Adelaide Town Hall. 8 Sep 2012

Two sold out houses and an extra performance to satisfy the voracious public demand for an all Tchaikovsky program.  That is the pulling power of the giants of the repertoire, and Tchaikovsky’s name is right up there.  His Symphony No. 6 in B minor – the so-called ‘Pathétique’ – is surely one of the most loved and deeply moving symphonies ever written, and his Piano Concerto No. 2 is a provoking composition verily dripping with a surfeit of melodies.

So, if you missed out, you missed out, and you missed a most spectacular concert. 

Stephen Hough, polymath and international superstar of the keyboard, attacked the concerto with bravura, precision yet sensitivity, and the audience was excited by, and in awe of, his musicianship and technique.  The composition itself is a rather odd creature and doesn’t ever seem to settle itself into one thing or another; it is also nowhere near as famous or often played as Tchaikovsky’s iconic first piano concerto with its unmistakeable opening crashing chords. The andante middle movement is at times a concerto for piano and violin and cello, with the three featured instruments taking turns at developing the melody.  Concertmaster Natsuko Yoshimoto and principal cellist Janis Laurs also wowed the audience with their virtuosity.  Guest conductor Martyn Brabbins took the work at pace and accentuated the dynamics wherever possible.  The result was stirring if not always accurate.

And so to the main event; The Pathétique created a real stir at its debut performance.  It was simply not understood. Standing in stark contrast to many of Tchaikovsky’s melody-driven compositions it bordered on being violent and it broke musical conventions of the day; for example, finishing with a very slow movement.  But several weeks after its first performance, Tchaikovsky suddenly died and it was played at a memorial concert in his honour.  The audience developed a new appreciation for the piece and wondered whether it had a deeper meaning.  Tchaikovsky was homosexual and there was debate at the time whether he was encouraged to suicide to avoid scandal.  Such stories have since been debunked and what we are left with is one of the most soulful pieces of orchestral music ever written.  Brabbins again wrought every nuance from the piece’s dynamic range and this allowed individual instruments to be better appreciated, at least to this critic’s ear.  Principal clarinet Dean Newcomb and principal bassoon Mrk Gaydon were especially at the top of their game.

At the final downbeat and with the last fading agonised sound, Brabbins held the moment almost in suspended animation for a full ten seconds and allowed the gravitas to permeate the auditorium.  He then gave over to the capacity audience that erupted into heartfelt applause that lasted a full five minutes.

Kym Clayton

When: Closed
Where: Adelaide Town Hall
Bookings: Closed

The Ballad of Backbone Joe. Space Theatre. 16 Jun 2012

When I traipsed into the Space, a trio were making country-like honky-tonk sounds with a twist while the audience murmured.  I thought for a second I was late but the house lights were up.  After a few numbers, they ceased, and the house lights dimmed for the main show.  It was then I discovered that Joseph O'Farrell, Miles O'Neil and Glen Walton were the main event as well.  These guys are masters of deception and theatrical trickery and use their astonishing invention to act out a whacky vaudeville ballad reminiscent of a show one might have seen entertaining the Californian or Victorian gold miners out on the digs.  In this one, one of several performance ballads in their repertoire, punch drunk boxer Backbone Joe has been duped by his crooked manager, Messy Dimes, into thinking he murdered his girl.  Private dick Von Trapp, enters the small town in disguise to snare Messy Dimes.  All possible means are employed from shadow puppetry to conjuring.  It was a sheer delight, like when a suitcase became an automobile complete with headlights and a wind screen.  I loved every minute of it.   

David Grybowski

When: Closed
Where: Space Theatre
Bookings: Closed

The Big Slapple - Apollo Theatre. 3 Mar 2012

Simon Taylor is a post grad student with a BA in psychology, and his show '10 Things I Know About You' is 50 minutes of amusing observations, improvised songs, and creative dance interludes based on his experiences and a few wild assumptions he has made about humanity.

This show has a perfectly structured routine, which conforms to all of the conventions of comedy - with great timing and excellent production values. Having said that however Simon Taylor would perhaps be better described as an entertainer rather than a comedian. Not because he is not funny - but rather because he is funny in a less conventional manner - and on the whole far better as an entertainer.

Taylor plays the piano, the guitar, does card tricks and dance tricks and cleverly involves the audience in his "myth time" sessions and improv. Everyone in the audience really enjoyed the show and, although the laughs were more scattered than a traditional standup routine, left feeling energized and excited.

