Reviews

When free-spirited indigenous artist Renee is asked what part of Australia she comes from she doesn’t say Coffs Harbour or Korora (er, where’s that?), she says ‘The Big Banana’ (oh, yes, right, I’ve been there!). And when asked how far back she goes, she says, proudly,’60,000 years!’ The opening night audience at the Ensemble thundered their applause at this, and Gumbaynggirr writer Brittanie Shipway, creating and playing Renee, must have known that she had arrived.

This event, in a blend of ceremonial actions and traditional narrative, bravely invites the audience to step into the world of the mystic and unreal.

While gathering, the audience was invited to write a word on a ribbon and decorate a metal ring which was carried and used to make ceremonial gestures throughout the journey.

Jane Montgomery Griffith renders an extraordinary ‘tour de force’ with the Theatre Works production of the haunting one-woman performance of The Human Voice by Jean Cocteau, directed by Briony Dunn. 

This classic, clever, relentless Tom Stoppard with all of his verbal brilliance and room for physical contrivances is satisfactorily delivered at a whirlwind pace. Attempting to present a classic which has been thoroughly explored is always a challenge.

Artefact Theatre Company has drawn together an experienced group of actors who are easily able to deliver the verbal duets between the critics, Moon and Birdboot and the well-worn emotional highs and lows and incessant threats of murder with competent ease and aplomb.