Adelaide Festival Centre. Festival Theatre. 19 Jan 2018
It was quite literally a landmark event at the Festival Theatre.
The Walk of Fame Gala celebrated the embedding of the names of 130 luminaries in the riverside plaza walk, those who have trodden the stage of the theatre over its 45 years. It stands as a showbiz nostalgia salute which, with online voting for a large selection of stars, involved the approbation of much of the Adelaide citizenry.
Finally, the earthed stars had been officially revealed. Politicians made speeches and preened for photo ops with celebrities all glittering in the summer heatwave. The dear old theatre itself sported its deep new foyer carpets and the excited Walk of Fame Gala audience streamed in for a rousing variety concert to mark the day.
The use of big triangular blocks as stage setting, one dangling precipitously over the stage, had an oddly 70s aesthetic which made sense when it was explained that they reiterated the sail motif of the Festival Centre architecture.
In its way, the concert sang the old era, too; it was all very trad.
Jamie Goldsmith and the Taikurtinna dancers presented an arresting Welcome to Country in the half-light behind a spectacular art projection which featured the far-distant image of little Wright Island at Encounter Bay.
Then, in dramatic cultural contrast, there was Greta Bradman aloft on stairs, shimmering in a golden gown under a flare of blue lights. She sang opera from deep within the European tradition, Puccini, clear, high rich vibrato and very formal.
Not so with popular Todd McKenney who emerged as master of ceremonies, so full of beans that one felt he might almost pop out of himself. He teased the audience with a taste of Peter Allen and promised good things to come.
And the show rolled forth. Beccy Cole, in long black boots, did her beer-skulling routine and was hilariously self-deprecatory when not singing like a Country and Western angel. She’s a gem. She brought the house down.
The divine Nancye Hayes, in bright red slacksuit, belted out Broadway Baby and then a duet of You’re Getting to be a Habit with Me with her oft-times performance partner McKenney.
Children’s entertainer Peter Combe did his usual thing but with the wonderful onstage orchestra.
Slava Grigoryan’s exquisite guitar soothed the soul and was joined by Niki Vasilakis on violin with the Histoire de Tango and then, for something completely different, the lithe and muscular ADT dancers writhed and undulated in intriguing synchronous formations with a tall potted plant and an almost industrial soundscape. They were like verdant sprites. It was an excerpt of their Beginning of Nature program. It was mesmerising.
Rhonda Burchmore materialised, timeless and classic with her red hair shimmering in the lights. She and McKenney had a You’re the Best duet, McKenney still looking as if he wanted to burst into dance.
Adelaide’s most beloved actor Paul Blackwell had a tough call in the midst of the song and dance. Downstage and in Cockney character, he performed a period piece, a monologue about shallow but talented showbiz folk of the vaudevillian era. His description of the performing pigeons lady lingers in mind’s eye.
And the show rolled on with the splendid Zephyr Quartet amid the accompaniment. James Morrison made the rafters ring with his beautiful mellow jazz trumpeting, The only off note of this historic gala was, oddly enough, from Tim Minchin who treated the audience to a new composition, a very long song called If this Plane Goes Down. This unfunny, fear-laden song did not go down. His Matilda hit, When I grow up, did go down, however, and so did his duet of I Still Call Australia Home with McKenney. Finally, with a big ending of Rio, McKenney got to release a bit of the pent-up physicality. Applause. Applause.
And Adelaide's Walk of Fame was official, ready to take new stars as they rise.
