Gruffalo, July 01, 2011

Gruffalo ****

• Kate Herbert
• From: Herald Sun
• July 01, 2011 12:25PM

THE GRUFFALO, Arts Centre Playhouse, until July , 2011

THEATRE for children can be the best entertainment in town and when it's based on an enormously popular childrens book such as The Gruffalo, it really rocks.

This enchanting musical stage adaptation of the Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler picture book  is magical fun for littlies and their grown-up keepers.

The songs are singable, the characters are lovable and the performers adorable and versatile. The spare staging and direction by Olivia Jacobs allow the imagination to fill in the blanks, just like childrens playtime.

The trio of actors (Crystal Hegedis, Stephen Anderson, Nate Jobe) bring characters to life with whimsical characterisations, simple costumes, crisp and stylised movement and joyful engagement with the audience.

Hegedis is sweet and playful as the fearful Mouse that took a stroll through the deep, dark wood and must talk her way out of being eaten by predators. She scares away the fox, the owl and the snake with tales of The Gruffalo, who eats roasted fox, owl ice cream and scrambled snake.

Anderson is hilarious playing a cocky, Cockney fox, a pompous owl who looks like a World War One RAF pilot, and a seductive, maracca-shaking, Spanish snake. Jobe is a suitably gruff but not too scary Gruffalo and is lithe and in fine voice in other roles.

The children participate at every opportunity because they adore this book, know every word by heart and shout lines out at will.

The Gruffalo is an imaginative, fresh and vivacious musical evolution of a treasured children’s story.

Star rating: ****

The Water Carriers, MTC, June 29, 2011

The Water Carriers, Melbourne Theatre Co *** 1/2

• Kate Herbert
• From: Herald Sun
• June 29, 2011 10:40AM

THE WATER CARRIERS, Melbourne Theatre Company, Lawler Studio, until July 23, 2011

IAN Wilding's The Water Carriers begins as a witty, albeit two-dimensional comedy about a one-night stand between dysfunctional characters, then morphs into a poignant, affecting story about two people dealing with grief and forgiveness.

Damien Richardson and Sarah Sutherland demonstrate impeccable comic delivery, as well as the subtlety required for the painfully revealing second half.

Richardson is charmingly blokey and puppyish as Dave, the rowdy, relentlessly cheerful owner of a karaoke bar who finds that the woman he invited home is not what he expected.

Sutherland is suitably weird and impenetrable as his date Kate, with her hard-eyed stare, provocative clothing and unwillingness to be seduced.

The teasing, repetitive, comical repartee of the first half is replaced by more nuanced, detailed dialogue and some long monologues that peel the masks away from the characters and their shared past tragedy.

Anne Browning directs the play at a cracking pace and takes advantage of the versatility of both actors. When comedy gives way to tragedy, we are touched by the unanticipated but genuine intimacy between Dave and Kate.

An in-ground pool dominates the sleek, glossy, contemporary design (Marg Horwell), while evocative lighting (Richard Vabre) makes the lapping water an ominous presence.

Star rating: *** 1/2

The Water Carriers, MTC, June 29, 2011

The Water Carriers, Melbourne Theatre Co *** 1/2

• Kate Herbert
• From: Herald Sun
• June 29, 2011 10:40AM

Sarah Sutherland and Damien Richardson in The Water Carriers, for the Melbourne Theatre Company. Source: Supplied

THE WATER CARRIERS, Melbourne Theatre Company, Lawler Studio, until July 23, 2011

IAN Wilding's The Water Carriers begins as a witty, albeit two-dimensional comedy about a one-night stand between dysfunctional characters, then morphs into a poignant, affecting story about two people dealing with grief and forgiveness.

Damien Richardson and Sarah Sutherland demonstrate impeccable comic delivery, as well as the subtlety required for the painfully revealing second half.

Richardson is charmingly blokey and puppyish as Dave, the rowdy, relentlessly cheerful owner of a karaoke bar who finds that the woman he invited home is not what he expected.

Sutherland is suitably weird and impenetrable as his date Kate, with her hard-eyed stare, provocative clothing and unwillingness to be seduced.

The teasing, repetitive, comical repartee of the first half is replaced by more nuanced, detailed dialogue and some long monologues that peel the masks away from the characters and their shared past tragedy.

