FRINGE part 1

MELBOURNE FRINGE 2014

Head to Twitter, follow @SometimesMelb and search for #mFringe to get involved in the discussions, get the word on the unmissable shows, tell reviewers how wrong they are, and decide who you want to meet at the Fringe Club. 

But I'm still old-school at heart, so will post some mini reviews (that might be my tweets and a bit).

The City They Burned

Attic Erratic

6 September 2014

Cavern Table Performance Space

to 23 September – but check the Fringe site because this might change

melbournefringe.com.au

Review

Helium

The YouTube Comment Orchestra

The Last Tuesday Society

18 September 2014

Tower Theatre, Coopers Malthouse

to 27 September

melbournefringe.com.au

Big LOLs. Just like the internet only smarter and with more butter.

The Last Tuesday mob on a Thursday was enough to blow my mind. And they get to do it all again. So you can see them twice or freak them out by going every night and sitting in the front row.

Bron Batten and Richard Higgins are the founders of the society. They choose a theme and give it to some of the best alternative cabaret/comedy/performance artists around. I still haven't quite recovered from the "Don's Party" night and I never want another December without a Last Tuesday Xmas party.

Everything at The YouTube Comment Orchestra is based on YouTube comments. It's bloody wonderful and justifies the many hours that we spend on YouTube.

Being a part of Helium, I wondered if we'd see something wildly different but I can't complain because I laughed myself a bit sick.

Media Release

19 September 2014

Fringe Hub, Court House Hotel 2

to 26 September

melbournefringe.com.au

It's hard not to enjoy a show that's made with love and passion. This one has some terrific jokes (I will always laugh at latte foam art) and it's a great idea for a story, but the writing isn't working as a story and it's is more a showcase for the performers. 

I had to miss the last scene because it was running overtime and late. If the guide say 50 mins, don't be upset if people have to leave to get to their next show. 

You Took The Stars

19 September 2014

Fringe Hub, start outside North Melbourne Town Hall

to 26 September

melbournefringe.com.au

This one also ran a bit late, but I was so happy to be in the space and sharing the story. 

The dank and miserable lane way next to the North Melbourne Town Hall is transformed as designer, Yvette Turnbull, and director, Alice Darling, create a welcoming and gorgeous space that makes the world for this play feel so perfect that it's hard to imagine it being anywhere else. 

Cat Commander's writing is equally as gorgeous. With a pegasus called Mona, pink dolphins and the stars inside apples, she lets us fall in love with her Maisie and Paul – and a guitar-playing monkey – as they fall in love and try to find out what that means.

And it all comes together with totally engaging and beautiful performances by John Shearman and Kasia Kaczmarek – and Matt Furlani's guitar-playing monkey.

This only has a short run and there aren't many seats, so it's one to book.

And here's an interview with writer Cat Commander from the super-wonderful School for Birds blog. It's great. Read it for the discussion about re-drafting and re-drafting, about how the actors made it real for themselves, and about why we keep performing American plays.


PS.  You Took the Stars owes You Turn Away, And Never Once Turn Your Head a drink for waiting for me.

Some of these are on AussieTheatre.com.

What Melbourne loved in 2013, part 14

Today's moments are from Poet Laureate Telia Nevile, Fringe Laureate Felix Preval and Jordan Prosser, one of the writers of Kids Killing Kids, who was told off by the UN for writing Batallia Royale and popped his Sisters Grimm cherry this year.

Telia Nevile

poet laureate

Photo by Max Mine. I know it's from last Christmas, but how could I resist it.

TELIA: My ultimate show for this year is the Sisters Grimm’s The Sovereign Wife. It just blew me entirely out of the water.  It was truly, utterly, epicly incredible. 

The scope of the show, the vital and deft comedy, the beautiful stage pictures, which leave Tracey Moffat in the dust, the rave scene at the end. It was widescreen, surround sound, technicolour theatre full of detail, nuance, intelligence and humour. I was, and remain, in awe.

