Reviews

An Unforgivably Brief History of Australian Theatre with Dr Rob

By Rob Reid. La Mama HQ. 15 – 20 February 2022

Rob Reid - playwright, theatre maker, reviewer and historian extraordinaire - presents an incisive, rewarding, lyrical, ironic and often very funny look at Australia’s Theatre History. 

Le Sorelle (The Sisters)

Written and directed by Andrew O’Connell. Company O. The Italian Club, Fremantle, WA. Feb 18-20, 2022

Le Sorelle is a world premiere production from Company O. This bilingual production is performed in Italian and English, and while it is not necessary to speak Italian to enjoy this production, it is certainly a wonderful opportunity to exercise your language muscles for those with some Italian knowledge.

Two sisters live together in a comfortable farmhouse in Northern Italy. One of the sisters dreams of beginning a new life with her Australian boyfriend in Australia, but her sister has other ideas.

Darker Side of Bowden

Adelaide Fringe. Oily Rag Theatre, Bowden. Feb 18 – Mar 19, 2022

‘Has anyone seen my bicycle?’ shouts Beatrice, making her appearance on foot at the street corner where a dozen or so of us await. Dressed for work at the nearby Beehive Shirt Factory in the late nineteenth century, we’re treated to history, gossip, and stories of a few gruesome deaths.

#noregrets

Adelaide Fringe. Jolt Comedy. Port Adelaide Naval Association. 19 Feb and Fri 11 Mar - Sat 12 Mar, 2022.

Jolt Comedy presents The (so that you do not mix her up with all of the others) Jo O’Brien and Little T at the Port Adelaide Naval Association; a very accessible Fringe venue with easy parking and a well-lit, cabaret style venue that is well set up for comedy and smaller performances. Billed as ‘hilarious true life stories’, these two women regale the audience with a vast and diverse range of their funny, and sometimes painful life experiences. Both performers ooze energy and enthusiasm, and the contact with their audience is strong.

Crème de la Crème

Adelaide Fringe Festival 2022. The Vault at the Garden of Unearthly Delights - Adelaide. February 18 – March 19, 2022.

Crème de la Crème is presented by Head First Acrobats, who have previously presented Circus’cision and Railed.

This production focusses on the performers’ skills and less on a theme. It is a cornucopia

of acrobatic skills beautifully linked by the host Cal Harris, also a skilled acrobat. His chair balancing act perched precariously on five stacked chairs aided by his assistant is one of the highlights of the night!

Peter Goers is Fit, Fabulous and Nearly 50!!!

Adelaide Fringe. The Arch, Holden Street Theatres. 19th February - 20th March 2022

Peter Goers has trodden the Adelaide boards for more than 50 years. He’s had an eclectic career that has seen him as actor, director, TV presenter, the “critic that ate Adelaide”, and now, beloved ABC radio host. After six seasons of Fringe shows he’s back again with “yet another nice show particularly for old people” in Peter Goers is Fit, Fabulous and Nearly 50!!!

Music

By Jane Bodie. Directed by Zachary Dixon. Talking Candle Productions. The MC Showroom, Prahran. 17-26 February 2022

Music is a play about mental illness – or, more precisely, responses to mental illness by people who are supposedly not mentally ill.  So, it is a play about listening, about seeing, and understanding.  As the character Adam says in a fine speech towards the end of the play, music as communication came before words, and we have to find the music in the chaos of another human being.  So, equally, it is a play about not listening, not seeing, and not understanding. 

Meet Me at Dawn

By Zinnie Harris. Adelaide Fringe. Holden Street Theatres. 15-27 February, 2022

Two women wash up on a beach after a boating accident – Robyn is confused, feels unwell; Helen is pumped full of adrenaline; both start to look for a way back home.

To say more of the story would detract from the experience, which begins as you take your seats peering into the semi-darkness of Meg Wilson’s set, beautifully lit by Mark Oakley, wrapped in an ocean soundscape from Sascha Budimski that knows when to create atmosphere and when to smash it.

The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race

By Melanie Tate. Melville Theatre Company. Directed by Michelle Ezzy. Melville Theatre, WA. Feb 11-26, 2022

Melville Theatre Company’s The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race is the WA premiere of this funny, feminist and character driven play. Beautifully presented and thoughtfully directed, it is delighting audiences.

Escaping the Burning Sun

Quasar Arts. Adelaide Fringe, 2022 – 18-19 February, Little Theatre; 16-17 March, Marion Cultural Centre.

This new dystopian play from Quasar Arts tells us what we might face if we work out how to live forever yet do nothing to slow down our resource consumption. You could get ‘qualified’, which is like winning the lottery, except the prize is to go to the sun.

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