FRINGE review:Things I Learned in High School

The Things I Learned in High School

Daniel Kilby with Trevor Jones

5 October 2011

Long Play

to 8 October

I was late for Daniel's show (damn you daylight savings), but running down the corridor I heard a lot of laughing and a song about fucking. Apparently, it's what everything is all about.

So I knew I was going to like it.

Daniel made it through catholic high school as the only gay boy (that he knew of), but getting through a music conservatorium education when he was into show tunes and art songs was another challenge altogether, even when he vipped out his Wagner. 

But it took a few more years to kill those damn self-doubt vampires – thank you [title of show] –  and realise that he so has a story to tell, that the best way to tell it is through slightly obscure show tunes and by believing people are going to want to hear it.

Like the best, Daniel has the help of a great pianist and he opens up his heart to tell some tales that he'd rarely shared.  Good stories need truth and it's in those moments of honesty that performers and audiences bond. When storytellers are brave, we see how meaningless our superficial differences are. Who hasn't decided in seconds that the cutie we've said hi to is our happily-ever-after, and we all did things in year 10 that we didn't tell our families ... until our solo cabaret shows.

The Things I Learned in High School is on at Longplay in North Fitzroy until Saturday. Forget the Fringe hub for a night, grab a drink and a meal and share your love of song (and fucking) with Daniel.

This review was on AussieTheatre.com

FRINGE review: Fourplay

Fourplay

Vicious Fish

2 October 2011

fortyfivedownstairs

to 9 October

As the fortyfivedownstairs program continues to bring us companies who know how important it is to tell our stories and are willing to take the kind of risks that create amazing theatre, Scott Gooding's happy ending for Vicious Fish's Belbel Project is a satisfying hour of Fourplay.

A long-term couple wanting change have a remarkably cool new bed.  With crisp purple sheets and geek-perfect proportions, it's ready to break in – but they don't want to fuck with destiny, so he invites a hot young man and she invites a hot young woman...

Now, before anyone gets excited about watching bored middle-class swingers, know that Fourplay's far more interesting and that the only writer resorting to cheap puns is me.

Catalan-Spanish playwright Sergei Belbel wrote his first plays in the 80s and has been Artistic Director of The National Theatre of Catalonia since 2005. Vicious Fish is the champion of his work in Australia, having presented four of his translated works.

Form and structure are as much a part of Belbel's storytelling as character and plot.  Fourplay's time line alternates and scenes repeat from different perspectives with new information. This forces the audience to actively play in the onstage games and to continually re-think what they believe is happening. There's no passive watching with Belbel.

And while I love how this makes us really engage with the text, the brilliance of the Jenga-winning structure can create distance from the stories of the characters (Gooding, Michael Argus, Kaitlyn Clare, Liza Dennis) and distract from the humour that pumps the heart of the work.

With four people wanting to use the bed for more than a nanna nap, there's potential for farce, but Belbel is far darker and tempers their play time with uncomfortable laughs that feel really good once you get used to them and accept just how reactionary tits can be.

I've recently seen a lot of very funny shows where audiences seem afraid to laugh in case it isn't meant to be funny. If you think it's funny, the people creating it probably do as well; so, please have a glass of wine if it helps and enjoy Fourplay.

This review originally appeared on AussieTheatre.com

MIAF review: Ganesh Versus the Third Reich

MIAF 2011
Ganesh Versus the Third Reich
Malthouse There and Melbourne Festival and Back to Back Theatre
29 September 2011
Merlyn Theatre
to 9 October

Should we only tell our stories? Is it possible to balance the line between respect and offence? With a hullaballoo playing out in the media about how this show is offending some "Melbourne taxpayers", it's probably best to see Ganesh Versus the Third Reich to make up your own mind.

When the Back to Back ensemble conceived the "great conceit" of Ganesh travelling to nazi Germany to reclaim the swastika,  they knew it was "morally fraught ... and too dangerous for a little theatre company from Geelong to appropriate Hindu gods and create a fairytale within the Holocaust."

Thankfully, they re-thought and created a story within a story that blurs reality and fiction as it confronts itself and manipulates its audience's assumptions.

Devised by Mark Deans, Marcia Ferguson, Bruce Gladwin, Simon Laherty, Sarah Mainwaring, Scott Price, Kate Sulan, Brian Tilley and David Woods,  the telling takes us into the rehearsal room as the cast (Deans, Laherty, Price and Tilley) deal with a difficult director (Woods) and argue dilemmas like if it's ok to play a Jew if you're not a Jew or an Indian deity if you're not an India deity. And there's the issue of who's going to play the "good part" of Hitler.

Meanwhile, Ganesh arrives in a concentration camp in 1943, where his elephant-head draws the attention of Mengele, and he meets Levi, whose mental retardation has kept him alive.

