Reviews

The State

By Marli Jupiter and Rhi Bryan. Directed by Marli Jupiter. The Blue Room, Perth Cultural Centre, WA. May 14-25, 2024

The State is an unashamedly bold piece political theatre that reminds me of the agit-prop theatre of the 1970s. Employing bold costume, makeup, puppetry, and mask work, this look at democracy is an interesting and compelling piece of theatre.

Noises Off

By Michael Frayn. Presented by Centenary Theatre Group, Chelmer, Brisbane. May 18 - June 9, 2024

Michael Frayn's successful and well-known farce has been around a long time and since its first performance in the UK in 1982, where it ran for five years, there have been numerous revivals worldwide, even a movie version, directed by Peter Bogdanovitch and including an all-star international cast.

Ghost The Musical

Book & Lyrics by Bruce Joel Rubin. Music & Lyrics by Dave Stewart & Glen Ballard. Blackout Theatre Company. Pioneer Theatre, Castle Hill. May 17 – 25, 2024.

In musical theatre, specific productions leave a lasting impression, captivating audiences with powerful storytelling and unforgettable performances.

night sweat

By Michelle McCowage. Motley Bauhaus, Carlton, Vic. May 16 -18, 2024

night sweat, written and performed by Michelle McCowage was of interest to me as I have always had difficulties in the sleep realm. The show was nominated for Best Theatre and Best Emerging Artist last year at Melbourne Fringe and it was remounted for a three-night season at the Motley Bauhaus. The blurb describes the show as a seamless interplay of physical theatre, improvisation and poetic storytelling, transporting audiences into the murky farrago between awake and asleep.

Rent

By Jonathan Larson. Directed by Shaun Rennie. His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth, WA. May 11-25, 2024

The Australian tour of Rent is in Perth for a (sadly) very short season, with a tight, passionate production that is exciting its audiences. A talented and very cohesive cast bring this much-loved musical to life in a production that surprises and touches the heart.

Cymbeline (Or, Imogen)

By William Shakespeare. Heartstring and Burning House Theatre Companies. Collingwood Yards. 15 – 25 May 2024

The rarely performed Cymbeline is a melodrama – a tale of treachery, betrayal, sibling rivalry, deception, revenge, guilt and innocence, love, loyalty and forgiveness, murder, misogyny, peerless virtue, cross-dressing, and rapid movement – and warfare - between ancient Britain and Rome.  Some have called it a comedy.  Others a romance.  (There are elements of both.)  It has been loved by some and derided by others.  Dr Samuel Johnson remarked that, ‘This play has many just sentiments, some natural dialogues, and some pleasing scenes, but t

Ulster American

By David Ireland. Ensemble Theatre, Sydney. Directed by Shane Anthony. 13 May – 8 June 2024

It’s very rare to hear an audience roar with laughter one minute and gasp out loud at the onstage action the next. But that’s exactly what happened at the Ensemble Theatre when the opening night audience was faced with this brilliantly brutal satire by Irish playwright David Ireland.

We’re Banking On It!

Adapted from The Government Inspector by Nikolai Gogol. Presented by MUST and Bloomshed. Directed by James Jackson. fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne. 12-16 May 2024.

Monash University Student Theatre (MUST) in collaboration with Bloomshed have produced a very fine and facetious adaptation of Gogol’s iconic text. Placing the themes and ideas in an Australian context is already a strong political statement and suggests an absurd decline in the contemporary political and economic landscape. The reference to the scandalous behaviour of big supermarket giants and likening their actions to Gogol’s very sardonic and jaded vision of Russian bureaucracy is ingenious.

Twelve Angry Jurors

By Reginald Rose and Sherman L. Sergel. Pepperberry Theatre. Robert Jarman (Director). Katharine Hamley and Jake Sanger (set). Simon Rush (lighting design). The Peacock Theatre. 16 – 26 May, 2024

We have nothing to gain or lose by our verdict. We should not make it a personal thing.

Homo Pentecostus

By Joel Bray. Directed by Joel Bray and Emma Valente. Beckett Theatre, Malthouse Theatre, 113 Sturt Street Southbank, Melbourne. 10-25 May 2024.

Joel Bray is a talented actor, dancer and writer who has collaborated with Peter Paltos and Emma Valente to produce a very personal and penetrative insight into his experience as a gay man in a Pentecostal church. His queer identity and religious faith are inevitably two incompatible worlds. This high spirited and humorous account of his experience of discovering just how at odds these two worlds are, is often very poignant.

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