at how to create the perfect eating disorder. It is during these moments that Teenager Riot really drives its message home that modern teenagers have a hell of a lot to deal with.

In terms of the show itself, I honesty could have done without the first twenty minutes of the show. It was too scattered in ideas and too fragmented in narrative to have any effect on me except for wondering what was going on and almost wanting to leave.

However, once it found its way, the remaining 50 minutes of the performance delivered a confronting and engaging exploration of the pressures that teenagers feel and deal with, the relationships they experience, and the revelation of how quickly their ‘friends’ can turn on them. In one instance, one character – who appears to be a leader in his circle – is giving tips on great sex. In the blink of an eye, he is suddenly ridiculed and mocked by everyone for something as petty as his bad skin.

Despite its rocky beginning, Teenage Riot stresses a lesson known by all, and reveals the shame that it’s not always put into practice: as adults who have experienced the transition ourselves, we should never underestimate teenagers in their capabilities and we should allow them to explore and grow (and sometimes make mistakes) without fear of rejection and alienation.

This production was performed at Arts Centre Melbourne between 15-18 October 2013 as part of Melbourne Festival.

Cabaret, Festivals, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Brief Encounter for MELBOURNE FESTIVAL

Famous movie romance revisited

By Myron My

Brief Encounter

As part of the Melbourne Festival, an adaptation of the 1945 film classic Brief Encounter has been brought to the stage. It’s a story of finding love through a chance meeting and the sacrifices one is willing to make to keep that love.

There are strong performances from the whole cast particularly including its two leads, Michelle Nightingale and Jim Sturgeon as lovers Laura and Alec. They are wholly committed to their characters even with the frenetic pace and sense of urgency that is felt throughout the show.

Talented Damon Daunno’s portrayal of Stanley is a highlight of the play: If he’s not utterly capturing our attention on stage he is playing various instruments such us the ukulele, guitar and bass as well as singing with the rest of the live band.

Emma Rice’s direction is impressive and I particularly liked her incorporation of “special effects” into scenes, such as the newspaper blowing in the wind and the wringing of water from clothes. The latter scene also had some well-crafted choreography after Laura and Alec fall into the lake and begin taking off their wet clothes.

The way the backdrop is used is another excellent example of the clever stagecraft in Brief Encounter, as is the multi-media platform used to convey this story. The pre-recorded scenes mesh very well with the action that is occurring on stage, paying beautiful homage to the film.

Visually and musically, there is much happening in Brief Encounter that it can distract from the story. However I found this actually works in its favour, as the plot is somewhat predictable and could otherwise be quite dull.

I’ve heard many comparisons by fans to the actual film version of Brief Encounter and claims of being disappointed the stage production doesn’t live up to those expectations but having never seen the film (this will be rectified soon) I walked out having thoroughly enjoyed this captivating show.

Venue: Athenaeum Theatre, 188 Collins Street, Melbourne.

Fri 11, 18 & 25 Oct at 8pm
Sat 12, 19 & 26 Oct at 2pm, 8pm
Sun 13, Sun 20 & Sun 27 Oct at 5pm
Tue 15 & 22 Oct at 6.30pm
Wed 16 & 23 Oct at 11am, 6.30pm
Thu 17 & 24 Oct at 8pm
 8:00pm

Tickets: Full from $79 | Conc from $69

Bookings: 1300 795 012 or http://premier.ticketek.com.au

Events, Festivals, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Daniel Schlusser Ensemble in M+M

Daring to unravel a Russian classic

By Christine Moffat

M + M is the theatrical reworking of Bulgakov’s classic Russian novel The Master and Margarita by exploratory masters the Daniel Schlusser Ensemble for this year’s Melbourne Festival.  Approaching such a novel with reverence, and producing a slavish retelling is not in this Ensemble’s vocabulary.  Instead, this innovative group always attempt to crack the code underpinning the work of art, and present its inner workings to the audience.  Unfortunately, in this production they have taken a risk that has not entirely paid off.

M+M

Some elements of this show are truly superb.  The set design by Anna Cordingley and Romaine Harper is outstanding, and used extensively and with great effect by director Daniel Schulusser.  Every performer (Johnny Carr, Josh Price, Nikki Shiels, Karen Sibbing, Emily Tomlins, Mark Winter & Edwina Wren) bravely attacks the show with energy, commitment and obvious talent.

Deconstructing such rich source material is ambitious for when it comes to reconstructing, how do you decide which elements must be reinstated?  The attempt to connect the novel to Pussy Riot and modern Russian social oppression is disjointed.  Instead of combining these themes, the performance gives the sense of empty, barren space between them.  The program invites the audience to view the piece as “…theatrical architecture…”, but the parts are too loosely connected to achieve this.  It could be better compared to blueprints and a collection of building materials.

