Events, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Back to Back Theatre Present HELL HOUSE

Paving the way to a remarkable theatre experience

By Anastasia Russell-Head

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, turning up at the Artshouse Meat Market for the opening night of Back to Back’s Hell House. Ushered in to the ticket desk, we were given coloured stickers to place on our collars and told to wait until we were called. After a few minutes we were asked to assemble down a flight of stairs in a black plastic-shrouded antechamber. Strange sounds could be heard from round about, and no-one really knew what was going to happen next.

Soon enough the show began, and we were introduced to our devilish guide who walked us through a series of strange and horrific vignettes – a young man’s funeral, an abortion, a car crash, a suicide, a pagan sacrifice – until finally we reached hell itself.

This play originated in bible-belt USA churches, where it is performed annually to thousands of young Christians – the aim being to scare them into re-confirming their faith. Interestingly, Back to Back stages this version as an “anthropological study”, not aiming to pass judgment or present a particular point of view. In fact, the presentation of the play is only one half of the production; the other half being an interactive forum looking at themes of provocation, belief and morality.

For me, the forum (with panelists Scott Stephens, Waleed Aly, Clare Bowditch and Benjamin Myers) was almost more provocative than the play – in that it caused me to completely re-think the way I had viewed and approached the original work. Questions were asked about judgment, consequentialism, good and evil – and Waleed Aly even wove in a few Batman allegories for good measure!

At first I wanted to laugh at the simplistic morality, the black-and-white-ness, the you’ll-all-go-to-hell-sinners vibe of the work. Yet this is not irony. It’s not for laughs (although there are a couple of giggle-worthy moments). It’s not about poking fun at fundamentalism. Rather, this production seeks to begin a discussion and open the door for some serious debate. I’m still musing about it the next morning, which is a sure sign of a thought-provoking work.

Hell House by Back to Back Theatre at Arts House, Meat Market

Until Sunday 5 August

Saturday 4 August: Performances every 10 minutes from 7pm, followed by forum at 8.30pm.

Sunday 5 August: Performances every 10 minutes from 2pm, followed by forum at 3.30pm.

Full $25 / Concession $20

Book online or phone 03 9322 3713

Events, Musical Theatre, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Review: MADEMOISELLE by Michael Dalley

Behind closed doors is where camp comedy begins

By Myron My

I was not sure what to expect from the world premier season of Mademoiselle, advertised as “a gothic camp music theatre revue” with two satirical manservants singing tunes about what could have been, but I knew I would be in for a treat.

Our two manservants, played by creators Michael Dalley and Paul McCarthy, sneak into their employer’s boudoir and let loose some glitzy musical numbers revolving around fantasy, regret, power and servitude.  The very opening song relaxed the audience and assured us that we were in for a night of cheeky laughs.

Mademoiselle is a very wordy and witty revue with just a few jokes falling flat. However, the characters had such an air of assumed superiority that you had to second-guess yourself when you didn’t laugh – was it because the joke wasn’t that funny or because you were just too lower class to get it?!

The banter and bitchy retorts between the two servants as they try to gain one up on each other was a joy to watch and Dalley and McCarthy have a great rapport together. You can clearly see they are having a ball with this. However, I would have liked to see the pair push themselves more with volume and vocal projection – at times, their speaking voices were louder than their singing ones, as if they were holding back during the songs. Also, there were moments during the duets when the performers were not in time with each other, but they were far and few between.

Composer John Thorn on piano was delightful to hear and played with great precision. Favourite numbers of the night were “The Passive Aggressive Filipino Amway Lady” which had me in stitches when the title character met the articulate call centre operator from Dubai, and “The Nasty Queen From Menswear” made delightfully scarier by the fact that I too was once a victim of such a person in previous employment.

The sets and costume, while minimal, added so much to this revue. The constant presence of the toilet was a constant reminder that despite their airs, these two manservants were just that and nothing more. The single props for their impersonations were well-chosen and clearly distinguished their changing characters: from Indian call-centre workers and Filipino Amway ladies to bitchy sales assistants, they were spot on, which is no surprise given Dalley and McCarthy’s established performance backgrounds in comedy and theatre.

