Reviews

Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra – combines music and drama to tell the story of Nancy Wake, infamous WWII journalist and spy. The Gestapo’s most wanted, Wake was named the ‘White Mouse’ because of her ability to scurry across countries and evade capture.

Like so many of our great stage performers, Tim Maddren trained at WAAPA and honed his skills in Musical Theatre (he’s just finished a run in Me and My Girl at the Hayes Theatre in Sydney after string of other shows). Unlike so many others, Maddren has a legitimate claim to fame – as any pre-teen will tell you. He is a multi award nominated member of the kids’ television musical group Hi-5.

Over beers, three cowboys (ordinary blokes) chew the fat. It seems that Sam, a lowly Subway employee, has met two different women online, both of whom are virgins. What should he do? This is the light-hearted starting point of Morgan Rose’s study of female sexuality, which has come up from Melbourne’s FLIGHT Festival of New Australian Writing. It doesn’t stay light-hearted for long.

Huon Valley Theatre embodies everything meritorious about community theatre. This production of Oliver! featured a vibrant and well drilled chorus (“Who will buy?”) and strong, well-cast principals.  Nathan Read’s Fagin was assured, adept in physical comedy although lacking any sense of menace. His “Reviewing the Situation” was the highlight of the show. Also notable were Tony Robbie (Mr Bumble) and Amber Jury (Widow Corney). Jury was in fine voice and the two provided a fine comic turn.