Cabaret Review, Events, Performances June 30, 2014June 30, 2014

REVIEW: The Butterfly Club Presents #FIRSTWORLDWHITEGIRLS

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By Myron My

Don’t you hate it when your most recent Facebook profile photo gets fewer than 50 likes? Or when you have more clothes than wardrobe space? Or when you’re too hot with the heater on but too cold with the heater off? Welcome to the world of first world problems brought to the stage in #FirstWorldWhiteGirls.

Performed by Judy Hainsworth and Kaitlin Oliver Parker, #FirstWorldWhiteGirls is a one-hour, laughs-aplenty cabaret of petty issues that we all seek to embrace as real problems.

Hainsworth and Parker appear on stage dressed in their floral skirts, with furs and jewels, make-up on and hair in a quiff and master their portrayal of the cliche of well-off white girls – but in a way that still seems fresh and new. Significantly, these characters are not depicted as stupid, just hilariously privileged and ignorant.

A variety of musical styles are used throughout the show, which showcases the talented voices these performers have. There is a country music-themed song on the joys of retail therapy and a Broadway Julie Andrews-esque song on making our lives better. However, it’s their superb opening number that had me – and much of the audience – in utter stitches. The simple choreography throughout the show was used effectively and added an extra element to their songs.

There are a couple of “infomercial” moments thrown in, a memorable one – with the help of an audience member – being the benefits of going “bulimia shopping” and owning a tag gun. Hainsworth and Parker’s creativity and confidence showed in their ability to interact and use audience responses to build on,and their quick wit and good-natured humour was evident throughout.

The social media hashtag “FirstWorldProblems” has no doubt inspired #FirstWorldWhiteGirls and despite its title, you did not need to be white or a girl to understand and empathise (albeit shamefacedly at times) with all the problems they have. It’s a shame there were only two performances of this show at The Butterfly Club as word of mouth for this one would have spread like a wildfire for these two talented Brisbane performers.

#FirstWorldWhiteGirls was performed at The Butterfly Club between June 28 – 29, 2014.

Events, Review, Theatre, Whats On June 29, 2014June 30, 2014

REVIEW: La Mama Presents THE ART OF FUCKING

Trying hard to shock

By Myron My

In The Art of Fucking, four friends are holding an intimate reunion for the return of one of their own who has spent the last year overseas. Through the course of the evening however, there are mentions of something that happened the previous year which has left its mark on each of them…

The play is divided into three parts, with everyone meeting up for the reunion in the first. James Shaw excels in directing the cast and keeping the mannerisms and characterisations between the five long-time friends as natural as can be. With the characters confined to a living room for 45 minutes, keeping audiences entertained could have proved an arduous task, but Shaw explores the connection and relationships these characters ought to have carefully. and pushes for the minutest of interactions to occur.

Unfortunately, the same realism and appeal is not foregrounded in Phoebe Anne Taylor’s script which, try as the actors might, was full of dialogue that felt forced and unnatural. There are constant awkward silences scripted between a group of friends we are led to believe are very close and feel completely relaxed with one another, and much of this initial conversation was repetitive and seemed to have no purpose.

The second act is a monologue performed by Isabel Hertaeg who is great to watch as an actor, and delivers one of the more convincing performances of the evening. Hannah Bolt also manages to bring authenticity and emotion to her character throughout The Art of Fucking but it appeared some of the other cast needed to invest more in their characters to convey the honesty and depth they should have been feeling.

The third part of the show would have to be the weakest and is only saved by Shaw’s direction. The actors take turns in delivering the details of the night in question with rhyming couplets that could even have embarrassed Dr. Seuss. The revelation at the end of The Art of Fucking is more absurd than shocking and feels as if the narrative was forced as far as it could go to create that “shock value”, but sadly misses the mark.

The Art of Fucking is an example of trying to do too much in a limited time; the writing, the themes and the unfolding of the narrative all need more refinement in order to be able to leave any sort of lingering impact on the audience.

Venue: La Mama Theatre, 205 Faraday Street Carlton
Season: Until 6 July | Thurs-Sat 7:30pm, Wed, Sun 6:30pm
Tickets: $25 Full | $15 Conc
Bookings:  http://lamama.com.au  or 9347 6948

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Festivals, Performances, Whats On June 27, 2014

REVIEW: Melbourne Cabaret Festival Presents I, DIVINE

Ambitious and exquisite art

By Bradley Storer

Out of the darkness in the Kew Court House came a delicate and lustrous four-part choral song, a ravishingly beautiful and mysterious ode that instantly enchanted the audience and transported us into the enigmatic world created by composer Caity Fowler and collaborator Emma Clair Ford in their new work, I, Divine. Two seemingly disparate figures, an ancient Grecian demi-goddess and a modern cyber-nerd, are drawn together through the medium of an internet chat room and forced to grapple with timeless ideas of fate, identity and the struggle to create your own destiny.

