Performing Arts Reviews:
2008–2022

  Ensemble Theatre present the World Premiere of THE RASPUTIN AFFAIR, by Kate Mulvany, at the Ensemble Theatre, Kirribilli. 1 April – 30 April. THE RASPUTIN AFFAIR is a new Australian play by Kate Mulvany. The play is concerned with the assassination, in December, 1916, of Rasputin, a Russian peasant, semi-literate monk and mystic, who exercised extraordinary power over the last of the ruling Romanoff family: Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra. There is a note in the program: Although this play is based on true people and events, some events and characters in this play have been fictionalised…

Genesian Theatre present, UNDER MILK WOOD, by Dylan Thomas, at the Genesain Theatre, 420 Kent St. City of Sydney. (Closes April 8th) The Genesian Theatre, like the New Theatre, are two of the oldest theatre institutions in continuing practise in Sydney. Both are classified as Amateur Theatres. The definition of ‘amateur’ in my Macquarie Dictionary provides an idea I cherish: One who cultivates any study or art or other activity for personal pleasure instead of professionally or for gain. This can define most of the participants who toil for these companies. However, it should be noted, that even in this…

Photo by Hayden Anderson Hurrah Hurrah present, TRADE, at The Old 505 Theatre, Elizabeth St. Newtown. 4 April-15 April. TRADE is a work that has been in development since 2013. Hurrah Hurrah is a company led by Alison Bennett that is interested in devising its own work: “Overarchingly, we’re interested in movement and the meeting of the movement and text.” This work was initially inspired by the fall of the French rogue trader Jerome Kerviel who lost 5 million pound in illegal futures trading. Who was responsible for such a thing to be able to happen? This show with a…

Ensemble Theatre presents TWO, by Jim Cartwright, at the Ensemble Theatre, Kirribilli. 24 March – 6 May. TWO is play by Jim Cartwright written in 1989. It is a play for two actors playing fourteen characters. TWO, like Mr Cartwright’s first and famous play, ROAD (1986), comes from his identity and personal ownership of the private dilemmas of his community, focusing on the marginalised and disenfranchised. He was born in Farnsworth, Lancashire, and has lived in that ‘Northern’ area all his life. TWO, reflects the Northern community coping with the government of Margaret Thatcher and its effects on local industry…

Griffin Theatre Company in association with Malthouse Theatre presents, THE HOMOSEXUALS OR ‘FAGGOTS’ by Declan Greene, at the SBW Stables Theatre, Kings Cross. 17 March – 29 April. THE HOMOSEXUALS OR ‘FAGGOTS’ is a new Australian play by Declan Greene. Mr Greene gave us EIGHT GIGABYTES OF HARDCORE PORNOGRAPHY, in 2014, and we have seen other work under the banner of Sisters Grimm (LITTLE MERCY; SUMMERTIME IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN) around the other Main Stage theatre spaces in Sydney. The audience are anecdotally told by two men of a recent event in their lives: These two homosexual men at…

Photograph by Rupert Reid Shaw and Partners, in association with Red Line Productions, present, CRIMES OF THE HEART, by Beth Henley, at the Old Fitz Theatre, Cathedral St. Woolloomooloo. 15 March – 8 April. CRMES OF THE HEART, was Beth Henley’s first full length play, and was seen at the Manhattan Theatre Club and then onto Broadway, where it played for 535 performances in the John Golden Theatre, winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1981. I remember seeing it on my second trip to New York, Mary Beth Hurt as Meg Magrath, Holly Hunter as Babe, and Peter MacNicol as Lawyer,…