Reviews

Down a lane, up several flights of worn stairs into a tiny “theatre” created with black masking attached to walls with gaffer tape and clothes pegs – this must be a Melbourne Comedy Festival gig!

Comedy duo Freak Party (Dan Pavatich andJustin Porter) transport us from 2017 to the year 2056, and a world unrecognizable due to the nuclear fallout from a 2017 “Trump” war.

Kate Mulvany clearly relishes playing Richard 3.  Sharing some of his physical limitations which she’s able to use to impressive effect, she has an affection for this maligned villain. Her Richard is impish, clever, bitter, murderous with an infectious giggle, and emphatically, convincingly masculine. There’s something of Cabaret’s Emcee to him, a consummate but self-conscious performer. Her brilliant portrayal would make this production captivating, even without the lavish set, attention to detail and excellent cast.

A charming light hearted romantic comedy written and directed by Monica Zanetti.

Zanetti’s story is of a teenage girl Ellie (Sophie Hawkshaw) coming to terms with her sexuality and her desire to ask her friend Abbie (Geraldine Viswanathan) as her date to the school formal, prompted by her dead aunt (Monica Zanetti), whom only Ellie can see. With Meagan Caratti playing her bewildered mother and Margi de Ferranti playing a dual role of Patty and Ellie’s teacher. A funny light hearted delight at The Depot Theatre. Well directed, with an excellent ensemble cast.

Arriving on stage in a frilled, sequined and bedazzled country-singer-manqué creation, complete with sequined hat, Canadian cabaret comedian Shirley Gnome captured her audience in a heartbeat opening with a song about, well, taking things up the notch. 

She breathlessly shared the news about her recent signing to the largest independent record label in Canada, vowing to spend the advance by coming to Australia, before the record label “realised what it was they had bought”.