2013 | The Barefoot Review

The Musical of Musicals – The Musical!

2013-12-14T10:52:15+10:30

Everyman Theatre. The Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre Centre. 6 Dec 2013

Musicals: you either love ‘em or you hate ‘em. And this is the exact reason why the Musical of Musicals is among the rarest of gems – it smiles down on camps from both sides of the fence.

A satirical tribute to musical theatre’s big guns, including Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerry Herman, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Kander and Ebb, this production simultaneously endears the devotees while wooing the disinclined through comedic prowess.

The novelty of The Musical of Musicals is that the basic plot and character names for all five acts are exactly the same: June (Hannah Ley) is having trouble paying her rent, and is being threatened by her evil landlord Jitter (Jarrad West). Her friend Abbey (Louiza Blomfield) gives some sound advice, and then her boyfriend Michael (Adrian Flor) comes along to save the day. However, beyond that limited scope lays a cosmos of hilarity.

Backed by accomplished Musial Director, Nicholas Griffin, on piano and narrated by co-director, Duncan Driver, each act was essentially a campy mashup of a given theatre composer(s)’s body of work. This made it highly entertaining simply for the challenge of picking out which musical they were sending up at any given time – especially when the references were fleeting.

However, it was the outstanding talent of the four leads and the wacky chemistry between them that made this show so very enjoyable. All had exceptional vocal abilities that combined with sharp choreography (by Ley and West) and pure showmanship to create a force of nature. Furthermore, their absurd, uninhibited and very polished style of comedy and priceless one-liners ensured a steady stream of laughter from the audience.

Clearly a multi-talented cast, Blomfeld was also charged with the stage design, which resembled a graveyard where musical theatre props go to die. Chaotic, colourful, yet utilitarian, it allowed for freedom of movement and the rapid costumes changes in quite modest amount of space and was complemented by some clever lighting design by Kelly McGannon.

For those who have entered into a relationship with an ardent musical theatre buff, and don’t see the sense in it, this is a very good chance for you to share the experience with your loved one in a safe environment. Yes, you may get more out of it if you understand the references, however, even taken out of context it’s still one helluva spectacle.

Deborah Hawke

When: 5 to 21 Dec

Where: The Canberra Theatre Centre

Bookings: cenberratheatrecentre.com.au

Kitten of the Year 2013

2013-12-03T00:26:07+10:30

Miss Kitka’s House of Burlesque. The Canberra Irish Club. 30 Nov 2013

While many visitors view Canberra as simply the destination to make their once in a lifetime, obligatory good citizen’s pilgrimage to Parliament House, the Capital is actually making some impressive inroads on the nightlife front.

A stand out in this regard would have to be the ACT’s thriving burlesque scene, with Miss Kitka’s House of Burlesque school undoubtedly the Queen Bee of this hive of activity.

Kitten of the Year is Miss Kitka’s flagship annual event, where up and coming burlesque performers compete for the title by paying tribute to vintage burlesque performers and recreating their routines – learning about the origins of the art of striptease in the process. Each performer must also seek permission from either the burlesque performer or their family before going ahead with their tributes.

Kicking off this night of nights with some bawdy stand up comedy by the Stone Cold Fox, we were then introduced to 2012’s Kitten of the Year, Sugar Starr. Dressed as her idol, Marilyn Monroe, she looked every bit the part in her dazzling, diamond dripping ensemble as she introduced this year’s eager contenders.

As is the tradition with this event, the first routine of the night was a campy lip synced number with the Kittens draping themselves over one of the three male performers, Midnight Rain, while he crooned Neil Sedaka’s Calendar Girl. The month-themed costumes were delightful, showcasing the endlessly creative talents of the cast.

With some apparent issues around securing a host this year, a ring-in named Stella found herself in the top job at the last minute. She eased into the role remarkably quickly and, despite relying heavily on a script and being a little overly antagonistic, her wry and quirky humour found her a pretty decent rapport with the audience before commencing the competition.