Other highlights of the year include:

Post’s appearance at Last Tuesday Society’s Don’s Party. That piece seared itself irrevocably into my brain and while I was half-covering my eyes for a lot of it, its impact was like a freight train.

Nicola Gunn’s In Spite of Myself. Hugely funny and intellectually rigorous; a puzzle box of a theatre show that absolutely fascinated me.

Dan Savage at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas. I am a Savage acolyte; he is amazing and articulate and funny and warm, if you don’t already listen to his podcast then download it immediately. 

Pat Burtscher’s show at the comedy festival. Pat’s take on the world around him is a loving vivisection, and although his shows can be a bit shambolic, when he sticks the dismount it is a fierce kind of joy.

And lastly, on a personal note, I am forever grateful for the chance to appear at Women of Letters. The love in that room made my heart swell till it was too big for my chest and I can say with all true sincerity that it was one of the best afternoons I’ve ever had.

SM: Every Poet Laureate Telia Nevile poem is my favourite, but his year's is her performance at Last Tuesday Society’s Don’s Party. She described the Williamson play and its politics with the kind of wit and intelligence that we crave in our writers, while constructing a Coon, Cabana and pickled onion orange. You don't get classier than that.

Felix Preval

Producer, Festival and Artist Services, Melbourne Fringe

FELIX: Given that it’s a full year’s work in the making for me, the Melbourne Fringe Festival is definitely my annual theatre highlight. 2013 was no exception with an incredible array of works from some of Australia’s (and New Zealand's) most exciting emerging artistic talents. My highlights include: They saw a thylacine, Run Girl Run, Homage to Uncertainty and Black Faggot.

Outside of the Festival, 2013 was a fantastic year for independent theatre with great programs on both sides of the river. If I only had time to gush about one show, it's Sisters Grimm’s The Sovereign Wife for its ambitious scale and sheer audacity. It was one of the best re-tellings of the Great Australian Story ever, as well as provoking near constant, gut-aching laughter and asking a lot of complex and relevant questions about race, sexuality and gender in Australia today. I loved all three hours of it.

SM: The Melbourne Fringe isn't like the Adelaide or the Edinburgh ones. Without big producers trying to make money with proven shows, it's an intimate festival that's still about supporting emerging artists and encouraging artists to take risks with what they make and audiences to take risks with what they see. Felix is often the person who encourages creators and artists to make that first step, to take that risk and to be a part of this festival. I love that.

And see what Felix is looking forward to in 2014 at issimomag.com.

Jordan Prosser

writer, director, member of the Too Many Weapons collective

Photo by Ben Hamey

JORDAN: I think my favourite moment in a theatre in 2013 was during The Rabble's Story of O. I went in having heard all the buzz that it was pretty full on, but I didn't realise how inventive or beautiful the production would be in the depiction of its story; there were moments where I was simultaneously mortified by what was happening on stage, while also revelling in a completely intellectual way at the ingenuity and economy of the theatrical devices at work.

I, and I'm sure a lot of people, have seen the whole gamut of sexual violence in films and shows, more often than not depicted fairly brutally and always quite naturalistically, to the point where you can all-too-easily become numb to it, but The Rabble made it seem more real, and more haunting and sickening than I'd ever imagined possible – using only a bunch of rolling pins and some industrial glad-wrap. And for the most part, everyone was fully clothed.

And the sound design and the fucking script on that thing. Fucking genius.

On the opposite end of the dramatic spectrum, but no less sensational, was Summertime in the Garden of Eden. Having missed out on The Sovereign Wife during the NEON festival (and berating myself for it ever since), I was curious and excited for my Sisters Grimm initiation, and they did not disappoint.

I can't even ... I think ... I think what blew me away about that piece was that it was such an intense clusterfuck of different performative styles, physical and verbal comedy, music, melodrama. There was just so much going on – and yet not once was I ever snapped out of it. It was one of the funniest, sweetest things I've ever seen. I actually could have watched it forever.

