Reviews

When old King Lear asks his three daughters, ‘Which of you shall we say doth love us most?’ an audible ripple, a gasp or a groan, runs through the theatre.  ‘Oh-oh,’ we think, ‘here we go.’  There is a feeling of dread as well as anticipation.  How will we be shown them this time?  Because most of us know the consequences and now they are set in train.  We know there will be jealousy, lies, murder, torture, death and madness.  Why does King Lear (Robert Menzies) ask that foolish question?  Vanity?  Or is he

Originally a Royal National Theatre commission, performed in London in 2012, Alice by Heart has not had a professional run in Australia, but community theatres appear to be picking up this musical, written by the Spring Awakening team.  

Backdock Arts is exactly the sort of intimate space, and Set Me On Fire by Samara Louise is just the sort of drama you’d want to be immersed in at the start of a weekend of creativity courtesy of Brisbane’s Anywhere Festival. This one-hour piece, directed by Cale Dennis, is a gentle romance, but packs a powerful emotional punch thanks to the sincerity of its storytelling and the heartfelt charm and warmth of its performers.

Wata was developed over many years of collaborative improvisation begun in 2004 when composer Paul Grabowsky – distinguished Australian pianist, conductor, arranger and founder of the Australian Art Orchestra – first travelled to Arnhem Land to explore the possibility of potential musical collaborations. There he met Arnhem Land ceremonial musicians Daniel Ngukurr Boy Wilfred and David Yipininy Wilfred, and learnt of their manikay, “cycles of poetic invocations of time and place.”