Reviews

Born out of Circus Oz’s BLAKflip, a program that nurtures and actively increases the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander circus artists on stages in Australia and across the globe, Chasing Smoke is Australia’s first all-First Nations contemporary circus show. And as Samoan-Australian director Natano Fa’anana writes, this fact is “… both a travesty and a celebration. The travesty being that it’s taken so long. The celebration – we finally have one.

History cannot be repeated!

Hallowed Ground - Woman Doctors In War chronologically shifts to and fro through a century of wars, with vivid and strong accounts of Australian medical women who have worked in the armed forces.

Carolyn Bock and Helen Hopkins from The Shift Theatre - writers and two of the four performers - have recreated an explorative meshing of female characters that project an ongoing concern over the male dominated hierarchical divisions in the military/medical establishment. The actors give powerful and honest performances.

Jessica Swale’s Nell Gwynn has the sort of knockabout, physical style you’d expect to see in Shakespeare’s Globe – it’s where this London hit began a few years ago.  

It’s a witty and bawdy travel through Restoration England when women were finally allowed on the stages and the Merry Monarch was chasing the best of them. 

This exciting and eclectic concert was not only a celebration of Empire, but also America and Australia, with Australia well represented by five works including one world premiere.