Performing Arts Reviews:
2008–2022

BELL SHAKESPEARE presents MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING by William Shakespeare at the Drama Theatre, in the Sydney Opera House. A set design (Stephen Curtis) sits in the space in a dominating fashion. A giant fresco wall of romantic images of giant mythical figures, the impact luscious at first glance, but on closer study reveals signs of wasting on the edges and hasty repair and ‘gutting’ by a large folding door, centrally. Pieces of odd and ruined furniture spread across the room – a piano of ruined tones and wear, included. There is a sense of a time when the wealth…

  PICTURES OF BRIGHT LIGHTS by Maree Freeman, presented by Little Ones Theatre in association with Tamarama Rock Surfers Company at the Bondi Pavilion Theatre. PICTURES OF BRIGHT LIGHTS is a new Australian play. This work was one of several works that emerged from the new NIDA Playwrighting Course (one year full-time) in 2010 and now has been curated by The Tamarama Rock Surfers Company with Little Ones Theatre as part of the inaugural Bondi Pavilion season. A mother (Caroline Craig) and father (Kurt Phelan) have a daughter (Eryn Jean Norvill). The family lead a normal routine life: packing Dad’s…

Belvoir presents THE BUSINESS by Jonathan Gavin, based on VASSA ZHELEZNOVA by Maxim Gorky, in the Upstairs Theatre at the Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney. This is a new Australian play by Jonathan Gavin, set in the 1980’s about a successful business family that is on the cusp of inter-generational change. The heirs, spoilt by the wealth of the hard work of their parents, are waiting to indulge the spree that wealth without responsibility can give. They want to sell up the business and indulge (“I want a yacht!”). But there is still life in the old guard-gal yet, and mum…

  TINY STADIUMS FESTIVAL produced by PACT and Curated by Quarterbred at the PACT Theatre, Erskinville. TINY STADIUMS FESTIVAL, curated by Quarterbred and produced by PACT “presents a season of performance and a weekend of works made for public spaces with live, sonic, visual and participatory projects from some of Australia’s (most exciting (emerging) artists” from 2-15 May, 2011. A season of live performance simply called DOUBLE BILL, includes EXECUTIVE STRESS / CORPORATE RETREAT invented by Applespiel and CHEER UP KID by Nat Randall. They can be seen as a double bill or separately. Apppelspiel have devised a program presenting…

Performance Space, Carriage Works and version1.0 present THE DISAPPEARANCES PROJECT at Carriageworks, Redfern, Sydney. THE DISAPPEARANCES PROJECT presented by version 1.0 concerns itself with the world of missing persons, and, more specifically, this work deals with the people left behind without ‘closure’. On an oblong of neat carpet, in front of a large screen for projection, are two high backed, uncomfortable looking, wooden chairs, that, after the production begins, two actors, Yana Taylor and Irving Gregory sit, and in a highly stylised vocal delivery, recall details of the events surrounding the disappearance and the aftermath of the void left by…

TRAPTURE presented by Sands through the Hourglass in association with Tamarama Rock Surfers Theatre at the Old Fitzroy Theatre. TRAPTURE, says the blurb, is bleeding theatre into performance art. Oh, yeah. “Outrageous and visceral”! – mmm? For who? A woman (Sarah Enright) dressed in slinky full length dress and gag greets each of us as we enter the Old Fitz theatre space. The walls are draped in plastic, the seats are covered in plastic. There is an air of fun (and potential danger?) Above the stage there is a technical arsenal of sound gear, being treated by Basil Hogios, live,…