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Resplendence

  Red Line presents, RESPLENDENCE, by Angus Cerini, at the Old Fitz Theatre, Cathedral St. Woolloomooloo, November 29 – December 10th, (late-night show, 10pm start). All you theatre goers in Sydney should respond to the name of this writer Angus Cerini, for it was he who wrote the terrifyingly wonderful THE BLEEDING TREE up at the SBW Theatre for the Griffin Company, in 2015, which has been curated by The Sydney Theatre Company (STC) as part of their season next year. Written in verse this is a one person monologue of a very Melbournian angst – the play was first presented…

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Clybourne Park

The Ensemble Theatre present CLYBOURNE PARK by Bruce Norris at the Ensemble Theatre, Kirribilli. Look, Edward Albee is my favourite living American writer, I want to see everything he has written. Now, next to him, Bruce Norris has become my next favourite, living American writer. More than Sam Shepard, David Mamet, Theresa Rebeck, Beth Henley, Suzan-Lori Parks. So do go to see this play at the Ensemble, if you can. I read, first, his family comedy, THE PAIN AND THE ITCH (2004) – flawed but arresting; then, PURPLE HEART (2002) – a brilliant play about the effect of war on…

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Hamlet

Belvoir presents HAMLET by William Shakespeare in the Upstairs Theatre, Belvoir St, Surry Hiills. HAMLET by William Shakespeare, is, perhaps the challenge, the equivalent measuring stick for a theatre company and its artistic endeavours as, say, Tchaikovsky’s SWAN LAKE may be for the Ballet Companies of the World, or, Wagner’s DE RING DES NIBELUNGEN may be for an Opera Company, or, Beethoven’s NINTH SYMPHONY for a Concert Orchestra. This production of HAMLET at the Belvoir Theatre is an adaptation by Simon Stone of William Shakespeare’s play, for 8 actors and 2 musicians. The original text has been severely edited and…

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Empire: Terror on the High Seas

Rock Surfers Theatre Company presents EMPIRE: TERROR ON THE HIGH SEAS. A Spectacle by Toby Schmitz at the Bondi Pavilion Theatre, Bondi Beach. At the curtain call at the end of the performance, of EMPIRE: TERROR ON THE HIGH SEAS – A Spectacle by Toby Schmitz, spread across the entire width of that notoriously difficult Bondi Pavilion stage (a Cinerama width of a stage), and spilling off into the auditorium, even – over 20 actors took many bows – it was an opening night. The sheer scale of that vision of human effort and commitment, elicited from me, a deep,…

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Henry 4

Photo by Lisa Tomasetti Bell Shakespeare presents HENRY 4 adapted by John Bell from William Shakespeare’s KING HENRY IV: PART ONE and KING HENRY IV; PART TWO, at the Drama Theatre, in the Sydney Opera House. John Bell has adapted the two History plays, HENRY IV Parts One (1596-97) and Two (1597-98) into a three-hour ten-minute journey. These two plays were written after HENRY VI, Parts One ((1590-91), Two (1590-91) and Three (1590-91); RICHARD III (1592); RICHARD II (1595-96) but, before Henry V (1599). All part of the chronicles dealing with The War of the Roses. The two parts of…

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This Year’s Ashes

  Griffin Theatre Company presents The World Première of THIS YEAR’S ASHES by Jane Bodie at the SBW Stables Theatre, Kings Cross, Sydney. In the program notes Jane Bodie, the writer of this play, tells us: “It’s important to say that I have always wanted to write a romantic comedy, however I never imagined myself writing a play about cricket.” In looking for the formula to write a romantic comedy, Ms Bodie had one rule from ‘millions’ stick in her head. … ‘Always remember romantic means sexy and comedy means funny’. I then thought about the fact that I am…

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