It is not a narrative that this production lacks, but rather any emotional resonance.  The vignettes performed on stage are diaspora; closer to resembling performance art than theatre, but not managing the shock or provocation common to that art form either.  Whether this production succeeds in affecting others in its audience emotionally, or merely works visually, the Daniel Schlusser Ensemble have achieved an outcome that can inform and feed their future works.

Sometimes parts do not create a cohesive and greater whole.  In approaching a seemingly impossible novel, this Ensemble should impress us in the attempt, and in the many successful moments it produces.  Sadly, this reconstruction still feels as if it has major elements of the original source missing.  It is like a beautiful watch that has been rebuilt without hands – each component is lovingly crafted, but it has no way of performing as intended and so we have no way of receiving its ultimate message.

Oct 12 – 16 (no show Oct 15)

Theatre Works, 14 Acland Street St Kilda

Tickets: $65 / $50 / Under 30s $35, Student $25

Bookings: theatreworks.org.au, 03 9534 3388, or Ticketmaster 136 100

Events, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Neil LaBute’s FAT PIG

Large laughs from excellent leads

By Myron My

Everyone tells you it’s what on the inside that counts and what they are looking for in a partner is someone with a great personality. But is that what we really want?

Fat Pig

Lab Kelpie’s production of Neil LaBute’s play Fat Pig explores this question through character Tom (Lyall Brooks) who falls for Helen (Lulu McClatchy), a fantastic woman – who just happens to be fat.

Brooks and McClatchy are a delight to watch. They spark off one another well and their scenes together bring a lot of laughs. I feel Brooks’ portrayal of the fumbling Tom and his struggle between doing what he wants and dealing with the pressure of what is expected of him highly believable. McClatchy is infectious on stage and it’s a shame that the majority of her character’s scenes are self-deprecating and we don’t have the chance to see Helen really stand up for herself. Patrick Harvey‘s incredibly annoying Carter is played to perfection but I found the character of Jeannie (Cassandra Magrath) was rather too exaggerated.

LaBute’s script has some sharp dialogue and there are hilarious moments created with the line between humour and crass toed well. However, I feel it could have gone further in exploring our obsession with weight (and appearance in general). There’s a scene where Carter suggests “maybe you should turn on the TV someday” but this observation is not developed at all. Perhaps it’s because Fat Pig was originally written almost ten years ago and now feels dated in regards to attitudes or ideas on this topic. Furthermore, the events leading up to the conclusion do not justify or warrant the ending and even negate the earlier actions of the characters.

I was confused by the images on the projector between scenes changes and was not sure what they represented. I’m also not a fan of blackouts: I always find them distracting and on this evening’s performance, with each blackout the audience used it as an opportunity to talk amongst themselves, which I found incredibly frustrating.

Nonetheless, Fat Pig is an enjoyable play with a funny script and some strong performances, but I feel the story itself gets compromised through the very message it is trying to convey.

Venue: Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel St, Prahran

Season: Until 20 October | Tues-Sat 8:00pm, Sun 6:00pm, Sat 4:00pm

Tickets: $37.50 Full | $30 Conc

Bookings: www.chapeloffchapel.com.au or 8290 7000

Events, Festivals, Review, Theatre

REVIEW: Tell Me About Yourself for MELBOURNE FRINGE

Dating dilemmas divulged

By Myron My

Sarah Jackson and Lucy Gransbury are young, free and single women. In order to rectify the latter, they decided to bite the bullet and sign up for a spot of speed dating. In their Melbourne Fringe show, Tell Me About Yourself, they shared the experience with us, introduced us to a number of other people from their evening and reminisced about horrible past date experiences.

Gransbury and Jackson really shone when they were being themselves. They seemed wonderfully natural and their witty retorts to each other are exactly what close friends would do. Full of energy and enthusiasm, they obviously loved doing what they were doing: the audience immediately warmed to their cheeky sense of humour, and their interactions with us were fun.

Tell Me About Yourself

However, many of their impressions were not as strong. The stereotypes and clichés came thick and fast and therefore any authenticity and realness these people might have had was lost. At times, the characterisation dangerously straddled the line of offensiveness with the portrayal of Siamese twins from New Zealand and Bertha, who was of questionable mental ability. The cheap gags started to overrun the intelligent and sharp comedy from the beginning of the show and sadly that is where the humour remained.

That said, the use of the projector to flashback to various dating disasters and other moments of their lives was done well and created an added layer to the story. It’s always nice to see performers try and be different and succeed in the way they present their show.

