Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Declan Greene’s POMPEII, L.A.

A wry, absurdist take on the celebrity life

By Myron My

The Malthouse Theatre production of Declan Greene’s Pompeii, L.A. follows the fortunes of a troubled young child star after a terrible accident leaves him in hospital. Green looks at the influence and effects Hollywood has on such young impressionable people and speculates as to the ultimate fate that most of them will meet.

To begin with, Nick Schlieper’s slick set design was flawless: I would go so far as to say it was right up there with the most impressive stage designs I have seen.  There was so much attention paid to detail and ensuring the environment was as real as possible. Having such extravagant sets did run the risk of a clumsy transition with getting rid of and adding so many props and pieces, but scene changes were executed well and went very smoothly.

Also worth mentioning was the great play across such a large space. There were lavish scenes that spread out all over the stage which did create a sort of divide between us and the action and whether this was intentional or not, it worked well. In contrast, the scenes in the hospital which used a much a smaller space and moved closer to the audience created that intimacy and solitude one would expect.

I did find the story a little hard to follow, even somewhat convoluted. I appreciate what Greene was attempting to do in showing the surrealism existing between celebrity life and real life and exploring what can happen when the two worlds blur together but as an average audience member I was left wondering what was going on quite a few times which detracts from being able to immerse oneself into the experience. 

However, what the story lacked was more than made up by the actors, in particular David Harrison as the unnamed protagonist. Harrison played the role with realism and honesty, especially his scenes in hospital. Even when he was surrounded by exaggerated caricatures of people in those scenes, he still maintained the humanity and true emotion of his character. Belinda McClory was also great with her opening cameo as Judy Garland and continued to impress with the other characters she portrayed throughout. There were times I was unsure if there was a different actor performing, such were her chameleon ways.

Overall, Pompeii, L.A. is a thought-provoking production and considering how strongly obsessed our culture is with celebrities and their lifestyles, it’s an interesting piece of theatre that is well worth watching.

Venue: The Malthouse Theatre, 113 Sturt St, Southbank

Season: Until 9 December | 7:30pm, Sat 2:30pm, Sun 5:30pm

Tickets: $58 Full | $48 Concession | $28 Student

Bookings: https://boxoffice.malthousetheatre.com.au

Events, Musical Theatre, Performances, Review, Whats On

Review: MARGARET FULTON – Queen of the Dessert

An exciting new Australian musical takes the cake

By Bradley Storer

The atmosphere on the official opening night of Margaret Fulton: Queen of the Dessert, a new Australian musical written by Doug Macleod and Yuri Worontschak, was overflowing with enthusiasm and national pride.

Greeted at the door of the Theatreworks performance space by members of the cast offering Anzac biscuits and mini-Australian flags, the anticipation of seeing a brand new musical intermingled with a sense of coming together as a community to celebrate the life of an Australian icon (heightened by the presence of the lady herself).

We are taken on a whirlwind ride through episodes of Fulton’s life, from her beginnings as a country girl moving to Sydney, her life in the bohemian underground and her (at the time) unconventional choices of lifestyle, several marriages marred by misery and disaster, on to the heights she gained through her own industrious, strong-willed nature and ingenuity, changing the cultural landscape of Australia forever.

Amy Lehpamer brings to the title role a simultaneous combination of delicacy, refinement and inner strength, a beautiful flower tipped in steel. This is backed up by a powerhouse of a voice which can move as easily from a caress of a whisper to a roof-raising belt. Although illustrating Fulton’s strength and poise to great effect, in the show’s more emotional moments her restraint was frustrating – I wanted Lehpamer to let down the character’s walls and yield to the full power of her passions, even if only for a few moments.

The Present Tense ensemble, under the direction of Bryce Ives, are all strong performers in their own right. Josh Price and Laura Burzacott in particular provide the most side-splitting moments of the evening, Price as a series of grotesque caricatures of Fulton’s various lovers and industrial misogynists, and Burzacott as Bea, Fulton’s long-time friend from her bohemian days, who embodies the character with good-hearted ribaldry.

The book is well-crafted if at times clumsy – it feels at points as though Fulton’s achievements are being ticked off on a list, simply being pointed out rather than explaining how these achievements emerged from her life and circumstances. After one of the best and highly emotional scenes in the narrative, the show unfortunately peters out in its last few moments as though it has lost even a glimmer of narrative.