Anne Browning directs the play at a cracking pace and takes advantage of the versatility of both actors. When comedy gives way to tragedy, we are touched by the unanticipated but genuine intimacy between Dave and Kate.

An in-ground pool dominates the sleek, glossy, contemporary design (Marg Horwell), while evocative lighting (Richard Vabre) makes the lapping water an ominous presence.

Star rating: *** 1/2

A GOLEM STORY, Lally Katz, Malthouse, June 24, 2011

A Golem Story, Malthouse Theatre ****

A GOLEM STORY, by Lally Katz

Merlyn Theatre, Malthouse, June 24 to July 2, 2011

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Stars:****

The modern world knows only too well the dangers of constructing a weapon – the atomic bomb – to act as a deterrent to enemies. The mythical golem, part of Jewish legend, is such a weapon: a powerful, mute, soulless creature conjured from mud by a Rabbi to protect the Jews from murderous enemies.

Michael Kantor’s production of Lally Katz’s simple, unembellished narrative, A Golem Story, is enthralling, evocative and provocative.

Brian Lipson is compelling as the fiercely religious, 16th century Rabbi who creates a golem to protect his Prague synagogue when the Jews, accused of murdering Christian children, are threatened with exile or extinction.

Yael Stone is exquisitely despairing as Ahava, the naïve girl who wakes in the synagogue with no memory, and through whose eyes we experience the confusion, horror and ecstatic mystery of the golem story.

Mark Jones is commanding as the oily, egotistical, seductive Emperor, Greg Stone is menacing as his Guard and Dan Spielman is fervent as the disillusioned, rabbinical student.

The thrilling voice of Michel Laloum intoning poignant, Yiddish songs and backed by a chorus of vocal harmonies, mesmerises and transports us to a mythical place. The stark design of earthy, wooden frames (Anna Cordingley) illuminated by atmospheric, filtered planes of light (Paul Jackson), magically transforms the space.

A Golem Story is an assured, accomplished and visually stunning production. It is a parable, a critical commentary on bigotry and the hubris of those who believe they can play God regardless of the consequences.

By Kate Herbert

The Burlesque Hour Loves Melbourne, June 21, 2011

The Burlesque Hour Loves Melbourne ****

• Kate Herbert
• From: Herald Sun
• June 21, 2011 12:00AM

THE BURLESQUE HOUR LOVES MELBOURNE, by Moira Finucane and Jackie Smith. Fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, city, until August 14, 2011

TRADITIONAL burlesque endures a delicious spanking in Finucane and Smith's provocative remix of the genre that simultaneously celebrates and parodies old burlesque, making it tres moderne.

The Burlesque Hour Loves Melbourne puts the cheek (or should I say cheeks) back into cheeky. A parade of 18 acts in various stages of dress or undress, titillate us with saucy songs, sassy dances and hilarious antics.

Each week features a guest artist. We were treated to the inimitable Rhonda Burchmore, wearing glittering gowns and singing tantalising tunes.

Finucane is inspired as she teeters on the brink of beauty and grotesquery. She is the latin lothario Romeo, then a tuck shop lady aroused by a meat pie, followed by the Queen of Hearts with her exploding red balloons.

Her stunning new act, Homage to the Water Wall, has audiences huddled under plastic sheets and brollies to escape the falling rain.

Maude Davey confronts and feeds us with her strawberries-and-cream fetish, then, decked in showgirl feathers, pounds the crowd with The Angels' rock anthem Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again?

You'll be infatuated with these nude, rude, lewd and wickedly hilarious acts that tickle, tease and mock you with their demented and glitzy uber-punk burlesque.

STAR RATING: * * * *

The Sum of Us, Hit , June, 20, 2011

 The Sum of Us, Hit Productions ***

• Kate Herbert
• From: Herald Sun
• June 20, 2011 11:54AM

THE SUM OF US: playwright David Stevens, company Hit Productions. Touring Victoria until July 9, 2011

DAVID Stevens' play, The Sum of Us, deals with issues that will be familiar and identifiable to most audiences: parent/child relationships, the challenge of forming new relationships, the pain of losing loved ones, thwarted opportunities, fear, illness, and the dangers of living life while looking through a rear-view mirror.

Widower Harry Mitchell (John Jarratt) and his gay son, Jeff (Patrick Harvey), share a home.

