Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn – Has Christmas Come Early?
In these dark times, viewing Berlin’s production will most definitely be successful in lifting the spirits of even the most Scrooge-like viewer. This musical will remind you of the spirit of Christmas – and that even though this year may be lasting a lifetime, there’s still something to look forward to. Continue reading Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn – Has Christmas Come Early?
A Very Potter Musical: (Re)finding Magic
What do you find when you ferment all the mystique of the Harry Potter series with underbudget student theatre and absurdist American college humour? A Very Potter Musical. It’s a totally awesome, light-hearted, and strangely moving production that will have you laughing from lights up to curtain close. Continue reading A Very Potter Musical: (Re)finding Magic
Peter Pan: Flying Back to Neverland
Peter Pan is sweet, nostalgic, moving, and magically impressive. The production is more true to James Matthew Barrie’s book than the film – amongst the friendships and warmth, there is a stronger sense of danger and fear in the face of adventure. Continue reading Peter Pan: Flying Back to Neverland
Going Viral: Catch It While You Can
You’re on a flight from Uganda to England. One after another, your co-passengers all break into tears. Everyone except you. Five years after its initial run, British theatre artiste Daniel Bye’s Going Viral perfectly resonates with the paranoiac and alienating nature of our current times – afflicted as we are today with COVID-19. Continue reading Going Viral: Catch It While You Can
All My Sons: Can Blood Ties Be Broken?
Howard Davies’ direction of this highly successful play does justice to Miller’s writing and accurately conveys the complex layers that make a father and son relationship unique. This is not only for dedicated supporters of Miller – even newcomers will enjoy the witty conversation between family and neighbours that are contrasted with scenes of raw truth, delivered by a strong ensemble cast. Continue reading All My Sons: Can Blood Ties Be Broken?
Bears: Peculiar and Non-Preachy, but Purposeless
Without one word of dialogue, actors playing bears lay a tablecloth, put on deodorant, and eat foods wrapped in plastic. Unlike most other climate change art out there, Bears resembles a physical comedy with a dystopian tilt. Continue reading Bears: Peculiar and Non-Preachy, but Purposeless
Hamlet: The Madness of Isolation
Times may change, but the surreal voyeurism that Hamlet offers remains a constant source of entertainment for generations. Even then, this production stands out in its rawness, stripping Hamlet down – figuratively and literally – to its dirty, bloody, bones. Front row audience beware, blood splatter imminent. Continue reading Hamlet: The Madness of Isolation
Legally Blonde: Couldn’t get (So) Much Better
Omigod, you guys. Legally Blonde, the blockbuster musical adaptation of the 2001 film, has been a steady choice for uni and college productions across the last few years. Most recent addition to the party is the University of Melbourne Music Theatre Association (UMMTA), with a strong rendition of the classic that proves the adage; if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Performing in Union House’s … Continue reading Legally Blonde: Couldn’t get (So) Much Better
Inkling: A Dark, Uneasy and Innovative Debut
Inkling, directed by Ann-Marie Biagioni and Bronya Doyle, is Floor Work’s debut production, and what an exciting debut indeed! The piece is free of dialogue, relying predominantly on the cast’s physical work and the use of live music as story-telling devices. Inspired by Patrick Hamilton’s Gaslight, the work delves into the concept of gaslighting via a cast of characters. Each character is defined by a … Continue reading Inkling: A Dark, Uneasy and Innovative Debut
Our Father: Portrait of a Family in Crisis
Playing as part of Melbourne Fringe Festival, Our Father is a considerably dour effort that takes the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Abuse and turns it into a very human drama. Structured mostly as a series of police interviews of the family of an accused man, there is a simplicity to the narrative that brings the characters and their experiences to the forefront. The mother, in a desperate turn by Sandy Morrison, is a well-meaning denial-case; the daughter, played with aloofness by the writer, Lucy Holz, is too detached to let herself see the repercussions of her father’s actions; and the son, in a melodramatic performance by Will Hall, is angst-ridden and standoffish in his it-should-have-been-me complex. The family is divided and in crisis, brought together only by the police officer, played with warmth by Benji Groenewgan. Continue reading Our Father: Portrait of a Family in Crisis
The Dialog 