Overall though, this is an exciting, inspiring and highly entertaining production which pays tribute to the incredible achievements of a true national icon in glorious and gut-bustingly funny song.

Date: 16 Nov 2012 – 01 Dec 2012

Venue: Theatreworks, 14 Acland St, St Kilda Time: Tue, Wed, Thu at 8pm, Fri & Sat 7pm & 9.30pm

Price: $45 full / $30 conc, under 30s & groups 10+/ $25 preview [plus booking fee]

Bookings: www.theatreworks.org.au or 03 9534 3388

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Performances, Whats On

REVIEW: Fancy Meeting You at THE BUTTERFLY CLUB

Well-crafted cabaret nostalgia for the great jazz era

By Myron My

Fancy Meeting You is a cabaret set in a New York 1930’s jazz bar where the three employees of the bar – the Maitre D, the showgirl and the musician – share their stories of love to the beautiful music of Harold Arlen.

There is strong chemistry between the three stars, Amalie O’Hara, Kathleen Douglas and Izaak Lim as Maitre d’, Showgirl and Musician respectively while each character struggles with their own concept of love, for Miss Lucille (the Maitre d’) is pregnant and single, Maggie May Adams (the Showgirl) has a fleeting encounter with a stranger and Abe (the Musician) is losing the man he is in love with.

O’Hara is particularly strong as the Maitre d’ and demands your attention when she is on stage. In contrast, you have the aloof pretty showgirl in Douglas who offers the lighter moments of the show. Lim, who also performs some of the music, finds the nuances of his character and makes you feel the pathos he is trying to bring to the surface.

All three have strong voices, give exceptional performances when singing alone and complement each other when singing together. The great strength of Fancy Meeting You as cabaret is that the songs selected help further the story and show the feelings, desires and vulnerability of the characters. The accompanying piano skills of Tim Cunniffe are flawless and delightful throughout the show.

It wouldn’t be a homage to Harold Arlen without performing what is his most famous song, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” – the song that even to this day gives me goose bumps when I hear it.

Despite its fame and frequent use in cabaret, the trio manage to evoke the same yearning here that Judy Garland did when she sang the song – an impressive achievement.

In its homage to the Great American Songbook, Fancy Meeting You has strong performances and tunes that leave you with a bittersweet feeling by the end of it. A rich cabaret experience.

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 204 Bank Street, South Melbourne

Season: Until 18 November | 7:00pm, Sun 6:00pm

Tickets: $23 Full | $20 Concession

Bookings: http://thebutterflyclub.com

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Review: THE MODERN INTERNATIONAL DEAD

Powerful, important and immensely watchable theatre

By Tania Herbert

With hunger strikes on Nauru, boats of asylum seekers arriving almost daily, and the Australia government attempting to excise Australia’s shores from, well, Australia (and no, it doesn’t make sense), there is no better time for Act-O-Matic 3000’s presentation of The Modern International Dead.

Written by Damien Miller, the play is based around the true adventures of three international workers: a soldier, a nun, and a bio-chemist, and relates their experiences – and the impact of those experiences – through tales of some of the most significant human rights violations in recent times.

Despite the heavy material, this is an extremely watchable piece of theatre, and the range of characters and emotions presents the audience with moments everyone can relate and connect to. The three performers complement one another’s stories and show an impressive range with humorous and varied characterizations, and there is a slickness to the whole show which is only likely to increase through the season.

Brett Whittingham gives a raw and gritty portrayal of a soldier losing his heart in Cambodia and his mind in Rwanda. Equally intense is Nadia Tracy’s portrayal of an ex-Sister turned counselor who is fighting an equally fraught battle with her own faith and identity.

Yet the standout performance of the evening was without doubt Dan Walls as a simple bio-chemist who, in his never-ending quest to help, eventually finds himself as a weapons inspector seeking WMDs in Iraq. Believable and understated, you find yourself liking and empathizing with this ‘everyman’, giving the audience a rare insight into a very human face inside of one of the greatest political atrocities of modern history.

At times performances felt rushed, and there was a feeling that some of the power in the dialogue was reduced by fast pacing. However, the show is beautifully staged, and flawless audio and lighting effects greatly add to the experience, particularly as the intensity grows through the second act, where we see all of our three characters coming together in a spine-chilling reenactment of aid workers caught in the crossfire of the Rwandan genocide.

