Tag: comedy

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Review: AD NAUSEUM

A beautiful tale of a terrible man

By Adam Tonking

Ad Nauseam, created by Tom Pitts and performed by Nick Bendall with Kate Laverack and Grace Travaglia, is the story of one rather unlikeable man and the drunken destructive path he cuts through one night in the city. But the story itself is only the beginning of this wonderful production.

Pitts’ text, one long rant, is almost poetic, reminiscent of those long-dead beat poets Kerouac and Ginsberg and through Pitts’ treatment of the language, transforms a gritty loathsome bender into something romantic and poignant.

His despicable narrator seems lost and forlorn, even while his actions paint him as an arrogant pig, somehow you want to be the one to save him. I did find the insertion of a few topical one-liners jarring and unnecessary, however they did receive the biggest laughs of the night. The text is performed in counterpoint with a score also composed by Pitt, and the interaction between the two beautifully underpins the ebb and flow of the piece.

Playing the part of this narrator, Bendall brings a rascally quality to the character’s unpleasant tendencies, charming the audience with his antics as opposed to repelling us. His physicality in performing this piece was a work of art, like mime bordering on dance, depicting the world and the people he interacts with through mere controlled movements and poses of his constantly working body, from delicate and beautiful to aggressive and masculine. Fascinating to watch.

Haunting him throughout the piece are the spectres of the two women who started him on this downward spiral, played by Laverack and Travaglia, who never speak a word, but manage to convey everything they need to through the movement of their bodies.

Ad Nauseam is a masterful work, using poetry, mime, dance, music, lighting – all the elements available to create a phenomenal, tragic and romantic piece. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

This production is showing at La Mama Courthouse, 349 Drummond Street Carlton, from Wednesday 21 March till Sunday 1 April, 6.30pm Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, 8.30pm Thursday and Saturday. Book at www.lamama.com.au or by calling 03 9347 6142.

Events, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: The Suitcase Royale Present ZOMBATLAND

Junkyard sets and a caravan full of twisted humour 

By Jen Coles

As if regular zombies weren’t bad enough, now we have to worry about the dreaded ‘zombat’- a zombie wombat! Such is the premise of Zombatland, a brilliant, fast-paced and hilarious tale featuring three of the four Suitcase Royale gents playing a multitude of characters.

 Set at the ‘Blue Lagoon’ caravan park, the Major Grogan and his brother, cricketing legend Darren Grogan, are attempting to manage the park amidst the zombie wombat attack terror. Having already lost two of the park residents within the first thirty seconds of the show, Darren attempts to move the Major, suggesting they flee to Tahiti. However, when the Major refuses, and when the zombats appear to be moving in, all seems lost- until the arrival of the mysterious ‘Stranger’ and his crumpet gun. What follows is an epic journey of rescue, adventure, hilarity…and large, fuzzy zombats.

Clearly taking some cues from classic zombie movies, ‘Zombatland’ manages to create an atmosphere of humour and fear, switching between the two depending on the situation. The use of media to enhance this was genius; the audience was greeted with a sea of zombat red eyes, which blinked on and off. The soundtrack (also created by the Royale troupe) was a mixture of outback swamp sounds and zombat screams, all giving a sense of isolated fear that the audience really felt. Not content with only that, the three actors also performed live (and in character) original songs to explain and discuss the plot, and occasionally ran to the band section to provide background music. This was even referred to in the script: “I can hear pretty ominous double bass going on!” And on top of that, they also used puppetry, a projector, rotating set pieces, various sounds and voice enhancers to add to the performance. A huge mention also goes to the crew, whose lighting and technical prowess helped both manage and add to Royale’s vision.

Zombatland is an absolute triumph of cross-media performance, with the performers themselves being completely charming and hilarious. It is an absolute must-see for quality entertainment, and my only question is…Where can I buy the DVD?

Zombatland premiered Wed 14-Sun 18th March, 2012 at the Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall.

The show was conceived and written by the Suitcase Royale (Joseph O’Farrell, Miles O’Neill, Tom Salisbury and Glen Walton).

