Category: Whats On

Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Melbourne University Shakespeare Company Presents THE TAMING OF THE SHREW

Ambitious production has deliberate sting

By Caitlin McGrane

For my money, The Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeare’s most challenging plays for modern audiences; it is difficult to reconcile what is essentially the story of a strong women being abused and subjugated into an emotional wreck with modern politics and female emancipation. Melbourne University’s Shakespeare Company’s production of the play is an ambitious undertaking that seeks to draw out the darkness beneath the humour that so often goes unnoticed and shine a bright and unflinching spotlight on domestic violence.

The Taming of the Shrew

The story is that five suitors compete for the love of the two Minola sisters; one, Bianca (Bridie Pamment) is a mild-mannered ingénue, and the other Katerina (Amelia Burke) is ‘shrewish’ and tempestuous. Their mother has decreed that Bianca may only marry when Katerina is wed, which may prove a difficult task because she likes to shout at men and doesn’t consider any of them interesting enough to bother with (Katerina and I have this pastime in common).

The whole cast did an excellent job with a difficult text and an even more challenging brief. Shakespearean text is thorny, because each performer needs to be on the same page, feeding off other cast members, while delivering their own lines with vim and vigour. There were moments during the performance where the performers fell slightly short of this – acting well as individuals, but not quite forming a cohesive whole. Katerina and Petruchio (Lewis McDonald) worked well together, and I particularly enjoyed McDonald’s Australiana-inflected interpretation of the male protagonist.

While the production was well directed by Fiona Spitzkowsky and Declan Mulcahy, I found the play overlong and tonally uneven in places when Katerina’s abuse became almost unbearable to watch. Certainly this kind of frankness can be a useful device, but in my mind modern audiences have seen abuse on stage and screen enough times to know what it looks like. It would moreover have been good to focus on one thing happening on stage at a time; sometimes it felt like Lucientio (Oscar Shaw) was in a play of his own creation. The minimalist set was well designed by Gabrielle Lewis, and the lighting (Jaiden Leeworthy) was used to great effect. Costume designer Bec Poynton also did a terrific job injecting modernity into the outfits referenced in the script.

I enjoyed the play more thinking about it after I left the theatre, when I could appreciate its creative ambitions. It will certainly be interesting to see what else the cast and crew go on to do.

The Taming of the Shrew is showing at the Guild Theatre in Union House at the University of Melbourne until 24 October. Tickets: http://goo.gl/kUGjLZ

Circus, Kids Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Circus Oz Presents CURIOSITY

Delightful kids theatre

By Narelle Wood

Curiosity performed by acrobatic group Dislocate, is a charming theatrical journey in to a land beyond the bottom of the toy box. Alex is an adventurer and very curious, which means we meet lots of interesting characters along the way.

Curiosity Image by Rob Blackburn

Alex is in trouble, preferring to use her brother’s skateboard for a mode of transportation rather than clean up her mess. Unfortunately for Alex she gets into more trouble trying to explain that she is cleaning up, and this is where the slapstick theatrics begin. Once Alex discovers the new and colourful land she finds herself climbing, tumbling and twisting her way through the land of Curiosity.

The acrobatics are very cool; my three-year old nephew was transfixed by all the chairs, ladders and tossing people in the air. The biggest winners for Darragh though were the acrobatic ribbons (this was met with very enthusiastic applause) and what he describes as the ‘sad monster robot’ who was playing hide and seek on stilts. Many of the older kids found themselves interacting with Alex and helping her through her adventures.

The show is very cleverly written; I found myself laughing at jokes and watching the performance in just as much amazement as the kids. And like many good kids show Alex learns a lot about herself along the way, like how to solve problems and be respectful.

The set and prop use was impressive. There was never too much happening on stage and the performance made smart use of the space, including several scenes towards the ceiling and scene that found itself at the back of the theatre.

Curiosity is a simple and enchanting story that is sure to enthrall and entertain young and old. I highly recommend, a lovely way to spend an hour with some little ones.

