Tinkerbell and the Dream Fairies, Jan 4, 2018 ***1/2

CHILDREN’S THEATRE 

By Glenn Elston with music by Paul Norton, Australian Shakespeare Company

At Athenaeum 2, until Jan 28, 2018 
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars: ***1/2

Review also published in Herald Sun Arts online on Fri Jan 5, 2018 & in print on Tues Jan 9, 2018. KH

Lauren Ferreira as Tinkerbell 2018 - pic Nicole Cleary

Little kids love fairies and magical adventures, so Glenn Elston merging Tinkerbell from Peter Pan with the Fairies from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is an inspired idea for a children’s show.

Previously, these free-spirited Fairies frolicked in the Botanical Gardens, but this season they are indoors on a stage decorated like a fairy garden, and the children participate in the Fairies’ dancing, singing and games.

Although some are shy at first, the children get into the spirit with gentle encouragement from Tinkerbell (played with strength and grace by Lauren Ferreira) and the Dream Fairies: Moth (Sue-Ellen Shook), Mustardseed (James Coley), Peasblossom (Tess Branchflower), Cobweb (Cierra Shook) and Cupcake, the MC (Coleman Shook).

The story is simple: the lost Dream Fairies try to find their way back to Dreamland and their Fairy Queen, while Tinkerbell searches for her lost fairy wings.

On their journey, the Fairies perform perky choreography (Sue-Ellen Shook) and sing cheery songs (Paul Norton) about getting lost, journeying and the origin of fairies, while the children clap along, mimic gestures, flap their wings and wave their wands.

In one charming tune, the Fairies sing, ‘Come with us and find a happy place’, while the achingly cute children dance along. Later, the kids make animal noises during a bouncy, percussive song with the alliterative lyrics, ‘Boombakka Boom Boom Boom’.

By chanting ‘a twinkle and a twinkle and a clap of the hands’, we are transported to Bubble Land where the soap bubble machine is a huge hit with young and old alike.

After the children wave their wands furiously, do star jumps and wish like mad, Tinkerbell’s wings magically reappear and are reattached in a ceremony conducted by a sturdy and adorable toddler called Jasper.

Adults may recognise lines from Peter Pan and Shakespeare, but Tinkerbell and the Dream Fairies is a vivacious, effervescent show designed for small children.

By Kate Herbert

 

(L-R) Sue-Ellen Shook, Tess Branchflower, James Coley, Lauren Ferreira, Cierra Shook- 2018 pic Nicole Cleary

Audience at Tinkerbell

A Simple Space, Jan 3, 2018 ****1/2

CIRCUS 

By Gravity & Other Myths

At Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne, until Jan 14, 2018 

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Stars: ****1/2

Review also published in Herald Sun Arts online on Thurs Jan 4, 2018 & later in print (poss Jan 5). KH

A Simple Space  (NOT Melbourne cast)-Triton Tunis-Mitchell (bottom), Jascha Boyce (top), Martin Schreiber (bottom), Jacob Randell (top), Lachlan Binns (floor) pic by Steve Ullathorne

A show must be startlingly special for an entire audience to leap to its feet for a standing ovation, and so it is with A Simple Space, an intimate, mischievous and youthful, acrobatic performance.

Seven acrobats (Jacob Randall, Lachy Binns, Martin Schreiber, Alice Muntz, Mieke Lizotte, Lachlan Harper and a musician (Elliot Zoerner) perform on a small, rectangular space, with no trappings, fancy costumes or complicated design, just very bendy, muscular bodies climbing and balancing atop each other, and tossing one another around.

Every routine incorporates elements of risk, strength, trust and playfulness, from the opening series of falling and catching, to the stack of acrobats in a human tower, and an extraordinary, slow, three-person adagio balancing act.

Three lads do a funny and skilful ‘strip skip’ that entails lightning-speed rope skipping where the penalty for tripping is removing an item of clothing. Yep, someone is naked by the end.

There are inventive handstand routines, with one involving everyone trying to hold their breath longer than one acrobat can sustain a handstand. The handstander wins.

Audience members join the cast on stage, lying on the floor while a woman steps, like a tiny bird, over their hands and chests, then, later, the crowd pounds the performers with plastic balls until all the acrobats tumble to the ground.

The performers build in recovery pauses during which their laboured breathing is audible and their exhilaration and delight in their work is palpable.

Musician, Zoerner, wins the crowd with his remarkable body percussion that leaves his chest reddened from slapping and pounding.

