Category: Theatre

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, 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, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Andreas Litras’ ODYSSEY

The first great hero quest is reimagined into a moving modern story

By Anastasia Russell-Head

Homer’s Odyssey is – literally – epic. Even the synopsis on Wikipedia runs to over 2000 words! Andreas Litras’ one-man play of the same name skillfully blends a retelling of the ancient story with a more recent “odyssey” – the journey of his parents from Greece to Australia, and his own reconciliation with his Greek heritage – making both stories very much human-sized yet epic in their universality.

Home, homecoming and home-finding are powerful themes interwoven throughout the show, which runs the gamut from physical laugh-out-loud comedy to heart-wrenching poignancy.

The star of the show really is Litras himself, both as subject matter and storyteller. Under the expert direction of John Bolton, he is consistently engaging and entertaining, and overall a superb performer, able to conjure a storm at sea, a fish and chip shop, or a gravesite with just a few props, some clever lighting and utmost conviction.

The audience, which included a large group of schoolgirls on an excursion, were absolutely transfixed throughout the 90-minute performance.

Migrant stories such as this are important in contemporary Australia. Although the immigrants in this story arrived in this country more than 50 years ago, the story is very relevant to the experience of many today – leaving one’s home country following war, arriving in a strange place, learning the language, negotiating a new set of norms, forming a community, and raising a family.

The (recent) history of this country is a story of immigration, and this play brings this (his)story vividly to life, complete with all the laughs and tears, setbacks and triumphs such tales are replete with.

Until 31 March
The Open Stage
757 Swanston St
Cnr Swanston and Grattan
Parkville, Victoria 3010

Wednesdays – Saturdays – 7.30pm
School Matinees – Thurs, Fri – 1pm

Adult – $38
Concession – $25

Bookings: Call 1300 099 660 or book online

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Review: DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER

Fun little romp works on keeping up the pace

By Dean Arcuri

Mistaken identity, secret affairs and bed-swapping antics lay the perfect groundwork for a night of laughter in the Eltham Performing Arts Centre this month.

Husband and wife Bernard (Phil Holmes) & Jacqueline (Raine Dinale) hide their affairs in plain sight on a weekend away, but when Suzette (Jackie Fraser) is confused with Suzanne (Penny Bolton), a jumble of comedic deception ensues in Eltham Little Theatre Inc’s Don’t Dress for Dinner by Marc Camoletti.

Comedy all comes down to timing and I felt the story and comedic moments dragged as we entered into the heavier twist of the plot at the play’s conclusion, but this was not something shared by the rest of the audience.

I was one of the few under 40s in attendance so perhaps I am simply used to a faster sense of timing, but I was still chuckling along as the crowd laughed and even cheered upon the repetition of some of Bernard’s lies as he has to think quick in order to avoid Jacqueline’s wrath.

Homles, Dinale and James Carlon (Robert) have the daunting task of establishing and deconstructing all the comic elements in play which is no mean feat. It’s to their credit that they were able to keep so many plot points juggling and keep us laughling along without being often bewildered.

Thanks to their groundwork Fraser & Bolton then burst into the thick of it, taking this farce to another level.  Deitre Kunz’s cameo as George would have been better served using his natural voice rather than experimenting with accents, as he’s given little time to establish himself. He and Frazer bounce off one another with ease and upon their exit you noticed the stark difference between marital relations we’d experienced all night.

I can’t help feeling a good half an hour could have been shaved off this performance through tighter cast work and by opening up the staging to give the cast more freedom of movement, as they were either on top of each other or positioned at too far a distance to work intimately.

Eltham Little Theatre Inc certainly lives up to their local community claim as ‘a little theatre company with a big heart’ as everyone left entertained, and were welcomed to supper with the cast and crew.

Don’t Dress for Dinner: 15th to 31st March 

Tickets: http://elthamlittletheatre.org.au

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: MTC presents RED

A fierce clash of power and art

By Brad Storer

MTC’s new production, John Logan’s Red, opened last night inside an artist’s studio with canvases and paints strewn everywhere. What is not so apparent at first is the artist himself, hidden in a solitary corner silently appraising the work laid before him.

