Category: Whats On

Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Daniel Keene’s DREAMERS

Romance reveals racism

By Myron My

Originally commissioned for French theatre company Tabula Rasa, the English-language premiere of Dreamers presented by fortyfivedownstairs could easily be a narrative born straight out of current Australian politics and newspapers. The story follows a young Muslim refugee, Majid, who seeks work and acceptance from a community that eyes him with suspicion, disdain and aggression.

Dreamers Photo Credit - Jeff Busby

Majid (the impressive Yomal Rajasinghe) is waiting for the bus where he meets the lonely and much older Anne (Helen Morse). Through a second chance encounter their friendship deepens into a romantic relationship, much to the outrage of the town’s residents.

Daniel Keene’s story is a slow-burn but utterly absorbing tale of a world of casual bigotry and racial discrimination, where at one point, a resident ranks Majid’s “darkness” on a scale of 1 to 10. The scenes involving the various townspeople (Nicholas Bell, Jonathan Taylor, Paul English, Natasha Herbert and Marco Chiappi) whilst uncomfortable to watch and hear, are a stark reminder of the attitudes that are still held by many in Australia.

Age-discrimination, poverty and gender roles are also explored in Dreamers, but with Keene’s infusion of light-hearted or comedic moments and interludes, he never makes you feel overwhelmed by the issues but allows them to enter your thoughts and rest there.

There is some inspiring work by designer Adrienne Chisholm, lighting designer Andy Turner and sound designer Sam Bolton. All these facets blend in so smoothly with the story, and serve to deepen the impact and authenticity of the production.

The talented cast of eight are highly convincing without becoming caricatures or stereotypes. Under the masterful direction of Ariette Taylor, they create some truly affecting moments, especially as we build towards the conclusion, which allows us to leave the performance buoyed up with some hope.

Dreamers is a perfect example of strong writing, acting, and directing coming together to create a highly memorable theatrical experience for its audience. Hopefully it will not be over another decade before Keene and Taylor collaborate once more.

Venue: fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Season: Until 30 November | Tues- Sat 8:00pm, Sun 4pm

Tickets: $45 Full | $35 Conc

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

Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Black Water Productions Presents KILLER JOE

Viciously funny

By Caitlin McGrane

If you are of a sensitive disposition, I advise you to look away now. Killer Joe by Tracy Letts is not for the faint of heart. A tale of depravity, sexual violence, misogyny and poverty, it catapults the audience to 1990s Texas. Those, like myself, more familiar with the 2012 film version starring Matthew McConaughey might be au fait with the subject matter, but it doesn’t stop the stage version being just as shocking, intriguing and downright funny.

Indeed, I was startled once again by how witty the script is; the gloomy staging rarely lets the audience feel quite comfortable in the company of the characters. And this is no bad thing: the audience ought to find them fairly reprehensible.

Killer Joe

‘Killer’ Joe Cooper, brilliantly played by Mark Diaco was equal parts charming and vicious; Michael Argus as Chris Smith both morally repugnant and sweetly caring; Sarah Hallam’s Sharla Smith was funny but almost wholly without sympathy; Ansel Smith played by Michael Robins was a loveable idiot and dangerously moronic. And then Dottie, everyone’s favourite character, indeed often the only character with whom the audience had any sympathy was played with just enough unhinged psychosis by Matilda Reed.

The staging was brilliant: I particularly enjoyed the use of the television (“Don’t you touch that television” might have brought in the biggest laugh of the night). The attention to detail on stage was also admirable and the use of props was interesting and inventive (special mention to the plastic sword); director Daniel Frederiksen has outdone himself. If you don’t mind being shocked and appalled, this production of Killer Joe is certainly worth hunting down.

Killer Joe is now showing at Revolt Artspace in Kensington from now until 23 November. Tickets (and Pozible campaign) at http://www.blackwatertheatre.com/#!bw-presents-killer-joe/c180r.

Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: La Mama Presents MONOLOGUE FOR A MURDERER

The ethics of dramatizing real-world horrors

By Myron My

High school shootings seem to be a distressing regular occurrence of late and remain a touchy subject in film and theatre. In Monologue for a Murderer, Kate Rice uses the tenth anniversary of the 2002 German school massacre in the town of Erfurt as the impetus to tell this story, and whilst the work is nothing new on its own, the intelligent narrative structure and direction makes this play something very different.

Monologue for a Murderer

Three points of views are explored in Monologue for a Murderer. The events leading up to the school massacre are examined through the eyes of then school principal, Frau Doktor (Kaarin Fairfax), and the eyes of killer, Robert Steinhäuser (Nicholas Denton). Whilst the time jumps are a little unclear and confusing to begin with, things soon settle and the narrative comes together quite well with a highly intense retelling of those final moments.

The third point of view playwright Rice uses is that of her own, played by Kirsty Hillhouse. As Rice – who was in Erfurt for the tenth anniversary – Hillhouse speaks directly to us and gives us some insight into her own personal ethics and inner conflict in creating theatre and entertainment from such a horrific event and her subsequent attempts to pay respect to the lives affected by Steinhäuser.

There are some strong performances from the cast from Hillhouse, and Denton as the troubled young killer. However, the role of Frau Doktor felt miscast with Fairfax unfortunately unable to convey the deep level of grief and responsibility felt. Moreover, Charlie Sturgeon also struggled to convince in any of the characters he portrays, with little discernible differentiation between his roles, even in tone or body language.

A unique script, and apt direction by Jeremy Rice, ensure that Monologue for a Murderer doesn’t present as just another play about another high-school shooting but opens out into a powerful discussion of what theatre can be, for an audience member, an actor and a writer.

Venue: La Mama Courthouse, 349 Drummond St, Carlton

Season: Until 9 November | Wed 6:30pm. Thu-Sat 7:30pm, Sun 4pm

Tickets: $25 Full | $15 Concession

Bookings: http://lamama.com.au

Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Boutique Theatre Presents THE PAVILION

This is how the universe begins…

By Amy Planner

The time-honoured story of high-school sweethearts reuniting at a school reunion is one we all know well. But this time round there is something exceptionally different. Peter and Kari were the perfect high-school couple; simple feelings, easy lives, big futures, until a baby was on the way and grim decisions were made. We meet them twenty years later at their high school reunion with bad choices, long-lost feelings and a narrator with her own version in hand.

The rustic and intimate setting of the Abbotsford Convent comforts, as you delve into the familiarity of the characters and their relationships. Stripped down, The Pavilion by Craig Wright explores life and its many choices, how those choices change our paths and how those paths are infinite but never definite. Underneath the poetic narrative is a story that explores much more than its immediate self and asks much bigger questions.

The Pavilion

It is an arduous task picking a stand-out performance with a cast of just three, however Claire Pearson’s truly multi-faceted portrayal of The Narrator is something undeniably unique. She navigated seamlessly from an Australian narrator through a myriad of American characters, both female and male, which entered realms of explosively drunk, explicitly stoned, ridiculously sassy, painfully neurotic, and in some places even darn right batty. Katherine Innes and Tim Constantine’s rendering of Kari and Peter are subtle yet intense when appropriate, leaving space for the forceful emotions they are forced to remember and discover.

Nico Wilsdon’s costuming is just colourful enough to give background and make you wonder just where the characters have come from – The Narrator’s gold ensemble is particularly charming. The story and its life-pondering questions are comforted by clever set design (Nicholas Casey) and astute direction (Byron Bache). Despite some momentarily ostentatious dialogue, Craig Wright has delivered a thought-provoking script filled with tiny nuggets of hilarity and true-to-life existential calamities.

Boutique Theatre has brought this international hit to the Australian stage with comedic flare and great philosophical resolve.

Venue: The Industrial School, Abbotsford Covent
Season: 30 October – 14 November, Wednesday – Saturday, 8pm
Tickets: $28 Full, $25 Concession
Bookings: http://boutiquetheatre.com.au/the-pavilion/

Events, Performances, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Sesame Street Presents ELMO’S WORLD TOUR

Frankly good fun!