In a final, alarming routine, the company brings new meaning to the term ‘Skipping Girl’ when the men swing the two, tiny women, tossing them from hand to hand and skipping them like rope.

A Simple Space celebrates the body and the cheerful competition and collaboration of the ensemble, and their cheeky complicity with the audience who are eating out of their hands by the end of this hour-long show.

By Kate Herbert

Cast for Melbourne season:

Jacob Randall - Adelaide

Lachy Binns - Adelaide

Martin Schreiber - Adelaide

Elliot Zoerner - Adelaide 

Jackson Manson - Tangambalanga, Vic

Alice Muntz - Albury, NSW

Mieke Lizotte - Devonport, Tas

Lachlan Harper - Armidale, NSW

Directors:

Triton Tunis-Mitchell, Jascha Boyce, Lachlan Binns, Jacob Randell,  Martin Schreiber and Elliot Zoerner (Composer)

Emily Brown and The Thing, Jan 3, 2018 ***1/2

CHILDREN’S THEATRE 

By Tall Stories, based on book by Cressida Cowell & Neal Layton 

At Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne, until Jan 14, 2018

Reviewer: Kate Herbert 

Stars:***1/2

Review also published online at Herald Sun Arts on Wed Jan 3 & in print on Fri Jan 5, 2018. KH

EL-R Sam Buitekant as The Thing & Josie Cerise as Emily _Credit -Tall Stories

 If you have a pre-schooler who suffers non-specific, night-time fears, Emily Brown and The Thing will ring bells, with its story about children being scared of ‘Things’: big, small, loud, quiet or other scary things.

UK company, Tall Stories, adapted this stage show from Cressida Cowell’s popular book and its cheery, approachable cast (Josie Cerise, Timothy Richey, Sam Buitekant) and playful, cartoonish style appeal to the littlies without scaring the pants off them.

Like most under-fives, Emily (Cerise) has a favourite, soft toy and her beloved is a fluffy rabbit called Stanley (Richey) who helps her go to sleep and accompanies her everywhere, including on her late-night adventures when she can’t get to sleep.

Emily and Stanley’s sleep is interrupted by a noise outside her window which comes from a big, raggedy ‘Thing’ (Buitekant) that is crying because he’s lost his own cuddly toy called Cuddly, and, as the play says so clearly, toys are made to help someone feel safe.

The young audience is riveted by Emily and Stanley’s adventures as they go hunting for Thing’s Cuddly, then in search of his sleepy-time, milky drink, and finally, for some magic, green medicine to soothe his hacking cough.

Emily and Stanley courageously brave the Dark and Scary Wood where a Troll snuggles with the lost Cuddly, then go to the Wild and Whirling Wastes where a lonely Polar Bear has snaffled the milky drink, and they end up visiting the Whining Witch who fears she has lost her magical touch.

Despite all Emily and Stanley’s help, poor Thing still can’t sleep and he eventually admits that he is scared, the solution for which, says Emily, is to think of nice things.

So, tonight, whatever your age, take Emily’s advice and think only of nice things and dream of flying.

By Kate Herbert

L-R  Josie Cerise as Emily  & Sam Buitekant as The Thing_Credit Tall Stories.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sat Dec 30, 2017 ***1/2

THEATRE 

By William Shakespeare, Australian Shakespeare Company 

At Botanical Gardens, until March 3, 2018 

Reviewer: Kate Herbert  at preview on Dec 30, 2017 
Stars: ***1/2

Review also published in Herald Sun Arts online on Mon Jan 1, 2018, and in print later. KH

A Midsummer Night's Dream - James Biasetto as OBERON pic Nicole Cleary.jpg

It’s dusk on a summer’s evening in Melbourne’s mystically illuminated Botanical Gardens when the fairies come out to frolic and to taunt the hapless humans in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Do not be daunted by Shakespeare! Glenn Elston’s reimagined production, with its vibrantly lit trees, vivid costumes (Karla Erenbots), lively choreography (Sue-Ellen Shook), youthfully enthusiastic cast and naughty, modern quips, is an accessible and enchanting way to see Shakespeare’s clowns and fairies.

There are three threads to this mythical story set in Athens: four star-crossed lovers and their confused romances, five tradesmen (The Mechanicals) who rehearse an abysmal play, and the epic, romantic conflict between the Fairy King, Oberon, and his Queen, Titania.

James Biasetto is dignified and commanding as Oberon, and Anna Burgess is sensual and teasing as his Titania, while Benson Jack Anthony’s impish looks and acrobatic skill make him a mischievous Puck.

