Reviews

‘Paul’ is of course Paul Keating, and this is Jonathan Biggins’ impression of our former reforming Treasurer (1983-91) and our 24th Prime Minister (1991-96).  Mr Biggins doesn’t so much impersonate Paul Keating as represent him in all his complexity.  The voice and the walk aren’t exactly right, but we recognise both.  You wouldn’t describe this show as hagiography, but it’s clear that Mr Biggins admires and even loves his subject.  Probably indebted to Kerry O’Brien’s extensive 2013 interviews, and

I think it was Peter O'Toole who once likened stage acting to an ice sculpture that is unique each performance and of course, melts afterwards, never to be seen again. Freeroam Theatre is experimenting with improvised performances that highlight this aspect of the theatrical experience. Freeroam Theatre is a very young, very new theatre company developed by performers who are recent graduates of the Bachelor of Creative Industries (Acting and Performance) in Wagga Wagga. The cast for TOME is: Charles Sykes; Keeden Hendriks; Sally Jackson; Natasha Shimpf and Haya Arzidin.

Smoke billows from the cleansing fire on a mild Melbourne autumn evening. The space is surrounded by gumtrees and the words “Our Narratives, Our Way” are projected onto the walls enclosing the Malthouse Outdoor Stage. The show opens with Neon Ngargee (Corroboree), led by Amos Roach (Archie Roach’s son), dancing through the crowd. The Welcome to Country is done by two of the festival’s matriarchs, Boonwurrung Elder, N’Arweet Carolyn Briggs and Woiwurrung Elder Aunty Di Kerr.

As a young woman in the mid-1930s, the naive and apolitical Brunhilde Pomsel found herself seconded to the Department of Propaganda to work as a secretary for Joseph Goebbels. She went on to live to 106 and was one of the last people alive who had been with the Nazi elite right up until the end. Based on many hours of interviews conducted in 2012 for a documentary, Christopher Hampton’s play accurately captures her voice—intelligent, pragmatic, articulate and resourceful. She was also ordinary and not evil. She had Jewish friends. Her father had Jewish clients.