First up was Garnet Martini, a first time entrant to Kitten of the Year, with her tribute to Ann Corio – an American burlesque dancer from the 1920s. Replicating her Jungle Siren routine, Garnet Martini enticed the audience with a little arm and leg from behind the curtain before gracing the stage for a fan dance. While gleefully plucking the leaves from her costume, the radiant smile on her face remained in place for the duration of her short but sweet performance.

Next was Arachne Phobia paying tribute to the curvaceous 1950s starlet, Betty ‘blue eyes’ Howard. A particularly sultry routine, Arachne Phobia oozed va va voom and was commanding of the audience as she sauntered the stage. She concluded with one hell of a butt shimmy, unearthing some gorgeous blue pasties in the reveal.

After a bit of a music mishap, Sugar Starr and Sassy Rose made a guest appearance with a rendition of A Little Girl from Little Rock – originally performed by Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell from Gentleman Prefer Blondes. It was worth the wait. They looked superb in their red sequined gowns, and furiously channelled their inner stage sirens to produce a class act that was a real crowd pleaser.

Dita Von Teese lookalike Bo Peep then paid her respects to Arlene Dupree, a performer who had a history of being censored on a number of occasions in her day. It was an appropriately vampy tribute, with some impressively executed bumps and grinds to finish off her sultry act.

Bo Peep was followed by Kitty White’s ode to Dorian Dennis – an entertainer from Brooklyn, New York who was taken by breast cancer in her late forties. This was a slow and steady striptease with glamorous costuming, and Kitty White gave a solid and self-assured performance.

Kitten of the Year veteran, Crème de la Crop paid tribute to Jean Idelle, an African American dancer who excelled in burlesque at a time of segregation and who is still alive today. Crème de la Crop chose one of Ms Idelle’s tango inspired fan dance routines, donning a sparkling gold frock and a confident beam on her face. She proved to be quite the mistress of the sleight of hand with her fans, and the build up in her routine was magnificent.

The second of the male performers, Chocolatta, cut in next for a Gerry Lewis inspired skit – looking sharp in his Heathcliff inspired get up and giving the audience something a bit different for the interlude.

A highly confident performer, Mandy Bandersnatch chose Val de Val as her vintage burlesque tribute this year and looked pretty in pink as she shimmied her way through with every ounce of her being. Very much a showgirl style routine, she had the requisite spunk and stage presence in spades.

Winner of the Audience Choice award for 2012, Harley Quinn, was back this year with another unique choice in 1930s nudist colony attraction star Zorine ‘Queen of the Nudists’. Harley Quinn replicated Queen Zorine’s gorilla routine that went on to inspire the movie King Kong, involving a gorilla courting Zorine and cramming a banana down her throat. The banana pasties for both Harley Quinn and the gorilla were adorable and the act itself was a real hoot.

Kitten of the Year darling, Poppy Button also thought outside the box with her tribute to Corky. Poppy Button was a comic delight as the sassy, squealing, gum-chewing broad and did an amazing job with her ‘aw jeez’ Brooklynesque accent. She’s a natural and charismatic performer, and was a real stand out of the evening.

Last but not least was ‘pocket rocket’ Gerri Canns, with her hot, hot, hot tribute to Irish/Cherokee performer, Princess DoMay. With permission from the United Cherokee Foundation, Gerri Canns completely smashed her spicy routine featuring The Doors Waiting for the Sun as backing music. She looked stunning in her Native American headdress and went out with a bang by bathing in glitter.

While judges Domenic Mico (arts director), Cherry Lush, Deb Delicious (burlesque teachers and performers) and Darla and Blossom Darling (proprietors of The Darling Sisters Boutique) deliberated, the audience was treated to a packed second act with a diverse range of acts to keep us entertained. These included more fan dancing from Chocollato and Midnight Rain, a flapper number from Kiki Paradigm, a coy Johnny Cash piece from Wilhelmina Wonderland, Cherry Possum’s lively and energetic Carmen Miranda dance, Sassy Rose’s sharp roaring thirties tap routine that drove the crowd wild and a red light, saucy striptease from December De Vo.

