Reviews

Matador

The Melba Spielegtent, 35 Johnston Street, Collingwood. February 14 – Mar 2, 2019

Fiery love equals the bloody sport of a Spanish bullfight!

Matador is written, directed and produced by Bass G Fam, who has developed a passionate fusion of dance, burlesque and circus acts that circumnavigate the emotional roller coaster of raging love.

This is a torrid romance between a female Matador (Kelly Byrne) and the male Bull (Ned Zania). Along with a talented cast of performers, Matador brings zesty high energy, modern and Latino choreographed dance to blazing life.

Whiplash

Adelaide Fringe 2019. Performed by Scotty Wings. The Vines, National Wine Centre. 15 February-1 March 2019

In your face, in your head, ripping out your heart. That’s all in the first few minutes of this raw and visceral performance. Scott Wings delivers beautiful poetry of the body, in words and movement.

This is physical theatre of a different kind – a one-man journey inside himself: metaphorical, though sometimes it feels and looks and sounds quite literal.

Simply the Breast

Amelia Ryan. Adelaide Fringe 2019. Le Cascadeur at The Garden of Unearthly Delights. Feb 17- Mar 3, 2019

This is the third time I have seen this amazing woman in performance and again, she never fails to impress and delight. Amelia Ryan, is a dynamo. A talented performer with comedic flair and the ability to write accessible, hilarious original parodies; her show Simply the Breast is a ‘do not miss’ piece of theatre at The Fringe 2019.

Orpheus

Adelaide Fringe 2019. Presented by Joanne Hartstone, The Flanagan Collective & Gobbledigook Theatre and Holden Street Theatres. Sunken Garden, Holden Street Theatres. Feb 16 – Mar 16, 2019

Orpheus is the perfect example of how powerful words, story telling and music can be.

From a sunken garden in Adelaide, we were transported to a raucous night on the town with a group of lads, and from there we time-travelled backwards remembering our early, fragile and dream-filled childhoods, where the world was full of wonder and colour. It is a world that most of us lock up in a strongroom inside us until there is a moment, a wonderful moment, when the greyness of the everyday is transformed by love and the journey that takes us on.

Inspired

Cabaret – Sarah Brownridge. Adelaide Fringe 2019. Accompanied on guitar by Mike Bevan. Basement Richmond Hotel. Feb 16 – 25, 2019

Sarah Brownridge is a name to look out for in the future.  This young singer has a lot of promise as a performer and a beautiful voice. She presented her first solo professional show during this Fringe and was very well received by a good-sized audience at the Richmond Hotel.  

The winner of the Ron Denning Vocal Award 2017 at the Generations of Jazz Festival in Mount Gambier, Brownridge has the technique, passion and work ethic to make a career in music.

Dinosaur Time Machine

Adelaide Fringe 2019. Highwire Entertainment. Gluttony -Ukiyo. Feb 16 – Mar 17, 2019

Dinosaur Time Machine mixes, comedy, puppetry, some acrobatics and a touch of magic and my four-year old reviewer giggled and joined in throughout the show.

He really liked the jokes, but was a bit scared by the appearance of a T-Rex.

The presenters were appropriately high-energy and enthusiastic about dinosaurs. They also developed a good rapport with the audience.

Box and Cox: Married and Settled!

Adelaide Fringe 2019. Maniacal Arts. Don Pyatt Room, Norwood Concert Hall. 15-23 February 2019

This Victorian-era farce was first performed in 1852, a sequel to the successful Box and Cox written five years earlier. That was a story of Mr Box and Mr Cox unknowingly sharing a room; this is a reuniting of the two, each now with a wife and child.

It’s a light and uncomplicated tale, a little slapstick, overstated Englishness in its dialogue and physicality barely stained by the quickly dismissed suggestion of impropriety.  

FLIGHT

Adelaide Fringe Festival 2019. Realscape Productions in association with DARKSIDE (GB). The Garden Of Unearthly Delights - Rundle Park / Kadlitpina. 15 February-17 March, 2019

FLIGHT is an all encompassing experience about what could happen when flying in a passenger plane should a disaster occur.

The Ides of March

By Kieran Bullock. Adelaide Fringe 2019. Elwood Social Club Productions. The Cabinet Room, Treasury 1860. 15 – 17 February 2019

A time travelling Shakespeare goes to Ancient Rome to witness Caesar’s murder, so he can adapt the events for his new play. This fast-paced, wonderfully silly comedy doesn’t require the audience to be overly familiar with the playwright’s works – though you’ll smile more if you do.

The Gentleman Magician - A Magical Soirée

The Sir Stamford Hotel at Circular Quay. 93 Macquarie Street, Sydney. Every Friday and Saturday evening at 7.30pm

Bruce Glen, the Gentleman Magician, is a consummate performer who recreates the elegant ambiance of the nineteenth century drawing room salon gatherings in the beautiful, heritage listed Sir Stamford Hotel.

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