Man, was David Mamet angry or what when he wrote Glengarry Glen Ross? From the opening scene to the epilogue, this dialogue-packed production is full of the most colourful and lewd insults you are likely to hear. Did I feel intimidated? A little. Was I surprised by some of the language? Yes. Were the characters,…
With no shortage of drama, hijinks and a surfeit of musical talent, this unauthorised musical parody is pure gold for Harry Potter fans. It is 1942 and we are in Hogwarts castle. There, Professor Dumbledore (Ellis Dolan) is holding court trying to control his students. Among them are Muffin Rows (Mel O’Brien), who has a penchant for…
Bigger & Blacker begins with Steven Oliver’s iconic line from ABC’s Black Comedy. It is appropriate, given that the Cloncurry-born writer and actor is probably best-known for his sketch performances in the fast-paced, provocative and bold foray into race relations. However, as his autobiographical comedy cabaret shows, there is much more to this self-proclaimed faboriginal…
Triple X is an honest and moving love story that is powerful and entertaining. Scotty (Josh McConville) is living the dream. A successful Wall Street banker, he is about to marry his beautiful and rich girlfriend. On the eve of their wedding, his family descends on his recently purchased multi-million dollar Tribeca loft. There are philosophical…
The audience is excited for opening night of Shaun The Sheep’s Circus Show. It is a collaboration between Brisbane-based Circa Contemporary Circus and Aardman Animations, creators of the multi-award-winning TV series Shaun the Sheep. Devised by Richard Starzak, the show is a spectacle of staging, using the height and depth of QPAC’s Lyric Theatre to…
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…
Opening night of Altitude Theatre’s production of The Producers sees the Brisbane Powerhouse foyer filled with a red carpet, media wall and much excitement in anticipation of failure. Such is the story of fading Broadway producer Max Bialystock (Matt Young), who stumbles upon a seemingly failsafe scheme to profit from a flop. In partnership with…
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…
In a rare occurrence, the cast of The Curator’s Australian premiere production of The Revolutionists receives audience applause before any members have even spoken a word. It comes, appropriately, in recognition of the show’s bold beginning, which sees its four characters bursting down a fashion runway. While our eyes follow them, another appears in waiting….
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…
