Burning Hearts – Italian Film Festival

The Italian Film Festival is in its 23rd year after its founding at the turn of the millennium in 2000.  Since then, the festival has grown in popularity to become the most significant public celebration of Italian cinema outside Italy.

A feature of this year’s festival is a special presentation of New Italian Cinema’s – Burning Hearts – which takes place in the picturesque region of Puglia. This gripping crime tale reignited an age-old feud between two rival families as a forbidden love story unfolds. Burning Hearts is directed by Pippo Mezzapesa and was the Best Cinematography winner at the 2023 Nastro d’Argento Awards.

Based on a non-fiction book by Carlo Bonini and Giuliano Foschino, Burning Hearts is inspired by the true story of Rosa Di Flore. Mafia rival clans, the Malatesta and the Camporeale, have a history of bloody feuds. After a fragile truce, Andrea, Michele Malatesta’s son, falls in love with Marilena, the wife of fugitive Santo Camporeale. The affair becomes public, leading to a murder that will renew war between the rival clans. Andrea, driven by vengeance, returns home determined to eliminate the Camporeales.

Singer Elodie makes her acting debut in Burning Hearts as one-half of the forbidden lovers, Marilena Camporeale. As an acting debut, Elodie gave us a very solid performance. Francesco Patane played Andrea Malatesta and gave us a convincing performance of a loving son turned cold-blooded killer set on vengeance. Another stand-out performance was that of Lidia Vitale, who played matriarch of the Malatesta clan, Teresa.

The style choice from Pippo Mezzapesa was apparent throughout the film and reminiscent of the Film noir style. The black and white tones add to the story’s crime element and make action scenes more intense. This choice adds depth to the characters’ expressions. However, strangely, there were a few instances during the movie when the sound or music seemed out of sync with the story being told.

Andrea Malatesta’s character arc in the film serves as a cautionary tale about the corrupting influence of power and the potential consequences it can bring. I did not read the book before watching this film, so I cannot comment on any differences between the book and the film. If you are a fan of crime dramas or Italian cinema, then this is one to watch at the 2023 Italian Film Festival.

The Italian Film Festival runs from the 19th Sep to the 25 Oct, although check the dates for regional variations. Check out the movie session times in your local area on the Italian Film Festival website. Ciao!

This review also appears on It’s On The House.

Roll up! Roll up! The Marvellous Elephant Man

Roll up! Roll up! For this is no ordinary show– The Marvellous Elephant Man The Musical is a colourful feast of sound and flair under the Sydney Spiegeltent at the EQ Moore Park that will keep you entranced.

The talented trio of writers and composers of this musical took additional roles onstage to showcase their versatility. Musical Director Sarah Nandagopan performed on the piano, Marc Lucchesi and Jayan Nandagopan acted and brought their instruments into the story via their characters.

The Marvellous Elephant Man brings us the story of John Merrick, a man who, in real life in the late 1800s, was the main attraction being paraded at the then-popular ‘freakshows’ in London. The musical breathes life into John’s story, and actor Ben Clark’s portrayal captures our hearts from the moment we see and hear him sing, most notably with the song “I Am Not An Animal”. In stark contrast to John’s kind heart and good nature is the dastardly wicked villain Dr Frederick Treves, played by award-winning actor Kanen Breen. In one scene with these two characters, Dr. Treves’ dialogue was so masterfully well-written and delivered with such malice it was heartbreaking!

Lighting designer Matthew Marshall did an outstanding job adding to the emotive drama in this scene. I noticed how his subtle choice of colour, blue – really highlighted how John was feeling. In another scene, the storytelling involved the most creative use of lighting and illusion I have ever seen on stage! You’ll know this scene when you watch the show; it’s the one with the strobe lighting!

The musical is layered with so many different elements – it’s difficult to pigeonhole The Marvellous Elephant Man into just one genre. There’s plenty of drama, mystery, and a possible love story between John and Nurse Hope, played by Annelise Hall, who created a character so sweet and believable you’ll fall in love with her too! Her singing was mesmerising.

Another major element of this musical was the side-splitting comedy woven into each scene. Writer and composer Marc Lucchesi’s theatrical debut is a standout show stealer. By playing three vastly different strong characters, complete with accents, he had the audience roaring with laughter with each song! The supporting cast were simply brilliant with their dancing, comedic timing and flamboyant costumes.

Some musicals stick to one time era. The songs in this musical were so cleverly composed that the soundtrack took the audience on a rollercoaster ride of songs, sampling being reminiscent of a 1920s bar to being at a vaudeville show to classic rock to being in Italy, and everything in between!

The trombone ‘elephant man’ motif, played by composer Jayan Nandagopan, created its own little story as it began the show with a sad elephant defeated stomp when we were first introduced to John Merrick. As the ‘elephant man’ began to gain confidence, so too did the trombone, becoming brighter in sound and tempo – such a wonderful way to communicate the character’s growth.

The Producer and Co-Directors Chris Mitchell and Guy Masterson have put together an outstanding cast and created a visual masterpiece with a huge voice. With each performance I am sure it is going places, up and away. When this musical is shown on Broadway, in the West End, and closer to home in our larger theatres, I will be so glad I got to be a part of its humble beginnings, on a small round stage in a bigtop tent at the Entertainment Quarter.

The Marvellous Elephant Man the Musical’s performance time is 2 hours and 20 minutes, including the interval time and proudly opened The Sydney Fringe Festival on September 1 2023.

Tickets are now on sale and showing at the Speigeltent Festival Garden – Sydney Spiegeltent The Entertainment Quarter from September 1 – October 1 2023

Evening performances 7.30pm Tuesday – Saturday; 7pm Sunday

Matinee performances 2pm Saturday; 1pm Sunday

Tickets: https://sydneyfringe.com/events/the-marvellous-elephant-man-the-musical/

This review also appears on It’s On The House.