For those that missed last year’s contest, we also got the chance to see the reason why Sugar Starr was crowned Kitten of the Year in 2012. Performing her achingly beautiful and sensual Bearded Lady routine that wowed the judges back then, she went on to also capture the hearts of this year’s audience. Her costuming was exquisite and the choreography simply captivating.

Another favourite tradition of Kitten of the Year is the charming Danke Shoen showgirl number, complete with ostrich feathers and gleaming smiles, and the show producers did not disappoint in this respect. Adding in a raffle draw in which one of the prizes was a male performer giving a balloon pop chair dance to the unsuspecting winner to the Village People’s Macho Man, it was then time for the much anticipated awards to be handed out by Sugar Starr.

This 2013 Kitten of the Year winner was Gerri Canns with her outstanding Princess DoMay tribute, with Crème de la Crop taking out the Audience Choice with her accomplished Jean Idelle routine. Both ladies were rendered speechless, and the tears flowed as the news of the reward for their many months of hard work sunk in. The evening ended with the whole cast on stage to perform chair dances on their loved ones with Bumps and Grinds, and they all looked like they were having a blast.

I must say I was relieved that Kitten of the Year featured just one show instead of two this year. Usually if you go on the Saturday you miss out on the awards night that occurs on the Sunday and I’m sure performing all weekend takes its toll on the performers too. Although it’s a fairly long show at just over three hours, time flies when you’re having fun and there was thankfully only one twenty minute break to ensure the night didn’t drag on.

Overall, it’s a guaranteed fun night out with an abundance of fresh, emerging and established talent on offer. Sure, it was slightly disorganised at times, but given that this production runs on just the smell of an oily rag and the passion of those involved, I think the quality is quite impressive indeed. Like Parliament House, seeing Kitten of the Year is a must at least once in your lifetime.

Deborah Hawke

Closet Land

2013-11-30T15:37:45+10:30

Growling Grin Productions. Bakehouse Theatre. 29 Nov 2013

Often good books (or plays) do not translate well into film, and Closet Land is an example of the reverse. I confess to not having ever seen the 1991 independent cult film of the same name written and directed by Radha Bharadwaj which starred Madeleine Stowe and Alan Rickman. Produced by no less than Ron Howard and with music by the legendary composer Philip Glass I imagine that it had something special to offer. However, the play adaptation does not.

The story line is promising. A children’s author is snatched in the middle of the night by an official of a police state and is secreted away to an unknown location where she is systematically tortured in a vain attempt to extract a confession of sedition. He believes that her latest book is a thinly veiled allegorical attack on the state. As he degrades her with each physical assault we learn that she was a victim of sexual abuse as a child and that her inquisitor was the perpetrator. His possession and humiliation of her is bordering on complete, but her indomitability ultimately defeats him, which seems incongruous and perhaps a weakness in the overall plot.

The plot can be considered on a number of levels: male domination of women; political torture; censorship; rape; regimes preserving themselves at all costs. All these things were topical when the film was first conceived, and they still are. Man’s inhumanity to man is a constant it seems.

The script is over written, and with only a cast of two, the playwright needs to take great care to create text that allows the actors to nuance the characters. The text spoken by the girl in response to the barrage from the inquisitor is too controlled, precise and bordering on erudite. In the context of extreme torture it is more likely that self-control would be sorely tested, and if physically unstrained, as she often was in this production, she would surely lash out rather than ‘grin and bear it’. The torturer’s role was complex as he created a range of different characters to confuse and unsettle the blind folded girl. The success of this required the actor playing the torturer to be able to create different and contrasting voices and accents.

Melissa Rayner worked hard to breathe believability into the role of the victim, but she was not able to fully overcome the constraints of her very limited stage experience. Debut director Olivia Jane Parker would have done well to inject much more physicality into the role of the girl. Benjamin Orchard played the role of the torturer with significant and chilling menace, but his ill-fitting costume and poorly applied makeup detracted from his over all performance. The pace at which he was directed to play the interrogation was unrelentingly monotonous. There was little light and shade.