Venue: The Melba Spiegeltent, 35 Johnston St, Collingwood
Season: 17-24 October Wed-Fri 10.30am & 2.30pm Sat 10.30am & 12.30pm
Tickets: Full $18 Children four and under free
Bookings: themelba.eventbrite.com.au

Image by Rob Blackburn

Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: The Owl and Cat Presents BORDELLO

The brothel is open

By Myron My

Bordello, the newest production from The Owl and Cat Theatre, is an immersive theatrical experience revolving around one fateful evening at a brothel. We are free to explore the three-storey building of the well-known venue and follow the interlocking stories between the two owners of the brothel, Yvonne and David, its three employees, Trisha, Frankie and Cherry, and two of its clientele, Harry and Matthew.

Bordello

This is very much a voyeuristic experience as the audience wanders around the premises, watching secret conversations and some highly intimate moments take place. Audience members are required to wear plain black masquerade masks (in the style of the famous New York installation production Sleep No More) throughout the course of the evening, which feels like a buffer between passively watching the story unfold and actively spying on these character’s lives.

Even though the story unfolds via multiple scenes being acted out simultaneously from various rooms in the venue, the script written by Thomas Ian Doyle and directed by Gabrielle Savrone is so well constructed and thought-out we can gradually put the pieces of the story together and understand the nature of the relationships between the characters. The pacing of the story, along with the snippets of intriguing conversations and scenes we watch, allows us to be absorbed by the world around us. However, the script itself needs some work in placing us in the time period in which we are supposed to be located. Despite the costumes indicating a 1920s environment, the words and language used were more suggestive of a modern vernacular.

Aly Calder is brilliant as Frankie, one of the employees at the bordello. Despite the character’s roughness, Calder very clearly shows her innocence and naivety allowing Frankie to come to life. Similarly, John Frankland as Matthew also does well with his characterisation and building on his character’s emotional development. However, I feel the rest of the cast need to work on creating more authenticity in establishing their characters’ thoughts, words and actions. There are many scenes that lack the passion or the rawness that a piece of work such as Bordello requires to be a success.

Bordello is definitely a great concept and offers an immersive entertainment opportunity I’ve not been able to experience for quite some time. It is a unique piece of theatre that is worth watching, but ultimately requires a clearer creative process underpinning its development in order to elicit a stronger response from its audience.

Venue: The Owl and Cat Theatre, 34 Swan St, Richmond
Season: Until 17 October | Fri-Sat 8.30pm and 10pm
Tickets: $39 Full | $32 Conc
Bookings: http://www.owlandcat.com.au

Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Red Stitch Presents JURASSICA

Impressive cast in family saga

By Caitlin McGrane

Jurassica is a familiar Australian family story of immigration and assimilation. Ralph (Joe Petruzzi) and Sara (Caroline Lee) came from Italy in the 1950s to begin a new life in Australia. As immigrants in a foreign land they attempted to adjust to a new way of life, while trying to maintain their familiar traditions and customs. The play is told through flashback sequences as Ralph’s son Ichlis (Jordan Fraser-Trumble), grandson Luca (Edward Orton) and daughter-in-law Penny (Devon Lang Wilton) attempt to deal with his rapidly failing health. All the performers in the ensemble cast give exceptional performances as individuals and work well together. Fraser-Trumble and Orton both do a particularly good job of playing men/boys at a variety of ages.

Jurassica

However, for me the play did not hang together exceptionally well: the script was slightly tired and took a well-trodden path that was not aided by the addition of the interpreter Kaja’s (Olga Makeeva) Serbian background story, which seemed slightly clumsily included. Director Bridget Balodis has done a terrific job in the six weeks she had to put the play together, but the story was not quite up to the standard I have come to expect from Red Stitch. However, the writing was not without merit, and the play maintained a steady and relatively engaging pace throughout.

