Category: Meredith Penman

White Box Theatre and The Old 505 present, HURT, by Catherine McKinnon, at the 505 Theatre, Eliza Street, Newtown, July 5th-23rd. HURT is a new Australian play, and is part of The Hurt Trilogy (HURT; KIN; OUT THERE WILD WILD WORLD), by Catherine McKinnon. HURT, is set in a hospital waiting room, Designed well by Isabel Hudson, a grey-blue fluorescent bleakness and spareness, lit suitably pragmatically, by Martin Kinnane – with warm spots of colour for character direct conversation with the audience (although, the actors do not always find them to serve their purpose clearly enough!) Three characters, a wife,…

Red Line presents THE WHALE, by Samuel D. Hunter, at the Old Fitz Theatre, Cathedral St Wooloomooloo. 4 Feb – 4 March. THE WHALE, written by American writer, Samuel D. Hunter in 2012, has all of the ingredients of a classically constructed play – it ticks all (most) of the boxes of ‘good’, audience-friendly playwriting, tried and still true. A realist environment we all know; characters (we might nearly know) with complicated back stories; enough contemporary issues that we can, relatively, associate with: morbid obesity, religious tyranny and its corroding influence, sexual taboos, gay (bi-sexual) family, adolescent angst; and a…

Ensemble Theatre presents a World Premiere of BLOOD BANK by Christopher Harley, at the Ensemble Theatre, Kirribilli Oct 16 – Nov 22. BLOOD BANK is a new Australian play by a new writer Christopher Harley, at the Ensemble Theatre. It was part of the Ensemble Stages 2013 Spring Reading. It is set in the waiting room of a Blood Bank. Michael is waiting to donate blood to his very ill twin brother Justin, both played, well, by Tom Stokes. There they are both accosted, separately, of course, by a noisy (obnoxious) young woman, Abbey, played by Gabrielle Scawthorn. A love…

Photo by Brett Boardman Sydney Theatre Company (STC) presents, BOYS WILL BE BOYS, by Melissa Bubnic, in the Wharf 2 Theatre, Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay. April 18- 16 May. BOYS WILL BE BOYS, by Melissa Bubnic, is a new Australian play. Set in the work spaces/play spaces of a WOLF OF WALL STREET- like, money-making company somewhere in Australia, this one act play has five female actors playing all the characters, male and female – some in formal suited attire, some, sometimes, in next-to-nothing, but all in high heeled stilettos. Says the Director, Paige Rattray: “We’re used to seeing men…

ALL MY SONS by Arthur Miller is the opening production at Sydney’s newest theatre building: the Eternity Theatre (located on the corner of Burton St and Palmer St, Darlinghurst). This renovation of an old church building has respected the historic origins of the site and constructed what seems, from the experience of this first production, a theatre that works for all (the irony of another church building becoming a theatre building, I, personally cherish, and remember, respectfully, the artists of times past, for the persecution that they suffered at the hands of the churches, not too long ago). The stage…

Belvoir presents PERSONA, a FRAUGHT OUTFIT production. Based on the film by Ingmar Bergman. Conceived by Adena Jacobs, Dayna Morrissey and Danny Pettingill in the Upstairs Belvoir Theatre. PERSONA is a film made by Ingmar Bergman in 1966 – writer, director. It is regarded by some to be his masterpiece and is rated highly as one of the top – greatest – films ever made. Much discourse can be found as people attempt to analyze every element of the film. Study the critical essays and you can be bewildered. If you go on line it will overwhelm you. At best, I simply…