Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Artspace. 9 Jun 2017
Gillian Cosgriff’s return to the Adelaide Cabaret Festival after her debut six years ago reveals a greatly matured artist since then. To The Moon and Back is at once light hearted, glamorous, laid back, philosophical, poignant and wonderfully silly.
That’s a lot to cram into an hour in a show about space, and a tall order to run it all smooth as butter.
Cosgriff achieves the task because at the core of the performance is her breezy laid back Queensland spirit taking things on with a confident calm and always with a smile and solid direction, ensuring every possibility in her writing has been given life.
Space is a big thing. It can be small too. Cosgriff really dives into her subject with gusto, obsessive gusto. Clad in space suit white, Cosgriff merrily quips away. How we get from the usual things about space to the origins of our species is wonderfully bewildering.
Musically, the production is huge fun. What a ball Cosgriff has with a Roland synthesiser, running out a fantastic set of songs each in total contrast to the other, dealing with quirky space play mates to deeper stuff, plus playfully mucking around with a set of effects foot pedals.
I’m pretty sure Adelaide will love Gillian Cosgriff to the moon and back after the warm embrace of this production.
David O’Brien
When: 9 to 11 Jun
Where: Artspace
Bookings: bass.net.au
Therry Dramatic Society. Arts Theatre. 8 Jun 2017
It might seem an odd place to stage a musical – the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia in 1905 – but Fiddler on the Roof formed part of a style of ‘60s musical theatre that was pushing established boundaries and turning its back on entertaining escapism in favour of more serious depictions of real life struggles.
Tevye the milkman – Fiddler’s central character – is father to five daughters, living an impoverished life in the Russian village of Anatevka, under the ever impending threat of pogroms at the behest of Nicholas II, the tsar to Russia. Tevye is a devout Jew, and an honest man, but his daughters soon test his ideologies, loyalties, and eventually even his faith.
Fiddler is a heavily sanitised version of the events of 1905, which ultimately culminated in the Russian Revolution. University educated, Perchik hints towards this, but the future is left open ended and hanging at the fall of the final curtain. Similarly, Fiddler incorporates what must be one of the tamest pogroms ever enacted; one which the cast of this production manage to remedy with only a few moments of clearing and righting furniture. Despite this, the tale is still endearing, and oddly heart-warming.
Therry’s production rests solidly on the outstanding performance of David Gauci in the central role. Gauci is ably surrounded by a lovely cast who create a wonderful sense of community on the Arts Theatre stage. Gauci’s Tevye remains appropriately light in the context of the material. He wonderfully balances the irony, humour, compassion, and dedication of the religious man with the family man, working his way firmly into our hearts. The duet, Do You Love Me?, between Tevye and his wife Golde (Anne Doherty), is both a highlight and a grounding moment of solidarity.
The whole production has a warm, honest feel to it. Jason Groves’ lighting seems to capture the unassuming nature of the village’s inhabitants whilst casting them in a warm glow of inner prosperity. Peter Johns’ musical direction enhances the strengths in the cast whilst not stretching them beyond the capacity of the ensemble, delivering real balance amongst the players. It is Kerry Hauber’s choreography that transports us, however, and what a delightful sight it is; with some impressively talented male dancers amongst the amateur ensemble.
The show is long, and does take its time to build - both in character and narrative. But it is a journey we are happy to be on with the generous cast and gentle production values. Norm Caddick’s direction is consistent and sweet, and the result is simply satisfying.
A smile rendering production, with a few belly laughs along the way – and tickets are selling fast.
Paul Rodda
When: 8 to 17 Jun
Where: Arts Theatre
Bookings: trybooking.com
IKAG Productions. The Producers Hotel. 8 Jun 2017
Will Eno is a playwright often compared to Beckett. His rolling, discombobulated monologue comprising the text of Title and Deed is instantly identifiable to the ear as having the hallmarks of that Beckett laden dry, dark, and distantly observant voice of an outsider.
Tom Gentry’s self-directed performance is with some merit and many deficiencies, some not necessarily of his making, more the blazing enthusiasm and driven passion of inexperience.
Eno’s unnamed character has no known place in the world and for all we can tell, is not of this world. He is an aimless chimera spinning tales which seem to have neither true beginning or end.
Distance is the key to this work. Textually, in direction and performance. By choosing to direct himself, Gentry has disallowed the absolute necessity of being observed and moved apart from his own preconceptions of the work by a director in a collaborative creative endeavour, pulling out of him a performance and characterisation he is not aware is within him; something challenging, something capable of reaching the layers in the text awaiting discovery.
This is not to say Gentry doesn't offer moments in which, like a brief flash of light, the otherness of the character seems yet to reflect a true ‘humanity’ and push the idea with conviction we too are in communion with - this ‘other’ telling tales to us on the stage. We are one. We are alien.
Unfortunately, such moments are few. Gentry’s static level of delivery and energy drains away a hold on the audience and inhibits variances of energy in performance needing to be accessed and expressed.
David O’Brien
When: 8 to 18 June
Where: The Producers Hotel
Bookings: trybooking.com
The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Michael Watt. With Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch. Adelaide Festival Theatre. 26 May 2017
Adelaide’s reputation for missing out on the large east coast touring productions is quickly becoming a distant memory, and praise-be, for this Australian touring production of Matilda The Musical is a wonder to behold.