Mademoiselle is certainly cheeky good old-fashioned camp fun that will see you leaving the theatre with many belly laughs having been had.

Venue: fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane
Season: Until 19 August 2012 | Tues to Sat 8:00pm, Sun 5:00pm
Tickets: $35 Full | $28 Conc
Bookings: 03 9662 9966 or http://www.fortyfivevdownstairs.com

Cabaret, Events, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Elena Knox is BILD-LILLI

Forget the Barbie dolls: this toy story packs a real punch

By Christine Moffat

The publicity material for this show tantalises with the following: “…Before Barbie, there was Bild-Lilli…
Hard drinking and smoking hot, this 50s icon riots her passage from Hamburg to Mattel.” This is not just publicity material; it is the essential back-story for a good understanding of what you are about to watch.  I am not personally enamoured with shows that require homework before viewing, but the ethereal way with which the narrative of Bild-Lilli is treated means that is what this show requires.

That being said, Elena Knox delivers a hard-working, thoroughly-researched performance that deserves the effort it demands of an audience.  If you go along with the (at times) surreal events on stage, you will be rewarded with a thought-provoking and intelligent show.  As writer and performer, Knox clearly aims to inform and challenge as much as she entertains.  Such an approach can divide an audience, and I feel it did on the night I attended. This sixty-minute art-cabaret-theatre-poetry “mash-up” packs in Bild-Lilli’s sixty-year history, along with so many themes and ideas that at times it was hard-going for the audience.

Upon reflection I believe that many of those attending did not have a solid idea of the show they had booked for, as I think this production achieved exactly what it promised.  The show is presented as part of the Helium season of new independent works at the Malthouse Theatre to showcase cutting-edge new works by independent Australian artists.  For my money, Bild-Lilli delivers admirably as  a challenging piece of avant-garde theatre that puts both its audience and performer through their paces.

The show is a realisation of Knox’s artistic vision, with just a hint of shoestring budget.  We are treated to endearingly clunky props and new musical compositions, along with confronting onstage costume changes.  The overall effect is an intense atmosphere in the room that could afford to offer the audience a couple more points of calculated relief.  Bild-Lilli’s poodle Scheisse does his best to assist in this way to great effect.

For me, this is a Frankensteinian recipe of old-school indie-theatre techniques, performance art and cerebral music combined to create a life-sized, freakishly attractive plastic-doll-of-a-show.  It contained just what it said on the box, ready or not!  Overall, I think it is worth your time to acquaint yourself a little with the Bild-Lilli story beforehand, so that the two of you can become even better acquainted during the show.

Shows: 

Tue 24–Sat 28 Jul, Tues 31 Jul–Sat 4 Aug

All tickets $25

For details see 
www.malthousetheatre.com.au/helium

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Festivals, Performances, Whats On

Review: ANGELA HARDING is Just Like You… Only Different

The finest Australian cabaret has to offer

By Myron My

Angela Harding’s Melbourne Cabaret Festival show Just Like You… Only Different takes the audience on a journey of the highs and lows of being a performer in the arts as well as touching on some more personal moments of Harding’s.

If she talks long enough then surely we’ll have something in common, Harding muses before beginning her first number for the night. Using a combination of original songs and some famous covers, her charismatic and endearing personality thus quickly spreads through the audience until we are a roomful of smiles and laughs.

Along for the ride is musical director and accompanist Mathew Frank, whose piano arrangements are flawless and add another dimension to the well-known songs that Harding performs, such as Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” and the sultry “At Last” by Etta James. The transitions between songs were smooth and well paced, giving us enough time to take in what we just heard and prepare us for the next brilliant tune.

Harding particularly shines with her original tunes, including the triple threat of being a “Singer, Actor, Dancer” whereupon she also takes to the piano. Seems to me Harding is more of a quadruple threat and should clearly add musician/song-writer to this list: “Silence” is a beautifully composed song and I don’t think anyone in the audience took a breath until that final note was sung.

The crowd almost brought the house down with their cheers as Harding sang her final number and I honestly have not heard an audience cheer like that for a very long time, except at sold-out large-scale music gigs.