Also, The Honeytrap had a really fucking great little show called Scarborough about a teacher-student relationship, where the action was repeated but the genders and roles reversed in the second half. A dead simple premise, but in a beautifully-designed space (I'm glad we're not quite yet done with filling our theatres with sand) and acted pretty flawlessly. It's nice experiencing those plays you would never have read or seen or even heard of if somebody smart hadn't gone out on a limb and programmed it.

And last but not least, I had a fantastic time during MTC's The Beast. There were some really spectacular character performances in there. And I just loved being in that auditorium, surrounded by what you might consider to be your more traditional, mainstagey, MTCish kind of subscriber audience and yet there they all were, absolutely pissing themselves over a joke about fucking a dugong.

The last thing is something I experienced. During the run of our show Kids Killing Kids at Melbourne Fringe, probably the most excellent part of the whole experience was people's immediate reaction to it. And I don't mean reactions in reviews or articles, but rather people physically grabbing us in the bar after the show and sitting down with us, sometimes literally for hours, to talk it through.

I've felt at times like local audiences (Melbourne audiences? Australian audiences? Western audiences? I don't know), while they can be really appreciative of something at the time, maybe lack follow-through; like a sort of what-happens-in-the-theatre-stays-in-the-theatre mentality. But the conversations we were having with people during the Fringe, and even now, proved me wrong. It was very humbling and wonderfully exciting.

SM: Jordon's one of the Kids Killing Kids writers and performers.This show is one of the most favourite of these favourites and created a discussion during the Fringe that I haven't seen before. I was in private and public conversations that ran the gauntlet from "most important piece of theatre ever made" made to "atrocious crap that should never have seen the light of a stage".

I loved this show and I understand every criticism. My moment is easy. I saw it on the opening Friday, before word had got about. I sat in the front row with a very good friend. At the end I hung back to give Glyn (the producer) a hug. My friend went straight outside and I'll never forget the look she gave me when I joined her. I did wonder why she wasn't clapping. No matter what you think about a work, the people next to you are rarely seeing the same show you are.

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Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13

Part 14

Part 15

Part 16

Part 17

2012 part 1, with links to the rest

It's a Last Tuesday Tuesday!

Pimp my play: Don's Party
The Last Tuesday Society
30 July 2103 ONLY
Malthouse theatre
malthousetheatre.com.au
Facebook page

Melbourne's Last Tuesday Society are everything that is wonderful and insane about independent theatre in our town.

It's weird, but this month, they are in a grown up theatre, at the Beckett at the Malthouse, for the next in their Pimp My Play series.

How do you pimp a play?

1. Take a play.
2. Divide up the scenes amongst the collaborating artists.
3. Put all the pieces back together in order.
4. Present theatrical equivalent of Frankenstein to horrified/delighted audience.

And the play is Don's Party.

Don's freaking Party! The play David Williamson wrote in 1971 when he wasn't boring. The play about an election night in 1969 where there was a tiny chance that Labor would win. The play with 70s decor and moustaches before they became retro chic. The play that became a film at a time where nuding up was compulsory and gender politics meant voting like your husband and getting back into the kitchen to put some kabana and Coon on a toothpick and poking it into half a pineapple.

Hosted by Richard Higgins and with performers including Bron Battern, Telia Nevile, Matt Kelly and glorious folk from from The Sister's Grimm, post, The Suitcase Royale and I'm trying to kiss you, it may be the best production of a David Williamson play ever.

And if I were David Williamson, I'd hire a private jet to ensure that I didn't miss it.

Buy your tickets HERE. I've bought mine. There may be some at the door, but is it worth the risk?

What Melbourne loved in 2012, part 8

A week ago, I messaged some artists to see if they had anything to share about theatre this year.

Every day another three or more memories has turned up in my email, without too much prodding. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has contributed; those who are friends and those who I've passed in a foyer. It's been a joy.

