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Othello: Presented by The Actors Hub

30 November 2024 Manuela Kacomanolis

Othello Rating

★★★★★

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Taking on any play by William Shakespeare is no easy feat, especially in theatre, where actors are required to memorise heavy and complicated dialogue. Amanda Crewes, through the talented cast at The Actors Hub, has done a tremendous job bringing Othello to life.

Although the play is set in what appears to be the present time, this is evident from the clothing worn by the cast, Amanda has remained true to Shakespear’s words.

For those who are not big fans or accustomed to Shakespearean talk, you should not be put off. Extra concentration may be needed (as in any Shakespeare story) to follow every interaction between the characters. However, you should still be able to understand the essence of the play and the storyline.

The protagonist and title character Othello, who, despite his ethnicity, has risen through the ranks of a white society to become a General in Venice and marry a white woman, the noble Desdemona. Roderigo, a wealthy man, longs for Desdemona. He is heartbroken upon learning the news of Desdemona’s marriage to Othello.

Trouble ensues when Lago, who serves under Othello, is overlooked for the position of lieutenant in favour of a less experienced soldier, Michael Cassio. Filled with bitterness and resentment, Lago devises a web of lies in his plot to bring down Othello as revenge for this perceived injustice. On his path to destroy Othello, he manipulates those around him, cunningly convincing Othello of Desmonda being unfaithful, which leads to devasting consequences.

Amanda cleverly uses a giant chess board as the central focus of the stage, with the characters performing in and around the board. Every move Lago makes on the chess board is matched with a move he makes in destroying Othello.

The play is long, which makes me applaud the amazing cast, which never misses a beat. Leo Rimmer, Bernard Bolum, Kayla Merritt, Jayk Thomas, and Jet Fairlie are exceptional in portraying their characters.

Even if you are not a Shakespeare fan, the play is worth viewing to see these rising young actors.

To book tickets to Othello, please visit https://actorshubperth.com.au/productions/

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Manuela Kacomanolis

Crimson Gully

21 November 2024 Manuela Kacomanolis

Crimson Gully Rating

★★★★★

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Powerful and engrossing, Crimson Gully is a brilliantly written play by Sreekanth Gopalakrishnan.

Set in the 1990s, the story centres on a brothel within the fictitious town of Chandapur in India.

Crimson Gully, which translates to Red Light Street, shines a light on the prostitution industry, forcing the audience to look beyond the societal labels associated with the women in the brothel and see them as individuals with complex lives, aspirations and personal battles.

The play opens with the young and popular worker, Muskaan, performing a traditional South Asian dance known as Mujra to the clients.

Having born and grown up in the brothel, Muskaan accepted her fate and circumstances long ago but she does not see herself as a victim but rather a person who unlike the other girls, has chosen to remain in the brothel. However, deep inside she longs for another life but does not believe she is worthy of it.

Then there is Champa, who did all the things that society expected of her as a woman. She met a man, got married and had a child but lost it all when her husband died and she was left cleaning up the destruction and financial mess he left behind. Without any education or qualifications, she finds herself in the brothel, the only way she knows how to make a living.

The young and innocent Mansi, from a seemingly good family, shows the viewers how girls like her end up in the brothel through no choice of her own. Much like Champa’s situation, it also proves that marriage is not always the answer to a attaining a better life.

Jamuna, the eldest, having spent most of her life in the brothel, now just serves as the caretaker and cook.

Taai is the madam of the brothel. Initially, viewers may think of her as a villain but as the story evolves it’s clear that she is as much of a victim as the rest of the women, trapped in her circumstances and in many ways acts as their protector.

It is the few people at the top driven by greed and power, in this instance all men, that keep the women trapped in their unfortunate circumstances and other men in line. The simmering tensions build up to a dramatic climax that does not disappoint.

Gopalakrishnan, who also designed and directed Crimson Gully, does not shy away from bringing to the forefront weighty topics such as political corruption, human trafficking, misogyny, and poverty and how they are all interconnected.

Inspired by the DW documentary India’s Prostitution Village, Gopalakrishnan provides a realistic account of the industry. It is a story which could take place in any culture and in any country but the elements of greed and corruption remain the same. Crimson Gully provides an insight into how corruption from the top can trickle down and poison society as a whole.

The Great Indian Theatre Company brings the story to life, with all cast members delivering solid and powerful performances. Crimson Gully is not to be missed.

