Reviews

The Hatpin

Music: Peter Rutherford. Book & Lyrics: James Millar. Oz Theatricals. Director: David Harrison. Musical Director: Julie Whiting. Spring Hill Reservoir, Brisbane. September 20 – 23, 2018

Brisbane’s newest independent community theatre Oz Theatricals is presenting the Queensland premiere of Peter Rutherford and James Millar’s darkly themed musical The Hatpin. An art-house piece, it’s a brave choice but one that paid off handsomely.

Set in Sydney in 1892 and based on a true story, director David Harrison has given this Dickensian tale an almost grand operafeel with a heightened sense of reality that underlines the horror of the plot - a young single mother who puts her baby into care with tragic results.

Beasts

By Juan Radrigan. Melbourne Fringe. La Mama Courthouse. September 19 – 30, 2018

In a small remote village in the Andes highlands in Chile, back in the early seventies, lived three ageing sisters. Hardworking, god fearing and marginalized by their remoteness, land sources were drying up and local people moving on too bigger cites. They eventually find themselves trapped by distance, increased isolation and a faint hunch of a changing political climate.

The Season

By Nathan Maynard. Tasmania Performs. Riverside Theatres Parramatta. September 20 – 22, 2018, Seymour Centre, September 25 - 29.

“I have always had such a sense of pride in our community and wanted to create a story that not only our mob could see themselves in …”. Nathan Maynard has certainly achieved that in this very natural and moving play about the importance of family, traditions, trust and the strength that comes from belonging.

Casting Off.

Created and Performed by Debra Batton, Sharon Gruenert and Spenser Inwood. Dramaturg: Alexandra Harrison. A Good Catch / Melbourne Fringe Festival. The Melba – Spiegeltent, 35 Johnston St Collingwood. 20 – 23 September 2018.

This is a fantastic opportunity to watch three generations of amazing Australian circus talent in one show. Urban knitting functions as both set and costume design and clearly indicates the show’s political edge. The daring, dangerous and awe-inspiring acrobatics are performed with amazing skill and are also accompanied by a sensational delivery of lists, poems, conversations, melodies, arguments and biographies. This discourse is hilarious, profound and touching and the naturalness with which it is simultaneously delivered with the physical feats is truly astonishing.

Jurassica.

By Dan Giovannoni. Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre and Critical Stages. Directed by Bridget Balodis. The Q, Queanbeyan, 19–22 September 2018.

Depicting three generations of an Italian-Australian family, Jurassica weaves backward and forward to unravel the estrangements between grandfather, father, and son, using English and Italian dialogue to great effect.  The play is not entirely realistic: individual speech and action substitutes, in places, tropes for substantial content, and old / middle-aged / teen stereotypical characteristics for individual character traits, resulting in anachronisms of character.  And severa

The Comedy of Errors

By William Shakespeare. A TheatreiNQ production directed by Terri Brabon. Queens Gardens, Townsville. 18 – 30 September 2018.

What a rousin’ riproarin’ production this was – and for a Shakespearean comedy that is not often performed, TheatreiNQ’s latest outdoor Shakespeare The Comedy of Errors has got to be the definitive version in my mind.

Anya Anastasia: The Executioners

Written and composed by Anya Anastasia and Gareth Chin. Melbourne Fringe. Gasworks Arts Park. September 18 – 29, 2018.

Buckle yourselves in for a speedy and fiercely individualistic comedy cabaret show that rocks the boat in every dimension. Anya Anastasia stumbles on to the stage, mobile in hand in selfie-self-absorption. Her right hand man, musician and multi – instrumentalist Gareth Chin rolls his eyes and shakes his head in disbelief.

Creatures of The Deep

Picked Last For Sport / Melbourne Fringe. The Butterfly Club, Melbourne. September 17 – 23, 2018

Creatures of The Deep is an all age friendly hybrid show; promoting environmental awareness while adventuring beneath the sea to meet the plethora of wild sea creatures on the brink of extinction.

A satirical rendition of the French marine conservationist Jacques Cousteau (Ryan Smith) sits on the side of the stage; he MC’s and narrates an hilarious, comical phantasmagorical marine exploration with his motley team of interns Jean, Claude, Van, Damme and Tina.

Evita

Lyrics by Tim Rice. Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Opera Australia and John Frost in association with David Ian Productions. Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House, from September 18 to November 5, 2018, then Arts Centre Melbourne from December 5

Just as Eva Peron was a deeply polarising political figure, so too is the latest production based on her life. On one hand some members of the audience rose to their feet at the end of the musical to salute the brilliant individual performances and spectacle. On the other hand, I spoke to a couple as they were walking out at interval, frustrated at the lack of pace in the first act.

Dog Show

Directed by Cassandra Fumi, with dramaturgy by Alice Fitzgerald. Melbourne Fringe. Melbourne Festival Fringe Hub - Warehouse Space, North Melbourne Town Hall. September 14 – 22, 2018

Who let the dogs out ? Woof ! Woof !

Dog Showis  wild, bestial and riotous satirical theatre.

Pure devotion and dedication to one’s canine can go no further than this hyper- puerile exploration of dog show phenomena. Apparently it began in London at The Kennel Club in 1873, and has since taken the world by storm, branching out into many tawdry suburban outlets.

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