By Kim Edwards

This was the first time my reviewing buddy was a two-year old, but she was prepared to be a harsh critic. Admittedly, I was also prepared to be a little bored and a little underwhelmed by any efforts to get the beloved Sesame Street characters on stage in any kind of appealing way… and so, was pleasantly surprised. Elmo’s World Tour is very charming: a sleek, well-paced production where the cute characters are personable and plausibly familiar, the family entertainment factor is a clear priority, and the storyline is taut and neatly developed.

A world globe gift from Grover inspires Elmo to want to go traveling, and with the help of Abbycadabby to conjure up alphabet letters, he and the Sesame Street gang visit countries starting with those magical letters. Of course, with Abby only using her second-best wand, and Cookie Monster eating his letter C, the trip doesn’t always go smoothly, but of course everything works out in all the best ways.

Elmo's World Tour 2014

I enjoyed the educational element that connected the story firmly to the TV show, including the multicultural theme that introduced the very excited pre-school audience to greetings in other languages, and music and dance styles reminiscent of the countries visited. I also loved that, along with these new songs, the plot managed to work in lots of the best vintage Sesame Street tunes and include a few key cameos from Ernie and Bert, and the Count. Less successful is the awkward Australian component and new character, but Lady Baa Baa’s inclusion is thankfully brief.

The anonymous performers do a simply wonderful job: the dance energy, physical characterisation and puppeteering are all excellent. Full-body costume work is always thankless, but the actors give no sign of being tired, hot or jaded after doing three performances a day and (I suspect at times) playing multiple characters. The costumes themselves look very authentic (no easy feat for muppets made full-size), and the set and props are practical for a touring show, but handsome and nicely manipulated.

The mood in the Regent Theatre was cheerful and supportive, with the sound not too loud, the house lights left dimmed, and a general empathy for parents and little fans who needed to exit, stand, fidget or snack during the show. My little critic and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, though I would recommend if paying extra for the Elmo meet-and-greet afterwards, you ensure your child isn’t likely to baulk at the (actual) enormity of their hero in person. There were a number of ‘wailing with Santa’-style incidents, but Elmo and his assistant were very sweet and patient, and the faces of devoted fans throwing their arms around their idol was a delight in itself.

The final 2014 performances of Elmo’s World Tour take place at The Clock Tower, Moonee Ponds, this Monday October 6. Tickets start from $22.40 at http://lifeliketouring.com/sesamestreetpresents/

Festivals, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: The CuttingRoom Floor’s ALL THE SINGLE LAD(IE)S

Two intertwined tales of gender-bending

By Myron My

There are two stories that take place in All The Single Lad(ie)s, The Cutting Rooms Floor’s production for 2014 Melbourne Fringe Festival. One is drag show hosted by Tammy Packs (Braiden Dunn), who gives us some valuable life lessons and the other is set in a clothing store run by O (Verity Softly). The narrative of O looks at an incident at her store when a young man, V (Jack Walker), attempts to rob her at gun point. Things escalate from there and between every ‘chapter’ of this story, Tammy returns to the stage to dish out some advice whilst singing a few choice Beyoncé tracks that link back to the story.

All the Single Lad(ie)s

The expectations and power of gender are explored in a way which does not make judgments or accusations but instead, leaves you to your own devices to provoke thoughts and discussion. Looking at such themes, it is not surprising that Beyoncé’s music is used, herself as an artist being a highly successful, powerful and influential woman.

The writing by Zoe Hollyoak is strong during the Tammy scenes, but I felt the story of O and V needed some refining. I failed to be convinced at how events transpired, and the narrative flow did not feel organic. Moreover, I would have appreciated knowing the motivations of the characters in order to be able to make sense of their choices. However, there was some good acting by the two actors, especially during the more confronting and sexually charged scenes.

Meanwhile, Dunn seems completely at ease as the host(ess) with the most-ess, Tammy, especially with some of the audience interaction that occurs. His version of “If I Were A Boy” is quite touching and shows a softer side to the show and his character.

