Performing Arts Reviews:
2008–2022

 Rachel Gordon, Ian Meadows & Ash Ricardo – Photo by Brett Boardman Griffin Theatre Company presents the World Premiere of BETWEEN TWO WAVES by Ian Meadows at the SBW Stables Theatre, Kings Cross. A passionate Climate Studies scientist, Daniel (Ian Meadows) takes a role in a government department in an attempt to help persuade the same government policy makers to be more aware and more realistic about the probable state of the world’s climate future, both near,and far, in time: The carbon dioxide traps the heat. When the temperature rises two degrees we lose the Arctic sea ice, then West…

Photo by Jeff Busby Howard Panter for The Ambassador Group and John Frost in association with MGM ON STAGE, Darcie Denkert and Dean Stolber present LEGALLY BLONDE. Music and Lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin. Book by Heather Hatch. Based upon the novel by Amanda Brown and The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Motion Picture at the Lyric Theatre, Star City. LEGALLY BLONDE is a musical I caught in London a couple of years ago . I saw it in the beginning of its long season (see my post on that production here). It was a great, fun couple of hours. It was divinely…

Photo by Lucy Parakhina The Old 505 Theatre presents THE CRIMINALS by Jose Triana (translated by Adrian Mitchell) at the Old 505 Theatre, Hibernian House, Elizabeth St, Central Railway. THE CRIMINALS (La Noche de los Asesinos -The Night of the Assassins) by Jose Triana, has been translated by Adrian Mitchell. Apparently there are two versions of the play written by Mr Triana, a Cuban writer. The first in 1957 whilst the writer was living in Spain during the time of the Cuban revolution against Fulgencio Batista. The second in 1965 after he had returned to Cuba and was part of the…

  Sydney Theatre Company presents SEX WITH STRANGERS by Laura Eason at Wharf 1, Hickson Rd. SEX WITH STRANGERS is a contemporary, American, romantic comedy (rom-com) for two actors by Laura Eason. Olivia (Jacqueline McKenzie) is a 39 year old teacher, who once wrote a novel. The critical response and the public response to that novel was crucially poor. It scared her off that particular career path, although, when the play begins, she is wrestling with a draft of a new novel at a writer’s retreat (a luxury bed and breakfast) in a snow blizzard, in rural Michigan. A young…

  Tamarama Rock Surfers and Fat Boy Dancing present WRECKING by Dan Giovannoni at the Old Fitzroy Theatre. WRECKING by Dan Giovannoni is a new Australian play that deals with two groups of people, from widely different social opportunities, living next to each other in the same approximate spaces – perhaps, somewhere like Sydney’s Wooloomooloo (the play was inspired by a true event). A dentist, Miles (Matt Hopkins) and his civic-minded wife, Alana (Kimberly Hews) are living in a renovated terrace, and nearby are two ‘floating’ lost souls living on the streets, Ned (Paul Blenheim) and Lexie (Amanda McGregor), who…

  Siren Theatre Co in partnership with The Darlinghurst Theatre Company presents THE LUNCH HOUR by Chris Aronsten at the Darlinghurst Theatre. THE LUNCH HOUR by Chris Aronsten is a wildly ambitious play. It begins as pell mell farce with characters, initially perceived as possible satiric types that move into the second act of the work to a dark psychological critique of a most challenging kind, to finally launch into one of the bleakest music theatre climaxes that I have seen since the last production of Stephen Sondheim’s ASSASSINS. Six struggling artists who in the languors of their careers work…