Today, Telia Nevile explains why her heart nearly burst, Narrelle Harris found more vampires in Melbourne, and I'm glad that James Adler wasn't arrested for walking up and down a plane aisle talking about a b-o-m-b.

Telia Nevile
poet laureate

Not Molly Ringwald

TELIA: My favourite moment was standing backstage at the Last Tuesday Society Xmas Office Party. We were waiting to go on to do the rock eisteddford and were all really excited and buzzy. Gaby was dressed as a sheep and Jodee was a cow; Jof made a very handsome and understated Joseph and Miles was trying on the donkey head which was drooping down over his torso; Matt's rainbow, sparkly loin-cloth was being pinned in place by Bron, who was dressed as Mary; and Vachel was rubbing glitter into his beard and trying not to accidentally inhale it. I stood there looking around and thinking I am so incredibly lucky to be here, to know these people, to be doing this. We went on and performed, the crowd was amazing, the music was pumping, and when the glitter dropped at the end I thought my whole heart was going to burst.

And, the theatricality of the Rally exhibition at the NGV right now really excites me. It's immersive and playful and political but without being didactic; it's persuasive. The current Thomas Demand show also fills me with a special kind of joy. The humour and light and colour that emmanate, and the playlist he has going through the toilets, extending the show out past the traditional space and enhancing the visitor's experience.

SM: No one who saw the Xmas dance will ever forget it and to know how much the performers were enjoying it, makes it even better. Telia's work always makes me grin like a loon and I love using her photos. Then there's delights like her "I'm not Molly Ringwald" series of self portraits, and the Poet Laureate let me write my favourite review of the year.

Narrelle Harris
writer, vampire specialist

NARRELLE: I've been trying to remember the theatre I saw this year! I must say, I just loved the idea of a vampire living in Edinburgh Gardens, which is why I went to see MKA's Triangle, and it was brilliant. I especially loved the bored housewife revelling in the spectacular violence of finally DOING SOMETHING, who confronts (an imaginary) Vince Colossimo in the bloodbath at Piedemontes and ended up with his head being torn off, with the additional comment "he's such a nice man". That was a perfect commentary on middle class existential ennui and the act of making choices, even if they're terrible ones, rather than remain stuck in resentment and inaction.

Narelle's review

SM: Narrelle is another writer from Stage Left who realised early on that the internet is a terrific place for reviews, and she still occasionally reviews on her own blog, Mortal words, when she isn't writing books (like The Opposite of Life: about a nerdy vampire in Melbourne)  or speaking about writing or making awesome apps (like Melbourne Literary: a booky, readery, writery guide to our city of literature).

James Adler
actor, director, writer, producer and anything else he needs to be

JAMES: The strangest and most wonderful ironic creative experience was on the plane on the way to Amsterdam.

As well as touring Charles Dickens performs 'A Christmas Carol', Nela Trifkovic and I have been given the opportunity to tour An Actor Prepares (another review, another). This play is a musical monologue for two or more players about a suicide bomber.

Now Nela and I have been extremely time poor leading up to the tour and so we found ourselves learning lines and rehearsing on the plane. You cannot even begin to imagine how terrifying and how beautiful it was wandering up and down the aisles muttering away at my lines while people stared.

In their gaze I could, of course, sense them saying "what the FUK is this nutter doing"; if only they knew the words being muttered. Language, context and imagination are powerful creatures and this moment will remain my inspiration for our performances in this tour.

SM: I miss too much of James's work because he's always doing something with his company Eagle's Nest Theatre and I don't have enough free nights. Right now they're giving Europe a good Dickens and I so wish I could have been on that plane, but my favourite moment this year was realising that I didn't care and it didn't matter that I couldn't speak German as I watched Thomas Dentler perform. (The company had been collaborating with Theater in der Westentasche from Ulm in Germany.)

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What Melbourne loved in 2012, part 7

Today Matt Kelly talks about the "horrific flaying of one's dignity", Tom Molyneux says how LePage sent him to MacDonalds and Nicole Eckersley remembers No Child.

