Ethel’s Greatest Hits

MIAF 2006
Ethel’s Greatest Hits
Ethel and Melbourne International Arts Festival
14 October 2006
the Arts Centre, Hamer Hall

Review by Christina Cass

Last night at Hammer Hall I went to see the Australian debut of Ethel, one of concert music’s most exciting and energetic string ensembles. Their irreverent style – not a tux in sight – included casual interaction with the audience and spontaneous improvisation showing how important communication is within an ensemble.


Trust, skill and fearlessness separate the men from the boys, and the women from the girls, in creating truly unique and personal interpretations of music and theatre. Flying hair, shredding bows and broken strings are all part of the speed and heat with which Ethel plays. Let’s put it this way, I hope Ethel doesn’t drive the way they play; otherwise they will be locked up in no time.

This Julliard-trained, all-star foursome is Ralph Farris (viola), Dorothy Lawson (cello), Mary Rowell (violin) and Cornelius Dufallo (violin). They have been shaking up the New York music scene since 1998. Ethel has brought to its music an exciting, beautiful and rare combination of tastes and talents that has developed from each member's unique experiences in the music world. Members of Ethel have performed and/or recorded with Bang On A Can, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Centre, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the New York Chamber Symphony, CONTINUUM, and with Sheryl Crow, Roger Daltrey and Yo-Yo Ma, among many others.

Ethel’s first piece, the bluesy Sweet HardWood (1998) by John King, had three movements which made me think of The Devil Went Down to Georgia, sex on the bayou and the unmistakable feeling of dark heat and loneliness of Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. I just had a stupid smile on my face that made me bob and weave back to the sweaty, Southern shores of the USA.

Next, New York composer Phil Kline wrote The Blue Room specifically for Ethel in 2002. He describes, “In four movements of alternating moods, two meditations are followed by urgent dances; juxtaposing, as it seems to me now, how the earth is doing versus how the world is doing.“ When I closed my eyes, I saw cockroaches in a dark and damp New York apartment building. Now that’s not a bad thing – but clearly the work brought about some very specific and powerful images.
The very complicated Shadow Quartet (2005) by Neil Rolnick is an homage and celebration of his own father’s life and death. Here Ethel has interwoven the pre-recorded electronic sounds of a hospital room with their live music to a startling effect of discordant sounds paralleling the terrible counterpoint of a dying man’s last breaths. Not easy listening by any measure.

The more successful Early That Summer (1993) by Julia Wolfe, was the final piece of the evening and brought back the sheer energy and power of Ethel. They introduced the piece as “incredibly difficult to play” and as anticipation slowly climaxed into shredded bows igniting the stage with heat and sound, the audience was finally released into a steady stupor.

We had truly witnessed an ensemble of extraordinary skill and passion. Ethel is playing two shows as part of MIAF and then go on to Shepparton and Bendigo. Try not to miss Ethel’s unique experience.

Voyage

MIAF 2006
Voyage
dumb type
Melbourne International Arts Festival
18 October 2006
the Arts Centre , Playhouse

Voyage is certainly a trip. Fly, float, dive, swim, drown and climb through dumb type’s bizarre and beautiful world.

Formed in Kyoto in 1984, dumb type is a democratic collective bringing together artists from backgrounds in theatre, dance, video, painting, sculpture, music, design and architecture. Working without a director or script, performances develop organically as members share their own ideas around a theme. The company admit that it is a chaotic process that takes time, but it results in some startlingly art.

In late 2001 the dumb type artists independently developed pieces without any theme or concept. By working with unlimited freedom, they found a commonality. The result is Voyage. Travel and journey may be a comman narrative theme, but this voyage is far from ordinary.

dumb type don’t comment or narrate. They simply let powerful images speak for themsleves. The audience can chose to interpret deep meaning into each moment or simply sit back and enjoy the ride.

The images combine low tech with complex multi-media art. Two men sweeping white rocks around the stage take us deep into a cave, while giant projections take us flying through a performace poem about wishes. Projections are given depth by using the simple effect of a reflective floor.

