Reviews

Based on Penny Shaw’s popular podcast, Diary of a Teenage Diva, comes this cabaret show that celebrates 1984, theatre kids, boys and more boys and an unusually named club.

The plot of Anything Goes is inanely silly but who cares? Cole Porter’s music and lyrics are an absolute winner. Throw at this the outstanding talent of Hobart’s young people coached, by the expertise of the best mentors and Anything Goes is a sublime entertainment experience.

The set by Simon Rush features the symmetrical stairs and angled funnels that one might consider traditional. Situating the orchestra on the upper deck takes the set beyond the ordinary. Movable pieces for the cabins and jail work particularly well.

Labyrinth is an original work which explores the dramatic and traumatic ancient Greek myth of the Minotaur. This is a story that addresses the themes of lust, love, shame and mystery in its deepest and darkest corners. Lawson and Szesiong Todd invoke this sphere via an evocative and moving immersive experience. This is a production which employs dance, movement, opera, and piano concerto. These are all given equal weight and attention allowing the unique artistry of each discipline to contribute to creating a moody and sombre atmosphere.

Willy Russell’s play – revived many times and filmed (1989) with Pauline Collins and Tom Conti – is the story of a 42-y-o working class woman from the north of England who breaks out and escapes to recover her true self.  It is such a story of hope and possibility that audiences have responded to it since its first performance in 1986.