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Little Mercy

  Sydney Theatre Company presents LITTLE MERCY by Sisters Grimm. Created by Ash Flanders and Declan Greene at the Sydney Theatre Company in the Wharf 2 Theatre. You know, I had packed away my Mardi Gras costumes and make-up kit after the CLUB KOOKY PARTY down there at the Wharf restaurant and bar on the Recovery Sunday, after the Parade Night. A good time had by all, by all accounts. Too soon, brothers and sisters! Haul them out again, for, it seems it is still going on down there. The ‘gay’ persona mashes, smashes into the mainstream spaces … well,…

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Long Day’s Journey Into Night

    Sydney Theatre Company in association with Artists Repertory Theatre, Portland present LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT by Eugene O’Neill at the Sydney Theatre. LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT by Eugene O’Neill is claimed, by some, to be the great American play, and certainly from my engagement with this play many times in the theatre and in the cinematic form with Katherine Hepburn and Ralph Richardson (reduced as it is), the affect has always inclined me to think so. This long naturalistic work winding through one day into the night with this Irish-American family, the Tyrone’s, in late summer,…

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Thom Pain (based on nothing)

  Arts Radar in association with B Sharp presents THOM PAIN (based on nothing) by Will Eno at the Downstairs Theatre at Belvoir Theatre. For Thom Pain, I read, initially Tom Paine. Tom (Thomas) Paine (1737-1809) agitator, activist involved in The American War of Independence and The French Revolution wrote among other things THE RIGHTS OF MAN (1791-92) and THE RIGHTS OF MAN, Part Two (1794). After falling foul of Robespierre, in France, he was rescued and returned to the USA in 1802, where he was ostracized as an atheist and free thinker and died (1809), alone and in poverty.…

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The Duel

Photo – The Duel – Luke Mullins SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY AND THINICE PRESENT; THE DUEL, from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky adapted by Tom Wright as part of Next Stage at Wharf 2. The most interesting and absorbing aspect of this experience was the story telling of Dostoevsky as adapted by Tom Wright. Mid way through the performance I found myself leaning forward and being absorbed by the journey of the text. Otherwise the work was generally disappointing. Matthew Lutton made a strong impression on me with his work on the Tom Holloway play: DON’T SAY THE WORDS, last…

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The War Of The Roses

    The Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney Festival 2009 present THE WAR OF THE ROSES, Part 1 & Part 2 by William Shakespeare adapted by Tom Wright & Benedict Andrews at the Sydney Theatre. Before we talk of the present production under the title THE WAR OF THE ROSES there will be a preamble of information that I think is relevant. ( Skip forward if you wish.) Shakespeare wrote two tetralogies or eight plays chronicling a turbulent 88 years of English History (from the 1380’s to the 1480’s) covering the reigns of English monarchs from that of Richard II to…

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Gallipoli

Several years ago I regarded the best THEATRE company in Australia was The Australian Opera Company. This was when Moffat Oxenbould was at the helm. The reason I thought of the Opera Company as the best theatre company was because of its daring commitment to new work. The chance of failure was enormous. To commission new work and then to mount it was a great risk and endeavour. Especially an Opera, the costs (Size of cast, chorus, orchestra, set, costumes, crew) let alone the possibility of failure were prohibitive but they had the courage to do it. I saw work…

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