Matt Kelly
actor, poo aficianado

Matt and Richard Higgins (The List Operators) are in the middle of developing a new show (hooray), but he couldn't miss putting his favourites in.

photo by Max Milne: Matt and the giant poo

MATT: Summertime in the Garden of Eden and Miles and Simone's album launch.

SM: My favourite Matt moment was his playing an ass's arse and baby Jesus (in a rainbow adult diaper) in the Last Tuesday Society's Xmas ballet. It made me understand the meaning of "Good god".

MATT: That photo sums up everything that I love about Last Tuesday Society. It's a wonderful collection of weirdos who will do everything they can to make the audience laugh. Often it involves an unquestioned and horrific flaying of one's dignity. Miles playing a donkey, Richard dressing as a giant shit, Bron's jazz ballet. And well, the photo ... fuck it ... use it if it makes you laugh!

SM: It made me laugh. If that's not art, buggered if I know what is.

Tom Molyneux

actor

TOM: I've thoroughly enjoyed the smorgasbord of theatre in Melbourne in 2012; although, haven't been able to see nearly as much as I would have liked. Some memorable moments were the classy performances in The Wild Duck, the unrestrained hilarity and beauty in The Rabble's Orlando, the delicious mind-fuckery that was Enter Certain Outlaws as part of Short and Sweet, and just about everything that was On the production of monsters. 

But the one that stands out above all others was Robert LePage's Lipsynch. Despite being exhausted and hungover, despite the fact that it was nigh impossible to get any food at the Arts Centre (and Swanston St Maccas became the only viable option...) and despite the fact that this sprawling nine-hour epic could easily have been two hours long without losing a great deal, I came out the other end of it with a mile-wide grin and the satisfaction of having completed an endurance theatre event that challenged and provoked in more ways than I can remember. It was pretty rad.

Oh, and I can't neglect to mention the fantastic work that is coming out of the next generation of theatre-makers through universities. Some truly experimental and cutting-edge stuff being done there, it's a shame that so many people miss out on it!

SM: Tom was one of the wonderful cast of The Well, but it was his performance in Falling Petals that made me pay attention.

Nicole Eckersley
Skewers hapless artists in words for Artshub

There was so much deliciousness in theatre this year that I barely know where to start. 2012 has been a great year for genius off-kilter comedy. Fringe was a goldmine of joy, with Slow Clap's Truth, The Unspoken Word Is 'Joe' and The Lichtenstein Nursing Home Massacre burning little holes of hysterical laughter in the programme. At Next Wave, Wheyface's post-apocalyptic museum of 20th-century ephemera was utterly fascinating and deadpan hilarious, and Karlis Zaid and Karin Muizniek's Australian Horror Story (which ran for about 43 seconds at Chapel Off Chapel) had me mopping tears of laughter from my eyes with my delicate lace-edged handkerchief. Okay, so it was my sleeve.

On the serious side, it's hard to go past Nilaja Sun's astonishing No Child at the Melbourne Festival, which was everything a one-human show should be: funny, insightful, immaculately characterised, tearjerking and totally, utterly brilliant. Usually it takes a good thirty seconds for a standing ovation to properly get going; this one took about two. I have never seen an audience leap out of their seats that fast.

SM: I met Nicole at the nine-hour experience of Lipsynch. May we never forget the inspirational bliss of such endless cheese. Not the art, the catering. (Sorry, Tom. We didn't have to go to evil Ms.)

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It's stopping at part 10, so if you're thinking of sending your moments in, now is time.

What Melbourne loved in 2012, part 6

The worst thing about this is discovering that I missed some really great performers (like Dr Brown and Tim Spencer); the best is being reminded of the brilliant folk I didn't miss.

Bron Batten
performer, producer

photo by Max Milne 

BRON: There have been so many great things I've seen this year I couldn't possibly choose just one!