The opening piece is the most striking of the show. A single pale dancer repeats very linear shapes among three giant spheres. The lighting changes on each sphere are stunning. The same dancer concludes the evening by repeating the same movements in front of the very complicated images of a radar screen. She gives a sense of narrative arc to the show. The world she journeys through has changed from simple, natural and symbolic to complex, technical and detailed – but she remains as she was.

Voyage is also filled with cheeky humour. I felt that the opening night audience were too scared to laugh - in case it wasn’t meant to be funny. Airline hosties in bright coloured berets and bright coloured knickers are funny in any context.

This show isn’t for everyone’s taste. A gentleman sitting behind me steadfastly refused to clap during the ovation. It is nonetheless, a work that firmly belongs in an international arts festival. Voyage is something we normally wouldn’t see in Australia and a style of practice that wouldn’t be conceived here.

This review originally appeared on AussieTheatre.com.

I La Galigo

MIAF 2006
I La Galigo
Melbourne International Arts Festival
19 October 2006
The Arts Centre, State Theatre

Robert Wilson’s I La Galigo was everything I expected it be. It is a gentle, hypnotic and perfectly beautiful work of live art. I am embarrassed for Melbourne’s arts community to see so many empty seats on its opening night at the Melbourne International Arts Festival.

I La Galigo is slightly different from a typical avant-guarde Wilson work. It’s only three hours long to begin with (Wilson on speed) and it is based on a narrative text. But Wilson fans don’t need to worry. There are still many slow crossings of the stage, the movement is precise, the communication visual and you can enjoy it without worrying about the story.

For those who like a narrative journey, this one is based on Sureq Galigo, an ancient epic poem of the Bugis people of South Sulawesi. There are surtitles to guide you, but reading the program before hand is advised. As stories go, this one is has it all - unrequited love, the threat of incest, intervention by the gods, child abandonment, a couple of great cats and a satisfying end.

This is a festival filled with explorations of new art forms and aesthetics, but I was apprehensive about the melding of traditional Indonesian with western avant-guarde. Then I saw the similarities, rather than the obvious differences. Traditional Indonesian dance drama is described as a “display of living drawings…. that are not intended to represent anything so much as to charm the mind”. Story unfolds slowly using strong visual images and almost no drama. This could describe Einstein on the Beach (Wilson’s best known work, seen at MIAF 1992).

The synthesis of the ancient and the (post) modern traditions is fascinating and unique. Wilson keeps the recognizable shapes and movements of Indonesian dance, but removes the individual performers personal and emotional interpretation. Yet the experience of the performance remains emotional and moving.

Colour and light are the passion of I La Galigo. It is difficult to describe the impact of colour in this production, but I now understand exactly what Kristy Edmunds meant when she said it invents colour before your eyes. The understanding of it is intuitive, rather than cognitive. We say we “see red” in anger. Wilson captures this exact red. It’s like a cross between a fire engine and a kiss-me-now red lipstick. His heaven is blue, but it’s unlike any blue I’ve seen. A perfect blue sky, mixed with a grey/purple sunset. It's comforting and inviting, but filled with hidden power and threat. Even his white is more than just white. And don’t get me started on the orange. Emotional impact aside, if you have any interest in light and colour in any artistic form, this is an un-missable production.

Text is almost irrelevant in the communication of I La Galigo, but it is chanted in the Bugis language. Fewer than 100 people speak this language today. This totally visual production is keeping an indigenous language alive. It has to be compared to last week’s Ngapartji Ngapartji , that shared an indigenous Australian language with us by teaching us how to speak it.

People did walk out and not return to I La Galigo. I appreciate that it can be a difficult style of theatre to understand, but the connection will come you just accept it, watch it and let it “speak” in its own way. The three hours is irrelevant. My only time check was two hours in and I was disappointed to realise just how much time had passed. Sure it could be told more quickly, but this an epic tale that deserves our respect and our time.

Interview

This review originally appeared on AussieTheatre.com.