Harry has long accepted his son's sexual preference, which, while commendable, is not without its own problems, especially when it comes to Jeff inviting would-be lover, Greg (Glenn van Oosterom), into their home for a romantic encounter.

Harry's chummy eagerness to make Jeff and Greg feel comfortable becomes a downright inconvenience and a huge turn-off for Jeff.

Meanwhile, Harry's love life with new flame, Joyce (Nell Feeney), comes to a crashing halt when she unveils herself as a homophobe.

The naturalistic style of this play is discarded when both Harry and Jeff speak directly to the audience, putting us in the role of mother confessor or a silent fifth actor.

Their poignant monologues are the high points of Stevens often repetitive script which would benefit from some editing.

Jarratt is relaxed and entertaining as big-hearted, lonely Harry and Harvey is warm and engaging as his son. Denis Moore's direction is even-handed and competent but could potentially increase the impact of the play's most significant comical or dramatic moments.

If you leave this play with only one message, it is that life is short and unpredictable, so seize every opportunity for love and happiness.

Star rating: ***

The Joy of Text, MTC, June 17, 2011

 The Joy of Text, MTC *** 1/2

• Kate Herbert
• From: Herald Sun
• June 17, 2011 2:08PM

The Joy of Text, Melbourne Theatre Company, Fairfax Studio until July 23, 2011

WE KNOW teenagers can be cruel, but the plan of 17-year-old Danny (James Bell) to prove to his teachers just how clever he is turns very nasty indeed.

When he implements his post-modern, social experiment, using satire to critique hypocrisy, he causes ructions at his school.

The first half of Robert Reid's The Joy of Text, deftly directed by Aidan Fennessy, is a hilarious, satirical view of teachers, students, plagiarism and the use and abuse of the English language.

The second half reveals the repercussions on all four characters of Danny's self-serving plot, but it lacks the momentum and cohesion of the first half.

All hell breaks loose when literature teacher Diane (Louise Siversen), proposes putting on syllabus The Illusion of Consent, a controversial, purportedly autobiographical book by a teenage girl who falsely claims she had an affair with a teacher.

We are reminded of Helen Demidenko's award-winning but falsified book and Helen Garner's expose, The First Stone.

Siversen is achingly funny as jaded, bolshie Diane, the literature teacher obsessed with linguistic correctness.

Bell is both charming and repellent as Danny, the manipulative, arrogant but very clever teenager, while Helen Christinson captures the anxiety, ambition and girlishness of young teacher Amy.

Peter Houghton's Steve is a comical study of an acting principal spiralling out of control in a crisis. Imagine John Cleese as a teacher.

Despite its false endings, The Joy of Text is a funny but revealing study of the damage wrought by an unrestrained teenage ego.

Star rating: *** 1/2

Moth by Declan Greene, Malthouse & Arena, 17 June, 2011

Moth by Declan Greene 

17 June, 2011
Beckett Theatre, Malthouse, until June 25, 2011

Stars: **** 1/2

Teenagers, Sebastian (Thomas Conroy) and Claryssa (Sarah Ogden), occupy a dark, terrifying, adolescent hell in Declan Greene’s award-winning play, Moth. This is a merciless, unforgiving world where young victims are easy prey for stronger, more aggressive youths.

Here, defenceless teens are mercilessly punished for being different, brutal physical assaults are filmed and uploaded to YouTube for viewers to post loathsome comments and, tragically, the mentally ill are gunned down by over-zealous police.

Sebastian and Claryssa are unpopular and different; Sebastian because of his social awkwardness, mental illness and paranoid delusions, and Claryssa for her strange Emo/Witch appearance and belligerence.

Despite, or because of their differences, these two social outcasts share a strange, fluid and doomed sort of friendship. There is no hint of optimism in this unremitting play so it’s no wonder that Sebastian and Claryssa fantasise about destroying the world.

Conroy and Ogden give commanding and credible performances in multiple roles, portraying not only their principal characters with passion and commitment, but also a parade of teenage thugs, teachers, parents, saints and giant robots. Chris Kohn directs both actors with a deft hand.

This is theatre at its finest, a potent blend of Greene’s cunningly wrought script, compelling dialogue, hallucinogenic imagery and consummate acting that will have you close to tears towards the end. 