I though Nicola Gunn's Hello, My Name Is was the most exciting thing I've seen in a long time. Full of ideas that I wish I'd thought of and a structure that shows an intimate knowledge of and attention to theatrical craft.

Similarly Tim Spencer's Show Me Yours, I'll Show You Mine was elegant and restrained, intricate whilst accessible and possessing a very dry wit. The performance of Not Nick was extraordinary and I actually gasped during the show – which rarely happens to me at the theatre.

Some other highlights include The Suitcase Royale's Zombatland, Dr Brown's Befrdfgth and all of the artists I get to work with, present and produce as part of the Last Tuesday Society. Youse are all inspirational and ace.

SM: Bron is half of the mad genius that produces the Last Tuesday Society.  I grew up imagining life as a boho arty person: LTS is better than my dreams. Seriously, if you haven't been to a Last Tuesday gig, what are you doing? OK, so I miss a lot cos they are on Tuesday nights and I'm asleep when the good stuff happens, but I made it to the Xmas Office party and never has a better Xmas party been had.

Without a second's hesitation my favourite Xmas party moment was the rat running across the rafters. It wasn't a performance; a rat ran across a beam over the stage. It was brilliant. But was it as brilliant as Bron's lithurgical-cum-rock-eisteddfod-nativity jazz ballet? Nah. And I don't know that any Xmas performance will ever be so glorious.

Celeste Cody

director

photo by Sarah Walker

CELESTE: I am the kind of person who lurks around in the shadows of comedy shows desperately hoping not to be seen or acknowledged, watching other poor suckers get picked on for their glasses or laugh or job... My favourite moment this year was having Dr Brown completely turn this fear on its head. I saw Dr Brown's Befrdfgth four times this year in its festival tour and found myself completely drawn in and actually desirous of being noticed by the irreverent clown and wanting to become a part of the ridiculous world playing out in front of me. It wasn't a fanatic thing either, as speaking to Phil (Dr Brown) doesn't make my knees knock or lips tremble. It is the feeling that I am enjoying myself so much that I am so much a part of the scene in front of me that I find it hard to hold myself back from becoming a part of it. Thanks Dr Brown!

SM: Celeste's inspired and beautiful direction of Choir Girl ensured that the girl was joined by a choir (it was written as a solo piece), and the finals gala of the Short and Sweet Theatre program showed just how much she'd re-invigorated this program. Keep an eye an her.

Daniel Kilby
cabaret artiste, Eurovision tragic

DAN: Wild Duck. Anita Hegh's breakdown was absolutely devastating.
An Enemy of the People. An almost shockingly timely play (particularly given its extreme age) and profoundly affecting.
Lipsynch.  Nine hours of theatre in three (?) different languages. It was spectacle that packed an emotional punch.
More Sex Please, We're Seniors. If only because it mitigated how utterly terrible the other major new musical which premiered in Melbourne this year was.
Show Me Yours, I'll Show You Mine. A breathtaking exploration of the world's oldest profession: entertaining.
Pompeii L.A. Everyone else has cast their billets doux on this show; so, what they said.

SM: Glitter and bad pop can bring the world together and at Dan's Fringe show, Eurotrashed, I got to sit in in a room with people who also wanted to sing along to "Euphoria" and make Jedward jokes.

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What Melbourne loved in 2012, part 5

Today it's Miles O'Neil, Stephen Nicolazzo and Shannon Woollard.

Stephen says how his experiences in 2012 "have changed me and allowed me to find a platform to express myself without censorship or fear".

The artists who break through the fear and trust that their unique voice is the only way to tell their story are the ones who keep appearing in favourite moments. So, on 12/12/12, let's declare our creative mantra for 2013: "Without censorship or fear".

