Reviews

The Shifting Heart

By Richard Beynon. White Box Theatre. Seymour Centre (NSW). March 8 - 24, 2018.

Written in 1956, and first produced by The Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1957, this one of the first plays that explored the effect of racism and discrimination in Australia following the arrival of European refugees and migrants after the Second World War. So relevant was its message, that it was produced in the West End in London in 1959, was recorded as an ABC radio play in 1962, and was adapted for television by the ABC in 1968.  

Disney Mulan Jr.

Music adapted and arranged by Bryan Louiselle; additional music by Bryan Louiselle; additional lyrics by Patricia Cotter and Bryan Louiselle. Based on the 1998 Disney film 'Mulan' and the story 'Fa Mulan' by Robert D San Souci. Directed by Jayde Clark. Phoenix Theatre, Memorial Hall, Spearwood, WA. Mar 9-24, 2018

Phoenix Theatre have created what I believe is their best youth musical to date, with the feel-good show Mulan Jr. A beautiful looking junior production with a lot of heart.

A vibrant young cast of 25 keep busy all evening, with all but the two central characters playing multiple roles, with quick changes of Jayde Clark and Sarah Brooks bright costumes in abundance. The multi-level Chinese set (Jayde Clark and Daniel Muller) provides elegance and atmosphere.

Antony and Cleopatra

By William Shakespeare. Bell Shakespeare. Sydney Opera House. 3 March - 7 April, 2018.

Bell Shakespeare here repeats the familiar device of characters randomly lounging around the set before slipping out between the chairs and into some action.    

It aids the speedy scene changes of this play, which leaps between Rome and Egypt, but it’s repetitive and, in this production, drearily reductionist.  After her mafia hotel lounge for Richard III, designer Anna Cordingley here does retro, pastel chairs and ottomans, surrounded by transparent curtains (expressively) coloured by Benjamin Cisterne’s lights. 

The Great War

Presented by Hotel Modern & Arthur Sauer. Adelaide Festival. Dunstan Playhouse. 8-11 March, 2018.

Anyone who demands innovation when they enter a theatre should prioritise The Great War, brainchild of artists from The Netherlands. This is a show that truly seems to be developing a unique medium of theatrical communication, one that could be described as ‘live cinema’: events and actions are depicted on-stage in often-ingenious miniature form, while being photographed/transmitted in-the-moment, and in close-up, to a screen above the stage.

FLA.CO.MEN

Israel Galvan (Spain). Adelaide Festival 2018. Her Majesty's Theatre. 9-11 March, 2018

Flamenco is a dance form from Southern Spain, particularly Andalusia, Extremadura and Murcia. The oldest record of flamenco dates from 1774. Since then, it has evolved to become not only synonymous with Spain but also a popular international dance form. Flamenco has numerous elements, which includes cante (singing), toque (guitar), jaleo (vocalisations), palmas (hand-clapping), pitos (finger-snapping), and baile (dance).

The Book of Mormon

Book, Music and Lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. Lyric Theatre Sydney. Opening Night: March 9, 2018.

Praise the Lord, this is one hell of a musical. On opening night the cast was pitch perfect, milking forensically every joke, crisply placing every foot in the right place and nailing every note. 

Peter Goers is Hard Rubbish

Adelaide Fringe. The Arch at Holden Street Theatres. March 10 - 18, 2018

Peter Goers has had a career in entertainment spanning more than 40 years. From actor and director, to theatre critic, television presenter (briefly and not lucratively), followed by a long and happily ongoing career on radio.

He is a familiar face (and voice) throughout South Australia and clearly has a throng of adoring fans, with many regular listeners of his ABC Radio Show which is broadcast nightly across SA and Broken Hill.

Merrily We Roll Along

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by George Furth. Little Triangle. The Depot Theatre, Marrickville. March 7 - 24, 2018.

In 2017, Stage Whispers editor Neil Litchfield wrote of Little Triangle’s production of Sunday in the Park with George: “Little Triangle’s potential for presenting quality small-scale musical theatre on a shoe-string is one of the most exciting things to happen in Sydney’s indie Music Theatre scene.”

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Book by Rachel Sheinkin. Music and Lyrics by William Finn. Originally Conceived by Rebecca Feldman. Javeenbah Theatre Company, Nerang, Gold Coast. Director: Bradley Chapman. 9th March - 24th March 2018

Javeenbah Theatre Company’s production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is one of the hottest ticket in town.

The talented cast includes Flynn Anderson as Chip Tolentino, Sebastian Angliss-Li as William Barfee, Nicola Barrett as Logainne Schwartzandgrubbeniere, Chelsea Burton as Olive Ostrovsky, Nadine Chia as Marcy Park, Nic Van Litsenborgh as Leaf Coneybear with Sally Wood, Cameron Sarasola, Bradley Chapman, Micheal Ware and Olivia Chilvers French.

Can You Hear Colour?

Patch Theatre Company. Adelaide Festival. AC Arts Main Theatre. March 9-15th, 2018

“Can you hear colour?” Michaela Burger asks the rapt audience of Adelaide mums and dads accompanied by tots through to ten year olds, who are all eager for the show to begin. And, with a little help from Girl, engagingly portrayed by Burger, along with some very clever technical effects and a magic tree (that cleverly hides lots of clever and talented magic ‘helpers’), we can hear colour, see colour and even taste colour. It is Burger’s role that cleverly links and drives the whole story.

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