Actor, writer, scientist, physiotherapist, tutor, horse massage therapist (for real!); you name it, I've probably done it. Enjoy writing short film scripts and monologues (and then performing them!). Massive animal lover with current 'pet tally' quite low, at just 2 horses and a cat.
This heartwarming film is a beautiful reminder of the goodness in humanity and the power of unlikely friendships (and books!).
Based on the novel of the same name by Carston Henn, the story follows Carl, an older gentleman. Carl’s job involves walking around the town (in Aachen, Germany), delivering books to a variety of interesting people.
Carl is an awkward, shy, but kind man, drenched in loneliness, and obsessed by books. So much so, that he refers to his regular clients by the nicknames he has (sometimes not so secretly) ascribed to them; based on fictional book characters, who each have their own quirks.
Nine-year-old Schascha has just moved to the town. In dealing with her own sadness in losing her mother, she also finds solace in books and reading.
Schascha begins to follow Carl on his daily book delivery, and an unlikely friendship develops. The two main characters end up working together to make some big, positive changes in the lives of the people Carl delivers his books to. As well as for themselves.
This enchanting story is full of themes of friendship, community, and embracing differences. It highlights the importance of kindness in humanity and community, and is a great reminder of the power of books and reading.
This is a wonderful film that the whole family will enjoy! The acting is brilliant from the entire cast. The cinematography is stunning for what is in essence quite a simple but powerful story of humanity.
Note that the film is in German, with subtitles in English.
The German Film Festival runs from 30 April to 28 May. To book tickets to The Door-to-Door Bookstore, or to any other films in the festival, please visit https://germanfilmfestival.com.au/.
Ever wonder how Peter Pan came to be in Neverland? Or how he got his name? Or the exact means by which Captain Hook ‘acquired’ (or perhaps I should more accurately say, ‘required’) his hook? Well, wonder no more, as ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ gives us the prequel to Peter Pan that we never knew we needed to cover all of these questions and more.
Winner of 5 Tony awards, and written by Rick Elise, Peter and the Starcatcher is a feast for all the senses, and a production the whole family can enjoy.
Although the play is a prequel to Peter Pan, you really don’t even have to know anything about Peter Pan (but I think everyone knows the story, whether they want to admit it or not!) to enjoy this production as a stand-alone story. But of course, knowing the story and characters of Peter Pan will make the show much more enjoyable; you’ll simply get so much more out of the very clever writing and humour.
The story begins out at sea, and you’ll be forgiven for taking a bit of time to get up to speed with the characters and story, as you are thrown right into the depths of this fast-paced production from the start. But once you orient yourself with the different characters and how they relate to the well-loved classic, Peter Pan, you can sit back and enjoy the ride.
And what a ride it is! The show is a feast for the senses with beautifully crafted sets, costumes, music, and stunning puppets. There is dancing, singing, live musicians on stage, and oh, the humour and comedy!
The show is marketed for all ages, including kids 8 years and older. But I would question how much the younger kids would actually understand. It is a fast-paced show, especially in the dialogue, which is extremely well written. Almost every line seems to have some sort of joke, pun, or reference linked to it, and with the fast pace of it all, I am sure I missed some of them. So although the kids may not understand it all, there is still so much they can enjoy visually and musically from this production.
Having live music played on stage was lovely, and weaving the musicians in and out of the scenes on the rolling pianos and stages was a nice touch.
The puppets were a beautiful addition to the play, really adding a lovely magical feel. And the actors did a great job in the puppetry on stage, brining to life a variety of animals.
The different sets, lighting, and costumes were a visual smorgasbord and feast for the eyes. Talk about some impressive costumes (keep an eye out for the mermaids!).
The cast were a joy to watch together, with some very strong performances shining though.
Olivia Deeble commanded the stage and really showcased her amazing talents in acting, singing, and dancing. She really is brilliant as the leading young lady, Molly: the character who we learn turns out to be the mother of Wendy in the Peter Pan we are familiar with.
Colin Lane was another standout performance and brilliantly cast as the hilarious ‘Black Stache’, the pirate captain who we know as Captain Hook. Lane stole the show with his witty humour; at times clearly off-book with some jokes, but never allowing it to be out of line with the show or his character.
If you are looking for a show that brings you a lot of joy, magic, and laughter, Peter and the Starcatcher is just what you need. A great production to bring the whole family along to enjoy.
Peter And The Starcatcher is playing now until the 1st December.
The Elvis Big Band Tribute Show is touring Melbourne and regional Victoria, so for all of you Elvis-loving fans out there, head out and enjoy a night of music dedicated to The King.