Perhaps the most rewarding part of going to see The Modern International Dead is the knowledge that this is a show that is certainly practicing what it is preaching- with all proceeds going to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) , supporting those seeking refugee status in Australia.

Whether it be to support a great cause, to see some great theatre, or to peek into the curious world of international development, The Modern International Dead is a highly recommended evening out.

Venue: Mechanics Institute, cnr Sydney & Glenlyon Rd, Brunswick

Season: Nov 17, 20-24 (8pm) & Sun 18 (4pm)

Tickets: $25 Full, $15 Conc, Pay What You Can Tue 20th

Bookings and info: www.trybooking.com/BYUO, www.actomatic3000.blogspot.com.au, Phone: 9005 7870

Events, Music, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: The Song Company Presents SHIP TO SHORE

Be sure to get on board for their next stunning concert

By Anastasia Russell-Head

Once again The Song Company triumphs with an innovative and engaging performance at the Melbourne Recital Centre. As part of their year-long exploration of the theme of “water”, the final concert in their 2012 series was devoted to sea shanties and other songs about sailors and sea-faring.

Of course, many of these songs are folk songs – like Cockles and Mussels, What Shall we do with the Drunken Sailor? and Blow the Wind Southerly – which, with their simple form of repetitive verses, presents a challenge for an “art music” ensemble – how to make this material consistently musically engaging?

The Song Company rose to this challenge in fine form, with expert arrangements incorporating interesting harmonies, stunning solos and delicious humour. It was refreshing to see a group of ostensibly classical musicians really relishing being funny!

Guest Director Ruth McCall is to be congratulated on the superb and very effective blend of fun, pathos, rowdiness and simplicity in this performance.

Of course, as is to be expected from an ensemble who brands themselves “Australia’s leading vocal ensemble” the singing was faultless. Sopranos Anna Fraser and Susannah Lawergren were stunning, and guest mezzo Virna Sanzone’s jazz training came to the fore in an inspired version of Bobby Shaftoe.

Accompanying the singers were favourites of the classical guitar scene Slava and Leonard Grigoryan, providing harmonic support throughout and punctuating the vocal numbers with virtuosic instrumental duos.

As always, these two stellar performers did not disappoint – showing supreme mastery of their instruments and musical sensitivity.  For the audience, it was a real highlight to have these two brilliant musicians sharing the stage.

It was a pity that this performance was not particularly well-attended, with many empty seats in the (albeit rather large) Elisabeth Murdoch Hall. The Song Company is new to Melbourne, having built up a devoted following in their home town of Sydney, but they are well worth seeing, and I encourage you to take the opportunity to see them next time they are around.

The Song Company’s Ship to Shore was performed on 14 November 2012 at the Melbourne Recital Centre, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Review: AT THE WATER’S EDGE

A sea of possibilities with some exciting breaking waves

By Myron My

Palais Theatre is celebrating 85 years by presenting ReAction Theatre’s production of At the Water’s Edge: a collection of seven short plays celebrating life by the water.

On preview night, I thoroughly enjoyed this theme of water and its relationship to people, and it seemed even more fitting to be performed in St Kilda, right next to the beach. In all the stories, the water wasn’t just present, but was a character, always there and affecting these people’s lives, whether it be in a frivolous, philosophical or a deeply emotional way.

However, I felt rather disappointed with the three opening performances. They seemed to lack a clear plot and I was left wondering who these characters were to one another, and what were their wants, needs, desires and so on. They were stories that didn’t feel authentic and at times it seemed as if the actors were just delivering their lines and not believing what they were saying although this may simply have been some preview night nerves.

However, the stories after interval raised the bar and at times exceeded my expectations. There were particularly strong performances by Lee McClenaghan in Sausages by Rebecca Lister and the wonderfully comedic The Sunburnt Country by Camilla Maxwell. In the latter, McClenaghan and Danelle Lee play two British backpackers having an Aussie beach holiday with some interesting revelations and some sharp, authentic “British” dialogue to play with. The two actors had great comedic timing and a strong rapport on stage.

