Reviews

Anthem

By Andrew Bovell, Patricia Cornelius, Melissa Reeves, Christos Tsiolkas & Irine Vela. Directed by Susie Dee. Melbourne International Arts Festival. Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse. 1-6 October, 2019.

Anthem is a finely tuned and beautifully calibrated theatre work that captures the anxieties that plague Australian society, partly driven by a disconcerting global context and its own struggles with multiculturalism. In many ways the play also shows how the population is still grappling with the remnants of the culture and history wars. The residual effects of the gradual rise of right wing and populist movements since the 1990s, which later produced inglorious events such as the Cronulla riots, are palpable in this play.

Hair

Book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado. Music by Galt MacDermot. David M Hawkins and Sydney Opera House. Directed by Cameron Menzies. Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House. October 3 – 6, 2019

You can imagine the shock of seeing Hair staged for the first time 50 years ago. All the rules of polite musical theatre themed, G-rated Rodgers and Hammerstein story lines were thrown out the window. In their place was a free-for-all rock-n-roll sex and drug fueled Vietnam War story.

Fleabag

Written & performed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. National Theatre Live. A Dry White, SoHo Theatre & Annapurna Theatre presentation. Cinema Nova and other participating cinemas from 11 October 2019

This is the Ur-Fleabag, where it all began in 2013, the one woman 80-minute stage show performed at the Edinburgh Fringe by the woman who wrote it.  That first production led to a string of awards and then to her much amplified television adaptation Fleabag Series I & II.  Plus her adaptation of the Villanelle novels by Luke Jennings that became Killing Eve Series I, plus a punch-up draft on the latest Bond movie and now a contract with Amazon for more.  This ex-RADA student, who didn’t like the roles she was being offered and so

Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities

Written and Directed by Michel Laprise. Cirque du Soleil. Big Top in The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park, Sydney. 3 October – 24 November 2019

This is the touring show first seen in Montreal, French Canada in 2014. Kurios had a major New York outing with sparkling reviews two years later, and now arrives in Sydney on the first stop of an Australian tour that includes Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. It’s in a huge Big Top setting that took 10 days to construct, with a line-up of top international acts – a must-see for all lovers of the Circus, which Cirque du Soliel has now fundamentally eclipsed, killed off.

Songs and Times of Sam Cooke - A Change is Gonna Come

Gary Pinto and The Champions of Soul. The Playhouse, Sydney Opera House. September 28 – Oct 2, 2019

They say music communicates deeper than words. You’ll remember a tune before a speech or a name. The name Sam Cooke may not be one you remember but his songs are legendary. He was a prolific writer during his short life (died in his 30s) and made an impact so big that even now, some 50 years later, his music is still widely selling. It’s the sound of a very specific era in American music. From the first slow dance hit “You send me” in 1957, Cooke had 28 singles in the American Top 40 and Billboard Pop Singles.

The Boy from Oz

Music and Lyrics by Peter Allen. Book by Nick Enright. Original Production by Ben Gannon and Robert Fox. Presented by Savoyards. Directed by Miranda Selwood. IPAC Theatre, 28 September – 12 October, 2019

This beloved musical has been delighting audiences since the late nineties with the life-story of Peter Allen. The show cleverly intertwines Allen’s most biographical songs into the tale of how a young man from rural New South Wales rose to international fame. It’s a fascinating journey through his determination, loves, losses and triumphs, whether you’re a fan of Allen or you’ve never heard a note of his catchy songs before.

Peter Pan

By J. M. Barrie. Stray Cats Theatre. Directed by Karen Francis. The Fishtrap Theatre, Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, WA. Sep 25-29, 2019

Stray Cats Theatre’s Peter Pan gave an adventurous kick off to the school holidays, with its short run filling the smaller theatre at Manpac.

A particularly dark incarnation of this classic story, there were a few small audience members for whom it was a bit too much, with the movement sequences being quite frightening. Having said that, I sought the expert opinion of four year old ‘Jasper’ who declared the whole production “very good”, with a sage nod.

Flashdance The Musical

Book by Tom Hedley & Robert Carey. Music by Robbie Roth. Lyrics by Robert Carey and Robbie Roth. Based on Paramount Pictures Film. Directed by David Harrison. PRIMA Productions Redcliffe. September 27 – October 8, 2019.

Basically this is the story of 18 year old Alex Owen who works as a steel mill welder by day and a flashdancer at Harry’s Bar by night. There she performs her own innovative routines whilst dreaming of being accepted into the prestigious Shipley Dance Academy. After many twists and turns with romance  as well as hopes and despair, Alex tries out after the encouragement of her mentor, Hannah. This evolves before our eyes through many settings, great dancing and singing.

Echoes of the Picture Palace

Nick Russoniello and The Golden Age Quartet. The Independent Theatre, North Sydney. September 29, 2019

Back in the early 1900s, the Independent Theatre at North Sydney was the Coliseum Picture Hall, screening the black and white silent movies of the era. What better setting to present Nick Russoniello’s tribute to the creative musicians who provided the atmosphere for the action on the silent screen? And who better to present it than Russoniello himself?

A Year With Frog and Toad

Music by Robert Reale. Book and Lyrics by Willie Reale, based on the books by Arnold Lobel. Mind the Change Inc. Directed by Althea Gordon. Mercy Place, Mandurah, WA. Sep 19-29, 2019

A Year With Frog and Toad was an initiative by Mind the Change Inc. This situational theatre project placed a production of A Year With Frog and Toad TYA Version, inside Mercy Place, an Aged Care Facility in Mandurah, WA. As well as rehearsing and performing in the venue, a key aspect of this production included working with the residents for many months, involving them not only in working on production aspects such as scenery painting, but forming the ensemble for the production.

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