Reviews

Shrek The Musical

Based on The Dreamworks Animation Motion picture and book by William Steig. Book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, Music by Jeanine Tesorei. Directed by Suzanne Murphy. Brisbane Arts Theatre Playing February 24 - March 31, 2018

Of all the creatures of myth, legend and even fairy tales, the ogre stands out as the one to be most feared. Shrek is such an ogre. However, as we follow this part of his life we learn about many traits relevant to ourselves – acceptance, trust, love and belief. Thus, Shrek, with the help of good friend Donkey gains so much as he seeks to rescue the princess from the dragon for Lord Farquaad to marry. Of course, he also finds love.

Blue: The Songs of Joni Mitchell

Queenie van de Zandt. The Q, Queanbeyan, 2–3 March, and touring

In Blue: The Songs of Joni Mitchell, Queenie van de Zandt offers a new take on songs from Joni Mitchell’s oeuvre and the role of life events in shaping Mitchell’s lyrics, presenting the latter partly through narration and partly through recordings of — or apparently of — others narrating events in Mitchell’s life, including Mitchell, her mother, and her daughter.

 

The Way Of The World

By William Congreve. Directed by Raymond Omodei. Garrick Theatre, Guildford, WA. Mar 1-18, 2018

William Congreve’s baroque comedy of manners The Way of the World is brought to life in a visual feast at Garrick Theatre under the stewardship of nominally retired professional director Raymond Omodei.

This lavishly costumed production looks amazing, with beautiful 1700s costumes by Marjorie de Caux and gorgeous wigs, supplied by Liddy Reynolds and maintained by Lynda Stubbs. Set and lighting designer Jake Newby’s subtle and muted set with almost skeletal furnishing allows the costuming to shine.

The Ladies Foursome

By Norm Foster. Toowoomba Repertory Theatre. 17 February - 3 March 2018.

Toowoomba Repertory Theatre teed off their 2018 season with The Ladies Foursome, a comedy staged around a friendly game of golf. Three long-term friends (Tate, Margot and Connie), one player short due to the untimely death of their usual fourth (Cathy) are joined by a newcomer (Dory). Each hole on the course is a chance for the group to grapple with the game and parallel revelations about their friendships – especially why Cathy never mentioned Dory over many years of weekly golf meet-ups.

Parting the Red Curtains: A show that takes it up the arts!

Written by Queenie van de Zandt and Peter J. Casey. Directed by Queenie van de Zandt. The Q (Queanbeyan). 28 February – 1 March 2018, and touring

The risqué nature of the show that Queenie van de Zandt’s character the musical therapist Jan van de Stool launches upon her audience may be evident in the production’s sub-title.  Though there’s nothing crude in the humour that van de Stool launches upon her audience, it’s definitely risqué.

 

Hot Sauce Burlesque

Adelaide Fringe Festival 2018. The Rhino Room. Feb 18 - Mar 2, 2018

According to the Oxford dictionary, burlesque is “A variety show, typically including striptease.” However, as I discovered watching Hot Sauce Burlesque, it is so much more!

Yes, the girls do take their clothes off and show us what they can do with their tassels, but it is obvious that there is a real sisterhood between them. When not performing they are sitting at the side of the audience in robes encouraging each other.

Jimeoin: Ridiculous

Adelaide Fringe. Matthew Flinders Theatre, Flinders University. 3rd March 2018

Jimeoin will be well known to most Fringe-goers as that cheeky Irish comedian who’s graced our stand-up comedy stages for over a quarter of a century. Many of us have laughed all the way to middle age with him, but for the younger audience members he’s equally as well-known, but as that funny Irish guy seen on The Project and television comedy galas.

Venus in Fur

By David Ives. Melville Theatre, WA. Directed by Trevor Dhu. Feb 16 - Mar 3, 2018

Melville Theatre’s Venus in Fur, written by David Ives, is a dynamic and expertly presented two-hander that had the audience on the edge of their seats.

Set in New York, Thomas Novachek is directing his own adaptation of Venus in Fur, and lamenting the suitability of the actresses who have auditioned for lead character Wanda von Dunayev, when actress Vanda Jordan crashes into the room and demands an audition. Despite seeming obviously unsuitable, her reading is amazing and the lines between the novel, the play and life become increasingly blurred.

Thyestes

Written by Thomas Henning, Chis Ryan, Simon Stone, Mark Winter after Seneca. Adelaide Festival / The Hayloft Project / Belvoir. Directed by Simon Stone. Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre. March 2 - 7, 2018.

How do we explain, understand and live with the acts of humans’ inhumanity to others, and our unceasing ability to commit atrocities, create fear, inflict pain, denigrate and dehumanise others?

We create myths, we attribute labels to the perpetrators, and we see and think of these acts and their agents as aberrations. We ask ourselves and others, “How could they do this?”

Thyestes shares ‘the moments between atrocities” and shows us that it isn’t a matter of them, but us. It is a part of how we as humans are.

Memorial

Adelaide Festival. Dunstan Playhouse. 1st - 6th March, 2018

Homer’s epic 2,800 year old poem Iliad describes a few weeks in the final year of the siege against the city of Troy, in particular the quarrel between King Agamemnon and Achilles.  In Memorial: An excavation of the Iliad, published in 2011, author Alice Oswald set out to translate the Iliad’s atmosphere, it’s ‘enargeia’ rather than its story. In doing so she has stripped the Iliad of its narrative and drawn forth the biographies and brutal killings of the 215 soldiers Homer named.

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