Reviews

Cock

By Mike Bartlett. Boyslikeme Productions. Holden Street Theatres, SA. 30 November – 10 December 2022

‘To be or not to be, that is the question’ – Hamlet’s famous speech about choice, action/in-action, conscience, and mortality in many ways encapsulates Mike Bartlett’s Cock. Described as a modern ‘metrosexual play’, Cock premiered at London’s Royal Court Theatre in 2009, and subsequently has been performed in many parts of the world including New York, Vancouver, and Sydney. It has always attracted a fair bit of controversy, starting with the original poster being banned by London Transport.

The Merry Wives of Windsor

By William Shakespeare. Directed by Emma Austin & Kate Weston. Melbourne Shakespeare Company. The Rose Garden, St Kilda Botanical Gardens. 2 – 24 December 2022.

Melbourne Shakespeare Company has distinguished itself as an ensemble that produces lively and engaging versions of Shakespeare’s plays. Each production continues to consolidate the qualities that define them as an organisation. They are determined to produce environmentally friendly and sustainable theatre. This is clearly evident in their very inventive and pragmatic use of props and costumes. The production design shows a great deal of thought and imagination in bringing both characters and setting to life. 

The Nutcracker

Choreographed by Ben Stevenson, Queensland Ballet, Playhouse, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), Brisbane, 2 to 23 December 2022

At Queensland Ballet’s newly renovated Thomas Dixon Centre, the work of the wardrobe department is gloriously on show through glass walls. On a recent visit to the centre, I noticed the magic elves at work on horses and mice costumes and there was a sense of excitement in the air – The Nutcracker was coming!

In Bed With the Bishops

By Rob Selzer. Directed by Karen Woodcock. KADS Town Hall Theatre, Kalamunda, WA. Nov 18 - Dec 10, 2022

In Bed With the Bishops is a relatively new Australian comedy that is gaining audience approval at KADS Theatre Kalamunda. The story of a psychiatrist dealing with a couple trying to conceive, it is a slightly naughty little tale, written by Melbourne based psychiatrist come playwright Rob Selzer.

A Simple Act of Kindness

By Ross Mueller. Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre presents an INK World Premiere. Red Stitch, East St Kilda. 23 November - 18 December 2022

A Simple Act of Kindness is a comedy about ‘getting into the property market’ - or what used to be called for most folks, ‘buying your own home.’  In other words, it’s a play about money - having it, losing it, lying about it, and the corrosive effect it can have on relationships and even one’s sanity.

The No Bang Theory

Written and performed by Oliver Hetherington-Page. PIP Theatre, Brisbane. 1 to 2 November 2022

What do you do when you’re a young, gifted musical theatre fan who has been diagnosed as neurodiverse, you are seeking a girlfriend, and searching for suitable role models along the way? Well, if you are Oliver Hetherington-Page, you write a cabaret about your experiences in your 24-year-old life so far and you sing about it, loud and proud.

There Goes the Bride

By John Chapman and Ray Cooney. Darlington Theatre Players. Directed by Neroli Sweetman. Marloo Theatre, Greenmount, WA. Nov 19 - Dec 3, 2022

Darlington Theatre Players’ production of There Goes the Bride is in its final days, and fans of a good British comedy would be well advised to grab a last-minute ticket to this beautifully presented, precisely acted and well directed production.

La Traviata

By Guiseppe Verdi. The Met’s Live and HD Series. In select Australian Cinemas. From December 17, 2022

Following on their success with Medea, the Metropolitan present one the world’s most cherished operas, La Traviata, in a fresh production for the cinema that sparkles and glitters while still giving us the drama we expect.

Mosquito

By Ella Randle. Sunburnt Productions. Directed by Keely Maloney. Hayman Theatre, Curtin University, Bentley, WA. Nov 24-30, 2022

Mosquito is an original play, produced by Sunburnt Productions and the Hayman Theatre. The story of a group of young people before and after the disappearance of friend and housemate, Kate, it is split into two timelines and these intersect and smash into each other as the friends deal with their friend’s disappearance.

The Dazzle

By Richard Greenberg. Corvus Arts Theatre. Director Jane Angharad. Meraki Arts Bar Darlinghurst. 17 November – 3 December, 2022

“Post Covid” Sydney is seeing some new, interesting and innovative arts venues. Meraki Arts Bar on busy Oxford Street is one of them. True to its name, it’s all about the arts. There’s an exhibition of art works on the ground floor, music on the first floor, and Corvus Arts production of The Dazzle tucked on the second floor. Every floor has its own bar, the décor is charming, and the pies and chips they offer are very ‘select’!

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