Tag: Arts House

Festivals, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: The Last Great Hunt Presents FAG/STAG

Authentic, open, affecting theatre

By Myron My

After rave reviews and an extended season at Perth’s Fringe World Festival in 2015, Perth-based theatre company The Last Great Hunt have brought FAG/STAG to this year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival. Written and performed by Jeffrey Jay Fowler and Chris Isaacs, it is the simple story of two best friends, one gay and one straight, who are going through some pretty challenging times in their lives.

FAG STAG Image by Jamie Breen

Jimmy (Fowler) and Corgan (Isaacs) each take a seat on opposite ends of the stage. At their disposal, they each have a mobile phone to check their dating apps (grindr for Jimmy and tinder for Corgan) and a PlayStation controller. Using these two items, they recall the moments of their lives leading up to their friend Tamara’s wedding. Tamara also happens to be Corgan’s ex-girlfriend. Corgan is still not completely over their break-up and Jimmy has just broken up with his boyfriend. Life is great.

As an audience member, I much prefer to be shown things in stories rather than be told. However, due to the overall style of the production, I was immediately drawn into FAG/STAG. Having been created through long form improvisations that were later recorded and transcribed, there is a genuine sense of vulnerability coming from the actors as they explore what it means to be a 20-something male in Australia who doesn’t quite have it all together. The duologues are extremely natural in language and in delivery with the experiences of love, happiness, fear and sadness they encounter being so familiar that you cannot help but relate to them with your own.

Fowler and Isaacs are not afraid to play with silence and allow the audience the time to fully comprehend the situations the characters find themselves in. There are some deeply honest and moving elements in FAG/STAG, where the effects stayed with me long after the show ended. However, there are many humorous moments in the show as in life, and the ability that Fowler and Isaacs have in noticing these moments and bringing them to the surface is highly skillful. The final minutes of the performance perfectly sum up what the two have been exploring and created something which will now forever be linked to an iconic song for me.

Just like life, not everything is completely resolved by the end of FAG/STAG, but you walk out with the hope that Jimmy and Corgan are better and stronger because of their experiences and perhaps so are we. Ultimately, despite our individual differences, we are all the same and we all share the same experiences and thoughts and it’s important to be there for each other. Even if it’s just to play Donkey Kong.

FAG/STAG is the kind of theatre that I wish was made more often. FAG/STAG is the kind of theatre that people need to go and see.

Venue: Fringe Hub, Arts House, 521 Queensberry St, North Melbourne, 3051

Season: Until 3 October | Tues-Sat 9pm, Sun 8pm

Tickets:$25 Full | $20 Conc | $15 Cheap Tuesday

Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival

Image by Jamie Breen

Festivals, Performances, Theatre

REVIEW: Melbourne Fringe Presents SUBURBIA

Driving out into the dark streets for immersive theatre experience

By Myron My

Most people dream of having their own little slice of the suburban dream; a loving family, a dog and a place to call home. What could be better than that? However, if you look under the surface, you’ll find that things are not always what they seem. Playing as part of the 2015 Melbourne Fringe Festival, Suburbia offers a glimpse into these lives we know little about.

Suburbia

My fellow two passengers and I meet at the steps of the North Melbourne Town Hall and are led to a parked car and the driver takes us through the streets of North Melbourne, stopping intermittently at various locations where we get to witness our neighbourhood in a very different light. We don’t stay at any location more than a couple of minutes and there is barely any dialogue exchanged. The soundtrack composition by Simone Gustafsson that plays in the car is perfectly suited to the theme of the night, provoking feelings of uncertainty and curiosity.

It is up to us to determine the scene, relationships and mood purely by what we see. There’s the couple having a heated argument in their car and the woman who is crossing the roundabout with determination. Suburbia is about showing us these snippets into the lives of those around us: those we don’t know and those we don’t see. The most striking moment of all was something that lasted just mere seconds but is the creepiest thing I have seen in “real life” in a very long time and I wonder what would have happened had someone from the public just happened to walk by.

Timing is of the essence with this show. As we drive from one vignette to another, there is no doubt that the rest of the cast (Cazz Bainbridge, Xavier O’Shannessy, Ross De Winter, Anneli Bjorasen, Claudia Nugent, Davina Wright and Carolyn Butler) is frantically racing to get to their next location on time (not that this haste is ever obvious, however).