The set was minimalist, and effective. It comprised a small circular raised platform on which the victim and her inquisitor were mostly located, and a trifold screen on which was painted an abstract design symbolic of a tortured mind. It was well lit by Stephen Dean. At various times images were projected onto the screen to underline key aspects of the plot: illustrations from the victim’s clearly un-seditious children’s books; the victim retreating into her own mental fantasy world to help her resist her interrogator; and her ultimate victory. The footage might have been better blended into the action of the play rather than have everything stop for it.

Overall this was perhaps an overly ambitious production for a fledgling production company which would have benefitted from some significant workshopping.

Kym Clayton

When: 27 to 30 Nov
Where: The Bakehouse Theatre
Bookings: trybooking.com

Madama Butterfly

2013-11-26T23:51:58+10:30

State Opera of South Australia. Adelaide Festival Theatre. 26 Nov 2013

You can have too much of a good thing, can’t you? Well, apparently not, for this is the third run in Adelaide since 1999 of this particular production by Moffatt Oxenbould of Puccini’s ever popular and much loved Madama Butterfly.

So why is Butterfly so popular? For starters the music is amongst the most lyrical in the entire repertoire, and secondly the story line is believable, which is something that can’t always be said for grand opera. Unfortunately the plot resonates as a metaphor for the tragic events that often unfold in times of militarism – the innocent become tragic victims and the aggressor is often oblivious to their hurt. Of the glorious score, even opera naysayers begrudgingly admit they are familiar with at least part of the extended love duet at the end of Act 1 or with the Humming Chorus at the end of Act 2, which is faintly reminiscent of Valjean’s aria Bring Him Home from the musical Les Misérables. (Who copied who? Oh yes, Schönberg wasn’t even a twinkle in his grandfather’s eye by the time Puccini had long gone to that great opera chorus in the sky!)

The story line of Madama Butterfly is a simple one. Pinkerton, an American navy officer takes a young Japanese geisha by the name of Cio Cio San (which loosely translates as Butterfly) as his wife to ‘entertain’ him when he is in port. Despite his deep physical attraction to her, to him it is a marriage in name only and he intends to eventually take a ‘proper’ American wife. But Butterfly in her youthful naïveté and with her ingrained sense of honour is committed to the relationship. She gives birth to a son and patiently awaits Pinkerton’s return, but when he does it is with an American wife. Butterfly is devastated but can only think of her son’s welfare and makes arrangements to hand him over into Pinkerton’s care. Her last selfless act is to take her own life to pave an easy path for her son to start a new life, and Puccini’s glorious score fittingly ends on an imperfect cadence.

State Opera bring a fabulous ensemble to this production, and mercifully there is not an aging or overweight romantic lead in sight! Cio Cio San is sung by Joanne McWaters, and surprisingly this is her first major role with State Opera. Her next is surely not too far away! Her voice is glorious and ripe for Butterfly, and she sang with great passion and emotion. In Act 1 she perhaps played the role with more confidence than might be expected of a demure and innocent fifteen-year old Japanese girl (even for a Geisha). In Act 2 and 3 she was magnificent, and demonstrated that she is a fine actress as well. She was at her most commanding during the Humming Chorus when she knelt silently throughout the night waiting for Pinkerton’s return with her maid and son asleep by her side.

Pinkerton is basically a youthful and chauvinistic coward, and James Egglestone played and sang him to arresting perfection. No mean feat. His fine tenor voice was the perfect accompaniment for Butterfly during the love duet in Act 1, and his final aria in Act 3 during which he expresses remorse for abandoning Butterfly was vocally impressive but his stagecraft was a little melodramatic.

In the 1996 State Opera production, Adam Goodburn and Catriona Barr also sang the roles of Goro and Suzuki, and since then their voices have matured into fine instruments. They are both fine actors, especially Goodburn who breathed unusual life into Goro. Douglas McNicol played the empathetic but essentially spineless American Consul Sharpless with accomplishment. Rounding out the fine cast was Desireee Frahn (a powerful and emotional cameo performance), Luke Gabbedy (fabulous voice and an even more fabulous costume as Prince Yamadori), Steven Gallop (imposingly menacing as The Bonze), David Perry and Jeremy Tatchell.