Just Like You…Only Different is a joyous ride of Harding sharing her stories with her audience and no doubt deserves to be the winner of the 2011 Australian Cabaret Showcase. Keep an eye out for her future performances, for this lady belongs on stage.
 
Just Like You… Only Different was performed on the 20th – 21st July, 7:00pm at Chapel Off Chapel as part of the Melbourne Cabaret Festival 2012.

Events, Music, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Arts House Presents METAPRAXIS

Only for musical initiates

By Myron My

The talent and skill of everyone who performed at Metapraxis was of a high calibre and I do not wish to take anything away from them in that respect, but as a mere music-loving audience member and not an actual musician, I left that evening feeling unfulfilled by the performance.

The opening act by James Rushford and Joe Talia had me very confused as to what they were trying to accomplish. At one point, I thought I was watching an experimental band performing at a late-night underground club, and felt very uninspired by it.

The choreography of Metapraxis was beautiful, and experimentally playing instruments using traditional and non-traditional methods (such as having fingers for the violin instead of a bow) was intriguing to watch.

There were certainly some captivating moments but sadly, these were just a few moments. “The Long And The Short Of It” for example included a cut-up video of a 5400km long ‘Dog Fence’ being bowed – the longest string instrument in the world. It was interesting to then see this combined with conducted improvisation of hand signals and caption cards.

The Australian premiere of Jani Christou’s rarely performed 1966 masterpiece, “Praxis for 12” was the stand-out of the night with a world of what I can only describe as chaotic calmness created successfully.

It is obvious a lot of time and effort has been put into this performance and the precision with which everyone played is phenomenal. Local string quartet Atticus are to be commended on their skill and talent – as are all the performers – but ultimately, I didn’t feel a connection to the pieces and this is the downfall of this work, in failing to connecting the music to the listener and viewer.

Christou described a ‘metapraxis’ as an “action that goes against the implied logic of an art form – a destabilisation, an implosive gesture, a push against the norms. Metapraxis is a bold venture into this experience.” Unfortunately, I simply felt like a surfer who waited for that big wave to come and take me on a ride – but for me, it never came.

Venue: Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall

Season: Until 21 July 2012 | 7:30pm

Tickets: $20 Full | $15 Conc

Bookings: 03 9322 3713 or online

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Festivals, Performances, Whats On

Review: AUSTRALIAN HORROR STORY by Dirty Thieving Gypsies

Murder, music, mayhem and the macabre…

By Myron My

My initiation into the Melbourne Cabaret Festival began with Australian Horror Story: a dark musical journey starring Karin Muiznieks and Karlis Zaid as they trawl the backwaters of suburbia and equally horrify and amuse us through song and characterisation.

From the opening scene as three hooded and candlelit figures enter the stage, there is a dark and eerie ambiance in the room. The idea of blood and hell will invariably enter your mind with the minimal props being used being black or red.

This performance takes the banalities of sub-urbanity and turns it into something sinister – “Why do people with similar lives to us commit terrible crimes and acts of transgression?” Zaid asks.

From Jihads in Melton, parents competing to have the “better” child and a “relaxing” drive to Caroline Springs, we are introduced to strongly-defined characters created by Muiznieks and Zaid. There is great camaraderie between the two of them and the play off and against each other is a joy to watch.

Being a cabaret show, the music is an integral part of the production and it did not disappoint, with soft and happy tunes swiftly changing to dark and somber ones. The lighting was synced with the music for the most part, however there were times that the lighting prevented me from seeing the performers and while I understand it was to set the mood I found it more of an annoyance than anything else.

Hipster Killer ran the risk of stopping the melodic flow of the show as it was more of a poetry reading than song but judging from the applause, this was a crowd-favourite – including mine. And as soon as it was over, we returned to a song to bring us back to the macabre.

The real chilling horror of the show is the impression that this is all happening right now. Australian Horror Story speculates there is a man in a suburb somewhere putting on gloves and getting ready to murder someone, and it is this enduring thought that left me questioning how much I should be laughing. There definitely is some spooky shit going down in our home towns but thanks to this show, we can laugh about it a lot… nervously.

