Reviews

A Little Night Music

Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by Hugh Wheeler. Hayes Theatre Co. October 18 – November 18, 2023.

A Little Night Music at the Hayes took me on a retro 50-year flashback to a revelatory night at the then new, now gone, Her Majesty’s Theatre in Sydney; an evening which redefined the possibilities of musical theatre for me.

Spellbound, I returned on student rush tickets as often as my teaching scholarship funds allowed.

Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed

Available on digital platforms on 25 October, 2023

Rock Hudson (AKA Roy Scherer/Fitzgerald) was the heart throb of the 50s and 60s and one of Universal’s top stars.

Known for such diverse movies as Magnificent Obsession, All That Heaven Allows, Written on the Wind, Giant, Pillow Talk, Seconds and of course, the television series Dynasty, he was a luminary in Hollywood.

Hour of the Wolf

By Keziah Warner. Directed by Matthew Lutton. Malthouse Theatre, 113 Sturt Street Southbank. 19 October – 3 December 2023.

Hope Hill and its legendary tale of the wolf and the superstition of her annual appearance is at the centre of this performance. As an original piece of immersive theatre, the production breaks several of the boundaries of traditional theatre. Expect the unexpected when you enter this meticulously created world. The set of Hope Hill, much like many immersive theatre experiences, is highly cinematic. The emphasis on mise-en-scene invites the audience to explore and literally enter the world of the characters. The various locations are incredibly detailed and evocative.

Cyprus Avenue

By David Ireland. Red Phoenix Theatre. Holden Street Theatres, Adelaide. 19-28 October 2023

Our knowledge of ‘The Troubles’ in Northern Ireland might be reduced to a few gable-end murals and U2 singing ‘Sunday, Bloody Sunday’, but there is a deep and dark history that evolved the institutionalised hatred from Unionists to Republicans and vice versa. Fortunately for the audience at Red Phoenix’s production of David Ireland’s play, there are explanatory notes on the history and terminology.

Leather Lungs: Happy Ending

Created and performed by Leather Lungs (Jason Chasland). Festival Hub: Trades Hall – Common Rooms. Cnr Lygon and Victoria Sts. Carlton. 12 - 15 October, 2023

Leather Lungs’ voice begins the show and it is truly impressive. So is the energy Leather Lungs brings to the stage. There are lots of salacious quips and adult smut mixed in with painful sharing of their relationship journey. There’s plenty to laugh about in the descriptions of the fumbling relationships with a dentist, and a person from Australia’s most wanted list but then the mood turns serious when the coercive and controlling narcissist arrives. Leather Lungs gives tribute to their family and the help others gave to help them through this difficult situation.

The Visitors

Composed by Christopher Sainsbury, libretto by Jane Harrison. Conducted by Phoebe Briggs. Presented by Victorian Opera. Arts Centre Playhouse, 100 St Kilda Rd, Southbank. 18-21 October

The Visitors is based on a fascinating premise. How did Indigenous people contemplate the arrival of colonisers on January 26 1788? Exploring this historical event from an Indigenous perspective challenges the traditional nation founding narratives surrounding the first fleet. The structures in place for the Indigenous community are portrayed in a manner that mirrors Western hierarchies. The council of elders who represent their people and voice their opinions and concerns is not unlike the processes found in democratic systems.

Curtain Up

By Peter Quilter. Directed by Carole Dhu. Pinjarra Civic Centre, WA. Oct 13-14, 2023

Curtain Up is a bit of a twist on the “backstage play” (for which this author is particularly renowned), as five women inherit a rundown theatre.

Nicely directed, and performed with relish, this simply set play had a very short season at the Pinjarra Civic Centre. Featuring a cast that clearly had an excellent rapport, this is a slightly madcap story of a diverse group of women that are forced by circumstance to get along.

Much Stuff

By Lily Boss-Bailey. Directed by Eliza Smith. The Studio, The Blue Room, Perth Cultural Centre, WA. Oct 10-28, 2023

Presented by a queer and neuro-divergent production team, Much Stuff is a delightfully awkward romance, and celebration of female relationships amid a world that is not made for the neuro-divergent. Dealing with some big issues, the warmth of the performers makes this an enjoyable experience.

Cats

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Lyrics based on “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T.S. Eliot. Willoughby Theatre Company (WTC). Directed by Stig Bell. The Concourse, Chatswood. 14-29 Oct, 2023

Poems have long been the catylist for some well-known songs. The poems of T. S. Elliot, a favourite of Andrew Lloyd Webber growing up, were the inspiration for him to create the score for Cats. First performed in 1981 and the fifth longest running Broadway show, the poems are from the 1939 book ‘Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats’.

Four Flat Whites in Italy

By Roger Hall. Director Tui Clark. Genesian Theatre. 14 Oct – 4 Nov, 2023

The ‘four flat whites’ in the title are two retired couples, recently acquainted, who are, inadvertently, travelling through Italy together. Written by prolific New Zealand playwright Roger Hall, the journey begins with a game of bridge in New Zealand and ends in a balmy night in Tuscany. What happens in between – disagreements, compromises, lost credit cards, finances and fun – is cleverly manipulated by Hall and the very identifiable characters he has created.