Category: Whats On

Opera, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Melbourne Opera Presents LA TRAVIATA

The Lady of the Camellias blooms eternal

By Christine Moffat

La Traviata by Verdi is one of the most often performed and best beloved operas in the world.  It tells the tragic tale of courtesan Violetta Valery.  She falls for young and earnest Alfredo, but is convinced by his father Giorgio to give up her happiness for the good of his family.  When Giorgio realises he has wronged a good woman, and brings Alfredo back to Violetta, it is of course too late, and she dies of tuberculosis in her lover’s arms in the famous finale.

Antoinette Halloran as Violetta in La Traviata

This production marks the 10th anniversary of Melbourne Opera, and La Traviata was also the first opera staged by the company.  It is a great celebration of the achievements of Melbourne Opera, a company that is dedicated to providing accessible opera in Melbourne.  This production is particularly accessible for a few reasons; it’s performed in English, the ticket prices start low, and the relatively modern costuming all add up to a production that is relatable and engaging for an audience new to opera and for those eager to see their favourite works revisited .

Soprano Antoinette Halloran is particularly moving as the doomed Violetta.  Her performance was believable and touching, and her voice is superb.  Another stand-out performance came from Manfred Pohlenz in the memorable role of Giorgio, Alfredo’s interfering father.  Vocally the entire cast was strong, and the energetic Melbourne Opera chorus were a highlight.  The costuming by Andrew Bellchambers and Linda Britten was especially good, ranging from luscious ball gowns to simple country dress and suggesting each character’s place in the world and their individual lifestyle instantly.

The evening lasted three hours with two intervals, but felt much shorter – a testament to how entertaining the performance was.  If you are an opera buff, it is a fresh, lively production of an old favourite.  If you have never seen an opera, this production would be a brilliant introduction to the genre.

Performances:

Athenaeum Theatre, 188 Collins St, Melbourne

September 15 – 3.00pm, September 18 – 7.30pm, September 20 – 7.30pm

Alexander Theatre, Monash University

October 11 – 8.00pm

Tickets: $25 – $98

Bookings: www.ticketek.com.au and www.Monash.edu.au/mapa/

Events, Music, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Stewart D’Arrietta’s MY LEONARD COHEN

Public acclaim for this personal tribute

By Christine Moffat

Leonard Cohen is the master of sexy, dark revealing lyrics and music that sweeps you away. Stewart D’Arrietta has been swept away, but it hasn’t overpowered his unique performance of this selection of Cohen’s powerful works.

My Leonard Cohen

D’Arrietta nurtured a connection with the audience and took them on a very personal journey through the world via Cohen’s songs. Nothing makes a show duller than a show based merely on impersonation, but with his gravely voice and laconic humour, D’Arrietta’s performance was only reminiscent of Cohen.  What the audience was treated to instead was a collection of confident and original interpretations.

Sensitivity to the composer and actual musical skill are all very well and good, but the most important test a show like this must pass is “Was it a good time?”  The answer is a most definite “Yes!”  The ensemble played like a bunch of old-fashioned romantics, giving the music all of their energy and style.  Frontman D’Arrietta adapts his persona song after song, holding nothing back.  In the end he is the embodiment of a Cohen song: sexy, funny, sad – human.

The music was interspersed with bite-sized insights into Cohen’s life, titbits about the composition of various songs, and importantly, D’Arrietta’s personal connections to those songs.  It made for an entertaining one-and-a-half hours of live music, performed by accomplished musicians.

The exquisite leadlight window of Chapel Off Chapel‘s theatre was the perfect backdrop for a show bringing to life Cohen’s emotional lyrics of god and love, men and women.  When I left, a crescent moon was hanging low in a dark starless sky, seemingly imbued with a poetic connection to the moving performance that had just finished.

Dates: Sept 11 – Sept 15

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

Times: Tue-Fri 8pm / Sat 7pm & 9pm / Sun 5pm & 7pm

Tickets: From $49.50

Bookings: 03 82907000 or online at chapeloffchapel.com.au

Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Cheeky Theatre Company’s COME BLOW YOUR HORN

Welcome to the ’60s!

By Jennifer Coles

Set in the swinging ’60s and covered in class and charm, Cheeky Theatre Company’s presentation of Come Blow Your Horn is a wonderful return to the fast-paced action of that era. Slick, sophisticated and witty, Neil Simon’s much-acclaimed play is in good hands as handled by the Cheeky Theatre crew, with solid direction, performances and design. Telling the tale primarily of the Baker brothers, Buddy (a hilarious and endearing Simon Alderman) leaves home for the first time as an innocent 21-year-old to move in with his older playboy brother Alan (played with gusto by Antony Talia).

