Poppycock and balderdash. That sums up the theatre of the absurd production that is Bladderwrack at Theatre Works’ Explosives Factory. It is errant nonsense – a fruit loop pantomime with a few operatic interludes. Inspirations include Spike Milligan and The Goon Show, so we shouldn’t be surprised. Bladderwrack starts with some light-hearted banter and audience…
A man mistreats a woman in a relationship – emotionally or physically, or both. The warning signs are there, so why doesn’t the woman leave? Why doesn’t she get out at the first sign of a red flag? If only, it was that simple. Truth be told, expressing regret, saying they will be better, that…
Evocative and entertaining, All is Good … in the Glow of Moonlight is a remarkable insight into the life and times of Soviet writer Isaac Babel and his creations. It is resplendent with vivid storytelling and fine music. Babel (played by Joseph Sherman) was born in Moldavanka, a historical part of Odessa, in the Russian…
First up, a confession. I am not sure I really understood The Selkie Project. The whole thing felt experimental and somewhat repetitive, even though it only ran for one hour and 10 minutes. It is based around an ancient myth, whereby a seal-like creature removes her skin to take on human form and taste the…
A pugilist’s confessional, Shadow Boxing is tough, gritty and unrelenting. Samuel Addison features as the boxer, whose father, Errol Sebastian Flynn (who we never meet), also put on the gloves. His 47 fights produced only eight wins and his son recalls the vitriol directed at his dad as he lay spreadeagled on the canvas with…
Sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll. The heartbeat of a suburb is captured in St Kilda Tales. All but two hours of movement and conversation is partly overlaid with music. Ten actors play characters looking for connection, among them friends and the disenfranchised, prostitutes and druggies. On occasion, a single conversation dominates proceedings. At other…
A young employee, Eli (Oliver Tapp), is sacked from his sales job for his intimidatory social media posts outside work to ex-girlfriend Carina. She subsequently reported him to his employer. He is angry and aggrieved and seeks her out for an explanation, but she keeps blocking him. Short of rent money and in a dark…
Competition can be invigorating, but also dramatic and soul destroying. That is the theme of the two parter created under the auspices of Theatre Works’ Early Career Artists’ Program. As you enter the theatre for Part I, named The Volition Project, you are handed several tokens by one of the actors. On those tokens are…
Devastating bushfires and a baby koala and miner in peril. These are just two of the interwoven threads that run through the excellent, interactive solo work KOAL, in which sound, music and lighting play a critically important role. The piece was conceived by performer Jacinta Yelland. In 2019, she was sitting in her living room in the United…
The ocean, the family, the lover – 20 years on a man returns to his childhood home and revives memories of his past. I speak of a small coastal town in El Salvador, a place he swore he would never return. So, why did he feel the need to leave and now why go back on his…