Now that Communism is Dead my Life Feels Empty

MIAF 2006
Now that Communism is Dead my Life Feels Empty
Malthouse Theatre and Melbourne International Arts Festival
17 October 2006
Tower Theatre, CUB Malthouse

There is nothing like the almost orgasmic feeling of being in a theatre when an audience applauds a show. The applause for Now that Communism is Dead my Life Feels Empty was NOTHING like that.

I listen to what audience members have to say about a show. This wasn’t the exciting extreme “lets discuss it” reactions caused by other festival productions – this was confusion, boredom and resentment. A complete stranger turned to me at the end and said, “that was excruciating”.

Now that Communism is Dead my Life Feels Empty is Richard Foreman 48th play and was first presented by Ontological-Hysteric Theater in 2001. The Kitchen Sink production is an original interpretation of the text. I read reviews, learnt about Ontological, spoke to people who have seen Foreman’s theatre and even downloaded the script. It took a lot of research to even grasp what this production was meant to be about. It’s quite clear in the original. This Communism included visual references to Foreman, but didn’t appear to reflect, resemble or resepct the original work.

Forman is known for his complex composition, his “turbulent ocean of multiplicity”. Robert Wilson (I La Galigo MIAF 06) is also known for his multiplicity. In a public lecture last week, Wilson described a production as being like a hamburger. All the elements can have opposing and differing textures, shapes and tastes, but together they are gratifying and delicious. Communism was like unsatisfying snack made from the leftover, stale, rotting and cheap ingredients found in a student share house fridge. It was the equivilent of a suburban musical society performing I La Galigo.

The direction and design did not reflect the complexity and multiplicity of the text. Director Max Lyandvert has worked with Romeo Castelluci (Tragedia Endogonidia BR.#04 Brussels MIAF 06). Castelluci’s positive influence is recognizable in the visual aspects of the work. However, where the visual language of Tragedia was powerful and layered with multiple interpretations, the visual aspects of Communism were cluttered and confusing.

Foreman doesn’t write narrative theatre. It is meant to be disorienting and non-senesical in a stream of consciousness kind of way. It’s also meant to be funny, being promoted as a “side splitting” comedy. I sniggered three times (I like the text), but I was alone. It is very strange to be the ONLY person in a full theatre who finds something funny. One actor resorted to visual humour. The pig nose of a face pushed up against perspex is always funny. It didn’t even raise a snicker.

Ben Winspear and Gibson Nolte both “performed” very well and I would like to see them in different works. What didn’t work was their a semi-naturalistic style. Grabs of naturalism made the audience want to search for character and meaning, instead of enjoying the flow of the script.

I am certain that the director and cast understand and love Foreman and his theatre, but they failed to share this understanding with the audience. I can hear them now saying that confusion, misinterpretation and alienation is what they were aiming for. Nonetheless, I read the New York Times review of the original production. It said how the audience faces reflected in the plastic screen on the stage were all smiling. The faces this night were grimacing. What is the point of theatre if you fail to share your stage world with the people sitting out front?

This review originally appeared on AussieTheatre.com.

Peepshow

MIAF 2006
Peepshow
Melbourne International Arts Festival
24 October 2006
CUB Malthouse, Merlyn Theatre

Wow. Marie Brassard’s Peepshow may be my highlight of the 2006 Melbourne International Arts Festival. This is theatre that re-fashions form and content to create a unique, personal and mesmerising theatrical language.

Peepshow lets us peer into the forbidden. It is essentially a solo performance about the nature of love, presented by multiple characters. As the title suggests, we are hoping to voyeuristically peer into a forbidden sexual world. The characters challenge, break and still support the conventional rules of love, but none of them have sex.

Of course, it’s really not about the sex. It’s about the “accident” of love and the choices we make. Every choice results in the loss of so many other possibilities and chances. Even a positive choice is still all about loss. A woman sighs over past love letters. Moments, forgotten at the time, that reverberate deep within her years later.

