Anywhere Theatre Festival Review: Sans Love

Sans Love is the story of a young woman named Mercy who is surrounded by people afflicted with heartbreak. The loss of a grandmother, husband, girl-of-your-dreams, cat or the first love of your life leaves people desolated and hurting and perhaps never wanting to feel that way again. Enter Mercy. She has a special gift. She can ‘fix you’. She can take away the heartbreak; quite literally remove it from your body. The downside is that you will never love again. 

Sans Love is an utterly delightful and human piece of physical theatre. The cast of 7, including a chorus of 5, play off each other in a fast-talking, leaping, action-packed 70 minute investigation of love and loss and how we feel when love does not return.

Mercy is the protagonist but it’s the chorus that makes this story. Perfectly timed to interact with each other and the audience, they fling out lines and songs while throwing themselves all over the room. I particularly enjoyed their performance of the typical broken-hearted playlist. So accurate and sad but very funny. Each of the chorus members has been ‘healed’ by Mercy, a decision some are accepting of and others are purely angry about. They now surround her and help her in her treatments for the never-ending line of the broken-hearted.

Sans Love is playing in one room in an art gallery and the artwork on the wall, including some beautiful nude photographs, accounts for the shows’ ‘nudity’ rating. The set could be part of the exhibition proper, taking up the centre of the room, with props of the detritus of dates and relationship strung from the ceiling.

This is a clever, intricately-thought out show on a topic that everyone can relate to. You could feel the enjoyment amongst the audience, all huddled as we were on cushions on the floor, as we were made to laugh at the accuracy of the stages of heartbreak and get quietly depressed with the stories of loss that made each person choose to have their love removed.

Sans Love is being performed in Love Love Studio in the heart of Teneriffe, in a great spot if you want to have dinner / drink / dessert around the show.  Love Love Studio is one of those great random space that used to be a house and is now a bit run-down so it is now used as a gallery with a skate shop and probably a few other temporary residents as well. The current exhibition is suitably themed on love and loss.

 

Sans Love is a truly fun and clever piece of theatre. The sort of show you want friends to see and enjoy so they can understand the value of start-up theatre and initiatives such as ATF.

Review of Sans Love presented as part of the 2013 Anywhere Theatre Festival.

Tickets: All tickets $20
Dates: Wed 15 to Sat 18 May @ 7:30pm
Place: 27 Florence Street, Teneriffe, 4006
Duration: 70mins
Transport & Places of Interest: Love Love Studio is on the City Glider and 199 bus routes (stopping at Commercial Road) and is less than a 400-metre walk from the Teneriffe ferry terminal.

Anywhere Theatre Festival Review: Viva Verdi

In the thoroughly modern Ecosciences Precinct by the Boggo Road Gaol, Opera Oceania honoured the 200^th birthday of Maestro Giuseppe Verdi with their production Viva Verdi.

The repertoire was a selection of some of Verdi’s best-known arias from opera such as Rigoletto and La Traviata with a few surprises from Otello and Il Trovatore. Fortunately, each aria was preceded by a short explanation for those amongst the audience who were not clear on their overly-complicated opera plots.

In such a no-nonsense venue, accompanied only by a piano keyboard (played expertly by John Woods) the audience can truly appreciate the magnificence of the human voice. With no orchestra to hide faults or override the pianissimo passages there is only the voice and the words for the opera-loving audience to appreciate.

As a venue, the Ecosciences Precinct certainly had the soaring ceilings reminiscent of concert halls but the all-glass surrounds and overhanging walkways did no favours to the Soprano and Mezzo-Soprano in particular. Joshua Rowe, Baritone, put on the performance of the day with 'Per me giunto è il di supremo' from Don Carlos. His magnificent tone did not disappear into the glass walls and he imbued the aria with tragic emotion as the dying Rodrigo.

Viva Verdi was produced by Opera Oceania. You can find out more about them through their Facebook page.

Review of Viva Verdi presented as part of the 2013 Anywhere Theatre Festival.