The production was well designed by Russell Cohen, and it was a work of minimalist perfection with raised platforms placed in a large shallow pool of water enclosed with sliding walls of bamboo and paper. It did however seem cavernous at times. Robert Bryan’s lighting design largely comprised of un-fussed monochromatic hues which always threw the emphasis on the actors, and especially on the loneliness of Butterfly. The night sky scenes were pure magic.

The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra was tightly under the control of the experienced Nicolas Braithwaite and the result was exciting – a textured performance which rarely overwhelmed the soloists.

This is not a production to miss. Two performances to go – secure your tickets!

Kym Clayton

When: 23 to 30 Nov
Where: Festival Theatre
Bookings: bass.net.au

Photography by Photografeo or Bernard Hull (watermarked)

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When Dad Married Fury

2013-11-24T18:16:20+10:30

Christine Harris and HIT Productions. The Q Theatre. 19 Nov 2013

Many Australians feel quite an affinity for American culture, through the United States' dominance both politically and through the influence and reach of their film and television industries. However, while it’s one thing to admire it from afar, dropping it into an Australian context shows that it doesn’t translate quite so smoothly in reality as we might expect. When Dad Married Fury exemplifies this cultural divide, while examining the ties that bind Australia and the United States through a contemporary scenario that is as insightful as it is entertaining.

Written in 2012 by Australian playwright David Williamson, this play is set within the context of the Global Financial Crisis in 2007. Brothers Ian (Drew Tingwell) and Ben (David James) Urquhart are on a trip to Sydney with their wives Laura (Tanya Byrne) and Sue (Nell Feeny) to celebrate their widowed father’s 75th birthday. When they discover their father, Alan (Dennis Moore), is worth a fortune, and that he has also married a young American beauty queen named Fury (Annie Last), they panic at being left out of his will.

While Ian and Ben scheme to ensure they get a piece of their father’s fortune, Laura is fuming over the damage her father in law has inflicted on her family due to his dodgy business dealings, with her mother Judy (Jan Friedl) bearing the cost of his ruthlessness. However, when the family finally confront Alan and the stepmother that they already despise, nothing quite goes as expected.

There was a great deal of build up around Fury in the earlier scenes before she made her much anticipated appearance on stage, and Annie Last did not disappoint. In true American style, her character was larger than life and became the centre of gravity around which everyone in the production orbited. However, rather than being the vacuous, money grubbing stepmother that everyone expected, Fury was actually quite an intriguing and colourful character with a lot of depth – despite her radically conservative worldview.

Both left and right wing ideologies, and the differences in how they are interpreted in Australia and America, were represented in When Dad Married Fury. Playwright David Williamson, who took the high road and refrained from being offensive or reductionist, explored the resulting clashes boldly and eloquently with biting humour and satire. The commentary shining the light on the Global Financial Crisis and the ripple it made from the USA to Australia was also sharp and incisive, while bringing humanity to a topic that is often reified.

As mentioned above, Last was absolutely dazzling as Fury, making the difficult task of taking a character with such controversial convictions and making her endearing look easy. She shared an incredible chemistry with Moore as her ageing tiger of a husband, who acted the tyrant to perfection. Well and truly in Alan’s skin, he added just the right amount depth and vulnerability to prevent him from turning into a villainous caricature.

Tingwell and Byrne and James and Feeny as the bitter children/children in law contrasted well with the more extremist sensibilities of their parents, playing the quintessential temperate Australians to a tee. However, the husband and wife dynamics were just as fascinating, rounding the characters out and encouraging you to take a genuine interest in their motivations. Friedl also played an important role as the casualty in this story, offering a harrowing glimpse of the impacts of unbridled greed and corruption with sincerity and dignity.

The kitschy elevator music by Chris Hubbard breaking up each scene worked as a terrific tension buster throughout the show. The set created by Shaun Gurton was one of simplicity, allowing the cast to achieve swift and smooth transitions and a well paced show overall.

