Reviews

Krapp’s Last Tape

By Samuel Beckett. Directed by Laurence Strangio. At fortyfivedownstairs. 31 October – 11 November 2018

Krapp (Max Gillies) sits alone behind a desk under a harsh downlight.  Outside that circle of light, the adaptable but suddenly vast fortyfivedownstairs space recedes into gloom and then black.  When Mr Gillies leaves the light, he disappears, and his presence is indicated by the sounds of whatever he is doing out there in the darkness.  Does he not want us to know what he does out there?  No.  That is a choice Krapp has made – to keep things separate while he excoriates himself.

Nassim

By Nassim Soleimanpour (Iran). OzAsia Festival (SA). AC Arts Main Theatre. 1-3 November 2018

Nassim Soleimanpour is originally from Iran and is internationally regarded as one of the most exciting and innovative playwrights of modern world theatre. His best-known work, White Rabbit, Red Rabbit has won numerous awards, and was written to ‘travel the world when he couldn’t’. Such issues of displacement and isolation come into play with this current work, titled Nassim, with which he is touring around the world. It is now playing in Adelaide at the OzAsia Festival.

Here is the Message You Asked For…Don’t Tell Anyone Else

Cyber Theatre Project. OzAsia Festival (SA). Space Theatre. November 1st-3rd, 2018

Beijing’s leading figure in the fringe theatre scene, Sun Xiaoxing, formed Cyber Theatre Project in 2016. Bringing his latest creation to Adelaide for the OzAsia Festival, he has combined theatre and the world’s obsession with the digital age.

This production is a voyeuristic adventure that focuses on a group of millennial girls and their daily addiction to the application We Chat and social media.

Jesus Christ Superstar

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Lyrics by Tim Rice. Platinum Entertainment. Directed by Trevor Patient. Musical Direction by Frank La Cava. Quarry Amphitheatre, City Beach, WA. Oct 31 - Nov 4, 2018

Platinum Entertainment’s Jesus Christ Superstar is set at the Superstar Music Festival, which features the headline acts, Jesus, Judas and Simon Peter. Set in the present day with the set and props including mobile phones, social media references and uber eats, the extended metaphor continues throughout the show without messing with the original script, as the priests become the executives at Priest Records, Pilate is a festival producer and Herod a talent agent. It is a fresh interpretation which adds extra interest for those familiar with the production.

Neon Tiger

By Julia-Rose Lewis. Music Composed by Gillian Cosgriff. Co-Created by Julia-Rose Lewis, Gillian Cosgriff and Kat Henry. Directed by Kat Henry. Presented by La Boite Theatre in association with Brisbane Powerhouse. Theatre, 27 October – 17 November, 2018

Brisbane theatre creatives are kicking some impressive goals this year and the trend continues with Neon Tiger. This relatable romantic comedy is packed with great songs, witty dialogue and thought-provoking messages. It’s a two-hander, beautifully performed by Lisa Hanley (The Leftovers -- HBO) and Courtney Stewart (Single Asian Female -- La Boite and Belvoir).

While I Was Waiting

OzAsia Festival. Dunstan Playhouse. 30th and 31st October 2018.

Performed in Arabic, with English surtitles, the Australian premiere of While I Was Waiting is a unique opportunity to gain insight into the very real lives of families caught up in the current Syrian turmoil. Syrian playwright Mohammad Al Attar and director Omar Abusaada powerfully humanise a political situation, giving the audience the chance to interact with the trauma that besets families, by being invited into their living, loving and grieving.

Salt

By Eko Supriyanto. OzAsia Festival 2018. Odeon Theatre. October 30-31, 2018

Salt is a mesmerising solo dance performance by leading Indonesian choreographer Eko Supriyanto. His fascinatingly different choreography is accompanied by music by Dimawan Krisnowo Adji- a blend of traditional gamelan and synthesised music. This music, which at times was disturbingly staccato and jarring, was integrated perfectly by Supriyanto to create a sense of unease and rapt attention by the audience.

Baling

Five Arts Centre (Malaysia). Oz-Asia Festival. Nexus Arts, Lion Arts Centre, Adelaide. 31 October -2 November, 2018

This unusual and informative work of political theatre from Malaysia’s Five Arts Centre is about differing interpretations of history, events and people. It focuses on an important political meeting in Malaysia in December 1955 known as the ‘Baling Talks’, and in particular Chin Peng, the enigmatic leader of the outlawed Malaysian Communist Party.

Orphée / Iphigénie

By Christoph Willibald Gluck. BK Opera. Director: Kate Millett. Musical Director: James Penn. Studio 1 Northcote Town Hall (Vic). October 31 – November 4, 2018

As one of the few amateur opera companies in Melbourne, BK Opera is also one of the busiest, their latest offering being less than two months after the previous one.

Calendar Girls

By Tim Firth. Hobart Repertory Theatre Society. Directed by Nicholas Lahey. The Playhouse. October 26-November 10 2018

Calendar Girls takes place within the timeframe of the gestation of a sunflower. As John observes: The flowers of Yorkshire are like the women of Yorkshire. Every stage of their growth has its own beauty, but the last phase is always the most glorious. Then very quickly they all go to seed.

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