What is appropriate and inappropriate behaviour in a relationship between two adults, when one is clearly more powerful and significantly older than the other?That is the question raised and dissected in a crackling new MTC drama, Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes. It is 2014. Jon Macklem (Dan Spielman) is an acclaimed author with tenure at…
The scourge of opioid addiction is at the core of the dramatic thriller Crisis. A tension-filled opening sees a teenager, Cedric Beauville (Charles Champagne), in deep snow near the US-Canadian border being chased by unseen pursuers. The lad’s capture sets off a chain of events. Jake Kelly (Armie Hammer) is deep undercover. The Drug Enforcement…
Harry Potter is casting a spell over Melbourne anew, as well it deserves to. How fitting, as speculation mounts about expanding the eight film Potter series, the last of which was released in 2011. As the saying goes, there is a lot of love in the room for this production at the Princess Theatre. You can readily…
A steady stream of mum and dad jokes lay the foundations for Then Came You, written and starring Kathie Lee Gifford. Depending upon your perspective, you might find it pleasant or painful. Over a year ago, 60-something Annabelle lost her beloved husband Fred in an accident at their hardware store in Nantucket. The would-be entertainer…
Chaos Walking is a science fiction action adventure set on a distant planet known as New World in the year 2257. The male settlers are constantly bombarded with the thoughts of others in the settlement. These take the form of an unrelenting cacophony of sounds and visions, called The Noise. It drove the men insane…
In Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland, Fern (Frances McDormand) is a loner. The highly capable 61-year-old has little to her name. She’s averse to traditional societal norms. Now she leads a frugal, nomadic life with memories of the past with her now-departed husband. Fern has always been a free spirit. But she settled in a nondescript house…
Trust is in short supply in the Disney animated feature Raya and the Last Dragon. That’s because 500 years ago, sinister monsters known as the Druun turned most of the people and the dragons (who until then had lived in harmony) to stone. But the collective energies and special powers of five dragon siblings saved…
A Writer’s Odyssey is intriguing and a tad exasperating. This intricately woven crime fantasy explores power and loss … and making it as a storyteller. It crams a lot into its two-hour plus running time and requires concentration to follow. Guan Ning (Lei Jiayin) is heartbroken and isolated. He used to be a happily married…
Patricia Cornelius is one heck of a writer. She doesn’t pull her punches. Her dialogue hits you between the eyes. And so it is with RUNT, which she has co-created with her collaborators in an earlier multi award-winning work, SHIT, Susie Dee and Nicci Wilks. RUNT benefits from a stellar solo showing by Wilks, a searing…
The controversial topic of euthanasia comes under the microscope in Roger Michell’s drama Blackbird. Lily (Susan Sarandon) is in her late 60s and is terminally ill. Her husband, Paul (Sam Neill), a doctor, has the medication, which is legal in several states, but not where they live. He intends to administer it and make up…