This piece of the Adelaide Fringe is definitely worth your consideration. Check out this show for a light hearted wrap up of the 10 things Simon Taylor knows about you - I wouldnt want to spoil the fun by giving it away.

Paul Rodda

When: 4 Mar to 11 Mar
Where: The Big Slapple - Apollo Theatre
Bookings: www.adelaidefringe.com.au

Adelaide College of the Arts. 3 Mar 2012

Usually billed as a ‘new’ musical, “13” was written for young performers and first premiered in Los Angeles in 2007.  It then transferred to Broadway in September 2008 and had its Australian premiere in 2010.  Written by Jason Robert Brown, Dan Elish and Robert Horn, “13” is about the life of 13-year-old Jewish boy Evan Goldman.  His parents have just acrimoniously divorced – his mum cut-out the image of her ex from every photograph in the house, with her teeth! – and he is uprooted from New York and moves to ‘nowheresville’ Appleton in Indiana. 

Evan is about to turn 13 and celebrate his Bar Mitzvah, but who will attend?  The plot examines his trials and tribulations as he tries to make new friends, especially amongst the ‘in crowd’, which is led by sports star Brett, but they are not the nicest group of people around.  As deep and meaningful as a wading pool, Brett makes it clear that his group will not befriend Evan if he persists in his friendship with Patrice and Archie.  Patrice is bespectacled and bookish, and ‘nice’, and Archie suffers from a terminal neuromuscular disease and gets around on crutches.   Brett and crew consider them to be total social anathema.  Evan succumbs to the lure of ‘the popular kids’ destroys his relationship with Patrice and Archie – his ‘true’ friends – but eventually comes to his senses.

“13” is great fun and first-time director Rodney Hutton draws on his own wealth of on-stage experience to assist the young cast to create an ensemble of thirteen (there’s that number again) strong and totally believable characters.  Kyle Hall was confident as Evan, and handled his difficult Bar Mitzvah recitative with poise.  Tahlia Fantone played Patrice with just the right amount of sweetness and strength of character.  Ben Johnson was almost always a scene stealer as Archie, oozing assuredness and purpose but in a light hearted and poignant way.  Wade Lindstrom was sufficiently cocky as Brett, but might have been a little more menacing.  Connor Olsson-Jones and Christian Bartlett as Malcolm and Eddie were excellent as the two comic ‘henchman’ and are both clearly at home on the stage.  They were ably support by Naomi Belet (Lucy), Abi Dibb (Kendra) and Wade Lindstron (Brett), and the rest of the company.

In keeping with the Fringe, the set was minimalist, comprising of a few items of furniture that were slickly moved around the stage by the crew, and a series of well conceived visual projections.  The small band was well rehearsed by MD Michelle Nightingale and they competently handled the largely enjoyable and at times rhythmically difficult score.  Mel George’s choreography was elegantly simple, effective, and completely empathetic with the music and text and always complementary to the characters.  Her routines for Malcolm and Eddie were a highlight. 

The Adelaide Youth Theatre can be proud of this production.  It was bright and energetic, and plain good fun!

Kym Clayton

When: Closed (with new performances to be announced soon)
Where: Adelaide College of the Arts
Bookings: www.adelaidefringe.com.au

Sarah Kane. Canberra Youth Theatre. The Courtyard Studio. 15 Nov 2012

The 1990s seemed to be when depression in young people unexpectedly burst out of the closet and became ubiquitous via the arts: grunge music and the book Prozac Nation are the first examples that spring to mind, but among other examples there was also 4:48 Psychosis, written by English playwright Sarah Kane.

Suffering with severe depression herself, Kane committed suicide not long after completing 4:48 Psychosis (The name of the play was derived from the time Kane woke every morning). Being so close to the subject and in such a distraught state of mind at the time of writing, her work is an intense and intimate exploration of mental illness.

Rather than having a specific plot or storyline, 4:48 Psychosis explores depression in two-dozen disjointed fragments that eventually come full circle at the conclusion. The play was also written with little direction regarding its characters or stage design, leaving these details highly open to interpretation.

Kane’s work, among others, would later be classified as part of what is now British ‘In Yer Face’ theatre, a provocative movement designed to shock, disturb and revolt the audience out of apathy. The Canberra Youth Theatre and director Karla Conway have truly embraced this massive agenda, crafting a production that is brilliantly challenging, as well as deeply disturbing and extremely uncomfortable to watch.

