By Felicity Castagna. Adapted and directed by Priscilla Jackman. National Theatre of Parramatta. Riverside Theatres Parramatta. 25 Oct – 3 Nov, 2023
Felicity Castagna writes about aspects of life that resound with ordinary people, especially ordinary young people growing up in the suburbs, away from the rarefied atmosphere of the CBD. Her characters come from different backgrounds, different cultures, from the Australia that is busy and varied, bubbling with hopes and expectations – and the strength that comes from overcoming disillusion and disappointment.
By Maureen Sherlock. Directed by Dale James. Roxy Lane Theatre, Maylands WA. Oct 13 – 22, 2023
As a person in my fifties, it is rare that I feel young in an audience, but I felt decidedly youthful in the crowd at Roxy Lane’s Alzheimer’s the Musical, subtitled “A Night to Remember”. Less about Alzheimer’s than the complexities of aging in general, this three-woman show is part jukebox musical, part revue and part skit comedy, and kept a capacity audience chuckling throughout.
By Tennessee Williams. Hobart Repertory Theatre Company. Director – Jeff Kevin. Set – Jill Munro. Lighting – Jason James. The Playhouse Hobart. 13-28 October, 2023
Rarely has set, sound, light, language and performance so perfectly coalesced as in this production of Tennessee William’s The Glass Menagerie.
Written by Dan Lee and co-created by Chi Nguyen. Red Stitch. October 11 – November 5, 2023.
In a small basement kitchen, somewhere in Hanoi, a seething drama unfolds between two old friends and a go-between. New Australian play Flake by Dan Lee, co-created by Chi Nguyen, developed and produced through the Red Stitch INK program, is directed by Red Stitch’s Artistic Director Ella Caldwell.
By Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe, based on the film by Daniel Waters. Blackout Theatre Company. Director Jordan Anderson. Pioneer Theatre Castle Hill. 20 – 29 October, 2023
Coming to this production ‘cold’ but having been advised of the ‘cult following’ of the movie on which it is based, I was still surprised by the exhilaration of the audience and their exuberant reaction to the characters and the music. The theatre vibrated with an air of expectation as the house lights faded. It was clear that most of the audience was there to greet the production with enthusiastic joy – and Jordan Anderson and his cast and choreographers didn’t let them down.
Australian String Quartet. Ithaca Auditorium, Brisbane City Hall. 19th October, 2023
Since its inception in 1985, and based at the University of Adelaide, the ASQ has become one of Australia's first and foremost string quartets and is currently on tour around the country. With the use of 18th century Guadagnini instruments for the program, worth over six million dollars in total, and performing a variety of works from three famous eras of music in one of Brisbane City Hall's atmospheric old venues, this was indeed an enjoyable night for those who enjoy the timbre of the traditional string quartet ensemble and its historical significance.
shake & stir theatre co. Playhouse, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), Brisbane. 14 to 28 October 2023
Much creative effort has gone into producing this stage version of Frankenstein, the classic cautionary tale about the dangers of technology. But, with its heavy use of cutting-edge stage videography, this production runs the risk of being like the monster at the centre of Mary Shelley’s gothic tale – a creature whose sum of separate, sewn together parts don’t quite add up to a satisfying whole human.
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by Hugh Wheeler. Hayes Theatre Co. October 18 – November 18, 2023.
A Little Night Music at the Hayes took me on a retro 50-year flashback to a revelatory night at the then new, now gone, Her Majesty’s Theatre in Sydney; an evening which redefined the possibilities of musical theatre for me.
Spellbound, I returned on student rush tickets as often as my teaching scholarship funds allowed.
Available on digital platforms on 25 October, 2023
Rock Hudson (AKA Roy Scherer/Fitzgerald) was the heart throb of the 50s and 60s and one of Universal’s top stars.
Known for such diverse movies as Magnificent Obsession, All That Heaven Allows, Written on the Wind, Giant, Pillow Talk, Seconds and of course, the television series Dynasty, he was a luminary in Hollywood.
By Keziah Warner. Directed by Matthew Lutton. Malthouse Theatre, 113 Sturt Street Southbank. 19 October – 3 December 2023.
Hope Hill and its legendary tale of the wolf and the superstition of her annual appearance is at the centre of this performance. As an original piece of immersive theatre, the production breaks several of the boundaries of traditional theatre. Expect the unexpected when you enter this meticulously created world. The set of Hope Hill, much like many immersive theatre experiences, is highly cinematic. The emphasis on mise-en-scene invites the audience to explore and literally enter the world of the characters. The various locations are incredibly detailed and evocative.
