Have You Tried Yoga? - Theatre Review

What: Have You Tried Yoga?
When: 15 - 17 June 2017
Where: The Owl and Cat Theatre
Created by: Rachel Edmonds
Developed and performed by: Martin Astifo and Rachel Edmonds
Sound by: Micah Edmonds
Stage Managed by: Jack Wilkinson

Rachel Edmonds, Jack Wilkinson, and Martin Astifo

Every so often a show comes along which is entertaining, intellectually stimulating, and socially significant. Whilst technically still a show in development, Have You Tried Yoga? is one of those shows and it would be a tragedy if you miss it which is a real possibility because the last performance for this iteration is tomorrow's matinee (this performance is also being Auslan interpreted).  Have You Tried Yoga? is part of The Owl and Cat Theatre's current Platform series which is a set of four shows in development.

Created by Rachel Edmonds, Have You Tried Yoga? is an exploration of the lived experience of people with a range of disabilities. It expresses their voice, their attitudes, and the sometimes completely imbecilic comments/responses by the able-normative community. Created using verbatim techniques Edmonds and Astifo meander through the told stories of people with a range of challenges including Chrone's Disease, mobility impairment, hearing impairment, mental ill-health, eating disorders, and a range of other able-alternative conditions. Tying it all together is Edmond's personal experience with Trigeminal Neuralgia and Fybromyalgia and a romance defying the odds.

One of the main points of this show is a demonstration of why things like yoga, positive thinking, and lime juice imported from some exotic location don't fix things and are not cure alls. We meet a school friend who breaks up with Edmonds because all she ever talks about is her ill health. As Edmonds points out she was asked how she was and her reply was in keeping with that. She also makes the excellent point that managing a chronic illness can be someone's entire life so does that make her life (and therefore herself) less important than anyone else's?

We hear an old lady complain about a boy who won't (can't) stand up on public transport, saying how disrespectful youth are today. Another friend tells her to just think positive and that will make all the difference. We meet a VCA acting graduate who has hidden their 'invisible illness' and survived the rigors of ableist (a new term for me) actor training who wonders if anyone else in the room is hiding an 'invisible illness' as well. Edmonds herself tells us of the Ballarat acting audition process which involves 2 hours of dance (not for a musical theatre course) which she assumes - as do I - is to weed out the unfit, unhealthy, and disabled.

If you know me you can already see why I loved this show so much. I spent the entire night nodding over the stupid things people say, the appalling discrimination in the theatre industry, and empathising with the restrictions, limitations, and fatigue engendered in trying to live in an able-normative world. In fact, just the other day someone suggested I try Tai Chi! The title of this show comes from a fantastic blog called Have You Tried Yoga? or 'Shit Neuro-typicals Say'. Check it out. You will laugh, groan, and cry - often all in the same breath.

Through all of this we have Astifo playing the loving and dedicated partner. It is heart warming to see the support and inclusion, but as the show goes on, the differences start to become more evident. Probably the most illustrative and heartbreaking and revealing moment is when they both do yoga. Astifo is...well...beyond fit and flexible. His jumping into the plank during a series of Ashtangi sequences and balancing on his hands alone were in stark contrast to Edmond's herculean efforts to even go from standing to lying on the mat by herself.

Astifo brings the high energy and comedy to the show, playing the clown as the disco king and impersonating a Jamie Oliver style TV chef. It is all a lot of fun until his intriguing avocado mash has a straw added and becomes Edmond's meal.

I know Have You Tried Yoga? is still in development but it is better and much more important than many fully produced shows I have experienced. Don't get me wrong. This is not all doom and gloom. In fact the purpose of Have You Tried Yoga? is to normalise disability and help the able-normative understand why sometimes the things they say, do or ask for just aren't possible and shouldn't be taken personally. Everything is just harder (and more fatiguing) if you are ability challenged in whatever form it may take.

Yes there is still some work to do. Overall the show comes across like a greatest hits collection of disabilities and needs some clarity between the through story and the vox pops. Having said that, it is strong and funny with genuine pathos and it is full of genuine and truthful insights and nuance. Have You Tried Yoga? is a masterpiece in the making.

4 Stars

Crush - Theatre Review

What: Crush
When: 22 May - 2 June 2017
Where: The Owl and Cat Theatre
Written by: Rob Young
Directed by: Isobel Sommers
Performed by: Mardi Edge, Seb Muirhead, and Fiona Scarlett
Sound by: MBRYO

Seb Muirhead and Mardi Edge

Crush is the last show in The Owl and Cat Theatre's 'Storm In Cup' season. A fast paced comic drama, the choice is strong after a season of serious dramas and traumatic topics which, whilst important conversations for us to have, has at times been gruelling emotionally.

