The Knowledge - Review

OMG what a performance, what a great piece of theatre. The Knowledge is written by John Donnelly. John is a English writer and has taught is several schools in the UK. It is from his experiences that he has generated this compelling, confronting, tense piece of drama.
Being English and been educated through the comprehensive system in England and a former teacher this work brought back many memories that I had tried to suppress.  This play is depressing, it touches on everything that can go wrong with the Education system. However, the way it has been constructed and written makes you laugh time and time again. It is fast paced, full of energy and heaps of humour that you almost forget the misfortune of the characters.
Zoe played by Silvina D'Alessandro is a probationary teacher, her first job and she unfortunately lands herself with the Citizenship class. The class that nobody wants to teach. There is Karris played by Karli-Rae Gorgan she is the dim witted blonde who will drop her knickers for anybody who shows and interest. She is full of life but sadly has little hope for her future beyond school. Then there is Sal played by Isaro Kayitesi, she sees life as it is but can barely read. Mickey played by Benjanim Ross is the bad lad. He has trouble controlling his temper and his month and typically thinks that the world owes him. Then finally there is Daniel, the quieter more brooding boy who one day might just snap. All the children do not have ideal backgrounds. Finally, there is Harry (Barry French) and Maz (Brett Rogers) who are there to support Zoe but unfortunately they are less than supportive. Maz seduces Zoe as he does with many female teachers and students. Harry is one of the senior staff members is more worried about OFSTED (the British schools inspectors) and trying to cover things up than face the true.  The play is very intense you are never too sure what is going to happen next or how things are going to turn out.
The acting is superb by all the actors. The script is so well written and not an easy one for the actors either. It is very face paced and the quick witted humour is brilliant. The way some of the scenes are conducted, like the sex sense with Daniel and Karli is hilarious.  The direction by Rebecca Martin is very good, having taught herself I expect the success of this is partly down to her knowledge of children and the education system.
This production does contain cause language and adult themes and if you are planning go into teaching this may put you off. However, I would highly recommend it, it is certainly one of the best I have seen this year, congratulations pantsguys Productions who presented this in association with The Spare Room.
The Knowledge is playing at the New Theatre until the 3 November, for more info click here.

Vernon God Little

Reviewed by Regina Su

From the 14^th of August until the 15^th of September, the New Theatre presents Vernon God Little. Just a short stroll down Newtown’s Kings Street will take you to this independent theatre, a hidden gem.Vernon God Little is a satirical piece that handles powerful and moving themes surrounding the commercialisation of horror and corruption of media with aneclectic, yet comical sass. The play is presented with flawless scene changes and thoughtfully appropriate mis en scene. The cast of emerging actors radiate passion, they give their characters their all in many powerful individual performances. 

The play is fast-paced and helter skelter and uses a myriad of mediums from tap dancing to singing. The performance is possibly a slight challenge for the audience to keep up with, which in turn undermines moments of empathy. Perhaps the theatrical and textual integrity of the play was compromised by the juxtaposed disco-ordinate craziness. Often, the small intensified moments of humanity and vulnerability were all but swept under the carpet, losing the atmosphere so carefully woven earlier. That said, the play confronts very real issues regarding the sacrificing of innocent victims to fuel and commercialise tragedies in the media. There is an especially strong focus on the corruption and mass hysteria brought about within media, particularly the exploitative, self-aggrandising behaviours of aspiring reporters/journalists and the tendency of humans to betray one another to serve their own ends. This cynical view of the human condition is relevant in today’s world of mass shootings and the 24 hour news cycle. Warning to minors- there are frequent explicit sexual references.

Click here for further information: http://www.whatsonsydney.com/eventDetails.aspx/20137/vernon-god-little

Quiet Companions and The Bryce is Right - double bill, Review

This double bill Quiet Companions and The Bryce is Right was at the New Theatre just for a few nights, 25 - 28 August.
It was a very enjoyable Saturday night at the theatre. Both were very different from each other making it a good double bill. The first Quiet Companions starred Lyn Pierse and Marko Mustac.  Set in a Victorian Salon the two characters find themselves stood up by their friends, so decide to embark on their own parlor games.  These were based on many impro games and were very funny. The awkwardness between the two is very apparent and as the games progress the innocent flirting begins and ends with the revelation of a dark secret. Lyn Pierse was superb, she didn't need to speak, her face said it all. The only thing that I thought let this play down was the end, it just didn't make sense and really didn't fit with the lightheartedness of the rest of the play.  The performance was enhanced by some impro music from Bryce.
The Bryce is Right, is Bryce Halliday debut as a one man show. Bryce is very talented not long out of University where he studied music and in particular Musical Theatre.  He is heavily involved in Impro Australia and has provided the music for many of their Theatresports championships.  His one man show was a musical journey through things that are wrong, according to Bryce! The show contained music, jokes, storytelling and more. It was a brave move by Bryce and he obviously felt more comfortable behind the piano. The electronic techniques were clever and I didn't even realise possible. Bryce is one to watch, even though this show, in my opinion still needs a bit of spit and polish, he has a long career ahead of him and I can't wait to see where he is going to take it.

