Reviews

When a collection of bronze and stone bells and chimes were unearthed at the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng’s tomb in Sui County, Hubei Province in China in 1978, the most celebrated discovery was the bianzhong, possibly the oldest functioning twelve-tone instrument in existence.

The ‘Chimes In Concert’ program is a study in uncommonly heard timbres including the bianzhong. The program features a range of traditional instruments, such as se, chi, drum and banjo, as well as vocalists, bamboo flute and several pieces featuring the highly prized chimes.

The venue, 64 Pentland Avenue, is a modest weatherboard cottage in suburban Yarraville.  Its porchlight beams through the shadows.  We – the audience, eight or nine of us - stand outside in the cold evening street.

Canterbury Theatre Guild’s production of 9 to 5 The Musical, based on the movie of the same name, was a delightful afternoon at the theatre.

The production was brought to life by a talented cast of 22, which nicely filled the compact space at NIDA. The highly entertaining script and score by Dolly Parton and Patricia Resnick is hilarious and really gives the audience an inside view of office life in the 1980’s for three women, working for a rude and very sexist boss at the fictional setting of “Consolidated Industries”.

As the title suggests, this play gives the audience a chance to hear, and see, what goes on offstage during a performance. Full of innuendo and fast-paced physical comedy, this is a show for those with a penchant for old-school British comedy. What begins as a series of close calls, deteriorates into outright disaster. It is every theatre person’s worst nightmares jam packed into one show.