Reviews

A day in the life of three very different ‘single’ women, each with their own problems, who together search for a pug called Puckle. 

The play was developed through Red Stitch’s INK program and was meant to premiere early last year.  Finally, it’s here, and the opening night audience applauded the mere fact that there we were, about to see a live performance again.

Lily Fish is a mime, a clown, a bit of a contortionist, a bit of a dancer and a creator of objects, spaces, and beings both animal and human using only her hands, mobile face and India rubber body.  There are also squawks, barks and a weird strangled but ingratiating voice that provides a break-the-fourth-wall running commentary. 

Compound is a Post-Covid, Post-Apocalyptic drama set in a compound in central Australia. Presented by The Actors’ Hub as part of their 4x4x4 Season for Fringe World (four plays over four nights over four weeks - presented in repertory). 

Couples Gary and Maisey, and Jacob and Marisha are thrown into turmoil when Gary illegally rescues Juanita, a woman from outside the wall and hides her from authorities. Gradually it emerges that while Covid was a catalyst for the breakdown of social structures outside the wall, life inside the compound is not a utopia.

Most writers agree with the mantra: the best way to learn how to write is to just write! But what if you want to be a playwright? There’s only so much you can accomplish without hearing actors read your lines, and only so much you can discover about the production process without the reality of a looming opening night deadline followed by an audience’s reaction. Rising has been developed as an emerging female playwrights commission by Playlab Theatre, a group that develops new Australian theatre with playwrights at the heart of the creative process.