The physical incarnation of this nightmarish, claustrophobic world is created by the simple, yet effective set (Jonathon Oxlade), lighting (Rachel Burke), and video (Domenico Bartolo).

With its strong language, disturbing themes and imagery, this play is not for a feint-hearted audience but Moth is a must-see for teenagers, parents and teachers.

Princess Dramas, Red Stitch, June 18, 2011

 Princess Dramas

by Elfriede Jelinek, translated by Gitta Hoenegger, Red Stitch Theatre, until July 2, 2011

Theatre can be demanding, challenging or inspiring, but its worst sin is to be boring. Princess Dramas, Elfriede Jelinek’s play – if we can call it that – is stupidly convoluted and dull, dull, dull.

Jelinek commits the even greater sin of making the audience feel stupid because they don’t understand her play. But Princess Dramas is simply an over-written, repetitive, pseudo-intellectual rant that lacks theatrical style or dramatic structure.

The play is like a feminist treatise on the chauvinistic treatment of princesses (read women) in traditional and modern fairytales. It is a sort of post-modern mash-up of Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, their various princes and 1960s American princess, Jackie Kennedy. It is mostly a series of too-long monologues that sound like essays on cultural theory.

Andre Bastian’s clumsy direction does nothing to enhance the script and looks like a chaotic, 1970s, under-graduate mess. In an attempt to vary the dynamic and make the play interesting, he directs actors to speak faster or slower, in unison, without inflection, with histrionic over-acting or in silly accents.

They wander the stage hanging washing, reading celebrity mags or dancing around in strap-on, oversized phalluses. Need I say more?

The three actors (Dion Mills, Andrea Swift, Melodie Reynolds) work like Trojans to make the play entertaining and deserve to be in a better production.

“The emperor has no clothes,” I say. Jelinek, an Austrian writer, controversially won a Nobel Prize for Literature. Knut Ahnlund left the Swedish Academy in objection, saying that her selection "has not only done irreparable damage to all progressive forces, it has also confused the general view of literature as an art".

The North Koreans could learn something about torture from this pretentious tripe. It is unendurably painful.

Star rating: *

Home for Lunch, Shy Tiger, June 18, 2011

Home for Lunch

By Rebecca Lister with David Bardas, Shy Tiger Productions, Chapel off Chapel, until July 3, 2011

Star rating: ** 1/2

We all fantasise about the wonderful things we will do when we retire, but often the fantasies are sweeter than the harsh reality of a life lacking clear direction, routine, purpose and support structure.

These weighty issues are explored in Home for Lunch, a play by Rebecca Lister with David Bardas, a retired clothing industry executive. This is identification theatre for retirees.

Dennis Coard is credible as Steven, a curmudgeonly, routine-driven man who reluctantly sold his engineering business and retired. Steven’s long-suffering wife, Heather (Margot Knight), finds life trying with Steven at home all day so spends time with her well-intentioned but interfering sister, Margaret (Kirsty Child).

Matthew King is sympathetic and funny as thrice-divorced, retired architect, Barry, who contacts Steven to form a retired blokes club.

Both men are desperately lonely, struggling for meaningful ways to spend their days, rather than listening to talkback radio jocks (Stig Wemyss), or reminiscing about past glories.

However, their friendship and other relationships in the play are not fully formed. Home For Lunch is an unpretentious, inoffensive play but it meanders and needs a big edit. The script misses an opportunity to create a cracker-jack comedy about older people stuck in boring retirement or stale marriages.

Unfortunately, Lucy Freeman’s direction is unimaginative with uneven pacing and slow scene changes and the colourful, multi-level set (Tanja Beer) is an awkward space for actors to navigate.

This play breaks no new theatrical ground but it is a pleasant way for a patient, undemanding audience to while away a couple of hours.

The Sum Of Us, by David Stevens, by Hit Productions

The Sum Of Us

Clocktower, Moonee Ponds, touring Victoria until July 8, 2011

Stars:  ***

David Stevens’ play, The Sum of Us, deals with issues that will be familiar and identifiable to most audiences: parent/child relationships, the challenge of forming new relationships, the pain of losing loved-ones, thwarted opportunities, fear, illness, and the dangers of living life while looking through a rear-view mirror.