As enjoyable as Crush is, it is a surprising inclusion to The Owl and Cat program given they pride themselves in only producing world premier plays. I say this because whilst it is true this script has been adapted for Melbourne (Young resides in the UK), the play originally debuted in 2011 in Finsborough. It will be interesting to see if this is a change of direction for The Owl and Cat or just an aberation in their usual programming paradigm.

It is a bit unfortunate for first time director Sommers that this show has been performed previously because it adds to the pressure of living up to whatever commentary came with the original production. In this case, reviews of the original production speak of a a fast paced comedy with a good dose of prop humour and physical hijinks.

Crush is a very wordy play and written in a narrative soliloquy style and because of the length of the monologues it really does beg for physical movement to bring out the comedy and dilute the cynicism. Sommers' Crush is very static, with the actors spending most of the first half of the play sitting behind desks typing away. It is a very filmic interpretation for a script which would lend itself to being a movie, but good film does not make good theatre.

The premise is a simple and effective one. An unsuccessful newspaper with a small staff creates a hothouse environment just ripe for a love triangle. Celia (Edge) is the editor who is having an affair with a character we never see but does have a presence on stage. Johnny (Muirhead) has an unrequited crush on her. Celia knows this and toys with him like a cat and a ball of string.

One day the receptionist disappears and a temp takes her place. Laura (Scarlett) is a stereotypical bombshell and Scarlett milks her entrance for all it's worth. As soon as she comes on stage she stamps the show with her presence just as Laura stamps the office - nobody will ever be the same again.

There is so much potential for off-script interactions and byplay - especially between the women - but the staging just doesn't give them a chance. The set is quite breathtaking as you enter the theatre, but the stage space is completely taken up by three desks and the cast struggle to come forward and truly connect with the audience because the desks form a barrier they just can't free themselves from.

It also made the playing space safe for the actors. The comfort of desks and modesty screens meant they are never at risk until the very end. Safety, comfort and relaxation really took the edge off Muirhead's performance although Edge and Scarlett stay fully invested.

Scarlett is breathtaking and consumate performer understanding how to use her body and her space to perfection where she can. Edge also maintains the tension and intention of her role throughout the whole performance.

The true genius of this production - and the element which keeps us connected to the comic elements - is the sound design by MBRYO. The comedy just leaps every time the sound is triggered and sets the mood perfectly. Yes, there is cliche, but comedy only works with cliche and that is the brilliance of the choices.

This production of Crush is slick and pacy and a great debut for Sommers as a director. Comedy is one of the most difficult forms though and there is still a lot she has yet to learn. This production is a really fantastic starting point even if it is not the laugh-a-minute it could be. Crush is a fun night out with an ending to rival The Crying Game or The Sixth Sense. No spoilers from me!

3 stars

Dialogue In The Dark - Event Review

What: Dialogue In The Dark
When: From 2 June 2017
Where: Harbour Town Shopping Plaza

Dialogue in the Dark

Dialogue In The Dark is a fabulous immersive experience which has been inspiring the world since 1998. Guide Dogs Australia has taken the initiative and has finally brought this 'edutainment' installation to Melbourne, making it's home Harbour Town.

Dialogue In The Dark is a permanent exhibition and I guarantee you will want to go again and again and bring all your friends and family too. Unlike such attractions as the Eureka Skydeck, Dialogue In The Dark is an immersive event which lasts approximately an hour and excites all your senses in a fun and thrilling adventure as you experience Melbourne as a blind person does.

Entering the exhibition your sense of vision is completely taken away from you. Prepare to give up any light emitting devices such as phones or glowing watches (lockers are provided), and if like me you wear glasses prepare to take them off as well. For those of us who wear glasses all the time this is probably the most disconcerting moment, but they really are totally useless in the space and there is something quite liberating about not having that pressure on the nose!

Being totally immersed in pure black out can be very confronting and if you are claustrophobic you just have to let your guide (a blind or low vision employee) know and there are many quick exits along the way. I admit to having mild claustrophobia, but it did not bother me beyond a certain cloying sensation and the guides keep the experience friendly, fun and interactive so your attention is constantly focussed on all the amazing sensations we don't usually pay attention to because we let our eyes do all the work.

The experience includes trips to major Melbourne landmarks including the Queen Victoria Market and a quick tram ride. The tram was probably the most challenging part for me. I seemed to have real trouble finding a seat - not an unusual experience even for sighted people!

Crossing roads and walking through parks, we eventually found our way home and sat down in the kitchen for a lovely chat. Yes, we are still completely blind at this point. It is amazing how well you listen when you can't see.

