Category: Theatre

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: The Graduates Present CRUISING PARADISE

Seeking connections and searching for identity

By Myron My

Cruising Paradise

Cruising Paradise by Terence O’Connell takes a number of Sam Shepard’s (American writer, playwright, actor, and television and film director) short prose tales and stages them as a variety of monologues and scenes. Presented by graduates of The National Theatre Drama School in St Kilda and performed at fortyfivedownstairs, the piece is certainly an interesting and ambitious project.

Shepard is well known for creating environments of loss, desolation and solitude in his stories which Cruising Paradise is able to convey, but it is at the loss of allowing the audience to remain fully engaged with the piece. Part of the problem is that too many stories are performed; Shepard’s stories are already so rich and demanding for an audience that it just felt unnecessary to have so many similar stories on stage in such a short time.

Furthermore, there is little differentiation between how the majority of the monologues are delivered, which made it difficult to follow some stories. It’s quite a shame as the cast (Mandie Combe, William Ewing, Camille Meghaizel, Lucy Norton and James Stanistreet) have clearly put significant thought and effort into their roles, with notable mentions going to the more senior members of the company Meghaizel and Combe, who embrace their characters with much gusto.

The stories that did work well were therefore the ones that had the actors interacting with each other in some way or where there was a slight costume change that greatly assisted in distinguishing between different tales. Unfortunately this did not happen throughout the night.

The musical interludes were entertaining to watch and a nice break from all the monologues. The composition by Paul Norton was well-suited to the voices of the three main singers Combe, Ewing and Meghaizel.

Overall, the stories in Cruising Paradise dealt well with themes of lonely people who are looking for a connection, trying to figure out who they are and searching for an identity. I only wish the show itself could (instead of simply drowning us in so many of Shepard’s stories) have had some of that insight and been able to give each tale individuality, while drawing all the pieces into a whole.

Venue: fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Season: Until 12 May | Tues-Sat 8:00pm, Sun 5:00pm

Tickets: $36 Full | $28 Conc

Bookings: http://www.fortyfivedownstairs.com or 9662 9966

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Snafu Theatre Present TEN MONTHS IN A COLD TOWN

Spy thriller hits the bullseye

By Myron My

SNAFU Theatre is back with their eighth production Ten Months in a Cold Town. In it, a man (James Gand-Hunt) enters a woman’s (Samantha Hill) house. They are both spies and he is there to receive some important documents. We watch as they wait for a fax transmission to come through before the documents are handed over…

Who is telling the truth? Is everyone who they say they are?

Ten Months In a Cold Town

Sam Wilson and May Jasper have written an intriguing and captivating script. I particularly enjoyed watching as scenes went from comedic and light-hearted to dark and serious quite fluidly and unexpectedly. The further we progress with the play, the more extreme the pendulum swung between these two contrasting genres and moods. It’s not until we are introduced to Irina (Cazz Bainbridge) that the story comes full-circle.

The scenes in Russian are intriguing to watch as you are left to your own devices to translate what is being said. Despite the fact I speak no Russian, the actors seemed quite comfortable with the language and apparently spoke fluently, and should be congratulated on their efforts.

This is predominantly a character piece rather than a narrative piece and with Gand-Hunt and Hill on stage from beginning to end, there is a lot riding on them being able to pull these characters off and they do exceptionally well.

There are touches of Waiting for Godot during the lighter moments in which the actors both appeared most comfortable, as the two spies discuss their time at “spy school” and their experience of marriage. However, during the more intense moments, I felt there could have been a push to explore their darker natures through emotions and reactions.

Overall, Ten Months in a Cold Town has a strong script and strong performances. It doesn’t answer all your questions but this is not a bad thing as it’s nice to not always be spoon-fed a story, and my friend and I spent some time discussing what we believe had happened – and was going to happen…

Venue: Industrial School, Abbotsford Convent, 1 St Heliers St, Abbotsford

Season: Until 4 May | Thurs-Sat 7:30pm

Tickets: $25 Full | $20 Conc

Bookings:http://www.trybooking.com/CPIG

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

REVIEW: Slutmonster and Friends for MICF

You NEED to see this show

By Myron My

Wow.

