Reviews

Meet Me at Dawn

By Zinnie Harris. Adelaide Fringe. Holden Street Theatres. 15-27 February, 2022

Two women wash up on a beach after a boating accident – Robyn is confused, feels unwell; Helen is pumped full of adrenaline; both start to look for a way back home.

To say more of the story would detract from the experience, which begins as you take your seats peering into the semi-darkness of Meg Wilson’s set, beautifully lit by Mark Oakley, wrapped in an ocean soundscape from Sascha Budimski that knows when to create atmosphere and when to smash it.

The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race

By Melanie Tate. Melville Theatre Company. Directed by Michelle Ezzy. Melville Theatre, WA. Feb 11-26, 2022

Melville Theatre Company’s The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race is the WA premiere of this funny, feminist and character driven play. Beautifully presented and thoughtfully directed, it is delighting audiences.

Escaping the Burning Sun

Quasar Arts. Adelaide Fringe, 2022 – 18-19 February, Little Theatre; 16-17 March, Marion Cultural Centre.

This new dystopian play from Quasar Arts tells us what we might face if we work out how to live forever yet do nothing to slow down our resource consumption. You could get ‘qualified’, which is like winning the lottery, except the prize is to go to the sun.

Elton John: Your Song

Elton John: Your Song, featuring Matthew Hadgraft, is a Faff & Sass Production. Their aim is fabulous live entertainment, and to kick off my month of fabulous Fringe, starting with a well-crafted tribute to the iconic, legendary Elton John, was an uplifting treat.

Same Penis Forever

By Rebel Lyons. Adelaide Fringe Festival 2022. The Lark at Gluttony – Rymill Park Adelaide February 18 – March 6, 2022

Same Penis Forever is Rebel Lyons’ crusade to save unsuspecting brides-to-be from a life of married mediocrity!

Upon entering ‘The Lark’, we are confronted by a bride lying seemingly unconscious with her leg manacled to a ball and chain. From the bride’s ‘awakening’ we are rocketed through a series of songs and sketches interspersed with video clips (to enable costume changes) highlighting the influence of bridal culture in the modern-day patriarchal society.

Afghanistan is Not Funny

By Henry Naylor. Adelaide Fringe. The Studio - Holden Street Theatres. 15 February - 13 March 2022

Henry Naylor’s writing career began in comedy. He honed his skills as a writer for British comedy giants such as Griff Rhys Jones, Lenny Henry and Hale and Pace, as well as the satire classic Spitting Image. In 2002, rocked by events in a post 9/11 world, Naylor turned his attention to playwriting. Now an accomplished playwright, and winner of at least a dozen Fringe Awards, Naylor returns to Adelaide to perform in the World Premiere of his latest work, Afghanistan is Not Funny.

A Chorus Line

Conceived by Michael Bennett. Book: James Kirkwood & Nicholas Dante. Music: Marvin Hamlish Lyrics:Edward Kleban. Produced by Darlinghurst Theatre Company. Directed and choreographed by Amy Campbell. Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House. Feb 13 – Mar 17, 2022

The much-awaited production of A Chorus Line from Darlinghurst Theatre Company will be just as much acclaimed! It will fill audiences with joy and elation. The power that radiates from the production is dynamic. This cast really loves “This Job”!

Building Blocks

By Bob Larbey. Pymble Players, NSW. Feb 9 to Mar 5, 2022.

The scene is set at Pymble Players with builders' equipment strewn around the entrance to the theatre. This theme is continued with debris on the stage and two bricklayers who seem to be rather lackadaisical in their work. Indeed Mark (Andrew Cougle), and especially Piper (Curtis Harrild), spend probably half of the production having tea breaks and eating an extraordinary amount of biscuits. This explains, in part, why the homeowners are endlessly waiting for their extension to be finished.

New York, New York?

By Morgan Cowling and Caitlin Cassidy. Fringe World. Lyrics Underground, Lyric Lane, Maylands, WA. Feb 12-13, 2022

New York, New York?  Looks at what happens when an opera singer and a music theatre performer find themselves in the Big Apple. These Perth girls look at university life, exorbitant rent, the cold, studying and the audition circuit in a beautifully sung cabaret that is also great fun.

Based on their real-life experiences, WAAPA Graduates - Music Theatre Performer Morgan Cowling, and opera singer Caitlin Cassidy - team up in this love letter to the City That Never Sleeps that is laugh out loud funny. 

Breaking the Code

By Hugh Whitemore. Directed by Anthony Skuse. New Theatre, Newtown, NSW. 11 Feb - 5 March, 2022

In Breaking the Code, playwright Hugh Whitemore used his skill with words to craft the poignant story of Alan Turing, a man forced to hide his real self as clandestinely as he had to hide the secret work he did for his government during World War II. It is an ill-fated story and one Whitemore told with caring honesty and understanding candour.

Director Anthony Skuse embraces that caring and understanding in his incredibly creative and sensitive production of Whitemore’s play.

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