Merrily We Roll Along

Merrily We Roll Along

Merrily We Roll Along Rating

★★★★★

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According to theatre director Tim Hill, he asked himself how he could get the massive Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim’s “often forgotten masterpiece” Merrily We Roll Along done in Brisbane’s smallest theatre, Ad Astra. He answered the question admirably by getting a great cast and crew. Friday’s show was to a packed house that thoroughly enjoyed it.

The musical, told in reverse, starts with Frank, a rich and famous songwriter and film producer (Stephen Hirst) at a party in his swank Los Angeles pad in 1976, after the premiere of his latest film. The years roll back, and we watch how he went from a penniless composer, along with his oldest friends, theatre critic Mary Flynn (Natasha Veselinovi), and Pulitzer-winning playwright Charles Kringas, Frank’s former best friend and lyricist (Alex Watson).

All three were primed to change the world through words and music. However, success opened doors that led them away from what, and who, they loved the most. Misplaced marital trust, infidelity, unrequited love, an absentee father, drugs and alcoholism, almost all the gritty themes of our industry get illuminated, as we bop along to Sondheim’s brilliance buoyed by the talent of the exceptional players.

Most of the cast plays ensemble roles. But Jordan Twigg gives a gorgeous femme fatale feel to Gussie’s role. Chris Kellet gives Joe Josephson a creditable New York Jewish accent and feel. Heidi Enchelmaier gives Beth Spencer, Frank’s first wife, a poignancy, difficult to deliver in a musical.

Merrily We Roll Along
Merrily We Roll Along

At one point, Alex Watson almost rouses the audience to a standing ovation with Charley Kringas’ spitfire speech/singing. Chelsea Burton plays several characters, but as Meg Kincaid, she’s almost irresistible. Liam O’Byrne creditably camps up his characters. Two young fellows, Edward Hill, and Milo White, apparently play the role of Frank Jr. It seems Milo can look forward to a career in show biz.

Kudos to musical director Ben Murray, choreographer Tess Hill, and the crew for fitting the many facets together in this frolic. It’s fabulous. Most astonishing was the de-aging that all the characters embodied. Originally, when Sondheim first put the show on Broadway in the 1930’s, it was created for a cast of teenagers, and young adults, and wasn’t much of a success. This production of the show demonstrates that it really should have been.

This is the first time the production has been brought to a Queensland stage, and if Friday’s show is anything to go by, it will not be the last. It plays until Thursday, June 6 at Ad Astra, 57 Misterton Street in Fortitude Valley. You can learn more by going to https://www.adastracreativity.com.

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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Rootless Cosmopolitan

Rootless Cosmopolitan

Rootless Cosmopolitan Rating

★★★★★

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With the title of “Rootless Cosmopolitans”, I half expected to turn up and see Carrie and the gals from “Sex and the City” sipping cocktails and comparing notes on the past week’s romantic adventures. Silly me. It refers to Stalin’s euphemistic pejorative for ‘Jew’. This was a play with far more to say on issues, such as terrorism, genocide, identity, war, and conflict.

Like the aforementioned television show however, despite its darker subject matter, Monstrous Productions, presenting Ron Elisha’s challenging play, manages to keep the laughs a plenty, with many a cultural joke that even Gentiles, like myself, easily relate to. Lured into a false sense of ‘lightness’ this makes the audio of the October 7, 2023 attacks when the characters are confronted with the news of the terrorism, hit extra hard. Taking both the atmosphere on stage and in the audience to a palpable knot in the throat.

Set in the offices of an internationally respected theatre company, Artistic Director Ira Brot, who like all of us in the arts, lives in fear of something he may say publicly via socials getting misunderstood and the catchword of the day “cancel culture” being firmly placed in his direction, navigates through an ever-changing world.

Where diversity and ticking boxes are placed ahead of vision, where Jewish people have been a persecuted minority, to on face value at least, overcoming adversity, to then be thrown back into depths of terror and racism. The weight of Ira’s people’s history, hanging forever over his past present, and future, is made even more apparent with the ghost of his mother, consistently in his ear.

