Year: 2017

Sydney Theatre Company presents THE TESTAMENT OF MARY, by Colm Toibin, in the Wharf 1 Theatre, Walsh Bay, 13 January – 23 February. I trained as an actor and have spent a long time/career teaching actors, so, I am just saying, as someone who has a high regard for acting and actors: The last productions from the Sydney Theatre Company (STC) for their Sydney audience concluded five weeks ago (or so) with the closing of A FLEA IN HER EAR (9 actors), SPEED THE PLOUGH (3 actors) and THE WHARF REVUE (4 actors). In the mean time Christmas and New Year, and…

Photograph by Steven Rhall Belvoir present an ILBIJERRI Theatre Company production is association with Sydney Festival, WHICH WAY HOME, by Katie Beckett, in the Downstairs Theatre, Belvoir St Theatre, Surry Hills, 11-29 January. WHICH WAY HOME, is a play by Katie Beckett. It is a kind of ‘love letter’ to her father. She wanted, she writes in the program notes to the production, ‘to give him something so he knows how special he is and what he means to me.’ Set in a car on a road journey back to her father’s country a Daughter and a Father remember, reflect…

Photo by Eric Berry Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta and Sydney Festival presents, HAKAWATI, created by Wayne Harrison, in the El Phoenician Restaurant, Parramatta, 11-21 January. HAKAWATI, is an evening of food and entertainment. It has been inspired by the Middle Eastern ancient tradition of storytelling and breaking bread. In the sophisticated circumstances of the El Phoenician restaurant in Church St, Parramatta a long table, seating 40-50 people, has been elegantly prepared for a four course dinner of Lebanese cuisine. At either end of the table, on a raised platform, an ornate wooden framed armed, high backed, red-velvet chair/throne awaits…

  Griffin Independent with Virginia Hyam present NOSFERATUTU or Bleeding at the Ballet, by Tommy Bradson, at the SBW Stables Theatre, Kings Cross. 7-21 January. NOSFERATUTU, or Bleeding at the Ballet, is a new work by Tommy Bradson, Directed by Sheridan Harbridge. This is a showcase piece written by Mr Bradson for Mr Bradson. It is a quasi comic piece with some songs supported by a live band/orchestra led by talented Steven Kreamer on keyboards- (Sally Schnickel-Brown, Cello; Olga Solar, Violin). Ms Harbridge and Brandyn Kaczmarczyk feature in two supporting roles. This concerns a Creature, Kevin, who has for four…

  Belvoir presents a La Boite Theatre Company and Brisbane Festival production in association with Sydney Festival, PRIZE FIGHTER, by Future D. Fidel, in the Upstairs Theatre, at Belvoir St Theatre, Surry Hills. 6-22 January. This Australian play, PRIZE FIGHTER, has been written by a refugee from the civil war torn Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Future D. Fidel. It is his first play. It was developed by the La Boîte Theatre Company in Brisbane. In the program notes Mr Fidel tells us, reminds some of us, that the mineral rich DRC has had a reported death toll of 5.4…

Cheek By Jowl with Pushkin Theatre Moscow present MEASURE FOR MEASURE, as part of the Sydney Festival, in the Roslyn Packer Theatre, Walsh Bay. 7-11 January. Some once said something like: If you want to know a man, give him power. (George Brandis, Bronwyn Bishop, Susan Ley, Alan Trudge, et al?) In MEASURE FOR MEASURE (1603-4), William Shakespeare’s play, The Duke of Vienna, Angelo and Isabella particularly are given power and what we see is there hu-maness. That all three have both God and the Devil moving their actions, each of those ‘concepts’ of God and Devil taking control-turn when…