With layers, zips, glasses and a wig, Bressard’s costume looks like it will be gradually stripped away. Only one character removes the dark glasses, but doesn’t look up. Instead of revealing the physical, we witness the characters hidden behaviour and see them so vividly by peering directly into their thoughts. There is never any judgement or questioning from the stage, but moments of profound realisation for the audience as the characters find brief unexpected moments of purity. A little girl feels happy holding the hand of the monster in the dark, a woman feels the safely of being bound and gagged, another re-opens a bloody wound so her flesh can take the pain from her heart.

The text isn’t astounding, but is made to resonate with the perfect integration of sound and design. I cannot imagine one element of the production without the others. Experimental musician Alexander MacSween designed and mixes the sound live. Brassard’s voice is continually manipulated, becoming an instrument for MacSween. This creates a seamless transition between characters and allows us to hear so much more than a voice from the stage. They found this expression by wondering what human thoughts sound like in our head. The result is stunning. Bressard’s voice never sounds completely natural, but the electronic manipulation gives her characters their authentic voices. It also reinforces the ongoing theme of control and trust. The performer gives her vocal control to someone else.

Simon Guilbault’s scenography and lighting are deceptively simple, but simply outstanding. This is design that literally gives shape to the thoughts and voices of the characters. Not their clear rational thoughts, but their illogical right brain images and dreams. The valentine/red-riding-hood red of Bressard’s costume combines with rusted and dying autumnal reds around her. The uneven carpeted floor changes from clouds to grass and never lets the characters stand on even, clear ground. Projections are unclear and murky, but we understand them in the same way we understand dreams.

Peepshow engages aurally, visually, emotionally and morally - proving how intelligent and original theatre can and should be.

This review originally appeared on AussieTheatre.com.

The Wrong Night

The Wrong Night
The Six
23 October 2006
The Spiegeltent

Review by Christina Cass

The Wrong Night presented by the roving comedy troupe, The Six, should have been passing out Pampers with the price of admission – for all the hilarious pant-wetting that ensued.

The Six have been playing around Melbourne for some time now, honing and toning their irreverent comedy, but for this packed one-night only show (sadly) at The Famous Spiegeltent, they roped in several guest comedians to polish off the evening with a more professional shine.

MC/Diva and Green Room Award nominee, Wes Snelling, was the stumbling, gin-swizzling Tina del Twiste. She kept the night rolling effortlessly with her velvet-dipped dagger wit and dress and book ended the show with two songs including a fabulous rendition of “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.”

Also performing were the highly entertaining Die Roten Punkte – a tongue-in-cheek brother/sister punk band from Germany; a sublime Geraldine Quinn who should never, ever be allowed to handle sharp objects while drinking and singing “Bitch with a Bone”; Wilson Dixon’s clever cowboy philosopher strumming “A Man with No Name,” and the cheeky Caravan of Love ladies.

The Six (Josh Cameron, Jon Peck, Mandy Mannion and Kate McLennan with guests Cara Mitchell and Bridget Bantick) scattered their sketch comedy between the guest acts and not always so successfully – Chastity Jane was sooooo wrong – but heck, that’s what the show was all about, The Wrong Night. Thankfully the overall wrongness was oh-so-right with the tone of the night; but next time, dear Six, book a longer run so Melbourne doesn’t blink and miss a delightfully mischievous evening.

2006 Melbourne International Arts Festival preview

MIAF 2006
Program Preview
12-28 October 2006


The 2006 Melbourne International Arts Festival begins on October 12. Artistic Director Kristy Edmunds and her team have created a challenging, contemporary program that is vibrant and inspiring.

There is the usual degree of media controversy about this year’s offering. The Age described it as straying too far from the “traditional mix” and catering to “too few”. There were similar criticisms about Edmunds’ first program in 2005. However, I saw a lot of shows in that festival and they all had full houses and cheering audiences.
The 2005 program was filled with unfamiliar artists and companies, but they gave us unforgettable experiences and their work has become part of our local artistic language. The unknown gave us the freedom to enjoy the pure emotion created by art. I remember tears at Le Dernier Caravansérail (Odysées) (Théâtre du Soleil) and tears of laughter at Bloody Mess (Forced Entertainment). Thank you Kristy for straying from the “traditional mix” and letting us experience the authentic and the heartfelt.