The piece is less like traditional cabaret and more of an experimental chamber musical written for four voices (two unnamed singers sit side of stage and contribute further vocals to Fowler’s compositions). Fowler’s entirely a capella score is wonderfully wispy, throbbingly earthy, and exquisitely fluid as needed, the four voices combining and layering in continuously exciting ways.

Ford as the demi-goddess Otrera, a lost woman in search of meaning to her existence, is poised and graceful whilst being entirely charming, her wonderful singing voice remaining grounded and solid throughout. Fowler’s cross-gender turn as the nerdy Brett exquisitely captures the outward shell of adolescent obnoxiousness that the no longer-adolescent Brett has never really outgrown, softening slowly to reveal the pain and fear that prevent him from maturing. Her lighter, more delicate vocal tone gorgeously combines with Ford in several of the show’s songs.

I, Divine skilfully intertwines Brett’s comic book stories with the ancient myths of Otrera’s upbringing to reveal the threads of the meta-narrative, the archetypal hero’s journey, in both their own tales and the show itself. One of the great joys of the piece is slowly watching the two characters, who seem to be the most dissimilar people in the world, realise their own similarities – captured beautifully in one duet comparing the Grecian goddess Artemis to a high school physics teacher.

This wonderfully ambitious work deploys a fantastically original premise that, although could have run thin eventually, never overreaches or overstays its welcome. I, Divine gently explores the human drive for self-determination and meaning, ending with the optimistic and uplifting message that change and triumph over adversity is always possible, but only if a person is willing to fight for it.

Venue: Kew Court House, 188 High St, Kew
Dates: Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 June
Time: 7.00pm
Duration: 60 minutes approx
Ticket prices: $30, $27 conc, $24 ‘Friends of the Festival’ card ($5 extra on the door)
Booking: http://www.melbournecabaret.com, http://www.hawthornartscentre.com.au or at the door.

Circus, Events, Review, Whats On June 21, 2014

REVIEW: Circus Oz Presents BUT WAIT… THERE’S MORE!

Left wanting more…

By Rachel Holkner

Circus Oz has always performed with such glee and joy, and But Wait… There’s More! is no exception: the performers and the audience are caught up in the joy of simply being a part of a circus. The atmosphere is undeniable, beginning even from collecting tickets to the sounds of the Federation Bells pealing right outside the Big Top.

Set in a mottled, crumbling theatre But Wait … There’s More! is the first Circus Oz show to have been produced at their new permanent, purpose-built Collingwood home of which they are suitably proud. If photographs in the program are any indication, the space is beautiful, light-filled, and modern. Everything this production is not.

Taking on “infobesity” as a theme, the idea that we are so inundated with data, marketing, sales, spin and brainless television that… what? The show offers no analysis nor solutions to the topics they try to explore. Instead the conceits are a thin thread to link together disjointed acts, too many of which were not only detached completely from the theme, but not even terribly entertaining.

Barcode clowns scatter through the show disrupting acts, and causing mayhem: their demands for acts to be presented in the form of a game show were irritating and lent nothing but to highlight how underdeveloped some of these filler-acts were.

There were some stunning performances from the ensemble – a ballet performed on unicycle by Kyle Raftery and April Dawson, a poignant juggling act by Olivia Porter – yet these were sadly too few. The show as a whole lacked the highs and lows you expect from a circus, whether side-splitting hilarity or breath-holding tension.

These highly skilled performers were hobbled by an underdeveloped story and I only hope they bring more of the beauty and light from Collingwood into their next production.
Venue: Under the Heated Big Top, Birrarung Marr, Melbourne

Dates: 18th June – 13th July. Check circusoz.com for full list of times.

Tickets: $24 (Child) – $95 (Ringside)

Bookings: www.ticketmaster.com.au, 136 100

Cabaret, Comedy, Review, Theatre, Whats On June 1, 2014

REVIEW: Lulu McClatchy is SUPERGIRLY

Sassy celebrity satire

By Myron My

I first saw Lulu McClatchy and Lyall Brooks on stage together last year in Neil LaBute’s play Fat Pig, and their chemistry back then was obvious. Now in Supergirly they are given more freedom to experiment and play and the outcome is even better than I could have anticipated: McClatchy and Brooks nail it.

