Reviews

Dinner

By Moira Buffini. Black Swan. Directed by Kate Cherry. Heath Ledger Theatre, State Theatre Centre of Western Australia, Perth, WA. 14-29 March 2015

The opening of Black Swan's 2015 season, is a high impact production of Moira Buffini's Dinner - a gorgeously designed and sumptuously performed production.

Billed as a WA Premiere (which overlooks community theatre Playlovers' production of Dinner from around 2006), it is one of the strongest productions to emerge from Black Swan in recent years.

Walking With Dinosaurs The Arena Spectacular

Allphones Arena Sydney – 18th – 22nd March; Hisense Area Melbourne – 25th – 29th March; Brisbane Entertainment Centre – 1st – 5th April; Newcastle Entertainment Centre – 9th – 12th April; Perth Arena – 17th – 19th April and Adelaide Entertainment Centre – 23rd – 26th April 2015.

On billboards and online, Walking With Dinosaurs the Arena Spectacular boasts everywhere that it is “the biggest show Sydney has ever seen”. Sydney is, in fact, where it started out in 2007, and after enjoying hit success internationally this esteemed production returns to its place of origin with an updated treat for its viewers, incorporating “colourful changes” that are motivated by recent scientific findings - including the feathering of some major species. 

A Woman On The Edge

Written by Rod Anderson. Presented by: Anderson/Dawson Productions. The Spiegeltent, Salamanca Place, Hobart. Director: Rod Anderson. March 17 (Hobart) & 22 (Launceston) 2015

Claire Dawson’s character Sisi - seen again in A Woman On The Edge - is a young, mad bag that everybody loves. In this Rod Anderson & Claire Dawson production at The Spiegeltent for the Tasmanian International Arts Festival (formerly 10 Days On The Island) Claire Dawson dominates the stage in a One-Woman-Plus show. Claire even appears as her own backing group in some amazing arrangements of old and new songs.

The Producers


By Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan
. Director: Kirsten Burdon
. Musical Director: Matthew Reid
. Choreography: Kerrie Boness and Brendan Cascarino. Campbelltown Theatre Group Inc. Town Hall Theatre. March 13 – 28, 2015.

Campbelltown Theatre Group dazzles us with a colourful and fast moving production of The Producers.

Perfect Wedding

By Robin Hawden. Director: Doug Moses. Ipswich Little Theatre. Incinerator Theatre, Ipswich. 4-21 Mar 2015

Farce goes together with community theatre like fish and chips. They’re a natural. Audiences love them, actors love being in them, and theatre companies love their box-office appeal. Perfect Wedding was a perfect example of the genre and a perfect start to Ipswich Little Theatre’s 2015 season.

Danny Elfman’s Music From The Films Of Tim Burton

Adelaide Festival. Adelaide Entertainment Centre. March 14, 2015

Throughout the history of cinema, certain filmmakers have developed such close working relationships with the composers who provide the underscore for their movies that the work of one becomes intrinsically associated with the other – Alfred Hitchcock & Bernard Herrmann; Sergio Leone & Ennio Morricone; David Lean & Maurice Jarre; Steven Spielberg & John Williams; to name just a few of the most famous.

Play it Again, Sam

By Woody Allen. Javeenbah Theatre Company. Gold Coast. March 13- 28, 2015.

WHAT happens when the theatre reviewer (who is presumed to know it all) decides to take the director’s role, is then prepared to accept whatever fate throws and still make the vision a reality? Our scribe Roger McKenzie took that hot seat and rose to the occasion with his production of the Woody Allen classic, Play It Again, Sam for Javeenbah Theatre Company.

Beauty and the Beast

Music: Alan Menken. Lyrics: Howard Ashman & Tim Rice. Book: Linda Wooverton. Director: Jason Ward Kennedy. Musical Director: Mark Beilby. Choreographer: Jo Badenhorst. Savoyards. Iona Performing Arts Centre, Wynham, Qld. 14 - 28 March 2015

Beauty and the Beast is a modern musical theatre classic. Based on the acclaimed Disney animated movie of 1991, its Broadway incarnation ran 5,461 performances, making it the 9th longest running musical in Broadway history. The musical has continued to charm, delight and move audiences around the world ever since. It’s one of the most successful franchises in the Disney canon and it never fails to thrill.

Nothing to Lose

Chapter One: Body//Language. Malthouse Theatre and Force Majeure. Director – Kate Champion. March 11 – 21, 2015.

If nothing else, Nothing To Lose proves that pounds of voluptuous flesh can be very sexy. 

L’Heure Espagnole / Gianni Schicchi

By Ravel & Puccini. Lyric Opera of Melbourne. Directors: Nicholas Cannon and Jane Millet. Conductor: Pat Miller. Chapel off Chapel. March 13 – 19, 2015.

This was a delightful evening of comic opera. The orchestra was on stage with a walkway around three sides of it and the action taking place in front of the orchestra and on the walk ways. This worked well, and the orchestra was occasionally included in the action.

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