Monty Python’s Spamalot (Drew Anthony Creative), at Athenaeum Theatre – musical theatre review
So joyously silly, Drew Anthony Creative’s presentation of Monty Python’s Spamalot, lovingly ripped off from…
Triptych, at Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne – dance review
Integrated dance, light and sound at their mesmerising finest. That, in a nutshell, is Triptych. While the definition of the title refers to a work of art divided into three sections, there are – in fact – four works on show. They are described as an epilogue, acts 1 and 2 and a prologue. The…
The Eternally Hopeful, at Theatre Works’ Explosives Factory – song cycle review
Sensitivity and soul permeate a fresh song cycle about life and its vicissitudes from first time writer and director Isabelle Davis, which strikes a chord. Emotionally resonant throughout, The Eternally Hopeful features four talented performers from their teens to their thirties who pour their hearts into the material. I speak of Jacqui Dwyer, billed as…
Lord of the Flies, at Theatre Works – theatre review
Are men savages? Does the battle for supremacy, for power and control, of man against man know no bounds? Is it in our DNA? The answer to all these questions is a resounding “yes” if Nobel Prize-winning English author William Golding’s iconic work Lord of the Flies is anything to go by. It was his…
Behind the Veil (National Institute of Circus Arts), at NICA’s National Circus Centre in Prahran – circus review
They are so damn good. It is not just the broad variety of circus arts on show that had me mesmerised, but the extremely high level of achievement from the second-year student ensemble. The physical feats of the fresh-faced performers, orchestrated by director Kate Fryer, all but defy belief. That, plus the splendid showmanship and…
CherryHill Orchards’ Blossom Festival
As much as it is iconic in Japan, you don’t need to travel that far to experience the splendour of cherry blossom season. Imagine up to 25,000 snow white, petalled trees in bloom in the Yarra Valley, at one of Australia’s foremost orchards. Now, stop imagining it and organise a visit to CherryHill Orchards in…
Luke, at Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre – theatre review
Literature, history and inappropriate dealings between a teacher and student are at the core of this incendiary drama, which plays out over two decades. We begin in country Victoria in 2007, where Damon (Dion Mills) is an inspirational English teacher. He changed Chris’ (Will Lonsdale) life when he taught him. Now, Chris’ career path is…
Monty Python’s Spamalot (Drew Anthony Creative), at Athenaeum Theatre – musical theatre review
So joyously silly, Drew Anthony Creative’s presentation of Monty Python’s Spamalot, lovingly ripped off from the motion picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail, is five-star gold. It is entertainment personified – witty, wild and wonderful. With book and lyrics by Eric Idle and music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle, this frivolous fancy…
The Homecoming (Australian Shakespeare Company), at Athenaeum Theatre – theatre review
Danger, discomfort and tension are the hallmarks of a family gathering in Harold Pinter’s incendiary play The Homecoming. Set in the mid ‘60s in London, it concerns working class kin with proverbial skeletons in the closet. Patriarch Max, a former butcher, is nothing, if not somewhat unhinged – combative and confrontational. A widower with three…
Ballkids (or, scenes from a friendship) by the Voice In My Hands (VIMH) at fortyfivedownstairs – theatre review
So rich and raw, humorous and moving. This is a slice of life piece about a precious friendship forged between two girls at the age of 13 that carries them through to adulthood today, 22 years later. Isabella Yena plays Sam and Mich McCowage is Holly. The two “girls” meet at try outs for spots…
Zerial, at Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne – theatre review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
What an electrifying showcase of talent up close and personal. That is what is in store when you set foot inside Fairfax Studio at Arts Centre Melbourne to witness Zerial. It is a slick, enticing and highly entertaining program of fluid movement, breathtaking aerial acrobatics, dance par excellence and ear pleasing music and song. Eight…