As we are driven around, my voyeuristic urges begin to slowly take over and I begin to look through other people’s windows and watch as local people walk past or cycle by or take their dog out for a late-night walk. I wonder if they’re aware of what is also happening right in front of their eyes.

Suburbia is an enjoyable immersive experience that will linger in your mind long after the car pulls back up to the North Melbourne Town Hall. The shared experiences with your fellow passengers can be varied (ours were), but the performance is a reminder that just because we don’t see these people in our own neighbourhoods doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

*Playing at Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall until Oct 3, the current 2015 Melbourne Fringe season of Suburbia is completely sold out*

Image by Rebekah Kamsky, featuring Davina Wright and Xavier O’Shannessy

Dance, Performances, Whats On

REVIEW: Devize Co Presents PLUNGE

It begins with a single touch…

By Myron My

Having seen Plunge when it was in its early stages of development last year during La Mama’s Explorations season (then known as Blending), I was very interested to see how the work had progressed. Being performed at the 2015 Melbourne Fringe, the work explores the infinite number of outcomes that can result from a single touch. Some are good and some are bad and some are absolutely crushing.

Plunge

Choreographer and director Darren Vizer continues to push his two performers, dancer Joel Fenton and actor Jean Goodwin, to their extremes relentlessly. They share a good chemistry and have clearly worked hard at driving through the more challenging moments of Plunge and allowing the piece to evolve.

Fenton’s dance sequences clearly demonstrate how his body has been taken over by his emotional state and he uses the whole space to bound, leap, and throw himself around the stage. The music and sounds used to further convey these feelings are well chosen, especially the rapid beating of the heart in the second story.

Goodwin’s monologue on loving and owning her body is a powerful statement about the constant threat women face just for being women. Her command of the statements she makes and the pace with which they are delivered are full of angry confidence. She wants to be heard and she wants to make sure we hear her. It’s a speech that should resonate with each and every single woman out there as well as to every single man who has female family members, friends or partners.

What drew me to Plunge initially was the challenge of having a performer, who is predominately a dancer, acting – and vice versa. This idea has been further developed, especially with providing Goodwin a solo dance moment. However, while her commitment to the piece is evident, I ultimately had difficulty understanding the purpose of what was trying to be conveyed by this inclusion. Similarly, I would have liked to see Fenton be slightly more aggressive in the final story to really drive home Goodwin’s response.

Plunge took on its new name as the performers were no longer blending their two art forms but immersing themselves in it. Similarly, one could also say that it’s about what happens when we take the plunge into romance without quite knowing what the outcome will be. Despite its minor shortcomings, this is still a highly intelligent and insightful piece not only exploring relationships, but also the way the society in which we live operates.

Venue: Fringe Hub, Arts House, 521 Queensberry St, North Melbourne, 3051

Season: Until 24 September | Tues-Sat 10.30pm, Sun 9.30pm

Tickets:$25 Full | $15 Conc, Cheap Tuesday

Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival

Festivals, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: James Tresise and Sean M Whelan in ALL THE ANIMALS WE ATE

Getting in touch with our animal spirits

By Myron My

Last year, James Tresise’s mother passed away. During that same time, Sean M. Whelan’s pet spoodle passed away after thirteen years. In All The Animals We Ate presented at this year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival, the two come together to grieve and mourn the passing of someone they love and to celebrate their life. Death may be the end of one thing but it not need be the end of everything.

All the Animals We Ate

There is a lot of heart in this show; it’s hard not to feel the sadness as Whelan recalls the moment he found out his beloved dog Cady had died. Despite the show being predominantly about the loss of animals, we are invited to link these experiences to any sense of personal loss we’ve had, let it be animal or human. This empathy is created in part through the animal impersonations the two performers take on throughout, emphasising their connections to human beings.

Technically, the show comes together in a very subtle but effective way. The music is nostalgic and creates a sense of yearning and supports the visuals that are being projected on the wall. If Whelan’s words alone are not enough to imagine the environment and emotions being described, the music and projections more than do that, transporting us away from the performance space and into their stories.

At times however, the story itself gets a little lost with everything they are trying to say. There are moments of dialogue that don’t seem to have a real clear purpose, such as the digression about dinosaurs, or that seemed awkward and out of place, such as the urination on the lemon tree anecdote.

