Mostly Melbourne theatre reviews
Showing posts with label Jack Beeby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jack Beeby. Show all posts
16 November 2017
Give: Glitterfist Libertine
Glitterfist:Libertine have a Pozible campaign for their Midsumma show. If we want to see exciting queer and glittery work like this, we've gotta support it. Here's the link.
22 October 2017
MELBOURNE FESTIVAL: Taylor Mac, Chapter III
MELBOURNE FESTIVAL 2017
A 24-Decade History of Popular Music, Chapter III: 1896–1956
Taylor Mac, Pomegranate Arts and Nature's Darlings
13 October 2017
Forum Theatre
www.festival.melbourne
Last chance to be a part of thus magnificent experience is TONIGHT at The Wrap.
As I'm still grinning inanely or crying uncontrollably from chapters III and IV, here are some more of Sarah Walker's incredible photos.
A 24-Decade History of Popular Music, Chapter III: 1896–1956
Taylor Mac, Pomegranate Arts and Nature's Darlings
13 October 2017
Forum Theatre
www.festival.melbourne
Last chance to be a part of thus magnificent experience is TONIGHT at The Wrap.
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| Taylor Mac. Photo by Sarah Walker |
As I'm still grinning inanely or crying uncontrollably from chapters III and IV, here are some more of Sarah Walker's incredible photos.
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| Taylor Mac & the exhibitionists. Photo by Sarah Walker |
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| Taylor Mac & men who would've been conscripted. Photo by Sarah Walker. |
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| Taylor Mac & the youngest and oldest person at the show. Photo by Sarah Walker |
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| Taylor Mac w Declan Greene & Matt Lutton. Photo by Sarah Walker |
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| Taylor Mac. Photo by Sarah Walker |
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| The burlesque dancers. Photo by Sarah Walker |
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| Taylor Mac . Photo by Sarah Walker |
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| Mama Alto. Photo by Sarah Walker |
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| Taylor Mac & Does someone know this amazing woman's name? Photo by Sarah Walker |
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| Taylor Mac & Matt Ray. Photo by Sarah Walker |
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| Neil Morris & Brent Watkin. Photo by Sarah Walker |
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| Taylor Mac & the straight men. Photo by Sarah Walker |
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| Taylor Mac. Photo by Sarah Walker |
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| Jack Beeby giving birth. Photo by Sarah Walker |
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| Viva DeConcini (#QueerGrannySquare). Photo by Sarah Walker |
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| Taylor Mac . Photo by Sarah Walker |
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| Taylor Mac . Photo by Sarah Walker |
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| The flee to the suburbs. Photo by Sarah Walker |
15 July 2017
Guest review: Send Nudes
Send Nudes
Kissing Booth
4 July 2017
The Butterfly Club
to 9 July
thebutterflyclub.com
Guest reviewer: Jack Beeby
James Hardy lays bare an autobiographical tragicomedy of fleeting sexual and romantic misadventures in Send Nudes at The Butterfly Club.
Hardy, a 20-something Melbournian is struggling to find meaningful fulfillment as he jumps between the daily drudgery of his hospitality job, his fledgling artistic career and the respective bedrooms of his various romantic partners. As the show traverses between different scenes of Hardy’s life, we meet a medley of supporting characters, from James’s long-suffering housemate to an all-singing all-dancing Mormon and a selection of Hardy’s squeezes (all played by co-creator Jake Stewart).
On the surface, Send Nudes is a very familiar cabaret show: a performer details a series of humoresque intimate exploits to a soundtrack of catchy pop and musical theatre bangers. It tells the story quite well, with charm, charisma and strong musical performances from both leads and accompanist Luke McShane.
What sets this show so refreshingly apart from so many others, however, is the unique flourish of style and wit with which it is executed. Stewart is already becoming well-known for his talent for rich, culturally aware observational comedy writing and, coupled with Hardy, the duo create something that is uproariously funny, intimately personal and, most importantly, theatrically relevant.
The show betrays an informed academic awareness of theatrical convention, both technically and culturally, which it utilises and subverts to exceptional effect. The show is relentlessly self-loathing and makes no apologies for its eviscerating critique of contemporary cabaret as “the gangrenous foot that’s been killing theatre for decades”. It lambasts the fact that it itself is yet another show about the tragicomical arena of sex and dating; it criticises its choice of songs and its adherence to and subversion of convention; and even questions the value of Hardy (a tall, slim, blonde, vaguely symmetrical, white, cis man from a middle class upbringing) as a viable ‘sexual underdog’.
For all the show’s frankness and candour, there are a few very brief moments where the text strays into the poetic, which honestly feels a little at odds with the tone and the performances of the rest of the show.