Come Blow Your Horn

In the wrong hands, this play could quite easily become a mess. The dialogue is fast and thick, and requires constant diction and attention. Thankfully, the cast adhere to the brash and bold Brooklyn style and are not afraid to enjoy the dialogue they’ve been given. The jokes are paced well, with clear evidence of solid direction by Craig Irons, and the characterisation is well emphasized and exaggerated for comedic effect. The subtle mannerisms of Buddy’s bundle of nerves are offset wonderfully by the smooth movements of Alan, and the pair have wonderful interplay. In fact, the interaction between the Baker brothers is the highlight of the show, as it is so expertly written by Simon and here delivered by Alderman and Talia. It was also fantastic to see wonderful performances from Lucy Gransbury as the strong and determined Connie, and lighthearted Lucinda Burney as the contrasting Peggy.

Since the Warehouse is a somewhat unusual space to work in, The Cheeky Theatre Company used it to their advantage. Because there was no stage to speak of, the actors weren’t afraid to get close to the audience, and it was like we’d been transported back to the time period and were quietly observing this little piece of history. However, this proximity did sometimes result in the actors ‘stepping out of the light’ every so often, which can be fixed easily. And apart from a few opening-night jitters, the space was used well.

For a first performance, this production of Come Blow Your Horn was incredibly strong, and will no doubt have a stellar season. So take trip back to the 60’s with the Cheeky Theatre Company- it’s a blast!

Venue: Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall, 521 Queensberry Street

Season: Until September 14
Tues – Sat: 8pm, Sun: 5pm

Price: Full $32, Conc $26

Bookings: http://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=58045

Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Mockingbird Theatre Presents KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN

Raw and vibrant theatre

By Ross Larkin

Manuel Puig’s Kiss of the Spiderwoman is an iconic, unusual story of the relationship between two men in an Argentinean prison cell.

Angelo De Cata and Adam Ward in Kiss of the Spiderwoman

Incarcerated for vastly different crimes, the prisoners, whose similarities seem only to be their predicament, gradually discover they have more in common than anyone would likely foresee.

Compared to its film and musical cousins, the play is confined to one cramped location, two actors, and a hefty stream of dialogue.

Mockingbird Theatre’s version is staged in the most intimate of spaces, with the audience squeezed so tightly in front of the action that the experience teeters on awkward: fitting, for an exploration of two curiously unhinged men and the unlikely affection that surfaces amidst a rocky, emotional course.

Imprisoned for corrupting a minor, Molina (Angelo DeCata) is a flamboyant dreamer, obsessed with storytelling his favourite movie, often in denial of his situation. Molina is caged with Valentin (Adam Ward), a volatile political prisoner whose dysfunction is rife.

DeCato is faced with a particularly challenging role, having to walk the line between vicarious fantasy, and the stark reality of his circumstances. Although, at times, bordering on one note, DeCato largely succeeds in portraying a shakily optimistic, effeminate character. Meanwhile, Ward’s performance feels initially forced and unsubtle, playing anger quite liberally, when the impact and intrigue of the character would have benefited from more light and shade.

When the stakes are later raised, however, the connection between the men matures, and Ward offers a more nuanced, genuine portrayal, leaving the audience affected in all the right ways.

As usual, director Chris Baldock does justice to a richly powerful story with his tastefully simplistic trademark approach – concentrating more on the character-driven narrative, and less so on gimmickry. The colour-changing web was an interesting exception. Likewise, the stark light for the bulk of the play’s duration was a choice which may have prevented the audience being drawn deeper into a world where fantasy and reality co-exist. Thus, the enhanced lighting for the tenderly awkward sex scene provided a window to a theatrical mood which was otherwise perhaps a little too absent at times.

Kiss of the Spiderwoman has, in the past, been either loved or hated, though more so the former. Lovers of the earlier versions will without doubt not be disappointed, while those unfamiliar are urged to experience Mockingbird’s version, which is well worth the effort.

Kiss of the Spiderwoman is playing now until September 15 at The Owl and the Pussycat, Swan street, Richmond. Saturday September 7 at 2pm and 8pm, Sunday September 8 at 5pm, Tuesday-Saturday September 10-14 at 8pm, Sunday September 15 at 5pm.