Entertaining Mr Sloane - Review

Entertaining Mr Sloane is playing at the New Theatre in Newtown until the 14 July. It is a must see. This is going to be a short review because I thought it was fantastic.
Entertaining Mr Sloane is by Joe Orton and English writer who was sadly murdered in 1967. This play has a sinister side to it too, I wonder if he was anticipating his own demise?
Kath (Alice Livingstone) is a lonely woman looking for love in her newly found lodger the young Mr Sloane (Brynn Loosemore). Ed (Pete Nettell), Kath's brother,  who is a bit of a spiv also rather likes the Mr Sloane and gets him to work for him as his driver. Kemp or Dada (Frank McNamara), their father, is the only one who really knows who Mr Sloane real is. The first act in particular is extremely funny. Alice really played her role to perfection as the flirtation and slightly mad Kath. The second act was more sinister though it wasn't as tense as maybe it could have been and there was certainly less humour in it.
It was a thoroughly enjoyable performance. All the actors but particularly Alice were brilliant. The staging gave that slightly old, musty sort of a feel about it, that if you were actually there you would want to wash your hands when you left!
You must go and see this, it was theatre as theatre should be, a great night of entertainment.

Lord of the Flies – adapted by Nigel Williams, from the novel by William Golding

NOW SHOWING until 12th May 2012

Where: New Theatre, 542 King St Newtown

Tickets: Full $30, Concession $25

Director: Anthony Skuse

10 boys, lost on an island with no Peter Pan to lead them to food, shelter and survival.

It doesn’t take long for these mixed-class youths to become angry, violent and haunted by a mysterious ‘beast’ which lurks in the depths of the forest/their minds.

If you haven’t already read William Golding’s incredibly famous 1954 novel Lord of the Flies then you will probably find this play mildly confusing and have a furrowed brow through most of the two acts.

However, you will LOVE this play if you are a fan of the novel, which depicts the gradual deterioration of order and humanity told through snooty, competitive high school boys whose (unusually fierce) primal instincts take over and savagery ensues when they are stranded on an island.

The cast range from 14-28 years old and each has impeccable diction and the power of voice that is necessary to command such complex roles.

A show-stopping performance takes place at the very end of the first act when Stephen Lloyd-Coombs who plays ‘Simon’, a delusional, schizophrenic character, breaks down when his inner beast swallows up his rational self and leaves him screaming, panting and curled up in a ball. This is the best scene of the first act which is otherwise a little tame.

The second act is brutal and the energy created onstage is ramped up to a tense and frightening level when the boys lose their sanity and become obsessed with hunting and killing.

The minimalistic staging complete with water surrounding the multi-level stage adds to the feeling of utter isolation which the novel creates. It is just the boys and their inner battle of good versus evil.

Each actor has a presence and I was blown away by the intensity and commitment each actor had to their character, especially their clear, strong voices. Seton Pollock is excellent in his depiction of ambitious and cutthroat ‘Jack’, the one who falls the hardest and with the direst of consequences.

Despite feeling a little uncomfortable when, by the end of the play, all characters are wearing only tidy-whitey underpants symbolising their devolution and weakening state, the second act was by far the most exciting and physically and emotionally confronting.

All in all, a fantastic production once the story deepened and the characters adapt to life in an uninhabitable environment. I would definitely see another play with these actors in it.

Reviewed by Lana Hilton

Interviews with Alice Livingstone, Hannah Pike and Otto Wicks-Green

These interviews were recorded on the Hubbub show, Triple H 100.1fm,  5 March 2012.

Alice Livingstone is an actress and director, she is currently directing a play The Weir at the New Theatre in Newtown. Listen to her interview to find out more about Alice, the New Theatre and The Weir

Otto Wicks-Green is the guitarist from SleepsMakesWaves. Otto joined the band in 2009, they have just toured Australia and about to go to America. Find out more about Otto and the band.

Hannah Pike is the Food Director for Brand Events who organise the annual event Taste of Sydney. Find out what Taste of Sydney is and how it all started.