Rootless Cosmopolitan
Rootless Cosmopolitan

Despite taking a small, struggling theatre company to the international stage in 6 short years, the moment the board feels the “optics” of having a Jewish Artistic director at the helm is no longer good for business, Ira Brot is thrown into a world where he strains to find his place. All the while his marriage breaks down, his assistant director uses his proxy vote to shoo him out, and he questions his privilege.

Packed into 90 minutes, “Rootless Cosmopolitans” bounds out of the gate strong, quick with the laughs, and instantly grabs our attention with fantastic acting, most notably from Babs McMillan, who steals the show as the ghost of Ira’s ever-quipping-dead mother, and a razor-sharp script. Despite the strong start, around the middle the script and direction felt a little lost, perhaps this was a choice to shadow the emotions, Ira, anchoring the story with an even and sympathetic performance by Anton Berezin, is facing.

With great turns from Seon Williams as Ira’s assistant and then the Artistic Director of her own company, and Emily Joy playing both board member and Ira’s wife, the play finds its feet again and gallops towards the finish line.

What made this a good night at the theatre, was how given the subject matter and the world we live in, it never felt preachy. It posed many questions and didn’t always tell us the answers. Like all the characters, the audience is left questioning our own privilege, struggles, and curious as to what boxes we tick and should the optics’ change, as it did for Ira, where would we find our place in this constantly changing, ever-scrutinizing world.

Review 3.5 Pineapples

35 Pineapples Ben Murphy

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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The Spook

The Spook

The Spook Rating

★★★★★

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7

Travel back to the heart of 1960s working class Australia with ‘The Spook,’ by Melissa Reeves, where the spectre of betrayal looms large and true friendships are put to the test.

Set within the sleepy country town of Bendigo, we are drawn into an examination of the impact of external threats on community dynamics, and the frenzy of Cold War paranoia. These themes are personal, local and global. What makes them resonate is that this biting satire is based on real life events.

Director Casey Moon-Watton presents a thought provoking and at times confronting plot packed with political discourse and fiery debates. Audiences will listen carefully, perhaps even access Google afterwards when words like ‘Trotskyist’ and ‘neo-Marxism’ are casually dropped into the conversation. Loyalty, camaraderie and treachery interweave, yet despite the seriousness of these themes, it’s also unexpectedly funny and at times wryly witty.

In the tense Menzies era, where neighbours could be seen as enemies, the characters are vividly real in their flaws. Moon-Wattons’ open, minimalist and deliberately incomplete set design places each character’s emotional journey front and centre while serving as an ironic metaphor of the story’s exploration of hidden truths and obscured realities.

We experience this story through the eyes of young and naive Martin (Cameron Drake), who is teetering on the brink of adulthood, yet lacks direction and ambition. Struggling to find his identity, he is trapped within the confines of a stifling and banally homogenous community. As with most young adults, Martin just wants to be liked, seen and belong. This makes him perfect fodder for recruitment as a spy against the local Communist Party. Drake presents an agonising mix of adolescent awkwardness and bravado. As Martin slowly comes of age, he is forced to find his moral compass through the gradual realisation that life isn’t a game of heroes and villains.

Trixie, his watchful and disapproving mother, (Courtney Farrow) is everything you’d expect to be in a middle aged woman living in a small post war country town; stoic, repressed and afraid of change. Farrow did well to widen the generational gap despite being quite young for this role. She juggles quick costume and character changes with aplomb to also play Phyllis, the bright but unwitting member and partner of world weary party leader Frank (Rawdon Waller). Frank is the strong but abrasive voice of reason and Waller displayed an accurate understanding of an angry man battling within a system that is rapidly heading towards self-destruction.