You are given a white cane at the start to help guide you through the space and there are hand rails along the way to help you navigate. I loved the market. It is amazing the array of things on offer although I did wonder how vendors would feel about me handling their food products with the vigour I displayed as I tried to figure out what I was holding.

I was in a small group of 4 people, but the groups before and after us were larger. I think I preferred the smaller group because even with 4 of us I kept accidently hitting ankles with my cane and touching the people around me rather unexpectedly. This could be a whole new level of fun if you go with friends or family!

On a more serious note, it was illuminating to experience the world without eyes and I learnt some great tips about how to help low vision people navigate the world. I also found myself thinking that silence is not golden in this situation because it is sound which orients - much like bats and their sonar capabilities. I was most comfortable when the people in the group spoke because then I could figure out where everyone was and where I was in reference to them.

I cannot express how illuminating and also how much fun Dialogue In The Dark is. There are currently 35 exhibitions of this sort around the world and it great to have it here now. Not to mention that through this innitiative 20 low vision people are currently employed and there is a plan to hire another 10 in the near future!

5 Stars

Happy Days At War - Theatre Review

What: Happy Days At War
When: 18 - 21 May 2017
Where: Northcote Town Hall
Written by: Leah Milburn-Clark
Directed and Performed by: Leah Milburn-Clark and Jay Peardon
Choreographed by: Alexander Perrozzi
Designed by: Nicola Stratman

Leah Milburn-Clark

Germany under Hitler was a tough time for anyone not pure blood Aryan, but we usually tend to only connect the persecution to the Jewish community. The truth is that Hitler wanted to cleanse society of any 'other' and the disabled fell squarely into that categorgy for him. Happy Days At War, which is playing at Northcote Town Hall this week, explores how persecution looked from the perspective of a blind woman.

Staged with an exquisite attention to detail in all aspects, Happy Days At War is a joy to watch even as your soul shrinks in despair at how easy it is to be a good person and do evil. It is easy to think of Hitler as evil, but it is a lot harder to understand the whole German community doing evil. This play explores the creeping darkness as it engulfs even the happiest of people.

Singed in sepia tones, this new tale has a timelessness which looks backward even as it gazes straight at us asking the same questions - is different bad? why are we afraid of imperfection? how do we treat those around us who need our help? Do we understand everyone is actually the same - loving, laughing, happy, sad, screaming, and in pain?

In fact, the most powerful and poignant aspect of Happy Days At War is how crippled and broken the fully abled M has to become to function in the dictatorship he finds himself a part of. None of it is of his choosing but, as the saying goes, 'if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.' This hits home with the force of a sledge hammer as it seeps into the idyllic relationship of M and F. As M teaches F the colours of the rainbow the world around them gets darker and darker - so beautifully mirrored in the costuming.

Everyone on the creative team is WAAPA trained and the synergy of their creative paradigm shines through. Milburn-Clark protrays blindness with great understanding and attention to detail. She also carefully establishes the blindness within the misconceptions of the sighted before slowly and gracefully lapsing into a truer representation so that the audience find themselves understanding not the disability, but the level of ability which accompanies sensory disabilities. This only makes the circumstances she falls into even more horrific as we have stopped seeing F as blind, and only come to see the woman she is.

Peardon's portrayal of M is a masterpiece as well. In him we see that aspect of ourselves we like to shy away from. He must face the questions of life one by one without necessarily realising (or not wanting to acknowledge) the consequences that may occur. Is he in love? Will he get married? Does he need a job? What are his choices? Does he fit in? Can he offer protection? What will happen to him? How does he fix it?

We can't hate the man because we would do the same thing...we are doing the same things, making the same choices. The real question for us, the audience, is do we hate what he (they) did?  It is easy to say yes in the abstraction of time, especially if we tell ourselves those were different people and different times. What Happy Days At War forces us to confront is the sameness of them and then with us and now. Are we any different? No. We are all the same and we are all making the same choices and we will have the same outcomes if we don't pay attention, if we close our eyes.

In  the play F is blind, but perhaps she is the only one who is really seeing clearly. M is sighted. His blindness is an act of choice and therefore the consequences are his to own.

4 stars

Int. - Theatre Review

What: Int.
When: 15 - 19 May 2017
Where: The Owl and Cat Theatre
Devised by: Carolyn Dawes and Thomas Ian Doyle
Directed by: Toby Price
Performed by: Carolyn Dawes

Carolyn Dawes

Int. is the intriguing physical theatre piece which opened at The Owl and Cat Theatre in Richmond this week. It has a much shorter run than expected, having opened a week late, but it is one of the most artistically complete works presented there so far.

Using the symbology of the characters created over the career of movie icon Bette Davis, Dawes explores the mania and futility of trying to measure up to what society wants in a woman. Caught on a treadmill of makeup, clothes, and accessories which are meant to illuminate a woman, instead each layer hides the real person underneath until she is no longer visible even to herself.

