Reviews

The Uninvited

By Tim Kelly. Tugun Theatre Co, Tugun, Gold Coast. Director: Rianna Hartley-Smith. August 10th – 26th, 2017

First-time director Rianna Hartley-Smith has assembled a talented cast including Nicola Barrett, David Fraser, Peta Simeon, Nathan Schulz, Margaret Radcliffe and Cecile Campbell for this ten-hander thriller, which is full of mystery and intrigue, with strong performances from all involved.  

Set in western England in the 1960’s, the story revolves around an old cliff-top house that has been uninhabited for a number of years and has been the focus of various stories over that time.

The White House Murder Case

Written by Jules Feiffer. Directed by Eddy Knight. Red Phoenix Theatre. The Studio, Holden Street Theatres, Hindmarsh. 10-19 Aug, 2017.

Red Phoenix’s latest Adelaide premiere is a darkly funny, divertingly offbeat, bracingly relevant vision of politics and the military, conceived at the height of the Vietnam War but set roughly at our current point in time. This unusual aspect helps make the play a shrewd selection for staging in 2017 - and with generally excellent performances from an outstanding ensemble, The White House Murder Case should prove a rewarding experience for all audiences.

Three Tall Women

By Edward Albee. University of Adelaide Theatre Guild. Little Theatre. August 9 – 19, 2017

This reviewer has been involved in theatre for longer than I care to remember and the depth of talent both on and off the stage in Adelaide never ceases to amaze me. The latest offering from University of Adelaide Theatre Guild is no exception. Edward Albee’s Pulitzer Prize winning Three Tall Women was written shortly after the death of his mother in 1991 and is strongly autobiographical. Albee draws on his childhood that, while privileged, was devoid of a loving mother. He draws on memories of a mother who preferred horses to people and almost anyone to her adopted son.

The Rose Tattoo

By Tenessee Williams. The Guild Theatre Limited, Walz Street, Rockdale. August 4 to September 2, 2017

Who knew Tennessee Williams had written a comedy? I confess, I didn’t!

Parsifal

By Wagner. Opera Australia. Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House. August 9 – 14, 2017

Wagner may have been famous for synthesising all the arts into his operas, but with this concert version it’s a starker affair.  The singers stand in a row, the mighty chorus at the back and the Opera Australia Orchestra moves from pit to centre stage.  

Here the conductor, Pinchas Steinberg, is the star.

The Real and Imagined History of The Elephant Man

By Tom Wright. Directed by Matthew Lutton. Malthouse Theatre, 113 Sturt Street, Southbank. 4-27 August, 2017.

This play is a poetic exploration of the story of Joseph Merrick which is entrenched in its setting: 19th century industrial heartlands of the English midlands. While the text is far removed from the dramatisation in the 1980 film, The Elephant Man (David Lynch), there is a delicate acknowledgement to this cinematic heritage.

Lohengrin

By Richard Wagner. Melbourne Opera. Director: Suzanne Chaundy. Musical Director: David Kram. Regent Theatre, Melbourne. August 7 – 12, 2017

After a successful Tannhäuser in 2016, Melbourne Opera lifted the bar further with Wagner’s Lohengrin. We knew we were in for a special evening with an ethereal start to the overture, the sixty piece orchestra under the firm baton of David Kram. Having the brass in the boxes at the side of the auditorium added to the excitement.

Other Desert Cities

By Jon Robin Baitz. Playlovers. Directed by Barry Park. Old Mill Theatre, South Perth, WA. Aug 4-19, 2017

The currently homeless Playlovers has taken temporary residence at South Perth’s Old Mill Theatre, with a nicely polished, well directed production of Jon Robin Baitz’s Other Desert Cities.

Director Barry Park’s set design, brought to fruition by Greg Aylmer, convincingly creates the living room of wealthy Palm Springs couple, Lymen and Polly Wyeth. The set was solid, believable and classy, and did not feel crowded on the compact Old Mill stage.

A very strong cast worked well together, creating believable family dynamics.

Jekyll and Hyde

Book and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. Music by Frank Wildhorn. Triple Threat Theatre Company, Mackay. Mackay Entertainment Convention Centre. August 4 & 5, 2017.

Jekyll and Hyde is a musical written to reflect the duality of the human condition, and I was thrilled when I found out that Triple Threat Theatre Company in Mackay was taking it on for their first big performance in the Mackay Entertainment Convention Centre. Triple Threat have been making a name for themselves over the past few years hosting smaller productions, and in a town this size it’s brave to see a smaller company tackling such a large show and venue.

My Name is Jimi

Based on a story by Dimple Bani, Jimi Bani and co-created with Jason Klarwein. Directed by Jason Klarwein. Queensland Theatre. Bille Brown Studio, South Brisbane. July 22-August 13, 2017

You don’t know Jimi Bani’s family when you take your seat. But by the time the welcome mat is rolled up at the end of the show, you feel part of it.

That’s not only a testament to the love of family that Jimi Bani shares as the next chief of Wagadagam, Mabuiag Island in the Torres Strait, or his infectious smile and easy audience rapport following 12 years of stage, film and TV acting. It’s in the humble way four generations of his family have come together to share their past and present and hopes for the future through music, dance and storytelling.

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