What Did She Think?

What: Bowie & Mercury Rising When: 26 - 30 July 2017 Where: Chapel Off Chapel Written and directed by: Warren Wills Performed by: Jess Mortlock, Thando Sikwila, and Warren Wills Lighting by: Jason Bovaird Thando Sikwila Such amazing potential and timing to create a work of impact and significance has been missed completely by musical theatre artist Warren Wills . It has been a year since David Bowie and Freddie Mercury died and the nascent show Bowie & Mercury Rising , playing at Chapel Off Chapel this week was the perfect opportunity to celebrate their music, their lives, and continue a trajectory their music brings to their fans beyond number. This is what the audience wanted, needed, and was hoping for but instead we were in for a night of disjointed individualism, lack of insight, and almost unrecognisable musical self-indulgence on the part of Wills. I should begin by saying that getting the rights to perform any of Bowie's music (and most likely Me

What: The Little Death Club When: 20 - 30 July Where: Main Tent, Grattan Gardens Performed by: Miss Bettie Bombshell, Bernadette Byrne, Jarred P Dewey, Jess Love, and Karen From Finance Stage Managed by: Maple Rose Art Simone The Little Death Club is one of the myriad of star acts which form part of the new and very exciting Provocare Festival in the Chapel Street precinct this July. Hosted by Bernadette Byrne (with ringmaster Art Simone to warm up and wrangle the crowds) The Little Death Club fills the main tent at Grattan Gardens with a host of circus and cabaret artists second to none. Byrne is a cheeky, sexy libertine who brings her Weimar punk cabaret to Melbourne to tear down the house with laughter, irreverence and a whole lot of sexual titillation. Why is it Weimar? Because it is relaxed and luxurient and Byrne uses a terrible fake German accent. Why is it punk? Because it is cheeky and irreverant and subversive? Why is it cabaret? Because it is full of a para

What: I Am Katherine When 19 - 29 July 2017 Where: Hare Hole Directed by: Renee Palmer Performed by: Trudi Boatright, Sorcha Breen, Beth Liston and Adrienne Sloan Costumes by: Adrienne Sloan Technical design by: Darren Lever Beth Liston, Sorcha Breen, Adrienne Sloan, and Trudi Boatwright Billed as 'a feisty response to Shakespeare' I Am Katherine is certainly that and a whole lot more. Filled with more than a smattering of real life experiences, this show takes the experience of the famous shrew and puts them in the satirical light always intended rather than the misogynistic love story the patriarchy has always maintained it to be. I Am Katherine is playing at the Hare Hole until the end of July and I highly recommend you go although it will not be a comfortable and jolly time. You will laugh your socks off though! I Am Katherine was first performed at The Owl and Cat Theatre in 2015 and now it is back just in time. There has been a lot of discussion about

What: 'Alias Grace'/Catherine: The Body Politic When: 15 & 15th July/16 July Where: La Mama Courthouse Written by: Margaret Atwood/Caroline Lee Directed by: Laurence Strangio/Alice Darling Performed by: Caroline Lee Designed by: Anna Tregloan/Rachel Burke Lighting by: Bronwyn Pringle/Rachel Burke Caroline Lee in 'Alias Grace' Caroline Lee is a stalwart of Melbourne theatre. Amongst her many adventures across the stages of the world Lee experienced a range of milestones at the renowned La Mama Theatre so it is no surprise she was offered a place in the La Mama 50th Mini Fest . This also worked well into where Lee was sitting as an artist. In 2014 Lee undertook a residency at Victoria University and used her time to look back upon her career and investigate her journey as an artist. Interestingly I also did my residency at the same time although we never ran into each other (thus is the nature of the residency). Where I was a nascent babe in my chose

What: Paris - A Rock Odyssey When: 13 - 15 July 2017 Where: Melbourne Recital Centre Written by: Jon English and David MacKay Directed by: Neil Gooding Musical Direction by: Isaac Hayward Performed by: Annie Aitken, Shirley Bowen, Daniel Cosgrove, Mark Dickerson, Madeleine Featherby, Tim Freedman, Kerrie Anne Greenland, Scott Johnson, Cameron MacDonald, Jordon Mahar, Matthew Manahan, Brian Mannix, Ben Mingay, John O'May, Jack O'Riley, Caitlin Quinn, Todd Strike, John Waters, The Ensemble, and The Band Set by: Darren O'Shea and Mark Raynes Costumes by: Jannette Raynes and Mark Raynes Lighting by: Jason Bovaird Sound by: Marcello Lo Ricco Visuals by: Andrew Sampford and Stuart Smith Kerrie Anne Greenland, Isaac Hayward (conducting), and The Band Paris: A Rock Odyssey is a rock opera written by the late and adored Jon English in conjunction with David MacKay. Existing as a cast recording and having been performed in the amatuer realm, English was in the pro

What: Adulting When: 11 - 16 July Where: The Butterfly Club Written by: Tash York Performed by: Jamie Burgess and Tash York Jamie Burgess and Tash York Adulting is the new cabaret by Tash York playing at The Butterfly Club and follows on her wildly successful show These Things Take Wine . The journey of her life time, York stumbles through the milestones of growing up marked by the pop megahits through those ages. Do you remember sitting at the back of the science lab in high school making up rude alternative lyrics to the songs on the radio? In fact, do you remember radio? (York makes it clear if you don't know what a CD is there is nothing in this cabaret for you!). I digress. Do you remember those days in high school? This is what the Adulting experience feels like. Except that York (and Jamie Burgess ) know what they are doing and can actually tell a story as well as be outrageous... Beginning her the show as a life size blow up baby doll (I am not joking),

What: The After Hours Cabaret Club When: 2 July 2017 Where: Melba Spiegeltent Performed by: Bettie Bombshell, Simon Coronel, Ring Me Dot Dot Dot, Jacqueline Furey, Odd Mantis, Maple Rose, David Splatt, Glitta Supernova, Tash York, and The After Hours Cabaret Club Band David Splatt It's the middle of winter, a time we don't often go out for late night adventures - especially not on Sunday nights - but I have found something worth going out for.  The After Hours Cabaret Club  at the  Melba Spiegeltent  takes place on the first Sunday of every month and it is a whole barrel of adult good times just waiting for you to come and join in. The After Hours Cabaret Club  has cabaret star  Tash York  as their songstress emcee and they are Australia's only variety show with an in-house 5 piece band. Believe me, these musicians are good! With their own special variety of swing jazz they warm up the room and back up York's sensational vocals with energy and sass which keeps

What: The Rapture When: 29 June - 16 July 2017 Where: fortyfivedownstairs Written by: Moira Finucane Directed by: Moira Finucane and Jackie Smith Performed by: Mama Alto, Shirley Cattunar, Miss Chief, Moira Finucane, and Clare St Clare Composed by: Darrin Verhagen and Ben Keene Visual Art by: William Eicholtz and Catherine Lane and Arts Project Australia Couture by: Gun Shy, Anastasia Le Fey, and Keon Couture Lighting by: Simon Hardy Mama Alto, Moira Finucane, and Clare St Clare The nights are cold, candles are burning, and we all stay closer to home as the day turns to night so much quicker this midwinter and the sun is so reluctant to rise again the next day. In these witching hours as our world seems so much smaller and uninviting our thoughts roam at large trying to work past the darkness and into the light. Witnessing Finucane and Smith's latest show The Rapture at fortyfivedownstairs , we are guided into this nether region of life and light to look at what we