Venus Notarberadino as Hedda Gabler flips between a weighted stillness and erratic movement. She stares at nothing, caught up in her own mind, pulling the audience in. She’s the centre of Four Letter Word’s impressive adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, which opened this Wednesday. In a new adaption by Arthur Knight and Simon Farley, Hedda is brought into the modern era, dressed in a … Continue reading Hedda Gabler: A Hedda for the Here and Now
Four Letter Word’s production of Hedda Gabler opens this week in the Guild Theatre. I sat down with director Kate Douglas to talk about how the show came together, and what a modern audience can take away from their new adaptation of this iconic play. I’d like to start by getting to know your background a bit. How did you get into directing? I studied … Continue reading Interview with Kate Douglas, director of FLW’s Hedda Gabler
Almost two years ago I auditioned for a Four Letter Word Theatre play and was knocked back. Since then, I have spent every day training my critical eye and plotting my elaborate revenge in the form of a lukewarm review. Two weeks ago, when fate gifted me the opportunity to review FLW’s Everything Is Fine, the animus within me awoke, poised and ready. It is … Continue reading Everything is Not Fine, But That’s Okay
As its title suggests, The Days In Between is a work that exists in the grey values. Morality, sanity and reality are never clear-cut in playwright Sara Laurena’s surreal nightmare, following drifting student Ira’s (Eunice Chuang) experiences with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The unease flows thick and fast right from the start, as a certain ‘happy song’ jars against a stage rife with haze, masked figures … Continue reading The Days In Between: Life in Limbo
From the minute the audience entered the Guild Theatre we were transported into the gritty and dreamlike world of FLW’s Who’s Afraid of the Working Class. The set – a garbage tip, mattresses and a table – radiated well-coordinated chaos. The live music was urban and surreal, and the actors frozen in their positions on stage already grounded us in their world. Who’s Afraid of … Continue reading First Class Performance
Four Letter Word’s production Triptych introduces three new works written and directed by students from or affiliated with the University of Melbourne. Cherry Bomb, The Mutineer, and Terrorism vary widely in tone and subject matter, ranging from the politics of student theatre, to colonialism, to terror and surveillance. They combine to present a refreshing and thought-provoking collection of theatre. James O’Donoghue’s Cherry Bomb, directed by … Continue reading Triple Threat
FLW Theatre’s The Lieutenant of Inishmore is one of those productions that well and truly holds your attention. The combination of Martin McDonagh’s Irish wit and Kevin Turner’s keen direction results in a wonderfully entertaining piece of theatre. The writing is sharp and quick, filled with black comedy and irony, and I found myself consistently waiting for the next line. When it came it always … Continue reading The Lieutenant of Inishmore
The Dialog 