Photographer: Albert Antony Roy

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Manuela Kacomanolis

The Milky Way Film Review

15 October 2024 Manuela Kacomanolis

The Milky Way Rating

★★★★★

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The Milky Way, the creation of multi-talented Israeli director, writer and editor Maya Kenig is a thought-provoking story with a hint of dystopia surrounding two young mothers and their newborn babies.

Although both women live very different lives, Tala a single mum and struggling indie musician, and Nili, a wealthy married housewife, their desperation for wanting the best for their own child leads them to consciously choosing to have each other in their lives.

When Tala accepts a job at a breast milk production company called The Milky Way, she sees it as an easy way to make money. The women who work there are required to pump milk in their plush cubicles fitted with pumping equipment, a comfortable reclining armchair, and a screen showing images of their babies and much like dairy cows, uninterrupted views of the green paddock.

The job is portrayed like any other regular job where the employees have lunch breaks, must seek approval of management if they need to take time off, and are reprimanded for breaking the rules. It doesn’t take too long for the feisty and head strong Tala to start breaking the rules.

Curiosity gets the better out of Tala, played by real life musician, Hila Rauch, when she hitches a ride with a milkman on his way to do his rounds and discovers that one of the homes he is dropping off milk is the home of the woman who is receiving her breast milk, Nili, played by Hadas Yaron. Wanting to know more about this woman, Tala sneaks into the house and hides herself. She manages to escape but fate brings her back to Nili when she realises she has left her phone in Nili’s house.

Nili eventually finds out that she has been the recipient of Tala’s milk but her paranoia steers her to making a proposal too good for Tala to refuse, especially given Tala’s precarious situation at that time.

The women form a friendship and bond over motherhood but there’s always an imbalance of power that looms in the background of their friendship. That imbalance of power comes to light when Tala crosses a line with Nili and is forced reflect on whether she is giving more of herself away than just her milk.

The film touches on ethical and moral issues in an entertaining manner without it being so obvious. The exploitation of vulnerable lower income mothers, the judgment women face for not breast feeding are just a few.

More strongly targeted at women, this is a film any woman will find engrossing whether they’re a mother or not.

To book tickets to this or other films click https://www.jiff.com.au/

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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Poe Dreams of Madness

2 October 2024 Manuela Kacomanolis

Poe Dreams of Madness Rating

★★★★★

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Decked out with skeletons, skulls and all décor dark and spooky, the moment theatregoers stepped into the Garrick Theatre, they were transported into a gothic world with a focus on ghosts, murder and mayhem, and a dose of eccentricity.

From the famed American writer and poet Edgar Allan Poe, a series of his tales were brought to life by talented young actors of the Teens at Garrick theatre group for Poe Dreams of Madness.

The play begins with Edgar himself, superbly played by Annie Dahn as the troubled and eccentric protagonist. Unsure whether he’s dreaming or awake, he looks back on some of his greatest tales, unaware that he is the mastermind behind their creation. Like a dream he’s desperately trying to recall, there are moments when lines that are spoken become familiar to him, but it’s an ongoing struggle for him to put pieces of the puzzle together.

The play is reminiscent of A Christmas Carol, where Scrooge is taken back at the stroke of midnight to watch his past play out before him. However, in this instance, it is the raven who takes Edgar on a journey to watch his tales play out before him.

Edgar was one of America’s greatest writers, but he was a tortured soul. In 1849, he was found in the gutters outside a Baltimore polling station, disoriented, incoherent, and wearing another man’s clothes. It is almost as though he is transported from that moment to the start of the play, unable to make sense of what is happening, what is real, and what is not real.

Nine of his tales are retold, including his most well-known, The Raven, and The House of the Fall of Usher, which, for those who may be interested, is currently streaming on Netflix. Each scene tells a different tale, and the transitions between each scene are seamless and skillful.

The stories build up to a climax, at which Edgar is confronted with characters from his stories and, in a way, confronted with himself. All characters are played with great passion and enthusiasm from the young cast.

The set was simple but very effective, with few props but it was all that was needed together with mood lighting to make the audience feel they were inside a dim-lit gloomy study room of an old 19th century brick building.

Poe Dreams of Madness left me wanting to know more about Edgar’s life and his works but for anyone into dark gothic tales, you will not be disappointed.

For tickets, book online at https://www.taztix.com.au/garricktheatre/

or Phone Bookings:
TAZ Tix 9255 3336

Venue: Garrick Theatre
16 Meadow St, Guildford

Performance Dates:
September 27, 28, 29*, October 4, 5*, 5eve, 6*, 11, 12
All evening shows at 7.30pm.
*Matinees at 2pm

Tickets: Adult $28, Concession $23, Members $22
Child Under 18 years $15

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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