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

REVIEW: Fabian Lapham in REALITY CAN BLOW ME

Opening a chaotic can of comedy

By Adam Tonking

Fabian Lapham’s Reality Can Blow Me is a one-man show more in the style of a stand-up routine than anything else. He takes to the stage, nervous and awkward, and explains self-deprecatingly that there is no linear narrative, that the nature of reality will not be discussed, and nothing will get blown.

Then he amuses the audience for the next fifty minutes with various shtick; from observational humour, to one-liners, to sight gags, to comedic songs… Everything is thrown at the audience to make them laugh.

And it worked. While Lapham’s show would have been much better suited to a larger audience than were present the night I attended, our small group were laughing and applauding heartily at Lapham’s various antics. His running gags – dance routines commenting on the action, and impersonations of impersonations – scattered throughout the show were received particularly well.

My personal highlight was his series of “Tiny Stories,” including a novelisation of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, told as a noir detective story. His songs were clever and well-written, if not well-executed, and build to a great finale – every show needs a good ending.

Lapham is clearly a talented comic, but the constant shift of pace as he switched between different styles of comedy was at times confusing for the audience as they struggled to keep up. The gags were genuinely funny, and giving the audience more time to absorb them would have helped.

Lapham’s self-referential commentary on the progress of the show seemed a slightly dated device, and at times appeared apologetic for the show’s lack of structure. However, there were enough entertaining moments in the show to make it a fun night out, and to suggest great things from Lapham in the future.

Fabian Lapham’s Reality Can Blow Me is on at The Butterfly Club, 204 Bank Street, South Melbourne, from Thursday 1st March till Sunday 4th March at 9pm, or 8pm on Sunday. Book at www.thebutterflyclub.com

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

Review: GERALDINE QUINN is The Last Gig in Melbourne

This is why Melbourne loves live music!

By Emma Muiznieks

In response to the floundering live music scene, Geraldine Quinn has invited you to the very last live gig Melbourne is ever going to host, and boy does she deliver.

For one hour, Quinn rocks out a set list of original songs, with the help of her band; musical director Casey Bennetto on keys and guitar, Tamara Murphy thundering on the bass, Sonja Horbelt on drums, and Martin Lubran rocking out like a legend on lead guitar. Last Gig pokes fun at the tropes of home-grown rock, but is at the same time a fine example of the very best sort of gig: it is well-structured, the music is tight, and Quinn owns the stage like a pro.

Covering a range of subject matter and musical subgenres, from a punk rock song about scrag fights to a poignant ballad lamenting the predominance of mobile phone usage during shows, Quinn takes us through the live music scene from when she herself first started bopping along as a teenager, to the current lackadaisical attitude of the modern concertgoer. As a songwriter, she has created music that is clearly original but has such an element of familiarity that you might swear you’ve heard the songs before on Rage or MTV. She presents us with a view from both sides of the microphone, and rather skillfully reminds us of how fun live gigs are while at the same time highlighting our responsibility to support the industry: there will always be new talent, but without an audience, it will go unheard.

Although each band-member is given the chance to shine, the show is very much a showcase for Quinn’s powerhouse vocals, clever lyrics and her complete and utter rock & roll spirit. There are few comedians on the scene today who possess such a strong stage presence; add to this a voice that can be so forceful one moment and so softly intense the next, and you have a performer capable of underpinning a comedy song with a real emotional resonance.

There are few people with enough cred, talent and moxy to claim the right to the last gig in Melbourne, but Quinn has definitely earned the honour.

www.geraldinequinn.com

The Last Gig in Melbourne

Dates: Friday 4, 11, 18, & 25 Nov

Time: 8.00pm (approx 1 hr duration)

Venue: Bella Union Bar, Trades Hall, Cnr Lygon and Victoria Streets, Carlton

Tickets: $25/$16 at door, discounts for pre-booking

Bookings: 03 9650 5699 or www.bellaunion.com.au

 

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

REVIEW: Porcelain Punch Travelling Medicine Show

Porcelain Punch: It’s the pick of the bunch

By Deborah Langley

The Butterfly Club has been transformed from quirky little cabaret venue into a big top for the Porcelain Punch Traveling Medicine Show being performed as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival 2011.