If you're going to be offended this work, be offended by yourself as you realise that you came into the theatre with some pre-conceptions and ideas that are offensive to others.

Ganesh Versus the Third Reich is theatre that grabs us by our hearts, gives us permission to laugh, makes us cry, shakes some sense into us, then starts the process again. What an astonishing start to MIAF 2011.

Photo by Jeff Busby

This review originally appeared on AussieTheatre.com

FRINGE review: Spring Awakening

Spring Awakening
Monash Uni Student Theatre and Monash University Academy of Performing Arts
1 October 2011
Alexander Theatre, Monash University
to 8 October
www.monash.edu/mapa/

With over 60 Monash Uni students and recent graduates involved in every element of this production, it would be tedious to mention everyone who helps make this Spring Awakening so memorable; so, you'll have to read the program – and the only way to do that is to see this show.

Spring Awakening won Tony Awards in 2007 and is credited with bringing young audiences back to Broadway with its heart-breaking characters and rock-infused score. Its story is from a 1892 German play that was banned for confronting taboos like masturbation, first-sex, homosexuality, incest and violence. We may write openly about these topics now, but for all our contemporary knowledge, the pain and confusion about confronting any of these is still as strong;  so, the music is a juxtaposition of angry, hurting rock straight from the hearts of its young characters.

If the thought of a student-theatre musical leaves you shuddering, banish such fear. Monash Uni Student Theatre (MUST) continues to believe in young artists and creates a structure and atmosphere that lets them create productions that surprise and delight.

The core creative team – Yvonne Virsik, Cassandra Fumi, Tom Pitts, Kristen Adriaan, Jason Lehane (director, assistant director, musical director, choreographer, designer) – start with the skills of their artists to create a production that's led by emotion. What results is a musical that's as striking and moving as any Tony winner, but never tries to be Broadway. 

Spring Awakening is one of my favourite musicals from recent years and MUST's production is – I have to say it – a must. You might see versions with slicker dance and more mature voices, but you won't catch one with more heart.

And, really, the Clayton campus is a 20-minute drive from the city and there's parking at the door. Don't use its distance as an excuse.

Photo by Sarah Walker.

This review originally appeared on AussieTheatre.com

Interview with Yvonne about directing Spring Awakening.

The last FRINGE review previews

Yep, the full versions are on AussieTheatre.com and will be  here soon.

The Things I Learned in High School
Daniel Kilby with Trevor Jones
5 October 2011
Long Play
to 8 October

I was running late for Daniel's show (damn you daylight savings), but running down the corridor I heard a lot of laughing and a song about fucking. Apparently, it's what everything is all about.

So I knew I was going to like it.

Daniel made it through catholic high school as the only gay boy, but getting through a conservatorium education when he was into show tunes and art songs was another challenge altogether. It's taken him a few more years to kill those damn self-doubt vampires – thank you [title of show] –  and realise that he so has a story to tell and that the best way to tell it is through slightly obscure show tunes.

Like the best, Daniel opens up his heart and tells some tales that he probably thought he'd keep quiet. This is the stuff that bonds performers and audiences. In those moments we know that most of our differences are meaningless, because we all did things in year 10 that we didn't tell our families ... until our solo cabaret shows.

The Things I Learned in High School is on at Longplay in North Fitzroy until Saturday. Forget the Fringe hub for a night, grab a drink and a meal and share your love of song (and fucking) with Daniel.







No Matter Where You Go, There You Are
RSVP, Jennifer Williams, Cathie Clinton, Yvonne Coughlan
2 October 2011
Clifton Creative Arts Centre, 314 Church St, Richmond
to 9 October

I just got in from this show and had the kind-of-brilliant and kind-of-disappointing experience of being in an audience of three. But I'm stressing the brilliant, because it's a night of storytelling that I really can't compare to anything else and I'm so glad that I went. (Watching Doctor Who so nearly won...)

So no matter what you're hoping to see this week, please make time for this.

I'll give it some more words tomorrow.

Spring Awakening

Monash Uni Student Theatre and Monash University Academy of Performing Arts

1 October 2011

Alexander Theatre, Monash University

to 8 October

www.monash.edu/mapa/

With over 60 Monash Uni students and recent graduates involved in every element of this production, it would be tedious to mention everyone who helps make this Spring Awakening so memorable; so, you'll have to read the program – and the only way to do that is to see this show.

.....

Spring Awakening is one of my favourite musicals from recent years and MUST's production is – I have to say it – a must. You might see versions with slicker dance and more mature voices, but you won't catch one with more heart.

And, really, the Clayton campus is a 20-minute drive from the city and there's parking at the door. Don't use its distance as an excuse.


the rest


And here's director Yvonne Virsik talking about directing it.

