Reviews

When first produced in 1968, The Boys in the Band was ‘controversial’ to say the least; it’s a play in which, for the first time, all (well, with one maybe) nine characters are openly gay – or as it was said in 1968, ‘homo-sexual’ (pronounced with distinct loathing and distaste).  So, is this still punchy, funny, bitter play dated?  No, it’s not – and even if it were, this production is spirited, lively, funny, searing, insightful, and just about perfectly cast. 

Navigating friendship is hard enough, but when the feelings are more than platonic, it becomes more challenging. Burn it is a story of two best friends away on a camping trip after break-ups and abusive relationships. Writer Lydia Kuelsen is Cam, full of confidence as the organiser of the trip, bursting with plans of where to go and what to do. Stevie McKeon is Jayden, who hates camping, and is not thrilled with the idea of walking to a waterfall. So they day-drink instead.

Nash Theatre has developed the habit of having a radio play as their first production of the year and so it was this year.  This takes the audience back to the days before television when radio was king. The first production of this show was in 1952 and it was so different from previous efforts. True to the title, this broadcast is broken into three episodes – Start of a Legend, Bloody Hands and Chester’s Dilemma.

One of the joys of Perth Festival, while no longer carrying the “International Arts” moniker, is the opportunity to view international acts that would not otherwise come to Perth. A great example is the experience of Ultimate Safari, a production by Flinn Works and Asedeva, hailing from Germany and Tanzania.