The show zooms along, jumping from scene to scene – each situated with deliciously clumsy, pseudo-Brechtian signposting – but is reigned in by Lindsay Templeton’s expert directorial hand, which provides enough texture to offset the pacing and allow the audience space enough to breathe.
Hardy is new to cabaret and is evidently still finding his stride but with an authentic vulnerability to his performance and a powerful tenor voice, he is undoubtedly one to keep an eye on. Stewart is also exceptional, showcasing his considerable wit and dexterity and a strong command of his own musical performances.
Send Nudes is an intelligent and creative unpacking of what it means to not quite know who you are – a perfect allegory for both the naïve foibles of youth and the bastard-child art form that calls itself cabaret.
Kissing Booth
4 July 2017
The Butterfly Club
to 9 July
thebutterflyclub.com
Guest reviewer: Jack Beeby
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| James Hardy |
James Hardy lays bare an autobiographical tragicomedy of fleeting sexual and romantic misadventures in Send Nudes at The Butterfly Club.
Hardy, a 20-something Melbournian is struggling to find meaningful fulfillment as he jumps between the daily drudgery of his hospitality job, his fledgling artistic career and the respective bedrooms of his various romantic partners. As the show traverses between different scenes of Hardy’s life, we meet a medley of supporting characters, from James’s long-suffering housemate to an all-singing all-dancing Mormon and a selection of Hardy’s squeezes (all played by co-creator Jake Stewart).
On the surface, Send Nudes is a very familiar cabaret show: a performer details a series of humoresque intimate exploits to a soundtrack of catchy pop and musical theatre bangers. It tells the story quite well, with charm, charisma and strong musical performances from both leads and accompanist Luke McShane.
What sets this show so refreshingly apart from so many others, however, is the unique flourish of style and wit with which it is executed. Stewart is already becoming well-known for his talent for rich, culturally aware observational comedy writing and, coupled with Hardy, the duo create something that is uproariously funny, intimately personal and, most importantly, theatrically relevant.
The show betrays an informed academic awareness of theatrical convention, both technically and culturally, which it utilises and subverts to exceptional effect. The show is relentlessly self-loathing and makes no apologies for its eviscerating critique of contemporary cabaret as “the gangrenous foot that’s been killing theatre for decades”. It lambasts the fact that it itself is yet another show about the tragicomical arena of sex and dating; it criticises its choice of songs and its adherence to and subversion of convention; and even questions the value of Hardy (a tall, slim, blonde, vaguely symmetrical, white, cis man from a middle class upbringing) as a viable ‘sexual underdog’.
For all the show’s frankness and candour, there are a few very brief moments where the text strays into the poetic, which honestly feels a little at odds with the tone and the performances of the rest of the show.
The show zooms along, jumping from scene to scene – each situated with deliciously clumsy, pseudo-Brechtian signposting – but is reigned in by Lindsay Templeton’s expert directorial hand, which provides enough texture to offset the pacing and allow the audience space enough to breathe.
Hardy is new to cabaret and is evidently still finding his stride but with an authentic vulnerability to his performance and a powerful tenor voice, he is undoubtedly one to keep an eye on. Stewart is also exceptional, showcasing his considerable wit and dexterity and a strong command of his own musical performances.
Send Nudes is an intelligent and creative unpacking of what it means to not quite know who you are – a perfect allegory for both the naïve foibles of youth and the bastard-child art form that calls itself cabaret.
12 July 2017
Guest review: Pisca
Melbourne Cabaret Festival
Pisca
2 July 2017
Chapel Off Chapelmelbournecabaret.com
to 2 July
Guest reviewer: Jack Beeby
Cameron Taylor is Pisca, a hapless gosling with a golden voice who has been charming the pants off Chapel Off Chapel as part of this year’s Melbourne Cabaret Festival shows in development series.
Pisca is the whimsical tale of a freshly hatched baby bird (Taylor) who, suddenly finding themself alone and must navigate a brand new and unfamiliar world. On their adventures, they discover the strange world of night time, revel in the colourful brilliance of spring, learn to fend for and feed themself, attempt (with varying success) to make friends, and evade the persistent looming threat of an unseen hunter.
Though Pisca is largely mute, save for an occasional plaintive quack, at the turn of a beat they croon and warble their way through a thoughtful selection of pop songs and jazz standards that lend a contemporary relatability to the narrative.
The relatively straightforward plot is nicely embellished with a few well-chosen and wittily executed side narratives, including the backstory of Pisca’s ill-fated parents (told through some less-than-conventional sock puppetry) and Pisca’s very physical encounter with a mightily formidable drop of water.
