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The Removalists

  Rock Surfers Theatre Company presents David Williamson’s THE REMOVALISTS at the Bondi Pavilion Theatre at Bondi Beach. THE REMOVALISTS is a play by David Williamson written in 1971. This was one of the very first big blasts of the, then new, experience of seeing contemporary Australians on stage. It was a startling window into the sexist, violent and corrupt societal milieu of the times. Watching this production by Leland Kean for the Rock Surfers Theatre Company (previously known as the Tamarama Rock Surfers) at the Bondi Pavilion one wondered, I mean WONDERED, 42 years after the original production I…

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Hollywood Ending

  Arts Radar, Theatre503 and Griffin Independent present RAPID WRITE: HOLLYWOOD ENDING or, How A Washed up Director Made a Crappy Movie that Almost Destroyed the World by CJ Johnson at SBW Stables Theatre, Griffin, Kings Cross. In HOLLYWOOD ENDING, Don (Terry Serio) is a filmmaker of pornography, a director at the ‘lower’ end of the Hollywood industry. He has ambitions, as all who work creatively do, to make a work that is ‘great’. Amy (Briallen Clarke) is a film producer working with Randy (Blake Erickson), a writer. They have a project with a small budget that they wish to…

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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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Boxing Day

  MAKEbeLIVE Productions in association with Tamarama Rock Surfers presents BOXING DAY by Tin Shed. (written by Phil Spence) at the Old Fitzroy Theatre. “It’s the day after Christmas in the seaside town of Rainwood. Nana can smell burnt  chicken. Dad is glued to the TV and Freya , as always, has a mystery to solve. Like any normal 10-year-old girl Freya Stanley loves Pictionary. Pig Latin and and 80’s slasher movies. BOXING DAY is her story: a darkly comic tale where imagination reigns, and a little girl will do whatever it takes to keep her family together.” Freya’s mother…

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References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot

  Arts Radar and Griffin Independent present REFERENCES TO SALVADOR DALI MAKE ME HOT by Jose Rivera. At the SBW Stables Theatre. I had a very exciting and translating experience with this play and production. I can thoroughly recommend it. Jose Rivera born in Puerto Rico in 1955 now lives in Los Angeles. This play reflects the cultures that he has grown in. “Rivera insists that all aspects of life are magical if looked at from the right perspective.” Following on from Blanche DuBois’s cry in A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE: “I don’t want realism, I want magic” this play appears,…

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pool (no water)

What a pleasure it is to go to the theatre and sit in a seat and have a wonderful piece of writing given to you as a reward for going. After the feebleness and the “slight” writing that we have recently been served up by The Sydney Theatre Company and other companies (notably, the Old Fitz this week: RADIO, the Upstairs Belvoir being a glorious exception: SCORCHED), it was a transcendent experience to be part of the Darlinghurst Theatre audience. This was not a chore of patience that one had to politely endure but an exciting, confronting and stimulating experience.…

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