McClatchy portrays our slightly (or extremely) delusional eponymous starlet who has relegated herself to staying indoors and reminiscing about her celebrity life, including her relationship with ex-boyfriend Robbie Williams. She has hired manservant Bradley Cooper (but not really Bradley Cooper) played by Brooks, who (for reasons of his own) humours and entertains Supergirly by dressing up as a number of celebrity visitors to her house. Brooks is clearly having a ball with the characters, including Bradley, and creates some highly memorable moments in his impersonations and dance routines.

The set design adds so much to the atmosphere of Supergirly: it’s reminiscent in equal parts of a bordello with its huge red curtains and ostentatious sofa, and of “Grey Gardens”, the home of famous eccentric mother/daughter pair Big Edie and Little Edie (from whom Supergirly herself seems to draw some inspiration).

McClatchy belts out her own interpretations of well-known songs by Katie Perry, One Direction, The Pussycat Dolls and the Spice Girls to name a few. She particularly lets rip with her Lady Gaga tunes where her mannerisms and facial expressions are beyond brilliant, but the highlights of the evening were still her Pet Shop Boys and Doris Day numbers.

At just over two hours long, I feel there was a need to cut some songs as the old adage of too much of a good thing does ring true here. Credit to McClatchy and Brooks though, their energy does not wane at all and each song they perform is treated like it’s the first of the evening.

Supergirly is an extremely fun show and no-one is safe when two seasoned performers like McClatchy and Brooks let loose their sparkling satire on the cult of celebrity and its followers. Even the audience gets a talking-to, but it’s all done in such a fun way that you end up really wanting to join the party on stage.

Venue: Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel St, Prahran
Season: Until 8 June | Tues-Sat 8:00pm, Sat-Sun 4pm
Tickets: $39 Full | $30 Conc
Bookings: www.chapeloffchapel.com.au or 8290 7000

Events, Review, Theatre, Whats On June 1, 2014

REVIEW: Kate Hunter’s MEMORANDUM

Sinking delicately into the depths of remembrance

By Margaret Wieringa

Smoke drifts across the stage in layers, twisting and turning with the gentlest movement. The air is filled with the sounds of summer, of insects and birds and the past. Slowly, so slowly, a figure in red is revealed off in the distance corner of the stage, obscured by the smoke and several long, semi-opaque banners that hang from the ceiling to the floor. And the remembering begins.

You know what it is like, when you recall your childhood. You remember a story, but cannot be sure if the facts are right, or if you are blending two stories, or if any of it actually happened. But you can remember the full names of your primary school classmates and what they were known for. Sometimes it comes in a rush, sometimes in dribs and drabs. Sometimes, bits layer on top of each other like a dream, or a memory of a dream.

Kate Hunter has captured those feelings in this performance of Memorandum. Being in her company in the space at Theatreworks was like being invited into her memory; or a version of someone’s memory. It was a beautiful and surreal experience that was at once mine and not mine.

Kate’s performance is both mesmerising and hypnotising, at times funny and at times heartbreaking, and it is complemented so perfectly by the use of light and set to create a world that is vague and dreamlike and enthralling. Lighting designer and lighting operators Richard Vabre and Suze Smith build with light from traditional theatre sources as well as using projections and offstage lighting to create the vague, magical mood. Having two separate projections of similar images projected on a angle upwards through the three banners gave a layering effect of images, both clear and sharp, and fuzzy and distorted, and with Kate standing in front of them seemed to place her within the memory, within her dream, within her mind.

Then there was the sound, operated by Michael Havir; layers of voice that synch and clash with what Kate herself is saying, adding detail, removing meaning. Revealing, slowly and gently. Even the freezing cold of the theatre was bearable as we were absorbed into the world of memory.

Venue: Theatreworks, 14 Acland Street, St Kilda
Dates: May 20 – June 1, Tuesday-Saturday 8pm, Sunday 5pm
Price: $25 Full, $20 Concession $20, Groups of 8+ $20
Tickets: www.theatreworks.org.au

Events, Performances, Theatre, Whats On May 30, 2014May 30, 2014

REVIEW: Fly on the Wall Theatre Presents TELENY

Taking it slow…

By Margaret Wieringa

When a young and sexually inexperienced man in 1920s Paris meets a talented pianist, the world and everything he believes in is turned upside-down. Believed to have been written by Oscar Wilde and his circle, Teleny pulls no punches when it comes to graphic and shocking sexual stories.

