Category: Matthew Marshall

  Ensemble Theatre present the World Premiere of THE RASPUTIN AFFAIR, by Kate Mulvany, at the Ensemble Theatre, Kirribilli. 1 April – 30 April. THE RASPUTIN AFFAIR is a new Australian play by Kate Mulvany. The play is concerned with the assassination, in December, 1916, of Rasputin, a Russian peasant, semi-literate monk and mystic, who exercised extraordinary power over the last of the ruling Romanoff family: Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra. There is a note in the program: Although this play is based on true people and events, some events and characters in this play have been fictionalised…

Photo by Heidrun Lohr Riverside Theatres presents A Riverside Production, SHELLSHOCK by Justin Fleming, at the Riverside Theatres, Parramatta, 30 July – 8 August. Shellshock is a new Australian work, by Justin Fleming, having its World Premiere at Parramatta. The play was commissioned by Riverside in 2013 to be part of the ANZAC Centenary in 2015. In the Writer’s notes in the program, Mr Fleming, tells us that it was the Director, Wayne Harrison, who gave him a snippet of fact to ignite the process (of writing): a soldier took home a baby tortoise from Gallipoli in 1915 and that tortoise…

  Photo by Brett Boardman Griffin Theatre Company and Perth Theatre Company present EIGHT GIGABYTES OF HARDCORE PORNOGRAPHY by Declan Greene at the SBW Stables Theatre, Kings Cross, Sydney. EIGHT GIGABYTES OF HARDCORE PORNOGRAPHY is a new Australian play by Declan Greene. Mr Greene is a theatre maker from Melbourne and we have met his work before, through the productions of Sisters Grimm, and his co-artist Ash Flanders (he, who we will see, independently, as well, as the Belvoir’s Hedda Gabler, in the months to come): LITTLE MERCY we saw at the STC, and SUMMERTIME IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, which…

 Rachel Gordon, Ian Meadows & Ash Ricardo – Photo by Brett Boardman Griffin Theatre Company presents the World Premiere of BETWEEN TWO WAVES by Ian Meadows at the SBW Stables Theatre, Kings Cross. A passionate Climate Studies scientist, Daniel (Ian Meadows) takes a role in a government department in an attempt to help persuade the same government policy makers to be more aware and more realistic about the probable state of the world’s climate future, both near,and far, in time: The carbon dioxide traps the heat. When the temperature rises two degrees we lose the Arctic sea ice, then West…

  Sydney Theatre Company presents SEX WITH STRANGERS by Laura Eason at Wharf 1, Hickson Rd. SEX WITH STRANGERS is a contemporary, American, romantic comedy (rom-com) for two actors by Laura Eason. Olivia (Jacqueline McKenzie) is a 39 year old teacher, who once wrote a novel. The critical response and the public response to that novel was crucially poor. It scared her off that particular career path, although, when the play begins, she is wrestling with a draft of a new novel at a writer’s retreat (a luxury bed and breakfast) in a snow blizzard, in rural Michigan. A young…

  Ensemble Theatre present David Williamson’s LET THE SUNSHINE at the Seymour Centre. Oh, what is all this guff about David Williamson and all the other contemporary playmakers etc? Horses for courses. Please!!! THE WAR OF THE ROSES written by Tom Wright and Benedict Andrews, THE WOMEN OF TROY also written by Tom Wright but with Barrie Kosky (and I presume the up-coming POPPEA by Barrie Kosky from the Monteverdi Opera, Poppea) are worthwhile contributions to the Australian theatre culture. And, I have to say, my very pleasant night at the Seymour Centre on Thursday night gave another worthwhile night…