Stripped of spoken text, Taylor’s use of clowning and physical comedy is well crafted and captivating to behold. Their talent for conveying story without verbal language is strong and Pisca’s central character quickly impresses on the audience and proves to be heart-wrenchingly endearing.
Throughout the show, Taylor extends a number of gentle invitations for audience participation, from warbling a rendition of The Beatles’s "Black Bird", from the seating bank in pitch darkness, to literally fishing an audience member from the crowd and preparing them to be cooked and eaten.
The show’s design (also by Taylor) situates us in the simplistically evocative and playful world of storybook nostalgia. The set pieces – a nest, a tree and an awful lot of flowers – are largely used as conceptual signposts, and most of the actual world building is done through Taylor’s thoughtful gesture and clever lighting.
Almost every element is perfectly blended to create a whimsical world of simplistic beauty and charm. Taylor’s command and subversion of theatrical convention, along with the creation of a character that I’m sure will prove timelessly endearing, make Pisca a gorgeously entertaining show.
Pisca
2 July 2017
Chapel Off Chapelmelbournecabaret.com
to 2 July
Guest reviewer: Jack Beeby
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| Picsa |
Cameron Taylor is Pisca, a hapless gosling with a golden voice who has been charming the pants off Chapel Off Chapel as part of this year’s Melbourne Cabaret Festival shows in development series.
Pisca is the whimsical tale of a freshly hatched baby bird (Taylor) who, suddenly finding themself alone and must navigate a brand new and unfamiliar world. On their adventures, they discover the strange world of night time, revel in the colourful brilliance of spring, learn to fend for and feed themself, attempt (with varying success) to make friends, and evade the persistent looming threat of an unseen hunter.
Though Pisca is largely mute, save for an occasional plaintive quack, at the turn of a beat they croon and warble their way through a thoughtful selection of pop songs and jazz standards that lend a contemporary relatability to the narrative.
The relatively straightforward plot is nicely embellished with a few well-chosen and wittily executed side narratives, including the backstory of Pisca’s ill-fated parents (told through some less-than-conventional sock puppetry) and Pisca’s very physical encounter with a mightily formidable drop of water.
Stripped of spoken text, Taylor’s use of clowning and physical comedy is well crafted and captivating to behold. Their talent for conveying story without verbal language is strong and Pisca’s central character quickly impresses on the audience and proves to be heart-wrenchingly endearing.
Throughout the show, Taylor extends a number of gentle invitations for audience participation, from warbling a rendition of The Beatles’s "Black Bird", from the seating bank in pitch darkness, to literally fishing an audience member from the crowd and preparing them to be cooked and eaten.
The show’s design (also by Taylor) situates us in the simplistically evocative and playful world of storybook nostalgia. The set pieces – a nest, a tree and an awful lot of flowers – are largely used as conceptual signposts, and most of the actual world building is done through Taylor’s thoughtful gesture and clever lighting.
Almost every element is perfectly blended to create a whimsical world of simplistic beauty and charm. Taylor’s command and subversion of theatrical convention, along with the creation of a character that I’m sure will prove timelessly endearing, make Pisca a gorgeously entertaining show.
24 June 2017
Guest review: The Very Worst of The Tiger Lillies
The Very Worst of The Tiger Lillies
Memo Music Hall
18 June 2017
tigerlillies.com
one night stand
Guest reviewer: Jack Beeby
SM: I had a holiday (Japan is simply the best and I discovered Takarazuka Revue, who have ruined music theatre for me as much as Tokyo trains have ruined public transport), and Jack Beeby saw The Tiger Lillies while they were in town for one night. I remember how much I loved them the first time I saw them (and still do) and was a teeny bit jealous.
JB: The Tiger Lillies, international peddlers of peril, returned to Australia for the briefest of tours, including a one-night stop at St Kilda’s Memo Music Hall, to showcase the most sordid morsels of their 28-year canon in The Very Worst of The Tigerlillies.
For those who are yet to be indoctrinated into the band’s modest yet impassioned throng of followers, The Tigerlillies (in their current incarnation) are Adrian Stout, Jonas Golland and Martyn Jacques. Together they wrangle an impressive array of instruments, including a double bass, saw, guitar, theremin (Stout), customised drum kit (Golland), home-made electric ukulele, piano, and a sparkly green piano accordion (Jacques). Fuelled by Balkan-inspired time signatures and fiercely shrill vocals, these musical miscreants dispense a unique brand of grotesque punk cabaret, which has earned them a global cult following.