So what does 2006 have to offer?

The program has a strong focus on collaboration across art forms and among artists. It explores artistic practice by rejecting barriers of culture, form, language, belief and place. By doing so, artists create new art forms and challenge our aesthetics. Robert Wilson invents colour (I La Galigo), Marie Brassard lets us hear human thoughts (Peepshow), Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto explore what music might look like (insen).

Australian art is presented with the same passion as the best international companies and artists. There are many Australian artists appearing, but they are not segregated as the “local” program. This is a truly international program, with no “us” and “them”.

With an extensive free program, you don’t have to spend to indulge in this event. Visit the Mostlandian Embassy, walk around the Visual Arts exhibitions and don’t miss Of All The People In All The World: Pacific Rim (Stan’s Café). There is also a selection of discount ticket packages available, and local artists can apply for an artist card that entitles them to discounted tickets and entry to the Festival’s artist lounge.

Children are encouraged to create their own art. Following the success of last year’s Kids Club is The Clubhouse – a purpose built venue just for younger audiences to enjoy workshops and performances. I was one of the very few adults privileged to see the Kids Club. It was encouraging, nurturing and just so much fun – children did not want to leave. This year kids can also take their grown ups to the interactive Children’s Cheering Carpet (Teatro di Piazza o d'Occasione) and on the kids’ Visual Arts trail.

Last year Kristy proved that she respects the festival audience and trusts us to find our own path in the program. So, trust this Artistic Director, grab the festival guide and take a chance on someone you are not yet familiar with. My path looks kind of like this:

George Orwell’s 1984 (The Actors Gang). Tim Robbins’ company (yes - the one from the movies). Their mission is to bring socially relevant theatre to a broad public. 1984 reminds us of where we could be without he freedom to express our opinions.

I La Galigo (Robert Wilson). Robert Wilson is one of the creators of Einstein On The Beach. If, like me, you sat mesmerised at the MIAF performances in 1992, you know that a Robert Wilson production is unmissable. If you saw Absolute Wilson  at this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival, this is your chance to experience the theatre he creates. I La Galigo is unique, visionary theatre that truly overcomes limits off belief, country and aesthetic. A cast of over 50 Indonesian performers present the epic poem, Sureq Galigo. This may mean very little to us now, but I believe it will be etched into our hearts by the end of the performance. Earlier this week I spoke to the Assistant Director about the creation of the work and what it was like to work with Wilson. Look out for the full story soon.

Blind Date (Bill T Jones/Anrie Zane Dance Company). A multinational company that explore national identity by melding dance with video, live music and monologue.

Voyage (dump type). This Japanese collective create surreal and illusionary work that merges all disciplines.

Ngapartji Ngapartji means, “I give you something, you give me something”. This project has always been one of sharing culture, language and stories. With a cast including elders and young people from the Pitjantjatjara community, the work in progress performance sold out last year. This year we see the world premiere of an epic Australian story that blends the familiar with the unfamiliar. Look out for Christina Cass’ interview with the company in the coming weeks.

Peepshow. Marie Brassard peeps into the forbidden - the perversons, deviations and vargaries of love. Intriguing enough – but it also uses digital technology to totally re-mix Bressard’s voice.

Tragedia Endogonidia BR.#04 Brussels (Societás Raffaello Sanzio). Text is abandoned as a powerful physical language unfolds. A world of emptiness, devoid of warmth. This is not for the faint hearted.

blessing the boats. When poet Sekou Sundiata needed a kidney, five of his friends volunteered theirs. He tells his very personal story by simply talking to us.

Mantalk (Thomas and Wells). This project starts with episodes 4 to 7 at the Melbourne Fringe. If you enjoy it, then episodes 11 to 16 continue at the Festival.

insen (Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto). Acoustic piano and electronic music. Two generations of artists explore new musical structures. Remember the soundtrack to Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence? Sakamoto composed it.

Ethel. Forget what you think string quartet should be – just come and experience their “distinctive fun, spunk and groove”.

The Ringtone Society. Bringing together adventurous musicians and composers to create a new and unique musical form – the ringtone. And we can download them to our phones.

