What Did She Think?

What: We Three When: 25 July - 1 August 2019 Where: Studio Theatre, Gasworks Written by: Hayley Lawson-Smith Directed and designed by: Eryn Kimberley Performed by: Mohan Lakshmipathy, Andrea Mendez, Berk Ozturk, and Paul Wentford Lighting by: Emma Fox and Tomas Gerasimidis Sound design by: Mark Dosenko Stage Managed by: Vivian Siu Mohan Lakshmipathy, Paul Wentford and Andrea Mendez Perhaps timed on the calendar a little oddly, a nativity play with a twist is being presented at Gasworks. We Three takes the story of the quest of the three magi from the New Testament and gives it a contemporary post-truth twist. We Three is written by Lawson-Smith who, in the program notes, talks about having a dissonant connection to Christmas. Through We Three, Lawson-Smith takes the opportunity to recreate the story by removing the privilege of Christianity and bringing these magi down to the level of ordinary people in an extraordinary circumstance. Traditionally the 'three kin

What: Last Words When: 24 July - 4 August 2019 Where: La Mama Courthouse Written by: Joseph Sherman Directed by: John Bolton Composed by: Christopher Marlow Bolton Performed by: Christopher Marlow Bolton and Joseph Sherman Set by: Brian Lipson Lighting by: Emmie Turner Stage managed by: Emmie Turner Joseph Sherman We live in strange times. I keep harking to the current theatrical trend towards surrealism and in Lasts Words at La Mama we go there again - although in a much gentler way than perhaps other shows I have reviewed lately. A show which is, for the main part, a journey towards trying to comprehend Alzheimer's - objectively and subjectively - Sherman weaves a heart warming and heart breaking tale spanning a century and crossing the globe. Sherman is the grandson of Russian Jewish lineage from the city of Odessa. He is the son of two parents whose lives end in the tragic miasma of Alzheimer's. Sherman is also a doctor as well as a theatre maker. Last

What: Kevin Peterson's Stand-Up Show! When: 22 - 27 July 2019 Where: Upstairs, The Butterfly Club Written and directed by: Max Paton Composed by: Philip Dallas Performed by: Stuart Anderson, Catherine Holder, Daniel Hurst, Fraser Mitchell, and Isabella Octigan Designed by: Jeremy Pryles Lighting by: John Collopy Fraser Mitchell and Stuart Anderson - photo by Julia Kaddatz I had the best surprise of  my life last night when I went to see Kevin Peterson's Stand-Up Show! at The Butterfly Club. Betrayed by the title, I turned up expecting to see a good, but traditional hour of stand up comedy in a town overflowing with such stuff. Instead I was entertained with an hour of fun-filled surrealist theatre which made me laugh in spite of myself. Kevin Peterson (Mitchell) is a Millennial who is doing a theatre making undergraduate degree. He duly apologises to his parents and mocks his own art, describing  theatre's relationship to the world as akin to "a bedroom

What: Once Upon A Drag Storytime When: 13 July 2019 Where: Footscray Community Arts Centre Theatre Created and performed by: Po Po Mo Co The Blokes Good friends of Hares and Hyenas book shop, Po Po Mo Co decided to create a show for children for this school holiday period and thus was born Once Upon A Drag Storytime , presented at FCAC. Featuring the reading of three current popular books for toddlers, this queer performance troupe brought queer storytelling to life on stage. Po Po Mo Co is a short-hand version of post post modern company. If post-modernism is anything goes, then post post modernism is anything goes with a queer bent and a lot of fun for Po Po Mo Co who describe their style as neo-vaudevillian physical theatre. One set of regular characters in this troupe are The Blokes. Gavin, Keith and Mark make regular appearances on the cabaret circuit. Decked out in lurid 80's male drag, this comedy trio have a ball and (surprisingly) have a good sense of rhythm