The play is based around real-life painter Mark Rothko (Colin Friels) and his (fictionalized) relationship with young assistant Ken (Andre de Vanny). Any chance of this play turning into an sentimental and clichéd depiction of intellectual exchange between aging artist and younger apprentice is smashed in the very first scene when Rothko coldly remarks to his newly-arrived helper that he is not father, mentor or psychologist – ‘You are my employee’.

Red is foremost a play of ideas – scenes mix discussion of the works of Pollock with Nietzschean conceptions of the Apollonian and Dionysian impulses of the human psyche, and ancient myth with Andy Warhol and Pop Art. The tempestuous conflicts between Rothko and Ken debate the fundamentals of art and what it means to be an artist, as well as the relationship between a work of art and its observers. This is reinforced by the two staring out at us, supposedly at a painting hanging on the fourth wall, but this serves as a continual reminder of our status as consumers and observers of art and to re-evaluate our relationship with what we see.   

Although there are two characters onstage at nearly all times, the real duality which becomes apparent is between Rothko and his mammoth and ferocious ego. Rothko declares at one point that ‘stasis is death’, and Friels clearly takes this maxim to heart in his characterization – his portrayal is a magnificent whirlwind of bravado, fierce pride, high intellectualism, pained bitterness and staunch idealism, often co-existing simultaneously or changing without warning. His character resists easy designation: bellowing his fury at the crumbling standards of modern artists one second, the next filled with tender paternal care over his own artistic creations.

De Vanny is given a role which could easily become merely a sounding board for the ramblings of the more flamboyant Rothko, but De Vanny emphasizes from the very first Ken’s spine and own intellectual strength. This culminates in a brilliant and hilarious scene where the assistant turns his repressed anger against his employer, who is so stunned he is forced into silence for what seems the first time in the play.

De Vanny and Friels make a fantastic pair, each filled with their own artistic fire and vision, driving the play towards its breathtaking conclusion, where in an inspired use of lighting the play’s reoccurring motifs of colour and light return for one final moment, now charged with infinite meaning after the events we have seen, creating a theatrical coup-de-grace stunning in its intensity and simplicity.

22nd March – 5th May, 2012

Tickets: www.mtc.com.au

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Awake

An impressive cast tackle complex issues in difficult scripts

By Adam Tonking

Awake is two short plays, written and directed by Fleur Kilpatrick, about the family dynamic and reactions to mental disorders.

Starring Justin Batchelor, Kristina Benton, Alex Roe, and Joanne Sutton, these tricky stories present families at their most difficult times – when confronted with severe medical conditions befalling a loved one.

The two stories, titled Wonderland and Sandman, approach the theme differently, the first looking at one moment as microcosm for an entire life, the second covering three different characters and their disparate reactions to deterioration over a period of weeks.

The cast were excellent, dealing with these highly emotive situations with complete authenticity. This was especially difficult for Batchelor and Sutton in playing the two characters with the mental disorders – an awkward task for any actor, but Roe and Benton and Batchelor again were equally accomplished in their roles as the family members reacting to their sick relatives.

Their performance success was particularly poignant as the stories seem to be a series of traps for an actor to fall into in throwing unusual medical conditions at the performers, and changing narrative style from moment to moment. At times these plays even seemed more an acting exercise than a piece of theatre.

That said, there were some lovely moments in Kilpatrick’s scripts – I loved the use of the natural landscape as allegory for these situations, and the universal themes of isolation and familial bonds shone through even when confronted with the impact of these unusual disorders.

Music, written by Kristina Benton, is used as a framing device for these two completely independent stories, and while the music itself was quite lovely, it seemed an odd way to connect the two narratives.

Stylistically, the warm gentle music seemed to clash with the stark presentation of the two plays, and seeing the actors play their own Greek chorus by singing these songs was also distracting. But again, the cast held up beautifully under this challenge.

Ultimately, Awake is a virtuosic performance by a brilliant cast of two very promising short plays. It plays at La Mama Courthouse, 349 Drummond Street Carlton, from Wednesday 21 March till Sunday 1 April at 8.30 pm Wednesday and Friday, 6.30pm Thursday and Saturday, and 4.30pm Sunday. Tickets available at www.lamama.com.au or by calling 03 9347 6142.

