Performing Arts Reviews:
2008–2022

Carriageworks and The 18th Biennale of Sydney present CESNA, Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker and Bjorn Schmelzer, Rosas and graindelavoix. CESNA is the second part of a dance diptych, the first being EN ATTENDANT, realised by Anne Teresa Keersmaeker with her dance company Rosas and Belgian artists Michel Francois and Ann Veronica Jessens at Carriageworks. Both pieces were originally performed in the open air, EN ATTENDANT in gathering twilight into darkness, CESNA, on the other hand, is danced in a re-creation of the start of the day as the light begins to arrive, here in Sydney, through the gradual addition of…

  Cirque Du Soleil present OVO, under the Grand Chapiteau in the Showring at the Entertainment Quarter, Sydney. OVO is the 25th production of the Cirque Du Soleil. “OVO takes you through a day in the life of the insects. A non-stop riot of energy and movement, the show is a headlong rush into a colourful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love.” If you are looking for a reference to the world of this show, think ANTZ, the 1998 Dreamworks Animation, as I, delightfully, did, and you are on your way.…

  Tamarama Rock Surfers Theatre Company present I WANT TO SLEEP WITH TOM STOPPARD – a new play by Toby Schmitz at the Bondi pavilion, at Bondi Beach. I WANT TO SLEEP WITH TOM STOPPARD is the latest play by Toby Schmitz – yes, that actor we read about in both the two major papers two weekends ago, who is about to impersonate Elyot Chase in Noel Coward’s super erudite comic masterpiece PRIVATE LIVES for our delectation and, I hope, delicious appreciation. Mr Schmitz has also being writing for many, many years now, and he is pretty good at it.…

Meredith Penman and Iain Sinclair – Photography by John Feely ARTHUR and Griffin Independent present THE SEA PROJECT by Elise Hearst at the SBW Stables Theatre, Kings Cross. THE SEA PROJECT is the second play by Elise Hearst that I have seen. The first was DIRTYLAND and it was produced by the same artistic team, ARTHUR – (at least, Director Paige Rattray; Designer, David Fleischer; Lighting Designer, Ross Graham), but at the New Theatre under THE SPARE ROOM project initiated by that company (now, already, sadly, a little defunct). THE SEA PROJECT, like DIRTYLAND, deals with the middle European emigration story,…

    The Old 505 Theatre presents RIDE by Jane Bodie at the Old 505 Theatre space, Hibernian House, Elizabeth St Central Railway. Two livers of life, a ‘he’ and a ‘she’, wake up in the same bed, no knowing how they met, where they met, when they met, who each other are, and what or why they wanted, to get into this bed, or, even did they do IT! These two young culture representatives, perhaps, of the binge obliterators of real life, as they know it, and that we have been reading about in our newspapers (especially Monday mornings),…

  Captivate and Shaun Parker and Company presents THE YARD, at Riverside Theatres, Parramatta. THE YARD is a dance work created by Shaun Parker and Company along with Captivate. Shaun Parker and Company are well known to us, especially because of HAPPY AS LARRY (Seymour Centre) – a work I especially liked. Captivate, on the other hand, is new to me. It is “the Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta’s creative and performing arts initiative for students in Western Sydney primary and secondary Catholic schools.” NINE participating schools make up the cast of this show – from Rooty Hill, Hassall Grove, Marayong,…