Reviews

Un Poyo Rojo

Adelaide Festival 2019. AC Arts – Main Theatre. February 28 – March 5, 2019.

Astounding, athletic, hysterically funny, sexy – there are not enough superlatives to describe Un Poyo Rojo!

An indefinable genre, this piece flows from acrobatics, to athleticism, to dance, to comedy and lastly to romance.

Set in a locker room, two athletes meet. Macho and full of pheromones, initially they seem to be at odds and compete to see who can outdo the other. In brief shorts and tank tops they skilfully combine movement with sound. At times their bodies seem to be made of rubber.

Downtown

Created by Phillip George, David Lowenstein and Peter Charles Morris. Directed by Jean Bowra. Redcliffe Musical Theatre . February 22 – February 24, 2019

Ah, the pop songs of the sixties. This music was the essence of Downtown and the memories came flashing back. The songs ranged from “London Swings” through “Don’t Sleep in the Subway” and “Georgy Girl” through to                             “Downtown”.

Nirvana – Nevermind the Singer

Adelaide Fringe 2019. Great White Productions. Crown and Anchor Hotel. February 23rd, 2019

The band Nirvana formed in 1987 in the small town of Aberdeen, in a socio-economically challenged area of Washington. Founded by the late Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselicand later joined by Dave Grohl, they went on to achieve enormous success in what was dubbed the Seattle Grunge scene.

Nirvana’s best-selling album “Nevermind” has sold in excess of 80 million copies. The band took on a cult status among fans after the death of lead-singer Kurt Cobain in 1994.

Doubt: A Parable

Adelaide Fringe 2019. starheART theatre. Nexus Arts Theatre. 22, 23, 27 February, 7 March, 2019

John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt: A Parable won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play. This taut 90 minute drama is about the danger of gossip and rumour, particularly pertinent for this age of ‘trial by social media’.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Ballet by Christopher Wheeldon. Music: Joby Talbot. Scenario: Nicholas Wright. Set & Costume Design: Bob Crowley. Australian Ballet. Queensland Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Simon Thew. Lyric Theatre, QPAC. 25 February – 2 March, 2019

Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland comes to Brisbane loaded with accolades including a Helpmann Best New Ballet Award in 2018. Created as a co-production for the Royal Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada in 2011, Alice has since successfully plunged down the rabbit-hole in various ballet companies around the world.

Married at First Fight

Adelaide Fringe 2019. Maxim’s Wine Bar. 12 February - 16 March, 2019

Matt Byrne has been bringing his self-written and directed pieces to Maxim’s Wine Bar during the Fringe for 22 years. This year his offering is a piece that “takes marriage right up the aisle”.  Married at First Fight is a spoof of a well-known and in my opinion asinine reality television show – no prizes for guessing which one.

2 Radio Plays

Based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. Directed by Hazel Mepham. New Farm Nash Theatre (Qld). February 22 – March 16, 2019

AM frequency was the dominant frequency radio through what was considered the Golden Age of Radio during the 1920’s to the end of the 1940’s, when television started to become dominant. Instead of listening, people wanted to watch. These two radio plays take us back to the past and it was an interesting journey to take. The Adventure of the Irregular Client by Conan Doyle centres on the detective work of Sherlock Holmes and his off-sider Dr Watson in crime solving, while the second play, The ABC Murders, is typically a Christie, with a convoluted plot.

Confessions of an Aerobics Instructor

Adelaide Fringe 2019. Tandanya Arts Café. 20 Feb - 3 Mar, 2019.

Joana Simmons is Joy, the career Group Fitness Instructor, here to lift the lid on the inside story of the fitness industry. This is a high-energy, protein-fuelled 45 minutes of cardio, clowning and confessions. If you’ve ever been to a group fitness class and wondered about what goes on behind the scenes, this is the show for you. Anyone who has worked as a Group Fitness Instructor will identify with Joy and her “confessions” all too readily.

Gods Cowboys Ride Again

Petersham Bowling Club - 77 Brighton Street, Petersham. Saturdays Feb 23 & Mar 2, 2019 at 7:00pm

Gods Cowboys have arisen! And what a resurrection! After 22 years of wandering in the wildernesses of the Emerald City, the Messiah-istic messengers, Billy (John Knowles), Slim (George Catsi) and Buck (David Delves) have brushed off their stetsons, re-mounted their trusty steeds and ridden forth to consecrate the sanctum of The Petersham Bowling Club to re-enlighten the world.

I’m Not Running

By David Hare. Directed by Neil Armfield. National Theatre Live. Cinema Nova, Lygon Street Carlton and cinemas nationally. From 2 March 2019.

Pauline Gibson (Siân Brooke) turns her attention from medicine to politics after a campaign to save her local hospital in Corby. When she contemplates running for Labour leadership (as a former independent outsider) the play explores the life events that motivate her decision. This is achieved through flashbacks capturing various moments with important figures in her life such as her old boyfriend, Jack Gould (Alex Hassell), who is a Labour stalwart loyalist and her political rival, and her fractious mother, Blaise Gibson (Liza Sadovy).

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