Reviews

Set Me On Fire

By Samara Louise. Presented by Silent Sky Collective. Anywhere Festival Brisbane. Backdock Arts. 24 July to 2 August

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.

Calendar Girls

By Tim Firth. Produced by Red Tree Theatre, Tuggerah, NSW. Directed by Joshua Maxwell. July 19-Aug 10, 2024

For everyone who’s been living under a rock, Calendar Girls is based on the true story of how a bunch of middle-aged women from a typical country women’s institute in rural England - dared to bare all for their 1999 fundraising calendar. The play is based on the hugely successful 2003 film of the same name. 

WATA

A Gathering for Manikay Performers. Improvising Soloists and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Director Paul Grabowsky. Conductor Benjamin Northey. Concert Hall Sydney Opera House. 24th July, 2024

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.”

In The Heights

Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. Conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Joshua Robson Productions. Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House. 26 Jul – 25 Aug 2024

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the famed creator of Hamilton, pays more homage to his Latin American heritage in his first musical.  Opening successfully on Broadway in 2008, In the Heights is a streetscape of interlocking stories drawn from the largely Dominican neighbourhood in Washington Heights, Upper Manhattan.

MARVELous - The Massive Marvel Parody

Produced and Conceived by Action Reaction Entertainment and Samwise Holmes. Chatswood Concourse. Jul 26 – Aug 10, 2024.

A fun piece of adult theatre awaits you at the Chatswood Concourse, as a cleverly created Marvel parody lands with spectacular delivery.

It's definitely risqué, with lots of raunchy dancing. Some of the performers dance in revealing costumes, but nothing that could cause a wardrobe malfunction. Despite that, there's an extremely clever routine in Act 2 where the performers - though nude - do a hilarious job in performing in such a way that we only see their derrieres.

Lord of the Flies

By William Golding. Adapted for stage by Nigel Williams. Canberra REP. Directed by Caitlin Baker and Lachlan Houen. Theatre Three. 26 July – 10 August 2024

William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies captures something frighteningly human, which is why it continues to be taught in literature classes 70 years after it’s debut. While author William Golding’s story conforms with his personal theory that without rules and discipline, people inevitably “revert” to “savagery”, the events of his story are based on his keen observation of behaviours he observed while fighting in both world wars, and also while teaching at a boys’ school.

Bespoke

Queensland Ballet. Choreography by Katina Olsen, Milena Sidorova and Jack Lister. Talbot Theatre, Thomas Dixon Centre. 25 July to 3 August 2024

Now in its seventh year, Queensland Ballet’s Bespoke is a celebration of the fusion of contemporary dance styles, eclectic musical choices and fabulous costumes. It’s a super-creative playing field and a wonderful way to experience the talented dancers residing in Brisbane. Three pieces. Three choreographers. Three incredible imaginative worlds to experience with 40 dancers.

Cost of Living

By Martyna Majok. Sydney Theatre Company. Wharf Theatre. July 18 - August 18, 2024

A night in the theatre which surprises, takes you out of your comfort zone, laugh and think is rare all in one play.

Cost of Living does all that – a unique production about the interdependence of people living with disabilities and those who support them.

The play opens with retired lonely truck driver Eddie (Phillip Quast) sending text messages to the phone of his late wife Ani (Kate Hood).

The narrative flashes back to the period in their life when Eddie returned to Ani’s life.

Romeo & Julie

By Gary Owen. Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre. 20 July – 18 August 2024

Single Dad Romeo (Damon Baudin), eighteen, unemployed, lives with his acerbic alcoholic mother Barb (Belinda McClory) in Splott, a deprived area of Cardiff.  He’s the sole carer for his tiny baby, Niamh, whose mother abandoned her and ‘Romy’.  No way Barb is helping financially or otherwise; it’s his stupid choice, he can live with it – even though he can scarcely afford nappies.  He’s exhausted with feeding, cleaning the baby’s endless poo, and lack of sleep.  But Niamh is the centre of Romy’s life; we might even feel that

The Tempest

By William Shakespeare. Shepherd's Purse Theatre, Tyalgum NSW. July 18 – 20, 2024

There is probably no theatre company like the Shepherd's Purse Theatre and there is definitely no small town anywhere in the world like Tyalgum, half an hour’s drive from Murwillumbah in far northern NSW. Walking into this town and seeing their shows is a little like a dream out of an old musical. It is so magical, so unique.

Subscribe to our E-Newsletter, buy our latest print edition or find a Performing Arts book at Book Nook.