Reviews

Medea and Jason: A Mini Musical

By Loucas Loizou. Melbourne Fringe. September 30 to October 17, 2021

The myth of Medea inspired the famous Euripides play, written and performed in 431 BC. It received third prize, considered a fair appraisal, during the Dionysus Festival in Ancient Greece. Medea is now considered one of the greatest plays of Western civilization. It has had countless productions, adaptations, yet is still resonating with modern audiences for its core themes that explore patriarchy, vengeance, betrayal, filicide, exile, and political corruption.

Rising

Ensemble Trivium. Old Government House, Brisbane. 15 October, 2021

Brisbane's thriving classical music scene continued this week with an interesting programme of pieces for string quartet and flute by Ensemble Trivium - Monika Koerner (flute), Natsuko Yashimoto (violin), Anne Horton (violin), Yoko Okayasu (viola) and Katherine Philp (cello). These talented musicians are also principal players with interstate and international experience, and currently perform in Brisbane for the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Camerata, Queensland Pops Orchestra, Kurilpa Quartet, Lunaire Collective, and Southern Cross Soloists.

Body Horror

Created & performed by Students of Sir Zelman Cowan School of Music & Performance. Directed by Stephen Nicolazzo. Melbourne Fringe Festival – Digital Fringe. 13 – 17 October 2021

The dominant colour is red – blood red.  The ‘body’ of the title is assailed – in nightmare, in metaphor, in tangible anxiety, in visceral terror.  Across ten segments, some with text, some a mixture of image, sound and music, we experience a variety of horrors.  Bodies drip with blood and writhe in pain – or do they dance?  Three ballet dancers lace up their toe shoes – which fill with and spill blood.  A woman drowns in a pool filled with red balloons.  A viola player is paralysed with the fear of being exposed as just

Little Monster

Created and Performed by Telia Nevile. Dramaturg – Sameena Zehra. Music – James Dowell. Costume – Sharon Nevile. Melbourne Fringe Digital. October 9 – 17, 2021 On Demand.

The many faces and few delights of the inner demons we try to hide but can’t ignore.

Something many of us have in common is the experience of living in share houses.  Telia Nevile  bases the premise of this new show on that experience.  However, the share house portrayed is her mind - in this cleverly and constructed, beautifully remembered and executed, epic poem.  So, aspects/ways of neurotic thinking and behaving are represented as personified tenants in a share house.

Pah! Deaf Storytelling Night

Created by Sam Martin. Melbourne Fringe Digital – 12 – 17 October, 2021

We all seem to be fascinated by the marvellous expressive embodied language of Auslan.  It can be transfixing to watch the Auslan interpreters at live presentations whenever and wherever they occur. I have a feeling that the incorporation of an interpreter ups the attention span for most of us.

Streaming Seamen

The Digital Sea Shanty Spectacular. Melbourne Fringe Digital. 14 – 17 October – on demand.

Opening with a vibrant lively introduction of each individual by their first names, Streaming Seamen commences with the fabulous traditional song ‘What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor’.  Presented with such energy and irony – it’s enough to bring tears of delight to one’s eyes!  A product of lockdowns, it is just miraculous what can be achieved by ten awesome singers, with harmonizing voices, cleverly honed together from isolation.

Triple Bypass

Three Ten Minute Plays About Living for Death and Dying for Life, written by Deena M P Ronayne. Aberdeen Community Theatre. Melbourne Online Fringe. Sep 30 – Oct 17, 2021

All three plays are the brainchild of playwright Deena M.P. Ronayne. Dealing with hard to talk about topics can be challenging but most important. Theatre is a wonderful medium as it evokes thought and educates the audience. Ronayne is successful in doing both.

Using the talents of Aberdeen Community Theatre to cast the three plays was a bonus, as each instalment was filled with layered acting and tight production values.

Before Bed Ritual

Presented by Yoga Teacher Iliana Contos. Melbourne Fringe Online. October 7 – 14, 2021

Like many, at the moment, I am doing Zoom classes at home when I can.  So, this free event seemed the perfect opportunity to indulge in some guided relaxation before bed. 

What Rhymes with Orange?

Written and produced by Isabella Perversi. Directed by Alanah Guiry. Produced for the screen by Mad Hatter Films. Melbourne Fringe Festival. Digital Fringe. 8 -17 October 2021

What Rhymes with Orange? charts a relationship over years in fourteen scenes.

Songs for Nobodies

By Joanna Murray-Smith. Cairns Little Theatre. Directed by Kevin and Narelle Shorey. Sep 30 - Oct 2, 2021.

This is a beautifully performed and directed production that showcases the acting and singing talents of five multi-talented local actors.

The play tells the story of five famous female singers as told by five ‘ordinary’ people who had the privilege to meet them in their prime. One by one the actors tell their individual stories as well as singing some of the more well-known songs by the famous performers.

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