Reviews

On Golden Pond

Hunters Hill Theatre (NSW). Director: Carol Wimmer. Set Design: Elizabeth Chandler. Lighting and Sound Design: Steve Wimmer. March 4 – 19, 2011.

On Golden Pondopens on one of those beautifully designed and built sets where you instantly say, yes, I’m there. Not only did the holiday house in Maine, and its furnishings and props, seem perfect, but on a relatively shallow stage the blend of cyclorama art enhanced by lighting established a credible, attractive vista.

When you’re off to such a strong, truthful start, the ambience must help the cast to find the truth of the characters who dwell within the environment. This was something that the Hunters Hill cast achieved in trumps.

Graeme Murphy’s Suite Synergy

Mod Dance Company. State Theatre Melbourne. 23-26 March. Touring to Sydney, Perth, Darwin, Gold Coast and Adelaide.

It was exhilarating and exciting to be present at the debut of something so promising, energetic and vibrant as Mod Dance Company, with this highly entertaining touring production. Suite Synergy is an inspired and inspiring creative collaboration between Graeme Murphy as choreographer and Michael Askill as composer/percussionist and, one senses, to some extent, all the company with the guidance of artistic director Brett Morgan.

Cosi

By Louis Nowra. Brisbane Arts Theatre. 12th March-16th April 2011

Arts Theatre celebrates its 75thanniversary this year (Cosi season embraces its date of establishment, April 8th.)  What a joyous way to celebrate the occasion!

Madame Butterfly

Australian Ballet. Adelaide Festival Theatre - Mar 18 to 23, 2011.

As the curtain rose on Madame Butterfly a beautiful painted scrim was revealed, delicately coated in petals. The lights come up behind the scrim to reveal Cio-Cio-San in a gorgeous flowing dress as light as a butterfly with four huge fabric wings extending out behind her, waving gently on the air.

Dani Girl

Music: Michael Kooman. Book & Lyrics: Christopher Dimond. Harvest Rain Theatre Company. Director: Carmen Glanville. Music Director: Sophie Mangan. Mina Parade Warehouse, Alderley, Brisbane, 18 March – 2 April, 2011

Priscilla on Broadway

A survey of the Broadway reviews.

The reviews of the Broadway production of Australian hit Priscilla Queen of the Desert are out, and while early reviews were a mixed bag, the balance has swung to positive reviews, while Tony Sheldon’s Broadway debut has been received extremely positively all round -

‘Elegant and dignified, the Australian actor could pass for Cate Blanchett's mother.’ The Hollywood Reporter

These are the Isolate

Mutation Theatre, Theatre Works (Vic). 17 - 27 March

During the excessive ten minutes waiting for Mutation Theatre’s, “These are the Isolate” production to begin, I felt conflicted: how can a play that boasts the Victorian Writer’s Centre Award for Best Emerging Playwright also boast a grammatically incorrect title?

Trelawny of the “Wells” by Arthur Wing Pinero

Newcastle Theatre Company, at the NTC Theatre, Lambton (Newcastle, NSW). March 16 to 26.

THE sparkling theatrical magic in this warm and funny comedy about the interaction between theatre and life confirmed it as the ideal choice for the opening of Newcastle Theatre Company’s new 147-seat venue.

The magic is in two interwoven strands. There is the pleasure of seeing an excellent cast reveal the heartfelt desires and idiosyncratic foibles of a colourful collection of theatre folk and an engrossing behind-the-scenes look at how shows are created.

Howie the Rookie

Written by Mark O'Rowe. Directed by Greg Carroll. Red Stitch Actors Theatre (Vic). March 16 - April 16, 2011.

Given that one-man shows are the ground in theatre where angels fear to tread, writer Mark O'Rowe is especially brave in taking a play with two actors and using only one in each act.

In each act, we meet dozens of characters through the eyes of either the Howie Lee (Paul Ashcroft) or the Rookie Lee (Tim Ross) and get dragged running through the streets of Dublin.

Café Scheherazade by Therese Radic.

A play based on the novel by Arnold Zable. Director: Bagryana Popov. fortyfivedownstairs (Vic). Premiere Season - 8 Mar – 3 Apr, 2011l. Return season Aug 20 to Sep 11.

For almost fifty years Café Scheherazade in Acland Street, St Kilda was the meeting hub for displaced Jewish migrants who had fled the Hitler and Stalin regimes in Europe. Listening to their stories of survival, persecution, tragedy and hope, writer Arnold Zable crafted a novel (2001) which is the basis of a new play by Therese Radic now in the throes of its premiere season.