By Donald Macdonald. Henry Lawson Theatre. Directed by Jason Darlington. 4th – 19th November 2022
I read this play several years ago and didn’t find it particularly funny. Henry Lawson Theatre gave it a red hot go at convincing me otherwise.
Jason Darlington, making his directorial debut, showed tremendous promise in his first outing, bringing together a cast of HLT regulars, much to the delight of the full house, very supportive and highly amused audience.
Music and Lyrics by Peter Allen. Book by Nick Enright. Noosa Arts Theatre. Oct 27 – Nov 19, 2022
If you are a Peter Allen fan (and I never really realised just how many there were) then you will love Noosa’s The Boy from Oz.
It is a slick, polished, sequined soaked, tight, bright, shiny, sparkly, mirror-balled colour fest – but with enough poignancy and social reflections to give it a bit of weight and a lot of backbone.
Playhouse, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), Brisbane. 4 to 20 November 2022, then touring.
Having resisted the temptation of The Mousetrap in London’s West End for the 20+ years I have lived there, I’m glad it was this Australian production that introduced me to the play. This is a top-notch cast and a fitting reminder of Agatha Christie’s contribution to our entertainment catalogue. Perhaps it is the recent lockdowns that have led to the revived popularity of Agatha’s work: she certainly was always ‘binge-worthy’ long before that expression existed.
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II; Book by Howard Lindsy and Russel Crouse, based on "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers". Hills Musical Theatre Company. Jointly directed and musically directed by William Pulley and Rodrigo Medina Noel. Choreographed by Kaitlin Hillier. Model Farms High School Auditorium, Baulkham Hills. November 4 – 12, 2022
It was this reviewer's first opportunity to see a production by HMTC and visit this venue. Their 50 years of experience fueled expectations but this feeling was immediately tempered upon entering the huge hall; knowing from experience just how much these bigger spaces can swallow some productions. Any trepidation was cast aside however, as the nun ensemble deftly infiltrated the audience in the opening sequence to breathe a palpably reverential atmosphere into the cavernous space with strong, clear harmonies.
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by Hugh Wheeler. The Attic Theatrical. The Art House, Wyong. Nov 3 - 12, 2022
The Attic Theatrical is a relatively new community theatre group on the central coast but they've certainly made a big splash with their latest production, Sweeney Todd. Right from the get-go the Dickensian London atmosphere is appropriately dark, ominous and unsettling. David Rowe's clever set design affords many entry points for the cast in an intimate setting that really draws the audience into the action.
By Andrew Bovell. Melville Theatre Company. Directed by Vanessa Jensen. Melville Theatre, WA. Oct 28 - Nov 12, 2022
Simply one of the best plays of the year, Melville Theatre Company’s incarnation of the Australian family drama Things I Know To Be True is a well-directed and superbly acted production.
By the Danger Ensemble. Theatre Works, Acland Street, St Kilda. 1 -12 November 2022
In the Theatre Works foyer, a couple of loud, giggling party girl real estate agents (Eidan Glover and Polly Sara) invite the audience, four at a time, to inspect a beautiful house - that is, enter the theatre. We notice that they wear curious tight-fitting plastic masks like the second skins of burns victims. If we do notice, the grotesquery undercuts the hilarity.
By Larry Kramer. Ad Astra, Brisbane. 3 November to 1 December 2022
Ad Astra’s new production of The Normal Heart opened to a sold-out crowd who were visibly moved by Larry Kramer’s heart-breaking autobiographical play. First performed at New York’s Public Theatre in 1985, The Normal Heart is a microcosm of events at ground zero of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s.
By Kayle Jarrow and numerous songwriters. Alexandra Theatre. Directed by Jane Anderson and David Nelson. The Regal Theatre, Subiaco, WA. October 27 – 30, 2022.
Alexandra Theatre’s The SpongeBob Musical is the most colourful musical you will see this year, possibly – this decade. This big budget, large cast extravaganza fills The Regal Theatre with energy and verve and captures the audience’s hearts.
Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. Concert Hall Sydney Opera House. Saturday 29 October, 2022
What a sight! Over 350 singers surrounding the stage of the Concert Hall! 93 musicians on the cleverly stepped levels of the stage itself. A packed audience excitedly anticipating the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs’ return to the beautifully renovated Concert Hall.