The Tulse Luper Suitcase Film Trilogy (Peter Greenaway). Promising to be “even more unorthadox than his previous work” . If you like Greenaway – what more do you need to know! Apart from - there is an interactive online game that accompanies the films.

This story originally appeared on AussieTheatre.com.

Honour Bound

Honour Bound
Malthouse Theatre
15 Septembr 2006
Merlyn Theatre, CUB Malthouse

Honour Bound is a powerful work of art and an impassioned exploration of the ongoing incarceration of David Hicks in the US detainment camp in Guantanamo Bay. Fuelled by anger, frustration and an overwhelming sense of injustice; its harrowing and brutal images express the unimaginable emotion, fear and horror experienced by David and his family.

Nigel Jamieson (direction, writing and co-design) and Garry Stewart (choreography) have approached the controversial subject with honesty and a determination to explore our community reaction to the removal of the human rights we value.

Honour Bound explores the art of storytelling by using digital media and pure physicality to create unforgettable images about the limits of human endurance. Its strength and horror build by dehumanising the performers, whist humanising David and his family.

David Hicks has been in Guantanamo Bay for five years. For 18 months he was kept in solitary confinement in a 6x9x7 foot metal cell. The cell was within a shed, so he never saw sunlight, and cameras eventually replaced his human guard. The production design is based on David’s reality in Guantanamo. A small cage sits within a larger one, family are unreachable images, words bring hope from the outside - but they are also an uncontrollable power that accuse, betray and lie. It is a world with no natural light, where touch is feared, where beliefs are shattered and hope is lost.

There is no conventional script; every word seen and heard is a published document, a transcript, a letter or a recording of a real person. We never hear David’s voice, but we hear his words, see photos of him and meet his father (Terry) and stepmother (Bev). The real Terry and Bev appear on film. They are the dignity, the soul and the reality of this story. The image of Terry Hicks projected on the cell that holds his son is not easy to forget, nor is his matter of fact description of the torture his son has endured.

This story is about physical and emotional limits. Stewart takes his six performers to their own physical limits. Through extremely demanding choreography he says, “their struggle becomes real rather than illustrated”. This isn’t pretty dance. It is movement as a physical expression of emotional and psychological reactions. They move like humans who cannot control their own bodies or caged animals prepared to do anything to escape. The extra element of aerial work and use of the climbable caged walls creates a further dimension of unnatural space and movement.

Honour Bound is an exceptional piece of theatre that should be seen, regardless of its subject matter. It is also theatre that should be seen, regardless of its artistry.

Supporting the production is a screening Curtis Levy’s award-winning documentary, "The President versus David Hicks" followed by the filmmaker’s personal reflections on the making of his film.

This review originally appeared on AussieTheatre.com.

The Female of the Species

The Female of the Species
Melbourne Theatre Company
2 September 2006
The Playhouse, The Arts Centre


If you love a good “he’s behind you” gag, or you appreciate a deconstructed joke about Derrida deconstructing a piece of toast, you should enjoy the The Female of the Species. Joanna Murray-Smith’s script is witty, funny and intelligent. It is easy to laugh with, but a difficult play to enjoy.

The Female of the Species is a farce about the ironies and hypocrisies of feminism. Farce meaning the comedic tradition and structure, complete with mistaken identity, innuendo and unbelievable situations all liberally sprinkled with vagina jokes and the obligatory oral sex ‘gag’. It is also full of very witty and sophisticated jokes about the history of feminist literature (make sure you look at the wonderful book covers). If you don’t know your Dworkin from your de Beauvoir, there is a reading list in the program.

Ironically, the deliberate irony of combining two styles of comedy is unsuccessful and frustrating. The play opens with a delightful portrait of famous feminist-intellect Margot Mason and her young nemesis Molly. When Molly pulls out a gun, the structural and directorial descent to farce is immediate and almost …well.…farcical.

