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Cursed Hearts

  Australian Theatre for Young People presents “cursed hearts” inspired by ROMEO AND JULIET of Shakespeare, Gounod and Prokofiev at the atyp theatre space at the Wharf. Danielle O’Keefe, the director, has attempted to investigate with a young troupe of 21 actors, the thematics of Shakespeare’s ROMEO AND JULIET, specifically, the forbidden love between warring parties, families. Of the 15 women and 6 men, from my reading of the ensemble biographies in the program, most appear to be still at school. “The aim was to tell the well-known story of ROMEO and JULIET in a new way through the layering…

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Tooth of Crime

  Arts Radar in association with atyp Under the Wharf present TOOTH OF CRIME by Sam Shepard at atyp Theatre, Pier 4, Hickson Road, Sydney. TOOTH OF CRIME at atyp is the third Sam Shepard play we have seen in Sydney in the last year. FOOL FOR LOVE, Downstairs Belvoir and TRUE WEST for the Sydney Theatre Company being the other two. Sam Shepard: “First off let me tell you that I don’t want to be a playwright, I want to be a rock and roll star. I want that understood right off. I got into writing plays because I…

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The Shape of Things

pantsguys Productions & atyp Under the Wharf present THE SHAPE OF THINGS by Neil Labute at atyp, Wharf 4. THE SHAPE OF THINGS by Neil Labute, I have seen, maybe, in three other productions in Sydney. Like Patrick Marber’s CLOSER, it seems to have an attraction for young actors and directors, a generational cultural resonance, that they want to have the opportunity to explore. Or, is it simpler, economic pragmatics: a small cast of young actors with roles they can connect to easily! I asked some of the pantsguys Production team why this Labute again and not one of his…

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Tusk Tusk

Sydney Theatre Company and Australian Theatre for Young People (atyp) present TUSK TUSK by Polly Stenham at Wharf 1. TUSK TUSK (2009) is the second play by Polly Stenham and like her first, THAT FACE, was presented at the Royal Court Theatre. THAT FACE, was presented earlier in the year at Belvoir St. Theatre. The writing in TUSK TUSK is not as strong or as interesting. In fact it is mostly a re-working of the preoccupations of the first play. The story of a family, in this case, three young children, instead of two, coping with an unstable mother, and…

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Alaska

    Raw Hide, Eliza Ocana and the atyp’s Under the Wharf Program presents ALASKA by D.C. Moore . ALASKA is a first play by English writer, D.C. Moore. It concerns a young group of people finding their way in the contemporary world, either as drop outs from university or in preparation for university. They are working at a job to pay the rent and buy the food: The front of house staff at the local cinema complex. The jobs are not taxing and fairly menial. Not much to aspire too, despite the ‘corporate’ trappings to help give the employees…

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Bronte

    atyp Under the Wharf & Illyria Productions presents BRONTE by Polly Teale at atyp Studio1 at the Wharf Pier, Walsh Bay. For all the bibliophiles and lovers of reading out there, and certainly the Sydney Writer’s Festival signifies that there are many, then this play, BRONTE by Polly Teale is a must. In recent times Sydney audiences have had the opportunity of seeing Polly Teale’s production of AFTER MRS ROCHESTER, partly an adaptation of Jean Rhys’ novel WIDE SARGASSO SEA. Writing for an English Company SHARED EXPERIENCE, Ms Teale has adapted JANE EYRE and with this play, BRONTE,…

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