Reviews

David Hare is such a master playwright in his sublime ability to blend ideas and philosophical debate into the flesh and blood of real characters.  The Judas Kiss is a deeply moving and thoughtful rendition of the night Oscar Wilde refuses to run from his imprisonment and, in the second act, some years later in Naples, how he negotiates his ruin.

This production evokes a time that’s gone but not forgotten. Louise Seger (played with vivacity by Mandi Lodge) tells of how she became a fan of Patsy Cline, first by hearing her songs on the radio and calling the DJ to ask for the them to be played again, and then how she met Patsy Cline at a concert and how their friendship developed. Her descriptions almost make you see the workmates and friends she’s with, and the house she lives in and of course, her much-loved automobile.

Lachlan Philpot continues to make theatre that cuts edges in both style and subject matter. In this play, based on the story of Harry Crawford (born Eugenia Falleni, also known as Eugene Falleni and Jean Ford) a female-to-male transgender man convicted in 1920 of the murder of his first wife, Annie Birkett, Philpott imagines the complexities of sustaining such a secret and the constant threat of what exposure might bring.

With one of the roughest lead ups to reaching the stage at Fringe World, Amy Housewine - Back to Crack suffered a succession of cancelled venues and date changes before finding a home Downstairs at the Maj, where performer Lisa Adam played to sell-out crowds. To add additional stress, Friday evening’s show was delayed by a fire evacuation. Fortunately Amy took it in her stride,  “Who knew that a bong would set off the alarms?'