As always at Red Stitch the staging and lighting were excellent: Romaine Harper (Set & Designer) and Amelia Lever-Davidson (Lighting Designer) have both done a wonderful job of evoking a variety of environs on stage.

In some ways this is a story of fragile masculinity within a family, and while it was certainly told with its heart in the right place, it unfortunately did not strike a chord with me. This may have been due to the heavy use of Italian, which I do not understand or speak. Luckily I attended with someone who does so she was able to translate, but this somewhat distracted from the intentions on stage. I look forward to seeing what playwright Dan Giovannoni does next.

Dates: Until Nov 9th 2015

Red Stitch Actors Theatre
Rear 2 Chapel Street
St Kilda East, Vic 3183, Australia

Bookings: http://redstitch.net/gallery/jurassica/

Image by Jodie Hutchinson

Circus, Festivals, Whats On

REVIEW: Melbourne Festival Presents LIMBO

Circus with flare

By Myron My

Presented as part of the 2015 Melbourne Festival, Limbo is an exhilarating blend of circus, acrobatics and cabaret that will have audiences speechless and leave them wanting much much more. With a strong nod to the 1920s and performed in a Spiegeltent, Limbo transports its audience into a seedy underworld of no barriers or rules, a place where everyone can come and play, no matter what your tastes and likes may be.

Limbo

Its international cast ensures that they have the best of the best in its skilled performers including fire-breather sword-swallower Heather Holliday who at one point literally has the stage in flames and the near-impossible contortionist act by Tigris. Other highlights include Danic Abishev‘s hand-balancing act and Mikael Bres‘ Chinese pole act, which left audiences gasping throughout.

There is a great sense of play and cheekiness coming from the performers, which adds to the excitement of Limbo. While they are clearly focused and very careful in what they do, they never let this emotion show and except for one of two moments, you can never actually tell if anything doesn’t quite go according to plan.

The interludes between acts are well thought-out that not only assist with the set up of the next act but allow the audience to catch their breath and compose themselves from the excitement they’ve just witnessed. Scott Maidment has directed a very tight show that has no unnecessary lulls among the incredibly highs of watching these talented people creating intense and jaw-dropping acts with their bodies.

Sxip Shirey‘s live score – including some brilliant beat-boxing by Bres – is a great accompaniment to the acts. The music and the performances come together in unison, to the point where the movements of the acts are in perfect sync with the beats and rhythms of the music.

The charisma and genuine playful nature of the performers ensures that Limbo is an intense yet highly enjoyable experience. There are a number of “need to be seen to be believed” acts that will have you exiting the Spiegeltent in awe and wonderment of what has just been witnessed.

Venue: Spiegeltent, South bank of Yarra River, east of Princes Bridge.

Season: Until 1 November | Tues-Sat 8pm, Sat 3pm, Sun 7pm.

Tickets: $35 – $69

Bookings: Melbourne Festival

Image by Tony Virgo

Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Metanoia Theatre Presents NOT A GOOD LOOK

Sprawling and ambitious

By Christine Young

NagL, or Not a Good Look, is intended to represent writer Lech Mackiewicz’s impressions of the changes he observed in Australia after leaving in the late 1990s and returning in 2002. This is an Australia that has progressively become less progressive in its acceptance of multiculturalism, to state the obvious.

Not A Good Look

NagL/Not a Good Look means: to describe something as unacceptable, foul, disastrous, inappropriate, or awkward. And this is what’s dished up. Five actors portray several generations of a dysfunctional multicultural family who are in a constant state of disconnect; they are unable to communicate without shouting or talking at each other. They are supposed to be grotesque. And they are supposed to reflect us back to ourselves.

About three quarters of the way through Not a Good Look, actor Miles Paras’s character holds a mirror up to herself and is astounded and upset about how awful she looks. Mirror in hand, she starts a chant with words to the effect of: “live theatre is supposed to show us ourselves in caricature”.