Bookings: www.trybooking.com/40831 or bookings@mockingbirdtheatre.com.au

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Arts House Presents WHELPING BOX

An audience left fascinatingly at odds…

By Myron My

After the latest Arts House production Whelping Box was over, I overheard one woman describe it as “dirty smelly boys doing naughty things”. But my experience with this show had me both appreciating and feeling so much more.

Upon entering the Arts House Meat Market I am led to a 9m x 9m blackened square wooden arena. Sitting in the square, I am very close to the action and eventually I can’t help but feel like I am part of the action, which is quite confronting at times.

Whelping Box

The two performers, Matt Prest and Lee Wilson, appear from the darkness and despite their playfulness with each other, there is a strong undercurrent of something more sinister and primitive lurking beneath. With each activity or task they move through, the atmosphere deteriorates to a level of primal instinct and human baseness. The visual transformation of Prest and Wilson, with their matted hair, fierce physique and aggressive movement further strengthened this idea.

Sound and light plays a major part in creating the mood for Whelping Box. Performing in various states of darkness, brightness and coloured light, you do feel almost helpless as others control what you can and can’t see. The sensorial experience of this production includes pre-recorded banging and clanging being played from various points around the square that Prest and Wilson have previously made in rehearsals. Along with the sounds they make in the performance, I did feel quite enveloped and disoriented by it as I tried to distinguish what was real and what was not.

It is interesting to note that what I experienced as intimidating and affecting during much of the show, other people found funny, which made me wonder if I was missing something? I was having quite a visceral response and the laughter ultimately made the experience even more intense, and made me speculate if that was what the creators had actually been hoping for here.

However, I did get confused during their Norse mythology scenes and struggled to connect what I was seeing to what had earlier transpired and consequently lost some of its impact. Eventually Whelping Box found its way, and I was able to reconnect with the performance again.

Along with collaborators Clare Britton and Mirabelle Wouters, Prest and Wilson have certainly created something unique with Whelping Box. I will confess I am unsure if I am feeling what they wanted me to (or whether the woman I overheard or the laughing audience were, perhaps) but my experience was definitely an unusual range of emotions that I don’t often get to feel in theatre.

Venue: Arts House, Meat Market, 5 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne.

Season: Until 8 September | Wed- Sat 9:00pm, Sat 3:30pm, Sun 6:30pm

Tickets: $30 Full | $20-25 Conc

Bookings: http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/ArtsHouse or 9322 3713

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Red Stitch Presents STRAIGHT

Finding the comedy in modern relationships

By Myron My

The title of Red Stitch’s latest production Straight comes with a double meaning. It plays on the notion of being stuffy and predictable but also brings up questions about intimacy and sexuality between a group of late-twenty-somethings.

Straight

D. C. Moore’s fun script is strong and I had only a few quibbles with it. For example, the opening scene between Lewis and Morgan (Ryan Gibson and Rosie Lockhart) feels quite contrived and grated on my patience with the “cute and adorable” relationship speak. Fortunately, this issue is rarely repeated. There are a few instances where the story seems to slow down with some hedging preventing any progression, but when the audience is generally two steps ahead of what is on stage, sometimes it’s best to just get on with it.

However, Moore does exceptionally well in keeping the story and characters honest and grounded. It’s a topic that could easily end up becoming full of badly-made sex and porn jokes but there is real heart evident in all facets and throughout the comedy of Straight. This is mainly through the scenes with Waldorf (Ben Prendergast) and Lewis but the final scene between Morgan and Lewis is quite heartbreaking and touching.

Guest actor with Red Stitch, Gibson is perfectly cast as Lewis and plays his nuances and anxieties well. Christina O’Neill is a delight to watch as Steph, Waldorf’s Amy Winehouse-esque one-night stand. I would have liked to see more of her but Moore knows the story he wants to tell and sacrifices have to be made. Rounding out the talented ensemble were Lockhart and Prendergast who both do well with their roles. The cast excels in their English accents and they all remain natural and consistent with them throughout.

I’m generally not a fan of blackouts between scenes but in Straight they work effectively in keeping us engaged with the show. In particular, the set change from cramped living room to swanky hotel room is a spot of genius and you do not even notice the the time it takes to make the transformation.

Straight is an enjoyable show with some great performances and a script with plenty of moments that will have you laughing out loud.

Venue: Red Stitch Actors Theatre, 2 Chapel St, St. Kilda.

Season: Until 28 September | Wed- Sat 8:00pm, Sat 4:00pm, Sun 6:30pm

Tickets: $37 Full | $20-27 Conc

Bookings: http://redstitch.net

Events, Performances, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: MUST Presents COLUMBINE

Thought-provoking art examines atrocity

By Scarlett Harris

The Columbine High School massacre of 1999 is a tragic watershed moment in school shootings—the one everyone refers back to—and that’s what Monash University Student Theatre (MUST) played on with their two-and-a-half-hour performance simply entitled Columbine.