Widower, Harry Mitchell (John Jarratt) and his gay son, Jeff (Patrick Harvey), share a home. Harry has long accepted his son’s sexual preference, which, while commendable, is not without its own problems, especially when it comes to Jeff inviting would-be lover, Greg (Glenn van Oosterom), into their home for a romantic encounter.

Harry’s chummy eagerness to make Jeff and Greg feel comfortable becomes a downright inconvenience and a huge turn-off for Jeff. Meanwhile, Harry’s love life with new flame, Joyce (Nell Feeney), comes to a crashing halt when she unveils herself as a homophobe.

The naturalistic style of this play is discarded when both Harry and Jeff speak directly to the audience, putting us in the role of mother confessor or a silent fifth actor. Their poignant monologues are the high-points of Stevens’ often-repetitive script which would benefit from some editing.

Jarratt is relaxed and entertaining as big-hearted, lonely Harry and Harvey is warm and engaging as his son. Denis Moore’s direction is even-handed and competent but could potentially increase the impact of the play’s most significant comical or dramatic moments.

If you leave this play with only one message, it is that life is short, unpredictable so seize every opportunity for love and happiness.

Much Ado About Nothing, Bell, June 14, 2011

 Much Ado About Nothing, Bell Shakespeare **** 1/2

• Kate Herbert
• From: Herald Sun
• June 14, 2011 12:00AM

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, Bell Shakespeare, Arts Centre Playhouse until June 25, 2011

JOHN Bell's production of Shakespeare's romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing is like a playful version of the Mafia family in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather.

Set in Sicily in the 1950s, young soldiers and marriageable girls sing, dance and celebrate their lives under the gaze of their elders.

The plot sizzles with passion and romance, but it has an underbelly with vendettas, a hoax and deep resentments, providing light and shade.

Bell's production is enormously entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny with a cast of versatile, comic actors who joyfully inhabit their roles.

The standout is Toby Schmitz with his fresh interpretation of Benedick as a cheeky, brazen, garrulous entertainer with a razor-sharp wit.

His comic timing and delivery are impeccable and he invests every moment with humour and compelling clarity.

Blazey Best is a potent comic and romantic foil to Benedick, playing Beatrice as a bold, sassy, party-girl with a whiplash tongue.

Much Ado is a war of words between Benedick and Beatrice who expertly dodge love and marriage by crossing verbal swords and disguising their blazing, mutual attraction with mocking disdain.

Sean OShea is wickedly funny as the louche, swaggering, cynical villain, Don John, with his Mafioso looks.

Max Gillies is suitably dim-witted and jovial as Dogberry the confused policeman.

Tony Llewellyn-Jones is a benevolent patriarch as Leonato, Matthew Walker is an elegant Don Pedro, Sean Hawkins plays the ardent, callow Claudio and Alexandra Fisher is the coy, girlish Hero.

The vivacious performances are elevated by a soaring, 16th century fresco (Stephen Curtis), evocative live music (Alan John) and spirited songs.

There is never a dull moment in this buoyant and energetic, Shakespearean rom-com.

STAR RATING: **** 1/2

Crossed, Chris Summers,by Platform, Appetite & La Mama, June 9, 2011

Crossed by Chris Summers

Carlton Courthouse until June 19, 2011

Star rating: ***

Some tragic news items stick in our collective consciousness and one of these incidents was the shocking shooting death of a teenager in a Northcote skate park.

Chris Summers’ play, directed by Matt Scholten, is a fictionalised account of the reactions to that tragedy of five very different, but similarly alienated people.

We witness an isolated, middle-aged woman (Jenny Lovell), a Muslim girl (Prag Bhatia), a tough immigrant teenager (Matt Candeland), an equally tough young nationalist (Nick Lineham) and an adventurous, gay teen (Ioan Roberts).

Each has an unexpected but brief encounter with the boy on the day of his death but each experiences the event and its aftermath in totally dissimilar ways, some positively and some negatively.

The story strikes a chord with Melbourne audiences and the performances are strong. The rapid, often panicked dialogue of the five characters is intercut as if it were a docudrama.

 The play stalls a little at the end when the style change and the pace slows as we watch the characters in their separate worlds but it is a challenging production.

