Reviews

The Man from Earth

By Jerome Bixby and Richard Schenkman. Directed by Virginia Moore Price. Old Mill Theatre, South Perth, WA. Nov 24 – Dec 9, 2023

The Man from Earth was adapted into a play by the director of the film of the same name. A bit of a cult classic, the film is considered by some to be one of the world’s best science fiction movies. Using no special effects, both film and play contemplate some of life’s questions, which lie at the centre of science fiction.

The Actress

By Peter Quilter. Directed by Karin Staflund. KADS Town Square Theatre, Kalamunda, WA. Nov 17-Dec 2, 2023

The Actress is a comedy set on a single night - the final performance of an actress about to retire. Well directed and performed by the team at KADS, this is a quality production that charmed its audiences.

The Boyfriend

By Sandy Wilson. Directed by Susan vincent. Garrick Theatre, Guildford, WA. Nov 30-Dec 8, 2023

The Boyfriend, a lovely 1920s pastiche, is playing at the Garrick Theatre, with a sweet and predominantly young cast. Enthusiastic performances, lots of colour and toe tapping songs keep the audience smiling throughout.

The Long Pigs

Devised by Clare Bartholomew, Susie Dee, Derek Ives-Plunkett & Nicci Wilks. Presented by WE3 and Cluster Arts. Theatre Works. 29 November – 9 December 2023

Long pigs?  A term used by South Sea island cannibals to describe human meat.  That is just one level – or layer – of meaning in this very dark, macabre, laugh-out-loud and brilliantly realised clown show. 

Who are the ‘long pigs’ here?  The performers, or us, or metaphorically all humanity, ripe for the slaughter?

Percussion, Conversation, Degustation

Performed by Duré Dara, Speak Percussion and friends. La Mama Courthouse, 349 Drummond Street, Carlton. 30 November - 3 December 2023.

The legendary performer, entrepreneur, advocator and restaurateur Duré Dara is at the centre of these beguiling and unusual performances. Over four nights evocative music, sounds, food, song, dance, and conversation are carefully curated and offered in each show. Each evening is unique with different performers that mainly centre around Dara and her work. Each night has a different title and each show has a different emphasis on the overarching themes.

The Pillowman

By Martin McDonagh. Directed by Travis Koch. Hayman Theatre, Curtin University, Bentley, WA. Nov 22 - Dec 2, 2023

A very dark piece for such a young cast, Hayman Theatre’s The Pillowman is a beautifully acted, carefully directed drama, that keeps its audience intrigued, involved, and occasionally appalled from beginning to end.

Rinaldo

By George Frideric Handel. Libretto Giacomo Rossi. Pinchgut Opera. Conductor Erin Helyard. Director Louisa Muller. City Recital Hall, Sydney. 30 Nov – 6 Dec, 2023

For twenty-two years Pinchgut Opera has “scoured the period from opera’s birth to its flowering in the Baroque” to offer different opera experiences to Sydney audiences.

Their production of Rinaldo not only realises that philosophy, but with war and devastation dominating our world, and the possibility of peace seeming so remote, Pinchgut and the maestro Handel bring us an opera that includes a cease fire, a truce, reconciliations, love … and, gratefully, no tragic deaths!

Cosi

By Louis Nowra. Townsville Little Theatre. Directed by Katherine Shield. Pimpac Theatre, Townsville. 29 Nov – 2 Dec 2023.

NOW CONSIDERED to be a classic Australian comedy, Louis Nowra’s 1992 play is familiar territory for actors and theatregoers alike as it receives regular airings on the community theatre stage throughout Australia.

Of course revivals of the 1996 film which starred Ben Mendelsohn, Toni Colette, Rachel Griffiths and Jackie Weaver amongst others have contributed a great deal to the lasting quality of the work, and this version has an enjoyable overall quality, featuring some extremely strong performances from several actors.

The Italian Comedy

By Stephen Hopley and Alexander Gibbs. Presented by Something Wicked. Directed by Stephen Hopley. 107 Projects, 107 Redfern Street, Sydney. November 29 – December 3, 2023

Caught by the sudden closure of the trendy Meraki Arts Bar in Oxford Street, The Italian Comedy has now found a home in Redfern.

In an improvised theatre space, featuring the bare minimum props for a cut-price fashion shop in Venice, eight players go for it. Each with his/her own accented English, they prance and bicker in a plot that could have been hacked from a commedia dell’arte stock pile.

ON/OFF

NICA - National Institute of Circus Arts. Curator: James Brown. Digital Technologies Coordinator: Kaleb Hawkins. Lighting design and operation: Kris Chainey. Sound design: Rachel ‘Stoz’ Stone. 39-59 Green Street, Prahran. 28 November - 2 December 2023

ON/OFF provides an evening of circus delights including thrills, heart in mouth intense moments and laughs. Although this is a showcase for individual talents with changes in large pieces of equipment, it is moulded into a coherent show by the very slick stage management (Edwina Guiness) and thoughtful use of recorded reflections on circus life by the cast. Each performance had individual background music to support the various personas presented.

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