Reviews

No Hat! No Play! The Cabaret

Written & performed by Samantha Andrew & Mel O’Brien. Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The Toff in Town. 6 – 18 April 2021

Mel O’Brien and Samantha Andrew are dressed as primary school (Year 6) girls in those uniforms primary school kids have to wear – in this case bright yellow tops, red pants and, of course, wide-brimmed red hats. 

Miss Lily’s Fabulous Feather Boa

By Michael Barlow adapted from the book by Margaret Wild and Kerry Argent. Directed by Michael Barlow. Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, Short St, Fremantle, WA. Apr 3-17, 2021

Miss Lily’s Fabulous Feather Boa is somewhat of a Spare Parts Puppet Theatre favourite, with revivals every few years to entertain a new group of children. The latest incarnation features a new cast and remains just as delightful.

A lovely little tale about a lonely little potoroo who finds her confidence at Miss Lily’s Tropical Holiday House, it has a myriad of lovely little subtle messages about conservation, the importance of not judging people by appearance, the value of building other people’s confidence of family and belonging.

Zoë Coombs Marr: Agony! Misery!

Written & Performed by Zoë Coombs Marr. Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Melbourne Town Hall, Powder Room. 25 March – 18 April 2021

Zoë Coombs Marr is an entertaining absurdist who noodles around with time even if her stories are about her ‘ordinary’ experiences as a precocious, sexually conflicted, flute-playing teenager.  She takes a key incident from those years and spirals away from it and spirals back to it – as if she is starting her story (or stories) and the show itself, all over again. 

Alice Tovey: Doggo

Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Butterfly Club. April 2 – 11, 2021.

Call her ‘bitch on heat’ and she will lap up the compliment. Alice Tovey has created a new brand of comedy performance and is currently on at the Butterfly Club with her show Doggo, for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

One for the Road

By Willy Russell. Wanneroo Repertory Club. Directed by James Hough Neilson. Limelight Theatre, Civic Dve, Wanneroo, WA. Apr 1- 17, 2021

One for the Road is a well-presented comedy, by Wanneroo Repertory Club, that is entertaining full capacity houses at the Limelight Theatre.

On the eve of his 50th birthday, Dennis makes an attempt to escape his middle-class, housing-estate existence.

Written in 1976, first performed in 1980 and updated by the author in 1985, director James Hough Neilson sets this production in the mid-1980s, as little details of this show firmly place it as a period-piece, although it remains relevant and funny. 

The Umbilical Brothers - The Distraction

Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne, 25 March – 17 April, 2021 and Playhouse, QPAC, 27 April to 2 May 2021

The Distraction morphs simple green screen trickery into ingeniously hilarious antics. David Collins and Shane Dundas, who form the renowned comic duo The Umbilical Brothers, incorporate a vast array of theatrical techniques in their show. It is not uncommon to see very inventive use of mime, puppetry, soundscapes and even slapstick in their performances. This show, however, ventures into some new territory and combines their eccentric brand of humour with special effects technology. The result is often sublime.

Nikki Britton: One Small Step

Written & performed by Nikki Britton. A Token Event. Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Melbourne Town Hall, Cloak Room. 25 March – 18 April 2021

Effervescent Nikki Britton’s plan is to tell us the story of her holiday in Europe – with some diversions to another holiday, with her Mum, to Vanuatu.  Unfortunately, on the night I saw her show, she was interrupted by an audience member, Theresa (‘They call me “Mother”’) who, bobbing up and down, answered a standard question Nikki Britton had unwisely asked.  ‘How are we all tonight?’  Etc.  Theresa, who may or may not have ever been to a live show before, but seemed to think she was a hoot, explained that she was only th

Ellida

By May-Brit Akerholt, from Henrik Ibsen. WAAPA 3rd Year Acting. Directed by Will O'Mahony. Roundhouse Theatre, WAAPA, Edith Cowan University, Mt Lawley, WA. Mar 25-31, 2021

Ellida is a new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s The Lady of the Sea, performed by WAAPA 3rd Year Acting students, with the creative support of WAAPA Production and Design students, and sensitively and thoughtfully directed by Will O’Mahony.

This 1888 work (nicely adapted) about marriage and freedom, still resonates today and features some excellent roles, especially for women. It is also an ideal vehicle for beautiful imagery and the production team have embraced their freedom with this wonderfully poetic work.

Nath Valvo: Chatty Cathy

Written & performed by Nath Valvo. Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Max Watt’s Music Room. 25 March – 18 April 2021

Nath Valvo is close to ecstatic at being back in front of a live audience again – and the full house audience is delighted to have him there. Not only is all that buzzing can’t-keep-still energy magnetic, there’s also his very engaging nearly 40-years-old-but-still-boyish persona. 

Geraldine Hickey: What a Surprise

Written & performed by Geraldine Hickey. Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Melbourne Town Hall, Supper Room. 1 – 18 April 2021 + extra show Melbourne Arts Centre, Playhouse, 10 April.

Geraldine Hickey is a yarn spinner.  That’s not a put-down or a diminishing of what she does so well.  In her own way (more on that in a moment), she’s part of an Australian tradition.  You can see her propping up a pub bar (‘the pub’ gets frequent references in her show) and holding an audience spellbound.  Her tales of, well, nothing all that special or out of the ordinary are rendered absorbing by her comic timing, inclusive warmth and our immediate recognition of what she describes.  She also illustrates her experiences with occasional an

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