The show begins in the style of a silent movie before our performers take to the stage to announce our evening’s sponsor (all great shows must have a great sponsor, right?)

This show is sponsored by Porcelain Punch If you haven’t heard of it, you will by the end of the night!

I personally am sold on its medically proven abilities: why, it’s the creme del a creme of health tonics, god bless!

The evening is hosted by two exceptional performers, MC Lenny (Luke O’Connor) & Miss Ellie Mae Rose (Madeline Hudson) who keeps the audience in wonderment as the proof of the punch is explored through the experiences of those who get to try just a sip. 

Hudson is a standout as she sings and accompanies most tunes and performs with the most wickedly expressive face that suits the era to a tee (oops, I mean ‘punch’).

Other highlights have to include when our MCs were able to cure a man from the audience of… (What was it he had? Gangrene?) One sip of the tonic and he was dancing a jig in perfect health.

Audiences are enchanted by some great sideshow characters and their unique approach to the ridiculous.

The ensemble including Alexander Gellman, Emilie Minks, Christy Flaws and Kate Boston Smith bring farcical humor, unique circus skills, hilarious satire and just a touch of magic to the stage in a night of old school entertainment at its best.

True to form, the Porcelain Punch Traveling Medicine Show is a gang of misfits that roll into town to perform their tricks with great enthusiasm and humor.

A brilliant show which I recommend you all brave the cold nights to see, before they blow out of town again.

Dates: Tues 27 Sept – Sun 2nd Oct

Times: Tues, Weds, Sun at 8pm – Thurs, Fri, Sat at 9pm

Tickets:$27, $24 conc, $23 groups 8+

The Butterfly Club, 204 Bank St, South Melbourne

Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Performances, Review

REVIEW: Emily Taylor and Scott Brennan in IS THIS YOUR LIFE?

Improvisation + cabaret = a great night of comedy!

By Kate Boston-Smith

As you walk into the ever-gorgeous and oh-so intimate space of The Butterfly Club’s showroom, there is electricity in the air. 

Already on stage, performers Emily Taylor and Scott Brennan with accompanist Gordon Dorin are primed and ready.  Such is the energy and connection between the three that Taylor and Brennan literally cannot stand in stillness. 

Stalking the stage like playful lion cubs ready to pounce, these highly skilled performers are itching to grab their audience, and lovingly get them involved in the piece.  And this they do with generosity, care and feather-in-the-ear tickling play. 

Obviously seasoned improv artists (Taylor and Brennan from Spontaneous Broadway, Dorin from Impro Melbourne), these three have an unspoken understanding and pitch-perfect musical intuition together.  

Their joint performances of spontaneous song and invented narrative come from the seamless interweaving of offers from audience conversations generated in the first ten minutes of the show. It is beautiful to observe how they listen to each other and us, and to see how they then develop the story on the spot. 

Their musicality is matched by their imagination and the audience travels with them as they paint very detailed imagery with their stories and songs.  Brennan, a crackerjack to watch, oozes character and wit. 

Dorin on piano is heavenly to listen to, and is so incredibly in synch with the other two performers that you would think each song has been rehearsed several times over.  The only time his eyes were not on the performers was when he dropped his head to laugh at the spontaneous hilarities happening on stage: always a delight to see!

Last, but by no means least, Emily Taylor performs with a constant twinkle in her eye.  With cool dexterity she switches between characters and unabashedly creates and explores the most absurd scenarios. 

In this instance, her adoption of a human-sized bunny moving through society is both ridiculous and incredible.  She is a fearless performer, and deserves the rewards the audience throw to her. 

Is This Your Life? is a great piece for those who love to see a little bit of themselves on stage.  These three performers are brilliant at their craft, and clearly enjoy what they do and achieve, making this show is a joy to watch. 

