Reviews

Written in 2017 before the dreaded international COVID shutdown, this excellent comedy/drama is prescient about how we should behave in such circumstances. When staff at the privileged Eureka Day Elementary school in California are faced with an outbreak of mumps, they panic in all well-meaning directions displaying, in author Jonathan Spector’s steely view, everything but firm togetherness.

There’s a kind of roughhouse, ad hoc, spontaneous, let’s-put-on-a-show quality to Barden Party’s version of Romeo and Juliet.  It’s a calculated effect – or they’ve made a distinct virtue out of necessity.  They wander about, welcoming us as we wander in.  Relaxed, informal - as if it’s a party about to start.

Stray Cats’ Mary Poppins was a large-scale production with high production values, featuring a huge cast and a lot of colour.

Clever sets, designed by Bronwyn White and Karen Francis, used multiple levels, lots of trucks and clever projections to create a bright, magical world that enchanted the audience. Lots of colour in the costumes - especially in the production numbers, while lighting designed by Tony Gordon and Karen Francis also used colour to effect.

Caroline O’Connor at the Hotel Grand Chancellor, Launceston.

Day 2, May 22, 2025.

I’m a fan of podcasts - particularly interviews with/between actors, directors and musicians and the interviewer happens to be extremely knowledgeable about the industry and career of their interview subject. ('WTF' with Marc Maron and 'Talk Easy' with Sam Fragoso are two great examples). But then there are interviews between artists who also happen to be great friends - these interviews are the best!