Reviews

Alice In Slasherland

By Oui Nguyen. Last One Standing Theatre Company. Red Line Productions. Old Fitz Theatre, Woolloomooloo. April 18 - May 11, 2019

Judging by American writer Oui Nguyen, millennial audiences go for teen college shlock  mixed with slasher horror movies, zombies and other demons from the netherworld.  It certainly makes for graphic comic book theatre. And presumably it’s a spoof.

In the Solitude of Cotton Fields

By Bernard-Marie Koltès, translated from the French by Lenora Champagne. La Mama Courthouse, Carlton VIC. 17-28 April 2019

A man, known only in the text as the ‘Client’ (Rob Meldrum) goes for a walk…  No, he asserts he is walking with a purpose, to a destination, from one place to another, without interest in what lies between.  Or, his protestations to the contrary, does his walk have perhaps an entirely different but unadmitted purpose?  Somewhere in a city’s dusk, in a lonely place, he encounters the ‘Dealer ‘(Tom Dent), who offers to supply whatever it is the Client wants…  The Client claims the Dealer has nothing that he could want or need.&nb

JUNK

The Flying Fruit Fly Circus. Riverside Theatres, Parramatta. April 18 & 19, 2019

“To invent, all you need is a pile of junk and a good imagination.”  Thomas A. Edison

“The more risks you allow children to take, the better they learn to take care of themselves.” Roald Dahl

Appropriation

By Paul Gilchrist. Studio Blueprint, Surry Hills, Sydney. Director: Chris Huntly-Turner. 17 – 27 April, 2019.

‘Sydney continues to lose theatre spaces at an alarming rate’ states the Fledgling Theatre Company and so opens its new performance space on the 4th floor of an old building behind Central Station in Sydney. Good for them. A very narrow doorway at street level leads to a very slow lift: Studio Blueprint has taken a large space on the top floor which includes a large thrust stage surrounded on three sides by rickety, uncomfortable chairs.

First Date: The Musical

Book by Austin Winsberg. Music and lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner. Footlights Theatrical. Reload Espresso Bar, Salisbury, QLD. April 12 – 14, 2019

When blind date newbie Aaron is set up with serial-dater Casey, a casual drink at a busy New York restaurant turns into a hilarious high-stakes dinner. As the date unfolds in real time, the couple quickly finds that they are not alone on this unpredictable evening. In a delightful and unexpected twist, Casey and Aaron’s inner critics take on a life of their own when other restaurant patrons transform into supportive best friends, manipulative exes and protective parents, who sing and dance them through ice-breakers, appetizers and potential conversational land mines.

Neon

Circus Oz. Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The Melba Spiegeltent, Collingwood. April 12 – 20, 2019

There is a lot to be said about fashion and eighties pop songs, but who wants to sit around and chew on about a retro decade when you can saturate your senses at NEON, a great cabaret and Circus OZ rock show directed by Malia Walsh, currently in the Melba Spiegeltent, as part of the Melbourne Comedy festival.

Chamber Pot Opera

Created by Keiren Brandt-Sawdy, Thomas De Angelis and Clemence Williams. Directed by Clemence Williams. Playhouse Bathroom, Sydney Opera House. April 11-28, 2019

While seated in the Ladies' Loo, hugged gently on either side by rows of lavvies, staring at the assemblage of sinks and mirrors before me, anticipating what was about to emerge (theatrically) from within this limited space, I couldn't help but be reminded of the famous TV trope known as The Bottle Episode. A bottle episode is usually set in a single location, with a single premise.

Mosquitoes

By Lucy Kirkwood. Sydney Theatre Company. Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House. April 8 – 18, 2019.

Lucy Kirkwood uses Mosquitoes to bridge the gap between science and the general public by creating a piece of theatre that compares the patterns of colliding particles with the chaos of family relationships. Both are hard to predict; both are hard to understand; both are hard to explain.

The Tragedy of King Richard The Second

By William Shakespeare. Directed by Joe-Hill Gibbins. Presented by Sharmill Films, National Theatre Live, Nova Cinema, Lygon Street, Carlton, and cinemas nationally. Limited season from 20 April, 2019.

The political intrigue in this play could easily mirror many of the bizarre political landscapes that are plaguing western democracies nowadays. This attests to the genius and universality of the themes, plots and characters that Shakespeare explores. However, this is no ordinary version of the play. It is bold, daring, extremely striking in its visuals and highly innovative in its use of space. The stage is a cold, claustrophobic place where the characters are unable to escape the numerous sinister deeds that culminate in disaster.

Circus of the Senses

By Jamee Campbell and the Circa Zoo Ensemble. Ron Hurley Theatre, Seven Hills Hub, 28 Tallowwood St, Seven Hills (Qld). April 13-15, 2019

There is a wonderful balance to Circa’s youth ensemble, Circa Zoo, that goes beyond the physical acrobatics of the show they are presenting to celebrate Queensland Youth Week in Brisbane.

On a practical level, the team of 10, aged from 11 to 17, are showcasing their talents through a series of choreographed segments, from tumbles, hula-hoops, and aerial silks, to rope work, human obstacle courses, contortion, and human pyramids.

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