Being an Elvis tribute show, you’ll get the songs you love, but don’t expect an Elvis impersonator; that’s not what this show is about. The 14-piece band back up ‘Elvis’ on stage, and the high callibre of talent across all musicians is evident. If you close your eyes, you could sometimes be mistaken for thinking the King is still alive (perhaps he is?!).
Whether you’re an Elvis ‘mega-fan,’ or just like his music, this show is an enjoyable evening out for all ages. How lovely to look around the audience and see all kinds of Elvis fans, not to mention a range of ages from children to our elders, all under one-roof, enjoying the music of The King. There were the clear ‘die-hard’ fans; decked out in Elvis costumes or custom-made Elvis tribute outfits (mostly sitting in the front rows and belting out every song with doe-eyed looks towards ‘The King’).
And then you can spot who I like to refer to as the ‘quiet appreciators’; singing along quietly to the songs with a tender smile and glint in their eye, or simply tapping their feet with their eyes fixated on the show, perhaps reminiscing about anther time or place where the music of Elvis left an impression on their life.
Not many people over the course of history affected so many with their music like The King. And with his history of so many hit songs, most of the better-known Elvis songs were covered throughout the evening. But as is often the case often with time restraints, some were omitted (I had been looking forward to ‘Love Me Tender,’ but it was not to be). With such great energy on stage from all the performers, it is hard not to start tapping your feet, clapping your hands to the beat, or belting out the lyrics yourself.
Technically, the show ran quite well but hit a couple of noticeable snags. There were some minor sound issues in the first couple of songs, meaning that the band overshadowed ‘Elvis’ purely in volume levels, drowning out The King and making it hard to clearly hear the lyrics. The lead guitarist seamlessly changed half of the broken guitar strings during the performance, with great professionalism and without affecting the show. Kudos to him!
I felt the need for a troupe of dancers was not necessary for this show, and to a degree, it reduced the high standard that the band and Elvis otherwise brought to the stage, with most dance numbers coming across as quite amateur. However, the costumes, energy, and enthusiasm abounded. When we saw everyone on stage having fun (which they were!), it brought a certain kind of joy and variety to the energy on stage, which I am all for.
A distraction to the audience in the form of an enthusiastic stage manager/roadie popping his head out of the wings throughout the entire night was just that: distracting (albeit very entertaining in its own way). A large portion of the audience could easily see him, as he didn’t shy away from looking out into the audience several times or just standing basically on stage with the band. But in its own quirky way, it also added to the charm and enjoyment of the show. And at the end of the day, it’s the music of Elvis that we all came along for, and we got a really solid show in that regard.
If you love Elvis, this show will give you fantastic vocal and instrumental performances across the board. And who doesn’t love a Big Band live music show?! Go and see The Elvis Big Band Tribute Show when it tours near you!
If you’re a Marvel fan, you’ll want to get to the National Theatre in St Kilda this week. MARVELous has hit Melbourne for one week only.
But you don’t just have to be a Marvel fan to enjoy the evening of dancing, singing, acrobatics, stunts, and a variety of hilarious parodies that draw reference to a range of pop culture songs and movies outside of the Marvel franchise.
The audience were a-buzz on opening night, and lapped up the high energy, risqué performances (there is nudity, so keep the kids at home!).
Deadpool and his interaction with the audience kept everyone engaged throughout the show. And each of the individual parody skits were captivating and entertaining to watch.
The show definitely entertained the audience; a wonderful way to escape the real world for a couple of hours and have a good laugh and enjoy the spectacle on stage. There is a great mix of both Marvel-specifc and -non-specific pop culture references along the way to cater for a wide range of tastes.
There is some serious talent in the cast, with amazing dancing, vocals, and acrobatics on show.
The show was let down at times with some very slow, silent set changes, which disrupted the flow of the show and could have easily been filled with something as simple as some music, or even just some more character interaction time with the audience, which was in itself a great feature of the show in general.
Several technical issues with sound, lighting, and wardrobe unfortunately drew the attention away from the performances at times too, and it seemed that seating location played a big part in the sound issues too, with those seated towards the back of the audience having the most issues with hearing the cast members at all in the first half. Along with the technical issues, a bit more tightening up of the show in terms of transitions between sets and even the movements of cast within scenes would push the show into presenting as a much more professional category of shows that it deserves to be seen as.
MARVELous the show, really is quite a unique, entertaining, high-energy, and very clever concept. Hopefully, the technical glitches were just some opening-night cobwebs (ah the joys of live theatre!) in what was otherwise an incredibly fun, and extremely funny and enjoyable night out.
Make sure to keep the kids at home for this one, as it’s adults only (well, 15 plus) with lots of partial nudity and plenty of risqué moments.
Get in quick to see MARVELous at the National Theatre in St Kilda 6th – 10th November 2024. Book your tickets now before this marvellous show ends @ https://marveloustheshow.com.au/
