The subject matter might be stomach churning, but its entertainment and engagement value certainly is not. Soundworks Productions’ Sweeney Todd is triumphant thanks to strong performances, astute direction and compelling staging. If you have never seen Sweeney Todd before, I dare say that having done so you will never look at meat pies quite the…
A superb showcase of future musical talent, Patrick School of the Arts’ presentation of Carrie: The Musical is a beauty. There are so many talented performers in the 18 strong cast, all drawn from third year musical theatre students at the school. Based on Stephen King’s debut novel, integrating elements of the 1976 supernatural horror…
Imagine turning a break-in at the British Museum in London into a compelling rock musical. Well – it has happened. And, I am not just talking about any run of the mill heist either. Rather, it is about stealing back stuff that didn’t belong there in the first instance. So it is that Artefact (or,…
Tragicomic in nature, Sweet Charity features a series of big musical numbers. It premiered on Broadway in 1966, was nominated for nine Tony Awards (winning one for choreography) and continues to resonate. With book by Neil Simon, music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by Dorothy Fields, it is based on the screenplay for the 1957…
Relationships can be complicated beasts. That is shown up in all its tangled glory (well, not so much glory) in Four Play. Rafe (Anthony Jacobsen) and Pete (Reuby Chip), both virgins when they met at university, have been in an exclusive relationship for seven and a half years. That’s when Pete puts forward an unusual…
Once is a sparkling, witty, lyrical tale about a couple who fall quickly and deeply in love, but whose individual circumstances (read complications) see them hold back. Their connection is music and the title refers to a once in a lifetime encounter, complete with magnetism, vulnerability and healing. Based on the 2006 movie by John…
I entered the theatre really wanting to like the new Australian comedy The Last Parma Night, but I am afraid I didn’t even get close to doing so. In fact, I struggled greatly with it. It suffered from a slow start and, in my eyes, it never gained a foothold. The storyline concerns a bloke,…
Add a series of compelling, up-tempo songs to the darkly comedic gore that has spawned a cult following, stir liberally and you have the makings of a hit musical. As unlikely as that might sound, that – in a nutshell – is Evil Dead: The Musical. We are savage trees, dismemberment and chainsaws, so “yes”,…
Provocative from the opening scene, Afterglow sets out to push the envelope. It starts with shadow play of a heated ménage à trois between three buff men, two in their 30s and one in his 20s. Thereafter, the play features full frontal nudity and steamy shower scenes. Yes, a real shower with an imposingly large…
Do you believe in ghosts? Noted sceptic and author Professor Adrian Chambers (Peter Houghton) most certainly does not? The 62-year-old has written 14 books on the subject. At a very poorly attended new book reading and signing, he is waylaid by the only person who turns up, librarian Beth Jackson (Emily Trheny). Although their awkward…