The highlight of the evening would have to go to Alex Broun’s The First Fireworks. The well-told story of a terminally ill woman, who wants to see the New Year’s Eve fireworks with her daughter for one last time, pulls at the heart strings until its sad conclusion. This is in no doubt indebted to the commitment and honesty that Josie Eberhard puts in as the mother and the wonderful support that Alicia Beckhurst provides as her daughter.

Set designer Kate Ferguson has done well in creating distinctive settings whilst being limited to a relatively small space. The use of a projected backdrop of various “water” settings is a great aid in allowing the audience to visualize these various locations.

Overall, At the Water’s Edge is a collaborative thoughtful piece on the ways environment can affect our lives, and there were strong performances by most of the cast but perhaps better care could have been taken in choosing which stories to tell here, and how to tell them.

Venue: Palais Theatre’s grand foyer, Lower Esplanade, St Kilda

Season: Until 20 November | 8:00pm and Sat 5:00pm

Tickets: $32 General Admission

Bookings: 136 100 or www.palaistheatre.net.au

Events, Performances, Review, Stand-Up Comedy, Whats On

REVIEW: David Strassman’s CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

Or the voices in your head might start talking back…!

By Deborah Langley

David Strassman. He’s the dark-edged, avant-garde artist who lifted ventriloquism into the 21st century, acquiring a multitude of fans and critical acclaim along the way for his outstanding skill and his ability to push the medium to another level – and he is back in Melbourne after three years. Led by the evil Chuck Wood and delightfully cute Ted E Bare, Strassman’s developed characters and high-tech puppetronics creates a multi-layered stage performance that is easy to forget is a one-man show.

With the use of sophisticated multi-media and some tried-and-tested pantomime repertoire, Careful What You Wish For takes the audience inside Strassman’s head as he plays out his different alter egos through the use of various puppets and robots.

Using the premise that Strassman wants to retire, but his characters are not interested in spending the rest of eternity in some museum or stuck in a suitcase, we are introduced to some for the audience’s favourite characters. Of course the aforementioned Chuck and Teddy feature prominently, but we also get to meet the Vegas Stand-Up Sid the Beaver, the doddery Grandpa Fred, a female character Angel the wish-granting robot, and my favourite, the old-fashioned (albeit very drunk) Buttons The Clown.

Strassman manages to keep the material local and current with references to Geelong bogans, Julia Gillard, Mitt Romney and the Dandenongs, and he certainly has the audience eating out of his hand for the full two hours with toilet humour, low-brow and gay jokes running the show.

For me, the homophobic element got a little too much as did the Frankston bashing but I am sure I was the only one to notice as audience members engaged with every joke offered. Even a shameless demonstration of Strassman’s new Fortune-Telling App was a crowd-pleaser with audience members offering up questions for Ted E Bare and Chuck to answer. “Will I get laid tonight?” was answered favourably by the Chuck App, even though Stassman himself obviously thought differently…!

The show ends, elated, as Stassman and his puppetronics join together in a medley of some of the funnest songs making the audience clap along and making this reviewer feel like a big kid again. As we’re walking out, the next audience is busting to see what all the cheers were about as this master performer gets ready to do it all again.

David Strassman’s Careful What You Wish For is playing at the Athenaeum Theatre until December. Bookings can be made through Ticketek on 1300 795 012

Events, Performances, Review, Stand-Up Comedy, Whats On

Review: PANIC! with Neil Sinclair

Crisis advice has never been so charming

By Myron My

Neil Sinclair’s stand-up show Panic! delves into the British comedian’s personal experience of the riots in London last year.

Sinclair’s recount of seeing roads on fire and people getting dragged from their cars to tales of a looter’s attempts to break into his flat cover much of the “equal parts terrifying and equal parts hilarious” moments he refers to.

Sinclair comes up with three sure-fire way to protect oneself from the looters from his man-made ‘command centre’ in his kitchen flat. Barricade your door with ANYTHING you can get your hands on, dress like a looter and get drunk! His story-telling methods are very relaxed, the flow of which is quite smooth as he includes the before and after effects of the London riots.

Sinclair has some great interaction with the audience, and there are many times when those invisible barriers are let down and it feels like you are just having a chat with a friend.

His lesson on the ‘art of small talk’ to help ease the tension after the riots was a highlight and there is something about the presence of an old school cassette player that I find endearing in any show.