Directed by recent NIDA graduate Daniel Lammin, Columbine uses interview transcripts from witnesses, articles written in the aftermath, and even a speech given by then-President Bill Clinton to shed light on the myriad feelings the massacre brought up for people the world over in a sort of doco-meets-immersive art amalgamation.

Columbine

The ensemble cast, all dressed in blue jeans and black singlets, did a stellar job at—I wouldn’t call it acting, but—making the audience feel as opposed to just observing. Columbine was more like an art installation or a live think piece than a mere theatre production. The minimalist staging, lighting and costuming allowed for those in attendance to draw their own conclusions and ensured questions about Columbine, violence, the media, youth, parenting, religion, guns and pop culture were left on our lips as we exited the theatre. So much so that one doesn’t necessarily even need to watch what’s going on onstage; you can just close your eyes and open yourself up to the emotion.

Columbine also employs the use of the 1990s cult music the school shooters, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, listened to (remember Marilyn Manson as scapegoat for their actions?) which was performed to rousing perfection. “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails was a revelation.

While the show did go a little longer than was ideal (props for the comfy seats, though, MUST!), with all the content that allegedly inspired Harris and Klebold and all that has been spawned from their actions, I dare say Columbine could have gone on forever. No doubt their crimes will continue to reverberate and affect ever more artists and their audiences.

Columbine runs from Tuesday 3rd to Friday 6th September at 7:30 at MUST Theatre Space, Campus Centre Building, Monash University Clayton. Tickets $18 full, $14 concession, $12 Monash Student Association members via msa.monash.edu.au/must or at the door (subject to availability).

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

REVIEW: Side Pony Productions Presents THE CONFIDENCE MAN

Like nothing you’ve ever experienced

By Tania Herbert

When an audience sees a show, and then afterwards won’t leave because they are too engaged with talking about the performance (frequently, it appeared, with people they had never met before), you know something pretty special has just happened. And last night was the night where I picked my hands-down winner for most engaging and original piece of theatre for 2013.

 Side Pony Productions took a huge risk on this one. The creativity to just come up with the concept is phenomenal, much less to have executed it..  There are three possibilities for audience members. Before the show begins, they may be invited to don a magnificent puppet mask (by designer Rebecca Bauman) and perform as one of the six characters of the show with instructions being fed to them through headphones.

Photo Credit Ponch Hawkes

For the rest, they can select whether they would like to hear the narration of the story from the sidelines, or they can choose an interaction option, where they can don the headphones and switch between channels of characters, hearing that character’s inner thoughts, outer dialogue and stage directions.

On entering the venue, you can choose your seat and headset, and the stage is marked out into rooms. Each character begins on their own story, finally coming together to a terrible conclusion. Even as a modern thriller, this is a great show. The characters are intriguing, and the inner monologues are poetic and powerful. The whole effect is something like watching a giant, sinister dollhouse after the children have gone to sleep.

The whole piece is beautifully soundtracked, and switching between channels was absolutely flawless. The timing and complexity of weaving the stories so that you can receive a full experience no matter how long you spend with each character is mind-boggling to say the least, and the sound designer (Sam Price) must be the most patient man in the world.

As expressed by the director, Zoe Pepper, it was a show where so much could go wrong – and there may have a been a few missed cues, a costume malfunction, and I think there may have even been a finger pistol at one point after a prop was misplaced. However, the director also speculated that so much could go right – and right she was. This was one of the most powerful, unique, and immersive theatre experiences I have ever had the privilege of being witness to. I had thrills. Several times over.

A wise person told me that the best indicator that a show is amazing is that the reviewer will then go back independently to watch it again. I’m booking my ticket for the weekend.