Australian Horror Story was performed on the 17th – 18th July, 8:30pm at Chapel Off Chapel as part of the Melbourne Cabaret Festival 2012.

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Festivals, Performances, Whats On

REVIEW: Geppetto’s AN END TO DREAMING

Fairytale flights of fancy and musical dexterity

By Dean Arcuri

My Melbourne Cabaret Festival experience began with decadent delight thanks to the musical stylings of  Emma Dean and Jake Diefenbach: two dynamic and talented performers who, when combined, become Geppetto – a fantastical pop fairytale duo that took me on an exotic vocal journey which enveloped and swallowed me whole.

Ten musical stories over five acts shaped the cabaret that was An End to Dreaming as Dean and Diefenback as a musical Hansel and Gretel journeyed through the woods, travelling from darkness to light.

The fantastical story elements were crafted into a simple yet effective framework, that was then quickly filled with powerful vocals and original songs complimenting and amplifying each performer’s range, skill and comfort.

While the stage and costuming elements should be enhanced to expand upon the musical vibrance, it doesn’t detract while the artists switch between their instruments including synth and baby grand effortlessly.  Balancing their performance along a crafted vocal tightrope, Geppetto juggle familiar chord structures and tempos that hark back to my 80s musical childhood while maintaining a modern theatrical energy that grounds the work very much in the now.

Dienfenbach’s disarming vulnerability is soon smashed away by a cheeky grin when displaying his immense talent on the baby grand. However, his vocals are not then surpassed, for even with up-tempo numbers he still sings with a heartfelt intensity that adeptly juxtaposes with the accompaniment.

Dean performs with a stoicism that amplifies her vocal power and control as she jumps the breadth of her range with an intense ease.  Just when you think she has hit the ceiling, she steps up a level with her musicality or theatricality in a way that had me transfixed.

Next stop for this dynamic duo is New York, but when they return to Melbourne you can just call me the Wicked Witch, because however long Geppetto are stuck in the woods by the close of the performance, I’ll continue to wish that they will never ever leave.

An End to Dreaming was performed on the 13th – 14th July, 10:30pm, at The Loft – Chapel off Chapel as part of the Melbourne Cabaret Festival 2012

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Review: THE MCNEIL PROJECT

A rare look on the “inside” of Australian life

By Deborah Langley

A cold winter’s evening was nothing to stop the almost full house of punters packing in to see the latest Wattle We Do Next production: The McNeil Project, a duo of plays written by ex-prisoner Jim McNeil.

With thick Aussie accents and hard-to-understand Aussie colloquies the first play starts with energy, passion and enthusiasm. In The Chocolate Frog, two hardened inmates Shirko (Luke McKenzie) and Tosser (Cain Thompson) put their new cellmate Kevin (Will Ewing) on trial, providing a witty commentary on the dynamics between morality and mateship within Australia’s penal system.

McKenzie is a stand-out in this brilliant cast with fast-paced dialogue and a raw masculinity which is truly frightening at times, reminding me of a young Eric Banner and a more attractive Chopper Reed. Although it did take me almost half of the show to get a grasp on the language and the accents (I don’t speak fluent ocker), as the play builds momentum the language softens and some really interesting subjects are brought to light including the difference between inmate life and the real world over communication, understanding and rehabilitation.

As McNeil himself explains: “The ‘outsiders’ looking in felt that ex-prisoners must display certain attitudes of repentance and resolve; while we ‘crims’ were busy trying to convince them that ex-prisoners don’t feel much repentance and are resolved only to extract a fair go from the mob outside.” An interesting standpoint – just a shame I had to read it in the program after the play to really grasp the complexities of the project.

The second play, The Old Familiar Juice, explores sexuality, ownership and hierarchy as three inmates (played by McKenzie, Cain and Richard Bligh) sneakily concoct a boozy brew that acts as a catalyst to unlock dormant primal urges. McKenzie again takes the lead with what I imagine is the “McNeil” character, while Cain shows his diversity performing with innocence and naivety.

I imagine that when this was first performed in the 1970s, the idea of exposing homosexual relationships within the jail system was shocking and even dangerous, but today homosexual rape presented as something justifiable (even within the confines of prison walls) isn’t a concept that sits well with me, that I understand, or even care to engage with.

