Set against the backdrop of The Troubles* in Northern Ireland, this searing debut play for Australian writer Grace Chapple tells of the personal fallout for a group of friends. With explosions heard at close quarters, events take place in Belfast, near the border, over three time frames. Besties Dierdre (Enya Daly) and Niamh (Ella Ferris)…
Twenty tracks, some deliberately discordant, others melodic, written to one of history’s greatest literary figures – that is the inventiveness of The Juliet Letters. The changes in tempo reflect significant mood shifts – from bitterness, disillusion and despair to vulnerability, cynicism and obsession. It is the work of an unlikely pairing, English rock singer/songwriter Elvis…
Bold and bodacious, why wouldn’t I start crowing about Year of the Rooster (the third part of what has become known as The Beast Trilogy by Spinning Plates Co.)? The others were The Crocodile (2023) and Rhinoceros (2024). Year of the Rooster is theatre of the absurd on steroids, with larger-than-life characters that bring attitude….
The power and punch of Martin Crimp’s 2019 free adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac, as superbly realised by Artefact Theatre Company, will stay with me for a long time. It is a sharp, modern version of Edmond Rostand’s classic love triangle, set in 17th century France, with toxic masculinity at its core. Insecurity and self-loathing…
The ugly threat of colonialism looms large in Brodie Murray’s well realised Soul of Possum. We are on the Murray River – Wamba Wamba country – in 1853. Suddenly, the bush is devoid of its usual wildlife. There is an unseen danger. Wirramanda (Balla Neba) tries to warn brothers from another clan, but they are…
Intense. Visceral. Passionate. Angry. Confronting. My instant reaction to a remarkable two-man show about art and what it means. It is the late 1950s. A master painter lets loose – doesn’t hold back – in “schooling” his assistant. In short, it is verbal diatribe of biblical proportions. Ken (Jordan Briggs) is like the cat that…
Artist Joy Hester (21st August, 1920 – 4th December, 1960) didn’t run with the pack. Despite being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma at age 27, given a year to live and told to put her house in order, she continued to do things her way. She thumbed her nose at the doctor and at the establishment….
For someone who unashamedly struggles with Shakespeare (I never studied the Bard at school and find his language challenging), I was invested in Othello. I should add that my practice is never to read anything about a play before I see it. The reason – it must speak to me on its own merits. So,…
What a stunning song cycle! It premiered off the West End in 2008 and off Broadway the following year and first appeared in Australia in 2012. The work of American composer and lyricist Adam Gwon, it concerns two relationships in New York City. Warren (Joel Granger) is an artist who is house sitting another artist’s…
If you ever want evidence that sex sells, go and see Miss Julie. It is all about manipulation, class, power and control, which is just as delicious as it sounds. That is the currency in a modern retelling of Swedish playwright August Strindberg’s 1888 play. Set in the pressure cooker environment of the kitchen of…