The direction and acting are uneven and reflect the conflicting styles. Director Patrick Nolan draws on every expected tradition of the farce genre. The characters find themselves in sexually compromising positions, situations are resolved as new characters suddenly appear through the french doors, and each time the plot loses momentum – a gun is fired to wake the audience up. I am unsure if this was meant to be a satirical deconstruction of farce, or just lazy direction. The final moments of the show do detour from the expected structure, but this moment fizzles, rather than jolts.

Conflicting acting styles add to the frustration. Some cast play with the farce, complete with sly glances at the audience, while others play it as a fourth wall drama with some funny lines.
Nonetheless, it is the engaging performances from all cast members that make The Female of the Species an enjoyable evening. Sue Ingleton is the standout. I’m sure many members of the audience were cringing or cheering, as they recognised Margot. Margot is also the most broadly drawn character and given a real (if not fulfilled) emotional arc. Roz Hammond (as her daughter) and Bojana Novakovic (as her captor) ably support her. Each character is original and tightly drawn, but their reactions and behaviours were frustratingly expected and clichéd. Roz continues to prove herself as a wonderful comedian (or comedienne – depending on which wave of feminist thought you chose), using the farcical style to full advantage. Bojana plays her character straight. Both styles work well, but not together.

The male characters are far less believable than the women. Again, I am unsure if it was meant to be satirical, but they seemed to fall straight from the pages of “Stereotyped Men and the Women who Love or Hate Them”. There was the namby-pamby SNAG; the angry, but sensitive black guy; and the big old queen. Each did exactly what we expect these characters to do if they appear in a daytime soap.

Murray-Smith’s script is a very funny observation of the impact of feminist thought. The jokes and the performances sustain the evening. However, I would have like to see it directed with more purpose and irony, rather than indulgence.

This review originally appeared on AussieTheatre.com.

Penny Machinations

MELBOURNE FRINGE 2006
Penny Machinations
interior theatre
30 September 2006
Fringe Festival Club, Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall

Grab your spare coins and head to the Fringe club for Penny Machinations. At $2, it’s cheaper than a beer. But, be warned, one show is not enough and you might find yourself scouring your pockets for enough change to get another hit.

Penny Machinations deservedly won the “Outstanding Special Event” award at the 2005 Melbourne Fringe. Back with new shows, the North Melbourne Town Hall stage has been transformed into an inviting pastel sideshow alley, with an array of mysterious private-viewing tents.

What I love about this Fringe is that so many companies are making theatre an active experience. It’s not just sitting in a dark room and watching. The Penny Machinations experience is about facing the unknown and the intimacy of voyeurism. The maximum audience is three. You cannot be passive and you have to make some choices.

Developed by Telia Nevile and Matt Kelly, Penny Machinations is a unique and clever concept that takes the sideshow alley to a much more interesting level. There are no freaks (well, not too many) and no short, boring narratives. Shows are impressions of experiences - kind of an intimate surrealism.

Friday and Saturday nights have different programs and no show is ever the same. If you don’t like your first choice, it's only $2 for another one. The spruikers can guide you– let them know if you’re in mood for drama, comedy, dance or simply the shortest queue. You may be in one of the sideshow tents, find yourself wandering the Town Hall or even get a ride in the Barina of Mystery (chose the Director’s Commentary version).

The arcade is open from 8pm to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s is a perfect way to use your in between show time, or better still – take along $20 and spend a couple of hours experiencing all of the unknown and unique delights of Penny Machinations.


This review originally appeared on AussieTheatre.com.

Andrew McClelland's Mix Tape (C-90 Edition)

MELBOURNE FRINGE 2006
Andrew McClelland's Mix Tape (C-90 Edition)
Australian Comedy Management
29 September 2006
Festival Hub, Czech House

Andrew McClelland is totally delightful. I’d pop his tape into my cassette player anytime. Andrew McClelland’s Mix Tape sold out at the 2006 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. This is the special Fringe extended (C90) edition. If you’ve ever used a song to try and impress someone, see this show. 

Mix Tape is all about our love of music and the soundtrack it gives our lives. The mix tape may be a rough and almost antiquated art form, but it requires so much more skill and finesse than making a folder of mp3 files. Like the mix tape, the show selects some of the best “tracks” of stand up comedy and combines them into a personal and irresistible format. It’s not slick and commercial. It’s personal and fun, made even better by its flaws.

