Reviews

‘Move over Wentworth,’ says the publicity blurb for this production of Hilary Beaton’s play (published 1984) about seven women locked up in a gaol.  In fact, television series Wentworth is a ‘re-imagining’ of the Australian television series Prisoner, which debuted in 1979 and ran for 692 episodes till 1986.  Ms Beaton’s characters are not a copy of the television show, but given similar themes – shifting power relations, strategic alliances, injustice, dominance and dependence, frustration and boredom, the need for sex,

Impersonal Space is a completely new work by South Australian playwright Emily Steel and is produced by Tutti Arts and Company AT (Autistic Theatre).

It is a triumph on numerous levels. Firstly, it exemplifies the powerful healing possibilities that are inherent in the theatre, for all participants, audience and actors. In this case all the actors are those with a particular autism – and they are all marvelous.

Chess the musical is not unlike the game it depicts - deceptively and demandingly complex. The music is difficult, the movement requires focused and adroit choreography and its performers need both the acting and vocal chops to do its tension fuelled scenes and songs justice. A lot can go wrong in this production,and it can be hard to find the people needed to get it right. OSMaD found them, and have presented what is a powerful and consistently interesting production of a very challenging piece.

Australian audiences have had a love affair with Russian dance companies ever since Michael Edgley and Andrew Guild began touring them to Australia in the 1960’s. It’s this love of Russian dance that permeates the whole performance of the Festival of Imperial Russian Ballet, a pop-pourri of popular pieces from the classical repertoire.