Songs For The Fallen - Review

Utterly, utterly awesome! This was an amazing performance on so many levels - the music, the acting, the script. This show was pure entertainment from the moment it opened until the end.

Songs for the Fallen is written by Sheridan Harbridge it is based on the life of Marie Duplessis who was a courtesan, party girl, liar and a legend.  Marie led an extraordinary life, be it a short one as she died from Tuberculosis at the age of 23 on 3 February 1847.  Marie did not have the best start in life she moved to Paris at fifteen, but rose from the gutter by entertaining a number of prominent and wealthy men. She loved the finer things in life and spent as much as she earned.

Sheridan plays Marie in a flawless performance. She is funny, energetic, moving and raunchy! Sheridan has the most amazing singing voice which just got stronger as the show went on.  Ben Gerrard and Garth Holcombe played all the other characters in Marie's life. They too were fantastic, they sang, danced, kissed and played too many characters and accents to recall!
The play was centred around Marie's boudoir which was brilliantly dressed, with French flair.  There were various props like a hobby horse and tricycle which added to the comedy and imagery of the production.  I was going to say simplicity but this production was far from simple. Yes, some of the props were simple but the timing, staging and pace of the piece made it very complex.  The music was also very intricate with Basil Hogios (Musical Director/ Composer) playing various instruments and occasionally accompanied by the actors.

The play has a great rawness about it, Marie constantly talks to the audience giving the evening a very intimate feel. She tells us that she is not going to talk in a French accent all night, and gives us the moral of the tale throughout the show, my favourite one was "don't masturbate to Radio Head". Yes, it is not all set in 1847 and they locate the theatre too by saying that the show is just 75 minutes, as there is only two hour parking around the Seymour Centre!

Congratulations to all those involved in this production, this could be one of my top picks for 2013.

SEYMOUR CENTRE WELCOMES CRITICAL STAGES AS NEW RESIDENT COMPANY

Critical Stages, the national professional organisation for independent theatre, is the latest arts organisation to take up residency in the Seymour Centre.

This takes the number of resident companies at the popular, multi-venue arts centre to four, joining with Shaun Parker and Co, chronology arts and SIMA Jazz.

In recent years Critical Stages has become Australia’s leading producer of touring theatre from the independent theatre sector. In the past six years the company has toured fourteen productions by some of the country’s leading independent theatre practitioners.

Critical Stages was established in 2005 as an initiative of Darlinghurst Theatre Company, with core funding initially from Arts NSW and then with triennial initiative funding from the Australia Council from 2009-2011. In January 2011 Critical Stages separated from Darlinghurst Theatre Company to form as a separate not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, with a dedicated management staff and board of Directors.

In 2012 Critical Stages has three productions on the road performing in all states of Australia: THE FLOOD
by Jackie Smith (co-produced with Finucane & Smith); the award winning BOY GIRL WALL by The Escapists, performed by Lucas Stibbard and SYNCOPATION by Allan Knee (co-produced with The Follies Company). This is supplemented by an annual program of work dedicated to touring to the community presenter circuit throughout regional and remote NSW.

It is with great excitement that the Seymour welcomes Critical Stages into our building. In many ways this residency is a natural fit: Over the past few years the Seymour has become home to many successful independent theatre productions, often as part of one of Sydney’s cultural festivals or our own Reginald season of independent works. I look forward to developing future projects with Critical Stages and showcasing them here at the Seymour before they head off to tour the country – Tim Jones Artistic Director Seymour Centre

Critical Stages is delighted to take up residence at The Seymour Centre. As we grow our horizons and offer further opportunities to give future life to independent theatre productions from around the country it is vital to do so from an important artistic hub. Our new home at The Seymour Centre will give us the infrastructure to offer independent artists more support and we look forward to using it as springboard to see their productions find new audiences – Luke Cowling, Artistic Director/CEO, Critical Stages

The Seymour Centre - www.seymourcentre.com

Located in the heart of Sydney University, the Seymour Centre champions cultural exploration and audience engagement. The Centre presents an eclectic mix of the best of contemporary performing arts and encourages participation from audiences across all Sydney communities.

Critical Stages – www.criticalstages.com.auCritical Stages nurtures and supports independent artists, working together to bring exceptional experiences to audiences everywhere. Our vision is to drive a continuous transformation of the performing arts landscape by championing independent theatre.