Directed brilliantly by Malcolm Robertson, McNeil’s writing definitely has an interesting place in Australian theatrical history but like all playwrights who speak of a specific era and context, its continuing relevance still needs to be questioned at some point.

Venue: fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Season: Until 29 Juy 2012 | 8pm Tue – Sat | 5pm Sun

Tickets: $44 Full | $36 Conc | $30 Preview

Bookings: 03 9662 9966 or fortyfivedownstairs.com

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Performances, Whats On

REVIEW: Xavier Toby is BINGE THINKING

Laid-back Aussie comedic charm

By Myron My

In Binge Thinking, Xavier Toby wants us to be able to laugh at the silly and stupid things in life as well as being able to discuss the bigger issues of modern time.

He attempts to do this by looking at the three things that one is not meant to talk about at dinner parties; politics, religion and money but interspersing it with random facts about dolphins, Delta Goodrem and Deal or No Deal.

The audience is invited to listen to Toby recount a dinner party experience he had with six friends and the issues that arose from that. Toby uses various types of alcohol to represent his six “friends”.  These include the “frangelico” lawyer, the “red and white wine” husband and wife and my personal favourite Sasha the “goon bag” bogan.

The results are quite effective and entertaining and neatly prevent what could have been very confusing for the audience in having to differentiate between seven characters.

For the most part Toby shares his story well, but there were a few moments of awkwardness or clumsy delivery of dialogue. This did however add to Toby’s appeal in being a typical, laid-back Aussie bloke though: someone we can all relate too.

Considering how small the stage is, it’s a shame that half of it was blocked off by an unused piano, thus preventing Toby from being even more animated and to give him some more room for his stage presence.

Toby seems genuinely most relaxed when conversing with his audience whilst drinking his bottle of Mountain Goat. However, if I had to use Tony’s game and compare him to an alcoholic beverage, I would choose a nice bottle of gin or perhaps a Bombay Sapphire. Cheers!

Date: June 21, 22, 23  7pm/24th  6pm

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

Tickets: $23 / $18

Bookings: thebutterflyclub.com

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Performances, Whats On

Review: KIM SMITH in Misfit

Dark, daring and divine

By Bradley Storer

Entering the Loft at Chapel off Chapel with his back to the audience, staring longingly into the spotlight overhead, Kim Smith instantly created a striking image of loneliness which befits a show with the title Misfit. From this apt starting point, the audience is taken on a dark journey through lost innocence, heart break and death.

Smith travelled through a wide range of material in English, German and French, with a focus on the works of Kurt Weill – the classic Weill numbers ‘Surabaya Johnny’, ‘My Ship’ and ‘Pirate Jenny’ all make an appearance, each word delivered with crisp delectation.

This dark sensibility is brought even to the lightest of moments –  after riffing on his experiences in his adopted home, America, and his own bloody history, an hilariously un-PC Peter Allen number about moving to Dixie is chained onto the signature Billie Holliday song ‘Strange Fruit’, culminating in a powerfully chilling rendition of Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’ which stunned the audience with its devastating subversion of the song’s hopeful sentiments.

Smith is a creature born from the Weimar cabaret tradition, with even contemporary songs delivered with a Germanic twist, laced with vulgarity and cynicism.

Smith himself is a sinister mix of Joel Grey circa Cabaret and the Cheshire Cat, a charmingly frightening figure with his own brand of subtle sexual charisma: truly the ‘misfit’ of the title. His voice is tightly controlled and wielded to maximum effect in every song he sings, and his banter with the audience left us all laughing hysterically.

My only criticism would be in the show’s penultimate song, The Supremes’ ‘You Keep Me Hanging On’ – while using contemporary songs in other contexts with hilarious results, this song is so far removed in both style and sentiment from the rest of Smith’s repertoire that it jars.

Other than this, Misfit is classic cabaret with an intense and charismatic star at its centre – don’t miss out!

 

Dates: 22 -24 June 7pm

Venue: Chapel off Chapel

Tickets: $40 Full, $35 Concession

Booking: www.chapeloffchapel.com.au

Phone: 03 8290 7000