The idiosyncratic, quirky and offbeat coming of age tale Girl Asleep has more in common with the droll style of Napoleon Dynamite and the films of Wes Anderson than the sweet-natured rom-coms of the late John Hughes. It also plays with the familiar tropes of the genre, and embraces the mystery and trauma of growing…
What are the lengths to which people will go to get what they want? What does it mean to be a mother? These are the pivotal questions posed in the acerbic drama, Petty, Cash, a world premiere work written by prolific young playwright Thomas Ian Doyle. Centrelink has earmarked a wad of cash for development…
I Love You Now is a new Australian play by Jeanette Cronin, for two actors, Jeanette Cronin and Paul Gleeson, directed by Kim Hardwick, designed by Isabel Hudson with a lighting design by Martin Kinnane supported by co-composers and sound designers, Max Lambert and Roger Lock. Leo (Paul Gleeson) and June (Jeanette Cronin) have loved…
The London life of a young actor can be one of flopped auditions, money scrounging, crummy rentals and the occasional spot of couch surfing. Emily Proudman has just lost her day job as well as her agent, so at this point is absolutely open to all opportunities that could save her from yet another begging…
Violence abounds in American Assassin, a revenge flick which pits the CIA against the forces that instigate terror against the west. We are introduced to Mitch Rapp, a one-of-a-kind American assassin, who possesses savage skills and a ferocious drive for payback. This is the story of a 21st century counter-terrorist spymaster-in-the-making who, in a world of…
Disney’s latest animated offering, Ralph Breaks the Internet, just lifted the roof on what’s possible. It’s not only extremely clever, but funny and engaging for the whole family. Wreck-It Ralph (voiced by Jon C. Reilly) and Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) have been best friends since their previous misadventures (six years ago in Wreck-It Ralph), hanging…
I swear I close my eyes and I can hear the late, great John Denver. When I open them and see Darren Coggan performing in front of me, he bears a striking similarity to the world-renowned acoustic folk musician, born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31st, 1943 – October 12th, 1997). For well over an hour,…
A disturbing and unsettling drama about madness, toxic masculinity and unhealthy obsession, Deerskin (aka Le Daim) is the latest film from French electronic musician turned filmmaker Quentin Dupieux. His absurdist films have always done well on the festival circuit, and this oddball drama again explores some of his usual themes. Georges (played by Oscar winner…
The sumptuous big-screen soapie Crazy Rich Asians feels like a guilty pleasure. Based on the bestseller by Kevin Kwan, this is a contemporary rom-com that takes a fun look at what can happen when young love collides with old money. The story follows New York economics professor Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) as she accompanies her…
What does it take to push a disenchanted young man over to the dark side? That question is answered in all its destructive ugliness in the incendiary play Blackpill: Redux. It is a reworked expansion of a production that captured the imagination at Theatre Works’ more experimental venue, The Explosives Factory, last April. Eli (Oliver…
