Reviews

Rigoletto

By Verdi. Opera Australia. Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. June 26 – August 24, 2014

The elegant design of the program conjures the mood of this production, which is a stunning collaboration of music and voices, direction and design. It seems a little strange to suggest that the program heralds the colour and atmosphere that will predominate on the stage and the elegant lines of the set, but it does.

HYPRTXT Festival

MKA. Upstairs at Tuxedo Cat. 17 Wills Street Melbourne - 14 – 28 June 2014

‘Keen as Mustard and Sharp as Paint’ MKA’s HYPRTXTis a great chance to engage with some complex contemporary writing for theatre.  If you are after polished flawless production values - don’t even think about it.  However if you are prepared to take the risk of being confronted and challenged by energetic, passionate totally underfunded but eternally courageous gifted theatre makers - get to the Tuxedo Cat in the next couple of days and be inspired and soak up the ambiance.

 

 

Managing Carmen

By David Williamson. HIT Productions. Directed by Denis Moore. Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre. 24–28 June 2014 and touring nationally till late August

Possibly the only production I’ve ever seen in which a character’s transvestism was something other than a tacky sales gimmick, Managing Carmen is the tale of a top footballer’s increasingly bizarre relationships with his girlfriend, his agent–manager, his most ardent critic, his (belatedly announced) psychologist, and his shadow, as a secret hobby threatens to expose them all to ruin.

 

Seussical Jnr

By Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty based on the books of Dr. Seuss. Directed by Amanda Crewes, Musical direction by Yiannis Maxwell. Carine Senior High School Performing Arts Centre, WA. June 20-22, 2014.

With a cast of 60, the vast majority being children, Seussical Jnr played to packed houses at Carine Senior High School.

The Home Front

Directed by Heidi Silberman/Produced by Catherine Crowley and Heidi Silberman. The Street Theatre, Canberra ACT. June 18 – 28, 2014

The Home Frontis a piece of improvised theatre which explores the lives of three women in Australia during the Great War. The actors are Catherine Crowley, Ruth Pieloor and Lynn Petersen.  With ideas given by the audience, these three women explore life in 1916 in an unnamed town in Australia. We are introduced to these women by name, and then the story begins.

Death By Chocolate

By Paul Freed. Castle Hill Players. Pavilion Theatre, Castle Hill. 20 June to 12 July 2014.

It is easy to see why this play is popular with community theatre companies. It has a big cast, it’s a mystery (well … not quite in the league of Agatha Christie but …) and it’s funny. All qualities that seem to attract many community theatre patrons. That means good ticket sales – and a little bit of profit to subsidise less popular, but more challenging, productions.

Jesus Christ Superstar

Music Andrew Lloyd-Webber. Lyrics Tim Rice. The Arts Centre, Gold Coast. Director: Kris Stewart. June 20th – 29th, 2014

The programme tells us that this is a “reimagining” of Jesus Christ Superstar– which is all well and good but when historical facts are tampered with: i.e. casting two of the major principal roles and six of the disciples as females (in my book) it’s taking things too far.

But Wait…There’s More

Circus Oz. Circus Oz Big Top, Birrarung Marr, Melbourne. 18 June – 13 July, 2014.

An evocative aboriginal inspired dance by Dale Woodbridge-Brown held a promise of magical things to come. And there were a number of magical moments and the flash of awe-inspiring physicality as bodies were bent and thrown around the stage in this latest offering from Circus Oz.

Shut Your Eyes and Think of England

By John Chapman and Anthony Marriott. Gold Coast Little Theatre, Southport. Director: Dorothy Henderson. June 21st to July 12th, 2014

The advert stated “British Farce at its very best! ” And this production certainly delivered!

Produced at short notice due to the cancellation of another show, Dorothy Henderson’s staging of this “rib-tickling” comedy was a winner all the way.

With a very experienced cast (some repeating their roles from an earlier outing in 2009) SYEaTOE had the audience in fits of laughter from the start.

The stylish penthouse sitting room set played host to all the going ons going on and great timing all round made this production a hilarious hit.

Oliver!

Music, Lyrics and Book by Lionel Bart. Directed by Brad Dart. PLOS Musical Productions. Frankston Arts Centre (Vic). June 20 – 28, 2014

There’s wonderful music and a timeless quality about Oliver! that is a delight if done well, and PLOS does it very well indeed. From the second the curtain rises on Brenton Staples spectacular set, a star in its own right (using trucks and revolves and moving staircases), you are drawn into Dickens’ iconic tale of poverty and salvation.

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