Date: Thurs 25 to Sun 28 August


Time: Thur – Sat at 9pm, Sun at 8pm 


Tickets: $22/$18

Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com


Duration: 60 min approx

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

REVIEW: N3rd Girl Versus The Zombie Apocalypse

The zombies are finally here!

by Kate Boston Smith

N3rd Girl Versus the Zombie Apocalypse is the debut performance for Jen Coles. Self-proclaimed nerd and zombie-flick lover Coles transforms the ever-gorgeous Butterfly Club showroom to an apocalypse-survival bunker where zombies are a very real and a literal threat. 

Taking the role as ‘leader’ Coles is fully equipped with facts, tips, instructions and imitation artillery….(very cute). 

For the zombie uninitiated (such as myself) she takes us through a thorough information session complete with song and group audience participation (beware the faint of heart!). The lengthy introduction to the world of zombie awakening soon gives way to some very clever songs about what to do and how to cope in these new surroundings.

Rowland Brache on piano is not only a gorgeous accompanist but brilliant co-actor.  The play between the pair is effortless and sweet.  You can tell that together they have had great fun devising these moments and one can only imagine the antics and hilarity that ensued during the rehearsal process.

On a side note, the performance felt like it lacked a certain urgency. Perhaps more fear in the character, more fuller electricity, is needed to really propel the zombie experience forward. That said, it was opening night and I am sure Coles will “feel the fire” of the brain-eating apocalypse as the season progresses. 

Coles’ songs grew and grew throughout the piece.  My favourite moment was her heart-warming and hilarious ballad of love to an unsuspecting audience member. This was on par to the grand finale, which was a romping good time in itself. There is nothing like a few surprises saved til the very end to leave your audience grinning with delight.

This is a cabaret for those who love their zombies, musicals and fantasy served on a cranium-platter….

Mmmm, brains!

 

N3rd Girl Versus the Zombie Apocalypse

Written and  performed by Jen Coles

Directed by Kim Edwards

Accompanied by Rowland Brache

Fri – Sat 7pm, 6pm Sunday

Tix $22/19/18 group

Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Performances, Whats On

REVIEW: Linda Beatty is THE UNENCHANTED PRINCESS

This comedy cabaret show is the perfect mixture of naughty and nice…!

By Lisa Nightingale

Whimsical, magical and hysterical –  Linda Beatty as The UnEnchanted Princess had a cozy audience in stitches while she told us of the obvious yet never-realised truths and ironies about our beloved childhood fairytales.

With the help of her magic harp and imaginary dinosaur friend, Ralph, Beatty was able to take us to a ‘whole new world’ of Disney tales that made me giggle for an entire hour.

Starting with her very well-written Intro Song which got her ‘from the back of the room to the front of the room’, I knew I was in for a good evening.

The stage was set with a green-covered table, a stool and flowers hanging from the distinctive red Butterfly Club stage curtain – we were obviously in a meadow, and I was only waiting for little animated birdies to fly out of the ceiling.

Linda Beatty appeared instead. With her flowing red hair, white flighty gown, fishnets and boots, she had the perfect mix of naughty and nice.

Going into the stories of all of my favourite Disney princesses, Beatty blew me away with her incredible Celtic harp music, which she has played for twenty years… and she is a master at it! The songs throughout the show just exuded quirkiness and fun, and had me smiling so much my cheeks hurt.

My favourite part of the show is when she introduces us to her loveable imaginary Tyrannosaurus Rex friend who is so real that he even has his own solo!

Or it could be her adult’s only rendition of Aladdin’s A Whole New World which has now cleverly twisted the whole meaning of this song forever more.

Both in music and script, Beatty’s well-written comedy is playful, energetic and entertaining and everyone that sees this show will relate to the tales that she tells.

It embraces childhood memories, but also makes you glad that we now are adults to be able to enjoy a new layer to these stories that were once so silly and innocent.

Make sure you get down to The Butterfly Club during 14th -17th April for the Melbourne Comedy Festival so you don’t miss this comedy craze.

Tickets can be booked via www.thebutterflyclub.com, and check out Linda’s website too.

Have fun!

Cabaret, Events, Performances, Whats On

ANA-LUCIA AND THE BARON: Episode One (Again!)

