Reviews

Flake

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.

Heathers – the Musical

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.

Florescence

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.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

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.

A Little Night Music

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.

Rock Hudson: All That Heaven 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.

Hour of the Wolf

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.

Cyprus Avenue

By David Ireland. Red Phoenix Theatre. Holden Street Theatres, Adelaide. 19-28 October 2023

Our knowledge of ‘The Troubles’ in Northern Ireland might be reduced to a few gable-end murals and U2 singing ‘Sunday, Bloody Sunday’, but there is a deep and dark history that evolved the institutionalised hatred from Unionists to Republicans and vice versa. Fortunately for the audience at Red Phoenix’s production of David Ireland’s play, there are explanatory notes on the history and terminology.

Leather Lungs: Happy Ending

Created and performed by Leather Lungs (Jason Chasland). Festival Hub: Trades Hall – Common Rooms. Cnr Lygon and Victoria Sts. Carlton. 12 - 15 October, 2023

Leather Lungs’ voice begins the show and it is truly impressive. So is the energy Leather Lungs brings to the stage. There are lots of salacious quips and adult smut mixed in with painful sharing of their relationship journey. There’s plenty to laugh about in the descriptions of the fumbling relationships with a dentist, and a person from Australia’s most wanted list but then the mood turns serious when the coercive and controlling narcissist arrives. Leather Lungs gives tribute to their family and the help others gave to help them through this difficult situation.

The Visitors

Composed by Christopher Sainsbury, libretto by Jane Harrison. Conducted by Phoebe Briggs. Presented by Victorian Opera. Arts Centre Playhouse, 100 St Kilda Rd, Southbank. 18-21 October

The Visitors is based on a fascinating premise. How did Indigenous people contemplate the arrival of colonisers on January 26 1788? Exploring this historical event from an Indigenous perspective challenges the traditional nation founding narratives surrounding the first fleet. The structures in place for the Indigenous community are portrayed in a manner that mirrors Western hierarchies. The council of elders who represent their people and voice their opinions and concerns is not unlike the processes found in democratic systems.

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