Category Archives: Reviews

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.

By Erica Brennan

The Rockdale Musical Society has indeed produced a very slick production of Nunsense. Combining light hearted audience interaction and true mastery of musical theatre the audience were treated to arguably the most bizarre nun-themed variety show ever. The cast members were absolutely stellar, each a standout in her own right, and all of them managed some impressive moves despite the restrictive nun habits. A truly crowning moment was a surprise ventriloquist act. I have no idea whether the performer learnt it particularly for the show or it was a special skill of hers, but it was performed effortlessly. Each member of the cast was a well-rounded performer; one even incorporated some impressive ballet moves, and another displayed an excellent command of show girl fans

I will admit to being baffled as to how Nunsense has proved popular enough to have spawned as many sequels as it has (at least four by my count in the program) because the concept of the show is quite painfully ridiculous. It actually came as a surprise to me that that I was able to overcome my doubts and enjoy it, principally due to the fantastic execution of all cast and creatives involved. While there were times when show touched on brilliance, it also included several cringe-worthy moments, such as the characters’ responses to the mass death of their fellow sisters. I just couldn’t reconcile that plot point with the obvious enjoyment and silliness the piece was trying to illicit.

Nonetheless, design, music and performance came together snugly making it easy and enjoyable to watch. I was giggling along with the rest of the audience, applauding enthusiastically after each song and desperate to be called on during the nun quiz.

Go and see Nunsense for a light-hearted night out at a solid performance. Don’t let their habits fool you – little will remain sacred. You may frown and squirm once or twice, but do get ready to be clapping madly for the energetic cast that will hold you spellbound from start to finish.

Director John Galea’s ‘steampunk vision’ of The Tempest is infused with a palpable affection for the potential of the Steampunk aesthetic, which fits Shakespeare’s play like a brass-buttoned leather glove. Whereas many productions of Shakepeare that attempt to update or transpose the Bard’s work into a different setting or genre have a laboured sense of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, Shakespeare’s The Tempest has always lent itself to mythological and futuristic interpretations, and the play feels quite at home in this steampunk production.

For those unfamiliar with the genre, steampunk is a romanticisation of the possibilities of the industrial revolution in an alternative Victorianesque universe, and has manifested over the last 25 years as a literary style, pop culture movement and visual aesthetic. At its best, the genre places its audience at a fanciful crossroad in time, fusing bittersweet nostalgia with the optimism of industry and progress. Similarly, the island setting of The Tempest intersects the treacherous and turgid history of the older generation with the hopeful possibilities of the next. The production is high on inventive, fanciful fun and imaginatively reworks the play’s supernatural elements without losing any of its essence.

The characterisation of Prospero as a ‘mad scientist’ was an effective one, and Dominic McDonald performed the role with a gravitas that grounded the show. All cast members embraced the potential of Galea’s vision of the play, with the comic duo of Emily Elise and Pascal Rueger as Trincula and Stephano providing the audience with several of the night’s laugh out loud moments. The steampunk packaging also allowed for the introduction of interesting theatrical devices that enhanced the play.

Filmed footage disguised as interactive monitors worked quite well, and the idea of Propero’s technology allowing for Miranda’s memories to be visible as flashbacks was particularly tantalising. The use of the monitors as surveillance was also effective in creating a sense of intimacy in the scene between Miranda and Ferdinand, performed with playful sweetness by Lana Kershaw and Richard Hilliar, while simultaneously lending a sense of omniscience to Prospero’s powers. In addition, pre-filming many of Ariel’s lines allowed the talented Christopher Hawkins to foreground his contact juggling skills, while emphasising the other-worldliness of Prospero’s spirit servant.

Particular mention must be made in regard to the elaborate and beautiful costumes, which so perfectly captured the Steampunk fashion. It was clear that no attention was spared in their creation, and it gave an authenticity to the vision of the production.

The Tempest is showing at Sidetrack Theatre, Marrickville as part of the Sydney Fringe Festivaluntil 8 September 2012. For lovers of either steampunk or Shakespeare, the show is a must see.

Get ready for some Wiggly Giggly Fun

By Sarah Trethewy

Tucked away in the heart of Darlinghurst, the Tap Gallery was buzzing on the opening night of Murder Most Funny and there was not a spare seat in the theatre as the crowd enjoyed an original work that had the audience as engrossed as a group of five year olds at a Wiggle’s concert.

Murder Most Funny follows the story of the ‘Giggles’ who are an all singing, all dancing children’s entertainment group who are taking their final bow after ten years of wowing the nation’s children. But before their final concert the band ends up in a pickle, as something terrible has happened in their bathroom…

This play combines the intrigue of a murder mystery and the fun and corniness of children’s entertainment. The cameras are off and the audience go backstage with one of the world’s most famous bands, the ‘Giggles’. The backstage drama is a funny insight into what might go on in a children’s band and as the investigation takes place, secrets are revealed.

Playwright and director Tony Laumberg greeted the audience as the houselights went down, and shared the inspiration for the play; his own love of the Wiggles, and he set the scene with his own performance of ‘Hot Potato’.

The trio of children’s entertainers Jasmin Certoma, Nick Hunter and Seaton Kay-Smith as Jade, Corey and Kevin had big shoes to fill but did the skivvied man band proud. The trio worked well together, and they managed to maintain their zany energy throughout. Seaton Kay-Smith’s as ‘Kevin’, with his random ‘great nanna stories’ and musical outbursts made him a stand out performer with some hilarious one-liners. Tricia Youlden as Felicity, the ‘Giggle’s’ publicist, also added humour to the situation by adding a cynical media spin to the investigation process.