There are some beautiful moments where the connection between being an animal and being a human is touchingly affirmed. With a little more clarity and structure established in the story Tresise and Whelan wish to tell, All The Animals We Ate can be a beautiful homage not only to Cady but also to everyone that anyone has ever lost.

Venue: Fringe Hub, Arts House, 521 Queensberry St, North Melbourne, 3051

Season: Until 24 September | Tues-Sat 6.30pm, Sun 5.30pm

Tickets:$25 Full | $20 Conc | Cheap Tuesday

Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival

Circus, Festivals, Whats On

REVIEW: PERHAPS THERE IS HOPE YET

Circus at its most polished and poignant

By Myron My

Having recently seen Rockie Stone perform in Finucane and Smith’s Glory Box and being blown away by her sets, I was very much looking forward to seeing her in this year’s Melbourne Fringe show, Perhaps There Is Hope Yet, and it did not disappoint. Along with fellow circus performer Vincent van Berkel and with music by Sam Keevers, it is a wonderfully constructed show that is inspired by climate change and the slow disintegration of our environment.

Perhaps There Is Hope Yet

The stage is littered with a number of glass bottles, a makeshift seesaw and a kinetic sculpture by Callan Morgan that while only acknowledged a few times, has a strong visual presence throughout the show. Initially reminding me of a traditional windmill and later, due to its movements, that of a wind turbine, it keeps the idea of retaining a sustainable environment for the future churning.

Meanwhile, Stone and van Berkel’s adagio routine is simply breathtaking and some of the formations created not only show the strength they possess but also the sheer amount of trust they have with each other. There is no fear or hesitations in anything they do. Similarly van Berkel’s balance crane routine is just as engaging to watch. His movements are smooth and fluid and there is a beautiful sense of calm to his act. While this is happening, Stone is side of stage, dancing erratically to her Walkman and at one point moving into the audience; a contrast of scenes, mood and environment.

Perhaps There is Hope Yet is a meticulously thought-out show and there is no step and no movement that does not have a reason or purpose for existing. The finale is a definite showstopper and there were minimal movements and breathing from the audience in fear of creating a butterfly effect that could spell disaster for Stone.

Stone and van Berkel know how to put on a show and Perhaps There is Hope Yet is what circus should be. There are no gimmicks or anything to hide behind. Stone and van Berkel not only keep themselves exposed to our scrutiny but also expose the cracks in our environment. A show that needs to be seen.

Venue: Fringe Hub, Arts House, 521 Queensberry St, North Melbourne, 3051

Season: until 3 October | Tues-Sun 9pm

Tickets:$25 Full | $20 Conc, Cheap Tuesday

Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival

Cabaret, Events, Performances, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: The Lepidopters: A Space Opera at ARTS HOUSE

Wonderfully weird!

By Margaret Wieringa

Aliens, in the form of moths, have invaded and are breeding with humans to create human-moth hybrids to take over the Earth starting in Jakarta. Wow.

This bizarre collaborative work has been created by Slave Pianos, Punkasila and The Astra Choir, based on a comic book commissioned from science-fiction writer Max von Schlegell.

The_Lepidopters

When the audience enters the main hall at Arts House, they are immediately confronted by what appear to be two giant, deconstructed grand pianos dominating the central space. On a closer look, these are intertwined wooden structures containing a variety of gongs, and other percussion instruments, and they appear to be playing themselves.

These it turns out, are the Sedulur Gamelan or Gamelan Sisters, made up of a variety of redesigned traditional Javanese instruments. A little internet research reveals that this amazing contraption does indeed play itself. Even before the performance begins, Slave Pianos are creating ambient music. During the performance, they play a wide range of pieces both on their own and with the other performers, and this alone would have been enough to make attending this event worthwhile, but there was so much more!

Far from a traditional narrative structure, the performance is strung together over two hours with short spoken-word sections from Richard Piper who is playing a mysterious character reporting back on the events in Indonesia. The events of the story also play out in a disjointed series of videos, mostly strange animations, that run on large screens at either end of the hall. The audience is strung along the length of the room in an unusual pattern and, during the two brief intervals, is encouraged to change chairs and experience the event from a different angle.

The stunning work from the Astra Choir begins with some extreme discordant 32-part singing, and then journeys through far more traditional choral works. In the second act, we are introduced to Punkaslia from Yogyakarta, working with singer-dancer Rachel Saraswati to create their interpretation of the Lepidopters beginning the breeding process. We also get some jazz (not trad jazz, but a sort of post-modern insane style so appropriate to this performance) from pianist Michael Kieran Harvey.

