Reviews

The Contrabandista / Cavalleria Rusticana

By Burnard and Sullivan / Pietro Mascagni. Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Victoria. Director: Adrian Glaubert. Musical Director: Timothy Wilson. Venue: Knox Community Arts Centre. July 16 – 19, 2015

I wasn’t sure what to expect, with The Gilbert and Sullivan Society performing, in a smaller auditorium in outer suburban Melbourne, a work I’d never heard of and a verismo opera well outside their usual fare with a keyboard and string quartet. It was surprisingly good.

The Contrabandista is a farce by Burnard and Sullivan, who wrote Cox and Box. It was not an undiscovered masterpiece, but under the expert direction of Adrian Glaubert, highly entertaining. This was mainly to do with the strength of the performers.

The Marriage of Figaro

By Mozart. West Australian Opera. Directed by Neil Armfield. His Majesty's Theatre, Perth WA. 14-25 July, 2015

The West Australian Opera's The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart, is a lavish gorgeously presented, gloriously sung production that is also really funny and a delight to watch.

This Neil Armfield directed production, teams elaborate, attractive period costuming with comparatively simple settings, using draped fabric, both designed by Dale Ferguson. There is also scattered use of deliberately anachronistic props — a nice touch of theatrical whimsy.

Hamlet

By William Shakespeare. Directed by Damien Ryan. Bell Shakespeare. Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne. July 14th – 25th, 2015 and touring.

Bell Shakespeare always endeavours to bring us something we have not thought of before – an “angle”, if you will, or an exploration of the text which turns a light bulb on in our head. Fortunately we are all blessed with the vision of Damien Ryan, the director who gave us a “certain-to-become-a-modern-classic” Henry V. His Hamlet doesn’t quite climb to that high pinnacle, but his ability to take the separate story strands and meld them into a seamless linear narrative cannot be over-estimated.

Larry Paradiseo and the Fabulous Dame Farrar

Written and performed by Carita Farrer. Judith Wright Centre, Brisbane. 15 – 18 July 2015.

They say there is nothing like a Dame, and there is certainly no one else quite like The Fabulous Dame Farrar who returned to the Brisbane stage last night, fresh from a stint at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. One part Judy Garland, one part Shirley Bassey - two parts drunk!

There is also nothing subtle about this hilarious cabaret diva as she miraculously sings her way through such classics as Peggy Lee’s Fever and Frank Sinatra’s My Way, all while desperately trying to hold it together on stage.

Keating! The Musical

Music and lyrics by Casey Bennetto. Birdie Productions. Bryan Brown Theatre, Bankstown. July 15 – 19, 2015

Some of the older Bankstown ‘true believers’ in the audience may have been just a little critical of the raunchy depiction of Hewson and Keating in On The Floor/I Wanna Do You Slowly but the younger members of the audience loved it  … even though some of them must have been preschoolers at the time. The fact is that, as well as being true to its political satire, Birdie Productions and its creative team and cast have given the musical the ‘oomph’ it needs to take it beyond its political punch.

Ghost Stories

By Andy Hyman and Jeremy Dyson. Prince Moo Productions. Sydney Opera House. July 13 - August 15, 2015.

Theatre has a wonderful capacity to transport you to another world. In the case of Ghost Stories that world is London’s West End. Outside the weather was icy cold, the scenes inside were often dark and foggy, the drama had a few very British frights and a few British laughs.

Leaving the production I was almost surprised to see the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I half expected to spot a double decker bus and a bobby.

Ballet Revoluciòn

Producer and Artistic Director: Mark Brady. Choreographed by Australian Aaron Cash and Roclan Gonzalez Chavez. Musical Director: Osmar Salazar Hernandez. Brisbane Concert Hall. On tour throughout Australia 22/6/15 to 31/7/15

Cuban culture was back in Brisbane this last week as part of Ballet Revolucion's national tour, this time with a team of 19 trained dancers from the Escuela Nacional de Arte modern dance facility and Escuela Nacional de Ballet in Havana. This was a showcase of their local talent and incorporates a selection of choreographic works inspired by a mix of Afro Cuban dance traditions, street dance, classical ballet technique and set to an eight-piece live band playing Latin American/R&B/hip-hop/the hits of Sia, Bruno Mars, Beyoncé, Jessie J, Rihanna, J LO/ .....

Head Full of Love

By Alana Valentine. Directed by Wesley Enoch. Queensland Theatre Company / Performing Lines. The Street Theatre, Canberra 3-4 July 2015 and touring regional Australia through 2015.

This play is a warm hug on a chilly winter’s night. With a backdrop of the wonderfully idiosyncratic Alice Springs Beanie Festival, Head Full of Love is about the unlikely friendship between a traditional Aboriginal woman living with renal failure in the absolute poverty of an Alice Springs town camp, and an older white woman running away from Sydney and her family.

Bugsy Malone

By Paul Williams and Alan Parker. Directed by Jodie Innes, Musical Direction by Krispin Maesalu. Phoenix Theatre, Memorial Hall, Spearwood, WA. 11-18 July 2015

Bugsy Malone, presented by Phoenix Theatre, is perfectly timed to coincide with school holidays and would make a great holiday treat for families. It features an enthusiastic cast of kids whose joy of performing is contagious.

Shining in the title role is Connor Gosatti who has the skills to carry a show, a perfect Bronx accent and more charm than a young Scott Baio.

Ashley Garner, a little slim for Fat Sam, handles the gangster role beautifully and is a standout performer.

Gruesome Playground Injuries

By Rajiv Joseph. Playlovers. Directed by Kristen Twynam-Perkins. Hackett Hall, Floreat, WA. 10- 25 July 2015

Playlovers' Gruesome Playground Injuries is billed as "an unsentimental non-linear anti romance" by Rajiv Joseph. This shortish two-hander is beautifully presented and makes an entertaining evening.

Director Kristen Twynam-Perkins takes a Brechtian approach to the production, and between scenes we watch as the actors transform their characters with changes of ages, emotional state and in the case of the character Doug, creating a variety of bizaare injuries. The characters appear at various ages between 8 and 38.

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