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Review: AD NAUSEUM

A beautiful tale of a terrible man

By Adam Tonking

Ad Nauseam, created by Tom Pitts and performed by Nick Bendall with Kate Laverack and Grace Travaglia, is the story of one rather unlikeable man and the drunken destructive path he cuts through one night in the city. But the story itself is only the beginning of this wonderful production.

Pitts’ text, one long rant, is almost poetic, reminiscent of those long-dead beat poets Kerouac and Ginsberg and through Pitts’ treatment of the language, transforms a gritty loathsome bender into something romantic and poignant.

His despicable narrator seems lost and forlorn, even while his actions paint him as an arrogant pig, somehow you want to be the one to save him. I did find the insertion of a few topical one-liners jarring and unnecessary, however they did receive the biggest laughs of the night. The text is performed in counterpoint with a score also composed by Pitt, and the interaction between the two beautifully underpins the ebb and flow of the piece.

Playing the part of this narrator, Bendall brings a rascally quality to the character’s unpleasant tendencies, charming the audience with his antics as opposed to repelling us. His physicality in performing this piece was a work of art, like mime bordering on dance, depicting the world and the people he interacts with through mere controlled movements and poses of his constantly working body, from delicate and beautiful to aggressive and masculine. Fascinating to watch.

Haunting him throughout the piece are the spectres of the two women who started him on this downward spiral, played by Laverack and Travaglia, who never speak a word, but manage to convey everything they need to through the movement of their bodies.

Ad Nauseam is a masterful work, using poetry, mime, dance, music, lighting – all the elements available to create a phenomenal, tragic and romantic piece. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

This production is showing at La Mama Courthouse, 349 Drummond Street Carlton, from Wednesday 21 March till Sunday 1 April, 6.30pm Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, 8.30pm Thursday and Saturday. Book at www.lamama.com.au or by calling 03 9347 6142.

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: The Suitcase Royale Present ZOMBATLAND

Junkyard sets and a caravan full of twisted humour 

By Jen Coles

As if regular zombies weren’t bad enough, now we have to worry about the dreaded ‘zombat’- a zombie wombat! Such is the premise of Zombatland, a brilliant, fast-paced and hilarious tale featuring three of the four Suitcase Royale gents playing a multitude of characters.

 Set at the ‘Blue Lagoon’ caravan park, the Major Grogan and his brother, cricketing legend Darren Grogan, are attempting to manage the park amidst the zombie wombat attack terror. Having already lost two of the park residents within the first thirty seconds of the show, Darren attempts to move the Major, suggesting they flee to Tahiti. However, when the Major refuses, and when the zombats appear to be moving in, all seems lost- until the arrival of the mysterious ‘Stranger’ and his crumpet gun. What follows is an epic journey of rescue, adventure, hilarity…and large, fuzzy zombats.

Clearly taking some cues from classic zombie movies, ‘Zombatland’ manages to create an atmosphere of humour and fear, switching between the two depending on the situation. The use of media to enhance this was genius; the audience was greeted with a sea of zombat red eyes, which blinked on and off. The soundtrack (also created by the Royale troupe) was a mixture of outback swamp sounds and zombat screams, all giving a sense of isolated fear that the audience really felt. Not content with only that, the three actors also performed live (and in character) original songs to explain and discuss the plot, and occasionally ran to the band section to provide background music. This was even referred to in the script: “I can hear pretty ominous double bass going on!” And on top of that, they also used puppetry, a projector, rotating set pieces, various sounds and voice enhancers to add to the performance. A huge mention also goes to the crew, whose lighting and technical prowess helped both manage and add to Royale’s vision.

Zombatland is an absolute triumph of cross-media performance, with the performers themselves being completely charming and hilarious. It is an absolute must-see for quality entertainment, and my only question is…Where can I buy the DVD?

Zombatland premiered Wed 14-Sun 18th March, 2012 at the Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall.

The show was conceived and written by the Suitcase Royale (Joseph O’Farrell, Miles O’Neill, Tom Salisbury and Glen Walton).