A grand piano dominates the stage, set among the stunning chandeliers and chaise longues. It is used innovatively throughout the performance, but none more so than in the beautifully choreographed sex scene between the two lovers. Actors Tom Byers and Dushan Phillips use every muscle in their bodies to create stunning visual images of love and lust, captured in the light and shadow of excellent lighting design.

The challenge to these two actors was not just the physical lovemaking scenes, but conveying the aloof and sarcastic nature of the pretty young things of Wilde’s world. At times, the emotion of the scene was lost in the words and tone, but once the characters lose themselves to love, the words came more naturally.

The second half of the performance opens with the salon scene – an orgy of delights, with naked men performing poetry (well, bawdy limericks), storytelling and a hilarious commedia dell ‘arte number, and ends in a violent act that director Robert Chuter has somehow managed to keep tasteful.

Unfortunately, for me, all of the good things about the play were severely outweighed by the self-indulgent length. When, after two-and-a-half hours the lights came on and we were informed that there would be a twenty-minute interval, there were various sounds of surprise from the audience. There were a considerable number of people who did not return after the interval, and I suspect it was the length more than the content. The performance would have benefitted from some severe editing to ensure that the story that was being told was kept, but that it didn’t drag on and on. Throughout the show, various non-naturalistic techniques were used to tell a lot in a very snappy manner, and perhaps more of this could have been incorporated.

Venue: Chapel off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel Street, Prahran
Dates: May 29 – June 15, Wednesday-Saturday 8pm, Sunday 6:30pm
Price: $37.50 Full, $34.50 Concession (+ Transaction Fee)
Tickets: www.chapeloffchapel.com.au or call (03) 8290 7000

PLEASE NOTE: THIS PERFORMANCE IS SUITABLE FOR MATURE AUDIENCES 18+ CONTAINS NUDITY, SIMULATED EXPLICIT SEX SCENES, DRUG USE, COARSE LANGUAGE AND SMOKE EFFECTS

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Whats On May 22, 2014May 30, 2014

REVIEW: Hannah Day’s WEILL CREATURES

Into the dark…

By Jessica Cornish

In the appropriately atmospheric Butterfly Club, twenty-something-year-old songstress Hannah Day is currently staring in the one-woman cabaret Weill Creatures, composed from a tapestry of Weill’s musical creations.

The hour-long performance features the music of Kurt Weill, and dramatist Bertolt Brecht, and if you’re not familiar, the pair were notoriously known as the founding fathers of Episches Theater (the epic theatre movement) established in twentieth-century Germany. The majority of the numbers Day utilises are from well-known musicals such as The Threepenny Opera and Happy End, which were popular musicals of their day that appealed to the masses whilst retaining their literary and musical integrity.

Weill Creatures is sung in a mixture of French and English, which was an interesting decision as the original pieces were actually composed in German. Due to the Franglish, it was sometimes slightly difficult to grasp the story line, especially for those less familiar with the works of Weill and Brecht. This confusion was further deepened due to the various segueing monologues introducing and entering different characters’ lives.

Many of the characters portrayed are heartbroken women tormented by unrequited love, women who are suffering in the knowledge that their husbands have returned to a life of crime, women who are themselves swindlers and women forced to live a life of prostitution. It is quite an intense and serious hour of cabaret, which draws its audience dramatically and musically into the bleak reality of these women.

Similar to the plot, the lighting was ultimately a tad too dark for my liking: the performance could have benefited from a little more light and shade, rather than just the enduring darkness. Indeed, the big mystery of the evening, as articulated by my Weill enthusiast companion, was where was the “Mack the Knife” rendition went? With its blackly humorous lyrics and jazz-standard fame, this Threepenny Opera delight could have added some needed upbeat relief and engaging familiarity in an otherwise grim and sombre performance.

Vocally, Day is impressive. Her words were well-articulated and notes, particularly in the higher register, were all well-executed. She had great projection and vibrato was added appropriately to colour the songs, nicely emulating the singing style of the 1930’s. She is clearly a confident young performer, with a strong support network and a definite future in the Australian musical theatre scene. Weill Creatures is definitely not for the faint-hearted, and I warmly applaud Hannah for exposing the daring and dramatic works of Weill to a new generation.

