Author: thedialogtheatreblog

A log of student theatre reviews at the University of Melbourne. A dialogue between theatre makers and audiences.
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MUST’s The Mutineers: A Nostalgic Rebellion 

REVIEW BY ZENA WANG EDITED BY EMMA PARFITT Student theatre thrives when it dares to capture both the nostalgia of the past and the restlessness of youth. The Mutineers, set in the very old English grammar school–styled Bellview Academy, does exactly that. With its 1990s backdrop of cassette tapes and schoolyard banter, the production becomes not just a story about teenagers, but a reflection on … Continue reading MUST’s The Mutineers: A Nostalgic Rebellion 

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We Had A Moment, A Marvellous Moment At Colour And Light: The Art Of Sondheim

REVIEW BY OLIVIA DI GRAZIA EDITED BY EMMA PARFITT Standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the compact Theatre Works foyer, a crowd of buzzing theatre-goers gather for the sold-out opening night of Colour and Light: The Art of Sondheim, the newest offering from Watch This, Australia’s first and only Sondheim repertory company. Weaving a beautiful tapestry of the theatre giant’s immortal contributions to the musical theatre canon with … Continue reading We Had A Moment, A Marvellous Moment At Colour And Light: The Art Of Sondheim

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Has Anyone Checked On The Sixth Formers? Lunatix’s Punk Rock

REVIEW BY ELLA CALLOW-SUSSEX EDITED BY EMMA PARFITT Punk Rock is a play by British playwright Simon Stephens, best known for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. First performed in 2009, it follows the lives of seven private school kids in sixth form – their equivalent of Year 12 – as they prepare for, or neglect, their A level mock exams. … Continue reading Has Anyone Checked On The Sixth Formers? Lunatix’s Punk Rock

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Above Sea Level’s Endpapered Does Everything Right For A Play That Goes Wrong

REVIEW BY AKSHITA BENNY EDITED BY EMMA PARFITT Anyone who has ever done theatre knows the desperation of when things go wrong. Or if they have not experienced it themselves, they would at least have heard the horror stories. Maybe it was a skipped scene or a missing prop, an actor going on stage at the wrong time, or an incorrect cue from the bio … Continue reading Above Sea Level’s Endpapered Does Everything Right For A Play That Goes Wrong

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We Get A Kick Out Of St Hilda’s College’s Anything Goes

REVIEW BY TOM WORSNOP EDITED BY RACHEL THORNBY St Hilda’s College stages a sparkling, slick, and sumptuous production of Cole Porter’s musical classic, Anything Goes. The story follows a young Wall Street trader Billy Crocker (Sam Kohler) as he sneaks onto a cruise ship to pursue his true love, Hope Harcourt (Georgia Shell). Along the way, he encounters  mobsters, flees his boss, and gets a … Continue reading We Get A Kick Out Of St Hilda’s College’s Anything Goes

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MJ: The Musical Won’t Stop Until You’re Dancing Too

REVIEW BY CHARLOTTE FRASER EDITED BY EMMA PARFITT ‘Study the greats and become greater’ – these scribbled words stand out among the collage of Michael Jackson’s handwritten notes projected onto a scrim. Musicians and dancers file casually onto the stage as the audience is still chatting and drinking. It’s opening night. Excitement and anticipation are buzzing through Her Majesty’s Theatre. In a room of glitter … Continue reading MJ: The Musical Won’t Stop Until You’re Dancing Too

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Queen’s College’s Mamma Mia Is Infectious, Sparkly, And Leaves The Audience On Their Feet!

REVIEW BY GRACE DWYER EDITED BY MYA HELOU Is there any band as crowd pleasing to the Australian public as ABBA? Science says no. And the almost full house (on a Thursday night, too!) for Queen’s College’s Mamma Mia! is absolutely ready for any and all seventies jams the musical is going to throw at them.  The house lights go down, leaving a yellow spotlight … Continue reading Queen’s College’s Mamma Mia Is Infectious, Sparkly, And Leaves The Audience On Their Feet!

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International House’s Clue: On Stage Is A Play That Plays

REVIEW BY CHARLOTTE FRASER EDITED BY OLIVIA DI GRAZIA Picture this: you enter the Guild Theatre, transformed into an early 20th century manor house evocative of an Agatha Christie-esque world. Feeling brave, or perhaps foolish, you sit in the first row. You’re warned about the close audience proximity, the themes of murder and mystery and the unpredictability of live performance. A giddy air of anticipation … Continue reading International House’s Clue: On Stage Is A Play That Plays

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Audience Please Make the Right Decision Challenge Failed: 5 Locktin

REVIEW BY BRONTE LEMAIRE EDITED BY EMMA PARFITT It’s always a pleasure rocking up to the Motley Bauhaus, especially during a night buzzing with theatre festivities. At 9pm the place is packed with Netherworld Festival shows. There’s a guy with wings at the bar, Snape is wandering around telling dad jokes, and I’m pretty sure someone’s upstairs with very little to cover themself–or perhaps nothing … Continue reading Audience Please Make the Right Decision Challenge Failed: 5 Locktin

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Is That A Chainsaw In Your Pocket Or Are You Just Happy To See Me? See You Sunday’s American Psycho: A Musical Thriller

REVIEW BY ELLA CALLOW-SUSSEX EDITED BY EMMA PARFITT I have not read the book or watched the movie of American Psycho. As a teenager I had one too many encounters with a boy that didn’t understand satire, idolised American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman and decided to lecture me on how life changing and validating the story was. As a result, it was with some caution that … Continue reading Is That A Chainsaw In Your Pocket Or Are You Just Happy To See Me? See You Sunday’s American Psycho: A Musical Thriller

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