Reviews

Kooza

Music: Clarence Ford. Choreographer: Martin Labrecque. Writer/Director: David Shiner Cirque du Soleil under the Grand Chapiteau, Airport Drive, Brisbane. 24 Nov 2016 - 8 Jan, 2017.

As a concept, Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza offers a show that is more along traditional circus lines, no animals of course (but it does have a performer in a cute dog suit), plenty of thrills, edge-of-your-seat tension, and just enough European whimsy to make it a worthy addition to their worldwide franchise. Created in 2007 by ex-clown David Shriner, Kooza mixes familiar genre tropes; acrobats, contortionists, aerialists, with a spectacular set, non-stop music, showgirl-glitz costumes, and risqué clowning. All of which makes it perfect family entertainment.

Noises Off

By Michael Frayn. Canberra Repertory. Directed by Cate Clelland. Theatre 3, Acton, Canberra ACT. Nov 17 – Dec 3, 2016

Noises Off is an amusing farce in the best British tradition. Doors open, get jammed shut, or hide suspicious persons. Plates of sardines come and go, and come back again. And this farce revolves around a hoary old farce “Nothing On”, presented by a tired British repertory company. No number of exclamations of “Sweet!” “Dear” and “Darling” can make up for the errors that come about from repertory members falling in love, battling alcohol, and dealing with a broken heart.

Mack and Mabel

Book by Michael Stewart. Music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. Working Management. Hayes Theatre Co. November 18 – December 18, 2016.

Musical Theatre tragics and fans (myself included) have been in love with the Broadway Cast recording of Mack and Mabel for more than 40 years. Its lush traditional Broadway score by Jerry Herman (Hello, Dolly, Mame, La Cage Aux Folles) is arguably the best ever written for a Broadway Musical flop.

The plot revolves around the relationship between early comedy film director Mack Sennett (Bathing Beauties, Keystone Kops) and his star Mabel Normand, and movie making in Hollywood’s silent era.

Uncle Vanya

By Anton Chekhov. New Adaptation by Annie Baker. Directed by Nadia Tass. Red Stitch. Nov 15th-Dec 17th, 2016.

In many ways, one would expect Annie Baker to produce the perfect contemporary vision of Chekhov. Her much lauded play The Flick, so successfully directed by Tass a year or more ago, has the same sense of the humdrum, the ennui, of Chekhov. I am told that Baker’s script is hilarious on the page – and Chekhov always insisted he wrote comedies – but you wouldn’t know it from the Red Stitch production.

Caliban (Where do the spirits go when the water rises?)

Written by Georgia Symons, Achai Deng, Abraham Herasan, Piper Huynh, Natalie Lucic, Rexson Pelman, Yaw Dadzie, and Dave Kelman. Western Edge Youth Arts. The Becket – Malthouse. 24 – 26 November 2016

Caliban is pertinent worthwhile theatre presented by a great group of very skilled young people who do a marvelous job of getting a multi-layered message across to the audience.  Through using the framework of Shakespeare’s The Tempest they are able to utilize established characters and remodel them to serve the purpose of developing a story that correlates to our global warming crisis.

 

Animal

Created by Susie Dee, Kate Sherman and Nicci Wilks. Theatre Works – St Kilda. 17 to 27 November 2016

Susie Dee, Kate Sherman and Nicci Wilks, with the assistance of Angus Cerini, have had the courage to delve into the murky depths, and usually hidden experience, of the insidious damage of abuse.  Marvelously they have extracted a poignant poetic essence.  And with the help of an exemplary production team are sublimely communicating this to audiences.  

Next Fall

By Geoffrey Nauffts. Boyslikeme. Seymour Centre. Oct 26 – Nov 19, 2016.

Geoffrey Nauffts’ dramatic comedy Next Fall examines faith, unconditional love and commitment in the story of a gay relationship. Andy Leonard’s direction examines a modern romance with sensitivity, light humour and sentimentality. A committed cast explore the sensitivity of being gay, in a mismatched relationship that challenges beliefs and values. A deeply moving portrayal of friends, family, former and current lovers coming together in the aftermath of an accident.

Summer Rain

Book and lyrics by Nick Enright, music by Terence Clarke. New Theatre, Newtown, NSW. November 15 – December 17, 2016

Gentle little Aussie musical Summer Rain never ceases to delight and engage me, and an excellent ensemble cast, capably directed at New Theatre by Trent Kidd, has ensured a fourth marvelous theatrical journey to Turnaround Creek for me.

The Fall and Rise of Mr Scrooge

Book, Music & Lyrics: Sue Sewell. Based on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. New Farm Nash Theatre. Direction: Brenda Whit & Jonathan Collins. Musical Director: Stuart Crisp. Merthyr Road Uniting Church, New Farm, Qld. 19 Nov – 10 Dec 2016

Ebenezer Scrooge is one of the most famous characters in English literature. Created by Charles Dickens in 1843 for A Christmas Carol the story of the old miser who declares Christmas “humbug” has been a popular favourite on stage, screen and television.

Don't Dress for Dinner

By Marc Camoletti. Adelaide Repertory Theatre. The Arts Theatre. 17-26 November, 2016

Those who enjoyed Boeing-Boeing in Adelaide earlier this year should feel right at home with the Rep's production of Don't Dress for Dinner. There may be others who find playwright Camoletti's style to be a bit on the mouldy side these days, but some terrific performers - and a director who clearly knows the territory - do their utmost to dust it off and juice it up.

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