Category: Steve Francis

Photo by Steven Siewert MAKEbeLIVE Productions in association with Belvoir presents RUBY’S WISH written by Holly Austin, Adriano Cappelletta and Jo Turner in the Belvoir Downstairs Theatre, Surry Hills, 27th June – 2nd July. This is a new Australian work from MAKEbeLIVE Productions. We last saw Holly Austin and Adriano Cappelletta in CuBBYHOuSE a few years ago, which like this show, RUBY’S WISH, was directed, by Jo Turner. Add Kate Sherman, and we have a performance team that tell a story inspired by a little girl in a hospital bed, that demonstrates the importance of play and imagination. A little girl,…

Belvoir presents ANGELS IN AMERICA – A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. Part One: Millennium Approaches. Part Two: Perestroika. At the Belvoir Upstairs Theatre, Surry Hills. ANGELS IN AMERICA – A Gay Fantasia on National Themes by Tony Kushner is an almost six hour play written in two separate parts: Part One: Millennium Approaches (1990); Part Two: Perestroika (1993). The Belvoir Theatre Company are presenting both parts of this play, directed by Eamon Flack. It is a truly marvelous experience. Both plays are simply, still, twenty years later, astounding writing. The company of actors (eight of them) are giving wonderful…

  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…

Helen Thomson and Julia Ohannessian in Sydney Theatre Company’s The Splinter. Photographer: Brett Boardman. Sydney Theatre Company presents THE SPLINTER by Hilary Bell at Wharf 1. (Hickson St.) THE SPLINTER concerns a Father (Erik Thomson) and a Mother (Helen Thomson) who after a nine month agony of the ‘missingness’ of their only child, a little girl, suddenly find her returned. There is no explanation, no restorative story to fill in the nine month gap – just the physical presence of the little girl. She cannot speak. She cannot tell of her nine month absence. She just is. Is present. Her presence becomes…

  Belvoir produced BABYTEETH by Rita Kalnejais at the Belvoir St Theatre, Upstairs. BABYTEETH by Rita Kalnejais, is a contemporary story of a young fourteen year old girl in the last stages of dying from cancer and the repercussions on her close and extended ‘family’. In the very first scene Millla (Sara West), the girl, dies. The play then travels back in time to show us some of the events that lead to this ending at the beginning of the play. We see it again in dumb show, later. Since we know the ending, perhaps, we can watch the storytelling…

  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…