Reviews

Matilda the Musical

Book by Dennis Kelly. Music and Lyrics by Tim Minchin. Based on the book by Roald Dahl. Presented by The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Michael Watt, with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch. Adelaide Festival Centre. May 21-July 16, 2017

Matilda the Musical is marvellous…a magical, mad and unexpectedly moving experience that tugs at the funny bones and heartstrings of adults and children alike.

Matilda is an entrancing story of childhood resilience and rebellion and is currently in Adelaide in the final stages of its Australian tour.

Disney’s Mulan Jnr

Music and Lyrics by Matthew Wilder and David Zippel, Stephen Schwartz, Jeanine Tesori and Alexa Junge. Book Adapted (and additional lyrics) by Patricia Cotter. Stirling Players (WA). Directed by Fran Gordon. Stirling Theatre, Innaloo, WA. May 26 - June 10, 2017

Stirling Players’ Disney’s Mulan Jnr is a delightful and fun production. A visual treat than oozes charm, it features a very likeable team of 10 to 14 year-olds

Tiana Aitken is a wonderful find in the title role, delivering a very centred performance in her theatrical debut. Ella Simpson is dynamite as little, dragon side-kick Mushu, stealing scenes and singing beautifully. Sebastian Cruse is charming as commanding officer and love-interest-of-sorts Captain Shang, sporting a very new tenor voice.

This is Not Mills and Boon

By Erica J Brennan. Glorious Thing Theatre Co. The Old 505 Theatre, Newtown, NSW. May 25 - June 3, 2017

This is one sexy comedy that will make you blush and laugh a lot. The classic ingredient for intense drama is to pit people at extremes against each other, in embarrassing situations.

Writer Erica Brennan has dreamt up the delicious scenario for Aby (Emma Chelsey) and Sol (Gabe Fancourt), who are newly coupled.

Spring Awakening

Book and lyrics by Steven Sater, music by Duncan Sheik, original play by Franz Wedekind. StageArt. Director: Robbie Carmellotti. Musical Director: Caleb Garfinkel. Choreographer: Zoee Marsh. Chapel Off Chapel (Vic). May 19 – June 10, 2017.

StageArt’s production of Spring Awakening was excellent. I saw the MUST production in 2011 and was again impressed with the strength of the show and the strength of the performers.

It was an amazing production. Everything seemed to flow. As one song was being sung, you tended to not notice that the stage was being reset by the performers behind, until the lighting changed. It was very slick.

The Pearlfishers

By Georges Bizet. Opera Q. Director: Michael Gow. Conductor: Graham Abbott. Lyric Theatre, QPAC, Brisbane. 25 May – 3 June 2017

With The Pearlfishers Michael Gow has provided Opera Q with one of their most satisfying productions of recent years. Gloriously sung by the principals and chorus, Bizet’s much-maligned score is not just a one-hit wonder as some believe, but a work of infinite romantic beauty.

Orb

Sydney Dance Company. Choreography by Cheng Tsung-Iung and Rafael Bonachela. Canberra Theatre. 25–27 May 2017

Orb comprises two new works: Full Moon, choreographed by Chen Tsung-Iung; and Ocho, choreographed by Sydney Dance Company's artistic director, Rafael Bonachela.

 

Hoke’s Bluff

Written, co-directed and performed by Gemma Paintin & James Stenhouse, with Laura Dannequin; additional text by Nick Walker. China Plate and Warwick Arts Centre for Bristol Old Vic Ferment. Arts House, North Melbourne. 24-27 May 2017

Here is a show from Bristol Old Vic which has to be one of the most original, intelligent, energetic, disciplined, funny-yet-horribly-sad shows I have seen.  Ostensibly, it is about ‘sports’, but more accurately about the culture of sports - a kind of meta-sport since the sports being played on stage merge and make no distinction between gridiron, baseball, basketball and ice hockey.  It is a show about the huge investment of emotion made in sport, about the ephemeral elation of winning and the self-loathing despair of losing. 

The Children's Hour

By Lillian Hellman. Wyong Drama Group. Directed by Andy Kabanoff. Wyong Grove Theatre. May 19-27, 2017

Scandals, lies, innuendo, disgrace, homophobia, suppressed desire and the dire consequences of allowing conservatism to run amok are themes which are all too familiar these days. The Children's Hour, containing all of these themes and many more to be ruminated on afterwards, was written in 1934.  Lillian Hellman (1907-1984) was quite the liberal/feminist rebel in her day.

Jesus Christ Superstar

Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber. Lyrics: Tim Rice. Blue Mountains Musical Society. Director: Jessica Lovelace. Musical Director: Matthew Lovelace. Choreographer: Emma Joseph. Blue Mountains Theatre. May 20 – June 4, 2017.

Jesus Christ Superstar as staged by BMMS is a hi-tech, hi-energy, spectacle. The show’s setting has been changed to a post-apocalyptic future, with plenty of wild-looking types and lots of dancing. Lots of dancing. Imagine Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome re-staged as a School Spectacular.

Heroes

By Gabriel Bergmoser. Directed by Dexter Bourke. Bitten By Productions. Club Voltaire, North Melbourne. 25 May – 3 June 2017

A rock band formed by high school mates is on the brink of success: after years in pubs and other low status venues, they are about to sign with a prestigious label.  But all is not what it seems.  Long hidden undercurrents, repressed animosities, jealousy and even loathing surface in the suddenly openly fraught relationship between band founder Nick (Blake Stringer) and lead singer Jake (Matt Phillips).  Sacrifices have been made for the sake of ‘the band’, but now, with recognition and money at stake, naked ambition comes out.

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