Monthly Archives: September 2012

WORLD PREMIERE: THE HOTEL HIBISCUS BY ROBERT COCKBURN ZENITH THEATRE, CHATSWOOD 19-27 OCTOBER

Posted on September 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

WORLD PREMIERE: THE HOTEL HIBISCUS BY ROBERT COCKBURN ZENITH THEATRE, CHATSWOOD 19-27 OCTOBER

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Who would believe that the Australian Government had an involvement in the death of 15,000 innocent people? Robert Cockburn’s The Hotel Hibiscus is an Australian political thriller that questions our complicity and silence in a war crime that occurred just 20 years ago.

Sent secretly to a Pacific island off Papua New Guinea to run a dirty war for an Australian gold mine, Colonel Chris Baulkham falls in love with Dr Patty Carmichael, a 30 year-old academic woman whom he fools into providing his cover.

As Patty clears up her late father’s hotel, the Colonel is cleaning up the war crimes of his foreign minister’s failed war. Colonel Baulkham plays the puppeteer, juggling his and Patty’s worlds as she and her staff risk their lives unknowingly in aid of his work. Politics becomes dangerously personal and the strings begin to tangle as Patty uncovers the inconceivable truth.

The play was inspired by conflict in the 1990s surrounding the control of an Australian mine on Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville Island, in which an astonishing 15,000 civilians – or nearly 10% of the population – were killed. By uncovering the misuse of soldiers for political and corporate greed, Cockburn’s work reveals how decent people can become complicit in crimes against humanity.

Robert Cockburn reported on this conflict for The Times, the BBC, the ABC and to Amnesty International after investigating the army’s murder of a young bus driver. Hauntingly, within weeks of Epicentre’s decision to perform the play, the United States Supreme Court gave survivors of the conflict in Bougainville permission to bring an unprecedented action for ‘genocide’ and ‘crimes against humanity’ against mining giant Rio Tinto Zinc.

As The Hotel Hibiscus goes on stage, difficult questions are being asked of RTZ and those in power in Australia who turned a blind eye to the people of Bougainville, choosing to stay silent while thousands died.

Hotel Hibiscus is directed by Greg Friend and stars Dominic McDonald, Amanda Jermyn, Billy McPherson, Colin Huxley, Sopa Enari, Charlotte Hazzard and Sudanese refugee Mandela Mathia in his stage debut.

Epicentre Theatre Company presents
THE HOTEL HIBISCUS by Robert Cockburn
18-27 October Zenith Theatre, Chatswood
Railway and McIntosh Streets Chatswood (near Chatswood Station)
Performances: Fri 19th 8pm, Sat 20th 8pm, Sun 21st 5pm, Thu 25th 8pm, Fri 26th 8pm, Sat 27th 2pm and 8pm.

Tickets $28 / $20 conc. Bookings ??? or online http://www.epicentretheatre.org.au

Media: for more information, interviews, images, cast details etc, contact Geoff Sirmai
Watchdog Communications (02) 9345 0360 mob: 0412 669 272 geoff@watchdog.com.au

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Review: 100 Years of Lizards – part of the Sydney Fringe Festival

Posted on September 25, 2012 | 1 comment

By Erica Brennan

100 Years of Lizards at King Street Theatre

Walking into the New Theatre I was transfixed by the beautifully crafted set. Jess Tran has created a design that is at once both sophisticated and childlike. The punctured holes and watery blue lighting on draped sheets suggested lizard skin and the inside of an attractively worn out field tent. It was simply stunning. I felt very grateful indeed for those first few hushed minutes as other patrons found their seats to just sink and admire the world I was about to. A world of ancient lizard overlords, lovesick rangers and Disney-esque villains – if Disney was okay with brutal animal consumption for the purposes of everlasting beauty.

I was aware that ‘100 Years of Lizards’ had been through a various developments and a season of work at the Adelaide Fringe festival, and it shows. Without a hint of clunkiness this show runs like a dream. A bizarre yet strangely alluring dream that will have you dance in your seat; no really, you dance like lizards. I’m not one for audience participation but I was sticking my tongue out and trotting from left to right on demand. The performers Kim Parrish, Alex Williams, Stephen Jones are unashamedly committed to the weird and wonderful world they have created with writer Patrick Lenton and move effortlessly between brilliant character acting and great sweeping electro songs. I’m still humming the theme music (thank you keyboard lizard Parick Weland-Smith for the live tunes) and chuckling over Lenton’s imaginatively false lizard facts.