Brett Joachim is Martin’s amusingly aloof Controller – in every sense of the word. He is oily and snarky as he manipulates and corrupts his charge’s innocence. He knows Martin is missing a father figure and confidante, which makes his actions and nonchalant lack of empathy quite ghastly.

Tida Dhanommitrapap has the daunting task of playing triple roles. Jean, a perpetually late party member and a stiff-upper lipped policewoman in Act 2. Her main role is Annette, Martin’s girlfriend, who delights in having something apart from Pick-a-Box to distract herself from her utter boredom of small town, small minded constraints and complete indifference to her pending marriage. Both an accomplice and hindrance, she enjoys the perceived glamour of her second-hand status without any of the moral repercussions.

(Nathan Heinrich and Kate Kelly) deliver solid and authentic performances, while producing credible accents as the mysterious Greek couple George and Eli Tassak. Their sad plight and immigration journey is compelling and raises the stakes in forcing Martin to see the real people and motivation behind the “right little nest of dirty Reds”.

Geoff Jones cleverly weaves a subtly chilling soundscape, complemented by an array of pop music and protest songs during scene changes. This enhanced the atmosphere of the era, adding tension and mood, while Anthea Brown’s costumes captured the ultimately conservative modesty of a country town lagging behind the trends and heady days of the swinging 60’s.

We have the indulgence to observe this distinctly Australian zeitgeist through the unique lens of historical context. In light of current politics around China, Palestine and Russia, it is more relevant today than ever. Will it never not be relevant?

‘The Spook’ serves as a timely reminder, highlighting the cyclical nature of history while injecting fresh perspectives into ongoing debates, with a distinctly nostalgic flavour. See this show to reignite your political fervour, embrace your apathy, or simply laugh at the consequences of both.

‘The Spook’ by The Pymble Players plays from 15th May – 8th June 2024. See https://pymbleplayers.com.au/the-spook for details.

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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Symphonie of the Bicycle

Symphonie of the Bicycle

Symphonie of the Bicycle Rating

★★★★★

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4

Step into the captivating realm of “The Symphonie of the Bicycle,” where the stage comes alive with the stories of two captivating characters, both embodied by the versatile Hew Parham under the direction of Adelaide legend Chris Drummond.

In a masterful tribute, Parham interlaces the narratives of Gino Bartali, the revered Italian cycling legend, and Hew, an embittered soul haunted by the spectre of a childhood rival’s success.

With palpable fervour, Parham breathes life into Bartali’s heroic exploits, recounting his triumphs in the Giro Italia and the Tour de France amidst the tumult of family tragedy and World War II. Through Parham’s portrayal, we witness Bartali’s indomitable spirit as he defies adversity, even clandestinely aiding persecuted Jews under the guise of training rides.

Yet, amidst the grandeur of Bartali’s tale, Hew emerges as a poignant contrast—a solitary figure, adrift in his discontent, until an unexpected encounter with fitness luminary Jake Johnson sets him on a path of self-discovery. As the narrative weaves between their stories, Parham’s performance dazzles, effortlessly shifting between accents and emotions with impeccable timing and boundless charisma.

Simple yet evocative staging, with a lone black stage adorned by a golden bicycle and intermittent props, invites the audience to immerse themselves in the unfolding drama, while the deft interplay of lighting underscores the shifting moods of each character’s journey.

Symphonie of the Bicycle

Parham’s comedic prowess shines through, eliciting laughter and engagement from the audience, transforming moments of introspection into shared moments of joy and connection. The performance culminated in a rapturous standing ovation, leaving the audience both entertained and enlightened.

As the curtains draw to a close, Parham’s poignant reflection—”I was so busy trying to be someone else I forgot to be me”—lingers in the air, a poignant reminder of the power of authenticity and the importance of embracing our true selves. “The Symphonie of the Bicycle” entertains and inspires, inviting us to pedal forth on our unique journeys with renewed vigour and purpose.

Symphonie Of The Bicycle is now showing at the Space Theatre in the Adelaide Festival Centre from 14th May to 25th May 2024.

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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