The Gift, Joanna Murray-Smith, MTC, June 7, 2011

The Gift, Melbourne Theatre Company ***

• Kate Herbert
• From: Herald Sun
• June 07, 2011 12:00AM

THE GIFT, by Joanna Murray-Smith, Melbourne Theatre Company, until July 9,  2011

JOANNA Murray-Smith's play, The Gift (directed by Maria Aitken) is riddled with witty dialogue about the trials of the nouveau riche who drink chateau expensive.

And then there's the middle-class artists and intellectuals who engage in esoteric endeavours and circuitous conversations.

Ed (Richard Piper) and Sadie (Heather Bolton) -- a childless, middle-aged couple -- are wealthy, ordinary and unimaginative. At a deluxe resort, they meet Martin (Matt Dyktynski), a struggling conceptual artist, and his adoring, academic wife Chloe (Elizabeth Debicki).

Both couples are emotionally disengaged and, despite obvious differences, an unlikely friendship develops.

When Martin saves Ed from drowning, their lives change forever and Ed wants to repay Martin. When Chloe and Martin reveal their outrageous choice of gift, Ed and Sadie are appalled and scars appear in the friendship.

Piper is a gruff, comical, blokey Ed; Bolton vulnerable as dutiful long-suffering Sadie; Dibecki is coltish as Chloe; Dyktynski is cool as ambitious Martin.

However, the characters feel incomplete and the ending is unsatisfying.

When the couples confront the controversial dilemma that threatens friendship and challenges values, the emotional temperature should soar but we are oddly unmoved.

Star rating: * * *

Love Never Dies by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Regent Theatre, Melbourne ****

Love Never Dies

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Glenn Slater

Additional lyrics by Charles Hart

Book by Andrew Lloyd Webber & Ben Elton with Glenn Slater & Frederick Forsyth

Produced by The Really Useful Company Asia Pacific & Arts Capital Trust

 Regent Theatre, from May 28, 2011

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Stars:****

Simon Phillips’ extravagant production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies infuses new energy into the musical with its vivid design, eccentric characters and mystical imagery.  

 The result is a ravishing, atmospheric spectacle that recreates the fantasy and dark mystery of a 1907 fairground, leaving even a sceptical audience gasping. Even a die-hard Phan may be converted.

The Phantom (Ben Lewis), ten years after his abduction of Christine (Anna O’Byrne), is now a wealthy impresario running Phantasma, a vivacious, Coney Island attraction. He lures Christine, her husband, Raoul (Simon Gleeson), and son, Gustave (Kurtis Papadinis), to Manhattan, tricking her into singing in Phantasma.

Ben Lewis is a formidable presence as the Phantom. With his velvety tones, impeccable vocal control, superb range and consummate acting, his performance rivals former Phantoms. His thrilling opening rendition of ‘Til I Hear You Sing sends the crowd wild and no song that follows meets this level.

Anna O’Byrne’s beautiful soprano is a perfect match for Lewis in their duets, Beneath a Moonless Sky and Once Upon Another Night. Her version of Love Never Dies is affecting.

The Beauty Underneath is a surprising, rock number sung by Lewis, Papaginis and the distinguished ensemble. Sharon Millerchip is delightfully cheeky performing Bathing Beauty as Meg Giry. Lewis and Gleeson’s love rivals’ duet, Devil Take The Hindmost, is powerful and Gleeson’s solo, Why Does She Love Me?, is an emotional moment for this character.

Gabriela Tylesova’s design provides another hero. Soaring gantries, a giant Phantom mask and occult imagery, illuminated by festoon lighting (Nick Schlieper), conjure a timeless, perilous fairground. The period costumes are high gelati in colour, evoking both freak shows and 1900 European elegance.

Phillips saturates the stage with sideshow freaks, acrobats and impish dancers performing Graeme Murphy’s raunchy choreography. Sometimes it’s so busy it’s hard to know where to look.

Lloyd Webber’s score intermittently and elegantly reprises the original Phantom, connecting the two stories. His composition and orchestration, conducted skillfully by Guy Simpson, have some powerful moments.

However, several songs lack punch and some lyrics are trite, with some tunes neither unique nor memorable: Look With Your Heart, Beautiful, Only For You and Dear Old Friends. Placing two love duets (Beneath a Moonless Sky, Once Upon Another Night) back-to-back is unnecessary and unsuccessful.

