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The Overcoat

Photo by Clare Hawley The Costi Siblings present, THE OVERCOAT – The Musical, based on the short story by Nikolai Gogol. Book and Lyrics, by Michael Costi. Music, by Rosemarie Costi. For the Belvoir 24A Program, in the Downstairs Theatre, Belvoir St, Surry Hills. 15 November – 1st December. THE OVERCOAT, is a new Australian work, a Musical, by Constantine, Michael and Rosemarie Costi, based on the Gogol short story of 1842. The literal translation used is by Alena Lodkina. Gogol seems to be the parent to a writer like Kafka and his more familiar concerns. In this version of the…

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Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam

Photo by Noni Carroll The National Theatre of Parramatta, presents, JESUS WANT ME FOR A SUNBEAM, adapted from a novella by Peter Goldsworthy, by Steve Rodgers, at the Riversides Theatres, Parramatta. 18th – 27th October. JESUS WANTS ME FOR A SUNBEAM, is a new Australian play from Stevie Rodgers, adapted from a 1993 novella, by Peter Goldsworthy. It appeared, first, in a collection of stories, LITTLE DEATHS. Linda (Emma Jackson) meets Rick (Justin Smith) while at university. They fall into an intense (obsessive) love and marry quickly, while still at uni. They study – it seems literature is at the centre…

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Sunset Strip

Photo by Patrick Boland The Uncertainty Principle and Griffin Theatre Independent present, SUNSET STRIP, by Suzie Miller, at the SBW Stables Theatre, Kings Cross. 14 June – 1 July. SUNSET STRIP, is a new Australian play from Suzie Miller, following on from CARESS/ACHE, that was presented, too, at the SBW Stables Theatre, under the Direction of Anthony Skuse. The setting of the play is beside a shack, on the edge of an almost-deserted dust bowl of what was once a mecca for holidaymakers on the edge of a lake. Now there is only ‘sand’ or ‘dirt’ and a marooned fishing…

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The Mystery of Love and Sex

  THE MYSTERY OF LOVE AND SEX, by Bathsheba Doran – a Darlinghurst Theatre Company Production, at the Eternity Theatre, Burton St, Darlinghurst. 10 February – 12 March. THE MYSTERY OF LOVE AND SEX, is an American play, the second of a trilogy of plays by Bathsheba Doran published under the title, THE MARRIAGE PLAYS. The first play is KIN; the third, PARENT’S EVENING. THE MYSTERY OF LOVE AND SEX, presents a modern ‘nuclear’ family: Howard (Nicholas Papademetriou), a successful crime fiction novelist who happens to be Jewish; his wife, Lucinda (Deborah Galanos) who once was Catholic (Christian); their daughter,…

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The Turquoise Elephant

Photo by Brett Broardman Griffin Theatre Company presents, THE TURQUOISE ELEPHANT, by Stephen Carleton, in the SBW Stables Theatre, Kings Cross, 14 October – 26 November. THE TURQUOISE ELEPHANT by Stephen Carleton, says the back of the Currency Press play/program publication, is a ‘shockingly black, black, black political farce’ about Climate Change, which won the 2015 Griffin Theatre Award. According to Yuval Noah Harai, the author of HOMO DEUS, Humankind has locked itself into a double race. We champion and feel compelled to speed up the pace of scientific progress and economic growth while also staying one leap ahead of…

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Three Sisters – a director’s reflection

Dear Reader, You may have detected a slight fall off of my Diary reports on theatre experiences of late. My explanation is that I have been engaged in rehearsals for the Sport For Jove production of Anton Chekhov’s THREE SISTERS. It is now playing in the Reginald Theatre at the Seymour Centre. It is a piece of serendipitous timing as this ‘reflection’ happens to be my 1000th entry to my Theatre Diary blog! As someone in Muriel’s Wedding says: “What a coincidence!” Sport For Jove asked whether I would like to direct a production for them, way back in 2013.…

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