Paige Jenkins🥉🦉 - Whats The Show

The Comedy of Errors

13/02/2026 Paige Jenkins🥉🦉

Comedy of Errors Rating

★★★★★

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Merrrigong Theatre Company’s Theatre Under the Stars presenting Sport for Jove’s ‘The Comedy of Errors’ opening night was a smash hit.

Outdoor theatre is always a good idea, and this performance showed exactly why. The staging, the technical elements, the beautiful lighting and abundance of excitement from the crowd (despite the high temperatures) created the most perfect atmosphere for an unconventional night at the theatre. Paper fans were provided by the staff to keep everyone cool and in high spirits until the sun set, which was a lovely and considerate touch. I’d recommend some sunscreen if you burn easily, as the seating area is uncovered, but the sunset is the perfect background as the plot begins to pick up and the lighting comes alive.

There was a lot to love about this show. As one of Shakespeare’s earliest and most fast-paced plays, ‘The Comedy of Errors’ is often not what first comes to mind when Shakespeare is brought up. This modern interpretation is the perfect blend of traditional and current humour and faux pas. It’s very easy to do Shakespeare badly, and incorporate too much or too little modernity, but Sport for Jove’s found that perfect balance that left the audience captivated and enjoying every minute.

The stunning voice of Naomi Belet has to be talked about. Her performance, whilst not a lead character, was an absolute standout. Her presence was abundant and whether she was in the background or centre stage, she was something to watch. She deserves all the applause, accolades and opportunities in her career.

The cast as a whole, were energetic and switched on, which makes any performance, but especially a comedy, just so much fun. Whether it was physical comedy or Shakesperean humour, or modern humour, it was just genuinely funny and not forced. It’s so easy to push the audience away with a comedy, and exasperate them with miscommunications and over-done jokes, but this was just perfect. You didn’t want to look away in case you missed anything as there were subtleties from supporting characters as well as the main action. They pushed through minor technical issues that made little impact as they could be heard from the back without their microphones on the odd occasion.

For those who describe themselves as “not Shakespeare” people, but enjoy a fun night out and a laugh, I would highly recommend this play. This is such peak Shakespeare in the way that you don’t need to understand every word to be able to follow along and enjoy the performance. It is such an accessible presentation that I urge everyone to buy a ticket and come alone. It is the least intimidating Shakespearean adaptation I’ve seen (and I have seen a lot of Shakespeare in my time) and it just opens up this little slice of history for anyone and everyone.

In all honesty, I think this may be one of, if not, the best, performance I have had the pleasure to review. I cannot recommend this enough to everyone. It would be a shame to miss this, so make sure you grab a ticket, bring a picnic, check the weather and plan accordingly, and have an amazing night out! ‘The Comedy of Errors’ runs until the 22nd of February at the University of Wollongong’s Koolobong Oval.

To book tickets to Comedy of Errors, please visit https://www.sportforjove.com.au/the-comedy-of-errors-2025.

Photographer: Grant Leslie

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Garabari

10/02/2026 Paige Jenkins🥉🦉

Garabari Rating

★★★★★

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‘Garabari’ opened at the Wollongong Town Hall for a limited run, with just two shows in Wollongong this weekend, and two shows at the Dapto Ribbonwood Centre on Saturday February 14th.

The performance was unlike anything I’ve seen. From the moment you walk up the street to the Town Hall, you are part of the experience. On the footpath out the front, a smoking ceremony was being held prior to the commencement of the show. Passersby without tickets were stopped to watch and enjoy the culture that was on display. It felt equally intimate and yet also incredibly inclusive to any and all people who were around.

Before entering the performance space, the choreographer and Wiradjuri artist Joel Bray shared the story of the creation of the Murrumbidgee river and how ‘Garabari’ was a reflection of that dreaming story. He also told us that this was going to be an interactive experience where the audience was to be encouraged to move around and see different aspects of the performance, and to not be afraid to get up and dance alongside the artists.

Walking into the space, it felt almost entirely brand new, despite having been in that same hall a hundred times before. The technical elements and the use of sound and lighting, with shadows and screens was exceptional. It felt like walking into an art gallery whilst also getting a taste of our very own Night at the Museum where the history comes to life and tells us their stories.

The dancing was captivating. Technique and culture came together to bring people into the story itself. (I would recommend wearing comfortable shoes, or ones you can kick off to allow yourself to move and breathe in the art.) The dancers were simply outstanding. You could tell they were enjoying themselves. Interacting with the audience, with each other, and with the space. It was so obvious that this was a labour of love, and those are always the most enriching to watch. To all the dancers, and creatives who are involved in this, thank you, and congratulations. You should all be incredibly proud of the work you have done and what you have created for so many to be able to experience and be a part of.

To put it simply, this was a lot of fun. It’s not all the time you get to dance around the space with perfect strangers who were enjoying themselves in exactly the same way. It was inviting and brought together a wide variety of people from all walks of life, Indigenous, non-indigenous, it didn’t matter. In that space, it was just a group of people who loved art and dance, telling and listening to stories.

Normally, I’d use ‘show’ and ‘performance’ interchangeably, but with this experience, it felt less like a performance and more like a group of people showing us the ins and outs of their culture and stories, which is just phenomenal and incredibly gracious.

