Reviews

A joyous piece of collaborative invention by the teenage cast and adult theatre makers (too many to list here), The Mermaid takes off from Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 tale and makes something funny, moving, and sophisticated.  Part agit-prop, part comedy-drama, part satire and stand-up, the text throws in references to the 1989 subversive Disney animation, to Sophia Coppola’s aborted movie of the fairy tale (including quotes from the script), and a repeated catalogue of all the acts of misogynistic vandalism perpetrated on the famous statue in Copenhagen.

As an ex-lawyer, writer Suzie Miller has seen all sides of the Australian legal system – founded, of course, on British patriachy, established mainly to protect wealthy land-owners in the middle ages. It's an old order, deeply steeped in Latin terminology and ancient practice. The fact that legal aid was introduced in Australia in the 1970s only highlights that this this is a system that doesn't like change. So how does it serve us today?

One of at least three productions of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most famous work in WA this year, Primadonna’s Pirates of Penzance Jr. stands out. This shortened version is a delight, and still includes most of our favourite moments and songs.

Something different, something new. The name of this play brings to mind the original by William Shakespeare but the link is rather tenuous at most. Caesar has been written by five women who demonstrate talents both in theatre and writing. Each was responsible for a scene, or act, in this relatively short play but the overall effect was one of unity. It could be said that the script covered the actors as they rehearsed scenes from the Caesar play of old to rehearsing their own lives in an equally direct manner. This was challenging for both the cast and the audience.