Through their songs, The Tiger Lillies almost exclusively conjure stories of human suffering and vice, often laced with macabre cautionary morals and told with visceral imagery that is most definitely not for the weak of stomach. Although the sadistic content and unflinchingly vivid depiction of these tales will certainly prove to be confronting for some, the group’s thoughtful composition, musical skill and theatrical delivery imbues each piece with an artistry that is wholly captivating.
The first act of The Very Worst solidly situates itself in the bygone world of ill-fated European carnivals, of ethically-barren sailors and transients, opium dens and brothels. Within this landscape, the group spin tales of desperation and devilry, of victims of extreme abuse and the perpetrators of horrific crimes. The content of this first act does not vary an awful lot. The pervasive energy of the set is slow and subdued and, while each story is its own work of narrative art, words like ‘corpse’, ‘whore’, ‘pimp’, ‘beat’ and ‘drugs’ are recycled from song to song with an almost tiresome regularity. With so much content to draw on from their 28-year catalogue, I found the lack of texture in this first set a little disappointing.
When the band return for the second act, we are treated to a selection of their more high-energy morality fables about religion, mortality and the bleak disaster of the human experience – songs that showcase the aggressive nihilistic passion and fierce musical punch for which they are so beloved and notorious.
Together, the three band members are a gaunt and gruesome visual spectacle. Their uniform of white grease paint and conventionally gentlemanly attire casts them as a chorus of grotesque phantoms, who find playful nuance in their strong individual characterisation – Stout is seedy and skeletal as he lurches over his upright bass; Golland is endearingly mournful as the group’s pallid percussionist; and Jacques is some kind of demonic clown, unleashing a howling falsetto that somehow manages to take over his entire elastic face.
While overall the energy of this performance seems a little more subdued than those of bygone decades, The Tiger Lillies’ deft musical skill and masterful talent for rich and evocative storytelling remains one of contemporary cabaret’s most wicked delights.
PS from SM: I still want "Getting Old" played at my funeral.
Memo Music Hall
18 June 2017
tigerlillies.com
one night stand
Guest reviewer: Jack Beeby
SM: I had a holiday (Japan is simply the best and I discovered Takarazuka Revue, who have ruined music theatre for me as much as Tokyo trains have ruined public transport), and Jack Beeby saw The Tiger Lillies while they were in town for one night. I remember how much I loved them the first time I saw them (and still do) and was a teeny bit jealous.
 |
| The Tiger Lillies |
JB: The Tiger Lillies, international peddlers of peril, returned to Australia for the briefest of tours, including a one-night stop at St Kilda’s Memo Music Hall, to showcase the most sordid morsels of their 28-year canon in The Very Worst of The Tigerlillies.
For those who are yet to be indoctrinated into the band’s modest yet impassioned throng of followers, The Tigerlillies (in their current incarnation) are Adrian Stout, Jonas Golland and Martyn Jacques. Together they wrangle an impressive array of instruments, including a double bass, saw, guitar, theremin (Stout), customised drum kit (Golland), home-made electric ukulele, piano, and a sparkly green piano accordion (Jacques). Fuelled by Balkan-inspired time signatures and fiercely shrill vocals, these musical miscreants dispense a unique brand of grotesque punk cabaret, which has earned them a global cult following.
Through their songs, The Tiger Lillies almost exclusively conjure stories of human suffering and vice, often laced with macabre cautionary morals and told with visceral imagery that is most definitely not for the weak of stomach. Although the sadistic content and unflinchingly vivid depiction of these tales will certainly prove to be confronting for some, the group’s thoughtful composition, musical skill and theatrical delivery imbues each piece with an artistry that is wholly captivating.
The first act of The Very Worst solidly situates itself in the bygone world of ill-fated European carnivals, of ethically-barren sailors and transients, opium dens and brothels. Within this landscape, the group spin tales of desperation and devilry, of victims of extreme abuse and the perpetrators of horrific crimes. The content of this first act does not vary an awful lot. The pervasive energy of the set is slow and subdued and, while each story is its own work of narrative art, words like ‘corpse’, ‘whore’, ‘pimp’, ‘beat’ and ‘drugs’ are recycled from song to song with an almost tiresome regularity. With so much content to draw on from their 28-year catalogue, I found the lack of texture in this first set a little disappointing.
When the band return for the second act, we are treated to a selection of their more high-energy morality fables about religion, mortality and the bleak disaster of the human experience – songs that showcase the aggressive nihilistic passion and fierce musical punch for which they are so beloved and notorious.
