Reviews

Romeo and Juliet

By William Shakespeare. Directed by Todd MacDonald. La Boite and QUT Creative Industries. Roundhouse Theatre. 25 May – 5 June 2019.

Ongoing creative collaborators, La Boite and QUT Creative Industries are presenting an expurgated version of the Shakespearean tragedy that runs a mere 1 hour 45 minutes without interval. All the vital speeches are still in there, but many scenes are cut short or cut out altogether, making for a leaner script that gives the director Todd MacDonald more room to play with movement and silence.

The Kitchen Sink

By Tom Wells. Harbour Theatre. Directed by Grace Hitchin. Camelot Theatre, Mosman Park, WA. May 24 - Jun 2, 2019

The Kitchen Sink, presented by Harbour Theatre, centres around a likeable working class family in East Yorkshire. Billed as a comedy, it is perhaps more akin to a light ‘kitchen sink’ drama, with minimal plot, but some very interesting characters.

Set in the family kitchen, nicely created by Peter Kirkwood, Grace Hitchin and Brian Mahoney, the set includes lots of ring-of-truth props (Bronwyn Hammond, Jo Sterkenburg and Grace Hitchin), with the titular sink being almost a character of its own.

Sweet Charity

Book by Neil Simon. Music by Cy Coleman. Lyrics by Dorothy Fields. Willoughby Theatre Company. Concourse Theatre, Chatswood. May 24 - June 2, 2019

Willoughby Theatre Company’s visually spectacular production of the musical Sweet Charity is one to be talked about for years to come. The large energetic and talented cast did the Neil Simon, Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields script and score true justice in their storytelling and superb song and dance.

The Masters Series

Serenade by George Balanchine. The Shadow Behind Us by Trey McIntyre. Soldier’s Mass by Jiri Kylian. Queensland Ballet, Playhouse, QPAC. 17-25 May 2019

Following on from their sizzling Dangerous Liasons in March, Queensland Ballet are now showing off the skill of the corps in a triple bill of ballets: two classics and one premiere. Although they’re aesthetically different, the non-narrative works dealt in intricate geometric patterns which created mood, beauty, and drama.

The Believers Are But Brothers

By Javaad Alipoor & Kirsty Housley. Melbourne Knowledge Week. Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall. May 22 – 25, 2019.

The Believers Are But Brothers is an interactive lecture/performance show written and directed by Javaad Alipoor and Kirsty Houstey.  It questions the influence and impact of political extremism and on-line masculinity on the internet in our current digital climate.

Alipoor has had significant recognition across Britain and in the USA with this groundbreaking, award-winning political theatre show, which  covers the whole internet gamut - including online trolling, gamers, ISIS, right-wing extremists and the popularity of meme and 4Chan platforms.

Anything Goes

Music & Lyrics: Cole Porter. Book: Timothy Crouse and John Weidman based on the original by P.G. Wodehouse, Guy Bolton, Howard Lindsay & Russell Crouse. Marie Clark Musical Theatre. Arts Theatre, Adelaide. May 24th to June 1st, 2019.

What is there not to love about a Cole Porter iconic musical? Originally produced in 1934, Anything Goes is one of the iconic ‘boy meets girl’ musicals. Including hummable songs like, “You're the Top”, “Anything Goes” and “I Get a Kick Out of You”, this much-loved musical was a Tony Award winner as recently as 2011.

Il Viaggio a Reims

By Rossini. Opera Australia. State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne. May 24 – Jun 1, 2019

Opera Australia gave this Rossini opera its Australian premiere.  Written to celebrate the coronation of Charles X of France in 1825, the characters are technically on their way to Reims for the coronation...although when they are delayed and decide on Paris instead to aim for the post-coronation parties, nobody seems overly upset, although nobody notably departs for anywhere, a "Godot for the 1820s".  It is very grand disposable art.

Katie’s Birthday Party

DreamBIG Festival. John Bishop Room, Adelaide Festival Centre. 22 – 26 May 2019

Who doesn’t love a birthday party with cake and decorations and a marshmallow eating competition?

Twelve year old Katie, played by Mary Frances Doherty, is at a crossroads and is making that monumental leap to secondary school. It is daunting, but without your best friend it can be terrifying, testing and life changing.

This 35 minute performance chronicles the insecurity, the bullying, the being excluded, lonely and lost, but also offers us a chance to share Katie’s optimism and hopes for her future.

The Three Graces

By Laura Lethlean. Directed by Katie Cawthorne. Theatre Works & The Anchor. Theatre Works, St Kilda. 22 May – 2 June 2019

On a rectangle of bright, white sand, three women recreate (more or less) the famous 1817 statue by Canova of ‘The Three Graces’ of classical antiquity – Euphrosyne, Aglaia and Thalia.  Mirth, Elegance and Beauty.  The actors are Candace Miles, Anna Rodway and Madelaine Nunn.

Nunsense

Book Music and Lyrics by Dan Goggin. New Farm Nash Theatre Qld. Directed by Brenda White. May17 – June 1, 2019

Nunsense.  Nonsense.  What’s in a name? Well here it is important, as this musical tells the story of five nuns attempting to raise money to bury their dead colleagues. After the Mother Superior wasted what money they had, the decision is made to hold a variety concert in the school hall. The nuns offer a cross-section of society in their backgrounds and we are entertained as their pasts are revealed, along with their hopes, through song, movement and dance. The whole concept is great and explains why the show has been so successful since it began in 1985.

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