Fourplay

Vicious Fish

2 October 2011

fortyfivedownstairs

to 9 October

As the fortyfivedownstairs program continues to bring us companies and writers who know how important it is to tell our stories and are willing to take the kind of risks that create amazing theatre, Scott Gooding's happy ending for Vicious Fish's Belbel Project is a satisfying hour of Fourplay.

A long-term couple wanting change have a remarkably cool new bed.  With crisp purple sheets and geek-perfect proportions,  it's ready to break in – but they don't want to fuck with destiny, so he invites a hot young man and she invites a hot young woman...

Now, before anyone gets excited about watching bored middle-class swingers, know that Fourplay's far more interesting and the only writer resorting to cheap puns is me.

the rest

Benefit Performance for Sosina Wogayehu

Benefit Performance for Sosina Wogayehu 
Sunday 16 October
7.30pm Circus Oz
Melba Spiegeltent, Docklands

Featuring: Moira Finucane, Ruby Rowat, Sharon Grunert, Mozes and Sosina Wogayehu, traditional Ethiopian dance and coffee making ceremony, private hula hoops lessons and surprises!

Tickets @ www.trybooking.com
Donation @ www.mycause.com.au
Facebook page and details

Sosina Wogayehu, a generous, treasured and long term Circus Oz person, is raising money for her dad who fell very ill recently in Ethiopia.

So far, Sosi has raised the money and support to fly him from Ethiopia for major surgery in Melbourne. Half of the flight costs were raised by the cast and crew of The Burlesque Hour. Now he is in intensive care and extended hospital recovery. Because he is Ethiopian, not Australian, they must pay full price for his hospital stay.

It's Last Tuesday Tuesday

Hooray!

Whatever you're doing tonight, know that the most fun will really be had at the Fringe Club as The Last Tuesday Society take over.

It's free and the theme of the night is "first times".

If you haven't popped your First Tuesday cherry, tonight is the night.

FRINGE review: Me Pregnant!

MELBOURNE FRINGE 2011

Me Pregnant!

Nick Coyle

24 September 2011

Lithuanian Club, The Loft

to 30 September 2011

Love Emeline, love the monster, love the villagers and love Nick Coyle.

Me Pregnant! is a fucked-up fairy tail of a mediaeval village that followed nerdy Emeline into the forest to take revenge on a monster, but one of the monster's babies survived and really hates Emeline.

Modelling a peasant sack with bright tights, Nick is our tour guide and everyone else in the village, the forest and the dark undersea cave. His story telling is immaculate, if you like your stories snarky, bitter and whimsical. And I don't mean fluffy my-little-pony whimsy, this is whimsy that's mixing speed and acid and never wants to come down.

And I now so want an octopus to give me a makeover and a tiny wind-up Nick Coyle doll to tell me bedtime stories.

"Tell me a story." Shows that let their stories lead have audiences who love them. Me Pregnant!  lets Nick show his terrific writing and prove that he's a performer who deserves to be cast in anything he wants, but the joy of the show is that he tells a brilliant story.

Nick's only on until Friday, so don't wait for the weekend to see him.


This review originally appeared on AussieTheatre.com

Review: Grammar Don't Matter on a First Date

MELBOURNE FRINGE 2011

Grammar Don't Matter on a First Date

Mark Butler

24 September 2011

Portland Hotel

to 1 October 2011

Mark Butlers broked up with gfs; cos there gramma iz sheet.

In Grammar Don't Matter on a First Date, he asks his audience if they think he made the best choices.

Turns out that Saturday night's audiences were more pedantic than Mark is and are lucky that many couples there have found a mate who agrees that it's impossible to eat in a restaurant that lists possessive nouns on the menu and that friends with RAS syndrome* have to be removed from their Christmas card list.

The rest of us, who may have used an its/it's argument as a contribution to a break up (yes, I have), were able to feel justified.

For the single grammar slobs, who were dragged along by their friends, Mark offers grammatically-correct dating hints. Singles, if you are on RSVP, this could help: There is a happy couple. They're holding hands and sipping their merlot. From experience, Mark (and his enthusiastically agreeing audience) assures you that your lack of basic spelling and grammar knowledge is stopping the smart hot folk from dating you.

Yes, we (the hot smart folk) judge you by your grammar. And (it IS acceptable to start a sentence with a conjunction) we judge you by your spelling, punctuation and syntax. I'm more accepting than Mark is about LOL, but I have serious En dash and hyphen issues. THEY ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE!

As a writer, an editor and a hot smart person, I think Mark's show should be compulsory. The Style manual and the Macquarie Dictionary Fifth Edition aren't in every family bookshelf (hell, they aren't even in every writer's bookshelf), so we need people like Mark to spread the word(s) by making us laugh.

