Reviews

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).

Just Floyd

Adelaide Fringe Festival. Clovercrest Hotel. February 22nd, 2019

The ultimate Australian Pink Floyd tribute band, Just Floyd, have landed at this year’s Adelaide Fringe for a one night only performance at the Clovercrest Hotel. A large room housed the crowd and provided plenty of space for die-hard fans to mingle.

English rock band Pink Floyd formed in London back in 1965; fifteen studio albums later and they don’t look like hanging up their guitars. With an enormous fan-base, the demand to hear their songs live is always welcomed.

Lend Me A Tenor

By Ken Ludwig. Directed by June Tretheway. Mousetrap Theatre Redcliffe. February 22 – March 10, 2019.

This comedy, which at times borders on farce, is set in an elegant hotel suite in Cleveland, Ohio in 1934. Tito Merelli, a famous opera singer, is to arrive with his wife to perform in the city. Unfortunately, he is famous for other things and reliability is not one of them. We follow what happens over the next few hours from his arrival, finally, in Cleveland to just after the performance of the opera. A heck of a lot can happen in a short period of time.  In this play, nearly everything possible does hilariously happen.

Choir Boys

Adelaide Fringe 2019. Festival Statesmen Chorus. Tandanya Theatre. 16 - 24 Feb, 2019

Fringe favourites Festival Statesmen Chorus are back with a new juke-box musical Choir Boys, a show that is sure to please fans, old and new alike. It’s an hour-long toe-tapping, laugh-out -loud journey with the boys as they travel from Klemzig to Hobart to ‘The Grand Acapella Voices in Harmony Festival’.

Club Gotham: Villains of Vaudeville

Adelaide Fringe Festival 2019. Lion Arts Centre, Adelaide. Feb 22 to Mar 2, 2019

There is a real sisterhood amongst burlesque artists in Adelaide. They rally to support each other and certainly spur the audience on to almost fever pitch at times.

Club Gotham: Villains of Vaudeville brings together some of Adelaide’s finest burlesque performers under the guise of female crime fighters or villains.

The Professor

Adelaide Fringe 2019. Produced by Central Standard Theatre, presented by Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre (USA). Bakehouse Studio, 18 February to 2 March 2019.

The Professor (Bob Paisley) takes the dais and after a rambling welcome, fumbles through the introduction to his final lecture at the university. He starts precisely with math(s), performing the subject of theatre, moving quickly through dance, extolling the literature of Dickens and punctuating it with Mozart, Bach and one of his own musical compositions. He’s clearly a little unhinged, dipping a toe into the waters of his subjects, but just when you think he’s about to jump in, he switches topic, tempo and timbre.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

By Jack Thorne. Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany. Direction: John Tiffany. Movement Direction: Steven Hoggett. Set Design: Christine Jones. Costume design: Katrina Lindsay. Composer and arranger: Imogen Heap. Lighting Design: Neil Austin. Princess Theatre Melbourne from 23rd February, 2019.

In only its third  staging, following London and New York, the gargantuan show that is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has finally arrived in Melbourne in an extraordinary production which certainly lives up to the hype.

Viagara Falls - Sweeten Up!

By Janet Findlay and Alan Youngson. Directed by Alan Youngson. Presented by Studio 188 and Red Ticket Comedy Theatre. Studio 188, 23 February – 2 March, 2019

It was a jam-packed and enthusiastic crowd that attended the world premiere of Viagara Falls - Sweeten Up. There were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments in this bawdy, yet safe-for-nan farce. A few of the jokes in the locally-written script were definitely more relatable for Ipswich locals than out-of-towners. The narrative had recognisable and relatable characters. It was well-paced, with never a dull moment.

Spring Awakening

By Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik. Old Nick Co, Tasmania. The Peacock Theatre. Directors: Jack Lark and Finn Carter. Musical direction: Andrew Morrisby. Vocal Coach: Maria Lurighi Lighting: Jarred Claydon. Design: Chris Oakley. Costumes: Karen Fahey. February 21- March 2, 2019

Spring Awakeninghas all the disparate parts of a gawky adolescent. This enraged and piteous monster is stitched together from Frank Wedekind’s play of 1891 and with C21st folk-rock score. It is costumed for the C19th yet actors use hand microphones as props. Despite the anachronisms, this show still has something significant to communicate. Adults are still failing their children. What was once a failure to inform the young, continues to be a failure to protect. Childhood is frequently sacrificed to sexualised media and education still perpetuates the demands of the economy.

Gasworks Cabaret Project

Gasworks Arts Park, Albert Park. February 27 – March 2, 2019

The fabulous Dolly Diamond hosted the Gala Preview for the fantastic new cabaret festival that includes a bunch of versatile and talented people who will perform under various banners at the Gasworks Theatres between the 27th of February to the 2 of March.

A taste of things to come, what better way to start the show with a luscious rendition of “Love is In the Air” followed by “Que Sera Sera”. Our darling Dolly has us all singing along cheerily, as she introduces us to the marvelous performances, showcased for the up and coming Cabaret project.

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