The four, aristocratic lovers, Hermia (Elizabeth Brennan), her beloved Lysander (Joshua Orpin), Helena (Madeleine Somers), and the target of Helena’s love, the unresponsive Demetrius (Ash Flanders), provide plenty of laughs as they bumble about in the forest, falling in and out of love with each other as Puck bewitches them with his rascally spells.

But what tickles the audience most is The Mechanicals’ appallingly amateurish but hilarious play – the tragedy of lovers, Pyramus and Thisbe – with Kevin Hopkins’ Bottom (Yes, plenty of cheeky references to ‘bottoms’) being a highlight with his oafish, ham acting and his braying when Puck turns him into a donkey.

A Midsummer Night's Dream - Kevin Hopkins as Bottom with Company pic Nicole Cleary

The Mechanicals’ other clown highlights include Flanders as Flute the bellows-mender prancing absurdly in a frock and brandishing his sword, Orpin as Snout the tinker leaping about like a ballerina, and Somers’ intentionally ill-timed roaring as the Lion.

For the audience perched on folding chairs and picnic rugs, sipping wine and tucking into gourmet snacks, The Dream is a playful, diverting night under the stars. But, take a coat because, even after a warm day, the Gardens can turn cold!

Kate Herbert reviewed a preview of the show on Dec 30, with the permission of the company.

By Kate Herbert

A Midsummer Night's Dream - Anna Burgess as TITANIA pic Nicole Cleary.

The Wind in the Willows, Dec 27, 2017 ****

CHILDREN’S THEATRE 

Adapted by Glenn Elston from book by Kenneth Grahame

By Australian Shakespeare Company

At Botanical Gardens, Gate F, until Jan 28, 2017 

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Stars:**** 
Review also published in Herald Sun Arts online on Dec 28, 2017 & in print on Dec 29, 2017.KH

The Wind in the Willows - Doru Sorcel as Badger and Paul Morris as Weasel - pic Paul Fon

Grab a picnic basket, a rug, hat and sunscreen and toddle off with the toddlers to the Botanical Gardens for another cheery, jaunty performance of The Wind in the Willows, adapted from Kenneth Grahame’s very English, 1908 children’s book.

The kiddie-rabbits giggle and shout at the cheerful, nose-twitching Head Chief Rabbit (Scott Mackenzie) trading insults, songs and silly puns with Weasel (Paul Morris), but the kids may be equally diverted by rambling water birds, a duck waddling across the lawn, or a dragonfly cruising by.

The children hoot at the characters’ antics, join a picnic, go on an adventure, then on a dangerous mission with the Rat Pack and Badger Patrol to rescue little Portly the Otter (Dusty Bursill) from the scary, Wild Wood.

In Otis Elston’s production, the kids enthusiastically sing ‘waggle your ears, wiggle your nose,’ and the inimitable ‘Quack quack quackady-quack’, and shout ‘He’s behind you!’ in best panto style.

Morris is the hilariously sneaky, gravel-voiced and wicked Weasel who overruns Toad Hall with his rascally weasel family, takes Mr. Toad (Ryan Hawke) hostage and fights dirty with enormous water pistols filled with ‘weasel wee’.

The merrily likeable Mackenzie maintains crowd control, leads songs and provides breezy guitar accompaniment.

In his gaudy green and pink outfit, Hawke is the flamboyant, vain and plump poseur, Mr. Toad, who behaves like a bratty, British, entitled twit whose head is turned by every new fad from canoeing to motorcars.

Playing the remaining, goofy characters are Kaya Byrne as river-dwelling Ratty, Chloe Bruer-Jones as timid Mole, Doru Surcel as toffy, pompous Badger and Jolan Walker as Otter, a Policeman and a dodgy Judge.

Willows has been a Melbourne summer institution now for 31 years so, if you’ve been hiding indoors for 31 summers, get out now with the family and ‘waggle your ears, wiggle your nose and sing whispering willows.’

By Kate Herbert 

The Wind in the Willows - Doru Sorcel a Badger with 'Badger Patrol'

Highly Flammable Love, Dec 14, 2017 *1/2

THEATRE
By Marcus Doherty & Zara Sengstock
At Irene Mitchell Theatre, St Martins, until Dec 16, 2017
Reviewer: Kate Herbert on Dec 13
Stars: 1.5

Review also published in Herald Sun Arts in print on Tues Dec 19, 2017. KH

Marcus Doherty & Ayesha Gibson-Photo by Clay Waddell

The comedy in Highly Flammable Love is as out of control as the bush fire that ignites in the second act.