Anywhere Theatre Festival Review: Overexposed

Overexposed is a show about dating but it may not be the best place to take a prospective date. For a start, you don’t get to sit next to the person you come with. On arrival, you are shown in and separated to encourage you to meet a new date for the evening (though they, like you, are probably taken). Also, the content may be a little too much for potential couples. You don’t want to take a date to a show about sex if you’re still unsure whether or not you want to sleep with said date.

Overexposed is a mix of stand-up, music and film with just a tad of audience interaction thrown in. My poor date was made to participate and he survived admirably and as a bonus, learned the phrase ‘as you wish’ (from The Princess Bride). The show is open, honest and genuinely funny at times.

If you think you’ll be shocked, don’t worry. Though this may be a cabaret about relationship and sexual mis-adventure, there is not much to horrify or embarrass, despite the Adults Only rating.  Unless you have very fine sensibilities, in which case go see 1066: The Bayeux Tapestry Brought to Life. No sex or foul language in that one.

This is a show with some great ideas and a lot of work has gone in to it, but it just didn’t quite hang together. It needed more time to fully develop all the devices that the creative minds behind it imagined rather than stuffing the show full of half-completed ideas. Separating attendees – sure, but why? After some uncomfortable chit chat that was it. Film of people discussing relationships in cafes – yes it went with the theme but didn’t have a place in the show. This is still an enjoyable show but I think I’d like to see the full hour and a half version more.

Overexposed is presented in the foyer of the Bell Brothers Building in Fortitude Valley.  A slightly run down location intermittently filled with arts companies and start-ups, the foyer has a quiet grandeur to it and was an ideal location for a one-person cabaret. Intimate, with stage space a sweeping staircase for the performer to descend, it was a delightful impromptu theatre venue.

If you enjoy plays, relationship dramas and / or are a little dramatic when it comes to your own forays in the mess that can be romance, you should enjoy Overexposed. It’s a fun show that deserves the time (and money) to develop it further. 

Overexposed is showing this weekend and tickets are available through the Anywhere Theatre Festival website. 

Review of Overexposed presented as part of the 2013 Anywhere Theatre Festival.  

Anywhere Theatre Festival Review: 1066: The Bayeux Brought to Life

If you’ve ever taken an interest in European history or secretly enjoyed history at school or perhaps you have children you want to get interested in that huge general topic, take yourself to Small Crown Production’s 1066: The Bayeux Tapestry Brought to Life, performed in the Collector’s Cafe at the Queensland Museum.

Some context: the Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidered cloth nearly 70 metres in length that tells with beautiful detail the story of Harold Earl of Essex and Duke William of Normandy, who were both at one time designated heirs to the crown of England. When King Edward the Confessor died in 1066, Harold was proclaimed King, inciting the Norman invasion of England which culminated in the Battle of Hastings. William (known to history as William the Conqueror) triumphed and was crowned King, beginning the Norman occupation of England. 

 

1066: The Bayeux Tapestry Brought to Life opens where the tapestry begins, with events years prior to the final battle. First up we meet Harold Earl of Essex, a great warrior devoted to England, who having successfully quelled uprisings in Wales has been charged by King Edward to travel to Normandy and inform Duke William that he (William) is the chosen heir to the crown of England. Not a pleasant task for a man who thought he would be named so himself. Both men were skilled soldiers and politicians and the show sets up their differences in personality and perspective and how they came to believe that they were the rightful heir to the throne of England.

Small Crown Productions have done a tremendous job of fitting a complex story with a cast of thousands in to one hour and a cast of seven. They are helped by the ingenious shifting scenery which could be taken apart to construct keeps, ships and castles. I was not the only audience member who when watching the cast yell heave to and construct the ships for the invasion, wanted to leap up and lend a hand. Simple block-coloured costumes helped the audience identify the key players as each cast member played several roles on both sides of the feud.

The cast were clearly enjoying themselves and worked hard to deliver the story in all its’ dramatic glory. James Trigg, who portrayed Harold, has the square jaw, beard and booming voice evocative of a youthful Henry VIII and a great seriousness of purpose, which contrasted well to the more jovial but equally determined William, played by Silvan Rus. The team behind the show, lighting, sounds, animation, costuming and of course the Director Paul Adams, have also done a tremendous job on all the important minutiae the made the performance so enjoyable.