There are references to many of Davis' movies, including the red dress which is iconic across her films - most particularly Jezebel. It is the movie All About Eve which holds it all together though.

In All About Eve Davis plays an aging actress who is befriended by a young starlet. In order to stay relevant Margo (Davis) plays roles far younger than her actual self until she finds herself overtaken by her protege, Eve (Anne Baxter). Eventually Margo gives in to the inevitable fading of her light and the movie ends with us watching the cycle begin again as another young starlet befriends Eve.

The real tragedy of this tale is not Margo's story at all. In fact, her graceful (?) defeat makes her ending a positive one. A defining speech in the movie is the one about what it takes to be a woman. "Sooner or later we've got to work it out...In the last analysis nothing's any good unless you can look up just before dinner or turn around in bed and there he is." Yes, Margo is talking about a woman needing a man, but she is also talking about a clear eyed, unpretentious understanding of real life, real values, real contentment.

The real tragedy of All About Eve is Eve's story. She can be any women and she is every woman and she is the epitome of the treadmill we are all on. The film ends with Eve beginning the torment and takeover she enacted upon Margo to get where she is now. The circle of life has a whole new meaning.

Why am I going on about this? Because the journey Dawes takes us on mirrors the rise and fall of Margo Channing, albeit not in a literal sense.

Dawes is a woman caught on a treadmill of waking up and hearing self talk and society talk which influences how she presents herself to the world. Each morning is an agony of indecision and degradation which, with each iteration wears her down mentally and physically.

Int. is a physical theatre piece, but is of an intriguing style which is not dance nor mime, but rather an unspoken form of acting. The detail required to make this form work is phenomenal and Dawes is up to it - from the most minute pulse of the finger tip to the declining fervour of participation as each iteration proceeds. You literally see her soul being crushed as more and more layers go on.

Although this is physical theatre there is text, but it is mostly overdubbed self talk and abuse. It is a clever mash up of excerpts in Bette Davis' voice which guides Dawes through her tortuous journey to awakening. More subtle references to the continually recurring motif of red dresses in the star's filmography and the constant relationship with mirrors is genius.

The only problem I had with the show is that the idea is too small. It has evidently been padded in the second half and to be honest it feels like Dawes and everybody else in the room are just marking time to get us to the requisite 50 minute mark which makes it a full show.

There is a belief amongst the acting community that anything an actor does will be fascinating for an audience as long as it is done with commitment. This is just not true.

We watch Dawes pack up the room which has become strewn with clothing, bags, jewelry, shoes, etc and there is no question at all that every item Dawes touches she has evidently imbued with a memory or a connection but we the audience have no insight into what that is, so it is hard to care. I can't say I have ever wanted to sit back and watch someone tidy their room. This becomes even more tedious because a lot of the clothing isn't even used in the first half of the show so we have no connections to make so I just became more and more disconnected and, let's face it, bored.

I also wish Price had been brave enough to have Dawes playing the mirror to the audience. By angling her to the corner we were let off the hook as she processed the slow destruction of her identity under the weight of wigs and wishes.

Once you get through all this though, Int. has a delightful ending. Dawes finds herself again and settles in to an evening of hot tea and old movies, and the last moment allow us to enjoy Davis as her finest, allowing us to commune with memories as well as modernity. In the words of Davis "Slow curtain. The End."

The anti-climax of the show is perfection and the bravery of ending this way is to be lauded. I, myself, toyed with the question of the anti-climax as a theatrical device last year and was warned it wouldn't work. They were wrong. It is beautiful and uplifting when handled with grace and flair as has been done in Int.

3.5 Stars

High Achievers - Comedy Review

What: High Achievers
When: 10 - 22 April 2017
Where: Tasma Terrace
Written by: Tim Smith and Michael Symes
Directed by: Sam Russo
Performed by: Chelsea Zeller

Chelsea Zeller

High Achievers is a comedy sketch routine written by the enduring comedy writing team Tim Smith and Micheal Symes (best known for the iconic TV sketch show The Comedy Company). Part of this year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival, it is being performed by Chelsea Zeller at Tasma Terrace (a new MICF venue behind Parliament House).

Zeller has teamed up with Russo (director) to bring us a delightful hour of hilarious and well crafted characters which we can all recognise and love and thank the powers that be we are not them. It is very much a short-hand version of Joanna Murray-Smith's Bombshells although Smith and Symes have not restricted the gender of the characters in High Achievers.