When Dad Married Fury is very much a play of our time, and a much-needed evaluation of what this phenomenon they call globalisation has actually delivered to the people living in two of the wealthiest countries on Earth. The approach it takes allows one to step back and reflect on a period of massive change, and the differences in how these changes have played out between Australia and its greatest ally, while still being able to appreciate the comicality of it all in the greater scheme of things. A class act!

Deborah Hawke

When: Closed
Where: The Q Theatre
Bookings: Closed

The Mystery of the Hansom Cab

2013-11-24T14:37:50+10:30

Adelaide Repertory Theatre. The Arts Theatre. 21 Nov 2013

They might be about murder but there's no killing old-fashioned melodramas. They're just too much fun for one and all. Actors can let their hair down and ham it up to the hilt. Audience members can shout out and sing along. And so they all do in The Rep's The Mystery of the Hansom Cab, with added comic music hall routines and a featured appearance by the illustrious Ethel Schwartz, who has been treading the vaudevillian boards since Roy Rene curled his Mo in Hindley Street. Some may know her as Phyl Skinner. She holds the house in her thrall with an extended routine of very old and very funny standup, so perfectly enunciated that every syllable rings clear to the back row.

This exhibition of venerable excellence is topped only by a Johnny-come-lately called Joshua Coldwell who functions as the Master of Ceremonies. What a beautiful voice. What pure panache. He's heartthrob material with a touch of the old Tim Ferguson.

This is not to say that good performers are not thick on the ground. Good bad, performances, that is.

It's largely an experienced cast up there all of them overacting as hard as they can.

No one can overact as spectacularly as Penni Hamilton-Smith who mugs magnificently and brings the house down in her Salvation Army duds as Sal, the goodie and "other" love interest. Christopher Evans endears as that suitor and really amuses in tutu as he performs the famous balloon dance with the hilariously po-faced Lindy LeCornu. It's one of those winning, classic pieces of silly shtick of which audiences never tire.

Everybody gets to show their colours in the school of comedy melodrama so there are plenty of vignettes - moments for Jude Hines to touch the stars of Cockney connivance as Mother Guttersnipe, for Ryan Dooley to take heroic innocence to the depths of absurdity, for Neville Phillips to wax honourable as the good (?) father, for glorious ingenue Hanna O'Grady to capture the heart as the heroine, for Chris Meegan to bring tears to the eyes with a rendition of Danny Boy and, of course, for Barry Hill to swirl that red-lined cloak and wreak murderous mayhem in all directions as the classic villain. Hiss. Boo.

Tamara Bennetts stalks him with a massive magnifying glass while Jonathon Johnston, Sarah Connors, Karin Marx and Anne Hall turn on stalwart support under the seasoned direction of Gary Anderson. Not to be omitted is mention of his fabulous sets created with Vinnie Eustice. The play, adapted by former Adelaide playwright Barry Pree and based on a true story, has been relocated to olde Adelaide and Anderson has illuminated the stage with some superb period photo projections, albeit with a few wee tech hitches on opening night.

Costumes from Loriel Smart and Jude Hines dress both the performers and the period spirit. The lighting works, the scenic art is good and the musical accompaniment is outstanding - performed by no less an Adelaide luminary than Sandi McMenamin on honkey tonk upright with Rowan Dennis on percussion.

This production is only for those who recognise that it is an extremely silly romp and who are willing to be a part of it by hissing, whistling and cheering. Then again, being the bastardised form of a genre which reaches back through Victoriana and into yore, one could deem it to have some cultural relevance. Either way, it makes an upbeat sendoff for the 2013 season.

Samela Harris

When: 21 to 30 Nov
Where: Arts Theatre
Bookings: trybooking.com

A Chorus of Disapproval

2013-11-17T22:46:16+10:30

St Jude's Players. St Jude's. 14 Nov 2013

When people say the suburbs are dead, I mainly scoff, having once lived in a suburb myself, but when I pulled up to St Jude's for the opening night of A Chorus of Disapproval and found the car park to be a graveyard, well, it breathed new life into the phrase. However, the theatre itself was anything but lifeless as a full house was entertained by Sir Alan Ayckbourn's ancient musical within a comedy.