If you want to brush up on the tale before the performance, there is a scroll explaining the events and key scenes from the tapestry for you to peruse.  The scroll also pointed out key characters and pieces of scenery that would be appearing in the production.

Small Crown Production’s 1066: The Bayeux Tapestry Brought to Life is a dramatic piece of history brought to life with great enthusiasm. Educational and enjoyable, it is an excellent original production.

Review of 1066: The Bayeux Brought to Life, presented as part of the 2013 Anywhere Theatre Festival.

Tickets can be purchased through the Anywhere Theatre Festival website or at the door.  

See also the Small Crown Productions website or follow them on Twitter. 

Anywhere Theatre Festival 2013

Brisbane’s Anywhere Theatre Festival opens today and in some exciting news, I am one of the volunteer reviewers! 

The Anywhere Theatre Festival gets theatre out of its traditional confines and into accessible, atmospheric public spaces. Shows may be held in foyers, in private garages, in the Museum or parks.

This is also a great chance for the dozens of small production companies in Brisbane and Queensland, who may not be able to afford to rent theatre space, to show off their talent and creativity.

If you’ve never heard of the Festival, check out the website here; http://anywherefest.com/ 

This festival is all about accessibility. Offering a range fun, innovative theatre shows, there is something to suit just about everyone. The tickets are affordable and the locations are the essence of accessible. Unsure about being in QPAC? How about seeing a show in the foyer of the Bell Brothers Building on Brunswick Street?

ATF starts today and runs to 18 May. Check out the program, or if you know me and feel like coming along to one of the shows I’m seeing and giving me the benefit of your opinion, these are the shows I’m excited to be seeing;

The travelling sisters set loose – Wednesday 8 May

1066; The Bayeux Brought to Life – Thursday 9 May

Overexposed – Friday 10 May

Viva Verdi – Saturday 11 May

Sans Love – Wednesday 15 May

Three Easy Steps – Thursday 16 May

Au audience with Tomas Ford – Thursday 16 May

A world without sex – Friday 17 May

Five for Friday no. 50

In honour of the New Year, some famous resolution lists.

There are over 800 languages spoken in NYC, many of them endangered.

The Queensland Government is reviewing compulsory voting legislation. 

La Boite is presenting Holding The Man in February and it looks to be a wonderful show.

There are a lot of British-comedy in-jokes but still, this...

Head Full of Love. And Beanies.

Last Friday night, I went to see the QTC's Head Full Of Love at the Cremorne. Directed by Artistic Director Wesley Enoch and starring Roxanne McDonald and Colette Mann, this play is absolutely wonderful.

Nessa (Mann) is a white woman who travels spur-of-the-moment to Alice Springs. Once there and wandering around lost, she strikes up a conversation with Tilly (McDonald), an Indigenous woman. Tilly is crocheting a beanie for the Alice Springs Beanie Festival, and insists Nessa drive her to 'rennell'. Nessa, despite her initial confusion and knee-jerk wariness, is talked into it and then discovers she's actually driving Tilly to her regular renal dialysis appointment. The two women become friends and make many beanies together.

Now, I know that over-simplified description doesn't make this sound like a story that hangs together particularly well. But it does, and it's a play that's deeply layered with themes and discussions specific to Australian culture and social politics. The friendship that grows between Tilly and Nessa does so despite - or because of - their completely different backgrounds, and despite tensions of class, wealth, historic racism and stereotypes, and even a language barrier. And the beanies, while simple on the surface, are genuinely meaningful, and never treated as any kind of gimmick.

Nessa's initial reactions to the harsh realities of Alice Springs are realistic; she's a Sydney resident visiting a remote area for the first time, and she's unprepared and uncomfortable with the poverty she finds there. Tilly's unimpressed reactions to this strange white woman are also unsentimental and honest. Nessa adapts, though, partly through her attachment to Tilly, and comes to find her 'new normal' deeply rewarding. The beanies and Tilly's renal dialysis appointments foster an unusual relationship, which by the end of the play deepens from awkward friendship to a sisterly bond.