The Lepidopters: A Space Opera is definitely not for everyone as this mysterious and remarkably busy show is extremely experimental and strange. In fact, a number of patrons clearly weren’t coping and left early… but it inspired a standing ovation from those who willingly remained to embrace the weird.

Venue: Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall
Dates: Sat 12 3pm and 7:30pm and Sun 13 April 5pm
Tickets: $25 full/$20 conc/$15 student
Bookings: artshouse.com.au or 9322 3713

Events, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Ranters Theatre Presents SONG

Contemplating nature – indoors…

By Christine Moffat

Song seems to be about mimicking the natural, bringing the outdoors indoors, and by doing so, prompting us as an audience to examine our response to these elements.  This production is the creative collaborative result of Brazilian conceptual artist Laura Lima and UK musician James Tyson along with other Melbourne artists, and involves sitting or lying on pieces of synthetic grass, taking in perfumes designed to mimic natural scents, and admiring a lighting scheme inspired by the last hour before sunset. 

Photo by Sarah Walker

During this time, via various speakers placed around the space, songs by Tyson and ambient outdoor sounds designed by David Franzke are played.  This is all designed to immerse an audience, engage their senses and perhaps even to lull them.

Unfortunately, the combination of small synthetic grass mats and a very hard floor was not relaxing (for either lying or sitting); and made it difficult to give oneself over to the experience.  A scan of the room showed, in the majority, a physically uncomfortable audience shifting every two to three minutes in an attempt to find a better position.  This is the one key flaw in the production, as all the other elements offer a promising suggestion of relaxation and self-reflection.

It is a disappointment to this reviewer that this lack of physical comfort in the space does little to facilitate the intentions of Ranters Theatre in partnership with Monash University.  Artistically, every component of this show has clearly been constructed with much thought and creativity.  The lighting design by Stephen Hennessy in particular is exquisitely beautiful, and the perfumed air created by George Kara is lovely.  Sadly, the sum experience does not match the promising nature of each of its parts.

It is worth mentioning for logistical purposes alone, that the show is billed as a 7.30pm start, with a running time of 60 minutes.  Possibly due to it being opening night, the audience waited in the space for 20 minutes before the show started, and it had been running for 90 minutes when this reviewer left (along with about 2/3 of the audience).  At that point it seemed practically over, and staff had opened the exit doors, but there was no other indication that the show had in fact finished, and the soundscape of rain was still playing.

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

Season: Sat 13 April – Sun 21 April 2013

Time: 7.30pm Tue – Fri, 2pm and 7.30pm Sat and 5pm Sun

Green Tix for Nix: 2pm Sat 13 April 2013

Tickets: $25 Full / $20 Conc / discount for 6+ groups

Bookings: artshouse.com.au or 03 9322 3713

Events, Performances, Theatre, Whats On

Review: RRAMP – The Collector, The Archivist & The Electrocrat

Dark, edgy surrealism that is still evolving

By Myron My

Two people agree to join a lonely woman in her band and live in her house full of various strange objects that she stores in jars, including childhood scabs. Together they form an electronica-dance-metal-rock outfit and perform songs about childhood, loneliness and chickens with infected eyes. Welcome to RRAMP, a show devised by Christine Johnston, Lisa O’Neill and Peter Nelson.

The particular contrast of Johnston and O’Neill’s characters is strong and effective. With her piercing eyes, stern expressions and graceful movements, The Collector (Johnston) towers over the scattered, submissive and comedic Archivist.

There is a certain Tim Burton-esque element to The Collector with her big long eyelashes and jet-black hair with white strands along her pale face, which makes the audience that extra bit nervous to be in her presence.In fact, the moment when Johnston first breaks the fourth wall and talks to us is quite intimidating but exposes the performance control she possesses. Having walked by the audience, quietly judging our appearances, we even broke into awkward laughter upon hearing of her approval.

The musical score is one of the highlights of RRAMP but was let down by some clumsy song lyrics and a few songs that that were a bit too lightly humorous and out-of-place in the dark, macabre environment that had just been established. This emotional shift seesaw-ed throughout the show and prevented me from investing in these characters who didn’t seem to develop further and therefore began to lose my interest.