Panic! is littered with pop culture references and only the coolest of the cool will understand them; I managed three. Sinclair has some great word play and some ‘pun-tastic moments’ with his “command centre” twitter feed but even when he makes a few bad ‘dad’ jokes he takes on the failure with a cheeky smile and moves on. This is indicative of Sinclair’s humbleness and his affableness as a performer.

At only 45 minutes, it is quite a short show but this is clearly an example of quality over quantity and Sinclair’s personable nature makes him one to keep an eye out for in the future.

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 204 Bank Street, South Melbourne

Season: Until 11 November | 7:00pm, Sun 6:00pm

Tickets: $15 Full | $10 Concession

Bookings: http://thebutterflyclub.com

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Our Chalk Circle at THEATREWORKS

A joyous response to a timeless classic

By Myron My

With a re-imagining of Bertolt Brecht’s Caucasian Chalk Circle, Inotrope and St Kilda Uniting Care Drop In Centre are presenting their latest collaborative work, Our Chalk Circle this week.

The story follows a young maid who takes the Governor and his wife’s abandoned baby under her care, and explores the repercussions that arise from that act.

It’s great when a performance can have a stage in the round or appropriately ‘in the circle’ here, as it allows the audience to be more involved in the action. Bales of hay form the circle and seating for the viewers of this production, and its strong scent immediately takes your thoughts to old village life. Then the music begins and the procession marches out in their grand costumes made from wadding.

Set within a culture of corruption and deception, Our Circle Chalk examines three very important themes: class discrimination, human sympathy and goodness and justice but it manages to look at these themes in a light and uplifting way whilst not ignoring their impact on society or examining how they are still relevant in today’s world.

The songs are beautifully timed to moments where we need to gather ourselves from the chaos that is occurring. They are far and few between but each song has such an impact on us as an audience that they go on in your mind even after they have ended.

It was impressive to see a variety of people singing and playing the instruments with skill and from the heart. Having said that, all the performers in this company also excelled in their roles and took on their characters with strong conviction and commitment.

By the end of the Our Chalk Circle, there was a definite collective mood of joy in the audience as we all clapped along and laughed to the final song. This creative work was an uplifting and feel-good performance that had me smiling long after I got home.

Venue: Theatreworks, 14 Acland St, St Kilda.

Season: Until 11 November | 7:30pm, Sun 5:30pm

Tickets: $36 Full | $20 Concession

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

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Performances, Whats On

Review: KROWS BAR KABARET Presents NEWS FLASHERS

A bold satirical effort leaves little breathing space

By Myron My

In the revitalised Weimar-style political kabaret News Flashers, the audience are treated to a whirlwind of varied Australian issues and the way the media reports these through the use of ‘televised’ news reports, song and with the aid of sock puppets.

A lot of thought has gone into the production of News Flashers, and it is certainly a delight on the eyes. Old newspapers form the basis of the costumes, including trousers, shirts, hats, bow ties and a few other surprises along the way.

The various ways in which the “televisions” are used throughout the show is quite creative and allows for radically different set-ups to take over on stage. The cast makes excellent use of the performance area and really takes ownership of every available space.

The performers (Caitlin Brown, Ezekiel Ox, Fletcher Dyson, Maurial Spearim and Sophie Kinston) worked very well together and there was some strong rapport and high energy levels but as the title suggests, the show was a bit frenetic. Unfortunately it was so fast that I found myself constantly trying to catch up with what was happening.

Many topical issues are covered throughout the show including boat people, Gina Rinehart and the stolen generation but the surface is only ever skimmed with any of them. I was left feeling confused with a few of the recurring references and felt they were some sort of in-joke I was not privy to.

The songs by creator Ella Filar were composed well and the instruments used were chosen carefully and specifically. The voices of the performers highlighted each individual’s vocal strengths and it was great to see them excel here. However, the songs may have been a little short, for just as I understood what they were singing about, they were finished and we immediately moved on.

News Flashers describes itself as ‘political, vulgar, artistic, grotesque, sexy and sublime’, and successfully achieves its claims, but perhaps if the content had been narrowed down and the performance not been so exceptionally fast-paced, it might have been a little more enjoyable.

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 204 Bank Street, South Melbourne

Season: Until 11 November | 8:00pm, Wed, Sun 9:00pm

Tickets: $23 Full | $20 Concession

Bookings: http://thebutterflyclub.com/shows