Reviews

Sleuth

By Anthony Shaffer. Ipswich Little Theatre. Director: Les Chappell. Incinerator Theatre, Ipswich. 19 September – 6 October, 2018

Sleuth premiered in London in 1970, running 2,359 performances and 1,222 on Broadway. Since then Anthony Shaffer’s ingenious two-handed cat-and-mouse thriller has been produced by every almost theatre company around the world and has long been a favourite on the community theatre circuit.

Ruby’s Wish

By Holly Austin, Adriano Cappelletta and Jo Turner. Directed by Jo Turner. Studio Underground, State Theatre Centre of WA. 1-12 October, 2018

Parents who accompany their children to Ruby’s Wish, playing as part of the Awesome Festival, are in for a treat. In a festival aimed at children, this truly is a wonderful experience for all ages, and if you can tear your eyes away from the stage for a moment you will notice that the grown-ups, even jaded critic types, are just as engaged as the children.

The Man With the Iron Neck

By Ursula Yovich (original concept by Joshua Bond). Legs on the Wall Production. Brisbane Festival. Brisbane Powerhouse. 26-29 September, 2018

It is a sad truth that indigenous people are twice as likely to commit suicide than other Australians. The reasons are many and complicated. And, in a world premier for the Brisbane Festival, The Man With the Iron Neck wrangles this difficult subject matter like a three-ring circus. It deals simultaneously with the haunting impact of colonisation, Aussie masculinity and racism in sport, and how young people deal with disturbing ripples in their family’s history.

Ascent

By Jayde Kirchert. Citizen Theatre. Melbourne Fringe. Theatre Works. September 28 – 30, 2018.

Ascent is an amazing experimental fusion of sight and sound!

The story revolves around a woman who is having a serious body image crisis and a chorus of mocking and witty assistants who rally around her. Along with her exquisite team of creatives, writer and director Jayde Kirchert has developed a beautifully choreographed and composed piece of animated theatre.

Horror

Devised and Directed by Jakop Ahlbom. Presented by Datacom and Brisbane Festival. Playhouse Theatre QPAC, 26 – 29 September, 2018

Here’s the perfect show for audiences looking for something unique from their theatre experiences. Horror takes you on a dark and visceral journey through the myriad tropes of horror films in a manner that’s sure to astound. It’s set in a spooky house where we see a young woman and her friends arrive on a rainy night. It’s the former home of the woman, who soon starts being haunted by her terrible past.

Out of Sight …Out of Mind

By Fred Carmichael. Mousetrap Theatre Redcliffe. Directed by Jean Bowra. September 28 – October 14, 2018.

The play begins with author Peter Knight grinding out a murder story in an old mansion where another author had been murdered years before. A weird electrical storm has cosmic effects and his characters come to life. Naturally they are the typical characters of murder mysteries that had appeared in such novels in the past. They are the ingénue, the seductress, the butler, the nasty old lady, the lawyer, the juvenile and the maid who is always pregnant. Oh, he has a normal maid. Peter loses control of his characters and the murders begin to occur – as in a novel.

Beauty and The Beast

Music by Alan Menken. Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. Book by Linda Woolverton. Stage Artz. Glen Street Theatre, Belrose. September 21 – 29, 2018.

Stage Artz annual charity production, with proceeds going to The Children's Hospital at Westmead, this year was Beauty and The Beast, a great choice of show, with the company comprised of Stage Artz Performing Art School students. The lead roles showcased a talented adult lead cast who brought the magical fictional characters to life.

As if No-one is Watching

Vulcana. Brisbane Festival. Stores Building, Brisbane Powerhouse. 27-30 September, 2018

The all-female collective, Vulcana, begin their part-performance, part-installation with 18 individual monologues delivered via smartphone app and digital design by Line 26. The 20-minute introduction takes place outside in the concrete space next to the Brisbane Powerhouse Stores Building. The performers repeat movements, carry out silent scenes, enact fragments – shards of their stories – while we voyeuristically wander and watch on, listening in to their thoughts online.

After Hero

By Jessica Bellamy and Jean Tong. Monash University’s Centre for Theatre & Performance. Malthouse Theatre, The Tower, Melbourne. 27 September – 6 October 2018.

‘Where is it written what am I supposed to be?’  It’s a key line here and it recurs.  It’s the key question in a play about identity and roles – gender and otherwise.  In their joint program note, Jessica Bellamy and Jean Tong tell us, “This is a work for everyone who is tired of the same old stories, because we are too.’

Candide

Music by Leonard Bernstein. Book by Hugh Wheeler after Voltaire. Lyrics by various. Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. Conducted by Brett Weymark. Directed by Mitchell Butel. Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House. September 29 & 30, 2018.

This was a lavish banquet of a production that is an absolute treat for lovers of operetta and musical theatre. The first thing to knock your socks off is the tidal wave of sound.  A sumptuous orchestra fills the Concert Hall stage, surrounded by up to 300 singers.

The choir sounds both tight and energetic, and is a dynamic part of the production. At various times they move, change costume and radiate a joy of appreciation for the work which coincides with the 100th anniversary of the birth of the composer Leonard Bernstein.

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