Reviews

In a Nutshell: The Poetry of Violence

Inspired by William Shakespeare. Bell Shakespeare. Directed by Peter Evans. The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre. 13 – 14 September 2024

I have a confession: in spite of 15 years of reviewing, I still find Shakespeare’s language difficult. The vocabulary and metaphor is so dense that I get lost, and I try to plough through Spark Notes in advance. That way I hopefully don’t get caught out by, say, why Cleopatra and Antony were so anxious about a family of swans. The swans are metaphorical ships. I’m sure you all know this. I did not. In fact, I got through high school being able to quote Hamlet’s famous soliloquy without ever realising he was referencing suicide.

The Full Monty

Book by Terrence McNally and Music and Lyrics by David Yazbek. Miranda Musical Theatre Company. Directed by Tim Dennis. Musical Director: Lauren Dennis. Choreographer: Pamela Diaz. Sutherland Arts Theatre. 20th-29th September 2024.

Miranda Musical Theatre Co’s second show of the year, the fun-filled comedy musical The Full Monty, based on the hit movie from late ‘90s was a joy to see, bursting with energy and enthusiasm from the opening line to the finale. A compact stage / set design of LED screens along with vibrant costumes from the late ‘80s / early ‘90s and a colourful lighting scheme combined well to transport the audience to Buffalo NY, 1989.

Newsies Jr

By Alan Menken (Music), Jack Feldman (Lyrics), and Harvey Fierstein (Book). Pelican Productions. Arts Theatre, Adelaide. 19-21 September 2024

Following their wonderful Heathers: The Musical, Pelican Productions presents the second musical in this season: Newsies Jr., and its equally terrific.

Bleak Expectations

By Mark Evans. Wanneroo Repertory. Directed by Barry LeFort. The Limelight Theatre, Wanneroo, WA. Sep 12-28, 2024

Bleak Expectations makes its WA premiere with this production by Wanneroo Repertory. A recent release, it had its West End debut just last year and is described as “A Dickensian Romp with a Dash of Monty Python”.

The programme for this production is a delight (albeit very expensive at $7 for 8 pages) filled with little quips and faux advertisements that set the tone for the play. 

Dredge

Created in collaboration with Femmural and the Anchor Theatre Company. Theatre Works. 18 – 28 September 2024

Dredge tells its allegorical story almost entirely through dance, expressive, metaphoric movement and imagery.  Eight performers – varied, individual beings of all shapes and sizes – travel from innocence and wonder to restriction, conformity and rage, to rebirth and hope.  They live at first in joy and spontaneity – and yet in awe and maybe fear of some mighty but unseen force.  Their unity may take surprising and disturbing forms.  At one point, they form what looks like a human caterpillar… 

Colder Than Here

By Laura Wade. Ensemble Theatre, Sydney. Directed by Janine Watson. 16 September – 12 October 2024

I’ve been there. Seeing a close family member on cancer alert, time running out fast, no religious backup, having to face the harsh, brutal truth of impending death. I can vouch: it’s no fun. 

But that’s the big subject of this delicate little English play in which middle-aged Myra’s cancer takes over the lives of her husband Huw and two daughters, Jenna and Harriet, making the family as cold as it’s possible to be in the West Midlands when your boiler and electric heaters are down. That’s cold!

God of Carnage

By Yasmina Reza, adapted by Christopher Hampton. Melville Theatre Co. Directed by Thomas Dimmick. City of Melville Main Hall, Booragoon, WA. 13 - 28 Sep, 2024

Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage is somewhat of a modern classic, often studied in schools and universities. Translated from the French, it retains its Parisian setting, and is intended to be a biting satire, as two sets of parents meet to discuss their fighting children, and gradually descend into childishness themselves.

All Boys

By Xavier Hazard. Every Other Theatre Company. Director Mehhma Malhi. KXT On Broadway. 6 – 21 September, 2024

In the last three months Sydney audiences have had the chance to see two plays that disclose the “hidden world" of exclusive private boys’ schools. Trophy Boys by Emmanuella Muttana directed by Marni Mount played at the Seymour Centre in June and July. All Boys by Xavier Hazard directed by Mehhma Malhi will close at KXT On Broadway this weekend.

Chicago

Book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse. Lyrics by Fred Ebb. Music by John Kander. Produced by John Frost for Crossroads Live, Jones Theatrical Group in association with Barry and Fran Weissler. Canberra Theatre. September 7 – 29, 2024

Zoe Ventoura and Lucy Maunder are standouts as Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart. Both roles are extremely demanding on voice, characterisation, and dance, and it was a true pleasure to see these actresses at peak performance.

The Laramie Project

By Moisés Kaufman and Members of the Tectonic Theatre Project. WAAPA Second Year Acting. Directed by Adriano Cappelletta. The Enright Studio, WAAPA, Edith Cowan University, Mt Lawley, WA. Sep 6 - Sep 12, 2024

The Laramie Project has been a popular choice of production, with high schools and universities in the years since its inception in 2000. Not only does the show have compelling themes, with its examination of small-town attitudes, homophobia, and the examination of hate crime, but it offers the young cast the opportunity to engage with and study verbatim theatre, offers a large and flexible cast size, and has engaging and challenging acting roles.

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