Year: 2013

ALL MY SONS by Arthur Miller is the opening production at Sydney’s newest theatre building: the Eternity Theatre (located on the corner of Burton St and Palmer St, Darlinghurst). This renovation of an old church building has respected the historic origins of the site and constructed what seems, from the experience of this first production, a theatre that works for all (the irony of another church building becoming a theatre building, I, personally cherish, and remember, respectfully, the artists of times past, for the persecution that they suffered at the hands of the churches, not too long ago). The stage…

Don’t Look Away presents ROOTED by Alex Buzo in the Parade Studio, in the Parade Theatres, Kensington. Alex Buzo was an Australian artist in the vanguard of the Australian cultural ‘revolution’ of the late sixties. His play NORM AND AHMED (1968), directed by Jim Sharman for the Old Tote Theatre Company, became a sensational event, as it explored racism in the Australian context. The subsequent court cases of ‘obscenity’ around this play became a test case in the battles about censorship in this volatile youth inspired time (Whitlam’s government elected in this growing fervour, it seems), propelled Mr Buzo into…

Arts Projects Australia presents the Kneehigh production of Noel Coward’s BRIEF ENCOUNTER at The Concourse Theatres in Chatswood. This production by the UK based company, Kneehigh, BRIEF ENCOUNTER, began in 2008, and in form, if not cast, as toured internationally, and finally, here, as part of an extensive tour around Australia. Adapted and Directed by Emma Rice (joint Artistic Director, with Mike Shepherd, of Kneehigh). The sources of this work are from Noel Coward’s play STILL LIFE (a one act play, which is part of the TONIGHT AT 8.30, (1936), a collection of ten plays, that Coward wrote for himself…

Cathay Playhouse presents PALACE OF DESIRE (adapted from a television series) in the Everest Theatre, the Seymour Centre, Sydney. The Cathay Playhouse completes ten continuous years of production with this adaption of PALACE OF DESIRE for the theatre from a Chinese television series (Dramaturgy by Gordon GUO Zi-Qing). The work is a large historic epic played and created, supported by a passionate and disciplined volunteer group of amateur artists. Like the other work that I have seen in past years: DE-LING and EMPRESS DOWAGER (2010) and the famous, THUNDERSTORM (2012) by Cao Yu, the look of the production is quite…

Photo by Kurt Sneddon James Anthony productions and George Youakim in association with Youakim Investments presents DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, Book by Jeffrey Lane. Music and Lyrics by David Yazbeck at the Theatre Royal, King St. Sydney. DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS is the best production of a musical that I have seen in Sydney for a very long time. DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUDRELS is a kind of ‘buddy-grifter-screwball’ comedy with music. The Book by Jeffery Lane, based on the 1988 film written by Dale Lauder and Stanley Shapiro and Paul Henning – starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin – is a preposterous confection…

Belvoir presents SMALL AND TIRED by Kit Brookman in the Downstairs Theatre at Belvoir St Theatre, Surry Hills. SMALL AND TIRED by Kit Brookman is a new Australian play about family. About family and the secrets of families. About the individuals that make up a family. About the secrets of each of the individuals that make up that family. The son (Luke Mullins) returns home after a long self-exile to arrange his father’s – an ex-army officer’s, – funeral. His estranged mother (Sandy Gore) has been reluctant, and his emotionally disturbed sister (Susan Prior) is unable. The internal politics of…