Reviews

The maxim above the proscenium arch at the Goodwood Theatre (formerly the Mayfair Theatre) sums up Funk Soul Productions latest offering The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee perfectly. In Latin they are ‘Non Sibi, Sed Arti’ (or, ‘Not for self, but for art). This encapsulates Funk Soul’s work perfectly. They work as a true ensemble to produce high quality young adult theatre that can be enjoyed by both young and old.

Visitors to the Pleasure Garden, Fringe World’s biggest performance hub, may have noticed the unusual presence of a 1977 Mercedes Benz Bus, MTT 171. This bus, borrowed from the Bus Preservation Society, and the area around it, is home to one of Fringe World’s more unusual offerings. Speed, the Movie, the Play.

Melbourne’s Midsumma festival is now in full swing with great offerings such as Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens which gives life and voice to those lost and left behind in the wake of the AIDS crisis.  This new production revives Bill Russell’s free verse poetry and Janet Hood’s music, striking right to the heart of what it means to survive and be remembered.

Sydney is hosting some high-profile arts events as part of the Mardis Gras Festival – but God’s Cowboy has the bragging rights for most ambitious new Australian work.

How wonderful to see a well-resourced independent theatre production with so much excellent young talent on the stage and behind the scenes.

Producer/Agent Les Solomon has more energy than some people a third of his age. He often produces plays with a queer theme but in this case, he’s penned it himself.