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Masterclass

Photograph by Marnya Rothe Red Line Productions presents MASTERCLASS, written and performed by Charlie Garber and Gareth Davies at the Old Fitz Theatre, Woolloomooloo. 14 Jan -31 Jan. MASTERCLASS at the Old Fitz, devised, written and performed by Charlie Garber and Gareth Davies, begins with two men coming onto an empty stage and talking. Apparently, having worked together in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM and AS YOU LIKE IT at Belvoir, and though given some leeway to interact ‘creatively’ together by Director, Eamon Flack, these two men felt somewhat ‘hampered’ by the requirements of someone else’s text (Shakespeare) and decided that they wanted to…

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Peter Pan

I have not read PETER PAN in any of the manifestations, by J.B. Barrie, that Tommy Murphy, the present adaptor of this Belvoir production tells us learnedly about, in the program notes. I have not even seen the Walt Disney animated adaptation. I only know it from little snippets on the old Walt Disney show of my growing up, on Sunday nights at 6.30 on Channel 9, watching it in our fibro housing commission in North Ryde. I remember Peter in a costume like Errol Flynn’s Robin Hood, with hands akimbo on his hips, and Captain Hook with a hook…

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Quack

GRIFFIN THEATRE COMPANY presents the World Premier of QUACK by Ian Wilding at the SBW Stables Theatre, Sydney. QUACK. This is not quack as “to utter a cry of a duck or some similar sound” as I kept thinking before I saw the show, but rather, quack as in “an ignorant or fraudulent pretender to medical skill”- ahhhh! We have Doctor Littlewood (Chris Haywood) who has been practising the transplanting of animal glands into humans, “a very quintessence of remedies” to gain a sexual edge for the recipients. The town boss, local miner baron and entrepreneur and bully, Mr Gunner…

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Arts Radar in association with B Sharp presents A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM by William Shakespeare in the Belvoir St Downstairs Theatre. In his program notes Eamon Flack says he “suspects there’s a production of [A Midsummer Night’s Dream] in Sydney every few months”. It is in fact, for me, the fourth production that I have seen this year. In all my theatre going life it may be the Shakespearean play that I have seen most often. In the case of this production Mr Flack and his company of fellow artists set themselves “the task….. to try to shrink the play’s…

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Hammerhead (is dead)

    Bambina Borracha and Griffin Stablemates present a World premiere: HAMMERHEAD (IS DEAD) at the SBW Stables Theatre. Hammerhead has been hit in the head by his sister and the play begins with her calling for help. “8.00 – the accident. 8.01 – the play begins. ‘Hammerhead’ is dying. 9.30-the play ends, ‘Hammerhead’ dies.” “The time in between includes some sex with dreamboat Denny, adventures on the high seas with Mindy, and conversations in a seaside shack with Jones.” This is a new play by young playwright Nick Coyle. Although this is the first play of his that I…

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