Apart from the overall structure of a series of character monologues, this performance reminded me of Bombshells because the depth and detail of Zeller's charicatures is on a par with the premier performance of that play by Caroline O'Connor (for whom it was written). I know this is high praise but I feel Zeller is worthy and as a performer still in the early stages of her career, I suspect Zeller is someone to watch as her career burgeons.

The premise of High Achievers is that of a motivational change transformation seminar - the kind all professionals have come to know and loath. Lynne Purcell takes us through the three steps to manage change - the most important one being 'move on'. She did lose some credibility at the point where Gordon's inability to stack the knives in the dishwasher properly forced a hasty retreat off stage.

Four astounding high achievers came and spoke to the secrets of their success. Poppy epitomised a positive attitude to the point of inducing homicidal tendencies in the audience as she constantly asserted the refrain 'I was lucky though...'. After being chased by bears, swarms of bees and packs of wolves her 'luck' just keeps on going. Any more luck in her life and she will be dead soon.

Gerry G then came on stage to get down with his daaaawgs. After the hit song 'We're Full Mate, You Two Girls Go On In' the G made it big and on this occasion he gave a surprise performance of his new single 'I Would Like Icecream'. Penelope tells us about her life's work studying the activity patterns of the sloth, and The Fish talks about how he got to meet the Queen.

High Achievers will have you hooting and howling with laughter, all the time thinking about how much you don't want success on their terms. The show is expertly performed and it is a style of character based sketch comedy we don't see much of any more. I didn't realise how much I missed it until I saw it again. Great writing, good direction, superb acting - what more could you want? Don't miss it!

5 Stars

Puppetry Of The Penis - Comedy Review

What: Puppetry Of The Penis
When: 2 - 9 April 2017
Where: The Palms at Crown
Created by: Simon Morley and David Friend
Performed by: Rich Binning and Barry Brisco

Rich Binning, The Hamburger, and Barry Brisco

If you haven't heard of the hit comedy show Puppetry of the Penis by now you haven't been living on planet Earth. Created for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival back in 1998, this show has grown exponentially over the years and is now a permanent Vegas show. For one week only Binning and Brisco perform it for us at The Palms at Crown.

I confess that I am one of the few people in the world who had not seen the show yet, so I was...excited(?)...to get the opportunity to experience this unique form of puppetry which could only be invented by the Australian ocker. It was a bit strange to hear the American accents of this new generation of puppeteers but given the scope and scale of the Penis machine it is not surprising.

Brisco tells us "There are two rules for Puppetry of the Penis: You want to keep it from being sexual and you want to keep it from being gross." Binning and Brisco manage that balance well and in between belly-laughs I couldn't stop myself thinking 'how can that possibly not be painful?' My plus one assured me it wasn't but I am still not sure I believe him.

The show begins with a trick we have seen many times before - the Woman. Not so funny because it has been done so often. Brisco follows this up almost immediately with the Vagina and it is at this moment I exploded into my first round of riotous laughter - which almost brought on an asthma attack! It was so unexpected and so graphically accurate - and then Brisco proceeded to demonstrate a game we all like to play...

Having gotten the gender genetalia issue out of the way the puppetry moved onto more abstract techniques. The traditional repertoire including the Baby Bird, the Hamburger (shown above), and the Loch Ness Monster featured along with a bunch of new tricks.

One of the exciting elements of the new tricks is the use of props to complete the picture. Everyone who knows me is aware of my adoration of science fiction so ET was a big favourite although it was Yoda which really blew me away. I also had a lot of fun watching the recreation of the Myley Cyrus 'Wrecking Ball' video. The Trump puppet was also breathtakingly accurate.

The show runs for an hour with a fluffer (I had never heard that term before...) Nikki Britton getting us ready prior to the men coming out. Now that is a job opportunity I had never considered...This is about the right length for this show. Towards the end it felt like there was some repetition in the tricks and Brisco's lively patter also seemed to be running down.

It is a fun show for hen's nights and perhaps some younger lads could learn a trick or two... although they have probably already worked some of it out for themselves. There is an instruction book for sale if you want to develop puppetry skills for yourself or your partner. Binning and Brisco do offer to provide some onstage tutorials for any intrepid men in the audience but on the night I went there were, sadly, no takers.

I did find myself thinking that men spend far to much time with that particular appendage but it is really just a night of good, clean, and unique humour. It is a fun accompaniment to a martini or two and you may need a cigarette at the end...

