Reviews

Written in about 1595, the play is set in Athens and consists of several sub-plots that revolve round the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. Thus, we have  four Athenian lovers = in conflict and six amateur actors preparing for a wedding show. Then Oberon, King of the fairies and Puck become involved in the forest one night. Ah, what a summer dream it was. It was complicated in many ways but was still easy to follow as it touched on many points relevant to today’s society.

The University of Adelaide Theatre Guild (UATG) has chosen a brave and substantial piece of theatre for their May season. Angels in America, by Tony Kushner, is a two-part play, presented in two halves over two separate performances. Part one debuted in 1991 and 18 months later, Part two premiered. Set in New York City in 1985, it takes us back to AIDS, the 20th century pandemic that introduced us to the pervasive, uncontrollable nature of pandemics and the havoc that they wreak.

The Grinning Man is a hugely entertaining music theatre show – a hybrid mix of melodrama, pathos, pantomime, and very black comedy – performed by a hugely talented cast who sing, play musical instruments, dance, cavort, mug – and bring people to tears.  The music is kaleidoscopic inventive pastiche, mixing pop with classical, and referencing many modern music theatre hits.  Music Director David Youings gets energy and clarity out of his ensemble of six.

Susan Hill’s ghost story from the late 19th Century is at the core of this play, cleverly adapted by Stephen Mallatratt. It’s been in the West End for more than three decades and yes it has played Australia before, a production that also saw the charismatic John Waters as Arthur Kipps, a role he is repeating, along with six or eight other characters.