Creating the most suffocating and distorted of environments possible, the cast provides a hyper-real insight into the extent of distress and hopelessness that depression gives rise to for sufferers, but also the frustration of those watching them being slowly consumed by their own minds.

With no character names given it is impossible to pinpoint the qualities of any particular actor in the all-female cast. However, each young woman (Hannah Baker, Clare Cavanagh, Noemie Huttner, Nathalie Morris, Jenna O’Connor and Lizzie Ward-Smith) was utterly convincing, individually bringing raw and remarkable strengths to the stage as well as having an electrifying collective chemistry. One can only imagine the amount of emotional plumbing involved in such a demanding, nightmarish production, and they each navigated this terrain with commitment and fortitude.

The sound design (Michael Foley) and music composition (Rose Ottley) were valuable accompaniments to the highly charged environment, skilfully reflecting the swings in ambience from relentless melancholy to unhinged white rage. Equally, the lighting by Samantha Pickering perfectly portrayed a cold, harsh and unforgiving mental landscape, infiltrated with precious rare moments of hope, humour and clarity.

Hanna Sandgren’s sterile, utilitarian set design was simple but effective, with little but featureless plastic curtains and acrobatic silks rigged to the ceiling that were used to full creative potential.

4:48 Psychosis is not the play you want to see if you are feeling mentally fragile in any way. However, if you’re up for some confronting, gut wrenching theatre that will shake you to the core and shatter any notion that mental illness is glamorous, then get along and see this showcase of Canberra’s up and coming.

Deborah Hawke

When: 15 to 21 Nov
Where: The Courtyard Studio
Bookings: canberratheatrecentre.com.au

The Festival Theatre. 3 to 28 Jan 2012

A Chorus Line tells the story of 17 individuals who are competing for one of eight roles in a Broadway musical. Unexpectedly however, the audition exposes much more of their personalities than they ever intended on giving; their strengths and weaknesses; their wants and desires; their future and their past, all whilst putting them through their paces as they vie for a place in the final chorus.

The reluctantly told personal stories of the characters give the audience a voyeuristic look into their lives. As the characters candidly expose their disappointments and let downs, we, like big brother, get a reality experience which is not quite as edgy and ground breaking as when the show first opened on Broadway in 1975. The show seems to drag in parts and despite being relevant through pop trends such as ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ and the ‘X Factor’, what was once contemporary now just seems conventional.

This production, with restaged direction by Baayork Lee has an outstanding cast of young ‘triple threats’, who each sing, dance and act up a storm on the Festival Theatre stage. This is not the first time Lee has worked on a restaging of the production, having re-created Michael Bennet and Bob Avian’s original choreography in 2006, and this Australian Premiere production is not all that far from the original either, using original set design, costuming, sets and choreography. Even the lighting is original and has merely been adapted and realised; sadly seeming just a little shy of its potential.

The cast is excellent however, and create an entertaining production with very high standards of voice and dance. Whilst all are immensely talented special mention must be given to a few. Joshua Horner as Zach the formidable director showed us why he was cast in the role, always dancing with great strength and a perfect line. South Australian born Debora Krizak gives Sheila the perfect attitude and is a stunning dancer and skilled comic, using attitude, timing and facial expressions to great effect.  Stephanie Grigg plays a gorgeously tall Maggie and steals the number ‘At the Ballet’ when she joins Sheila and Bebe, singing with subtlety and gracefully perfect pitch. Euan Doidge as Paul wraps the audience around his finger in a beautiful spot of acting as he recounts his childhood and coming to terms with his sexuality and Kurt Douglas as Richie bursts onto the stage, dancing with so much energy that the audience cannot help but applaud.

Vocally however, the standout was Anita Louise Combe in the role of Cassie. Combe belts out ‘The Music and the Mirror’ and performs a brave solo dance on an empty stage, working valiantly despite the lighting and choreography which seem to hold the explosive scene back.

Musical Director Paul White skilfully commands the Adelaide Art Orchestra who play wonderfully and never overpower the ensemble voices. Sound was an issue however, and solos were often drowned out by the ensemble’s voices. The company choreography by Lee and her team is tight and well-timed with excellent synchronicity.

