Month: March 2017

  Sydney Theatre Company present, CHIMERICA, by Lucy Kirkwood, in the Roslyn Packer Theatre, Walsh Bay. 28 February – 1 April. CHIMERICA, is a three hour (plus interval) play of epic scale, written by Lucy Kirkwood, that premiered at the Almeida Theatre, in London, in 2013. The play is epic in length, epic in production values, epic in cast, and best of all, epic in ideas. On a virtual empty stage, with the action of a revolve stage, the production swirls into that space creating locations for some 39 scenes, that are, at different times, naturalistic, emblematic (Brechtian?), surreal. The…

The Puzzle Collective and Shakespeare Twentyscore present, SUPERHAL, adapted by John Galea, from Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part One and Two, and Henry V, at the Parade Theatre, NIDA, Kensington. 7 March – 18 March. Says John Galea, the Director and Script Editor, of SUPERHAL: When watching Henry IV, Directed by John Bell, “I could see that there was a fully fledged archetypical origin story, a mythic father/son conflict (the source of Mario Puzo’s Godfather) sitting in between history and legend. … As usual, my head was full of sic-fi, fantasy and Marvel. … I was encouraged by the hugely positive…

White Box in association with The Seymour Centre present, BLACKROCK, by Nick Enright, in the Reginald Theatre, at the Seymour Centre, Chippendale. 9 March – In 1989 there was a horrendous beachside murder of a young girl during a surf club party that had social and political reverberations throughout the state of New South Wales (NSW). In 1992, the Freewheel Theatre in Education commissioned a play from Nick Enright: A PROPERTY OF THE CLAN, to bring discussion within the community of the cultural circumstances that could evolve such behaviour. In 1995, Mr Enright re-visited the material and for the Sydney…

One Eyed Man Productions in association with Neglected Musicals and Hayes Theatre Co presents, CALAMITY JANE, a musical, at the Hayes Theatre. 9 March – 1 April, 2017. CALAMITY JANE, is adapted by Ronald Hanmer and Phil Park, from the stage play by Charles K. Freeman, after Warner Bros. film written by James O’Hanlon. Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. Music by Sammy Fain. Doris Day and Howard Keel made the Hollywood musical, CALAMITY JANE, in 1953, which began the super trajectory to Number 1 Box Office star for Doris day, for several years, beginning in 1960. Calamity was a real…

HIDDEN FIGURES HIDDEN FIGURES, tells the story of African-American women,mathematicians, involved crucially in the NASA Space Program in the1960’s, in its race with the Soviet Union and its Space program. In2017, a story of timely importance, definitely politically, for ourtimes. It is an important story, then. I, I should confess, was moved,cried and smiled often. Manipulated pleasantly like the rest of you. This was despite the film-making having all the hall marks of anAffirmative Action movie that Ticks All the Boxes on how to make apopular commercial product. Now, there is nothing, essentially, wrongwith that except it is, in this…

Sydney Symphony Orchestra presents, YOUNG RUSSIANS – Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich, in the Concert Hall, at the Sydney Opera House. 1st, 3rd and 4th March. YOUNG RUSSIANS was a program of music from three of the greats of music of the last century. Music from the three greats, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich right at the beginning of their career. All three pieces are auguries of their coming contribution to world music. Sergei Prokofiev wrote his CLASSICAL SYMPHONY. OP 25 (SYMPHONY No. 1 in D) in the summer of 1917, at the age of 26, right at the beginning of the…