Reviews

Operating since 2015, Scratch Arts presents itself as Melbourne’s primary contemporary and ‘queer’ production house. Known for workshopping theatre, Murder Off a Duck’s Back presents rather like a sixty-minute workshop piece, and on opening night, it was obvious that the four, multi-character players were still polishing this piece. As they promise, this is a piece for absurdist fans, for absurd it is, right down to the very stylised clown make-up, and the leading ‘lady’ having a beard and moustache.

Suddenly songs such as “Sherry”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, Walk Like A Man” and many others have a different depth to them after watching this very good production of Jersey Boys. This is the complex story of one of the best known and successful bands of the 1960s from their rise from obscurity to fame and fortune and of falls from those heights. After many name changes and failures, things changed when teenager Frankie Castelluccio joined the group and was trained by one of the band.

Michael Tippett’s A Child of Our Time reminds us that even out of times of tragedy can come hope. This oratorio was Tippett's artistic and emotional reaction to the events that led to the 'Kristallnacht' pogrom of November 1938.

Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy brings a multitude of laughs in Matthew Hobbs’ well-directed Villanova Players production. This oft revived, ever-topical play touches on themes that never go out of fashion - insider trading, honor, corruption and a money-mad society. Add in blackmail, affairs of the heart, and a good dose of Wildean wit and this Edwardian romp is as up-to-date as yesterday.