All three performers are incredibly grounded in their craft and Director Ngaire O’Leary has brought each of their eclectic mix of skills to the forefront for one a crazy ride. Think a roller coaster between Monty Python style drama, belting musical numbers, solid character acting and seedy drag shows. It’s a sightly offbeat and wrong style of comedy, but its strong and very much an established style. This play is so indulgent, silly and there should be more work like it! It is a performance that showcases the excellent skill of its creators, is impossibly wacky and refuses to settle into a recognisable rhythm. It leaves you delightfully bewildered and I say bravo.

One thing that put a frown on my face was an alarming moment when a character’s throat was cut. Although no blood or gore it felt very real, very graphic and seemed entirely out of place it took me a few moments after to reconnect with the play.

But mostly a huge KUDOS to The Sexy Comedy collective. A mostly gentle, but often brutal poking fun at language and facts so effortless you could feel the faith and joy all involved took in the work.

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Review: Zoe – part of the Sydney Fringe festival.

Posted on September 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

By Erica Brennan

The program notes of Zoe ask ‘how do you mourn someone who never existed? How do you stop’ I was immediately intrigued by the concept and extremely glad I’m so much of a nerd that I read the program notes obsessively before a show.

The story: Emma is going through a divorce and trying to cope with not only the breakdown of the marriage but the loss of her most desired future, a planned child whom they have already named Zoe. Almost by fate Emma meets an elusive and beautiful fire twirler on the beach who introduces herself as Zoe. Emma becomes obsessed with her fantasising that she is Zoe’s mum. Emma’s Mum Donna and her best friend Chris try and support her through her bizarre behaviour before becoming fed up. Emma follows her on face book goes to all her gigs tells people that she has become like a mum to the poor destitute girl. Finally she once again approaches Zoe and the fragile world she has created crashes down. Zoe is baffled by Emma’s familiarity and then demands she stop stalking before storming away. This dilemma of letting go of something that never existed was definitely the thing that carried the play for me. It is strong enquiry to build a play around and I thought the story had all the touch stones to be something really fantastic. I applauded writer/director Jean Gordon for her choice of material.

For a fringe show with all the restrictions created by venue sharing and short runs, it was a seamlessly put together production with some truly inspiring touches. The original Score by Michael Pearce was the right amount of ominous and whimsical. Not too overpowering for a subject that is very difficult to comprehend but transporting you to the driving melancholy that Emma must have been consumed by.

The cast seemed at ease with the writing and seemed very comfortable in this tricky situation. Jen Mealing as Donna, Emma’s mum was one of the stronger performers with other cast members finding moments to really shine. Zoe, played by professional fire twirler Hanna Donnelley, is mesmerising. Never leaving the stage and in an almost zen like fashion twirls glow poi throughout all the scenes. It gives one a beautiful awareness that there are some things that haunt us and may never actually come into being. A lovely metaphor for the subject of Emma’s mourning.

Elements of the script and the staging were a bit hit and miss, and I’d love to see a dramaturge attached to it because I really thought the story and idea were fascinating. At times dialogue was truly striking and other times a bit clunky and lacking subtext. I was also craving a few more adventurous directing decisions, growing fatigued at similar choices made throughout. However this was a very easy production to watch and I very much hope that Gordon keeps writing and creating work. Her interest and care for her subject and characters shines through in the production and I was quite enamoured with the gentle exuberance the cast seemed to emanate. Even though the season is finished keep an eye out for future work.

As a side note this was my first visit to the King Street Theatre since its name change (formerly Newtown Theatre) and new interior. It’s a beautifully welcoming place and it was great to see the foyer filled with happily chatting patrons. If the chance comes up to visit it dear Theatre Goers please do!

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ROOM: the critics are raving… last chances Thur,Fri,Sat

Posted on September 24, 2012 | Leave a comment

ROOM – Written by Pete Malicki, directed by Alison Albany
The Italian Forum Cultural Centre, 23 Norton St Leichhardt

Last performances!

