Reviews

Billed as being about a ‘perfectionist ready to transcend his flaws’, Callum Straford’s show is about his attempts at improving himself and achieving success and, sadly, not transcending much at all.  That’s the thread that ties his show together.  The stage persona is doofus guy who wonders, ‘Should I change my sheets?’  He’s trying to make it as a comic and make sense of his life.  He’s a likeable, good looking fellow with a good singing voice, who plays the piano and the ukulele well. 

Joanna Murray-Smith took on some heavy responsibilities when agreeing to write this play – responsibilities to the subject, the theme, the nation – and to herself as a writer. It is never easy to create a piece of theatre about someone who is living, especially when that

‘someone’ is now so well-known on the ‘world stage’, someone whose words have resounded internationally. Someone like Australia’s first, and, unfortunately, only, female Prime Minister. Someone like Julia Gillard.

High Pony has nothing to do with brumbies in the Alps. It’s a ponytail, worn high, the preferred hairstyle of your under-25s netball player. Thus Mel and Sam’s opening number in their show this year is, ‘Net-f*cking-ball’ – aggressive, defiant, in your face – and a sharply observed nasty, witty take on the immensely popular game and its sometimes strangely motivated players.  A contemporary phenomenon no less and therefore ripe for Mel and Sam to take the piss.

Sweeney Todd. The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a gorgeously dark production performed with strength by WAAPA Third Year Musical Theatre, and superbly designed built and crewed by WAAPA Production and Design students.