So the vision presented in Not a Good Look is one of a nation at war with itself and what it means to be Australian. The play is structured into 20-odd scenes which are punctuated with the familiar ding! ding! of a boxing ring while the disjointed family goes through motions of their mundane existence. Sometimes, scenes begin with the Hey Dad! television show theme playing ironically in the background.

This an attempt at absurdist theatre with a lot of nonsensical conversations and scenarios occurring in the backdrop of a suburban kitchen and living room.

Unfortunately, the goals of the play aren’t quite realised. At best, it’s organised chaos. At worst, it tries to deliver too many layers of meaning and symbolism so the main message is lost. For instance, the final scene of the play had the characters in costume including a statue of liberty with a barbeque on a barge while Angry Anderson’s Suddenly played. It came out of nowhere and seemed an unlikely ending to the play.

There were some enjoyable aspects to the play such as the tango routine with Paras and Joseph Sherman. However, I wonder if this is a play that needs to be seen more than once in order to understand and engage with it properly.

Venue: Metanoia Theatre, Mechanics Institute, 270 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
Dates: Until October 18, 2015
Tickets: $25 Full / $20 /2 for $25 Wednesdays
Booking: metanoiatheatre.com

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/

Cabaret, Festivals, Whats On

REVIEW: The Candy Topps Present FEMME FATALE

Talented trio of funny and fabulous femmes

By Bradley Storer

Flashlights in hand, blinding the audience as they crept through the curtains, The Candy Topps stole into the showroom of The Butterfly Club under cover of total darkness. After a series of comic mishaps, the three ladies – Stella, Kitty and Fifi – took their positions and launched into a dark and sinister version of Pink’s ‘Get the Party Started’ that launched us off onto a rollercoaster ride of entertainment for the 2015 Melbourne Fringe Festival.

Femme Fatale

Like a twisted version of the Andrew Sisters with a dirty sense of humour, The Candy Topps present jazzy and swing versions of popular modern songs arranged in harmonies ‘tighter than the Virgin Mary’. The evening is themed along the concept of the ‘femme fatale’ – a sexy, mysterious and powerful modern woman, represented here in works from female artists such as Cher, Beyonce, Doris Day and Lady Gaga. The strongest number of the evening (hard to pick among such rich offerings!) was ultimately a medley of Adele’s ‘Rumor Has It’ and Britney’s ‘Womanizer’ that had the audience quivering with excitement.

The arrangements are fantastic under the accompaniment of pianist Danielle Buatti, and the harmonies are impeccable: all three voices equally strong and blending remarkably well. In their stories of sexual escapades, murder and depravity the three ladies have perfect comedic timing, and execute some surprisingly intricate choreography to match their complicated harmonizing.

The performance hums along at such a pace that it all seems over too soon, The Candy Topps so fantastically appealing that it seems impossible for anyone who sees the show to have a bad time. A definite crowd-pleaser, and an evening of pure entertainment!

Venue: The Butterfly Club, Carson Place, Melbourne.
Date: 29th September – 4th October
Time: 8:30pm
Tickets: Full $32, Concession $28, Group (6+) $26, Members $26, Tight Ass Tuesday $25
Bookings: www.melbournefringe.com.au, www.thebutterflyclub.com, at the door.

Cabaret, Festivals, Whats On

REVIEW: Miss Friby Presents TOP SPOT

Glitz and glee with double the divas

By Myron My

Presented as part of the 2015 Melbourne Fringe Festival, Top Spot is a one-woman show performed by two blonde bombshells, Gloria and Delia. Well no, it’s just Gloria’s show. But actually it’s really Delia’s show. Either way, it’s a great evening of cabaret, burlesque and comedy as the two women fight it out for the highly coveted “top spot” in the eyes of the audience.