3.5 Stars

Summerfolk - Theatre Review

What: Summerfolk
When: 23 - 26 March
Where: Theatre Works
Written by: Maxim Gorky
Directed by: Robert Johnson
Performed by: Elisa Armstrong, Kerrie-Anne Baker, Amy Bradney-George, James Christensen, Nick Clark, Alisha Eddy, Charlotte Fox, Tom Heath, Luke Lennox, David Meadows, Sarah Nicolazzo, Seton Pollock, Nicholas Rijs, Alex Rouse, and Yuchen Wang.
Set by: James Lew
Costumes by: Carletta Childs
Sound by: Liam Bellman-Sharpe

David Meadows, Yuchen Wang, Seton Pollock, Alex Rouse, Nicholas Rijs, Alisha Eddy, James Christensen, Elisa Armstrong, and Sarah Nicolazzo

Summerfolk is the latest production from the nascent company Burning House Theatre and comes off the back of their successful 2016 production The Tragedy of Coriolanus. Both of these plays have been presented at Theatre Works in St Kilda whilst founding member and director Johnson undertakes his Masters degree in directing at VCA.

The play itself was written by Maxim Gorky in 1904 and is a typical social realist play of that era consisting of a huge cast (over 15 characters) and a meandering story line. Gorky was a part of the Moscow Theatre group which consisted of Stanislavski and Anton Chekhov and, in fact, Summerfolk is said to loosely based on Chekhov's life.

Gorky wrote novels as well as plays. His earlier (and perhaps most famous) play is The Lower Depths written in 1901. The Lower Depths is a bleak work which investigates the brutality, odd comradeship, and never ending changelessness of a strata of society with little to no agency in the world - the morbidly poor.

Summerfolk on the other hand, is a play which reflects Gorky's growing sense of optimism, activism, and wish for change. The play looks at the rise of a new social strata - the intelligentsia who were the children of the conscious working class. From humble beginnings, this emerging class were educated into a life of comfort and ease and in the play Summerfolk Gorky is calling to them to bring their forebears with them into a better life. He is saying that with opportunity comes responsibility to their families and their society. Their gifts are not to be squandered and dissipated, but to be honoured and expanded upon. He is asking for a social conscience in a world of idleness and waste.

In the program notes Johnson says "...as we move toward a new Cold War...and the growing divide between the rich and the poor, it feels we are not so removed from Maxim Gorky's world." I agree, especially with all of the concern surrounding the priorities of Gen Y and the Millennials.

Unfortunately, none of these concerns are reflected in Johnson's direction. Focusing on the "summer langour and romance" Johnson fails to bring any sense of urgency or concern to this production at all.

What he does do well is manage space on the stage. With 15 cast members the stage could become a messy place indeed. It is possible to argue that Summerfolk is supposed to be messy - one of Meadow's characters constantly talks about the mess they leave behind. Leaving that aside however, Johnson creates a variety of tableaux which are interesting and cover the entire stage space well.

Having said that, he has prioritised this over the world of the play and it is not an exaggeration to say that every entrance and exit of every character was line dependent. Each actor would enter stage to say their lines and then leave again once they had said their piece. This made for an incredibly tedious and frustrating evening with certain somnolent characteristics.

Nothing in the design elements worked to make any statements either. To some extent, hearing this on radio would have been a very similar experience.

The actors generally did well but because of a lack of directorial intention they were all just acting. Gorky's work is social realism but half the cast sat in melancholic Russian acting and the other half were playing in modern physical Shakespearean style. I guess if I had to choose I preferred the Shakespearean style because even though none of the performances demonstrated any real connection or development, at least the physicality provided a point of energy.

There were some stand out performances. Heath played a memorable Vass, and Eddy and Baker were a wonderful mother and daughter combination. Bradney-George also had a certain hypnotic element to her understated naturalism.

Unfortunately they were counterbalanced by Fox (Vavara) who demonstrated no vivacity and Wang (Suslov) who seemed to miss the bit in the script where he was called a drunkard by his wife Yulia (played by Nicolazzo). Nicolazzo gave a valiant performance but it was overshadowed by the lack of fabric in her costumes.

I admire Johnson for the ambition of this project. Summerfolk is a play of scope and scale which makes it almost impossible to stage these days. There is a reason for that though, which is about lack of resources. Not just money, but also time - time to rehearse, time to discover and develop themes, time to explore connections and relationships.

I guess in the end I am saying this project, whilst pretty and ambitious, had no heart or soul. The only glimpses of why we were watching it came in the didactic words of Gorky towards the end. In a world which rejects didactic theatre this is great example of why it is important for playwrights to make their statements clearly and boldly rather than trusting their work to fate.

2 Stars

Rogue Romantic - Cabaret Review

What: Rogue Romantic
When: 29 March - 2 April
Where: Melba Spiegeltent
Created and performed by: Anya Anastasia
Directed by: Wes Snelling
Musical Direction by: Lucien McGuiness

Anya Anastasia

Rogue Romantic is Anastasia's newest solo cabaret performance following such hits as Metawhore! and Torte E Mort. A witty and rapier sharp lyricist, talented musician, and sexy-as-hell cabaret artist her shows are funny and pointed as she is a veritable prodigy of tease.

