Category: Steve Toulmin

Photo by Brett Boardman Belvoir and Vicki Gordon Music Productions present BARBARA AND THE CAMP DOGS, by Ursula Yovich and Alana Valentine, in the Upstairs Belvoir, Belvoir St Theatre, Surry Hills. 2-23 December. “Now let in the love”, are the final words of the song of this new Australian play (with music): BARBARA AND THE CAMP DOGS, co-written by Ursula Yovich and Alana Valentine. It is an irresistible invitation and love is what permeated the tremendous reception that the audience gave this performance/this play. In between the opening song which begins with the lyrics: “Look at the sun and do not…

Griffin Theatre Company in association with Malthouse Theatre presents, THE HOMOSEXUALS OR ‘FAGGOTS’ by Declan Greene, at the SBW Stables Theatre, Kings Cross. 17 March – 29 April. THE HOMOSEXUALS OR ‘FAGGOTS’ is a new Australian play by Declan Greene. Mr Greene gave us EIGHT GIGABYTES OF HARDCORE PORNOGRAPHY, in 2014, and we have seen other work under the banner of Sisters Grimm (LITTLE MERCY; SUMMERTIME IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN) around the other Main Stage theatre spaces in Sydney. The audience are anecdotally told by two men of a recent event in their lives: These two homosexual men at…

  Bell Shakespeare present, RICHARD 3, by William Shakespeare, in the Playhouse Theatre, at the Sydney Opera House. 25 February – 1st April. RICHARD III is a play written by William Shakespeare c. 1592, early in his career. The Bell Shakespeare present at the Sydney Opera House RICHARD 3,  a dramaturgical collaboration between Director, Peter Evans and actor Kate Mulvany using the Shakespeare original. The play has been hand-crafted with this actor and company in mind, it seems. This is their third collaboration, JULIUS CAESAR and MACBETH, being the previous two. Kate Mulvany is also playing this Richard 3, and…

Photo by Brett Boardman Griffin Theatre Company presents GLORIA by Benedict Andrews, at the SBW Stables Theatre, Kings Cross. 26 August – 8 October. GLORIA is a play by Benedict Andrews. Says Mr Andrews in his note in the program: ‘”GLORIA depicts an actress in the grip of an emotional breakdown.’  Performing, onstage, Gloria cannot distinguish her ‘play’ role from her ‘life’ role. Through fraility, both become entwined and a personal calamity ensues. This production of GLORIA, by the Griffin Theatre Company, Directed by Lee Lewis, is an incredibly ambitious one, considering the technical demands of the writing by Mr Andrews,…

Photo by Brett Boardman Belvoir presents, THE BLIND GIANT IS DANCING, by Stephen Sewell, in the Upstairs Theatre, Belvoir St Surry Hills, 17 February – 20 March. The primitive but stirring sound of a muted metal instrument (it, probably, a manufactured electric source) heralding the entrance of the participants to commence action on the Belvoir stage promised an heroic approach to this epic 1983, political/religious family saga, THE BLIND GIANT IS DANCING, by Stephen Sewell. I was flattered to be presented with the dense muscularity of the ideas in the language of the play – it has been so long since…

Photo by Brett Boardman Griffin Theatre Company presents The World Premiere of THE BLEEDING TREE, by Angus Cerini, in the SBW Stables Theatre, Kings Cross, 31 July – 5 September. – With a bullet hole through your neck, numbskull of yours never looked so fine. – Rest in peace Daddy numbskull. – Ta ta Daddy ya sick bundle of shit. – Bye bye Daddy you misery heap of shit. […] – Girls, I think your father is dead. – I knocked his knees out. – I conked his head. – I shot that house-clown in the neck. So begins THE…