The Little Mermaid. Many of you are sitting there thinking you know the story; you might even be humming “Under the Sea” to yourself. What you may be unaware that the Disney like with many of its miscellany of movies drew inspiration from fairy tales, predominantly those written by Hans Christen Andersen. However, unlike their…
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Hedda, currently being presented at Perth’s The Blue Room Theatre, is a reinterpretation of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s classic play Hedda Gabler; originally written and produced in the 19th century. A multicultural effort of sorts, the production sees Norwegian actress and producer Marthe Snorresdotter Rovik collaborate with actor and director Renato Febratti, a graduate of…
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The classic Tom Stoppard play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead has long existed as part of the Hamlet curriculum in the later years of high school, both in Australia and around the world. For me, and many, year 11 was where I first discovered the play, Stoppard and the beauty of the absurd. It’s a…
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Bowengabbie. A small town, once the jewel in the crown of the Australian preserve industry, has faded into obscurity. The town’s youth departing in their droves for the city in search of better prospects and more money. Leaving behind an increasingly aging population. Add to that an eclectic and eccentric cast of characters, and the…
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The Sydney Theatre Company’s production of Fury is the latest play from Melbourne playwright Joanna Murray-Smith whose past works including The Female of the Species and Honour have scored her a myriad of awards and acclaim, both at home and abroad. Fury has been garnering a similar level of critical success since it premiered at…
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English playwright Caryl Churchill’s play A Number is the latest production to be presented by Perth Theatre Company, the first of their new season. Directed by Artistic Director Melissa Cantwell, the production is subtle and thought provoking, leaving the audience with lingering questions and plenty to think about. Though ostensibly the play could be described…
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Turning the 1930’s cartoon strip and 60’s sitcom The Addams Family into a musical was never going to be an easy sell. They are, after all, a family who enjoy the darker side of life; finding general pleasure in pain, death and misery. They’re not exactly the type to sing and dance. Nor is the…
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Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most famous and oft performed plays. It is a play that has become deeply engrained in popular culture and most can quote a line from the play. The main character is an iconic role, one which many actors strive towards. Though it is a tough act to follow, with the…
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As we speak, there are three Spiegeltents doing the rounds (pun intended) in and around Sydney. Two are for Sydney Festival – The Famous Spiegeltent in Hyde Park you’re probably already familiar with, and the newer addition, The Idolize Spiegeltent, sits in Parramatta (and was also part of the Darwin Festival last year). The third…
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Many will undoubtedly be familiar with the Oedipus myth, even if only in passing; we have Freud to thank for that. On the Misconception of Oedipus posits itself before the events of the famous play by Sophocles or Seneca; a prequel of sorts. But it’s also a meditation on fate and the shadow it casts…
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The Theatre Royal Bath Productions presentation of The Caretaker for the 2012 Adelaide Festival is a superb example of modern theater, from one of the worlds most influential playwrights, Harold Pinter. Starring internationally celebrated and multi-award winning actor Jonathan Pryce the play is at once a simple tale of an outsider with secrets, and a…
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In the middle of the courtyard there is a wooden dining room table, with four chairs. The lights dim, and from the four corners of the courtyard four men dressed in black make their way to the table and each take a seat. The lights raise again. A somewhat incongruous and misleadingly simple start to…
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Indulging in life’s superficialities on a week night, with a glass of red wine and company from hopeless house-mates, is a form of dim relaxation taken for granted by Australia’s masses. Being confronted by a pizza delivery man revealing the world’s end to you and the pathetic group of people you live with isn’t really…
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On March 25th, 2010, our recently roving reporter Laurachel Ventus headed to St James Theatre on Broadway (NYC), where Green Day is currently staging their American Idiot musical. It sounds both ridiculous and genius at the same time, so naturally, we were curious as to what it was all about. Thankfully, Laurachel was kind enough…
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