There is something uniquely challenging about actors looking out at the audience and telling you that they are going to die, and even acting out their own deaths. Continue reading The Everyman: A Modern-Medieval Morality Play
With standout talent, ingenious scene setting and trendy Y2K costumes, this show was a true musical feast—giving the audience everything they wanted and more. Continue reading Newman Theatre Association’s Legally Blonde was Illegally Good
Hamlet was far from mad; grieving, bitter, sardonically funny and vicious, he was by far the most lively thing on stage. The staging was cleverly crafted and the acting professional. And yet, the featured quote for this production—”this Hamlet is special”—falls flat. Continue reading Too Much Method, Not Enough Madness: Bell Shakespeare’s Hamlet
After years of online shows and activities, the Melbourne University Chinese Theatre Group (MUCTG) returned with a highly anticipated bang. How high? How about the “selling out closing night in five hours” kind of high. Continue reading MUCTG’s The Hostage: Sometimes Getting Robbed is Good for You
Hamlet has a reputation for being modern and timeless, but it is still a piece of sixteenth-century theatre. How can we make the language accessible? How can we alter themes which feel defunct—religiosity, revenge, the king as God, natural order—feel relevant? And, of course, how can we resolve problematic representations of femininity and masculinity? Continue reading HAML3T by Melbourne University Shakespeare Company
There was something deeply interesting about Four Letter Word Theatre’s Two Nights Out of Bed, and in spite of its flaws, I found myself deeply compelled. Continue reading Two Nights Out of Bed: An Ambitious Production
ICAC’s Firebringer did an outstanding job portraying the feminist, religious and climate-related political themes of the show, creating a rib-tickling fictional history lesson with nuanced characters that connected splendidly with the audience. Continue reading ICAC’s Firebringer Celebrates Female Ingenuity Through a Hilarious Musical Escapade
The individual effort put into each element of the project—be it costume, choreography, set or lighting—was obvious in the final polish of the production. Even for those not particularly keen on musicals, there was something for everyone in this production of Footloose. Continue reading How to do Footloose Right: An UMMTA Production
Endgame was a difficult show to watch and a bold choice to perform. The conviction of the performers and the success of the minimalist creative choices, however, brought it to life—in all its absurdity. Continue reading Endgame: Making the Most of Beckett’s Absurdity
It is evident that even though Nora is in ostensibly different circumstances to her original era—and women’s rights have advanced significantly—very little has changed internally for her. The home, marriage and family proves to be just as suffocating, making her reclamation of freedom just as radical. Continue reading Nora: A Doll’s House Triumphs at Union House
The Dialog 