Our favourite French glamour girl and con-woman extraordinaire is wrecking havoc and hilarity at The Butterfly Club once again!

Dear Friends,

You are cordially invited to Ana-Lucia’s return season Welcome Home Party (after sell-out audiences gate-crashed zee last one). It’s at The Butterfly Club, every night from Thurs 24 at 7pm to Sunday 27 March at 6pm, for an outrageous evening of fun, frolics and intrigue – wiz me! 

You see, friends – I ‘ave lost my memory, but I do know I am being  ‘unted down by zee Evil Baron – oo may or may not be my one true, mon amour love – just because of some silly diamonds zat I am sure I ‘ave  certainly and absolutely NOT stolen from ‘im….

Alas, mes amis, I can’t remember oo you all are, or more importantly oo I am – but ‘opefully with your ‘elp I, Ana-Lucia, can unravel my mysterious and fabulous past…!

‘Zis one will be… ‘ow you say?? … a ‘oot!’

RSVP YES to The Butterfly Club!

You should never say no to a lady, ladies and gentlemen (especially when she has a gun…) So lock up your diamonds, pack up your pistols, and get down to The Butterfly Club THIS WEEK for the most sparkling and sensational Parisian party of the season!

Written by Lisa Nightingale
Directed by Kim Edwards
Accompanied by Trevor Jones as the enigmatic Juan Pablo…
Ticket price: $22 full / $19 concession, $18 for groups of 8 or more
Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com

(Pst! See Episode One NOW because it is already selling out, and rumour has it that Episode Two – and the Baron – are not far away…!)

Cabaret, Events, Festivals, Late Night Shows, Performances, Whats On

Fringe Festival: Return of PRICE OF GENIUS & Other Gems

‘An absolute entrée into a very different world. Definitely worth seeing!’ – Julie Houghton 3MBS

In an era of Beethoven’s music and Shelley’s poetry, and a time of great upheaval and revolt, Mary Wollstonecraft changed the world forever when she wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Women.  

She married an anarchist, demanded sexual equality, and gave birth to both feminism and the famous Mary Shelley who wrote Frankenstein.

But …

Mary Wollstonecraft had another daughter.

This is her story.

In its repeat season, The Price of Genius is an emotionally charged and technically adept piece of theatre.  

Originally written and performed in 2009, it marked the 250th anniversary of Mary Wollstonecraft’s death and celebrated her colourful life and revolutionary work.  

The show’s initial reception confirmed a broad appeal for audiences – from Regency period and literary enthusiasts interested in the history of Wollstonecraft and the upheaval of the French Revolution, to feminists, educators, romantics, tragedians and, of course, musicians.  

There is an intensity in both dialogue and music, with the fascinating and unique story-telling experience of hearing new lyrics set to Beethoven’s lieder songs.

A two-hundred year old secret is finally revealed on stage…

Featuring Ilsa Cook
Accompanied by Katherine Gillon
Directed by Kim Edwards
Book and Lyrics by Sally Collyer
Music by Ludwig van Beethoven

Venue: The Butterfly Club
Dates: 23-26 September: Thur-Sat 7pm, Sun 6pm
Duration: 60 mins
Tickets: Conc $17.00, Full $22.00, Group $17.00
Bookings: 03 9660 9666, www.thebutterflyclub.com or www.melbournefringe.com.au

 

Some Other Fringe Favourites…

Cabaret Course graduate Tom Dickins presents his mesmerising new show THE SPACES BETWEEN as part of The Jane Austen Argument: an indie-noir cabaret experience… Book Now

Short+Sweet Festival Director Emma Clair Ford will be exploring the dark and comic side of the human psyche with LILA GREY: Book Now

THROUGH THE MAGNIFYING GLASS marks the return of our hilarious, bizarro favourite Kitty Bang as she romps through a new cabaret extravaganza of choreographed madness!   Book Now

Bring on the sadistic soap-opera: see cabaret course graduate Natalie Ristovska weave her magic at the Burlesque Bar with a return season of ATROCITY… Book Now