Reviews

This is a clever circus show with many of the elements you would expect to find in a big top circus focused into the Fairfax Studio. There is splendid, warm audience engagement at the beginning to elevate everyone’s mood, tightrope walking, slack rope walking, trapezes, tricks and pratfalls, clowning and really excellent balance, floor, rope and strap work. All this is stitched together by charming smaller episodes including a recreation of a variety of statues, Charlie Chaplinesque hat handling, and some characters who pop up at intervals to continue their story.

Tom Gleeson has become a household name due to the enormous success of shows such as Hard Quiz, Taskmaster, and receiving the 2019 Gold Logie award via a deliberate campaign that (as described by the ABC) was marked by mockery. Gleeson is the recipient of many other accolades (best comedy performer 2022 AACTA Awards, best comedy 2020 Adelaide Fringe, best Comedy 2019 Perth Fringe World) yet his demeanour is disarmingly humble, even while he delivers some of his most acerbic humour and shares a wickedly unique perspective on the world.

And here it is again – Chicago - just as sharp, funny, cynical, beautifully, flawlessly produced and hugely entertaining from end to end.  It’s not a ‘revival’ because it never went away.  By my count, I must have seen Chicago six times – including the movie.  The Companion estimates she’s seen it eight times.  Why does this black comedy musical set in 1920s Chicago unfailingly endure?  Yes, it’s fascinating to see what a new cast will do with the characters and the songs, but there’s more to it than

WAAPA’s Third Year Acting’s production of The Scottish Play is a striking and emotive production that keeps its audience engrossed.