Reviews

Dry

By Catherine Fitzgerald. Far and Away Productions & Country Arts SA. In association with the State Theatre Company South Australia. Hart’s Mill, Port Adelaide. Wednesday 17 to Saturday 10 November 2021

Catherine Fitzgerald’s Dry is ‘an absurdist dystopian Western inspired by the tough, resourceful women who live in our remote regions’. It tells the story of two sisters who have remained behind on an outback station when others have fled to either the far distant hills or the remote ‘Capital’. The reason for this population movement, which is affecting the entire country, is a lack of life-giving water. There is a telling line that was said by one of the departed – that ‘he didn’t want to be a refugee in his own country’.

Forbidden Broadway - Greatest Hits Volume 1

By Gerard Alessandrini. Pride Fest. Directed by Andrew Dobosz. Studio Underground, State Theatre Centre of WA. Nov 16-20, 2021

Rarely do you see a cabaret production that is as rapturously received as Forbidden Broadway, currently being performed as part of Pride Fest, at the State Theatre Centre. The audience adored this slick, expertly performed production, giving it a very enthusiastic standing ovation - and deservedly so.

Eureka Day

By Jonathon Spector. State Theatre Company South Australia. Dunstan Playhouse. 12th-27th November 2021

No matter what side of the fence you sit on, there is no denying that California based playwright Jonathon Spector’s satirical comedy packs an emotional punch. In an age of opinion, and many platforms on which to voice such opinions, he manages to capture the importance of inclusivity.

The Naked Truth

By Dave Simpson. KADS. Directed by Anita Bound. KADS Theatre, Central Mall, Kalamunda. Nov 12-27, 2021

KADS’ The Naked Truth is proving popular, with tickets hard to get, even before opening night. This show, with an all-female cast, takes place in a pole dancing class, and deals with the lives of the class members and the friendships they develop.

Summer Rain

Music: Terence Clarke. Book & Lyrics: Nick Enright. Villanova Players. Director/Choreographer: Helun Ekundayo. Musical Director: Benjamin Richards. Ron Hurley Theatre, Seven Hills, Qld. 13-28 Nov 2021

Villanova Players usually end their year with a musical and this year it’s Summer Rain, Enright and Clarke’s musical of redemption and renewal.

Cosi

By Louis Nowra. Tugun Theatre Co, Gold Coast. Director: Kate McNair. 11th – 27th November, 2021

Tugun’s Cosi has been quite a few months in the making because of COVID 19 restrictions.

However, at long last, this fantastic production has opened and what a great show it is.

Making her directorial debut, Kate McNair, with assistance from John Arthars, has produced a fast-paced, entertaining show in which the talented cast have a ball on stage, much to the delight of the audience.

The ensemble cast work well, bouncing off each other like a well-oiled machine.

All Together Now

Primadonna Productions. Directed by Carole Dhu. Mandurah Senior Citizens Centre, WA. Nov 12-13, 2021

Music Theatre International’s All Together Now is a global event that celebrates local theatre. A free to licence revue, featuring songs from a range of MTI’s favourite shows, it was available to produce during the weekend, November 12-15. Over 2,500 theatres, in over 40 countries across the world, participated in this epic event. The closest to Stage Whispers’ Perth base being Primadonna Productions’ event at the Mandurah Senior Citizens Centre.

Little Women

Adapted by Sally Davies from the novel by Louisa May Alcott. The Blue Room Theatre and Mel and Sal. Directed by Sally Davies and Melanie Julien-Martial. The Blue Room Theatre, Perth Cultural Centre, WA. Nov 9-27, 2021

Presented by The Blue Room Theatre and Mel and Sal, this incarnation of Little Women is a modern take on the classic coming of age story.

Humans 2.0

Circa. Playhouse, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), Brisbane. 10 to 20 November 2021

It may feel like a pertinent time to ask: 'What is it to be a human?' And the vivid and physical response from Brisbane-based Circa is the prescient Humans 2.0, created and directed by Yaron Lifschitz, a follow-up to 2017's Humans. The title of this Queensland premiere piece underlines in bold type the troupe's ethos of human-fuelled entertainment with acrobatic circus skills devoid of all the negative connotations of sawdust and greasepaint. This troupe of 11 performers relies solely on human skills, spirit and extraordinary talent.

Jasper in Deadland

Music & Lyrics: Ryan Scott Oliver. Book: Hunter Foster & Ryan Scott Oliver. Phoenix Ensemble, Beenleigh, Qld. Director: Justin Tubb-Hearne. Choreography: Isabelle Quayle. Musical Director: Hayley Marsh. 5-27 November 2021

Jasper in Deadland is a contemporary spin on the Orpheus and Eurydice legend that premiered Off-Broadway in 2014. With a score by up-and-coming composer Ryan Scott Oliver, who, like Sondheim, writes music and lyrics, and a book by Hunter Foster (Sutton’s brother) with help from Oliver, this teen/angst trip to Hades has built quite following and a fan base amongst musical theatre aficionados.

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