That is all I can say after having seen Slutmonster and Friends. That, and “I need to wash my brain.” Returning to the stage for this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival, this is definitely the craziest show you will see.

Slutmonster and Friends

The lights come on and the music starts playing in this land of cheerful and brightly coloured trees and bushes. Upon closer inspection you notice that some of the flora is not quite right. To say more would be to ruin the surprise. Once Slutmonster (Jessie Ngaio) appears in all her glory and singing a happy song, you know you’re in for quite an adventure. The premise of Slutmonster and Friends is that two brothers, Bovril (Wes Gardner) and Larch (Lucas Heil) are lost in this forest and what happens once they encounter Slutmonster.

From then on, things happen that you cannot believe you are seeing. Despite the high sexual content and outright wackiness, it all seems very fitting in this environment and doesn’t seem crass. The great thing about Slutmonster and Friends is despite all the explicit sexual references there is actually quite a convincing storyline which Heil and Gardner (as writers) should be congratulated on. It’s also great to see the three performers fully committed and taking on the demands of roles that other actors might not have been so comfortable doing.

There is a lot of crazy and racy stuff in this show but the cast are smart enough to realise this and break up the hectic pace with the same story being projected on a screen periodically as a traditional fairy-tale that would be much more child-friendly. It’s quite amusing to watch this version and see how it refers to and re-imagines things that have happened on stage.

The costumes and set design, all by Ngaio, are superb, especially the full Slutmonster costume. No amount of describing it will do it justice so you really need to go and see this show and witness all of its charms and laughs yourself.

I have never seen anything quite like Slutmonster and Friends before and I think it will be a long time before I do again. It’s a great show when the worst thing is that it has to end. I overheard one audience member say this at the end of the show and I wholeheartedly agree with their statement: “Genius. Just genius.”

Venue: Northcote Town Hall, 189 High St, Northcote

Season: Until 20 April | Thus-Sat 10:00pm

Tickets: $20 Full | $17 Concession

Bookings: 9481 9500, www.northcotetownhall.com.au & at the door.

Events, Festivals, Music, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Review: SCHOOL DANCE for MICF

Welcome back to the 80s

By Myron My

I really wanted to love School Dance. Everything I had heard about it was positive, and it is set in the 80s – which I think was an awesome time.

School Dance

Sadly I didn’t love it, but I certainly didn’t hate it either. All the ingredients were there, but I felt like this production has just in the oven for too long.

It’s the night of the school dance and we follow the amusing adventures of three awkward high school friends as they try to break through the barrier of social acceptance at their school. Everything about School Dance screams 80s – in a good way.

The costuming and make-up are authentic, including the acid-wash jeans, the big hair and the t-shirt that has a suit print on it. The high school auditorium set design by Jonathon Oxlade helped in setting up the time and environment, and the lighting design by Richard Vabre is exceptional and feels like it has its own character on stage.

Then we have the music – one of the best eras of music in my humble opinion. The performance is liberally littered with snippets of classic songs that were the epitome of those times – think I Need a Hero by Bonnie Tyler, and the like. The accompanying crazy dance moves and choreography are taken straight out of those neon-lit clubs from the 80s.

The three actors – Oxlade, Luke Smiles and writer Matthew Whittet – were flawless. Clearly they have been performing this show for quite some time as their comic physicality was impressive and the presence of their characters was felt throughout. Their interactions and energy levels was the main reason that School Dance endeared itself to so many.

There were a few dark elements that felt out of place in School Dance, particularly as it is currently playing as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The premise of the show was so happy and comedic that the unexpected allusions to domestic violence, for example, went completely against that. There was no elaboration or ending to this sinister storyline which makes me wonder why it was included. Moreover a tighter script would have helped tremendously too as there seemed to be a few scenes that were there just for laughs and not to develop the story.

Upon discussion with a few others that had seen it, I found there were strongly polarised opinions about this show. There were people who loved it and wanted to see it again and people who wanted to leave halfway through. I enjoyed the nostalgia and it definitely took me on a journey I was not expecting, but for me, the narrative of School Dance still needed some work to really make this a slick production.