I first came across Anastasia in Miss Everheart presents: Early Burly and at the time I commented on how bawdy and clever her acts were, teasing the mind unmercifully. This hasn't changed.

Anastasia begins the night flopped on the piano before drearily falling into a melody of unrequited love. She talks of losing her marbles and how 'they are becoming a trip hazard'. After you stop laughing at the unexpected turn of the lyric it is clear this will be a night of the delightfully unexpected housed in a package which looks disturbingly familiar.

The show officially kicks off in the next number and as the songs weave across the evening we hear the tale of a sad and lonely women (perhaps a little unhinged?) on a desperate search for love. Looking for her perfect man, she stumbles from her 'one true love for the moment' to the next with the blink of an eye and a turn of her head.

Anastasia's musical style is still as dynamic and hysterical as it ever was. I did feel that she fell into her 'shrill' mode a little too often - especially in the first half of the show - but as the story moved on her vocal chords relaxed and we got to experience the warmth and invitation of the lower tones much more. The night became very sultry indeed!

As a cabaret artist Anastasia has evolved and watching Rogue Romantic I couldn't help but feel the essence of the great doyenne of Melbourne burlesque, Moira Finucane, in the air. Don't get me wrong. Anastasia is not a bland copy of Finucane. She is a unique artist who embodies the confidence and ease in herself and her work which is a hallmark of Finucane's performances.

Swinging wildly from torch songs to calypso Anastasia moves in and out of love dragging many of the audience members on stage with her. The finale in the key of G is not to be missed!

Dressed in a sexy sequinned red dress split up to the (... groin?), with legs that never end and seem to have a life of their own, and a slightly crazed look in her eyes which in turn terrify and invite, Anastasia brings a night of fun and hilarity. This time she has a band too!

I admit this show of hers is not as original as the other work I have seen, but it is just as funny and even more full of surprises because it seems so familiar. The Melba Spiegeltent is made for this kind of intimate cabaret and Anastasia brings it to life in all its glory and potential.

4 Stars

Miss Everheart Presents: Early Burly - Cabaret Review

What: Miss Everheart Presents:  Early Burly

When: 27 February

Where: The Butterfly Club

Performed by:  Ainslee Adams, Anya Anastasia, Adelaide Everheart, Caterina Vitt

Image courtesy of Jackson Auditore

Burlesque is a word that has evolved in meaning and intention over the centuries.  Originally a term used to designate literature, drama, or music created for the purpose of causing laughter through caricature, in modern times the most common understanding is that of variety shows involving strip tease.  Yes, we can blame the Americans for that.

In modern times, even the idea of it being for laughter is not part of the common parlance – with most lay people, when they talk of burlesque, focussing on sexualised performance a la men’s clubs, The Pussycat Dolls, and pretty much any modern female pop music video.  Again, let’s blame the Americans...

Early Burly is a burlesque show which covers all the definitions you might have come across for that genre.  Our energetic, and slightly awkward, mistress of ceremonies – Miss Everheart herself – kicks of the show with a sexy rendition of ‘Come Into The Jungle’ before assuming her MC duties.  Everheart has a musical theatre background and her voice is strong and seductive.

As she comes on stage, Everheart is dressed in an elegant yet masculine waistcoated ensemble which is a sexy foil to her hourglass figure, pincurled hair and sky high stilletoes.  Everheart takes the time to explain the roles and expectations of the audience and issue a warning that if you don’t look like you are having a good time you may just become the victim of some audience participation.

Everheart’s strength as an MC is her persona as a nervous ingénue and her singing voice which is stunning.  She gets away with telling really bad ‘dad’ jokes whilst performing her duties as the ‘stage kitty’ and collecting all the costume pieces after each act.

The first act introduced is Caterina Vitt.  Vitt is an amazing dancer and demonstrates a flexibility that excites men no matter what their age.  Vitt’s act is probably the most modern interpretation of burlesque – it is sexy and grinding and every move is designed to draw your eyes to her lady parts. 

Adams comes on next.  Adams epitomises the legend of burlesque, Gypsy Rose Lee.  We have all seen the musical or watched the film about Gypsy’s story.  Adams exemplifies that sexy, teasing grace and elegance that Gypsy was known for.  Her first costume is a rich, green velvet, with a tulle mermaid base, and a long zip from the top of her left thigh to the top.  On her exposed thigh there is a magnificent tattoo of a woman, as as she continues to disrobe, we discover more and more jaw dropping gorgeous skin art.

