Reviews

What’s creepy about the world of this new British play, where all cultural and political works are reforged into nationalist messages to help drive soldiers to the frontline, is that it’s so apparent now in so many countries. And yet authoritarians, like Putin and Trump, and weak popularists have long known that controlling culture and storytelling is vital to controlling their people.

‘Burlesque is an art form known for parody, satire, and, in its popular iteration, suggestive, teasing striptease. It originated as a form of caricature mocking serious subjects, literature, or social norms, often combining bawdy humour with elaborate costumes.’

Ardent Artiste Productions are to be congratulated for their inclusivity of age, sexual orientation and mobility.

Dizney Debauched brings us a collection of our favourite Disney bad guys (or should I say bad girls) and adds their own touch of burlesque.

Art has always been able to express human truths that are otherwise too painful to talk about. And so it is with the Stolen Generation and Aboriginal deaths in custody – deeply intertwined DNA strands of Australian history that are so painful, surreal and vile that it is difficult to know where to start. Gary Lang – Larrakia man, dancer, choreographer and Artistic Director from NT Dance Company (Indigenous-owned dance company from the Northern Territory) – believes that truth telling is the way to create a pathway to healing.

Faraway is an hour in a realm that is far removed from our everyday lives, an empty dark stage relieved only with ropes tied to look like vines hanging from the ceiling. A sign that we are going to experience a unique theatre experience.

As the director and choreographer Jenni Large succinctly explains -