Much like the beanies, though, the warmth of this new friendship - and the often hilarious conversations between Tilly and Nessa - have another side, another story. Tilly and Nessa can't escape their reality, as complex and tragic as it is. The dialysis and Tilly's kidney failure aren't played for pathos, though, but with enough combined resignation and frustration to feel extremely honest. The play also takes the time to correct the misconception that the high prevalence of kidney failure in Indigenous communities is from alcohol abuse. It's not; frequently it's due to birth defects and the impossible health conditions facing Indigenous Australians today.

There's also exploration of the emotional difficulties of dialysis patients from remote areas. At one point, Tilly explains to Nessa that she has to stay in Alice Springs for treatment, but her real home, her 'country' is hours away. She mourns not only the fact that her disease means she will die early, but that her need for treatment keeps her away, when she should be at home teaching the next generation of Indigenous Australians the traditions of the land.

This part is based in fact; Indigenous elders requiring treatment are forced to live hundreds of kilometers away from their country, and family members are not always able to accompany them, not without significant cost. The importance of country - home, family, traditional lands, all the places Indigenous Australians are deeply linked to - is beautifully realised in the play, as is the pain of separation from that country. The loss of a generation of elders to kidney disease and other ailments is also clearly shown as a loss for the younger generations, of language, stories, history, and a loss of connection and sense of community and family for so many Indigenous people.

Overall, I found the story and themes explored in this play not only affecting but deeply humanising. It's all too easy to ignore social problems when they're not right in front of your face, and I feel this play is extremely successful in drawing attention and promoting the difficulties facing Indigenous Australians with kidney disease. Not only that, but the warmth and tragedy of Tilly and Nessa's story made for a wonderful and deeply engaging piece of theatre.

Read a better review than mine!

Buy tickets! You won't regret it!

Donate to the Western Desert Dialysis Centre.

Brisbane Festival 2012

Last night was the launch of the 2012 Brisbane Festival. In attendance were festival sponsors, politicians, key players in the Brisbane arts scene, partner organisations, the beautiful people and … me.

The Brisbane Festival is inarguably the centre-stage show piece on the Brisbane arts and cultural calendar. First held back in the 60s, the Festival became an annual event in 2009 and since 2010 has been under the guidance of Artistic Director Noel Staunton. Along with incredible local and international acts such as Circa and the Paris Opera Ballet, Brisbane Fest serves up small, professional up-and-coming work in the Under the Radar program hosted with Metro Arts and more risqué late-night fare in the sexy Speigeltent, this year to be based at South Bank.

The crowd waits for the launch to start.

The launch was held in the newly re-furbished Grey Street section of the Brisbane Convention Centre. On arrival I was informed that I had to have one of the cocktails – a royale. A Brisbane Festival Royale, to be precise. I have no idea what was in it but it went down quick and there was a flamingo, so it was good for me.

A Brisbane Festival Royale, complete with flamingo. 

Apologies for photo quality – taken on my phone.

Hot pink is the new theme for the festival this year and it looks to be a very appropriate colour judging from the line-up: sexy, fun, outrageous, stand-out and in-your-face.

Looking at my beautiful catalogue – seriously, well done BrisFest folks, it looks awesome! - my must-sees include;

• Dance Energy
• Bluebeard's Castle
• L'Orfeo
• S
• Boundary Street
• Soap - The Show
• Tender Napalm
• Mnozil Brass
• A Soiree (in the Spiegeltent)
• Underground and Blind Date (both part of Under the Radar)

Yes, I do want to see most of the program. 

Soap - The Show. Photo courtesy of the Brisbane Festival website.

You can go online right now to the Brisbane Festival website and check it out for yourself. Some of the shows, I'm thinking 'S' in particular, are sure to sell out quickly. Also check them out on Twitter and Facebook.

A sexy, sequinned and sensual Saturday night.

Saturday night just gone I along with Chuck got dressed up and went along to be tantalised and teased at the Australian Burlesque Festival, on at the Judith Wright Centre for one and one night only.