Together, the three band members are a gaunt and gruesome visual spectacle. Their uniform of white grease paint and conventionally gentlemanly attire casts them as a chorus of grotesque phantoms, who find playful nuance in their strong individual characterisation – Stout is seedy and skeletal as he lurches over his upright bass; Golland is endearingly mournful as the group’s pallid percussionist; and Jacques is some kind of demonic clown, unleashing a howling falsetto that somehow manages to take over his entire elastic face.
While overall the energy of this performance seems a little more subdued than those of bygone decades, The Tiger Lillies’ deft musical skill and masterful talent for rich and evocative storytelling remains one of contemporary cabaret’s most wicked delights.
PS from SM: I still want "Getting Old" played at my funeral.
02 August 2015
The Container Festival: Launch Party
The Container Festival Launch Party
MUST
31 July
Monash University, Clayton Campus
Guest blogger Chris Edwards
The 2015 MUST Container Festival is now
underway – after a night that for me included much drinking and dancing, but
also far too many slut drops for my body to adequately handle.
Friday night’s Launch Party was quite the spectacle, and not just because of my over reliance on my go-to drunken dance move, but also thanks to the stellar performances from a wide range of this year’s festival artists.
I thought I had my schedule for the next two weeks locked in, but now I’m trying to fit in full doses of Chloe Violette’s ethereal acoustic sounds and the terrifying mixture of trash and treasure that is Gale Force.
Friday night’s Launch Party was quite the spectacle, and not just because of my over reliance on my go-to drunken dance move, but also thanks to the stellar performances from a wide range of this year’s festival artists.
I thought I had my schedule for the next two weeks locked in, but now I’m trying to fit in full doses of Chloe Violette’s ethereal acoustic sounds and the terrifying mixture of trash and treasure that is Gale Force.
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| Photo by Piper Huynh |
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| Photo by Piper Huynh |
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| Photo by Piper Huynh |
22 January 2015
Mini review: Anton and Olaf, a fruity fairytale
MIDSUMMA
Anton and Olaf: a fruity fairytale
La Mama
21 January 2015
La Mama courtyard
to 1 February
midsumma.org.au
Chris Molyneux and Zenta Schuber tell the story about two kings and an empress (Jack Beeby, Russ Pirie and Annabel Warmington) who need to decide who's going to rule the kingdom. The cardboard sets and puppets are gorgeous, and the messages that women are powerful and that being nice is better than being mean are always winners. The performers are terrific, but the story needs to tighten up (including less impro for the adults) and have some real stakes.
The ridiculously wonderful children's writer Mem Fox says this about trouble (stakes) in children's books: "The trouble must be trouble on a grand scale. It must be the kind of trouble that works its way into the depths of children’s souls and makes their hearts sink into bleakness and despair. Momentary despair, of course!" The book she is talking about is Where is the Green Sheep, a picture book of 190 words.
Never compromise on story when writing for children; they'll love you all the more for it.
None of which makes thus fruity show any the less fun. Make your grown-ups take you.
Photos by Dorine Blaise
Anton and Olaf: a fruity fairytale
La Mama
21 January 2015
La Mama courtyard
to 1 February
midsumma.org.au
La Mama's Midsumma show for kids is Anton and Olaf: a fruity fairytale.
There's no squeezing into the dark theatre, as this puppet adventure made from cardboard and fruit uses the outside courtyard – all the way down to the street. There are trees, big umbrellas and lots of coloured parasols for shade; cushions, rugs and chairs to sit on; water spray bottles; and frozen treats at the end.
Chris Molyneux and Zenta Schuber tell the story about two kings and an empress (Jack Beeby, Russ Pirie and Annabel Warmington) who need to decide who's going to rule the kingdom. The cardboard sets and puppets are gorgeous, and the messages that women are powerful and that being nice is better than being mean are always winners. The performers are terrific, but the story needs to tighten up (including less impro for the adults) and have some real stakes.
The ridiculously wonderful children's writer Mem Fox says this about trouble (stakes) in children's books: "The trouble must be trouble on a grand scale. It must be the kind of trouble that works its way into the depths of children’s souls and makes their hearts sink into bleakness and despair. Momentary despair, of course!" The book she is talking about is Where is the Green Sheep, a picture book of 190 words.
Never compromise on story when writing for children; they'll love you all the more for it.
None of which makes thus fruity show any the less fun. Make your grown-ups take you.
Photos by Dorine Blaise
16 August 2014
Last night of The Container Festival
The Container Festival
MUST
Monash University, Clayton
Monash University, Clayton
to 16 August
Being crook and being not in Melbourne meant that I couldn't get to The Container Festival until it's second-to-last night.
In its second year, this amazingly fun and original festival is presented by the Monash Uni Student Theatre and Yvonne Virsik is its Artistic Director.