In its day this was a musical which broke all of the conventions of regular Broadway shows. It was edgy and challenging, and ran for 15 years, winning nine Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize. Though thematically still relevant the show feels a little tired. If you are a fan of A Chorus Line, you will not be disappointed by this production. If, however, you are just expecting to see a big budget, all singing, all dancing musical spectacular the likes of last year’s production of Wicked, then you may be disappointed. This show is as much a play as it is a musical, and with the right expectations, there is a tonne of potential for enjoyment.

Paul Rodda

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Marie Clark Musical Theatre. The Arts Theatre. 25 May 2012

A Chorus Line is not an easy show to cast, and the complicated nature of this show was never clearer than when watching an amateur production. The show requires its players to be accomplished singers, dancers and actors; and is unforgiving when a particular aspect is lacking.

Director Mel George has done well with her casting, and all of her players were exceptionally strong in at least one of the three areas. Many people would say that A Chorus Line is a ‘dancing show’ and there is no doubt that the dancing is crucial, but choreographer Victoria Beal has demonstrated that it can be very successfully modified to suit the skill level of your performers – the acting however is an entirely different kettle of fish, and requires the players to deliver strong and considered characterisations which are interesting as well as honest.

On percentage, most of the show is spoken monologue or sung solo direct to audience; and if it’s not delivered by great actors, has the potential to get boring very quickly. On the whole George has managed to avoid this and keeps the mood light, interesting and entertaining.

Musical Director Ben Stefanoff conducted a fine orchestra on opening night, and musically the show never skipped a beat. Occasionally the drums in particular were too loud and drowned out the voices, but this is more likely an amplification issue rather than a musical one.

Of the players, there were definitely standouts and in the category of ‘triple theat’; Anton Schrama as Paul, Kimberley Hein as Bebe, Jessica Knights as Diana and Courtney Allen as Val all shone – with wonderful singing voices, great characterisations and exceptional dance skills.

Of the great dancers, Ali Walsh as Kristine, Barbara Nutchey as Judy, Sophia Bubner as Maggie and David Daradan as Don showed they were also excellent actors. David Salter as Greg showed us his wonderful voice and great character and Kerry Staight had all the moves and attitude for a classy Sheila.

Sam Taylor as Mike was a very strong dancer and Tanya Harris moved well in the role of Cassie. As Zach, David Grybowski was absolutely wonderful in both voice and action. His onstage work had great power due to his stillness which contrasted wonderfully with the dancing.  The rest of the cast including the ensemble were all paramount in the show’s success and should feel very proud of the final result.

Set design was typical (and probably had to be that way due to restrictions on the rights) but the lights were excellent and managed the various transitions very well. Kudos to the spot operators who always hit their mark, and to the costume designer(s), who kept the show looking uncomplicated.

George, Beal and Stefanoff, with a great team of help and a wonderful cast, have delivered an enjoyable version of A Chorus Line. If you like this show, you won’t be disappointed by this amateur production for Marie Clark Musical Theatre.

Paul Rodda

When: 25 May to 2 June
Where: The Arts Theatre
Bookings: marieclark.asn.au

The Stars of Burlesque. Nexus Cabaret. 3 Mar 2012

For the late, late show at Nexus Cabaret two renowned Australian Burlesque performers, one award winning Drag performer and a veteran boylesque artist brought a small quirky show to the Adelaide Fringe.

Compered by 2010 winner of Miss Burlesque Australia, the gorgeous Rita Fontaine (who is still disturbingly attractive when dressed as a man with a fake beard drawn on) handled the 90% interested 10% drunk and rowdy audience with consummate ease. A natural comedian, she took the proceedings in her stride, steering the show through audience heckles and technical issues like a true professional.

As a cabaret dancer it is clear to see why Fontaine has been a previous winner of the Miss Burlesque title. She aptly uses her sensuous and curvaceous body in the act of strip "tease" and definitely leaves her audience (men and women alike) wanting more.

Also performing in the show is burlesque beauty Flavella L'Amour, a "serpent dancing seductress" who gives a sexy strip whilst draped in an enormous python. L'Amour's first dance, whilst being technically excellent was a little flat on attitude, but she warmed up with the audience, and turned the sensuality on full by the end of the night.

2009 winner of Miss Drag, Kristina Creme was dressed in some beautiful gowns and wonderful costumes. Despite looking great she did seem a little disinterested in her performance, and would have benefited from an injection of passion and attitude.

The same need not be said for Herbie Strangelove, veteran boylesque performer, who more than lived up to his name with some seriously disturbing cabaret involving a costume sewn out of the heads and torso's of teddy bears worn over a red devil outfit which was dripping with theatre blood. Whilst Strangelove's routines were confrontational and edgy they were excellently performed and never felt bawdy or pointless.

