Performing Arts Reviews:
2008–2022

Photo by Photo Bob Seary New Theatre presents, THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED, by Douglas Carter Beane, at the New Theatre, King St, Newtown. 7 February – 4 March. THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED, by American writer, Douglas Carter Beane, has had a previous outing at the Ensemble Theatre in 2009. The play had been nominated in 2006 for a Tony Award, in New York, and, I, based on the Ensemble production that I saw, could not understand why. It appeared to be one of those New Yorkie glib ‘homosexual’ plays about the cliche shallowness of being ‘gay’ and of the cliched ugly…

Opera Australia presents, LA TRAVIATA, an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi, Libretto by Francesco Maria Plave, in the Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. Selected dates between 3 February – 1 April. LA TRAVIATA, was first performed in March, 1853. Verdi first saw the play adaptation, by Alexandre Dumas, fils, of his novel, THE LADY OF THE CAMELLIAS, in Paris and was inspired to write an opera on these themes – he wrote the score in just under a month – a wonder. Violetta, a demi-mondaine, renounces her life of pleasure for the sake of Alfredo; but is…

Griffin Theatre Company presents A STRATEGIC PLAN, by Ross Mueller, in the SBW Stables Theatre, Kings Cross, 27 January – 11 March. A STRATEGIC PLAN is a new Australian play by Ross Mueller. Andrew (Justin Smith) is a rock ‘muso’ working in the industry for hire – session guitar etc: a gig with Powderfinger, for god’s sake! But he can’t play live any more: tinnitus, migraine… a health spiral is enveloping him. The art/craft of his passion can’t cover his financial responsibilities, and he wants to marry, so he applies and is recruited to take on a full time job…

PATERSON PATERSON is a new film by Jim Jarmusch. It follows a week (a Monday to Monday) in the life of Paterson (Adam Driver), a bus driver in Paterson, New Jersey, who writes poetry, is married to Laura (Golshifteh Farahani), a home-body ‘adventuring’ with artistic explorations in ‘black and white’ forays, with an English Bulldog, called Marvin (Nellie), for company. Every day has a similar pattern of task, at variance only on the weekend. It is about the little everyday world and the ordinary intimacies of exchange between the casual acquaintances of the bus route and his nightly visit to…

Photo by Rupert Reid Real Harpy, White Box Theatre in Association with Red Line Productions present, I HATE YOU MY MOTHER, by Jeanette Cronin, at the Old Fitz Theatre, Cathedral St. Woolloomooloo, 24 January – 11 February. I HATE YOU MY MOTHER, is a new play by Jeanette Cronin. Ms Cronin is well loved and respected as an actor, especially, in Sydney. In 2014, Ms Cronin presented her first play as a writer: TELL ME AGAIN, which was followed up a year later with QUEEN BETTE. I enjoyed them very much. In each Ms Cronin also starred. Her third play, I…

THE INSPECTION, by Richie Black, at the Old 505 Theatre, Eliza St, Newtown, 25 January – 28 January. I saw this production without invitation and completely accidentally. I got my theatre’s mixed up and went to the wrong place. I couldn’t get to where I had promised, so, I stayed and watched this fledgling work instead. Maybe, this is my FIRST acknowledged symptom of an encroaching senility?!!!! Anyway, what was most pleasing about this accidental night in the theatre was the fact that THE INSPECTION, produced by Julian Ramundi, was a restricted showing of a new work. It had been…