Venue: The Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Rd

Season: Until 20 April | Tues-Sun, 6:30pm

Tickets: $29 Full

Bookings: 1300 182 183, www.artscentremelbourne.com.au & at the door

Events, Festivals, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Review: APARTMENTOCALYPSE! for MICF

Low-key comedy of epic proportions!

By Myron My

As part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Apartmentocalypse!  has us witnessing the world’s end. Yes, Armageddon is happening right now and three housemates, Thomas (Eden Porter), Martin (Michael Kalenderian) and Rob (Joshua Porter), are trying to figure out what to do next.

Apartmentocalypse

There is a level of ridiculous normality amidst this end of the world, as they still find time to argue about who is responsible for paying the rent and which mugs people have been drinking tea from. With three very distinct personalities on display – new-age Rob, wet-behind-the-ears Thomas and manly Martin – there is always a risk of playing to stereotypes whereby you lose the emotion and the realness of the people but the three actors play their characters so well and honestly that this is avoided and you care about these guys.

There are familiar shades of Shaun of the Dead-style humour present but the distinct comedic timing and high energy that the three possess under Christopher Bryant‘s direction allows this show to break free from this comparison. Particular mention goes to Eden Porter’s hilarious exaggerated expressions that truly were a sight to behold.

This is a tightly-written script that rarely wavers in its comic drive and rewards the audience with call backs referenced throughout, a sign that much time and effort has been put in here. Likewise with the set design, where the smallest touches has been added to create authenticity in the living room and some imaginative use of the lighting at various moments.

Apartmentocalypse! delivers the laughs and recommended for anyone who is looking to enjoy something other than stand-up at this year’s festival. In fact, Apartmentocalypse! reminds me very much of a normal share-house meeting – with the added bonus of the end of the world. And also a very good reason why I insist that all my DVDs remain in alphabetical order at all times.

Venue: The Tuxedo Cat, 17-23 Wills Street, Melbourne

Season: Until 21 April | Thurs-Sat, Mon-Tues 7:15pm, Sun 6:15pm

Tickets: $20 Full | $16 Concession

Bookings: http://www.tuxedocat.com.au or at the door

Events, Late Night Shows, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Death Rides A Horse for MICF

Saddle up for character comedy

By Kate Boston Smith

Rama Nicholas grabs the reins with authority in her first solo show, Death Rides a Horse .  With sharp wit, excellent imagination and full commitment the multiple characters she plays this one-woman show of full force.

Having come up through the ranks of Melbourne’s rich improv scene, Nicholas proves that she has what it takes to deliver on her own.  Death Rides a Horse is an excellent parody of all those spaghetti westerns you loved as a child.

Rama Nicholas

Though some of the jokes feel a little limp at times there was absolutely no faulting her acting ability. Nicholas switched seamlessly through characters such as a cowgirl on the rise to fame, brothel madam, Latin lover, evil sheriff, trusty stead and of course, Death himself.

To watch as her wild imagination came alive on stage in front of you via all these characters was amazing.  Her simple set and use of props added discreet colour and shape to the show, as did her well-timed “blue jokes” for this late-night timeslot.   Moments I particularly enjoyed were the ‘death twins’, the Death song and I’m always a sucker for a Princess Bride reference.

Nicholas clearly has a love affair with character work, and she is excels in this area.  Due to this commitment and impressive number of characters introduced in the piece the story lacks a certain amount of meat on its bones.  This is a show of incredible craftsmanship, rather than a constant laugh out loud or ‘ROFOL’ adventure. Death Rides a Horse is to be enjoyed by those who want to wander off the (sometimes) aggressive stand-up track and take a winding trail through the prairie of one woman’s incredible imagination.

The Tuxedo Cat
27 Mar-9 Apr
Mon-Sat 10.45pm
Sun 9.45pm

Revolt Melbourne
11-20 Apr
Tue-Sat 7.30pm
Sun 5.30pm

Booking details can be found here.

Events, Festivals, Performances, Review, Theatre

Review: EMILY TAYLOR in Cannonball

Dark clever comedy in MICF debut

By Tania Herbert

As the hub for the MICF, audiences are always full of energy at the Victoria Hotel. And energy is certainly not lacking from Emily Taylor in her one-woman show Cannonball.