Dennis (Doherty), a law graduate, moves from Melbourne to Shilangatta, a remote country town, to be with girlfriend, Kelly (Sengstock), a local copper, but Kelly dumps Dennis unceremoniously, leaving him sulking, boozing and stalking Kelly for months after their break-up.

Writer-directors, Marcus Doherty and Zara Sengstock, are filmmakers who have shifted focus from screen to stage by producing an Australian romantic-comedy for the theatre.

Even experienced theatre-makers avoid writing, directing and acting in their own work, and, although we appreciate the efforts of this creative duo, this overly long production lacks basic dramatic techniques.

The theatrical problems are evident immediately after the opening medley of folksy Australian tunes (Dylan Knur, violin; Imogen Cygler, piano).

From the first awkward scene on a bench at Shilangatta Train Station, the characters and relationships are one-dimensional, the jokes puerile and the performances amateurish and overacted.

Although some audience members laugh aloud, the story is muddled and the dialogue jumps from infantile arguments to preachy exchanges about relationships, gender roles and personal freedom.

The production cries out for a dramaturg to shape the script, and a director to focus the style, balance the pace, inject dramatic energy, stage scenes imaginatively and tighten scene changes.

The style leaps from sketch comedy and messy slapstick, to weird musical/choreographic routines, then to oddly serious dialogue about life, love and arson.

After a patchy first act, the second promises more substance, but soon deteriorates into silliness when characters in cardboard-box cars skitter around the stage in a cartoonish car chase.

Ayesha Gibson, as Zoe the attractive arsonist, provides some credible acting, but Doherty’s uncomfortable grimacing and awkward physicality as the hapless Dennis, is distracting.

Even with the best of intentions and a decent premise, a show can collapse, and Highly Flammable Love needs a skilful theatre doctor to revive it.

By Kate Herbert

Actors:

Dennis - Marcus Doherty

Zoe - Ayesha Gibson

Warren (Zoe's father) - Mick Shanahan

Kelly - Zara Sengstock

Georgia/Stevie/Newsreader - Rose Flanagan

Brandon Mannarino - Alan/Waiter/Roger

Kel Balnaves - Gavin

Musicians:

Composer - Finnian Langham

Piano - Imogen Cygler

Violin - Dylan Knur

Lighting design: Matthew Vasquez

Set design: Zara Sengstock

 

I’m Dreaming of a Christmas Cabaret, Dec 8, 2017 ***

CABARET
At Speakeasy HQ, 522 Flinders St, until Dec 24, 2017 
(Other shows at 6pm, 7.30pm, 8.30pm & late) 
Reviewer: Kate Herbert on Dec 8, 2017

Stars:***

Review also published in Herald Sun Arts online & in print on Dec 13, 2017. KH

Matt Allegro_Photo by Kieran McNamara

 Speakeasy HQ is a stylish, welcoming little vaudeville theatre tucked away down the dodgy end of Flinders St. among the nail salons, pubs and Thai massage shops.

The venue presents multiple shows, but I’m Dreaming of a Christmas Cabaret is a short, Chrissie-themed, cabaret hosted by the charming, talented Matt Allegro (Matt Hadgraft), the show’s highlight who is unfazed by the night’s tiny audience.

Allegro introduces the four acts with cheerful, self-deprecating banter and performs his revamped Christmas songs with wittily rewritten lyrics.

He opens with a snappy, jazz version of Jingle Bells that references ‘the local Liquorland’ then introduces timid twins, Amy and Mel, who are clad in Santa-inspired red-and-white outfits and sing three songs, including Jingle Bell Rock, accompanied by simple, but awkward choreography.

Ukulele Will is gently entertaining with his ukulele version of a naughtily suggestive Christmas song written by Scared Weird Little Guys.

Allegro hauls out an upright piano, which he plays skilfully, delivering his version of The Twelve Days of Christmas: a scathing attack on awful Christmas gifts from the rellies (‘four appalling shirts, two ugly mugs’).

Victoria Wolfe is cute, sassy and curvaceous, although her routine that is billed as ‘contortion’ is, rather, a series of charming but simple variations on the splits.

After Allegro’s goofy routine about awful jokes inside Christmas Crackers, he introduces Jem’Appelle, a petite brunette with a dodgy French accent who channels Piaf with renditions of Padam Padam, Je Ne Regrette Rien and Autumn Leaves.

