Reviews

A Flowering Tree

Opera by John Adams. Libretto: John Adams and Peter Sellars. Based on a South Indian folktale and poems translated by A.K. Ramanujan. Opera Queensland and Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Natalie Murray Beale. Director: Patrick Nolan. Concert Hall, QPAC. 2-6 April 2019

Opera Queensland’s new artistic director Patrick Nolan brings his Helpmann award-winning production of American John Adams’ A Flowering Tree to Brisbane. His Australian premiere staging of the work was for the Perth Festival in 2009. It’s not the first time Brisbane has seen a work by Adams, Opera Q having previously produced his Nixon in China as a co-production with the Brisbane Festival in 2009.

Overiacting: A Period Drama

By Jamie Boiskin. Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The Butterfly Club, Melbournne. April 1 – 7, 2019.

This is a feisty and entertaining comedy/cabaret show on the ‘sensitive’ subject of menstruation, currently on at the Butterfly Club, as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Overiacting: A Period Drama is an engaging and noteworthy show written and performed by songstress Jamie Boiskin, who has created a hilarious and insightful hour of in your face material, that points the finger at the ever-present and on-going twenty-first century international menstruation taboo.

Sweaty Pits’ Pity Party

Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Globe Alley. 26 March to 7 April 2019

Canberra comedy duo Frankie McNair and Miriam Slater, aka Sweaty Pits, bring their Pity Party to Melbourne for the comedy festival.

They perform several sketches from relatably frustrated mothers trying to live up to impossible beauty standards, while sporting fabulously gaudy pink and blue ‘80s active wear with matching eye shadow, to misguided lads trying to attract female attention. They also rip out some hilariously ridiculous pieces including sexual lemons and dancing dinosaurs in shiny leotards. Each costume change brings a new surprise!

Power and Paradise

Woollahra Philharmonic Orchestra. St Columba Uniting Church. Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 March, 2019.

Woollahra Philharmonic Orchestra’s mission is to “bring musical enrichment to the community, providing a professional attitude towards innovative and enjoyable concerts”.

Quite ambitious? Maybe, but the orchestra, established in 1996 by local amateur musicians with the support of the local council, has grown in strength and stature until today it boasts fifty regular members “from all walks of life, of all ages, and includes amateurs, students and professional musicians”.

Possum Magic

Based on the book by Mem Fox and Julie Vivas, adapted by Eva Di Cesare and Sandra Eldridge. monkey baa theatre company. Touring nationally – link for dates at end of review.

Monkey Baa has a dedicated commitment to introducing kids to good theatre by bringing the Australian books they love authentically to stage. It continues that commitment with this delightful interpretation of Mem Fox and Julie Vivas’ treasured story about faith and identity.

Glittergrass

Fringe Wives Club. Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Beckett Theatre, Malthouse. Mar 28 – Apr 21, 2019

A feminist, mind-bending hootenanny rocks the Malthouse at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The magisterially talented and zany Fringe Wives Club are back to entertain and enlighten us, as we shake our booties to the ground with their fabulous new show Glittergrass.

The Complete History of Comedy (abridged).

By Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor. Brisbane Arts Theatre. Directed by Lake Desumma and Braydon Mengel. March 30 - April 27, 2019.

The interesting concept of the play was, as the name implied, a journey through history looking at how our style of comedy evolved from the Ancient Greeks, such as Plato, to what it is today. Obviously, it had to be abridged for such a long period of time but references were made to many of our present day news attracting people – mainly politicians. I am sure that many of the references to famous, or infamous, people of the past lost some effect as they were not known to many.

The Good, The Bad and The Elderly

By Tanya Losanno. Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Shell Room, Malthouse Theatre. Mar 28 – Apr 21, 2019.

The Good, The Bad and The Elderly is a quaint and heart-warming comical  personal journey by Tanya Losanno; a twice Moosehead recipient, she performs at this years Melbourne Comedy Festival. The show explores identity, diaspora and caring for elderly parents, all to the tune of Ennio Morricone - the Italian composer famous for his movie soundtracks.

The Sound of Musicals

Conceived and Directed by Shane Caddaye. Gold Coast Little Theatre, Southport. 29th March – 14th April, 2019

GCLT have a winner with their second show of the year. The Sound Of Musicals covers the 60 years that the theatre has been presenting musicals as part of its Playbill and this production covers approximately 40 songs from some of their 35 musicals in a concert format.

Shane Caddaye narrates and leads a cast of 5 ladies and 2 other men in this nostalgic trip down “musical memory lane”.

The artists are Michelle Cook, Steffanie Kriz, Naomi Mole, Elizabeth Johnson, Ali Wilby with Brad Kendrick and George Pulley, in addition to Shane.

Steel Magnolias

By Robert Harling. Directed by Lea McCall. The Link Theatre, Northam, WA. March 29 - Apr 7, 2019

Chinquapin, the setting of Steel Magnolias, is a fictional country town, based on Natchitoches, Louisiana, a town of 18 thousand people, known for its lovely river, hospitality and relaxed lifestyle. Northam, WA is only a third the size, but could be described in a very similar way, and is an excellent setting for this well-known Robert Harling play.

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