If you haven’t already gotten tickets to the remaining performances, I would highly recommend this experience. If traditional theatre is not really your thing, go and experience ‘Garabari’. Walk in with an open mind and be receptive to anything and you will not be disappointed.

Get yourself tickets at the Merrigong Theatre Company website and put on your dancing shoes for a beautiful celebration of culture and connection.

To book tickets to Garabari, please visit https://merrigong.com.au/shows/garabari/.

Photographer: Stephen Wilson Barker and Jeff Busby

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The Seven

27/11/2025 Paige Jenkins🥉🦉

The Seven Rating

★★★★★

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The Strangeways Ensemble takes to the stage with their original piece called ‘The Seven’. Opening night at the Wollongong Town Hall was filled with intrigued theatregoers looking for a mystery to sink their teeth into on a Friday night.

Even before entering the hall, the ambience was set through smoke machines, filtering out into the foyer. The crew, dressed head to toe in black crime scene unit suits, equipped with torches and determined curiosity, immediately pulled the audience into the space well before the show began. I am a big fan of a non-traditional use of a space and was delighted to see the chairs set up to face the middle of the hall, with a long stage marked out. Whilst intriguing and a spot of fun, having the audience set up like that, does sacrifice a little bit of visibility for certain scene placements and actions.

I was in awe of the staging, particularly the ingenious use of physics-defying chairs as entrances to the old tunnels. I enjoyed how the stage was so wide and how each section was used for different locations and time periods. The fairy lights in the main tunnel as glow-worms were absolutely perfect. It’s been many years since I’ve been in the tunnels myself, so it evoked a very peaceful nostalgia, which was so lovely to experience in a performance that is so nichely set in our home.

The exploration of that delicate balance of fact and fiction was very well done. Characters like Truth-Telling Tony, Bob Sweeper and his aide, had the audience in stitches. I was absolutely captivated by Christian Tagliaferro each time he was on stage. He was an absolute delight to watch in all forms and as all characters. Interweaving very real modern conspiracies with the main fictional mystery, made it seem like this local legend was one that actually occurred, which is a testament to the writing of this show.

One of my favourite things about the Strangeways ensemble is the fact that you can tell how much each actor enjoys what they’re doing. Even as multiple characters, with quick changes and overlapping storylines, they’re having a good time, which makes the audience enjoy the performance that much more. ‘The Seven’ is, to put it simply, a spot of fun. It’s quirky and charming, and in a time where a lot of real-world commentary coming from the arts is heavy and trying to prove some kind of point, it was refreshing to be able to have some care-free fun.

‘The Seven’ is on at the Wollongong Town Hall, with shows on Thursday 27th November until Saturday 29th. Make sure to grab yourself a ticket at the Merrigong Theatre Company’s website. Don’t miss out!

To book tickets to The Seven, please visit https://merrigong.com.au/shows/the-seven/.

Photographer: Tracey Leigh

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A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen

22/08/2025 Paige Jenkins🥉🦉

A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen Rating

★★★★★

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The charming production of ‘A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen’ (or ‘How to Make the Perfect One-Pot Chicken Curry’) has made its way to its mainstage premier at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre.

At the core of this production, is the theme of self-discovery and belonging. Joshua Hinton, with his brother Dominic at the technical helm, tell stories of their grandparents’ formative experiences throughout not just their family history, but major historical events as well. Josh interweaves monologues and recordings to tell decades of stories, all the while cooking his grandmother’s one-pot chicken curry.

The technical elements of this production and the use of the cooking utensils and pots as props to tell stories was incredibly well thought out. Dominic’s sporadic interjections and his use of physical theatre at key moments really heightened the storytelling, and moments of humour that displayed their sibling relationship. I absolutely adored the imagery and the use of the world map throughout the show. Using spices as they are and as tools to showcase different people within the stories being told was a genius move. The mix of lighting and sounds with spices as fires and bowls as buses was next level. It can be really difficult to keep an audience engaged for an hour or so when it’s just one person on stage, but with all the technical elements like the use of the audio, video and photos were really well utilised that it didn’t feel like a one man show.

It was really cool to see a whole meal be cooked on stage whilst being invited into a family’s history. It was an intimate experience pieced together with a grandmother’s love for her grandchildren and an equally beautiful reciprocation of the adoration and respect of a grandchild for their grandparents. I love the idea of breathing new life into old stories, as well as keeping a loved one’s legacy alive even after death. Hinton used a really powerful analogy, likening grief to that of the process of cooking the curry, and I just found that so beautifully poignant.

Finally, sharing the spotlight to close out the show with an original song, the Hinton brothers gave their all in a soft goodbye and see you later to their Pop. Thank you for sharing that beautiful tribute with us and for following it up with some delicious curry! Dinner and a show? Sign me up!

‘A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen’ is in Wollongong for a few more shows, finishing on Saturday August 23 at 7:30pm, before moving on to the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre and Brisbane Festival. Grab a ticket at the Merrigong website or stay tuned for its next stops!

To book tickets to A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen, please visit https://merrigong.com.au/shows/a-place-in-the-sultans-kitchen-2025/.

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