Murder Most Funny is a fun and entertaining original work by an Australian comedy playwright with an impressive body of work. The play is an interesting take on the Australian icons and what it means to be a children’s entertainer, and if you have ever found yourself singing along to a Wiggle’s song, or engrossed in a murder mystery, then this is a play for you.

Murder Most Funny is playing at the Tap Gallery in Darlinghurst until 9 September. Click here for booking information.

By Erica J. Brennan

As we enter the Lennox Theatre at Riverside Theatres, Parramatta, the audience is greeted with, not a stage, but rather an unassuming black wall. It’s only adornment a heavy picture frame set right in the middle of it. The poster promised a meeting of live performance and instillation art among other things and indeed for just under an hour we were treated to a beautifully sustained image of what seemed to be a moving painting.

Two women, Victoria Hunt and Tess de Quincey, move at micro-speed through subtle and spectacular images of the human emotional landscape. Their heads and torso hemmed in by the picture frame, nothing else is visible and nothing else becomes visible. The literal framing of these women focuses the audience intensely on their faces and the exquisite ability of both performers to pass through silent expressions of emotion; screams, laughter, horror, love, suspicion and more. Complex and rich facial expression, body positions and moments of tension were held with compelling and transcending grace and you could not help but be in awe. I found myself slipping in and out of deep focus and contemplation but it felt okay, like the slipping was part of the performance as a whole.

Sitting in the dark of the theatre I felt safe enough to let my face and body respond to this. I could also hear other audience members responding in kind, they would chuckle as grotesque grimaces were pulled and I could certainly feel a collective slump in people shoulders as Tess de Quincey moved through a harrowing expressionnof world weary grief. I almost wish I brought a painting pallet – and could paint well enough to do the images justice.

As the piece drew to a close – We knew it was coming due to a beautifully jarring score by Michael Toisuta as it wound down to singular plucking sounds- I found myself able to frame each emotion, name and understand each one that passed. But more than that I stopped trying to fit these passing images into a story or narrative and just let them pass through. It was strangely comforting to watch. It felt somewhat like it was a communal meditation on emotion, a witnessing of it without feeling it. A beautifully executed piece by two performers of superb skill. Don’t miss it if you are looking for something a bit different and would love a chance to quiet the mind and let some beauty in.

Framed is performing until Saturday. Cick here for booking details.

Photography by Heidrun Lohr

by Emily Elise

Storylines Festival – 31^st July 2012

The Storylines Festival’s aim is to showcase the stories of Sydney’s Malaysian, Islamic, Indigenous and African refugee communities through theatre, art, dance, music and public forums. Opening night featured two of the three plays by successful playwright Justin Fleming; A Land Beyond the River and Junction.

A Land Beyond the River is rehearsal for a play within a play, based on interviews with three young African Refugees and their journey to Australia interwoven with scenes from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. With themes such as colour blind casting, patriotism and racial discrimination, it brings up issues that few theatre makers dare to go near.  Watching the To Kill a Mockingbird scene play out presents a message without being preachy or condescending, and is given a context in the previous scene that allows the audience to see it in a whole different light. The young cast are a tight ensemble, each bringing distinctive skills to the piece and an enthusiasm that keeps the piece alive.

Junction is set in “no man’s land”, at a long abandoned railway station where two young travellers have decided to spend the night. As darkness falls, strange things begin to happen and choices must be made. The performances of the two actors were beautifully composed, Stacey Duckworth is quick witted and natural, while Guy Simon displays a caring nature in his character despite his cheeky comebacks and comic relief after a build up of tension. Justin Fleming must be given credit for a cleverly composed script that keeps your attention on every single word that is uttered and an intriguing storyline that leaves you wanting more.

Storylines Festival has its heart in the right place and matched it with performances that won’t disappoint. Make sure you get there early to check out the Voices and Visions Art Exhibition and some pre show entertainment of live music and ‘The Saints’ contemporary dance team.

For more information, visit http://www.nida.edu.au/Whats-On-Production-10-page/default.aspx

by Erica J Brennan

Celebrity Theatre Sports – ImproAustralia

Theatresports can be as unnerving for the audience as it is for the performers. When the actors are inspired and working together as a team it has the potential to be exhilaratingly brilliant and funny. However, if the creative juices aren’t flowing and performers start grabbing for easy laughs it can make for some very painful and egotistical comedy. The Celebrity Theatresports competition, held on July 21 at the Enmore Theatre, was produced by ImproAustralia, a non-for profit NSW organisation dedicated to improvisational performance that are capable of drawing on high calibre Theatresports players, and I immediately knew we were in safe hands. The competition was staged as a charity event with money raising going towards CanTeen, which supports young Australians living with cancer and their families, and so received top marks for both its social and entertainment value. Each team contained a mix of celebrities and experienced players, all of whom were enthusiastic and skilled. The celebrities, including Scott Major, Andrew O’Keefe, Adam Spencer, Claire Hooper and Dan Ilic, seemed eager to play and the energy of all on stage carried the audience along for a fun and exciting night. Despite occasionally patchy sound from the players that weren’t mic’ed, the production flowed beautifully and made for a very slick event.

Each game flowed joyously on to the next, gathering momentum and laughs along the way. Some teams were particularly dynamic and in tune with each other, and it was no surprise that these ones made it to the end of the competition. There were many fabulous moments, particularly a jungle safari delivered in another language, an attack of buffalos and sunflowers and a Stone Age love story. The crowning moment of the evening was a Belvoir-styled Shakespearean performance that prompted all the men to appear in their underwear, with one fabulous celebrity upping them by going topless, her hands crossed cheekily over her torso.

Overall, it was a charming and effortless evening of live performance. I know I would willingly come back every week to watch these talented individuals, as there is nothing more wonderful than feeling you are included in a group of adults who are willing to be silly and play.

More information on Impro Australia and Theatresports competitions can be found at www.improaustralia.com.au