(please note the link will become inactive in about 3 months time, call 02 99403649 if you would like to listen)

The Temperamentals

The Temperamentals by Jon Marans is playing at the New Theatre until 3 March. It is in association with the Sydney Mardi Gras and is an Australian Premiere.
Kevin Jackson the director has striped the play down to rely almost totally on the quality of the actors and the play itself. It is a brave move but it works and actors have to be commended for the role(s) they play.
Jon Marans has produced a piece of work that marks an important historical time in gay social history. It is set in the early 1950's long before Stonewall. It is a docu-drama based on true stories about Harry Hay and a group of men who set up the Mattachine Society. The Mattachine was organised to assert the human rights for sexual minorities. It is not a play that packs a powerful punch, there is drama and laughter, but it quietly and simply re-tells the stories of these men and their lives. I use the word 'quietly' because all the time you are reminded how secretive they had to be; living in fear of being arrested. Of course this happens to Dale Jennings, he is arrested for allegedly soliciting a police officer in a toilet. Dale confessed to being a homosexual (this was unheard of as people shied away from public scrutiny) but denied any wrongdoing. Dale was acquitted on the basis of police intimidation, harassment, and entrapment of homosexuals, and the case was dismissed. It was a landmark case and increased peoples awareness of the gay movement. Behind the actors throughout the show you will see projections of the men themselves which is a constant reminder that this is a true story. You are reminded how unacceptable it was to be gay, you had to be married with children to be socially acceptable and even to advance your career, as Rudi discovers. You see conflict in the men between what they would like to be and what they have to be. Harry Hay (Douglas Hansell) the leader of The Mattachine is living a lie, he is married but having an affair with Rudi Gernriech (Daniel Scott). He also wrote a manifesto for homosexual rights. He eventually divorced realising that marriage wasn't going to 'cure' him!

This docu-drama serves as a reminder that we shouldn't forget what life was like for gay men and woman and how brave these men were and that even today people are still fighting for Gay Rights, with marriage being top of the agenda at the moment.
If you like social history you will enjoy this and if you intend on going to the Mardi Gras Parade seeing this first will give it a more powerful meaning.

Listen to our interview with Daniel Scott (Rudi Gernreich)

Interview with Daniel Scott

Daniel is currently playing in The Temperamentals at the New Theatre in Newtown. Daniel gives a first hand overview of the play and the character he plays.

Listen to this great interview recorded on Triple H 100.1 fm on The Hubbub.

(please note the link will become inactive in about 3 months time, call 02 99403649 if you would like to listen)

Stage Fright

After interviewing Ali the Director on Triple H 100.1fm I was looking forward to seeing the show. I had a feeling that I was going to be in for a great afternoon. Ali wrote the Day the Sky Turned Black, inspired by interviews with survivors of the Black Saturday Bushfires. The show gained wide critical acclaim across the globe; so I knew she was a women that wouldn't settle for anything less than perfect; I was right.
Stage Fright is a tale of a ghost who has to scare the people in the attic otherwise he won't pass his exam and the three children will have to stay in the attic for a whole year. So, they re-intact stories to try and scare each other, the trouble is one girl is un-scarable!  

Interview with Ali Kennedy Scott

Ali Kennedy Scott is currently directing Stage Fright, which is playing at the New Theatre in Newtown. Ali wrote The Day the Sky Turned Black which was inspired by interviews with survivors if the Black Saturday Bushfires. The show has gained wide critical praise all over the world. 

To find out more about Ali and the productions of Stage Fright listen to our interview, which was recorded on Triple H 100.1fm on The Hubbub show.

(please note the link will become inactive in about 3 months time, call 02 99403649 if you would like to listen)

Gasping by Ben Elton

Gasping is playing at the New Theatre until 10 December. It is directed by the very talented Helen Tonkin.
It is an amazing production and if you have the pre-Christmas blues you should see it, as it will have you giggling for a full hour or so. Ben Elton is a very talented writer most of you will know him for Blackadder and The Young Ones. However, what he writes is not easy on the actors and Alan Faulkner who plays Sir Chifley Lockheart and Oliver Wenn who plays Philip both have very challenging roles, both played the parts extremely well; all the actors did.
Ben wrote this play many years ago but the topic is still very relevant today and sadly will be for many years to come. Basically it is about company greed. Sir Chifley Lockheart is the owner of the Lockheart empire, very rich, but wants more! He is looking for the next 'pot noodle', something that nobody has thought of yet; but is simple and everyone will want it. "Hold all my calls I think we have a Pot Noodle in the building!" Yes, Philip (one of Sir Chifley Lockhearts yes men) comes in with the idea - Suck and Blow. The machine that cleans and stores oxygen so you never  have to breathe second hand air again. Julia Kennedy Scott plays Kirsten the marketing expert. She pulls together a series of campaigns that launches Suck and Blow onto the market. For anybody into advertising you will particularly enjoy her scenes. Of course it all gets out of control and before you know it air is being sucked from Africa and burnt off in England to keep the prices inflated. Bob Geldof is running Air Aid to help the people in Africa who have no air, yes it is all very clever and really brings to the fore what a mad world we live in.