What: The Bacchae (Parts 1 & 2) When: 10 - 21 July 2019 Where: La Mama Courthouse Created and directed by: Robert Reid Musical direction by: Kelly Wilson Performed by: Zainab Abdul, MelanieBeddie, Casey Bohan, Georgina Bright, Madeleine Brown, Peita Collard, Amanda Dhammanarachchi, Elena Fanaratis, Mia Fine, Jess Gonzalves, Ellen Grimshaw, Caitlin Harry, Jessica Hayden, Eleanor Howlett, Tijen Inmak, Sharon Kershaw, Baria Khan, Carissa Lee, Gillian Lee, Audrey Li, Gemma Livingstone, Tess Luminati, Ellen Ma, Celina Mack, Kerith Sefton, Manderson-Galvin, Bianca Montagner, Roxana Paun-Trifan, Freya Pragt, Yoni Prior, Chelsea Rabl, Xanthe Shamita Sivabaian, Felicity Steele, Alice Stewart, G Ulrich, and Kathryn Yates Set by: Jason Lehane Stage Managed by: Caitie Murphy Chelsea Rabl and Chorus - photo by Aleks Corke I knew I was in for a long haul when I decided to see both Parts 1 and 2 of The Bacchae at La Mama on the same day but to be honest, I was not expecting it to be

What: Work It - New Manifestos When: 12 July 2019 Where: Main Hall, Arts House Presented by: DJ Abyss, Fay Bendrups, Candy Bowers, Simona Castricum, Maude Davey, Emma Edwardes, Jamaica, Jess Knight, Lay the Mystic, Akec Makur Chuot, Alice Pung, and Sheree Stewart Candy Bowers and DJ Abyss One of the exciting new innovations Emily Sexton has brought with her brand of programming at Arts House is a public forum for community and artistic manifestos. The first iteration, First Dance , was presented as a low key affair as part of Dance Massive . The success of that event has led to the current presentation of Work It: New Manifestos which was curated and presented by one of our most powerful artists, Bowers . The list of amazing femme artists and organisers which crossed our stage is an expanded program. What was 8 in the original was 12 in Work It . 12 strong and passionate femme perspectives took centre stage to tell the world what we want and how we are going to get it. Wha

What: I Hope It's Not Raining In London When: 8 - 13 July 2019 Where: Upstairs, The Butterfly Club Written by: Nicholas Thoroughgood Directed by: Riley McLean Performed by: Daniel Cottier, Cassie Hamilton, Nicholas Thoroughgood, and Zoe Walker Cassie Hamilton and Nicholas Thoroughgood It seems playwrights are getting all existential again a century after the first time around. In a world leaning more and more into proto-fascism it is not surprising, I suppose, that artists are once more questioning meaning and purpose in life. The latest - and very worthy - production to worship at the feet of Beckett is I Hope It's Not Raining In London playing at The Butterfly Club this week. A rash of plays have come onto Melbourne stages over the last year or so which espouse a lineage to the Absurdists  of the 20th Century - Q , Two Animals , and most recently Two On The Night Train  for example. As the latest entry into this arena, I Hope It's Not Raining In London is o

What: The Intriguing Case of The Silent Forest When: 3 - 7 July 2019 Where: La Mama Courthouse Written and directed by: Matthew Crosby Performed by: Matthew Crosby, Kathleen Doyle, Eidann Glover, Alana Hoggart, Lorna McLeod, and Rodrigo Calderon Tobar Set by: Noriko Ikaga Rodrigo Calderon Tobar and Kathleen Doyle - photo by Oscar Socias In a situation where there is no false advertising at all, The Intriguing Case of The Silent Forest is, indeed, very intriguing. Playing at La Mama Courthouse for this week only, it is probably best described as an anime/noir fusion. There are only a few tickets left for the final performance though, so book now or miss out on one of the most...intriguing pieces of theatre produced recently. The ensemble putting on this murder mystery evening call themselves The Thursday Group because they meet on Thursdays to engage with the practice of Suzuki Method of Actor Training. All of the performers in this group have an extensive background

What: Bluebeard's Castle When: 2 - 10 July 2019 Where: Basement, Mycellium Studios Composed by: Bela Bartok Libretto by: Bela Balazs Directed by: Kate Millett Conducted by: James Penn Performed by: Zara Barrett and Adrian Tamburini Reorchestration by: Kym Dillon Costumes by: Suzanne Stevens Lighting by: Jason Bouvaird Adrian Tamburini and Zara Bennett - photo by Daniel Burke I love indie opera. I love it more than main stage opera. It is brave and bold and ambitious and comes from a pure love of the art form which is not always true of indie theatre. One of our small indie opera companies, BK Opera , is back with their latest experiment - Bartok 's Bluebeard's Castle and is being performed for a few dates in July at Mycellium Studios in Brunswick. Bluebeard's Castle is the only opera Bartok wrote. It is a grand and ambitious exploration of expressionism. Sadly it was judged to be unperformable so it is rarely staged in anything other than concert p