Category: Sydney Theatre

  Sydney Theatre presents A VESTURPORT AND LYRIC HAMMERSMITH PRODUCTION: METAMORPHOSIS by Franz Kafka. Adapted and Directed by David Farr and Gisli Orn Gardarsson at the Sydney Theatre. Franz Kafka wrote this short story in 1912. He was 29. He was dead at the age of 40. This work along with The TRIAL and maybe THE CASTLE have had a fascination for intellectuals, so much so that there is a word: Kafkaesque in the English dictionary – “( of a situation, atmosphere etc) impenetrably oppressive, nightmarish, in a manner characteristic of the fictional world of Franz Kafka.” This version of…

SYDNEY DANCE COMPANY present 2009 Season, Rafael Bonachela’s ‘we unfold’ at the Sydney Theatre. ‘we unfold’, a world premiere. Concept and Direction by Rafael Bonachela. Choreography by Rafael Bonachela in collaboration with dancers. Composer: Ezio Bosso. Video art: Daniel Askill. Costume design: Jordan Askill. Lighting : Hugh Taranto. Sound design: George Gorga. The score for this dance was composed by Ezio Bosso and was the inspiration for Rafael Bonachela who confesses to “a great affinity with him as an artist.” Talking with the composer parallels between the thoughts of the composer and events in his own life resonated. “Fear of…

The most important note in the program is from the writer John Doyle “This is my first play.” This is this very experienced writer’s, first play. Mr Doyle has being “honoured by the Australian Writing Guild for comedy eight times and for both of his mini-series, CHANGI and MARKING TIME. CLUB BUGGERY won a Logie Award for Most Outstanding Comedy; THE DREAM a Logie for Most Popular Comedy and CHANGI, the Logie for Most Outstanding Drama. MARKING TIME received a 2004 Logie nomination for Most Outstanding Mini-series/Telemovie, a 2004 AFI award for Best Screenplay in Television and the NSW Premier’s…

Several years ago I regarded the best THEATRE company in Australia was The Australian Opera Company. This was when Moffat Oxenbould was at the helm. The reason I thought of the Opera Company as the best theatre company was because of its daring commitment to new work. The chance of failure was enormous. To commission new work and then to mount it was a great risk and endeavour. Especially an Opera, the costs (Size of cast, chorus, orchestra, set, costumes, crew) let alone the possibility of failure were prohibitive but they had the courage to do it. I saw work…

Opening in Melbourne in late February, Tom Stoppard’s ROCK AND ROLL, opened at the Sydney Theatre April 14th. It is sad to realise that this is the first new play by Stoppard that Australian audiences have seen since ARCADIA some 13 or 15 years ago. This is what? The result of the Impoverishment of the Arts in Australia? Impoverishment of Financial Support or Intellectual Thought ,or Artistic Vision? I hope it was the first. We recently had Mr Stoppard in Sydney to give a talk. It was a full house with an eager audience. How embarrassing that we have not…