We got to the theatre shockingly early but it turned out to be a happy accident. People who enjoy burlesque also enjoy getting dressed up, and the patrons flooding into the JWCOCA foyer on Friday were dressed up to the nines. Corsets, Kitten d’Amour, waistcoats, slashes of red lipstick, even one gorgeous women in a long formal gown were part of the pre-show entertainment.

Burlesque is not stripping, per say. Clothes are removed but that’s not really why you go along. Historically, a burlesque show included individual singing, dancing and other acts as well as stripteases but in recent decades the strip has rather hijacked the term so now a burlesque show is striptease, but the classiest form of strip you can imagine. A burlesque act is a real show, with costuming, music, dancing and a story or theme. The women are performers who put time and money into the development of their acts, which they can then tour the world.
 

Lola the Vamp, photo taken from the ABF website.

In direct comparison to strip clubs, burlesque is actually, genuinely sexy. These women are beautiful, graceful, stylishly dressed. There is a naughtiness and seduction in burlesque that has a cross-gender appeal.

I for one found it all tremendously sexy. 

At the Brisbane show of the Australian Burlesque Festival, 15 women put on 16 acts with sequins, tassels, dragons, flamingoes, ballet, tigers and a lot of feathers.
 

Lena Marlene, photo taken from the ABF website.

My runaway favourite was a Loulou D'vil from Finland who was just stunning and moved around the stage with a supreme confidence and grace. She also had one of the more intricate, old-fashioned costumes inspired by 1930's or 50's burlesque dancers with many layers including gloves, gown and corset that had to be removed so the anticipation was drawn out.

Loulou D'vil, photo courtesy of the ABF website. 

Other marvellous acts included Rosy Rabbit, who danced to Teach Me Tiger and had a really clever costume that played a real role in her act. Lila Luxx was one of the few local girls in the line-up an I loved her act because it was a little different. The first to come out in boudoir-style dressing gown and underwear, she had clearly been a ballet dancer, gliding around the stage to Lana Del Ray’s Video Games and making excellent use of a chair prop.

I asked Chuck to come with me because, well, I figured he’d enjoy it. As a heterosexual male there was not a lot to object to about the show. His favourite was a showgirl from New York, Peekaboo Pointe who was the only performer to appear twice. Introduced by the MC as seducing the world one tassel-performance at a time her first performance was magnificent. She came on in a floor length beaded-net gown, paraded around the stage then shimmied the gown off with the most incredible flow of rustle and sparkle before showing off her infamous tassel-skills.

Other magnificent performances came from Anna Fur Laxis (2011 Miss World Exotic 1^st runner up) and her good girl/bad girl act and Lena Marlane as the sexiest Mrs Slocombe you’ve ever seen (“What about my pussy?”) whose act included beautiful aerial silks. 

The final show of the night was a performance by the current reigning Queen of Burlesque, who had just been inducted into the Burlesque Hall of Fame. Imogen Kelly is the first Aussie girl to have won this prestigious title and with the routine she put on was truly spectacular.

Imogen Kelly, reigning Miss World Exotic 2012.

Burlesque is experiencing something of a hey-day at the moment was you can go to classes with groups like the Scoundrelles and Brisbane Burlesque.

There is one proper burlesque club I know about in Brisbane The Velvet Cigar, in Paddington. A place I keep promising I will visit. I think after Saturday night I will have to go and take afew people along to enjoy the show.

A creative long weekend in Brisbane

Thursday

Thursday night I was taken to the premiere of A Hoax at La Boite. Now, shamefully I must admit that prior to entering the theatre I had No Idea what the play was about. Fortunately there was a wonderful little program that told you it was inspired by cases of great 20thC literary hoaxes while giving away absolutely nothing of the plot.

The first act - I have never heard so much swearing on stage - was shockingly funny. The second act was confronting and the four actors excelled at every moment and we the audience of loving if slightly jaded Brisbane Arts Types lapped it up. Not so much about literary hoaxes as identity, the nature of truth, media and the lies we tell ourselves and each other, it’s a great work by Australian award-winner writer Rick Viede. Brisbane is the world premiere location.

