Reviews

1934.  Duluth, Minnesota, in the depths of The Great Depression.  Young would-be lovers, Kate (Elizabeth Hay) and Gene (James Smith) break up: she’s leaving town.  They argue, regret things they said, get angry, and Gene lies.  Playwright Conor McPherson writes this direction in the text of his musical play:

She turns away.  GENE watches her.  As the music starts and they sing, they could dance and even kiss.  We see what their souls are doing despite everything that’s just been said.

If you’re longing for something to do in Melbourne this week, fear not, Lauren Edwards is here to save you from post-Comedy Festival withdrawals, as well as your own unrealistic hopes and dreams. In her latest show, Everything Is A Lie, Edwards shares how, after another year of lockdowns, health issues, environmental and political crises, she’s given up, and you probably should too.

CLOC has found real synergy with this musical. The overall look and feel of the show emphasise the historical and social context by highlighting the "Goodfellas (Scorsese 1990)" quality of the story. This gives the production a very clear and distinctive style which is executed with consistency and confidence. 

This was a trip back to earlier days when radio plays were the in-thing. This radio play was adapted from the play, by Baroness Orczy, which opened in 1903 and was first performed by Lux Radio Theatre in 1938 on radio with Leslie Howard and Olivia de Haviland in the main roles.