Samela Harris
At its inception the Adelaide Festival Centre's Walk Of Fame included the following names:
WALK OF FAME ARTISTS
| 1973 Ernie Sigley Julie Anthony Peter Brook & Royal Shakespeare Company |
1974 Tristram Cary Robert Helpmann Daddy Cool |
1975 Elizabeth Cameron Dalman John Farnham Roy Orbison |
| 1976 Joan Sutherland Cold Chisel Merce Cunningham |
1977 Keith Michell Ruth Cracknell Rudolf Nureyev |
1978 Dennis Olsen Olivia Newton-John Ella Fitzgerald |
| 1979 John Gaden Dame Edna Everage Gene Pitney |
1980 Nick Enright Peter Allen June Bronhill |
1981 Janet Vernon Peter Goers Liza Minnelli |
| 1982 Mary Moore John Wood Debbie Reynolds |
1983 David Williamson Geoffrey Rush Joni Mitchell |
1984 Thomas Edmonds Hugo Weaving Richard Harris |
| 1985 Bobby Limb Anthony Warlow Kiri Te Kanawa |
1986 Nancye Hayes Robyn Archer John Denver |
1987 Gale Edwards Garry McDonald John Bell |
| 1988 Rosalba Clemente Peter Combe Georg Solti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra |
1989 Marilyn Richardson The Seekers Marcel Marceau |
1990 Paul Blackwell Anne Wills Eric Clapton |
| 1991 Shaun Micallef Gary Sweet Jacki Weaver |
1992 Jim Sharman Guy Pearce Eartha Kitt |
1993 Todd McKenney Noni Hazlehurst Carmel Johnson |
| 1994 Meryl Tankard John Williamson Michael Nyman |
1995 Douglas McNicol Cate Blanchett Slava Grigoryan |
1996 Patrick White Rhonda Burchmore Philippe Genty |
| 1997 Richard Bonynge Deborah Mailman Wesley Enoch |
1998 Graeme Koehne Brian Gilbertson Lenny Henry |
1999 Benedict Andrews Billy Connolly Troy Cassar-Daley |
| 2000 Jane Peters Chrissy Amphlett Bryn Terfel |
2001 Andrew Bovell David Campbell Bert Newton |
2002 Lucinda Dunn James Morrison Jimmy Little |
| 2003 Nicholas Braithwaite Clive James Graeme Murphy |
2004 Arvo Volmer Charles ‘Bud’ Tingwell Elizabeth Campbell |
2005 Ruby Hunter Tim Minchin Joe Cocker |
| 2006 Kasey Chambers Paul Kelly Mandy Patinkin |
2007 Johanna Allen Guy Sebastian Burt Bacharach |
2008 Beccy Colex The Umbilical Brothers Raymond Crowe |
| 2009 Jimmy Barnes Kate Ceberano Pinchas Zukerman |
2010 Hugh Sheridan Niki Vasilakis The Angels |
2011 Natsuko Yoshimoto Glenn Shorrock Paco Peña |
| 2012 Geoff Cobham Tina Arena Tan Dun |
2013 Leigh Warren Rachael Leahcar Carole King |
2014 Garry Stewart Nick Cave Pepe Romero |
| 2015 Greta Bradman Adam Hills Jacqy Phillips |
2016 Dami Im Hugh Colman Billy Crystal |
Leading Line Productions & Tony Knight Productions. The Bakehouse Theatre. 18 Jan 2018
Maude’s (Stefanie Rossi) hurried, frightened rush into her apartment, locking the door and leaning against it in relief, signals danger and entrapment before a word has been spoken.
When the insistent knocking and calling of a man on her door starts, the fear he is more than a good Samaritan claiming back his flashlight after helping Maude out with her car earlier, is like a deafening klaxon alarm.
He needs to make a call. He’s in between home, and where his partner may possibly be. So Maude lets him in.
The following hour unfurls as a power play between Peter (Marc Clement), who may or may not be an actor, a mechanic or anything and Maude, who is a doctor.
Peter is as imposing, needy and cruisy cool, as Maude is professional, polite and wearing thin on the hospitality front. Throw in the subject of a local crime spree against women by a subject dubbed ‘Toyer’ and things move beyond trivial banalities between strangers.
Director Tony Knight steers the production’s pace with deft care. He gives just the right depth and measure to playwright Gardner McKay’s quite disturbing yet illuminating exploration of the human capacity to seek control over people and circumstances in such a way that there is no consequence, consciously or unconsciously.
Both characters seek the upper hand, yet it is Maude who works hardest to separate fact from fiction. She fights to maintain her own inner balance in a surreal, terrifying, yet blackly comic situation in which a relationship between her and Peter is fashioned.
This relationship seems to be simultaneously predicated on inner emotional need and things as sinister as they are ordinary, depending on the circumstance minute to minute, action to action.
Stefanie Rossi and Marc Clement balance each other in performance brilliantly. Rossi’s confident, upper handed, intellectually sophisticated yet casual Maude has to work double time to compete with Clement’s roll out of Peter’s flash speed mind games, which owe their power to nothing more than well directed confidence and cunning.
These actors leave enough room for an audience to ask the hard questions that dive below the surface level of what they experience. Do I toy?
David O’Brien
When: 17 to 27 Jan
Where: The Bakehouse Theatre
Bookings: bakehousetheatre.com
Blue Sky Theatre and Open Gardens Australia. Crozier Hill. 12 Jan 2018
The surroundings could not be more beautiful: vast, groomed lawns rolling to reed-filled creeks; gracious gums against a backdrop of summer hills; birdsong; vivid parrots in sweeping fly-bys.
There, at glorious Crozier Hill, Victor Harbor, just for the wildly incongruous fun of it, unfolded a tale of the absurd ugliness of the human spirit - mischief, malice, vanity and duplicity.