Students and graduates are invited to create any type of performance, on the condition that it fits in a shipping container or other surprising space. The results are intimate and personal and can't be seen anywhere else
Tonight is the Closing Gala Extravaganza with over 20 of the best cabaret, music, comedy, burlesque and theatre acts of the festival. And it's all in the Hub where it's much warmer than outside and there's a bar with good beer and $5 pizzas!
Last night I saw Re-verie: Tom Molyneax's beautiful, creepy and confronting verbatim piece about dreams. If you think your dreams are disturbing, try seeing stangers' dreams come to life when you're shut in a shipping container with such stunning lighting that it's easy to forget that it's safe.
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| Gale Force |
Next was Gale Force Wins!!!: a live game show hosted by Gale Force (the endlessly classy Jack Beeby). We were allowed in a small room for this one. Gale hates KAK and wears a 70s psychedelic jumpsuit better than anyone has dared to. Four contestants are chosen from the audience and then it's nothing like Rock Wiz, Family Feud or Deal or No Deal. My team came second (last) and my favourite game was Celebrity Head, which had nothing to do with guessing celebrity faces.
And Jack is hosting the gala tonight!
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| The Dig Collective in the Hub |
Then it was into the Hub for The Dig Collective for cabaret, pizza and beer. They said that their "show contains coarse language, unsexy bodies and Scott Morrison being hit by leaks". I couldn't have said it better myself and think that Whack a Mollinson should be played in Canberra.
My night ended with Unease: a burlesque piece that's about every women finding what they think is glamorous and not being scared if it seems weird, gory or unexpected.
This is a wonderful little festival that creates a sense of excitement and place at Monash Uni and encourages emerging artists to create the kind of work they want to make. And when you make the work you want to make, you find the audience that loves you.
14 July 2014
Reveiw: Closed for Maintenance
Closed for Maintenance
La Mama
13 July 2014
La Mama
to 13 July 2014
lamama.com.au
La Mama
13 July 2014
La Mama
to 13 July 2014
lamama.com.au
Closed For Maintenance celebrated the history of La Mama and created a theatrical experience that was
so much more than a sit-and-watch play.
From the adventure of going in from the back laneway (and
finally knowing where that door leads to) and being dressed in protective gear,
there was a sense of nervous excitement and anticipation. And it was fulfilled.
This was one of those rare occasions when the audience
really were a part of the show. Watching the caretaker (Chris Molyneux) and listening to his
stories about shows was wonderful, but it was only a part of the experience.
What made this so fun was watching other audience members react and interact
with the actors, seeing people discover something in the design, or discovering
a tiny design gem that you know no one else but you saw. I had a moment when
the man trapped in the box drew a picture on a post-it note and handed it to
me. I have no idea if anyone else saw it; I kept the post-it.
Meanwhile, forget visceral experience, there was the literal
experience of being in darkness with strangers and not knowing what is around
the corner and the feeling a snowstorm of foam without knowing what it was, and
then bubbles, water and smoke.
It was remarkable how such a tiny space could be made to
feel so mysterious and so large. There were memories from so many past La Mama
shows. Some I remembered, many I’d never heard of but now feel like maybe I was
there, even if I wasn’t living in Melbourne at the time.
This kind of nostalgic celebration could have so easily been
a static display or a panel discussion or a website, but Closed For Maintenance made it an experience; an experience that
was unlike anything that had been at La Mama in the past and an experience that
celebrated how La Mama supports and encourages experimentation, risk and art
that refuses to fit into a neat and dull genre box.
And it was conceived, designed and created by Bronwyn Pringle, Melanie Liertz, Lisa Mibus, Pippa Bainbridge, Jessica Smithett and Jack Beeby.
22 September 2013
FRINGE: Songs for Europe
MELBOURNE FRINGE 2013
Songs for Europe
Shaolin Punk
21 September 2013
Broken Mirror Productions
to 29 September
Nul points at Eurovision. If you think a one-star review is humiliating, imagine getting 0 stars when the people around you got over 100 for also singing a cheesy song, with a perfect key change, while wearing a fabulous gown as millions of people watch you on the telly. Songs for Europe isn't about the fabulous hair and endless glitter of Eurovision; it's two stories about people who love the contest, but wish that it wasn't part of their lives.
The first play, by John Richards, is an imagined back-stage encounter with a woman who didn't get a single point. Years later, she is still performing, and is tracked down by a British journalist who is trying to interview all of the nul pointers. Full of heart, it's a work that has a spike under every joke, gently questions its audience far more than the singer, and remembers that there are real people behind our wittiest mocking.