Allegro’s final set includes Santa Claus Is Driving The Tram and a finale in which he dragoons an audience member to lip-sync his rowdy version of We Wish You A Merry Christmas.

We can assume that he didn’t realise his victim was also his reviewer. Lucky it was fun on stage with him!

By Kate Herbert

The ABBA Show, Dec 15, 2017 ****

CONCERT / TRIBUTE SHOW  

Produced by Showtime Australia 

At The Athenaeum, until Dec 30, 2017 

Reviewer: Kate Herbert  on Dec 15, 2017

Stars:****

Review also published in Herald Sun Arts in print on Tues Dec 19, 2017. KH

Jenna Ball as Frida

Talk about enthusiastic! The Melbourne audience members at The ABBA Show were as involved and effervescent as the performers, leaping to their feet, dancing in their seats, waving their arms and singing along like kids at a Wiggles concert.

Even ABBA lookalikes send fans of that 1970s, Swedish pop phenomenon into uninhibited, joyful frenzy when they hear such distinctive hits as Dancing Queen, Waterloo, Fernando, Super Trouper, Money Money Money, Gimme Gimme Gimme, Ring Ring. Doesn’t ABBA love repetition?

This tribute show delivers 20 ABBA songs and replicates the glitzy costumes, 70s hairdos, signature choreography and even the on-stage relationships between Agnetha (Hannah Pocock), Frida (Jenna Ball), Björn on guitar (Cameron Charters) and Benny on keyboard (Brent McMullen).

Their Swedish accents may be dodgy and their banter decidedly cheesy, but the foursome sings with gusto and Pocock and Ball capture the spirit, glamour and sensuality of Agnetha and Frida as they stamp their knee-high boots, flick their hair and sing with passion and flair.

The ABBA Show includes original video of the real ABBA performing, but this concert has no narrative and any dialogue is used merely to introduce songs or encourage fervent fans to sing and dance.

Director, Johnny Van Grinsven, focuses the show on Benny and Björn’s music played by a tight, three-piece band of bass (Zach Coombs), drums (Ben Harper), synth and saxophone (Hayden Baird).

Ball brings an audience member on stage as ABBA’s ‘man after midnight’, and vivacious volunteer, Jack, becomes a show highlight, donning a feather boa and sequined hat before outdancing Agnetha and Frida.

The ABBA Show is delightfully daggy, and witnessing middle-aged blokes wiggling their bods and flailing their arms to Mamma Mia is a delicious pre-Christmas treat.

By Kate Herbert

The Caretaker, Dec 13, 2017 ***

By Allen Laverty, presented by La Mama

At La Mama Theatre, until Dec 17 2017

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Stars:***

Review also published in Herald Sun Arts online on Thursday Dec 14, 2017 & later in print (15/12 TBC). KH

Allen Laverty-The-Caretaker_pic by Paula van Beek

Memory can be a loyal, or a fickle friend and Allen Laverty, in a nostalgic wander down his own memory lane, looks at both reliable and erratic memories in his solo show, The Caretaker.

The performance style ambles around as much as the content does: Laverty starts with a snippet of physical comedy before shifting to personal storytelling and conversational audience interaction.

He relates tales from his childhood, recollections of his grandfather and, finally, poignant descriptions of his mother’s recent memory loss and his challenging role as her carer – the ‘caretaker’ of the title.

The emotional and personal details in his portrayal of his grandfather and mother are the most effective and affecting elements: Pa smoking his roll-your-own cigarette, mum repeatedly asking the same question, and Laverty showering his mother when she is incapable.

The set design (Tamara Kirby) incorporates a workbench bearing items used and owned by his grandfather, including a woodworking vice that Laverty uses to carve a wooden spoon throughout the performance.

Laverty’s stories touch on mental illness and psychiatric hospitals and he scares audience members with a weird childhood ‘toy’ that gives its players electric shocks while illustrating the harshness of electric shock therapy.

Although Laverty started making a physical comedy about a bumbling handyman, his intention changed when his mother started to lose her memory, and this has left him with a couple of different plays battling for precedence.

The script needs a clearer structure and dramatic arc to link its various threads, or it could focus on a single character: Laverty’s mother could anchor the narrative from the beginning rather than becoming the focus at the end.

This production may crave a more dynamic, cohesive structure, but The Caretaker has a raw, emotional truth when Laverty tells his personal stories.

By Kate Herbert