Nexus's rostrum stage presented more challenges for the performers with its uneven surface causing a few high heels to come unstuck (or stuck as the case maybe) and the technical crew again missed the mark with sound levels and timing on lights (this seems to be a recurring theme at this venue).

Definitely a show worth seeing for fans of the burlesque genre. Rita Fontaine is a stunning standout, and worth the price of admission alone.

Paul Rodda

When: Closed
Where: Nexus Cabaret
Bookings: Closed

EziPark Wakefield St Carpark - Level 10, 10 Feb 2012

A Grim Era is the debut production from fledgling Melbourne-based company Smallpox Theatre.  The creative brainchild of owner/collaborators Gemma Lark and David Rosenblatt, aka David Splatt, this highly visual, unspoken piece is a well-crafted mix of mime, physical theatre and puppetry. 

Featuring a well-designed set in the unlikely venue of Level 10 of the Wakefield Street Ezi-park, this dark, vaudeville-style show is a story of love in hard times.  Within the confines of their grim reality, two vagabond clowns, Isn't and Is, fall in love with all the idealism of two smitten youths. 

Inevitably, the first blooms of love fade and grim reality sets in.  This is where the show begins to shine, as the pair struggle to hold the relationship together in the face of hardship, monotony, loss and self-harm.

While theatre in a car park might not sound all that inviting, Splatt and Lark have made a surprisingly comfortable space from the concrete landscape.  Each piece in the set is used to great effect, from vintage suitcases doubling as tables and wash sinks to two gorgeous marionettes modelled in each performers image to exacting detail, down to matching costuming and physical features.

Both Splatt and Lark are superb performers. Splatt, in particular, is a master puppeteer.  His experience and skill is obvious in his facial control and his ability to fully characterize through his marionette. 

As Isn’t and Is, both performers easily convey as much, if not more, through mime than most achieve with straight acting.  Clever costuming and use of props combined with a well-honed understanding of facial and body language allow them to materialise a huge amount of emotion and meaning without uttering a word. 

This is a highly enjoyable show, full of beautiful little moments that take it from wonderful to brilliant. As the endearing and heart-breaking story unfolds, Splatt and Lark will make you laugh and cry.

Go and see A Grim Era before the opportunity is lost - this genuinely different show is a winner.

Nicole Russo

When: 14 to 18 Mar
Where: EziPark Wakefield St Carpark - Level 10
Bookings: www.adelaidefringe.com.au

Adelaide Repertory Theatre. The Arts Theatre. 25 Apr 2012

Martin McDonagh is a hugely successful English playwright of Irish parents - his father is from, guess where, Connemara on the northwest coast of Ireland.  A Skull in Connemara is part of a trilogy of offbeat stories involving the feckless gormless rubes he likes us to imagine actually live there.  God help them if they are really as rustic as portrayed.  McDonagh’s plays earned four Tony nominations for best play between 1998 and 2006.  Always a Tony bridesmaid but never a bride, there is still time left – he is only 42 years old.

Director Kerrin White writes in the notes that A Skull in Connemara is a fast paced black comedy, but that’s not what I saw on stage.  McDonagh likes to bury the diamonds of conversation in tonnages of gangue to give us the flavour of the place, so it’s important to wade briskly through the blather.  The characters for sure are entertaining and played with lightness and ease by the cast of four.  Peter Davies’s Mick Dowd is charged with digging up old graves and unceremoniously disposing of the remains.  Mark Drury plays his younger accomplice, Mairtin, with whining and whingeing in an uneasy relationship.  They have some heated exchanges of menace and malice.  Jude Brennan is great as the poteen-slurping neighbour and Steve Parker is excellent as the local cop.   

Unfortunately the whole was not greater than the sum of the parts, and the sought-after black comedy often just seemed odd or cruel.  The skull-malleting scene was far too drawn out and deadened the pace.  Peter Davies and Mark Drury might as well have been speaking Irish Gaelic most of the time; they were often difficult to understand.  In contrast, Jude Brennan and Steve Parker were clear as an Irish spring.

The production was a bit like poor Mairtin at the end of the show – bloodied but neither alive nor dead.

David Grybowski

When: 19 to 28 Apr
Where: The Arts Theatre, 53 Angas St, Adelaide
Bookings: 8212 5777 or adelaiderep@e-access.com.au