It was Blue Sky Theatre presenting theatre in the garden under the Open Gardens Scheme. It was the brilliant director Dave Sims with an expertly-picked cast of creamy actors playing out Richard Sheridan’s comedy of manners which, full of greed and envy and lies, lies, lies, is alive and relevant and wickedly entertaining centuries later.
Blue Sky has chosen to bring the 1777 world forward to the 1950s wherein there was still a fairly rigid English class system and gossip columnists had Princess Margaret’s love life as grist for a tabloid mill.
The transition works a treat, especially since the company has sourced the classiest bespoke costumes one has seen on the stage in a very long time, featuring deep pleats, blankets of pearls, fanciful hats, elegant colour co-ordination on the women and suits so slick the men look as if they had just stepped out of a 50s cigarette commercial.
Since backstage was trestle tables behind the rows of plastic seating, the audience could see the lavish array of parlour props which embellished the action - endless silver trays loaded with bone china teacups or champagne and glasses and jugs of Pimms.
And there under twilight clouds, Sheridan’s wicked society set partied on the grass, the actors all equipped with beautiful, clear, well-projected voices which delivered every diabolical word of conspiracy and folly.
There did Lady Sneerwell preen and plot and there did old Sir Oliver Surface disguise and play-act to dupe and unveil the pretences of their vapid social set.
And there did the audience laugh and sip beautifully dry Picnic rose after picnics on the grass.
And there did they all applaud with true spirit and enthusiasm, for Blue Sky had delivered a classy, lovely, elegant, silly and funny production.
Of the marvellous cast, it must be said that Nicole Rutty takes the cream cake for her astute and hilarious characterisation as Lady Sneerwell. Never did an actor sneer so well.
She’s surrounded by fellow gossips, conspiratorial and sly.
Adrian Barnes swaps accents with the ease and alacrity with which he swaps disguises as the rich old uncle Surface home from the East Indies to see what his money-sucking nephews are up to. He’s fool and hero and funny. Lee Cook and Robert Bell embody those two spoiled Surface nephews, both with gorgeous, apt and amusing performances and, oh, those suits. Steve Marvanek, as Sir Peter Teazle, is clearly a rising talent in town as is Ashley Penny, disarming and charming as Maria. Joshua Coldwell plays both the gossip columnist Backbite and the crooked financier Tally - almost unrecognisable in effective characterisation. Kate Van Der Horst is an unusual Lady Teazel, a young woman as vicious as she is opportunistic. Van Der Horst plays her distinctly lower class than the society pack, a questionable but effective interpretation. Angela Short is eminently pleasing as awful Mrs Candour and Miriam Keane is gloriously loathsome as Miss Snake. The only actor who does not get to be loathed or pitied is Lindy LeCornu as dear, sweet, faithful, reliable old Nanny Rowley. People in the industry would know that as type casting.
The actors double up in roles and there are marvellous ensemble entries dancing in trench coats with newspapers.
When the cool of a country evening began to set in at interval, Blue Sky distributed cosy knee rugs to those who had arrived unprepared; a brilliant gesture.
And thus the opening night at verdant Crozier Hill was quite the old-fashioned triumph and the picnicked audience went away well pleased to spread the good word; this critic happily among them.
Samela Harris
Where/When: Crozier Hill - until 14 Jan
Rosebank, Mt Pleasant Jan 20 and 21
Carrick Hill Jan 26 and 28
Stangate House, Aldgate Feb 2 and 3
Bookings: blueskytheatre.com.au
The Gordon Frost Organisation/Adelaide Festival Centre. Festival Theatre. 10 Jan 2018
As one star falls, another is born.
This is the positive side of the explosive upheaval which beset the Adelaide run of the Rocky Horror Show. With national superstar Craig McLachlan ousted amid accusations of “inappropriate conduct”, understudy Adam Rennie was abruptly thrown into the deep end.
McLachlan is famous in the industry as one of those professionals who never misses a performance so his understudies don’t get out much. Under the stressful cloud of controversy, Rennie had scant time to brush up his act but polish it he did and he brought it out to shine.
Thus did Adam Rennie bring the audience to its collective feet in deafening acclaim.
Rennie is blessed with a truly beautiful voice and a good range. Just on his second night, one could see the actor growing into the role, inhabiting the character and making it his own. With some lovely comic timing, he brings to Frank N. Furter a cheeky, lighter spirit. He is more mischievous than lascivious, even in the famous bed scene. He is lithe and acrobatic, buff without being chunky and, from the comfortable expertise with which he executes the part, it is clear he’s been assiduous in shadowing the role behind the scenes. It’s all the stuff of which show bizz success stories are made - and it happened here in Adelaide before our eyes.