Miles O'Neil
performer, singer, story teller

photo by Telia Nevile

MILES: My favourite theatre experience was The Last Tuesday Society's Pimp My Play-A Streetcar Named Desire, some night in September at the Melbourne Fringe Hub. It was a beautifully run night full of wonderful performers trying things. I always love a Black Lung short piece, and a dance from Gabi Barton and Vachel Spirason. Finish it off with a conga line from Lessons with Luis and the sweet voice of Simone Page Jones and get Bron Batten serve it up with a bit of cream and a cherry on it and you've got my theatre sweet treat of 2012.

SM: Miles, Jof and Glen left me hurting in The Suitcase Royale's Zombatland with its giant zombie wombats and pineapple doughnuts, but my moment is my ongoing meeting with Miles and Simone Page Jones in my car. In November, Miles and Simone released the most fucking gorgeous album: Home in Your Heart. Its ten original songs are melancholic but filled with hope and a love that's so close you can touch it with your fingertips. Each song draws you into its story and world, and the rather exquisite recording sounds like they're sitting next to and singing just for you. You can listen to three tracks here, then buy it  here.

photo by Pierre Baroni 

Stephen Nicolazzo

director

STEPHEN: Summertime in the Garden of Eden was the only theatrical experience of the year that inspired me to carry on as an artist and engage. Sisters Grimm are a unique force and, though I am biased, I feel that their work is intelligently crafted, razor sharp and odious in a way that not much theatre in Australia has been for many years. Having said that, my personal aesthetic and interest is completely present in their work, so it is a matter of taste and appreciation that influences my decision here.

I also loved Matt Lutton's production The Misconception of Oedipus and The Rabble's showing of The Picture of Dorian Gray at Theatre Works. Both of these pieces dissected the literary in such a magical theatrical way that I couldn't help but wonder how on earth the creatives involved had orchestrated these events.

This year was also a really big year for me as I had returned to Melbourne after many years living in Sydney and finally got a chance to produce the work I have always wanted to make.

MKA'S sex.violence.blood.gore and now Psycho Beach Party have changed me and allowed me to find a platform to express myself without censorship or fear.

I also concur on the praise for Sarah Walker's photography this year. She really has captured the diversity and brevity of theatre in Melbourne unlike any other and hopefully will continue to document the contemporary history of our new theatre makers for years to come. I love her so much I flew her up to Sydney to shoot photos for Psycho Beach Party. I recommend every one to do this.

SM: sex.violence.blood.gore  sex.violence.blood.gore  sex.violence.blood.gore   sex.violence.blood.gore  sex.violence.blood.gore  sex.violence.blood.gore  sex.violence.blood.gore  sex.violence.blood.gore  sex.violence.blood.gore  sex.violence.blood.gore  sex.violence.blood.gore   sex.violence.blood.gore

Loved it to pieces and then more.

If you're in Sydney, there's a few more chances to see Stephen's Psycho Beach Party. It's at the Bondi Pavillion and features leopard print and Ash Flanders. Details here. The only reason I'm not upset that it's on in Sydney, is that we get it in January at Theatre Works.

Shannon Woollard

actor, director

SHANNON: While it didn't quite enter the realm of perfection, I thought that Bridgette Burton's Rhonda is in Therapy (Baggage/Hoy Polloy at fortyfivedownstairs) came pretty close. My fave theatre moment this year would have to be watching Kelly Nash and Louise Crawford nail a critical scene. It's one of those scenes where you're not completely sure if someone is actually real. Genuine disconsolation floats – like a troublesome but intriguing ghost – right in front of you. Sometimes you read a script (I was pretty familiar with this one before I saw the show) and something evokes a very specific dramatic idea or mechanism. I saw that mechanism perfectly translated by director Wayne Pearn and the actors in this production.

SM: Last week I saw Shannon in Death of a Comedian at La Mama and loved being taken into the insecure backstage world of stand up comedians, but I think my favourite moment will be this weekend when I head to Williamstown for PlaySix, the annual short-play mini-festival he directs. Details here. And I'll get to hang out at the super-cute Willamstown Theatre where they sell packets of lollies and have old-school brocade-covered seats.

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