The final performer, Anya Anastasia, wowed us all with her entrance in a magnificent Marie Antoinette ensemble, complete with wig, jewels and gloves.  Anastasia surprises us all by sitting at the piano, but what comes next is just glorious.

Anastasia embodies the original meaning of burlesque.  She sings hilarious and bawdy and clever songs, teasing our minds rather than our libidos – although she does do a little bit of that at one point!  Anastasia’s first song is about her character, and she discusses the benefits of removing one’s head.  My favourite line was about having one’s head chopped off is a great way to lose a couple of kilos.

For her second number ‘I don’t do Burlesque’ Anastasia plays with us unmercifully as she finds ways to remove items whilst constantly telling us that she won’t.  Apparently it is hard to play the piano so the gloves have to come off, and my, isn’t it hot in here now?

There was a short interval so that everyone could refresh their drinks and costume changes took place.  Even Everheart surprised us by coming out in a flashy yellow gown reminiscent of ballroom dance. 

My biggest disappointment was that the second half had very little to distinguish it from the first half except the change of costumes.  There was not much variety in the dances performed by Vitt or Adams and they all performed in the same order so it became predictable.

The one exception to that was Anastasia who came on to stage in a surprisingly sexy skeleton unitard.  Lit with UV lights, the bones were eerie as she sung about visibility.

Miss Everheart presents is a fun and clever show, generally speaking and the performers have very clear definitions within their characters and style.  Needless to say, the costumes are all magnificent.

I also want to give a quick plug to Anastasia’s upcoming show, Metawhore! which is playing at La Mama from next week.  Go along and see it.  She is an amazing performer with a biting and clever wit.

4 stars

C'est La Vie - Theatre Review

What: C'est La Vie
When: 13 - 17 March 2017
Where: The Owl and Cat Theatre
Written by: Stephanie Silver
Directed by: Thomas Ian Doyle
Performed by: Andy Aisbett, Carolyn Dawes, Jakob Duniec, Gabrielle Savrone, Katie Ann Stirk, and Indiana Tali

Gabrielle Savrone and Katie Ann Stirk

C'est La Vie (or Such Is Life) is the new world premier which has opened this week at The Owl and Cat Theatre in Richmond. It is a very short season, closing on Friday, so don't wait because if you blink you will miss it and that would be a great shame. The team have put in a massive effort to get this show up in only two weeks (because of some very unfortunate events) and to be honest, it is as good - if not better - than many shows which have twice as long and five times the resources.

C'est La Vie, written by Silver, is a play which weaves between six people who become intertangled in each others lives. There is some commentary on a mythical dissolution of Medicare and it's ramifications but really that topic is irrelevant to the real story being told and is almost an irritating political affect rather than a morality position.

Essentially this play is about human interaction and human interconnection. A play presented in two acts, the first act introduces the characters and demonstrates a series of relationships where physical closeness and sex is essentially a mask for emotional connection. Not necessarily an original concept but very keenly observed and cleverly written. Silver weaves between time and space with the same intricacy as the characters weave their relationships.

There is a longing which sits underneath the idea of 'such is life' and these six characters, intricately portrayed by the actors, demonstrate this longing as they flitter through the story montage. Whilst Silver does not waste time setting the scene or explaining her characters, her writing is incredibly evocative. Susie's (Tali) lines in particular sprang out at me as she comments that 'love is your guts ripped out'. Maxine (Savrone) also talks about life being an act of 'self-hurt in the pursuit of love'.

As I mentioned earlier, this play jumps around time lines and locations like nothing I have seen before and with some of the shortest scenes I have seen written. I spent the night being completely amazed that I was never lost or confused about when or where we were and all the credit for this has to go to Doyle (Director).

Doyle understands the need to trust the playwright in this complicated spectacle so he doesn't try to do too much, but also does just enough to help us through. His transitions are brilliant with nary a blackout to be seen! Doyle has cleverly used lighting and cast ghosting to help the audience and help the actors wend our way through this adventure. Perhaps my one comment is that by the second act I was looking for a slight change of pace but in the end I decided I didn't need it because Doyle has an arsenal of performance making techniques which kept things alive and intriguing.

C'est La Vie is a play which offers no magic cures or easy answers. Perhaps the best advice it can offer is when Maxine talks about love being the glue which holds relationships together as they start to shatter. Once you fall into a real closeness - or love - in the fairytales everyone lives happily ever after. In the real world things keep going and wheels fall off carts, and logs fall across the road, but such is life...

The performances are all very strong and I would love to see this play remounted. I think if the cast were given more time there are a million more layers to these characters and stories which could delight us even more. Regardless C'est La Vie is a great show with a polish and sophistication which is indicative of the professionalism and talent The Owl and Cat team have developed over the last couple of years.

4 Stars