In the Heights is an American musical that first saw the light of day in 2005. It arrived on Broadway in 2008. Nominated for 13 Tony Awards, it won 4, including best musical. This work was conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also wrote the lyrics and music. The show centres on a corner of shops…
Ten minutes into Abigail’s Party, I was thinking, “if only the playwright (renowned British scribe Mike Leigh) had killed off all his characters”. Then we wouldn’t have to sit through the rest of this drivel. I was looking around, disinterested in the material. The whole sorry episode seemed simply mindless nonsense. Fast-forward another 90 minutes and I…
Can lightning strike twice? Well, “yes” according to playwright Lachlan Philpott whose work was inspired by real life events. Colder concerns the disappearance of David in Disneyland at age seven and then again in a different place 26 years later. On the first occasion, he reappears after seven frantic hours. The second time, he does…
With wrists stamped, audiences enter into the reckless LED-lit world of a Brisbane nightclub. They’re entering Bouncers – and all the abandon that show entails. The observational account of a Friday night from heartBeast Theatre, features four male cast members, Chris Vaag, Campbell Lindsey, Peter Condon and Rowan Howard. Dressed in suit and tie ensembles, they play all…
Strong, emotive performances are the hallmark of Venus in Fur. This sado-masochistic two-hander is brim full of verbiage. It’s a play within a play, during which the power shifts. New York theatre director Thomas (Darcy Kent) is trying to cast the lead female role for a play. It’s a play he’s adapted from the 19th century book…
A super clown act and an extraordinarily nimble pole dancer are among the highlights of the burlesque-style Cabaret de Paris. It showcases bejewelled dancers in skimpy and elegant attire, headlined by a former star of Paris’s Moulin Rouge, Marissa Burgess. Best known as the spiritual birthplace of the modern can-can, Moulin Rouge has been a drawcard…
Queensland Theatre is putting the emphasis on fast and furious fun at the Cremorne Theatre as the comic adaptation of John Buchan’s novel and Alfred Hitchcock’s film, The 39 Steps, woos capacity audiences. The Master of Suspense brought John Buchan’s much loved 1915 Boys’ Own story to the big screen in 1935. But it’s a…
A Pacifist’s Guide to the War on Cancer is heartfelt, bold, funny and heart-wrenching. It’s also a flawed blancmange as a piece of performance art that many will, no doubt, applaud. I love the energy and vitality of Bryony Kimmings. She’s one of the playwrights, and the narrator of the piece. The single mum tells a story of…
What a legacy the Swedish pop group ABBA has left the world! That was my overwhelming sentiment while watching the fun of Mamma Mia! unfold at Capitol Theatre in Sydney. It’s a heartwarming romp that gets better until the final three crowd-pleasing numbers. The whole audience is on its feet clapping its hands and dancing to…
Disney’s Aladdin is simply a mind-blowing visual experience that had the audience in ecstasies that resembled an old time US revival meeting as they screamed, cheered, and gasped in adoration. With American accents it was Disney all the way with feel, audience pitch, values and quality. For me, after an adult life time involved in…