The Pendon Amateur Light Operatic Society is rehearsing the hit show of 1728, The Beggar's Opera. Enter stage left does Guy Jones of Leeds who fancies himself a bit of a singer and auditions for the company. But apparently Pendon is full of foxy ladies and short on lads, so young Guy seems to mainly learn his lines lying down. Everyone has an angle and Guy is embroiled in a lot of small town shenanigans, some of which would make a crow blush.

The cast created a panoply of eccentric British types the likes that you would enjoy in Midsomer Murders. Without exception, they were well rounded and highly detailed characterisations, no doubt, coaxed out of them by director Kym Clayton. The star of the show was Andrew Clark playing the Beggar's director. His thick Welsh accent, and harried and anxious demeanor, were a perfect vehicle for Ayckbourn's acidic barbs. James Spargo's Guy was a complex presentation of a gormless rube who meteorically attains a high level of sexual sophistication. The entire cast worked so well together I imagined myself watching a provincial theatrical production in England, doing either A Chorus of Disapproval or The Beggar's Banquet - take your pick. Songs from The Banquet are interspersed with the action, and apparently echo the action of the play, but most of that subtlety was lost through the fault of no one. It did not matter a jot, though, because the songs ranged from ably rendered to a joy to listen to.

St Jude's has a stage the size of a kitchen and clever fold outs and slide-aways made potentially vexing scene changes a breeze (set design: Robert Aust). My only complaint is with Ayckbourn himself - the plot proceeds at a snail's pace due to lengthy chit chat and the whole shebang has a rather wimpy denouement.

A chorus of approval for St Jude's and their current production. And you'd be lucky to get a ticket - they are nearly sold out for the entire season.

David Grybowski

When: 14 to 23 Nov
Where: St Jude’s Hall
Bookings: (08) 8270 4205

Maggie Stone

2013-11-13T10:28:26+10:30

State Theatre Company. The Space Theatre. 12 Nov 2013

Racial disharmony is a daring and difficult subject and playwright Caleb Lewis should be commended for being the first to bring the latest phenomenon, the Sudanese issue, to light onstage. His Maggie Stone depicts a Sudanese man who, out of hope and naivete, has ploughed himself into debt in his new life in Australia. He needs yet another loan to get out of debt to which end he goes to see loans officer Maggie Stone.

She's a tough-but-fair sort but, in the end of the day, she rejects his application. And thus, acting upon the tragic consequences of that decision, does Maggie Stone get to learn about the Sudanese, who now make up quite a large chunk of Adelaide's population.

Many of them have had dire experiences in refugee camps. Many, like the character of Benny in the play, are "rape babies". They bring immense cultural and psychological burdens to their new worlds.

These Lewis explores, sweeping the arm of racism broadly by planting not just the lonely loans officer into the mix but also the Shylock of a loans shark. Played by Mark Saturno, he speaks like a Jew but is identified as Greek. He wants his pound of flesh. The knives so often carried by the Sudanese are introduced early in the piece and end up being pretty spectacularly put into play with (plot spoiler) one of the longest and goriest deaths to be seen on the Adelaide stage in years.

This play also touches on the themes of welfare, the sense of entitlement of proud Africans and the perplexity experienced by refugees trying to deal with the expectations of a complex new culture. He pinpoints that special human spirit of survival whence, out of the darkness still comes the glimmers of optimism.

There are lots of messages but, happily, the play manages to fall short of didacticism.

And it is one helluva vehicle for Kris McQuade. The playwright was quoted as saying he had McQuade in mind when writing the play and, indeed, it seems just tailor-made for her skills. She makes a rounded and utterly credible character of Maggie Stone. She's well supported by Shedrick Yarkpai, Ansuya Nathan, Genevieve Mooy and Sara Zwangobani.

While it is the usual fine work from director Geordie Brookman and the State team, it is also something of a tour de force for set designer Victoria Lamb who has dominated The Space with a massive wooden grid which, while mystifying, is just a wonderful thing in its own right.

Samela Harris

When: 8 to 30 Nov
Where: The Space Theatre
Bookings: bass.net.au

Corpse!