The big problem with this sequel is the muddled, unsatisfying story that lacks dramatic tension and a clear narrative arc. The stakes are not high enough and keep changing, there are unnecessary red herrings and too many villains. The central character, the Phantom, is now ordinary, lacking menace and mystery. The final tragic scene loses impact without a clear narrative structure leading to it.

Raoul’s role and his relationship to Christine are seriously underwritten. There is little evidence of the history of their love and a duet for the couple is sorely missed. Madame Giry’s (Maria Mercedes) role in the story keeps changing and Meg’s final jealous rage is surprising, if not unlikely. The child, Gustave, could be in greater danger and the centre of bitter rivalries but this thread unravels.

While this musical spectacle sets a new, visual design standard that will be difficult to surpass, it is disappointing that its narrative and music fail to reach the same lofty heights.

By Kate Herbert

Macbeth, Australian Shakespeare Company, May 18, 2011

 Macbeth

• Kate Herbert
• From: Herald Sun
• May 18, 2011 10:18AM

MACBETH, Australian Shakespeare Company, Shed 4, Docklands, until May 28, 2011

"THIS place is too cold for hell," slurs the drunken Porter (Ross Williams) in Shakespeare's grisly play Macbeth.

He's right. The Docklands location for Glenn Elston's winter production is colder than a Scottish castle. But if this makes for an uncomfortable evening, the harsh environment evokes Macbeth's primitive world.

The audience is herded around the cavernous warehouse to stand (or sit if you hire a chair), and on elevated stages we witness bloodthirsty Macbeth (Doru Surcel) and his soldiers and lords -- all bare-chested, tattooed, bloodied and costumed in leather and fur.

Surcel has the ferocity and dark looks for the title role, but his delivery of the language is often laboured with misplaced emphases in the verse.

Terri Brabon, as Lady Macbeth, is passionate and sensual. However, the balance of the narrative is askew and the trajectory of the psychological collapse of both Macbeth and his wife feels awkward. Williams’ Porter provides welcome comic relief in this relentlessly gloomy and violent play. 

Brendan O’Connor gives a consummate performance as Macduff, performing the verse with truth and skill. His portrayal of Macduff’s grief at the murder of his wife and babes is profoundly moving.

Stars rating: ***

The Hatpin, Magnormos, Theatreworks, May 17, 2011

The Hatpin **1/2

Music by Peter Rutherford, Book & Lyrics by James Millar, by Magnormos

Theatreworks, St. Kilda, May 17 to 28, 2011

Reviewed by: Kate Herbert, May 17, 2011

Published: Herald Sun

In our country and in this generation we take for granted safe childcare, single parent’s benefit and child protection laws. However, in 1892, circumstances were different for young, single mother, Amber Murray.

Amber advertised for a carer for her baby, Horace, so she could work to support him. The respondents, Agatha and Charles Makin, proved to be a parent’s worst nightmare. What followed was a landmark court case.

Although it is an unlikely topic for music theatre, The Hatpin is a new, Australian musical based on Amber’s tragic story. The tale certainly has dramatic potential and some of this is realised in this production. The singing voices are the strongest element with some powerful vocal performances. Gemma-Ashley Kaplan as Amber has a pretty voice and Samantha Morley as her supporter and friend, Harriet, has great passion and expressiveness in her singing.

However, the acting style and the direction by Shaun Kingma tilt too far into the melodramatic and histrionic. The scenes show an awkward balance between tragedy and comedy, the characters are thin and the dialogue often clumsy.

There are some rousing songs by Peter Rutherford and James Millar with strong chorus work by the support cast. Rutherford’s score has some successful moments but the arrangements at times have an imbalance between percussion, string and wind instruments.

 We are crying out for Australian musicals so give this a look if you are keen to see new developments in local talent.

Stars: **1/2

Next to Normal, MTC, May 6, 2011

Review: Next to Normal, MTC

• Kate Herbert
• From: Herald Sun
• May 06, 2011 10:39AM

Next to Normal, Melbourne Theatre Company, Arts Centre Playhouse, until June 4, 2011

NEXT To Normal is not your normal musical.

Its subject matter is distressing, its characters are dysfunctional and the ending is not necessarily happy. But this Tony-award winning show, while exhausting, is exhilarating. A sensational show that breaks plenty of rules.