The second play, by Lee Zachiriah, is about a group of revolutionaries on the eve of the 1974 Portuguese Revoution. Waiting in a cafe, they listen to the radio waiting for the signal to storm the streets: a Eurovision song. One is more passionate about the song contest than the pending revolt, but all have to change their plans when a stranger orders a muscatel and possibly knows what they are waiting for.
Both are full of Eurovision facts and the blend of real and fiction is flawless enough to ensure that those who see it will be adding these stories to their own Eurovision memories, but the hugeness and glitz of their Eurovision background needs to be brought more onto the stage and into the world.
Songs for Europe is on tonight and next week. The performers (Marta Kaczmarek, Nick Colla, Angus Brown, Noah Moon, Jack Beeby, Chris Broadstock and Petra Elliott) are consistently terrific and the writing surprises at every turn. At Broken Mirror in Brunswick (off Blyth St near the Mediterranean Wholesalers car park for anyone trying to find it with Apple or Google maps), it's away from the buzz of the Hub, but there's a bar, comfy couches and the chances of meeting someone who loves Eurovision as much as you do is pretty high.
18 September 2013
What to see at the Melbourne Fringe?
MELBOURNE FRINGE 2013
Hey, it's the first day of the Melbourne Fringe.
Woo hoo.
But don't look to people like me to tell you what to see, because I ALWAYS miss amazing shows.
Here's the Fringe page or there's a program booklet sitting in every cafe in the city.
Take a punt and see a show that grabs you're attention, has a great title, is on near your house or is starting in 10 minutes.
Just see shows.
Fringes are open access festivals, so anyone can register and be in the program. This means that the quality ranges from I-can't-believe-I-get-to-see this to I-can't-believe-I-sat-through this.
It also means that the work is the stuff that artists and creators WANT to make. It's a chance to experiment and to find that audience that sees the world through the same eyes.
I'm planning to see my fair share. Not sure how much I can review, but I will be Tweeting (@SometimesMelb) and re-tweeting all the hints to amazing stuff.
Having said that...
If you're out and about tonight, it's the first night of Lisa-Skye's late night live chat show called Art, Sex and Snacks.
I first saw Lisa-Skye in the Comedy Festival with her show Songs My Parents Taught Me. I loved it. She's delightfully filthy, has amazing dress sense and makes me feel like an an old fuddy duddy for going back to a single hair colour and not wearing glitter every day. If you missed it, it's on again at the Fringe – and starting tonight. Details here.
But back to the chat show. It's at the Tuxedo Cat and one of her first guests is John Richards, who sometimes wears less glitter that Lisa-Skye. I suspect that the conversation will be just like the publicity photo: all about cake, cream, glace cherries and how to fill a condom with glitter.
John wrote Outland (on the ABC last year), is a Dr Who Splendid Chap and has written a show about Eurovision for the Fringe called Songs for Europe. Details here.
Let me just sing, "My lovely horse". If you now hate me because you know you'll be singing it for the rest of the day, Songs For Europe is for you.
AND it features Jack Beeby, whose Bunny Hutch was a highlight of the recent Container Festival.
Here's a taste of Lisa.
Hey, it's the first day of the Melbourne Fringe.
Woo hoo.
But don't look to people like me to tell you what to see, because I ALWAYS miss amazing shows.
Here's the Fringe page or there's a program booklet sitting in every cafe in the city.
Take a punt and see a show that grabs you're attention, has a great title, is on near your house or is starting in 10 minutes.
Just see shows.
Fringes are open access festivals, so anyone can register and be in the program. This means that the quality ranges from I-can't-believe-I-get-to-see this to I-can't-believe-I-sat-through this.
It also means that the work is the stuff that artists and creators WANT to make. It's a chance to experiment and to find that audience that sees the world through the same eyes.
I'm planning to see my fair share. Not sure how much I can review, but I will be Tweeting (@SometimesMelb) and re-tweeting all the hints to amazing stuff.
Having said that...
If you're out and about tonight, it's the first night of Lisa-Skye's late night live chat show called Art, Sex and Snacks.
I first saw Lisa-Skye in the Comedy Festival with her show Songs My Parents Taught Me. I loved it. She's delightfully filthy, has amazing dress sense and makes me feel like an an old fuddy duddy for going back to a single hair colour and not wearing glitter every day. If you missed it, it's on again at the Fringe – and starting tonight. Details here.
But back to the chat show. It's at the Tuxedo Cat and one of her first guests is John Richards, who sometimes wears less glitter that Lisa-Skye. I suspect that the conversation will be just like the publicity photo: all about cake, cream, glace cherries and how to fill a condom with glitter.
John wrote Outland (on the ABC last year), is a Dr Who Splendid Chap and has written a show about Eurovision for the Fringe called Songs for Europe. Details here.