McClelland and director Alan Brough (from the ABC’s Spicks & Specks) really know their music. The tape includes Sesame Street hits, jazz, gangster rap, Australian urban pop and, the very densely complicated genre; metal.

This show speaks perfectly to its chosen audience - 30 something, live in Melbourne’s inner north, university educated and listened to far too many records or CDs as a teenager. However McClelland’s engaging personality has a much broader appeal. This tape is enjoyable even if the only ghetto blaster you have seen is in your parents’ photo album, or if you think M&M is spelt correctly and even if you don’t know why “summer of the 17th dole payment” is a very funny lyric.

Mixed Tape naturally finishes with a sing along that everyone in the audience joined in. However, we did have to sing a Monkees parody, because Michael Jackson won’t let us sing The Beatles.

This review originally appeared on AussieTheatre.com.

Kunst Ist Scheisse

MELBOURNE FRINGE 2006
Kunst Ist Scheisse
The Caravan of Love
30 September 2006
Festival Hub, The Lithuanian Club

The Kunst may be Sheisse, but this is Kabaret (with a K) at its best: sexy, funny, inappropriate and political. Be prepared to moan with delight and pop your pop culture popper as you are enticed by the four gorgeous kunst(ists) of The Caravan of Love.

This is the country of Snowmanlandia, where Kunst ist Sheisse (Art is Shit) and a traveling caravan of four “performing misfits” have set down.

In a similar vein to The Burlesque Hour (seen at the Speigeltent) and Girlesque (seen in lesbian clubs), The Caravan of Love tear apart cabaret and burlesque to construct their own fabulous genre. Created as a response to our increasingly conservative society, Kunst ist Sheisse continually explores our expectations of female “normality” and proves that anger, lust and silliness are all vital to our lives.

Alice Palermo, Eva Johansen, Kate Sumner and Carla Rinaudo have been honing their troupe, with monthly performances since 2004. Their approach is original, their costumes are divine, their politics are sharp and all are very accomplished, dancers, singers and performers.

Put Snowmanlandia (the totally perfect Lithuanian Club) on your list of places to visit this week. This is my Fringe highlight to date and deserves many adoring fans.
This review originally appeared on AussieTheatre.com.

Apples and Ladders

MELBOURNE FRINGE 2006
Apples and Ladders
Lemony S
Malthouse Theatre
30 September 2006
Tower Theatre, CUB Malthouse

The dark, yet beautiful images of Apples and Ladders stay with you long after the show finishes. Puppeteers and creators Sarah Kriegler and Jacob Williams impart their tiny protégé with pure emotion to create moments that grab your heart.

Supported by a state government “images of aging” grant, Apples and Ladders started as an exploration of aging and alcoholism. The resulting performance is a perfect example of how the investigation of one theme can touch the universal. This show is about the grief of having your heart and passion stolen and the healing power of very small acts. (It also demonstrates that policy and grants don’t necessarily restrict creativity.)

The Knave of Hearts, the archetype devil/death, stalks an elderly man and an aging drag queen. The man loses the love of his life when his wife dies, and retreats to isolation. The drag queen turns to alcohol when forced to face the reality of his life. The scene where he joyously floats with the glittering reflections of the mirror ball, but is forced to see his own reflection is heartbreaking.

The puppets are exquisite and the cardboard set perfectly represents the fragile strength and disposability of the suburban setting. The production is completed with Richard Varbre’s lighting design and haunting melancholy songs from The Tiger Lillies. If you love The Tiger Lillies, be aware that there are no songs about hamsters, sheep or Aunty Mable.

The Tower Program at the Malthouse, along with FULL TILT at the Arts Centre, continues to highlight the astounding theatre that is can be created when independent works are given professional support and development. Apples and Ladders is a perfect addition to the Melbourne Fringe program, where local artists are continuing to explore form and aesthetics.


This review originally appeared on AussieTheatre.com.