Thu 27 Sep, 6:00 PM
Fri 28 Sep, 9:00 PM
Sat 29 Sep, 6:00 PM

“Five people wake up in a room. The only way to escape is to escape reality.”

sydneyfringe.com/event/theatre/room

Don’t miss one of the acknowledged highlights of Sydney Fringe 2012!

Just a headsup that ROOM by Pete Malicki (Short+Sweet Festival Director and writer of a swag of hit plays) is in its final week at the gorgeous Forum Theatre, Leichhardt.

"[Room] will have you on the edge of your seat… you leave the theatre with a tingling spine, hoping that such madness will never happen to you. Any chance of Saw appearing on Broadway? Someone call Pete Malicki." – Chelsea Deeley, City Hub

"This play explores human reactions to ridiculous circumstances and poses questions as to what might arouse within us if we had no choice. A scary thought. Go and see it and be prepared to lose sleep over it." – Lana Hilton, What’s On Sydney

"Room combines innovation and imagination, while skilfully meshing an old idea with a very new conception of it… Vivid, exploratory and very watchable." – Emily Garrett, Australian Stage

"This is a very accessible piece of theatre that is bound to attract large audiences. Get along to it if you can. You’ll have a great time, find yourself thinking about the play for days and chatting about its premise for hours after." – Lisa Thatcher, theatreblog

sydneyfringe.com/event/theatre/room

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Great shows… freebies at the Fringe!

Posted on September 23, 2012 | Leave a comment

FREE DOUBLES PASSES:

Courtesy of each show, Watchdog Shownews and Sydney Fringe, we have a number of free double passes to giveaway:

Tommy Bradson’s “Sweet 16 – or The Birthday Party Massacre” – opening night Tues 25 or Wed 26 Sept 9.30pm Seymour Centre Reginald Theatre
This is song-bird Tommy Bradson (“poet and provocateur”) at his outrageous best! A must-see…
www.sydneyfringe.com/event/theatre/tommy-bradsons-sweet-sixteen-or-birthday-party-massacre

Dating World – with Stevl Shefn and his translator Fatima – opening night Tues 25 or Wed 26 Sept 8pm New Theatre, Newtown (45 mins)
Steve Sheehan’s bizare hit comedy comes to Sydney. Crazy… and hilarious.
www.sydneyfringe.com/event/comedy/dating-world

Frank Christie Frank Clarke! – opening night Wed 26 Sept 6.30pm, Thurs 27 Sept 9pm orFri 28 Sept 6.30pm
This is a special… a new Aussie musical with an all-star cast backed by a great band.
www.sydneyfringe.com/event/musical-theatre-cabaret/frank-christie-frank-clarke

To win, be among the first to email win giving your name and stating which shows/performances you prefer.

Remember… one more week of amazing fun and games at Sydney Fringe…www.sydneyfringe.com

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Review: Beauty and the Beast by Miranda Musical Society

Posted on September 21, 2012 | Leave a comment

By Ryan McClenahan

The Miranda Music Society has brought to life a tale as old as time in their production of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”. Before attending the production I wasn’t sure what to expect; “Beauty and the Beast” was a movie I had nightmares about as a child, and so I had never seen a live production since that time, though I knew that it was a technical spectacle on stage. I was not sure what to expect from a community theatre production of this Disney classic, but what I found was a production of great scale, and the emotional depth with which scenes were performed evoked a rush of cheerful nostalgia within me.

The orchestra, conducted by musical director Andy Peterson, set the stage with a commanding overture, and ensured that many enchanting melodies that I had long forgotten would be revived as the night went on.

What stood out most vividly in this production, however, was the talent of the performers. Straight away, Natasha Hoeberigs as Belle was captivating. Her performances in songs such as “A Change in Me” showed a great mix of technical singing ability and acting skills; a great talent to watch.

Lachlan O’brien’s portrayal of “Gaston” was spot on. His characterisation and smooth slap-stick comedy routines with Leigh Scott as Gaston’s servant Lefou proved to be quite entertaining as the characters popped in and out of the production. I felt as though the Gaston I faintly remember from years ago had been resurrected from the depths of my childhood.

The comedic side to the production continued with the relationship between Lumiere, played by Tim Wotherspoon, and Cogsworth, played by Jonathon Acosta. The pair exchanged witty dialogue with one another with precise timing and provided many humorous moments as the two paraded about the castle, often quarrelling.

