Reviews

Three Mikados is an absolute delight. Three actors attempt to do a 70-minute version of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado, playing and sharing all the roles – plus a wayward spear-carrier. They are led by the popular comedian Colin Lane, whose ego starts to run hysterically out of control from the very beginning.

Michael Griffiths is no stranger to cabaret, having won the prestigious Helpmann Award last year as Best Cabaret Performer. He has toured his shows based on Madonna, Annie Lennox, Cole Porter and now Kylie MinoguewithLucky: Songs by Kylie.

Ever the consummate professional, in 65 minutes he guides us through Kylie’s life from her early days in Neighbours to her recovery from breast cancer and ability to endure through adversity.

Wesley Enoch and Deborah Mailman’s original production of ‘7 Stages’ is a collection of ‘chapters’ documenting the effect of white settlement on our First Peoples. In a series of vignettes using different theatrical styles, they tell of the disruption that invasion and assimilation has wrought. They cover the loss of land, family, culture and self esteem. They cover discrimination and vilification. But they also incorporate reconciliation, hope … and humour.

Behind the busy bar of a rough and tumble Wooloomooloo drinking spot, downstairs, between the busy kitchen, the inadequate toilets and a dining area is the cramped theatre space. The stacked audience face a perfect little setting in which everything works – the doors, the upstairs bedroom, the rumbling pipes, the computer, the sink, the bike. The Sydney Theatre Company couldn’t wish for a more polished and convincing set.