Ultimately though, there was nothing new about Tell Me About Yourself. It’s all been done before and unfortunately in regards to this show, has been done better. Jackson and Gransbury are both talented and funny women and given some more experience, I do believe they will do well in the comedy circuit as long as they attempt to remain honest with the characters they portray and seek out more depth and sophistication in such topical shows.

Tell Me About Yourself was performed at Gertrude’s Brown Couch from 1-6 October as part of the 2013 Melbourne Fringe Festival.

Events, Festivals, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: The Woolgatherer at LA MAMA

Strangers meeting

By Myron My

A chance encounter between two unlikely people changes their lives forever…

The Woolgatherer

Set in Philadelphia in 1979, The Woolgatherer is about a neurotic woman called Rose (Laura Wheelwright) who has a slightly unhealthy obsession with death. Cliff’s (Lee Beckhurst) truck has broken down outside the five-n-dime where Rose works. Waiting for it to be repaired and looking for a one-night stand, he starts talking to Rose and the two return to her dilapidated and sparse apartment.

Once there, the two find themselves discussing an erratic range of subjects, including the finer points of poetry and the ability of plants to come back to life. Over the course of the evening, a few truths are unavoidably revealed and they are both forced to question what it is they are seeking, with each other and within themselves.

William Mastrosimone’s The Woolgatherer is an intense love story where there is just as much left unsaid as there is being said. It’s a strong character piece that needs much commitment, but tempered with a sense of rawness, and both Wheelwright and Beckhurst are convincingly able to bring to life these two lonely people. Their physicality and authentic accents further enhanced this but I was particularly impressed by Beckhurst’s ability to simultaneously show Cliff’s brutish barbaric side as well as his sensitive and sweet nature.

Director Kerry Armstrong has done a marvelous job with the two actors and having them dig deep and find the inner turmoil, morbidity, anxieties and desires of Rose and Cliff. There are some beautifully crafted moments early on, and the whole second act becomes a testament to this.

The Woolgatherer is the type of play that demands a lot from its director and its cast in order to be a success. Fortunately, Armstrong, Wheelwright and Beckhurst are all more than capable at ensuring this is the case.

The final performances of The Woolgatherer will be at 4:30pm and 7:30pm today (October 6) at La Mama as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival. For bookings call 03 9347 6142

Festivals, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Michael Gow’s LIVE ACTS ON STAGE

Mythology unleashed

By Myron My

Orpheus is in love with Eurydice and with teaching mortals and God that we are the same. Zeus is having an affair with Ganymede. Hera wants to exact her revenge and Eris just wants her freedom.

Welcome to the world of the Gods or Four Letter Word Theatre’s production of Michael Gow’s Live Acts on Stage for Melbourne Fringe.

Live Acots On Stage

It is clear that everyone involved in the show has put much thought into its creation: the costuming by Emilija Tanner has an ethereal feel with the light, flowing fabrics on display and is complemented well by hair and make-up. Robert Alexander Smith’s set design is intelligently divided into four spaces and despite being in close proximity to each other, the distinction between each one is clear. Felicia King’s sound composition and Caitlyn Staples’ lighting design further enhance the story and are very effective in conveying the mood and tone throughout.

There are thirteen actors playing thirty-three different roles, some of these Gods appearing for a brief scene or two.  With such comings and goings on stage and along with my limited knowledge about the mythology, there were a few moments I was a little confused. However, this is fundamentally a story of the oldest themes in life and fiction: love, death, revenge and power, so it’s ultimately quite easy to fill in the blanks.

Of the thirteen actors, I was mesmerized by the flawless performances by Madaline R. Ryan and Cazz Bainbridge as Eris and Hera respectively. Even though I was not completely convinced with some of the other casting choices, these two definitely excelled. The power-play scenes between them and their taut dialogue were highlights of the show. The ensemble consisting of Danika Ray, Melissa Gardner, Kira Odling and Ingrid Taylor-Moss were also standout performances with the physical demands of their roles. It was interesting to see how they were incorporated into and utilised in various scenes, including the one in hell.

Live Acts on Stage is an intense ninety-minute journey to another time. The ancient mythology and contemporary text are perfectly blended to create a memorable evening of theatre. This is definitely a highlight of this year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival and one that needs to be experienced – here’s hoping for a second season.

Venue: fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Season: Until 05 October | 8:00pm

Tickets: $40 Full | $35 Conc

Bookings: http://www.fortyfivedownstairs.com/events/ or http://www.melbournefringe.com.au, 9660 9666