Year: 2013

Photo by Gez Xavier Mansfield Dreamingful Productions presents ATOMIC – A New Musical in the Parade Playhouse, Parade Theatres, Kensington. ATOMIC – A New Musical performed in the Parade Playhouse in Kensington is a work in development – progress. A workshop reading was, so I am told, held in February of this year. It seems that much as been going on since then. One of the writers is an Australian, Danny Ginges, working with Gregory Bonsignore, an American, both on the Book and Lyrics. Philip Foxman of Australian/American background has been collaborating on the Music and Lyrics. All assisted by…

2013 Reginald Season. Squabbalogic Independent Music Theatre proudly presents CARRIE, The Musical, in the Reginald Theatre, the Seymour Centre, Sydney. CARRIE, The Musical in the Reginald Theatre at the Seymour Centre is using a 2012 re-working that was presented off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Originally, presented in 1988 on Broadway, in the Virginia Theatre, it survived only16 preview and 5 performances, costing the investors some $8 million when it pre-maturely closed – a total disaster. Based on the 1974 book by Stephen King and the 1976 movie directed by Brian De Palma, and starring Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie…

Belvoir presents HAMLET by William Shakespeare in the Upstairs Theatre, Belvoir St, Surry Hiills. HAMLET by William Shakespeare, is, perhaps the challenge, the equivalent measuring stick for a theatre company and its artistic endeavours as, say, Tchaikovsky’s SWAN LAKE may be for the Ballet Companies of the World, or, Wagner’s DE RING DES NIBELUNGEN may be for an Opera Company, or, Beethoven’s NINTH SYMPHONY for a Concert Orchestra. This production of HAMLET at the Belvoir Theatre is an adaptation by Simon Stone of William Shakespeare’s play, for 8 actors and 2 musicians. The original text has been severely edited and…

Melbourne Festival presents Nature Theater of Oklahoma (USA) in LIFE AND TIMES: EPISODES 1-4, at the Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse. Kelly Copper and Pavol Liska met up while studying writing and theatre at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, and after moving to New York in 2004, created a company:Nature Theater of Oklahoma – it, adopted from a name of a dubious and promising troop in Kafka’s unfinished novel AMERIKA. I first saw this company in 2009 as part of the Sydney Festival, in their work NO DICE. I was won over and have followed their progress ever since. Earlier this…

Powerhouse Youth Theatre (PYT) presents THE VIOLENCE PROJECT at Fairfield School of Arts, Harris Street, Fairfield. THE VIOLENCE PROJECT is a short verbatim project (45 minutes) researched and prepared by this young company: “Forty nine different voices from dozens of different countries, many in languages other than English, have come together for this project. These are stories from young people from Western Sydney, their response to violence, how they perceive it and live with it, and how their experiences are unique.” This work does not depict violent acts but is reflective in attempting to explain the reasons for it. It…

pantsguys, Geraldine Timmins and ATYP Under The Wharf present SWEET NOTHINGS by David Harrower, after Arthur Schnitzler at ATYP Studio 1, Pier 4 Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay. SWEET NOTHINGS is an adaptation by David Harrower (2010) of the Viennese writer, Arthur Schnitzler’s play, LIEBELIE (!895). Arthur Schnitzler first came to my attention with the National Theatre’s production of his long, sexually sophisticated play, DAS WEITE LAND (1911) translated/adapted by Tom Stoppard, in 1979, as UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY, at the National Theatre in London. REIGEN (1897) I have known as LA RONDE (have seen many times) – a ten scene set of…