2013-11-10T13:38:16+10:30

Therry Dramatic Society. Arts Theatre. 9 Nov 2013

Therry knows its audience a lot better than I do and Corpse! was the ticket for its membership. Unfortunately, "eager cast breathes new life into corpse" has already been used, so I'll try to think of something else similarly complementary, as this was a thoroughly enjoyable night out at the theatre.

Corpse! is one of those plays written by out-of-work actors - in this case, Gerald Moon - so they can give actors terrific things to do, like double identities and swordplay. It's a very funny farce-black comedy, maybe thriller, with more than a touch of the sinister and macabre, and plenty of twists to keep you intrigued. Stylistically, while Corpse! is set in 1936, you would be forgiven to think the play was also written in 1936, yet it made its debut half a century later.

Out-of-work actor Evelyn (they also like to write about themselves) connives to murder his rich twin Rupert with the help of a gullible and hapless criminal. The scheme is always in danger of unraveling thanks to a meddling landlady. There's a lot more to it than that, but I don't want to spoil it.

Norman Caddick is a highly experienced director, and shines working on this sort of comedy. He runs a tight ship with set design (Nick Spottiswoode), lighting (Denise Lovick), and sound (Hugh Hunkin) all deserving of praise. You could imagine that the creative juices were running hot during rehearsals with the goal of getting the most of every scene.

Adam Tuominen does a star turn in playing both twins with comic distinction. It's amazing how dextrous he was in the physical business. Peter Davies was marvellous as the gormless assassin, and Sue Wylie's portrayal of the landlady was imaginative and full of nuance.

You should be dying to see this show. Corpse! is a lively undertaking.

David Grybowski

When: 7 to 16 November
Where: Arts Theatre
Bookings: bass.net.au

Orphans

2013-11-10T13:17:50+10:30

Bluefruit Productions. The Bakehouse Theatre. 9 Nov 2013

"Two hours without an interval", the audience is bladder-warned before entering The Bakehouse for "Orphans". It sounds long. But, if "Orphans" is long, it is only by about ten minutes of overwriting. The production whizzes along like a rocket, its content so taut and worrying that the time flies. An interval would break the tension.

The play, by English playwright Dennis Kelly, describes a brother and sister whose neuroses and general dysfunctionality is borne of some form of institutionalised childhood. We learn that their parents died by fire and that the sister, Helen, had always protected her troubled young brother, Liam, thus missing out on possibly happy adoptive families.

Liam, she says, is just "unlucky". Liam is, in fact, deeply psychotic - a condition expertly articulated by Sam Calleja from the moment he bursts onto the stage covered in blood and enquiring if the Basmati rice on the table has been cooked with lemon. Calleja sustains the sweet and sour of this psychopathology beautifully and the audience feels both compassion for and fear of him.

As his sister, Anna Cheney, has the trickiest of the scripts to deliver. Playwright Kelly points out the way in which life so often is expressed in unfinished sentences by having Helen speak almost entirely in snatches, fragments and reiterations. Cheney snaps it all out in a crisp, clear voice which underscores the idiosyncrasy. Helen, ostensibly, is the controlling character of the play. Her partner, Danny, is doting and entirely subjugated. He is embodied by Charles Mayer in a performance of absolute skill and artful nuance. Mayer is an outstanding actor and his voice is sublime.

All three cast members are powerful and so is the mood generated by director Shona Benson who also designed the very smart set. It is a raised platform floor presenting a proud, Ikea-chic interior but, outside and below is a shambles of broken rocks and furniture suggesting a degraded and slum-violent environment.

The soundscape veers from manic to clamorous to eerie as it facilitates time changes. There's a bit of stagey artifice in these transitions. The play's action takes place over just one fraught night. Its location has been changed from the UK to Adelaide, the rationale being that the phenomena of violence, racism and recidivism are common to Western culture.

This presentation by Bluefruit Theatre is the sort of thing for which The Bakehouse is beloved. It is riveting, confronting drama with top notch production qualities.

Samela Harris

When: 9 to 23 Nov
Where: The Bakehouse Theatre
Bookings: bakehousetheatre.com