So prepare yourselves for another glowing review. One to follow an ever growing archive of positivity and praise which flows from critics all over Australia and the world; not to mention 5 Tony Awards and 13 Helpmanns, to boot. There is, quite simply, nothing to criticise about this spectacular story book adaptation – even from some of the worst seats in the house.
The musical is based on the novel by Roald Dahl, its book is by Dennis Kelly, the music and lyrics by Tim Minchin – and his satirical stylings infuse every aspect of the fantastic score. The show is fun, sad, uplifting, hilarious, clever and, well, brilliant.
Matilda is the miracle child of the Wormwoods, a down and out family who’d prefer she was a boy who paid more attention to the T.V. and displayed a lot less intellectual prowess. Worse, they wish she never existed. The child prodigy already reads and speaks at an advanced adult level, but her family problems are just the beginning. Attending school for the first time brings yet more trouble for poor Matilda, but also hope in the form of a kind and dedicated teacher, Miss Honey, who recognises and encourages her genius. The friendship they forge gives them strength to face their bullies and allows Matilda to discover just how truly special she is.
Matilda, played by Izellah Connelly in this performance, blows us away with a strong and pitch perfect vocal performance. The cast of children is immensely talented - you have to keep reminding yourself that you are watching a group of primary schoolers. It's almost impossible to believe that they could be so accomplished and professional at such a young age. Bravo!
The children are joined on stage by an equally talented set of adult performers, who bring some of Roald Dahl's most iconic characters to life. Miss Honey is as gentle and kind as we imagined reading the book as a child. Lucy Maunder perfectly captures her tenderness and vulnerability, and her presence warms the stage. Leah Lim, as Mrs Phelps, is authentically animated and, with Maunder, provides the perfect foil for the hyperbole of Matilda's idiotic and cruel family.
Marika Aubrey is completely believable as Mrs Wormwood, Matilda's horribly mean and neglectful mother. Her performance of Loud with Travis Khan as Rudolpho is suitably low brow and very entertaining. Daniel Frederiksen plays the feckless Mr Wormwood with vigour, and successfully executes on his character's emotional about-turn at the show's conclusion, showing genuine affection for his daughter at the last minute.
Without a doubt though, James Millar steals the show with his formidable portrayal of the dreaded Miss Trunchbull. Every child's worst nightmare, Trunchbull towers over student and teachers alike with hammer-throwing physic and a mono-brow you can spy from the back rows. Millar stalks the stage with palpable disdain and perfect comedic timing, being hilariously dreadful in all the right ways. One can imagine his characterisation would have made Dahl smile.
Matilda The Musical is a modern musical by which to measure all others. Rob Howell’s stunning set is now one of the most instantly recognisable. Its ingenious construction coupled with spectacular lighting design by Hugh Vanstone and innovative, high intensity, choreography by Peter Darling is unforgettable. Of particular note are numbers like When I Grow Up, which takes place on huge swings that propel out into the auditorium, and School Song, which finds agile performers scaling a wall of alphabet blocks as the letters are presented cleverly throughout the song.
This show is a veritable feast for the senses, and certainly not to be missed; one for the child in all of us.
Paul Rodda
When: 21 May to 16 Jul
Where: Festival Theatre
Bookings: bass.net.au
DreamBIG Children’s Festival. Presented by Drop Bear Theatre, The Seam & Edwina Cordingley. 24 May 2017
Theatre for babies may seem like an indulgent concept to some. There is an understandable tendency to think they are too young for comprehension, and far too young for remembering. For those with a love of music and the stage however, the opportunity to share this with their little one is a very special experience.
Babies are a unique type of audience. They exist in the moment, entirely enthralled if it is interesting and off to discover something else if it is not. Their enjoyment is both audible and adorable - just try and wipe the smile off your face as a baby claps and laughs in appreciation.
So one envies the three players in Rain, as they shall elicit countless such moments during the their run in the DreamBig Childrens Festival. Billed as a "mesmerising and immersive sensory experience", this show is all that and more.
Rain starts with a transition into the piece. Babe-in-arms, we enter a small, black-clad space where long strips of white fabric hang from netting strung above our heads. A soundtrack of wet weather plays as we walk around and amongst the "rain", letting the soft material brush over face and body. With muted light, soft white noise and calming guidance, we are slowly acclimatised to the presence of the show, which is welcoming and relaxed after the stressful rush to get ready and to the theatre in time.
Presently, we are led into the performance space and seated on a soft lamb’s wool rug that edges the white stage. Sarah Lockwood, Carolyn Ramsey and cellist Edwina Cordingley take their positions and it begins. Babies and adults alike are delighted by a mix of cello, voice, percussion, textiles, water, touch, and mist. The trio successfully deliver on a multi-sensory experience.
The audience is intimate at just 10 babies per performance, which sounds small but is actually perfect. After the main event, babies are encouraged to explore the beautifully crafted installation space, allowing them to extend their experience beyond the allotted 40 minutes.
This is an exquisitely simple piece that has been developed with a strong understanding of, and affection for, its target audience. This mummy loved it to the moon and back.
Nicole Russo
When: 24 to 27 May 2017
Where: Rehearsal Room 1, Adelaide Festival Centre
Bookings: Sold out