Unfortunately I found that The Beast, played by Andrew Symes, was hard to understand at times under his dense costume, which made parts of the production difficult to follow. But having said that, his performance of “If I Can’t Love Her” was captivating, and by holding the last note of the song in his deep and powerful voice as the orchestra brought the piece to a crescendo, he left the crowd cheering for more.

Stand out songs of the night were “Be Our Guest” and “Beauty and the Beast”. “Be Our Guest” had impressive choreography, created by Nikki Bunch Bozonie and Emma Paull, which ranged from line dancing to acrobatics. Just as I thought the song couldn’t get more epic, people would start flipping across the stage while others were thrown on to people’s shoulders and spun around. It may just be my soft spot for this song, but “Beauty and the Beast” was a showstopper. The smooth transition from quiet violin notes into mesmerising piano which then flowed in to an evolving chorus of horns was a great section of music to hear live. Margaret Short, who played “Mrs. Potts”, complimented the majestic nature of the piece with her vocal performance.

The costumes and props had great attention to detail, and didn’t leave much room for a professional production to offer more, no matter how many more technical bells and whistles might be implemented.

This community production of Beauty and the Beast has so much to offer, that long-time fans of the original and those new to the story will all have plenty to keep them fixated on this highly entertaining production.

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FREE TICKETS! Korean hit at Fringe TONIGHT! The Drawing Show’s”THE LOOK”

Posted on September 21, 2012 | Leave a comment

Sydney Fringe and Watchdog Shownews Special!

Free double passes to

The Drawing Show: "The Look"

We have free double passes to give away to win stating your name and which performance you’d like! Now read on…
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The world’s first non-verbal arts performance where live drawing techniques meet with special effects. This show, showcasing an exquisite combination of arts and performance produced by Korean director, KIM JIN GYU, has arrived Sydney for premieres of the episode ‘The Look’; featuring three ‘Looks’, a group of extraterrestrial creatures!!

In this performance, it’s a ‘Classic meets the Modern’ and ‘East-meets-West’ theme.

‘The Look’ tells the story of three extraterrestrial creatures, the first of whom creates art with a puff, the second who always finds himself in trouble, and the third who is a marvelous dancer. These aliens, collectively named ‘The Look’, have landed on earth by an accident during their flight through space from the Drawing World. This episode will cover their story on earth, as they communicate with earthlings with body language and art – their favorite pastime.

Characters

-The ‘Romanticist’ Look: Despite his tough experience, this Look’s a softie. He loves earthlings so tries to befriend them, but it doesn’t always work out.

-The ‘Simple-minded’ Look: This mischievous look loves to play tricks on earthlings. However, his quick wits earn him much popularity among the earthlings.

-The ‘Don’t give up’ Look: A Look who wears a box over his head. He’s often excluded by the other Looks, but sees many things that are invisible to earthlings.

Fri 21 Sep, 8:00 PM
Sat 22 Sep, 7:00 PM
Sun 23 Sep, 3:00 PM
The Italian Forum Theatre, Norton Street Leichhardt
Adult: $30 Concession: $27
Duration: 60 Minutes

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Free double passes to Beauty and the Beast this wed and thurs

Posted on September 17, 2012 | 4 comments

Free tickets! You have a chance to win a free double pass for this Wed (opening night!) and Thurs night blockbuster performances of Miranda Musical Society’s “Beauty and the Beast” at Sutherland Entertainment Centre. Sensational… A tale as old as time!

To win email geoff@watchdog.com.au. For more info, visit http://mirandamusicalsociety.com.au

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Review: The Metropolitan Orchestra, MET Series 5

Posted on September 16, 2012 | Leave a comment

By Cameron

Tonight Sarah and I attended another wonderful performance of the Metropolitan Orchestra (TMO), performing this time at The Independent Theatre in North Sydney. The performance was MET Series Five, conducted again by Sarah-Grace Williams.

Having so thoroughly enjoyed ourselves when we attended the last performance at Balmain Town Hall, we were quite excited about what was in store, as well as the opportunity to hear the orchestra in a more conventional theatre venue.

The program began with the premiere of a work by Australian composer, David Montgomery, who was also present and serving as presenter for the evening. The piece, entitled ‘Air and the Void’, was inspired by the elemental concepts behind Eastern philosophy, as specifically detailed in the famous Japanese swordsman’s text ‘The Book of the Five Rings’. Montgomery opened with an explanation of the personal connection to the element of the void, and how the piece was dedicated to his father and the apparent readiness and peace with which he left his life and entered ‘the void’.