And grammar slob or snob, Mark has everyone laughing. His audience–performer bond is instant, but he's talking about grammar, sex and puns – what's not to bond over!

So, of course, grammar matters as much as Grandpa does. And to all the glorious pedants at Mark’s show: I'd date youse all.

*RASS: Redundant acronym syndrome syndrome. "I'll grab some cash from the ATM machine."

This review first appeared on AussieTheatre.com.

FRINGE review: 4's KIN

MELBOURNE FRINGE 2011

4's KIN

Dil Ruk, Morven Smith, Jay E Manne and Tim Clark (with guest Ben Lawrence)

24 September 2011

Portland Hotel

to 8 October 2011

Most new stand ups don't have a show's worth of material, but they do have a few minutes of terrific stuff, and what better way to get your Fringe legs than to share the stage with friends.

4's KIN give us their best 12 minutes and there's enough laughs and likeability to know that we'll soon be seeing much more of Dil Ruk, Morven Smith, Jay E Manne, Tim Clark and (guest) Ben Lawrence.

Each are developing a stage character and working with observational jokes, and all brought an original twist to the worlds around them and showed us just how twisted their brains really are.

I think being a stand up comic has to be one of the bravest performance choices. Great stand up is about sharing your most personal and embarrassing secrets with strangers and friends. The best (the ones we go back to see as much as possible) are the ones who dig deep, show us their hearts and help us realise that being a bit fucked up is perfectly normal.

This first appeared on AussieTheatre.com

MIAF review previews

Grand final and the start of the crossover Fringe/MIAF week. And we lose an hour of sleep for daylight savings! #whitewhine.

Head to AussieTheatre.com for the full reviews, and they'll be up here a few days later.

MIAF 2011

Ganesh Versus the Third Reich

Malthouse There and Melbourne Festival and Back to Back Theatre

29 September 2011

Merlyn Theatre

to 9 October

Should we only tell our stories? Is it possible to balance the line between respect and offence? With a hullaballoo playing out in the media about how this show is offending some "Melbourne taxpayers", it's probably best to see Ganesh Versus the Third Reich to make up your own mind.

When the Back to Back ensemble conceived the "great conceit" of Ganesh travelling to nazi Germany to reclaim the swastika,  they knew it was "morally fraught ... and too dangerous for a little theatre company from Geelong to appropriate Hindu gods and create a fairytale within the Holocaust."

Thankfully, they re-thought and created a story within a story that blurs reality and fiction as it confronts itself and manipulates its audience's assumptions.

...

Photo by Jeff Busby

Go Cats!

I'm trying to write about the astonishing Ganesh Versus the Third Reich and its confronting exploration of perceptions and story appropriation...

But the TV is on and leather-clad bikies are riding onto the MCG and Meatloaf has opened with "Hot Patootie" from The RH Picture Show.

Grand Final jewellery by ali alexander "Anyone But Collingwood"," Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining" and the Mighty Roos

As Fringe and MIAF artists try to hold that critical mirror up to our society, there is no better reflection than Melbourne's AFL Grand Final. (I don't care about the rugby.)

It's sold out in minutes and watched by millions. The result will divide families and friends. Strangers will fight or kiss on the streets. Virginities will be lost as teenagers discover the thrill of being on the winning side, or the consolation of being runner up. Children will be conceived and a child will have to grow up with the name Malthouse (which has nothing to do with the theatre company or venue).

Meanwhile, no one is writing offended letters to the council questioning why an old American is chosen as the cultural representative of the day or why he opens with a song from a musical about a transvestite.

And now the MSO (Melbourne Symphony Orchestra) Chorus are singing the team anthems.

Today, the poshest and artiest of us leap off our lofty towers to freely appropriate the stories of one of these once working-class teams and become punters instead of audience.

Love or loathe sport, the Grand Final evokes mass passion in ways that theatre can only dream of.

The characters are flawed, the stakes couldn't be higher, the ending is unknown and there's nothing gay about good-looking men hugging each other.

They're about to toss the coin...

We can care about art again tonight.

2010 Saints V Pies

and more FRINGE profiles

There are still more Melbourne Fringe artists profiles on AussieThearte.com this week including:

Anna Lumb, who I first saw hoop twirling at a Last Tuesday Society gig in Fitzroy, and who brings so much more than mere skill to her performances. See I HEART Jack with World Around Us II  for a pretty brilliant Fringe double feature.

Dan Kilby, whose first ever Fringe show opens on Tuesday and who gave my favourite answer on all the profiles: If you had access to the TARDIS, what performance would you see first? Carrie on Broadway, because I am a gay. I'm now adding Carrie to my TARDIS wish list, because I'm a hag.

Spencer Bignall, whom I'm going to see perform for the first time tonight at Spring Awakening.

and wonderfully wrong and simply wonderful  Wau Wau Sisters