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Classic Agatha Christie Whodunnit – The Hollow

Mention Agatha Christie to anyone, and you know you’re in for a classic Whodunnit mystery. With such a prolific author and playwright, there’s the usual expectation of interesting characters, intrigue, murder and the pointing of fingers.

The Genesian Theatre Company presents The Hollow, a play that debuted in 1951 and ran for 11 months in London. The director Molly Haddon, herself a very experienced Agatha Christie actor, has assembled a dynamic cast inside a historic Sydney building, The Genesian Theatre. Built in 1945, the theatre lent itself aptly to this time period with its grand wood ceilings and plush, heavy curtains to host this play.

The Hollow opens with three characters, Lady Lucy Angkatell (Penny Day), her husband Sir Henry Angkatell (Vincent O’Neill), and his cousin Henrietta Angkatell (Jess Davis), in the garden room of a wealthy English country manor, where the play is predominately set. They are hosts to their extended family for a weekend, and we are soon introduced to Dr John Cristow (Chad Traupmann), his wife Gerda (Emily Smith), Midge Harvey (Cariad Weitnauer), Edward Angkatell (Thomas Southwell) and Mrs Gudgeon (Emily Saint Smith) the housekeeper.

Adding to this full house, film starlet Veronica Craye (Alannah Robertson) arrives next door, and it soon becomes clear that love in this family is a tangled mess, and Dr John Cristow is right in the middle of it. Another love triangle is also at play, highlighting the follies of blind adoration.

A shot is fired from an assailant offstage, and we see one character fall to the ground. This scene was acted exceptionally well and was the close of the one-hour first act. The second act, running for one and a half hours, introduced Inspector Colquhoun (also played by Chad Traupmann) and Sergeant Penny (Natalie Reid), who lead an investigation into who committed this crime with a list of suspects forming in the audience’s minds.

Director Molly Haddon immersed the audience in the time period with her set design for The Hollow. It had a genuine 1950s post-war look, with careful touches such as round light switches, period vases, golden photo frames and even a magazine with 1950s film stars on the cover. I loved the painting that hung above the fireplace, which represented Ainswick, a childhood home of the cousins. One scene involving a round-dial telephone and a telephone operator (with appropriate lighting by Cian Byrne) gave us a nostalgic feel. The large floor to ceiling glass doors leading out to the garden provided the room with an open and spacious area which left the actors plenty of room to manoeuvre around the stage.

The costumes by designer Susan Carveth and the actors’ hairstyles were wonderful and reflected upper-class English society. The sound effects were effective and minimal, with the focus being on the music played through the ‘wireless’ – the songs being thoughtfully chosen to match the theme of the scene.

Special mention to Penny Day, whose character Lady Lucy entertained us with her comedic musings with well-delivered timing, Jess Davis with her portrayal of Henrietta, her complexity and depth of character apparent and Thomas Southwell, who played Edward, a meek and mild man with low self-esteem.

The Genesian Theatre is relocating to Rozelle after 70-plus years of entertaining the public with the arts. Go see The Hollow, as it’s one of the last chances to see a live performance in this iconic building.

The Hollow is playing at The Genesian Theatre, 420 Kent St Sydney from 19th Aug – 23rd Sept 2023; Friday and Saturday nights at 7.30 pm and Sunday matinée at 4.30 pm

This review also appears on It’s On The House.

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Monument – A Play to Remember

Red Stitch’s production of Monument, penned by Emily Sheehan and directed by Ella Caldwell, is a masterful work that intricately balances humour and poignancy.  It’s hard to find any fault in this production, especially in Sheehan’s writing; as soon as the show ended, I was lining up at the box office to purchase a copy of this hilarious yet profound script.

The story of Monument takes place in real time over ninety minutes. It focuses on the dynamic relationship between two very different women: Edith Aldridge, the youngest woman ever to be elected leader of her country, and Rosie, a twenty-year-old makeup artist who works at David Jones.  Sheehan has referred to Monument as a “Trojan horse of a play,” a fitting description for a deeply profound narrative packaged up in a seemingly uncomplicated premise. This is also an apt reflection on one of the main topics of this play: makeup and beauty.

Before the actors took the stage and the house lights dimmed, we admired the astonishing set design by Sophie Woodward. Bold, vivid, and elegant, Woodward’s circular stage design could not have been more perfect for this story.  Woodward created an intimate, glamorous, and a little bit intimidating space, a perfect reflection of the presidential hotel suite that is Monument’s setting.

The lighting and sound design, orchestrated by Amelia Lever-Davidson and Danni Esposito, respectively, enhance the production’s emotional impact. The subtle changes in lighting and well-timed sound cues seamlessly guide the audience through the shifts in tone.

Sarah Sutherland and Julia Hanna are both nothing short of captivating in their respective roles as Edith and Rosie.  As you watch Sutherland and Hanna breathe life into Sheehan’s brilliantly written characters, you can tell they are experts in their craft.  As solo artists, they both gave mesmerising performances that radiated authenticity, but their synergy and harmony are truly remarkable as a duo.  I couldn’t look away for even one second. 

It’s not an easy task for a play to evoke hilarity, introspection, and empathy all at once, but the team behind Monument has accomplished this flawlessly.  If you want an evening of guaranteed laughs as well as a heartfelt and emotional story, then this is a show you do not want to miss.

Performances of Monument are running until the 3rd of September at Red Stitch Actor’s Theatre.

This review also appears on It’s On The House.

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