Some shows this week have had to be cancelled. The lead actress is flying to Cannes because her film debut ‘Sapphire’ has been selected for the Cannes International Film Festival (congratulations!) so I don’t know if the run has therefore been extended.  If you get the opportunity, I’d recommend seeing it.

Image courtesy of La Boite.

Friday

Friday night saw me walking around Highgate Hill looking for the location an impromptu show venue. Anywhere Theatre Festival sees theatre work by starting-up writers, actors and directors being performed anywhere except a conventional stage. Last year I saw The Taming of the Shrew at The Zoo; there are shows in parks, in the Queen Street Mall and tonight I was looking for the ordinary suburban house hosting the show. 

A House of Cards has, sadly, finished its' run. It was performed underneath a house with the audience on couches, mattresses and bean bags. I’d got there early because Chuck was official photographer and got a front and centre comfy-couch position. The show was short and sweet, the work of writer / director / lead actor Michala and inspired by a Radiohead song.

Anywhere Theatre Festival is running until the 19th of May and is an annual event in Brisbane. There are usually half a dozen shows on every night so there is sure to be something you want to see and the tickets tend to range from free-of-charge to about $15, so don’t say you can’t afford it.  It’s a great way for you to have a night out and support your local just-getting-started theatre scene.



Saturday

Saturday was hastily organised on Thursday when I discovered that Polytoxic Loves You were putting on their new show The Rat Trap.

The brother-troupe for Polytoxic Loves You are ‘Briefs; all male, all vaudeville, all trash.’. I’ve been to see them twice now in Brisbane and its a show that I will happily see every time they come around because they’re juts so godsdamn entertaining. I knew Polytoxic Loves you - which is half the guys from Briefs with a couple of cool women thrown in - would be excellent so I persuaded a bunch of friends to coming along with me, telling them it was 'circus cabaret' and there we were on Saturday night.

This is the blurb for the show; 

Polytoxic invites you to The Rat Trap, a technicolour tiki bar where the doors are locked but the drinks are flowing. Curfew is lifted and the guest list includes the high flying King of Burlesque, a body adorned Samoan chief, a hot brown bitch, a fabulous femme fatale and a seven-foot Islander drag offender. Come witness the unholy union of these five mongrel cross-breeds as a soap-opera saga of epic proportions unfolds.

I can't do any better than that description. Fun, fabulous, circus cabaret, striptease and shameless overacting as the 5 performers ran amok in the closed studio. I can’t say anymore except we all had a wonderful night out and I now have another group of fiends who insist on being invited the next time either Briefs or Polytoxic Loves You are performing.

Photo courtesy of PolyToxic Loves You.

The Rat Trap is running at The Billie Brown Studio until 26 May. If you’re 30 and under tickets are only $30 and it’s a night out of genuine entertainment. Hell, it’s worth it just to see the crowned King of Burlesque do his stuff. Want to know what the hell that means? Go see the show!

Mark Winmill performing as part of Briefs.

Sunday

Sunday night was one of my first gigs of the year (shamefully slack). Frank Turner, William Elliott Whitmore and The Smith Street Band at The Zoo. I was going primarily for Frank Turner but Chuck got me onto the other acts in the lead up to last night’s show and I’d had Sigourney Weaver by The Smith Street Band in my head for a week!

I can’t write a gig review. I’m hoping Chuck will do that for me. It was a brilliant line up of local and international, the crowd was for the most part really into every set and the guys were all clearly having a brilliant time on the last night of their Australian Tour.

Frank Turner is such an enjoyable live musician. The fans at the front of the stage – of which I was one – single along to every word and he really plays for the crowd, putting on a fun show like he’s just really enjoying our company.  So we sang and yelled and I danced like a fool and bought CDs. Check out Frank Turner on his website or on YouTube.

Pulp Fiction as told by Shakespeare...

Sometimes, people are geniuses...

