Reviews

Sydney II: Lost and Found

By Jenny Davis. Theatre 180. Directed by Stuart Halusz. ACE Cinemas, Rockingham, WA. Aug 18-22, 2021

Theatre 180’s world premiere of Sydney II: Lost and Found was launched with a gala celebration at ACE Cinema Rockingham, the first venue in a Western Australian tour that will continue until November 21 in cinemas around the state.

Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Book by David Greig. Music by Marc Shaiman. Lyrics by Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman. With songs from the motion picture by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. Townsville Choral Society. Townsville Civic Theatre Boundary Street, Townsville. 18 – 28 August 2021.

THIS family production is perfect for our times. It is bright and colourful. It has some sparkling performances, terrific orchestration, is wonderfully lit and, above all, it is very, very funny.

Wanha! Journey to Arnhem

Directors/Producers: Rosealee Pearson and Andrew Grimes. Musical Directors: Andrew Gurruwiwi and Patrick White. Narrator: Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs. Visuals: Warren Handley and Matt Maclean. Projectionist: Rosealee Pearson. Featured Artists: Yirrmal Marika, Djakapurra Munyarryun, Dhapanbal Yunupingu, Juran Adams and Andrew Gurruwiwi. Andrew Gurruwiwi Band Members: Andrew Gurruwiwi, Patrick White, Andrew Grimes, Dion Gurruwiwi, Gathaburra Mununggurr, Alex Bukulatjpi, Vadim Juste-Constant, Francis Diatschenko and Malngay Kevin Yunupingu. INPEX Sunset Stage, Festival Park, Darwin. 14 August 2021. Darwin Festival.

Sometimes, if we’re lucky, we have the opportunity to experience an event that might be considered life changing. Preconceptions disintegrate. Our senses gradually become overloaded. Our eyes widen, and an impossible smile forms on our mouths. Our minds race in an attempt to catch-up and keep up with all the details of this rapidly evolving new experience.

Hibernation

By Finegan Kruckemeyer. State Theatre Company of South Australia. Dunstan Playhouse. 13 August — 28 August 2021

For those who are followers of The Handmaid’s Tale, or remember the 1971 Omega Man, embraced the recent Quiet Place films, or whose memories stretch back to Shute’s 1957 On The Beach, Hibernation is a dystopian tale that yet again reminds us that there are consequences of choices made, often dire, of human behavior, and sometimes the solutions, expendable as they seem, can be as bad or worse than the problem.

The Hypotheticals

Writers and performers: Jeffrey Jay Fowler and Sarah Reuben. Presented by Brown’s Mart and Darwin Festival in association with The Last Great Hunt. Choreographer: Jessica Devereux. Dramaturg: Chris Isaacs. Sound designers: James Mangohig and Serina Pech. Lighting designer: Tomm Lydiard. Happy Yess, Darwin. Until 19 August 2021.

Performing their 2020 NT Literary Award-winning script The Hypotheticals, Sarah Reuben (‘The Woman’) and Jeffrey Jay Fowler (‘The Man’) positively sparkle as best friends navigating the idea of having a child together. They are hard-working young professionals – she is a Nurse, and he is a Graphic Designer. She is straight and single, and he is gay and single. They share date nights and what turn out to be hilarious power-walking exercise sessions.

Grease

Book, Music & Lyrics: Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey. Griffith University Performing Arts Students. Director: Alister Smith. Musical Director: Heidi Loveland. Choreography: Dan Venz. Conservatorium, South Bank, Qld. 12-18 August 2021

Opening one week later than originally scheduled (because of Covid lockdown), this year’s major production of the Griffith Performing Arts students, Grease, was one of their best.

With a towering four-level scaffolding-type set with multiple staircases by Adam Gardnir, a plethora of late fifties dance-moves by Dan Venz, and a kick-ass band under Heidi Loveland, Rydell High buzzed with life and energy.

TenORus

Adam Bartlett and Roger Davy. Helensvale Cultural Centre - 13th August and 24th September, 2021. Wynnum Fringe Festival - Nov 9th.

The marvellous thing about Australian performers is that they refuse to be beaten. If the theatres are closed and there’s no work, well then - create your own.

Confetti From Graceland

Written and directed by Noel O’Neil. Harbour Theatre and Maverick Theatre. Camelot Theatre, Mosman Park, WA. Aug 13-28, 2021

Confetti From Graceland had its World Premiere in May 2008, a co-production of The Studio and KADS. This latest production, a co-production of Harbour Theatre and Maverick Theatre, features the same director and three of the original cast, and has the charm and brashness of the original. I was shocked to realise that the last time that I saw this play was 13 years ago - as my memories of this play are so vivid - a testament to its strength.

Savage Grace

By Alana Valentine. Steamworks Arts. Directed by Sally Richardson. Rehearsal Room 1, State Theatre Centre of WA. August 11-14, 2021

2021 marks 21 years of Steamworks Arts and to celebrate they are remounting their first production, Alana Valentine’s Savage Grace, with the original director and original cast.

First produced in 2001 at the Blue Room Theatre, Savage Grace is a story of love, death and ethics, featuring a relationship between a visiting American doctor and a hospital ethics professor. A clash of personalities and ethics precedes a passionate affair, against the background of the AIDS crisis. 

Seasons of Skin and Bark

Tracks Dance Company. Concept and Artistic Directors: Tim Newth and David McMicken. Choreographers: David McMicken, Jessica Devereux, Kate Mornane and Kelly Beneforti (creative development). Designer: Tim Newth. Musical Director: James Mangohig. Musical Collaborator: Lena Kellie. Lighting Designer: Chris Kluge. Costumes: Cj Fraser-Bell. Performed by Anokai Susi, Bintang Daly, Brinda Magar, Bryn Wackett, Eleanor Rushforth, Ellen Hankin, Jenelle Saunders, Kate Mornane, Lucy Found, Maari Gray, Omaya Padmaperuma, Perrin Orlandini, Piper Mules, Ruttiya McElroy, Sarah Lacy, Sheila Rose, Sophia Hodges, Stephanie Spillett, Stephanie Thompson, Tara Schmidt, Teresa Helm and Venaska Cheliah. Darwin Festival. George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens, Darwin. 8–16 August 2021.

When Cyclone Tracy made landfall directly onto Darwin at 3.30am on 25 December 1974, it would not be until between 6.30am and 8.30am on Christmas Day, that the winds and rainfall would begin to ease. In the city’s Botanic Gardens, an uprooted ‘cyclone-resistant and waterwise’ Albizia saman (South American Rain Tree) was one of only 10% of the gardens’ inhabitants to survive the devastation.

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