Following such a personal introduction, the piece that followed was captivating. A complex arrangement of percussion opened to establish an ethereal location for the soul’s journey that followed, personified by a solo violin and played ably by Sarah Ash. I was so caught up in the storytelling of the music, and the relationship between the soloist and the orchestra, that many of the technical details slipped by me, and I’m hoping to find a repeat performance or recording on offer soon as I feel there are many layers yet to be explored within Montgomery’s wonderful composition.
The second piece for the night was Camille Saint-Saens ‘Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33’, with Patrick Murphy playing the solo cello. Watching the casual grace with which Murphy played (I want to say ‘attacked’) the playful and often fast paced melody, engaging in a call-and-response with the orchestra while at times seeming trapped, only to escape again – the music and Murphy’s dynamic performance style created a sense of drama on stage that saw the three integrated movements of the piece fly by to their even-more dramatic ending.

After interval, the final piece was Felix Mendelssohn’s ‘Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 11’. This piece, which was composed by Mendelssohn at the age of 15, was his first full orchestral symphony having written 12 symphonies for strings, as well as several other works, in the previous 3 years! Commanding this four-part work was where conductor Sarah-Grace Williams’ shone, leading the orchestra through the four movements with an energy and precision that was at times as dramatic to watch as Murphy’s cello playing.

Again the orchestra stayed to mingle with the crowd after the event, highlighting one of the great strengths of the Met. Orchestra, and a key part of their goal of breaking down the barriers between classical music and audiences, which is their willingness to engage with their audiences and make the people behind the instruments accessible, so that questions about the music can be addressed in a welcoming environment.

It was another outstanding night of live performance, and once again we look forward to their next show and wish the Metropolitan Orchestra every success in their future.
There is one more performance of MET series five on Sunday 16/09 at the Balmain Town Hall. For more information visit www.metorchestra.com.au

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Review: The Cardboard Cartel – part of the Sydney Fringe Festival

Posted on September 15, 2012 | Leave a comment

By Cameron

Tonight I went to see ‘The Cardboard Cartel’, a sketch comedy show offered up as part of the Sydney Fringe festival.

The marketing for the show had been quite deliberately and deliciously ambiguous, with little more information than the fact it was a sketch comedy show coupled with absurdist ravings about various small animals. Given that sketch comedy as a medium can often be a hit-or-miss affair, not knowing more could be a cause for apprehension because even when done well, Sketch comedy has such a broad range of subjective appeal, yet when done poorly can be an excruciating experience.

The Cardboard Cartel was, to my mind, one of the best nights of sketch comedy I’ve seen in a very long time. Its routines, while engaging in the usual situational humour, offered a series of recurring characters whose individual sketches offered everything from comic critiques of Sydney’s social elite to broad stereotypes that exposed the hypocrisy within many a do-gooder. The mix of relatively topical characters, and more tried-and-tested comic archetypes kept the show flowing nicely between scenes, taking increasingly familiar characters to new and interesting places.

Like all sketch comedy, it had some hits and some misses. It did sometimes lean a little heavily on racial stereotypes and U.S. cultural images, but did so in a self-deprecating way. There was a lot of swearing at some points, but it came across as the product of ad-libbing on stage rather than being gratuitously scripted. Despite all that, for me the real strength of The Cardboard Cartel was the sense of narrative built up around some of the key characters, progressing through serial sketches towards a finale that not only brought them all together, but brought me to tears.

The only real drawback to the night was the venue. I’m all in favour of enterprising new venues offering a space for new works to be shown and tested, but there are a few necessities that even the smallest venue requires, such as a way of identifying when you patrons are locked outside on the street! Also, if going to this venue, make sure you leave that little bit of extra time to find parking.

Thankfully the comedic chops of the four writers/performers that comprise The Cardboard Cartel more than overcame the deficiencies of their environment and put on a show that was a bit absurd, a bit edgy, but all hilarious.

If its not too late, click here to get on the fringe website and buy tickets for one of the two remaining shows of The Cardboard Cartel, and whether you love it or hate it, there’s a pub right next door to help you carry on or drown those feelings.

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