Reviewed by: Shixin Wang Edited by: Aditi Acharla It seems like every fairy tale has a woods full of stories. Little Red Riding Hood is seduced by the Big Bad Wolf and deviates from the correct route on the way to her grandmother’s house and enters the woods; Rapunzel lives in a tower deep within the forest; Snow White is driven into the darkness and … Continue reading Into The Woods And Out Of The Woods
Reviewed by: Katya Ewing Starkid, a musical theatre company founded in 2009 by a group of Michigan university students, have long given us hilariously quirky musicals. ICAC, directed by Hannah Crompton, rose to the occasion, exploding with contagious vitality and joy in their side-splitting interpretation of Starkid’s The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals. The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals launches us into the world of … Continue reading The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals: A Musical Takeover Triumph
Barkly Theatre gets off to a sinister, spell-binding start with their debut production. Picnic at Hanging Rock would be a bold choice for any debut. Published coinciding with the 1967 First Nations referendum, Joan Lindsay’s carefully manicured novel sculpts a world in turmoil. Four schoolgirls, perfect Anglo-Australian citizens, disappear from a Valentines’ trip to Hanging Rock; two are never found. Lindsay’s curlicued prose chronicles the … Continue reading Cake, Crinoline and Colonial Sins at Picnic
EMMA PARFITT DISCUSSES THE DEAD END COLLECTIVE’S DIVE INTO OUTER SPACE Dead End Collective advertised their new production, The Crystalline Consciousness That Speaks Meaning Into Flesh, as ‘a romp’, and a romp it most certainly was. With a talented ensemble cast and captivating production design, this show is a promise of more excellent things to come from Dead End Collective. In their brand-new original work, … Continue reading Out of this World with ‘Crystalline Consciousness’
MILO PENNEFATHER AND JULIAN MACHIN ON THEIR PROBLEMATIC NEW PRODUCTION Cancelled, Four Letter Word Theatre’s brazen new production, pulls none of its punches. The musical stars one Max Richmond, an arrogant lead singer whose disastrously insensitive remarks have spelled the collapse of his musical career. With the help of THEM, a down-and-out pop icon, Max hatches a plan to get back on top and win … Continue reading A Candid Look at ‘Cancelled’ Culture
Reviewed by: Zimo Lee The Effect by Lucy Prebble is a story about two volunteers in an antidepressant clinical trial. There, the characters Tristan (Freddie Carew-Reid) and Connie (Hazel Pigrum) form an unexpected attraction to one-another that blossoms into a heart-wrenching romance; are their feelings their own, or simply an Effect of the drugs? Short Straw Theatre Company boasts a performance that keeps the audience on their … Continue reading The Effect: Pulls You In—Hook, Line, & Sinker
Reviewed by: Emma Parfitt ICARUS, an original work by Tulipa Rodriguez-Quin, takes the timeless myth of the same name to new heights. The legend of Icarus is a textbook one of hubris – with Icarus’s wings formed of feathers and beeswax melting when he becomes too arrogant and flies too close to the sun, having lethal consequences. Corpus Machina Collective’s ICARUS follows this story almost … Continue reading Corpus Machina Collective’s “ICARUS”: An Exceptional Debut
Reviewed by: Zodie Bolic Feast, Flare Dance Ensemble’s 20th annual production, is a highly polished and entertaining performance that honours the more than two decades of Flare performances that have come before. As Artistic Director’s Jonathan Yeo’s last curtain, Feast is truly a treat for all senses. The performance offers dance from all genres, with smart, short, filmed interludes between each performance that both tie … Continue reading Flare’s Feast: A Treat For All The Senses That Leaves You Full and Content.
Reviewed by: Pandaren PENG “Supreme Me” adapted from Dario Fo’s globally acclaimed play “Accidental Death of an Anarchist,” tells the story of a man suffering from “Supreme Me” syndrome. Through his encounters at a police station, he uncovers the dark tactics behind a farmer’s “accidental death” and takes on the role of a senior inspector from the Supreme Procuratorate to review the case. His successful … Continue reading Element Theatre Company’s “Supreme Me”: An Unequivocal Success
Reviewed by: Jess Elfick The Scarlet Sun had everything you could want in a whodunnit – an intense cast, twisting storyline, and catchy tunes that rattled around my brain for days after. Four Letter Word have once again presented a fun and professional ensemble show that had the audience gasping. Ethan Francis-D’Amour and Madeleine Cheale’s original musical spirals through “The Scarlet Sun”, a 1970s Corsica resort … Continue reading The Scarlet Sun: A Show You’d Kill To See
The Dialog 