Season: Wed 28 Aug – Sun 1 Sept

Time: Wed- Fri 6.30 & 8.30 / Sat 4.30, 6.30 and 8.30 / Sun 2.30, 4.30 and 6.30

Duration: 60 minutes no interval

Venue: Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall, 521 Queensberry St

Tickets: Full $30 / Conc $25 / Student $20

Bookings: artshouse.com.au or 03 9322 3713

Events, Musical Theatre, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Kin Collaborative’s GAGA & ASSANGE

Cheeky musical mayhem as celebrities collide

By Christine Moffat

“A hypothetical romp laced with club hits, Europop anthems and moving piano ballads in the style of Mother Monster herself, drawing on themes of hypocrisy, tolerance, censorship and the cult of celebrity, all the while holding its tongue firmly in its cheek.”  This extract from the program is an apt description; this is indeed an old-fashioned romp, set in the world of modern notoriety.

kin-collaborative-gaga-assange

The story of Gaga & Assange revolves around the imagined reasoning for the pair’s real meeting at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012.  Writer William Hannagan takes this scenario and runs with it to create a stylish mash-up of morals, media and music.  At one and a half hours, the show seems a little long, and some of the most elegant plot points appear to be tacked on as an afterthought in the last 25 minutes.  That being said, there is a lot to like about this show.  Hannagan manages to create a world where the audience doesn’t just accept Gaga and Assange as confidentes, but relishes their stilted frisson.

Laura Raiti and Christopher Runciman are entertaining as the awkward, mismatched lovers with ethics as big as their egos.  Both are great comic performers.  Runciman is painfully unhip as Assange, the counterbalance for Raiti’s outrageous, over-the-top (and therefore uncannily accurate) Gaga.  Raiti’s musical performance was so close to the real thing that it made the original songs seem like Gaga anthems.

The concept and writing were entertaining and unusual, but the script needs a little polishing, as currently it seems to have a natural ending, and then an epilogue.  This loosely-defined conclusion is the main flaw in what is otherwise a show with great promise and appeal.  The costuming by Hannah Cantwell, Sabella Dsouza and Sooah Jee was fantastic, created character and added to the comedy greatly.  Although the staging was basic, it was designed to be versatile and effective.  The original songs (Hannagan) were a great addition to the show, and deserve full musical production in any future seasons.

New work can be difficult to review, as it is often raw.  It wears its heart of its sleeve, for good or for bad.  This is the case with Gaga & Assange: there were a few areas that needed work, but many highlights.  Overall, it was fresh, engaging, intelligent and gave the audience a good laugh.

Gaga & Assange was performed on Friday 23rd & Saturday 24th August at The Guild Theatre, Univeristy of Melbourne as part of MUDfest 2013.

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: night maybe at THEATREWORKS

Into the darkness…

By Myron My

night maybe

Entering the theatre space at Theatreworks for night maybe felt like I was venturing into an ethereal world. I immediately felt the stillness of my surroundings whilst a swirl of fog hid much of the set; all I could see was grass and I half-expected some zombies to come staggering out like Michael Jackson’s Thriller, such was the intensity.

Instead, two siblings Tom and Sasha (Tom Conroy and Sarah Ogden), appear and they are lost in a park. They argue and Tom disappears leaving Sasha alone. From there, she meets a variety of characters, and it’s up to us to determine if they are real or imaginary. It’s like Alice has stepped into Wonderland again but the darkness dial has been turned up a few notches. It’s a world where time seems to be ignored: watches are broken and people are running late.

Both leads are strong and show their versatility with a demanding script that could easily have resulted in them getting too caught up in the complexities and rushing through or losing their momentum, but they stay true to their characters and the themes of the show. The supporting cast of Marcus McKenzie and Brian Lipson further solidify the remarkable acting in night maybe.

Kit Brookman’s script is like a cloud of black smoke which slowly envelops us as it deals with issues of love, being alone and abandonment. The lines are delivered fast, which is a nice contrast to the minimal action happening on stage. This is a wordy play with lots to think about so it’s good not to be too overwhelmed especially with the technical styling.

Mel Page’s set creation is one of the simplest yet most effective ones I have seen for some time: there is real grass laid out covering the stage, with three leafless trees hidden in the mist and darkness. Richard Vabre’s lighting design and his use of shadows, darkness and depth suggests that the park we find ourselves in extends for eternity, adding a supernatural overtone to the show. I particularly enjoyed the effectiveness of characters coming out from within the shadows and disappearing back into them.

However, it was James Brown’s haunting music and sound that really and aptly struck a chord with me. From eerie soundtrack moments to a lone piano key being played – there is reason and purpose to everything he creates. Without giving too much away, one particular scene had me almost gasping for breath and provoked a very strong visual response from me too.

It is rare when all the elements of a show come together in such a perfect way to create a special piece of theatre. night maybe is a glorious example of this.  

Venue: Theatreworks, 14 Acland St, St Kilda

Season: Until 1 September | Tues- Sat 8:00pm, Sun 5:00pm

Tickets: $30 Full | $25 Conc

Bookings: 9534 3388 or http://www.theatreworks.org.au