Next To Normal is about Diana (Kate Kendall), a suburban mother with manic-depression and delusions, and the impact her illness has on husband Dan (Matt Hetherington) and daughter Natalie (Christy Sullivan).

Tom Kitt's songs about grief and drug treatment are wrenching, but often funny and uplifting, while Brian Yorkey's book tells Diana's grim story without lapsing into sentimentalism.

Director Dean Bryant sets a cracking pace for this Melbourne Theatre Company production, while musical director Mathew Frank leads the six-piece, on-stage band.

The cast of six is consistently strong, creating credible characters, thrilling harmonies and moving relationships. Their impeccable articulation makes the lyrics and the story supremely clear.

Kendall plays Diana with great sensitivity and grace, investing the role with dignity and singing with great expressiveness, though her voice lacks some dynamic range and vibrato.

Hetherington is exceptional as Diana's beleaguered husband with his rich, warm, thrilling voice.

Sullivan, Bert LaBonte, Benjamin Hoetjes and Gareth Keegan all provide fine voices and strong characterisations.

You may feel overwhelmed if you're close to someone with a mental illness, but this is a challenging and unusual musical.

Star rating: * * * *

The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later, Red Stitch, May 03, 2011

The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later

• Kate Herbert
• From: Herald Sun
• May 03, 2011 12:00AM

A scene from The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later at the Red Stitch Actors Theatre in St Kilda.

 Source: Supplied 

The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later, Red Stitch Actors Theatre, until May 28, 2011

THE Laramie Project: Ten Years Later revisits the docu-drama by Tectonic Theater about the 1998 murder of young gay man Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming.

The theatre company, as with the first play, constructs this script from interviews with the Laramie community. This second play not only researches attitudinal changes 10 years later but also investigates the conventions of rumour.

It uncovers the way people reframe memory, adapt stories, jettison unpleasant facts and abandon truth to make the retelling of history more palatable.

Nobody wants their town to have the reputation of being a home to bigots, racists and hate crimes, but this play is didactic and educational.

We witness attitudes from blinkered, racist bigotry to radical activism, but are not emotional participants --
kept at an arm's length from the pain, guilt and grief.

Performances from the cast of nine, directed by Gary Abrahams, are unembellished, powerful and clear, using direct audience address. Cast members play multiple roles as both theatre company researchers and Laramie residents.

The style is reminiscent of 1980s political theatre in Australia, UK and Canada. The US took time to catch up. The tiny, restricted stage, unfortunately, is cluttered with large screens that are constantly moved by actors. The play cries out for open space, different levels and a deep, panoramic view to allow characters to observe and be observed.

This claustrophobic quality, though intentional, does not serve the play.

Star rating: * * * 1/2

Urban Display Suite, by Michael Dalley, May 4, 2011

Urban Display Suite

Written by Michael Dalley, music by Michael Dalley & John Thorn, by High Performance Company

fortyfivedownstairs, until May 15, 2011

Stars: ***1/2

Gabrielle Quin, Michael Dalley, Sharon Davis, Lyall Brooks in Urban Display Suite

Do you have contact with real estate agents, inspect houses, drool over interior design magazines, dream of a “renovator’s delight” or laugh at garish McMansions? Michael Dalley’s satirical, musical cabaret, Urban Display Suite, is just the ticket for you.

The cast of four (Dalley, Lyall Brooks, Sharon Davis, Gabrielle Quin), dressed in slick, corporate gear, carrying clipboards and mouthing platitudes, sing Dalley’s scathing and hilarious lyrics. The opening number says it all: “It’s the white collar job for the blue collar brain.”

The jokes come thick and fast in sketches and songs about Australians’ obsession with buying property, “our national drug of choice”.

Dalley and Brooks are particularly funny and engaging. The songs range in style from latin beats, to sultry ballads and blues numbers accompanied by John Thorn on piano and accordion. The titles include: If You Bought Before the Boom, Upmarket Woman, Downmarket Man, One Day This Will All Be Mine and New Money.

There are gags about the fact that you can’t buy taste, that crummy houses cost the earth now, the cool suburbs, lifestyle choices and marketing ploys. Get along and enjoy this “tribute to the little capitalists we’ve become”.