Let me just sing, "My lovely horse". If you now hate me because you know you'll be singing it for the rest of the day, Songs For Europe is for you.
AND it features Jack Beeby, whose Bunny Hutch was a highlight of the recent Container Festival.
Here's a taste of Lisa.
16 August 2013
A night at The Container Festival
The Container Festival
MUSTMonash University, Clayton
2–20 August
monashstudentassociation.com
Facebook page
As armageddon wind blew Monash Uni a bit closer to the city, I rugged up for a night with MUST and The Container Festival and highly recommend you try and do the same before it ends next week.
My night started in the Container Hub, where there was no wind, a good bar, cheap food and public art wonder Saryraphin Lothian (from the Pop up Players) was testing a new game called Monarch of Melbourne. King Rob Reid set the standard, but was quickly displaced. Reigns were short and bloody until Queen Fleur decided to extend her rule by knighting the likes of Sir Sarah.
It was then a rainy rush to S. Rules, a show that has caused the words like "censorship" and "how dare you" to be bandied about the university this week. I respond with "boring", "prude" and "as if you haven't done similar or at least thought about it". Ok, I take the last one back, because in the 15 minutes I spent with a young lady (Tom Wells) called Slut, I saw things I hadn't thought about. If you're likely to be shocked about S-E-X and hilarious incest and abortion stories, you might not like Slut. But I got to end my night cradling a dragged-up Slut in my lap as she masturbated to a photo of Jonbenet Ramsey; I haven't done that before.
If it wasn't such an insane theatre week in Melbourne, I'd have happily spent a few nights at The Container Festival. This is an amazing chance to see independent artists and students experimenting and reaching out to see if there's an audience for their art and voices. And everyone gets to hang in a cool club, have a drink and draw a penis or some breasts (there's an art wall that just screams undergraduate).
The festival finishes on 20 August, but there's a gala tomorrow night (Saturday) that will let you catch up on some of the 200 performances and events you've missed. And King Rob is directing a rehearsed reading of Bacche Rising (60s New York meets classics) on Monday. The program is here.
MUSTMonash University, Clayton
2–20 August
monashstudentassociation.com
Facebook page
 |
| When Rob was King |
My night started in the Container Hub, where there was no wind, a good bar, cheap food and public art wonder Saryraphin Lothian (from the Pop up Players) was testing a new game called Monarch of Melbourne. King Rob Reid set the standard, but was quickly displaced. Reigns were short and bloody until Queen Fleur decided to extend her rule by knighting the likes of Sir Sarah.
 |
| Who's Queen? |
And that's before seeing any shows.
The first was Fleur Kilpatrick's Braves. Only 15 people can fit into the festival's shipping container theatres, which makes for an intimacy that leaves La Mama feel distancing and creates an instant connection between audience and performer.
Accompanied by Roderick Cairns on strings, Fleur wrote it and performs as Molly. Molly sings and tells us how she married her high-school sweet heart, the boy she lost her virginity to. It didn't work out for ever and she asks if it's even possible to be so brave at 16 to face a truth you don't understand.
With its delicate, sad but hopeful story and its musical interludes, it reminds me of Daniel Kitson's The Ballad of Roger and Grace (one of my favourite shows ever). Fleur and Daniel are nothing alike, but they both know that the real magic of theatre is telling a story directly to your audience.
 |
| Sarah Walker and Fleur Kilpatrick |
Next was 6", Uncut. I was a bit sad that I wasn't seeing Taylor Mac at the Recital Centre tonight, but I still got to see a ukelele playing man dressed in his finery with a leopard coat, beige wedge heels and underwear made for adjusting. Bunny Hutch (Jack Beeby) hates love and shares his confusion through ukelele songs, Dr Grin (Grindr) performance poetry, and stories like the first time he was fisted and the importance of telling lovers what you ate that morning. This is a new show that's getting its first outing in a shipping container, but is so adorably filthy and funny that it has to be seen more.
 |
| Jack Beeby as Bunny Hutch |
If it wasn't such an insane theatre week in Melbourne, I'd have happily spent a few nights at The Container Festival. This is an amazing chance to see independent artists and students experimenting and reaching out to see if there's an audience for their art and voices. And everyone gets to hang in a cool club, have a drink and draw a penis or some breasts (there's an art wall that just screams undergraduate).
The festival finishes on 20 August, but there's a gala tomorrow night (Saturday) that will let you catch up on some of the 200 performances and events you've missed. And King Rob is directing a rehearsed reading of Bacche Rising (60s New York meets classics) on Monday. The program is here.
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