Author Archives
REVIEW: Hotel Bella Luna
Improvisation and interactive theatre might scare away some, but in Flight Path Theatre’s Hotel Bella Luna the shy can choose to clasp on a VIP (Very Introverted Person) badge to avoid the ensuing chaos. The show begins with an induction for audience members, introduced to the highest-rated Moon Yelp hotel, also the only one on the […]
REVIEW: Animal Farm
It feels nearly painful to watch Saro Lusty-Cavallari’s thoughtful adaptation of Animal Farm and realise that the cautionary tale from 1945 is still so shockingly relevant. George Orwell, its author, who also wrote 1984, was prescient decades ago, and instead of fading, the metaphors employed in a barnyard revolt continue to echo. Lusty-Cavallari’s adaptation and direction […]
Seymour Centre Reopens
As the Sydney theatre scene starts to emerge from iso, Seymour Centre is reopening in partnership with Griffin Theatre. Seymour, the long-cherished Chippendale venue associated with the University of Sydney, has a well-earned reputation for presenting challenging and unusual works. Its new relationship with Griffin Theatre marks its place as part of the arts community […]
Honeyland
Once in a while, a film comes out that utterly defies expectations, Honeyland is one of these. The synopsis - a portrait of a beekeeper in remote Macedonia - is oddball enough to attract attention. It is a beautiful, painterly work, shot with composed precision akin to Dutch Old Master treatments of light and shadow. It is […]
REVIEW: Our Blood Runs In The Street
Stories of brutal historical gay hate crimes perpetrated in Sydney in the closing decades of the 20th century, and their dismissal by law enforcement of NSW, are slowly trickling into mainstream media. Murders once put aside as muggings, suicides and misadventure are now being revisited via an ongoing parliamentary inquiry into those crimes. Directed by […]
The Addams Family
References to other (more original) movies, gross-out humour (phlegm and candles make a good match), bombs (whyyyy?), and a moral message about as subtle as a town called Assimilation (not kidding). The Addams Family is an amusing little waste of time sure to please a few and none very much. At their wedding, Morticia and Gomez are […]
REVIEW: The Split
A young couple on a small fishing boat drift about in open water, moored by an anchor that ensures it never strays too far. From what, or where, is never specified; Tom (Max Garcia-Underwood) and Jules (Amy Victoria Brooks) seem to exist in a timeless place, and the audience, too, experiences a sense of timelessness. […]
REVIEW: Kasama Kita
An intimate exploration of immigration and identity, Kasama Kita unfolds as a drama of family, immigration and the inescapable ties of both. Written by Jordan Shea and fluidly directed by Erin Taylor, this is a heartfelt tribute to the experiences of Filipinos who came to Australia for opportunities and discovered more than they expected. Nancy, her […]
Still Life With Chickens
This show has a crazy premise, involving a woman who develops a relationship with a chicken who somehow teaches her life lessons. Renowned New Zealand/Samoan actress Goretti Chadwick (Mama) features in the Kiwi award-winning show, Still Life With Chickens, making its one Australian stop at the Riverside Theatre. From Auckland Theatre Company, Still Life With […]
2040
In the documentary 2040, addressing possible solutions to climate change, director Damon Gameau (That Sugar Movie) accurately describes his quest as “factual dreaming.” Framed as a message to his young daughter and her 2040 self, the film follows a global journey to discover what impact existing technologies, if realised now, would look like in 2040. […]