Lighting designer David Walters must be commended for his brilliant and precise design. The synchronicity between the music, the lights, the performers and the animations playing along the back of the stage was quite impressive.

It is evident a lot of work and thought has gone into creating a complex piece that incorporates so many aspects of performance theatre. However, narrowing down the gaps between music, acting, dance, comedy, and the dark and macabre aspects would give all three performers the opportunity to create stronger characters that the audience can care about and connect with.

Venue: Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall.

Season: Until 8 September| Wed to Sat 7:30pm, Sat 3:00pm matinee

Tickets: $25 Full | $20 Conc

Bookings: 03 9322 3713 or artshouse.com.au

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

REVIEW: An Appointment with J Dark

Do you dare?

By Bradley Storer

The event began mysteriously:  a text message calling me to a rendezvous with a stranger named J Dark. Sent directions as if on a treasure hunt, I attended with an equal mixture of anticipation and dread for the coming events.

In this journey through the catacombic backrooms of the North Melbourne Town Hall, the participant is guided through a series of questions, choices, locations, situations and judgements, all incredibly personal but never exploitative, in search of revelation and new knowledge.

The enigmatic but gentle J Dark is at times therapist, partner, confidant, monster, and lover – the only constant in your guide, much like the labyrinth itself, is their unpredictability and mutability.

A piece like this is incredibly difficult to review, as each person will of course experience something as unique and varied as they themselves.  To describe any further would ruin the surprise and inherent joy of this piece, which is the thrill and danger of interacting directly with a performer (who may or may not be a performer) without the restrictions of traditional theatrical performance – like free-falling without a safety net.

While I cannot vouch for everyone’s enjoyment or revelation, this evening left me with a series of beautiful and striking images which haunt me still – a pale vampiric face lit by candlelight; the gloomy gothic ring of striking bells; a mesmerizing love song delivered directly in my ear; and, most important of all, an unopened door behind which lies a terrifying and thrilling adventure.

An Appointment with J Dark is an amazing and vibrant piece of theatre for those willing to take the plunge into the unknown.

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

Season: Wednesday, 18 April – Sunday, 6 May 2012

Time: Wed – Sun, 3pm, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm and 9pm. 35 – 50 minutes no interval (pending audience engagement).

Tickets: Full $20 / Conc $15

Bookings: artshouse.com.au or 03 9322 3713

Dance, Events, Performances, Review, Whats On

Review: CLOUDS ABOVE BERLIN

An extraordinary performance of two remarkable new dance works

By Anastasia Russell-Head

Clouds Above Berlin, a double-bill presented by choreographers Melanie Lane and Antony Hamilton, showcases two pieces very different in aesthetic and expression, yet united by a finely-honed, precisely-crafted movement and attention to detail – and are both firmly rooted in the urban.

Melanie Lane’s Titled Fawn opens the evening with an abstract study into space and sound. A lone dancer manipulates brick-shaped cardboard boxes, creating fantastical highrise developments – at times like a miniature Le Corbusier cityscape. Tiny speakers inside the boxes create interesting sound landscapes; especially effective when the boxes are in motion. The movement of the boxes creates a subtle tension and release without the involvement of narrative – we wonder what she will do with the boxes next, will she be able to carry them all, will some of them drop?

Breaking into this very contemplative mood is a too-short interlude of disjointed, almost grotesque dance – in platform shoes. Lane’s movements in this section are fluid and hypnotic, and the sudden burst of energy a welcome counterpoint to the restraint of the rest of the piece. 

After interval Antony Hamilton’s Black Project 1 opens with a post-apocalyptic, post-traumatic bleakness where two dancers, almost camouflaged against the grey-black set, move in fragments, seeming to express an urgent narrative. This is both moving and engaging, drawing the audience into an abstract world of tenderness, tragedy and discovery.

The graffiti-inspired techno brilliance of the later part of the piece is simply stunning, with sound, light and movement all combining and overlapping to create an arresting and captivating panorama. Hamilton uses simple techniques, such as peeling off strips of masking tape, to create striking effects that look like digital wizardry.

I walked into the North Melbourne Town Hall not knowing what to expect from this show, and came out with a new appreciation for choreography, movement, and physicality. Highly recommended.

Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall
Until Sunday 11 March
Fri 9, 7.30pm
Sat 10, 2pm & 7.30pm
Sun 11, 5pm

Tickets: $25 / $20

Bookings: 9322 3713 or www.artshouse.com.au