Interview with Helen Tonkin

Helen Tonkin is currently directing Gasping by Ben Elton. It opens at the New Theatre on 16 November.
Helen has had an extensive acting career as well as being a director. Hear which she prefers and what Gasping is all about.
The interview was recorded on Triple H 100.1fm on The Hubbub, hosted by Philippa Bird

Click here to listen

Lucky by Ferenc Alexander Zavaros

Lucky is a artistic physical performance portraying the voyage of two brothers and a human trafficker across the seas to a new brighter future.
The story is relatively simple the two brothers are following in the footsteps of their other brother, Lucky, in the hope for a better future in Australia.  The human trafficker is in it for the money which he needs for his family.  They are not well equipped for the journey, just a few belongings, water, rope and a radio. It is a story of hope and determination as well as illusion. It takes the audience on a journey of life, death and fear of the unknown.
The production is set on a large raft which moves about the stage as it would in the sea.  The staging of the storm and the symbolic movement in the water were very polished and well orchestrated. 
This was a stunningly, smooth performance.  There was great use of sound with live performance and the use of the radio broadcasts which changed as the raft came closer to Australia.
The director Sama Ky Balson and the creative team made what could have been a very dull performance into an entertaining 50 minute physical production.
Sama is the founder of IPAN, International Performing Arts Network, which was established in Paris in 2009, where it hosted it's first International Theatre Exchange workshop. Ten theatre practitioners from seven countries collaborated and shared methodologies. The workshop gathered around 200 students over ten days. Lucky is an IPAN production in association with The Spare Room.

The Farnsworth Invention by Aaron Sorkin

The Farnsworth Invention open on Wednesday 13 July at the New Theatre in Newtown.  I have to say from the outset that I invariably come away impressed with the performances that the New Theatre. The staging, lighting and sound are always excellent; not to say the rest of the attributes are not, but it is just not always recognised how important these are in making a good production into a great production.
The set for this performance just set the scene so perfectly, the music was a joy to listen to, particularly during the interval. 
Aaron Sorkin at the age of 28 won the John Gassner Awared as Outstanding New American Playwright for A Few Good Men. His most recent feature film screenplay is The Social Network, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. There are similarities in the story between The Social Network and The Farnsworth Invention.
Philo Farnsworth was a genius scientist who came up with the idea of the electronic television while he was still at school! The story of what happened and how the first television and radio productions came about is fascinating, well it is thanks to Aaron Sorkin, who has managed to make the story into a great play.  He playfully mixes it up with storytelling and scripted scenes. He cleverly makes the audience feel involved and throughout the performance you would hear people call out in agreement.

DirtyLand by Elise Hearst

Dirtyland is currently playing at the New Theatre in Newtown until 7 May. Last night was the opening of this premiere production.
As Anya played by Megan Holloway says at the beginning, it is a story about her tooth. The play is set on the site of a massacre and the story takes place in the aftermath. The staging and production of Dirtyland makes this production. The actual play itself is confusing to say the least.  I was unsure of what the writer was trying, if anything, to portray. The characters didn't develop and you didn't feel any empathy towards any of them. You could certainly tell it was written by a woman as they were only two males both of which remove their clothes! There is some sexual tension and it briefly touches on the subject of rape, incest and homosexuality but there are huge holes in the story.  Please go and see it and if you can tell me the answer to these questions I will be very grateful, what is it with the buttons? Why couldn't anybody leave? Why did they have to pay for the train journey with mirrors? How did they get food and milk with no money?  I have more but you get the idea. Perhaps that was it,  Elise wants you to make up the story and fill in the gaps, well it did have my husband and I talking about it for a whole hour on our journey home. It was like seeing one of those art works that is all red with one dot of white and you just think, what the ....?

Canary by Jonathan Harvey

Canary is currently playing at the New Theatre in Newtown and is part of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras.  I know some of you haven't moved on since 1962 and won't go but please just because it is part of the Festival don't let that stop you seeing a very funny and highly entertaining play.