Month: September 2013

Reviews, Theatre

REVIEW: Storm Boy | Barking Gecko and STC

Editor

This was my first introduction to this beloved Australian story, one that generations of Aussie children grew up on, either through Colin Thiele’s book or the 1976 movie based on the book. It’s a uniquely Australian story because of its characters, its setting and its cultural landscape, but thematically and dramatically, it’s completely universal. It’s the kind of story that endures and can be retold without losing its relevance; it’s simply the kind of story that should be retold.Company (STC) are bringing the story of Storm Boy to Perth and Sydney audiences in a co-production of Tom Holloway’s stage adaptation, directed by … Continue reading REVIEW: Storm Boy | Barking Gecko and STC

Cabaret, Reviews

REVIEW: Diamonds by Analisa Bell

Editor

Analisa Bell comes DownStairs at the Maj with her new cabaret based on songs sung and inspired by Marilyn Monroe. The genesis of the show came from a moment outside a Melbourne theatre, after seeing Legally Blonde, that prompted her to question whether she was a “Jackie O or a Marilyn Monroe”. As a tram passed by, her skirt blew up and she caught the eye of a gentleman nearby; she knew then that she was a Marilyn. And since then, she’s been “polishing the diamond within.” Read the full review here. Continue reading REVIEW: Diamonds by Analisa Bell

Dance, Reviews

REVIEW: Onegin | WA Ballet

Editor

There’s something quite haunting about Alexander Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin, something dark, obsessive and transcendent that puts a mirror to our inner demons. The days of duels at dawn in snow-covered fields may be long gone, but the passions that drove men to challenge each other at gunpoint still lie within us. Our unchecked passions still get us into trouble, both in our social sphere and, most significantly, in love. WA Ballet, under the artistic direction of Aurelien Scannella, brings choreographer John Cranko’s adaptation of Pushkin’s novel to His Majesty’s Theatre. Onegin isn’t simply a love story, even though on the surface it might look like one. … Continue reading REVIEW: Onegin | WA Ballet

Music, Reviews

REVIEW: Ute Lemper | Perth Concert Hall

Editor

It’s been eight years since Ute Lemper was last in Perth, and the Garbo-esque beauty appears to have been glad for the return, if not slightly dazed by both the chilly temperature and the time difference between Perth (or “Perte,” as she kept referring to it in her Franco-German accent) and wherever the internationally renowned chanteuse had jetted in from. Her musicians, (John Benthal on guitar, Victor Villena on bandoneon, Vana Gierig on piano, Steve Millhouse on bass and Micha Molthoff on violin) preceded her on stage, and the cool, cross-cultural cabaret quintet didn’t waste any time in creating a latin-infused jazz ambience. Not long after they had established a rhythm … Continue reading REVIEW: Ute Lemper | Perth Concert Hall

Reviews, Theatre

REVIEW: Macbeth | Class Act Theatre

Editor

And so opens a new production of Macbeth, this time presented by Class Act Theatre at Subiaco Arts Centre’s studio, directed by Stephen Lee and starring Rhoda Lopez as Lady Macbeth and Nick Maclaine in the title role.Lee has chosen to bring the Scottish play forward to present day, to equip the entire cast with mobiles and other various gadgets, and dress them up in business attire. ‘Blood will have blood’, doesn’t seem at all unusual in this modern setting; we are forever finding ways to inure ourselves to violence, even as we decry it. Shows like C.S.I.,Dexter, Hannibal – the spirit of which … Continue reading REVIEW: Macbeth | Class Act Theatre

Cabaret, Reviews

REVIEW: Stolen Treasures | Vincent Hooper

Editor

Vincent Hooper is back home in Perth doing a cabaret show he’s put together called Stolen Treasures, which bills itself as a foray through forgotten musical theatre and cabaret songs. It wasn’t all obscurities, however, and there were plenty of tunes that the uninitiated would recognise: Rocky Horror, Rogers & Hammerstein, Jersey Boys, just to name a few. Hooper gave his loving and appreciative audience a charismatic performance that showcased his boundless energy, strong vocals, and a quirky sense of humour. Read the full review here. Continue reading REVIEW: Stolen Treasures | Vincent Hooper

Reviews, Theatre

REVIEW: Shrine | BSSTC

Editor

Tim Winton’s Shrine is beautifully flawed; somehow, structurally, its scope seems beyond the confines of theatre and it might seem a better fit for film, or be best savored from the page. But then, once the play finishes, it’s obvious from the sense of communal catharsis why the work does exist for theatre. There are moments of impact that are best felt live, and are so powerful the wave of their energy surges through the entire room, right up to the circle.The language is wonderful; the conversations have a natural ease while still maintaining elegance and intelligence, and the frequently descriptive dialogue … Continue reading REVIEW: Shrine | BSSTC

Interviews, Theatre

INTERVIEW: The Guys by Anne Nelson

Editor

Twelve years ago this month New York City firefighters were called to duty for an unthinkable disaster. A third of all New York City Fire Department (FDNY) companies were dispatched to go into battle against time at the World Trade Center and 343 individual firefighters never made it back. One of the ways in which New York came to grips with this horrible tragedy was to put on a play. Anne Nelson wroteThe Guys in just nine days and it debuted off-off-Broadway at the Flea Theatre on 4 December 2001, just three months after the attacks.The two characters in the play, … Continue reading INTERVIEW: The Guys by Anne Nelson

Reviews, Theatre

REVIEW: Sondheim’s Assassins at WAAPA

Editor

WAAPA 3rd year music theatre students took a shot at Stephen Sondheim’sAssassins, under the direction of WAAPA alumnus James Millar and the musical direction of David King. It was a slick and sparkly take on the star-spangled musical and this team of professionals and soon-to-be-professionals handled the darkly humorous material and challenging music with confidence. Read the full review here. Continue reading REVIEW: Sondheim’s Assassins at WAAPA

Circus, Reviews

REVIEW: Circus Oz | Cranked Up

Editor

Circus Oz, you had me at hello. You completely changed the atmosphere at the Maj from Edwardian playhouse to playful madhouse.  A normal night in the lobby of the Maj can feel like a madhouse on its own; they haven’t quite got the layout right, even after all these years, so getting to the bar for some chocolate and a bubbly can prove to be a risky venture which could result in a smashed toe or being thwacked by a swinging handbag. To add another level of creative chaos to the affair, Circus Oz put a couple of saxophonists in amongst the … Continue reading REVIEW: Circus Oz | Cranked Up