My week with the theatre

Between last Tuesday 28^th and this Monday 5^th I have spent 4 nights out at the theatre. I don’t know about you, but that’s a little above my weekly average. Two nights I went out with family and friends and two nights I took myself out, because I am excellent company. I can’t possible review everything I saw and anyway, they’ve (almost) all been reviewed by persons much more erudite than my poor self. So here is a recap:

Tuesday 28 Feb: My Week With Marilyn

I’ve been wanting to see this movie since the trailer was released, so I am thrilled I managed to do it. An impeccable cast, brilliant costumes and set. Michelle Williams puts on a stellar performance as Marilyn and though you are conscious that it is Michelle playing Marilyn rather than Marilyn, she produces an amazing emotional performance and you get to see every side of Marilyn – the star, the actress, the little girl lost, the seductress, all in a short 1.5 hours. Eddie Redemayne as Colin was delicious to look at as well, which didn’t hurt. 
 
The only issue I had was that I kept expecting ‘the week’ – for Marilyn and protagonist to disappear for a whole week – and it never happened. Only realised afterwards – oh, that was the week. That may not make sense now, but see the film and you’ll get it.

Friday 2 March: The Artist

Another film I’d been meaning to go and see. I thought I’d missed it as the showings at my local cinema reduced down to 2:30pm daily but thanks to the Oscars I got a second chance to make it. You’ve probably all heard of The Artist – a silent black and while film that won the most recent Best Picture award at the Oscars. The film centres around a big-time silent film star at the time of the introduction of talkies. It is brilliant. So well done. The actors have to walk that fine line between the ham-acting of the silent era and subtle but emotive acting of our own film era. It’s different from anything else you’re going to see so it’s a must. It would even be acceptable to my mother because there is no violence and of course, no swear words. Go see it.

Did I mention there is a dog?

Saturday 3 March: As You Like It by La Boite Theatre Company

Shakespeare can be difficult and over-done. La Boite, in their increasingly sexy and fabulous seasons have had much success with Shakespeare, most notably their version of Hamlet to kick off the 2011 season. The last time I enjoyed Shakespeare was a production of Shakespeare’s Shorts which was just hilarious.

Updating Shakespeare can be tricky. I remember a QTC (I think) production of Romeo and Juliet that was criticised for ‘modernising’ to have the actors using ipods and computers, mobile phones etc. The whole tragedy of Romeo and Juliet rests on mis-communication. If Romeo, Juliet and the Priest had had mobiles phones than all that tragic-death part could have been avoided.

La Boite updates As You Like It very cleverly, bringing in some modern costuming and culture - for example, the play opens with some UFC-style wrestling - to avoid falling into the trap of giving us a stuffy, histrionic version of Shakespeare.

Aside from the beautiful hair of the lead actor, what made this production a delight for me was the staging. Beautiful, imaginative, involved with the audience – an utter delight.
I must also say thank you and kudos to the wonderful staff at La Boite who gave me a replacement ticket when it was discovered that, for the first time in my life, I had booked a ticket on the wrong day. Not all theatres would have been so accommodating.

Image courtesy of La Boite Theatre Company Online Gallery.
 

Monday 5 March – The Brolly Follies

This might be the one and only review you read of this how because it was on for ONE NIGHT ONLY. So it doesn’t really matter what I think, either.

The Brolly Follies was a night of cabaret starring the actors and ensemble from Mary Poppins with all the proceeds going to the Starlight Foundation. It was an absolute delight to hear these professionals singers performer in a relaxed, casual environment songs that they themselves would have chosen . Songs as diverse as Summertime, Be Italian (from the movie Nine), Do You Remember (from the upcoming production of Peter Pan), Rolling in the Deep.

My stand out favourites were a Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons-style ‘Is you is or is you ain’t my baby’ by five bow-tied and brillo-creamed male members of the ensemble and another five piece song specially put together for the night. Five of the female actresses singing their woes at always being asked to sing alto. It is quite an education to hear well known classics sung below the melody.
A brilliant night and if it had been on again I would recommend everyone go to see it. I also mention it because the only reason I knew it was on was through the Judith Wright Centre’s twitter feed. 

Twitter has a use; who’d have known?