Reviews

The Boils Are Bustin’ Out. A Prison Fiasco

Cheap and Dodgy Productions and Primadonna Productions. Directed by Carole Dhu. Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, WA. December 8-10, 2024

The Annual Cheap and Dodgy Show, presented by Cheap and Dodgy Productions and Primadonna Productions, is a bit of a special secret among Mandurah and Peel residents. Extremely popular, and a sell-out show despite its unconventional early-in-the-week schedule, this is a naughty little old-fashioned variety show with a loose plot, questionable jokes and a lot of silliness that has become a beloved institution.

Picnic at Hanging Rock

By Joan Lindsay adapted by Tom Wright. Directed by Kathleen Del Casale. Old Mill Theatre, South Perth. WA. Nov 29- Dec 14, 2024

Old Mill Theatre presented the Tom Wright adaptation of Picnic at Hanging Rock, in a well-received three-week season. A small cast version, featuring five actresses playing dozens of roles, it was well received with healthy sized audiences.

Sauce

By Ciara Elizabeth Smythe. Bare Witness Theatre. The Butterfly Club, Carson Place. 18 – 21 December 2024

Mella (Ashleigh Butler), a compulsive liar, and Maura (Claire Imlach), a kleptomaniac, have a series of interwoven adventures in this absurdist, sometimes satirical show. Mella’s on the brink of homelessness due to the machinations of a cruel uncle; Maura’s traumatised by finding her husband bonking another woman beside her in the marital bed!  And she has body image issues, anyway… Neither woman has any friends or support.

Book Nooks - A Christmas Musical

Presented by The Flying Elephant Company. The Burnside Ballroom, Tusmore, South Australia. Wednesday 18 December - Saturday 21 December 2024.

Speaking from personal experience, I know the Silly Season can be difficult for those who have experienced trauma, loss, grief, or heartbreak - anniversaries are always hard.  Benji Riggs has written a whimsical and precious musical examining the difficulty a child might face during their first Christmas without a beloved grandparent.  Despite some pulling on the heartstrings, the tone is hopeful and gladdening, and definitely not mournful.

The Wizard of Oz

By Frank L Baum, adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company. With Music and Lyrics by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg. Background Music by Herbert Stothart. Dance and Vocal Arrangements by Peter Howard/ Orchestration by Larry Wilcox. Based upon the Classic Motion Picture owned by Turner Entertainment Co. and distributed in all media by Warner Bros. Launceston Musical Society in partnership with Bakker Productions, VJAM and the City of Launceston Council. Director: Renee Bakker. Musical Director: Andy Prideaux. December 13 – 22, 2024

There’s no overstating the renewed currency the release of the film version of Wicked has given this tried and true Community Theatre staple. Indeed, the timeliness of it, should be seen as a bonus. On the flip side, it also adds a bit more pressure to compare favourably while existing simultaneously in the…um, “Oz-iverse”. 

The Twelve Days of Christmas

By Alan P. Frayne. Directed by Denice Byrne. The Irish Club, Townshend Rd, Subiaco. Dec 5-15, 2024

One of the wonderful things about attending a pantomime with Irish Theatre Players is that the audience, hailing from a place with a pantomime culture are thoroughly involved from the outset, and that this in turn heightens the on-stage performances. The happiness of seeing this production is tinged with a little sadness, as this will be ITP’s final performance at The Irish Club - with this well-loved building up for sale.

Brisbane Music Festival

FourthWall Arts, Brisbane, 13–15 December 2024.

Where else but the Brisbane Music Festival (BMF) would you be introduced to new music in six world premieres and five Australian premieres over one weekend? Many of the hand-picked selection of musicians are now based in Brisbane, but have worked all over the world.

The Nutcracker

Choreographed by Ben Stevenson OBE. Composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Music Arranged and Conducted by Nigel Gaynor. Presented by Queensland Ballet. QPAC Lyric Theatre, 13 – 21 December 2024

Queensland Ballet's twelfth season of The Nutcracker is a triumph of artistry and enchantment, offering a spellbinding experience for audiences of all ages. This beloved holiday classic has been reimagined with an exceptional blend of skill, creativity, and festive cheer, courtesy of a stellar team of performers and creatives. 

Snowflake

By Mike Bartlett. Old Fitz Theatre, Woolloomooloo, NSW. December 10 – 22, 2024

Theatre is exquisite when live arguments on stage keep differently tugging our empathies as to who’s right.  Often it's nobody, of course, but the young daughter Maya in Mike Bartlett’s Snowflake is certain to draw support from those in the audience signed up to her identity politics.

The Pigeons

By David Gieselmann. The Other Theatre in Association with bAKEHOUSE. Director Eugene Lynch. KXT On Broadway. 7 – 21 Dec, 2024

Billing The Pigeons as a “fierce, black Christmas comedy” understates the play and certainly the direction of this strange comedy. “Fierce” it is, and certainly “black”, but it’s also loud and furiously fast. Some scenes are so fast that they appear chaotic. Nine actors rushing around the stage, shouting at each other, weaving around each other, passing slips of paper that are held for a moment then passed overhead to be caught by someone else. It is chaos that is impeccably timed and meticulously rehearsed.

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