The Butterfly Club: Carson Place, off Little Collins St (between Swanston & Elizabeth) in the Melbourne CBD.

Tuesday 20 May 2014 8:00pm
Wednesday 21 May 2014 8:00pm
Thursday 22 May 2014 9:00pm
Friday 23 May 2014 9:00pm
Saturday 24 May 2014 9:00pm
Sunday 25 May 2014 8:00pm

Full $23
Concession $20
Groups (8+) $18

http://www.thebutterflyclub.com/show/weill-creatures

Opera, Performances, Review, Whats On May 18, 2014

REVIEW: Victorian Opera Presents LA TRAVIATA

Lush and lovely revisit to a classic

By Margaret Wieringa

Violetta is a party girl, drinking and dancing and partying her life away in 1870s Paris. She loves being courted by numerous men and doesn’t believe in love – until Alfredo Germont woos her and steals her heart. Moved away from Paris to the countryside, Violetta is approached by Alfredo’s father who convinces her it is in Alfredo’s best interest to end it, and the famous tragedy plays out.

Directed by Henning Brockhaus and designed by Josef Svoboda, Victorian Opera presents this stunning production that has been acclaimed around the world. The feature that immediately grabbed the audience’s attention is the gigantic mirror that is raised before the performance commences. The backdrops are giant paintings on the floor and are reflected, along with the performers, in the mirror. This effect was magnificent, although it was not so successful during the restrained scenes at the country house, especially as it appeared the actors were climbing on the house at times which became unintentionally humourous. The appearance of doubling the size of the stage with the mirror showed a strong contrast between the decadence of the parties and the nightlife of Paris to the emptiness and loneliness of Violetta in her demise.

The production of La Traviata introduces Australian audiences to soprano Jessica Pratt, who held the audience in her hand every moment she was on stage. We lived her joy and delight and sighed as her fortune changed, and during several sections, audience members were heard called ‘Brava’. While the large social scenes were spectacular down to the tiny detailing on the costumes and the beautiful interactions between the various cast members, it was the duets that took my breath away; at the country house, with Violetta and Alfredo’s father, played with aplomb by Jose Carbo, and later in Violetta’s house between Violetta and Alfredo, played movingly by Alessandro Scotto Di Luzio.

This is an elegant production that is perfect not only for the seasoned opera lover, but also for those who have yet to take the plunge into opera. Brava!

Venue: Her Majesty’s Theatre
Dates: Saturday May 17, Tuesday May 20, Thursday May 22, Saturday May 24, Tuesday May 27, Thursday May 29
Times: 7:30pm
Booking: www.ticketek.com.au or phone 1300 795 012

Cabaret Review, Events, Late Night Shows, Whats On May 18, 2014May 18, 2014

REVIEW: The Butterfly Club Presents THE LATE NIGHT SEXY SHOW

Charmingly cheeky

By Narelle Wood

It was really hard to convince people to come with me to see a show called The Late Night Sexy Show scheduled at 10.30pm on a Thursday night; and I also admittedly was a little apprehensive about what exactly I’d gotten myself into. But any trepidation disappeared in the first few minutes with the assurance that The Late Night Sexy Show would be exactly that – a late-night and sexy show.

Grant Busé performs a collection of original songs, and a medley of some more well-known numbers that concentrate on the derrière region, to explore not only the idea of sex but also sexual attraction, lust and a number of other topics that would be considered taboo in more conservative company.

Given the potentially offensive or awkward nature of the content, Busé puts the audience at ease with some friendly and surprisingly non-confrontational audience participation early on, that paves the way for some ‘interesting’ conversations later in the show. One of the most entertaining aspects of the show was Busé’s interaction with the audience and the way he was able to deal with and integrate the random tendencies of some of the audience members.

While the material is obviously exceptionally well-written (I’m assuming there would be a high cringe factor if it wasn’t), it is complimented by Busé’s musical and dancing talent, and the ease with which he performs. It is really hard to pick a favourite part of the show as all of it was simply great: Busé is exceptionally talented and I’d go see it again.

Part-musical, part-comedy, part-strip show and political satire, this is a highly entertaining performance that demonstrates taboo subjects can be humorous without being distasteful. If you can handle a late night out on a school night and the word ‘sex’ doesn’t make you blush, this is a must-see show.

Venue: The Butterfly Club, Carson Place, Melbourne
Season: 10.30pm Every Thursday in May
Tickets: $23 Full | $20 Conc
Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com/show/the-late-night-sexy-show