Emily Taylor

The audience files in to Judy Garland singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, but it is certainly a somewhat darker place than Oz that we find ourselves drawn into.

Initially a seemingly innocent comic farce set in a glass tower shopping mall, Taylor moves effortlessly through an array of comic characters connected to the tower. Be it a precocious child, an uptight German receptionist or a vomiting neurotic cat, Taylor completely transforms herself voice and body to encapsulate each character.

From a depressed window washer to a self-absorbed CEO Taylor was convincing throughout. “Deedee” the demonic cabbage patch doll was perhaps one of the creepiest comic characters I’ve ever had the somewhat uncomfortable pleasure of meeting.

However, as Cannonball charges on, we come to realise that the characters are not linked by the tower, but instead by their neurosis, with each fighting their own private battle with a problematic unconscious. Despite the increasingly heavy content, there is certainly no lack of comedy, and laughter came easily and in good measure. The adaption to each persona showed a truly consummate performer, and from Emily we see not merely a joke writer, but a formidable actor.

There is a fair bit of wrong in this show- but not enough that it stops you laughing, and the depth of content kept me musing through the next day. The show definitely had more of a feel of “Fringe” then “Comedy” and a very dark ending did not leave the audience laughing in the closing stages. However, it is always rewarding to be reminded that comedy is not only goofy stand-ups, but can also be clever, satirical theatre. If you like to mix drama with your comedy, Emily Taylor is certainly a performer to look out for in the future.

Cannonball played March 29 – April 7 at MICF. Emily Taylor’s next performance dates can be found here.

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

REVIEW: Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones are DRIVING MISS DAISY

Don’t miss the ride of two lifetimes

By Kim Edwards

To call a theatre event a once-in-lifetime experience is so often a cliché – but when seeing two golden stars of stage and screen of rare talent and rich careers, both now in their 80s, both in Melbourne, and sharing the stage together at the Comedy Theatre in Alfred Uhry‘s award-winning play, there is no other fitting phrase. Driving Miss Daisy received a standing ovation for opening night, and will no doubt enjoy packed houses for the rest of its Australian tour this year.

Angela Lansbury & James Earl Jones in DRIVING MISS DAISY (c) Jeff Busby

The story is endlessly appealing: a crotchety old Jewish lady (Angela Lansbury) is forced into accepting the services of black chauffeur Hoke (James Earl Jones) by her long-suffering son Boolie (Boyd Gaines), and the unlikely friendship that develops transcends class, race, creed and years. Lansbury was deliciously eccentric and briskly comedic as Daisy: if her portrayal was not quite as acerbic and biting as was needed to heighten the tension and contrast between the characters, her quiet pathos as the years passed was intensely moving and wonderful to see. Jones, reprising his Broadway role, is exceptional: his unexpected warmth and charm, the transformation of that famous booming and cultured voice into the delightful cadences of Hoke, and his beautifully underplayed comic timing made for a delicately crafted performance. Tony award-winner Gaines is a strong tether between the two leads, and his committed interpretation of Boolie is highly theatrical but appealing.

Director David Esbjornson has created a swift and smooth production that runs for ninety minutes without interval, and the deceptively simple set and staging is clearly designed to maintain focus on the famous cast. Sadly, this sleekness and streamlining is at the expense of moments of stillness or audience reflection: the episodic nature of the play means the story must roll briskly between the gentle, elderly pace of the characters’ interaction, but the poignant close of scenes (as when Daisy weeps) were whirled along without pause, which lessened their impact.

This production of Driving Miss Daisy was made for its audience, and if the sparks that fly when Darth Vader meets Mrs Lovatt are a little subdued, and the social commentary a little milder than the play warrants, it does not detract from the fact the fans are provided with everything else they could want: a ripe, heart-warming, engaging performance from two magnificent lead actors we are utterly privileged to see performing live on stage in Melbourne.

Driving Miss Daisy is playing until May 12 at the Comedy Theatre. Booking details are available here.

