Sometimes It's Hot Like The Sun | Imperfect Creatives
theatre, review Nadia Jade theatre, review Nadia Jade

Sometimes It's Hot Like The Sun | Imperfect Creatives

I found in the performance and the deeper reading the play later, a refreshing candour for ugliness. The mother who does not particularly like her kids and is somewhat resigned to such a poor choice made some time before. The lack of self-awareness that occurs when an adult berates a tiny child for social transgressions of which it can scarcely be aware. A wistfulness for an imagined life that was never really pursed with any commitment.

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Fertile Ground | Ashleigh Musk and Michael Smith
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Fertile Ground | Ashleigh Musk and Michael Smith

The dancers invite, cajole and even pleade with the audience to take part in the construction of the world at multiple times throughout the performance. With besser blocks involved, you can be guaranteed this isn’t your average audience participation. The interpreter guides us at times, showing us how we can contribute to the world being build around us. Not all audience members took up the offer play a part in the performance, but none of us could deny we had a role to play throughout. The wordless offers from the performers are deliberate, at times earnest or exhausted. We are invited help to build the world around us, or let others do the work, but we have to decide our role.

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Absolute Objectivity | Backbone
musical, review Virag Dombay musical, review Virag Dombay

Absolute Objectivity | Backbone

A pop culture fairytale for the internet age, Sampson Smith’s new musical comedy Absolute Objectivity has finally downloaded its way into Backbone Youth Arts. Takes us on a journey to the world elections in the year 2054 where - since the mysterious disappearance of left-wing messiah Turny Banders - the CEO of the world’s largest, and only, corporation ‘Dooglecorp’ has run unopposed as World President for two decades. This journey is filled with rap battles, emotional ballads, sexy times and the most glamorous of costumes.

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Absolute Objectivity  |  Backbone
musical, review Lauren Hale musical, review Lauren Hale

Absolute Objectivity | Backbone

Backbone was transformed into a glowing corporate dystopia that conjured up visions of 2001: A Space Odyssey and the Apple store. The cast of six emerged clad in matching glittery silver suits and launched into it with the aptly titled, punchy ‘Opening Number’. They brought energy, mostly synchronised dancing and set the tone for one and a half hours of playful absurdity and witty banter.

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The Bluebird Mechanicals | Too Close To The Sun
theatre, review MJ O'Neill theatre, review MJ O'Neill

The Bluebird Mechanicals | Too Close To The Sun

The Bluebird Mechanicals may be one of the tightest, most considered and deliberate works I’ve ever seen. There isn’t an inch of the show that doesn’t feel like it’s been refined and distilled to its purest, most impactful essence. It knows exactly what it wants to say and exactly how to say it. But, the work’s choice of vocabulary and materials in articulating its ideas are so removed from the norm that, again, it can only easily be described as weird.

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Wasteland | Flipside Circus
circus, review Nadia Jade circus, review Nadia Jade

Wasteland | Flipside Circus

They tumble onto the stage, a gang of thieves, a motley crew, a pack of energetic youth, in a futuristic set that reminds me of shades of Tankgirl, or Waterworld, or even Mad Max – all films way too old for any of the performers to have ever seen!

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Danger Ensemble | The Hamlet Apocalypse
theatre, review Nadia Jade theatre, review Nadia Jade

Danger Ensemble | The Hamlet Apocalypse

This show gets it. It gets that Shakespeare is funny. It gets that it ought to mean something. It pokes fun of it, whilst taking itself seriously at the same time. It is committed to the original, even as it tears it apart with both hands. It gets that tragedy is a car-crash, that you can't tear your eyes away from.

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