TOP SPOT

Having been working together since 2013, Stephanie Marion Wood (Gloria) and Elizabeth Dawson-Smith (Delia) are a perfectly matched and complementary team to watch on stage together. Having previously seen the two perform twice in Miss Friby’s Two Pound Parlour, I expected to be in for a night of naughty hi-jinks and I was not disappointed.

In Top Spot, the two women are in a constant battle to ‘one-up’ each other, considering just the mere thought of sharing the spotlight is met with indignation and revulsion. The fun, high energy acts throughout the show and the brilliant costumes on display clearly indicate the time and effort the performers have gone to in creating this show. However, the scenes where Wood and Dawson-Smith are conversing with each other or the audience waver in their humour and comedy and still needs some refining.

While I’m not convinced a 60-minute show needs to have an intermission and make the show run 15 minutes over its advertised time, the second half of Top Spot is by far the stronger of the two, beginning with an amazing visual and vocal rendition of Sia’s “Chandelier”. Wood and Dawson-Smith are both extremely endearing on stage and know how to turn on the charm to win us over. The audience warmed to them immediately so that when we reach the audience participation required comedy segment “What Will You Do For a Cocktail?”, very little resistance or hesitation is present.

As much as Delia and Gloria would hate me for saying this, there is no place for an individual “top spot” in this show. Both Wood and Dawson-Smith shine in Top Spot and dazzle us with an array of entertaining acts that result in a very enjoyable night.

Venue: Ruby’s Music Room, Bennett’s Lane, Melbourne, 3000.

Season: Until 4 October | Fri – Sat 7.30pm, Sun 2pm (family friendly show)

Tickets: $25 Full | $22 Conc

Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival

Festivals, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: LITTLE V’S TERRIBLE TEA PARTY

Unabashedly grim and creepy

By Myron My

Little Vaginia is having a tea party and we are all invited! Presented as part of the 2015 Melbourne Fringe Festival, Little V’s Terrible Tea Party is a dirty little cabaret that brazenly explores the darkest recesses of morality and perversions where our hostess will also be revealing a big surprise!

Little Vs Terrible Tea Party

Yasmin Mole is perfect as the unhinged and somewhat psychotic Little Vaginia. With her big curly hair and pink frilly dress, she is a life-size version of the creepy dolls that are scattered along the stage. Her wide innocent eyes are unsettling as she sings about abortions and rape and her quavering voice is constantly on the brink of losing her self-control. Joining Mole are Charlotte Righetti, David John Watton and Jack Lad as the three clowns, and their physicality, facial expressions and their individual character traits are all well constructed.

The detailed set design adds a strong visual element to the show, with its abundance of dolls, puppets, toys, teacups and other childhood items. However, upon closer inspection, you notice that toys are ripped or broken, puppets are suicidal and teacups are shattered pieces that are held together by glue, enforcing the idea that our childhood ideals are so fragile and fleeting that at some point we have to let go of them and face the harsh and scary realities of the world.

Little V’s is unashamedly daring and bold and there is nothing that the show won’t talk about and nowhere where the show won’t go. This is more than clear in its rendition of The Sound of Music‘s “My Favourite Things” that would leave Maria von Trapp absolutely mortified. Other highlights include the chastity-endorsing song, “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Hymen”, and the random but very unsettling cameo by Santa (Martin Jones) with its realisation of just how grim “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” can actually be. There are moments when the transitions to the next song or performance is a little abrupt or the delivery of punchlines in Little V’s don’t quite hit the mark with the audiences but I feel this is also part of the charm of the show; leaving the audience unsettled and not quite sure how far the performers are going to take things.

Little V’s is probably not going to be everyone’s…well, cup of tea, but if you’re happy for dark confronting matters to be discussed in a direct and humorous way, then it is definitely a show to watch. After all, don’t you want to know what Little Vaginia’s big surprise is?

Venue: Fringe Hub, The Lithuanian Club, 44 Errol St, North Melbourne, 3051

Season: Until 3 October | Fri-Sat 10.30pm

Tickets:$24 Full | $19 Conc

Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival