The People's Dance Party 7 | Bring a Plate Inclusive Dance Company
The People’s Dance Party was pot-luck banquet for lovers of movement, where you get to sample and play as much as you like. While each course was a little light for my tastes, it was ultimately a satisfying night that filled my dance cup. With so much damn talent in our fair city, it’s sure to return too, so book your spot on the dance floor when Bring a Plate returns with the next round.
Choir Boy | Riverside's National Theatre of Parramatta
With any play-with-music, the sudden shifts into musical numbers can snatch the viewer out of the story and prevent them from fully experiencing pathos. It’s actually the opposite in this case. The music is phenomenal and these moments are the most affective of the show both due to the immense vocal talent of the cast and the emotional intensity they bring to the songs. It is the spoken scenes that have to justify their presence in my opinion.
I Love You, Bro | THAT Production Company
Quick, now’s your chance to experience an excellent young actor in a small black box theatre before he hits the big time and is too famous for all of us. In all seriousness, Jordan Stott was flying - his performance leaps forward with presence and electricity, never leaving the audience behind. This performer knows how to work a crowd, and this piece was perfect for him.
The Mystery of the Valkyrie | Woodward Productions & PowerArts
Sherlock Holmes aficionados will love the twists and turns of the story that Director & Writer Michael Futcher brings and the relationship established by an exceptionally well-cast Holmes and Watson duo. Eugene Gilfedder really is Sherlock Holmes, and Anthony Gooley’s Dr John Watson was suitably endearing and enjoyable.
Macbeth in Concert | Opera Queensland & Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Macbeth in Concert is an object lesson in what is possible when a group of people who have trained to do something exceptionally their entire lives gather in a room together and do that something exceptionally. The orchestra, led by conductor Umberto Clerici, is truly a wonder to behold. Their work in combination with Opera Queensland’s company meant the sheer sonic power of a number of sequences left with me chills, in particular the full-company scene that takes place after King Duncan is murdered.
A Life in Theatre | Ad Astra
An absurd satire and love letter to theatre, director Pierce Gordon brought the text to life with such nuance; acknowledging the slice of the theatre industry it represents and finding parallels to contemporary theatre practices. From the actor’s relationship to the space, the dynamic role of the sets and the combination of naturalistic and comedic acting styles, Gordon expertly captured Mamet’s chaotic world.
From Little Things | Casus Creations and Flipside Circus
I went to this show expecting a fun show that has that fuzzy feeling of community, but I got a lot more than that. It’s a beautiful creation, with artistry and skill that sometimes made me forget how young many of these performers were. Their opening season has been a sell-out, and I hope they bring this show back, so more people can see this delightful piece of art and circus culture.
Drenched | Caetlyn Watson
Brisbane was indeed privy to an extraordinary dance performance brought to the stage by a phenomenal dancer/choreographer/director. Such is the magic of performance art that it felt as if this particular choreographer had unwittingly reached inside each dancer, ripped out their ‘soul’, placed it on stage and said “I give you permission to bare yourself to the audience.’’
The Wharf Revue: Looking for Albanese | Jonathan Biggins, Drew Forsythe and Phillip Scott
The Wharf Revue is an irreverent adventure combining popular culture, cabaret and politics cleverly executed just as much as Scomo ruled the nation singlehandedly and got away with it till he didn’t. This show is just as ambitious as Clive Palmer spending $123 million to win one seat to open another iron ore mine. With such a huge field of contenders to choose from, this show delivers one punch line after the other, meticulously crafted to squeeze out every climate denying, debt defying, corrupted and lying gag possible.
Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes | Josie Cross & Stephen Hirst
The emphasis on Jon’s inner thoughts and Hirst’s delivery poses the question of whether it is he who should be telling the story? Why aren’t we hearing the nineteen year old’s side? All of this gets resolved and answered in the most delicious way near the closing of the play. I actually shrieked in my seat and grabbed my friend’s hand in delight. Can you get better writing than that?
Bloom Girl | Charli Burrowes
Bloom Girl takes us to her world, a world of instant attention, interaction, gratification. Of being hyper alert ready for the next beep and armed with the next retort complete with the right hashtag. It reminds us of how demanding being connected to social media is, and what it like to be an influencer seeing what other influencers do. I’m led to think perhaps social media is a virus when I hear the mispronounced influenza spoken.
Spring Awakening | Millennial Productions
This was my second time seeing Spring Awakening live. The first time I saw it, it was done by a professional cast. However, despite this being a community theatre production, this was just as good. Maybe even better…
Hold Me Closer Tony Danza | The Farm
Hold Me Closer Tony Danza took me by surprise. I expected a show that was much more focused on pop culture references and punchlines. These aspects were undoubtedly present, but the show was more impactful and thoughtful overall. The common ground of pop culture and music was used to bring the audience together and prime us for more complex topics. While watching, I felt simultaneously unsure of what was coming next and excited to see where the performers would take us. This show will be stuck in my head for a long time, alongside the slightly altered chorus of Elton John's Tiny Dancer.
Slava's Snowshow
here were marvels galore, and an endless stream of giddy slapstick, which is the simplest and most beautiful form of comedy that exists. It punches neither up nor down. To understand it requires no language not even the speech of toddlers, for they too grasp the innocent amusement of slapstick effortlessly. To try and fail is the human condition, we know it implicitly.
Blush | Highwire Entertainment
This isn't one of the typical cabarets that tries to sell sexy as performers brushing past each other, femme figures as objects and same-sex desire as queer baiting. Blush makes the titillation of such shows seem like childhood flights of fancy. There is something truly for everyone here, with each performance celebrating love, lust, passion and desire in various forms.
Breaking | Counterpilot
A heavy feeling of helplessness and hopelessness overcame me as my anxiety increased with the unsettling news bulletins becoming grimmer and grimmer, sometimes bordering on the absurd, sometimes tinged with the darkest humour. Overall the weight of the well-scripted news bulletins was nothing short of palpable.
Babushka Regifted | Babushka
Yet, underneath all the laughter, Babushka Regifted included a lot of great social commentary. They delved into love, despair, poverty, consent (sitting on Santa’s lap), and particularly feminism. Some memorable quotes include “a woman’s duty should not be stuck in kitchen”, “ovaries should not be stuck in the oven”, singing ‘We Three Queens’ instead of ‘We Three Kings’ following the Star, and singing from the ‘Hyrrs’ (Her) book instead of ‘Hymm’ (Him) book.
Down the Rabbit Hole | Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts
Accompanied by a catchy, upbeat original musical score, the stark reality of dealing with mental health issues was laid bare. As they worked their way through their group therapy session with Dr Hatter, the characters’ myriad mental health issues are revealed through incorporating catchy dance numbers and engaging singing.
Slippery | Curtain World
There is a clear internal logic to the fantastical in Slippery, but with just enough of the familiar that it’s both hilariously weird and painfully relatable. Slippery feels like being pulled down a rabbit hole into a fantastical genderless fever-dream where everyone in the Vatican is gay, spoons are idiots, and cucumber vape juice will kill you. It’s unashamedly absurd, unapologetically queer, and hysterically funny.
Pierrot | Martelle Simon-Green
[Pierrot] was so intimate. I felt like it was just me and them and the simply dressed stage. I went with them wherever the performers took me. At times the performance was so tiny, but I was still with them, peeking into their stillness. I left feeling quite speechless which isn’t like me.