Scott Corbett’s direction makes great use of the stage, especially during the confronting final moments of the show which pack a powerful punch.

In both worlds in All The Single Lad(ie)s gender lines are reversed, blurred and smashed to a climatic ending. There are admirable and committed performances throughout, but I feel these performers could all have excelled with a slightly less-forced storyline.

Venue: Revolt, 12 Elizabeth St, Kensington

Season: Until 4 October | 8:00pm

Tickets: $20 Full | $15 Conc

Bookings: http://www.melbournefringe.com.au

Dance, Festivals, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Speakeasy Presents POTENTIAL

Scintilatingly strange

By Caitlin McGrane

Billed as a ‘dance of the heart’, Janine Proost’s Potential will go down in my memory as one of the stranger theatrical performances I have ever experienced, and I mean that as a compliment. The audience is lead in through the doors of Studio One at the Northcote Town Hall to find our four performers (Janine Proost, Natalie Abbott, Rebecca Jensen and Amelia McQueen) lying splayed on the ground covered in a blanket of playdoh. The four women are wearing gold lycra outfits, and invite the audience to take some of the playdoh heaped onto their chests…

Potential

What follows is 60 minutes of dance and yoga that will leave you pleasingly puzzled. It was clear that the inspiration came from the body, but that it came from the heart wasn’t always obvious to me. There was certainly a lot of feminine imagery (a vignette of a mid-birth playdoh baby springs to mind), which is always interesting. I loved how the energy of the performance mirrored that of a yoga class: starting with slow movements, breathing, simple postures and building to a crescendo of occasionally painful movements across the stage that were at times quite difficult to watch. There is a lot of quiet in the performance, and it beautifully counterpoised the manic cacophony of noise that made up part of the third act.

Special and particular mention must go to Matt Adey whose lighting design was spectacular and very evocative. The harsh stage lights illuminated the faces of the performers in ways that caused them to be at once beautiful and pained (the kind of facial expression one can only get from an hour of yoga).

For my first Melbourne Fringe Festival show this year, it was quite an experience. I’m very excited to see what Proost comes up with next and will be first in line to see it.

Potential is on every night until Sunday 5 October at 7:30pm at the Northcote Town Hall. Tickets are $26 at http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/fringe-festival/show/potential/

Cabaret, Circus, Festivals, Whats On

REVIEW: Lumiere Acrobatics’ THE LOUNGE – A CIRCUS CABARET

Dazzling moments

By Myron My

Every Melbourne Fringe Festival, I try see as many circus acts as I can, due to the unique variety that appear. Presented by Lumiere Acrobatics, The Lounge – A Circus Cabaret is one of those circus shows with a difference in its infusion of – as its name would suggest – circus and cabaret.

Floating through the 1950-60s era, creative director Glenn Birchall entertains us with a group of highly talented individuals. As far as openings go, The Lounge is highly memorable with the ensemble involved, coming on and off stage with various short acts that whet our appetite for what’s to come. The acts are accompanied by a great blend of jazz music which further sets the ambience for the show.

The Lounge

Two “club hosts” egg each other on as they attempt to out-perform each other and win over the audience. Each act adds a progressive layer of awe and culminates in something unique and amazing: for example, the majestic ‘AeroSphere’, a glittering two-metre diameter mirror ball that opens in four petals like a flower. With Birchall having spent 70 hours gluing every piece of mirror onto the mechanism, it really is a sight to behold as the acrobatic act takes place on it.

The other highlights of the evening included the silks routine and the contortionism, both of which appeared to be done seamlessly and with much ease. I was completely enthralled by the same silks performer who also impressed with the ‘AeroSphere’ acrobatics.

As a circus and cabaret performance, there is a great blend of acts to amaze us as well as acts to purely entertain us. I do feel that there were just a few too many lengthy interludes and dance numbers but overall, The Lounge – A Circus Cabaret is a highly enjoyably circus experience.