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

REVIEW: Hope is the Saddest for MICF

Don’t let the title deter you…

By Myron My

Hope Is The Saddest debuts at La Mama as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and revolves around three people, Hope (Michelle Robin Anderson), Theo (Jeffrey Jay Fowler) and Marion (Natalie Holmwood) – who, after a chance encounter, are inexplicably drawn into each other’s lives for better or for worse.

What follows is each individual’s attempt at finding hope in their lives and how they help each other in some way, shape or form to achieve this. Through this hope they experience happiness, joy, regret, sadness, anger and despair.

Hope is the Saddest

Despite not actually appearing in the play (as such), Dolly Parton’s presence and influence on these people is obvious with her songs creating the soundtrack to the show, constant references being made to Parton and the life-size cardboard stand-in of her on stage that assures she will remain omnipresent throughout.

All three actors excel in their depictions of Hope, Theo and Marion and really capture their essence and bring them to life, which is not as difficult a task for an actor when you have a script as strong as this. Fowler’s script does not allow for any words to be wasted. Everything spoken is vital to the progression of the story and he has endowed the three characters with three distinct voices. There is also a perfect blend of humour and sadness in this script, just like life, and includes such cheeky dialogue gems as “just get over being gay and stick your tongue in…”

The La Mama stage is divided up into three locations, and considering how small the space is this would not have been an easy thing to devise. Using a large dollhouse to represent Marion’s home was an ingenious idea.

There are a number of interesting narrative devices used in Hope Is The Saddest to further the story that are worth acknowledging. There is the standard dialogue between characters but there are moments where all three actors speak in unison to the audience like a Greek chorus, a split-scene of letter reading and of course, lip-syncing and dancing to some Dolly songs.

Hope Is The Saddest is a beautiful comedic story interspersed with the harsh realities of life. And pancakes. And of course, Dolly Parton.

Venue: La Mama, 205 Faraday St, Carlton

Season: Until 14 April | Wed, Sun 6.30pm | Thu-Sat 7.30pm

Tickets: $25 Full | $15 Concession

Bookings: http://lamama.com.au

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Review: DRINKING, DREAMING, DATING AND DOING

Eloquent, elegant, encompassing solo show

By Myron My

I’m sitting in the foyer of The Owl and the Pussycat, waiting to be ushered into the theatre when a man comes down the stairs and asks us have we ever been in love?

Colin Craig

For a second I was thrown and thought this was a drunken visitor stumbling down from the room upstairs, but quickly realised it was the evocative beginning of Drinking, Dreaming, Dating and Doing.

We are introduced to Liam (Colin Craig) as he opens up about love and life, and in the small area where we are gathered, it is very personal and intimate. You can’t help but feel a little awkward that this stranger is opening up so much to us. Eventually we are led into the theatre space where Craig as Liam continues to captivate our attention – his eye contact with the audience really dramatises how intense and sincere he is with his thoughts and honesty.

So often I see actors take on multiple roles for a production only to have it suffer by not having a set of independent eyes watching other aspects of it, but Craig – as producer, writer and performer of Drinking, Dreaming, Dating and Doing – excels in all these areas and along with director Brooke Smith-Harris has really captured the feeling of intimacy and spontaneity with this piece.

I’ve seen Craig perform previously and he does very well with long wordy scripts, so it’s not surprising he has chosen to create a conversational and eloquent one-man show in Drinking, Dreaming, Dating and Doing. Inspired by the song “Diversions” by New Zealand group Betchadupa, Craig has delivered a script that is written in beautiful prose with strong spoken imagery throughout.

It’s not until the end that you realise what all the different types of “flowers” we had been given prior to the performance are to be used for, which leaves you with a sombre yet hopeful feeling.

Coming in at roughly 50 minutes, Drinking, Dreaming, Dating and Doing is a short piece but a strong performance that will remain with you for much longer than its running time.

 

Venue: The Owl and the Pussycat, 34 Swan St, Richmond

Season: Until 6 April | 8:00pm, Sat 2:00pm

Tickets: $19 Full | $15 Conc

Bookings: http://www.owlandcat.com.au/drinkingdreaming.html