Responding to audience acclaim at curtain, Rennie showed modesty, gratitude and relief. It must be an incredible experience for him.
The rest of the Rocky cast swirls around him well practised in their parts, working hard as a professional touring company must, cues sharp, choreography bright and precise, voices strong and clear, albeit there are times when dialogue is indistinct.
Not so from our own Peter Goers as The Narrator. Every syllable resounds from that familiar ABC voice, suspenseful pauses underscoring the comic expectations of Rocky Horror's outlandish sci-fi sexy storyline. Suave in the vivid smoking jackets, he prowls the stage, pointers the dance steps and uses his considerable stage presence to obscure the fact that a dancer he is not. He, too, brings the house to deafening cheers of love and acclaim.
Rocky himself as played by Brendan Irving, is all shimmering muscles and sweetly dolt-faced, and is simply adorable, Rob Mallett as Brad and Michelle Smitheram as Janet are true to form, strongly sung and courageously funny. Kristian Lavercombe’s Riff Raff, with a richly-edged voice which could cut through galvanised iron, is spectacular. No wonder he has been playing the role in 1000 plus performances through assorted productions. His offsiders, Columbine from Nadia Komazec and Magenta from Amanda Harrison, are wicked, wily and sexy with a small, tight ensemble affected by quick changes and lots of you-beaut stage effects.
The show is loud. The small orchestra is onstage, aloft and just visible behind a giant faux celluloid screen. It is right there on every cue and quite the musical powerhouse.
Altogether, it’s a big, slick professional blockbuster show and worth the ticket price. Betwixt and between them all, with cohesion and discipline, this classy working company of actors has pretty seamlessly kept the show on the road despite the calamity of complaints by former cast members.
All power to them, and three cheers for a new Australian stage star, Adam Rennie.
Samela Harris
When: 28 Dec 17 to 13 Jan 18
Where: Festival Theatre
Bookings: SOLD OUT
The Gordon Frost Organisation/Adelaide Festival Centre. Festival Theatre. 5 Jan 2018
‘Transformative’, ‘audience engaging’ and ‘teasing’ are key descriptors that encompass a successful The Rocky Horror Show experience. Unfortunately, compromise has resulted in a less satisfying, diluted experience.
The ripping tale of two uptight lovebirds that get stranded in a storm and fatefully shelter in a castle housing a sexy psycho scientist has been doing the rounds for over 40 years. It is therefore imperative that every new director and cast discovers ways to express the show’s delicious line-crossing sexuality, alienation, and rebellion dressed in rich, lusty sci-fi characters and libidinous rock lyrics. These elements are at the absolute core of Richard O’Brien’s book and score - one of the most influential contemporary creations of its time.
Director Christopher Luscombe has a talented cast to work with. Craig McLachlan inhabits the very skin of lusty firebrand transsexual Frank N Furter with great confidence. He’s superbly supported by Amanda Harrison as Magenta and Kristian Laverscombe as Riff Raff. Uptight semi frigid couple Rob Mallett and Michelle Smitheram as Brad Majors and Janet Weiss are wonderfully all American screwed up kids of the science fiction era.
Most promising is designer Hugh Durrant’s fantastic set, paying clear homage to the original stage production captured in a filmed run, and lighting designer Nick Richings’ perfect late-night gory picture show lighting. Musical director Dave Skelton rocks it out as best as possible above stage, but unfortunately this works against a good sound mix.
For a work which has proven it can free the body and mind with two hours of highly intelligent sauciness this production has what one might call emotional blocks to absolute fulfilment, let alone pleasure.
Why does McLachlan spend so much time engaged in Benny Hill like comic business with a microphone? Why does there always seem to be a sense of nervousness about going for it when sexiness at its hottest and cleverest is required? What is Luscombe frightened of? O’Brien’s lyrics do not forgive lesser attempts to meet their hardcore demands. They could practically ask of the cast ‘why on earth are you here?’
While the first half of the evening is off kilter and time, the second redeems the production by perfectly expressing the emotional denouement of Frank N Furter and co. The passion, the sense of loss, love requited, and identity spurned is perfection. It seemed easier to run with, which was disquieting given the performances in the first half.
Nonetheless it is an enjoyable production and does get the front rows out of their seats dancing at the conclusion. Then again, a top notch production should incite them to dance and go riot from the very start.
David O’Brien
When: 28 Dec 17 to 13 Jan 18
Where: Adelaide Festival Theatre
Bookings: bass.net.au