Venue: Gasworks Arts Park, 21 Graham St, Albert Park

Season: Until 4 October | 6:30pm, Saturday 12.00pm

Tickets: $45 /$30 Conc

Bookings: www.melbournefringe.com.au

Festivals, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Speakeasy Presents PREHISTORIC

Back to punk

By Caitlin McGrane

Marcel Dorney’s Prehistoric is a raucous, lively, beautiful and heart-breaking look at the punk scene in Brisbane in 1979. It struck so many chords with me that I could barely stop smiling throughout. The play took me back to when I decided, aged twelve, to become a punk: it was simultaneously joyous and uncomfortable in the best possible way.

Prehistoric

Before the play begins, the performers speak directly to the audience, inviting us to come with them back to 1979, a most convincing way to get an audience to turn off their phones. The play opens as we are introduced to the four characters: Barbara, Rachel, Nick and Pete. They’re all young, angry, and frustrated by their surrounds: prime for the allure of punk. There’s a song they all remember hearing that catapults them away from the humdrum of their lives and into the boisterous world of a punk band formed in Barb’s living room. They’re all immediately sympathetic and I fell in love with every one of them.

As the story unfurls, the performance covers an awful lot of ground: abuse, mental illness, police brutality, rape and sexuality. All of these topics are handled in the most sensitive and evocative way, never turning to cliché or hamstrung ideas to get their message across. What is most striking about this play is that the themes and concerns are just as relevant today as they were in 1979.

It slightly lost its way in the third act, but despite this it remained fairly compelling. It could have been shorter by about ten to fifteen minutes, but that is a small gripe when the rest of the performance was so spectacular.

The production values were all excellent and I particularly enjoyed the way the lights behind the audience invoked the idea of the police without having any additional presence on stage. Every off-stage role was superbly characterised through voice techniques and I would challenge you to sit through the scene between Rachel and the police without squirming. I look forward to Elbow Room’s next production and Dorney is definitely one to watch.

Prehistoric is on every night from now until 5 October at 9pm in Studio Two of the Northcote Town Hall. Tickets are $26 at http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/fringe-festival/show/prehistoric/

Festivals, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Fringe Festival’s PANDORA’S DOLLS

Seven sins unleashed

By Myron My

Pandora's Dolls

A young woman is seeing a psychiatrist as she deals with the aftermath of her childhood abuse and trauma. Despite the serious theme, Pandora’s Dolls is a variety of surprisingly entertaining acts that deal with the repercussions of her experiences.

Consisting of burlesque, dance and music, the performances take place “inside” Pandora’s head and appear as manifestations of the seven deadly sins. The Greed and Lust segments displayed the choreographic and directorial skills of Donna Robinson and Mark Cipollone, but it was in in the marvelous marionette dance routine for Sloth and the candy segment for Glutton that they excelled.

There’s also no way I can go past the costumes and make-up in praising what else worked well in Pandora’s Dolls. I was in awe of the effort and time that would have been needed to create these pieces. The over-the top-wigs and head dresses along with some highly creative outfits added to the nightmare world that Pandora found herself in with even the support dancers in the red morph suits conveying a mood of horror.

The live band, Rapskallian, was brilliant and the numerous instruments they played showcased their talents and allowed for a more authentic and visceral experience than a mere recording would have. I was especially impressed with their lead singer’s voice during the Greed song, singing in a believable cockney accent.

Unfortunately, the production does suffer during the therapy sessions between Pandora and her psychiatrist, wherein the latter lacked the authority he ought to have in his delivery and body language. There were a number of times where it seemed that lines were forgotten as the performer stood in silence and then apparently repeated lines to find his rhythm again or – from an audience perspective – to end the scene.

The story and themes explored in Pandora’s Dolls did get a little lost in translation and execution, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing given the heaviness of the topic. Overall, it was an enjoyable show due to the highly committed and skilful performers from the House of Burlesque providing much entertainment.

Venue: Lithuanian Club, 44 Errol St, North Melbourne

Season: Until 4 October | 9:30pm

Tickets: $35 Full | $25 Conc

Bookings: http://www.melbournefringe.com.au