Silent Sky is a historical dramatisation of the life of Astronomer Henrietta Leavitt written by American playwright Lauren Gunderson. It is an important story about the unique challenges surrounding the pursuit of achievement, particularly for women.
It explores the difficult decisions Leavitt faced in pursuing knowledge and fulfilling expected societal roles. Set during a time of social change in the early 1900s, the themes are still relevant today in many ways.
Henrietta Leavitt, born in 1868, discovered a relationship between the luminosity of pulsating stars known as Cepheids and distances. Her work is intrinsic to understanding the magnitude of the universe and is relied upon by Edwin Hubble, amongst others.
A sparkling cast of four women gave strong performances. Brittany Daw, as Henrietta, the protagonist of the play, was very endearing. Brittany balanced Henrietta’s strength with her humanity in the challenges she faced. Tianna Cooper, as Margaret, juxtaposed Henrietta so beautifully as a woman with a different sense of purpose.
Joanne St Clair’s performance as Williamina Fleming was excellent. Her Scottish accent was fantastic, and her delivery of Williamina’s flawless punchlines was spot on. Deborah Walsh’s performance as Annie Jump Cannon, a strong supporting female role, delivered comedy, strength, and warmth—a difficult combination executed perfectly.
Josh Van’t Padje, as Peter Shaw complimented these twinkling stars with his own stage luminosity, jumping well from a harsh Harvard supervisor to a coy suitor and eventually a somewhat confused and heartbroken man.
The set design, music, and lighting were particularly well executed, particularly with the abstract nature of the scene transitions and locations. I must confess I was particularly impressed by the majestically sized telescope centre stage! The costumes reflected the period well. The performance was well received by the audience.
Overall a stellar performance of Silent Sky by the St Judes players and Director Lesley Reed. St Judes Players community theatre group in Brighton has its 75th Diamond Anniversary this year. Silent Sky’s production is a twinkling diamond achievement for all involved.
I would recommend it to everyone. It is an inspiring, witty, and warm depiction of the challenges women face in following their dreams.
Don’t miss out – there are only two shows remaining, the 16th & 17th of August!
Agatha Christie’s mysteries are a staple of the page, stage, and screen, but once we know ‘whodunnit,’ why do we watch them again? The great attraction of a mystery is, after-all, the mystery.
Murder on the Nile is Agatha Christie’s stage adaptation of her own novel, Death on the Nile, and many people would have experienced the story in the past, likely through one of the thirteen billion BBC adaptations. But don’t let that stop you from enjoying it again.
When a beautiful and wealthy heiress and her new Husband join a luxurious paddle steamer on the River Nile, they run into past acquaintances seemingly by coincidence. Joined by an eccentric old crone, an emotionally volatile doctor, and a communist aristocrat, rising tensions on the claustrophobic steamer in the Egyptian heat eventually leads to murder. With no one able to leave, the murderer must still be on board. Can they find the killer before they kill again?
The current production at the Genesian Theatre attempts to be a fresh take on this old classic, keeping the story engaging even if you know the outcome. Staying true to the original setting and plot, solid direction by Theo Hatzistergos along with an energetic cast really balances the mystery, drama, danger, and humour in equal measure.
Embedding comedic relief within the most dramatic moments, rather than drawing attention to themselves, was the right choice. It kept the play from becoming too serious while maintaining suspense. I particularly enjoyed Miss Ffoliot-ffoukes’ self-centred reaction to the news of a murder in the room adjacent to hers; ‘but they could have murdered me!’ The role was played wonderfully by Sandra Bass.
The rest of the cast was also superb and everyone seemed well-suited to their character. David Stewart-Hunter as Canon Pennefather commanded the stage with a perfect mixture of scoundrel, advisor, and detective. There were a few moments where the cast seemed to forget a line, but their ability to improvise and roll along until they got back on track was respectable and never caused me to fall out of the story. I doubt most people in the audience even noticed.
The set was a simple but grand depiction of the steamboat’s public parlour, with the ever-present statue of Anubis, God of the Underworld, watching over the cast whilst foreshadowing murder. The audience had a good chuckle as a pot-plant was pulled along in the background to signify the paddle steamer was on its way down the Nile, which I asume was intentionally fun.
The feeling of ‘cabin fever’ intended by Mr Hatzistergos by limiting the set to the public parlour worked well, and also saved the story from losing momentum during a potentially lengthy scene change. The sound design added atmosphere, from the crowds of Cairo to the engine of a steamer on the water. Gunshots and light effects literally made the audience jump out of their seats in fright. Much to their delight. The costumes too, were suitable for the 1950s time period and social standing of the characters.
The audience around me were totally hooked. Those who didn’t know the story were constantly whispering to each other about who they thought was going to be murdered, and then who did the inevitable murdering. You can’t help but appreciate encouraging this kind of engagement. Those who already knew the story enjoyed the strong performances and cheeky humour, along with Agatha Christie’s wonderful dialogue, making this journey down the Nile just as much fun as the destination.
Even if you know whodunnit, you’ll still enjoy this classic tale of jealousy, conspiracy, and murder. Murder on the Nile is currently playing at the Genesian Theatre in Sydney until the 21st of September.
Season: 10th August – 21st Sept 2024 Preview night 9th August Friday and Saturday nights at 7.30pm Sunday matinée at 4.30pm
Running Time: 2hrs 15mins including 20min interval
Seeing the opening night performance of PIPER presented by Frenzy Theatre Co and Theatreworks has renewed my faith in live theatre as a place of exuberance and joy. The show takes the Grimm fairytale, the Pied Piper of Hamelin, and uses it as a springboard for an exploration of power, exploitation and survival in a way that stimulates the audience to engage and think whilst being thoroughly entertained.
Directed by Belle Hansen and co-created by Dora Abraham, Piper is indeed the extravaganza it sets out to be with a vibrant ensemble cast of 20 female and non-binary actors who are also singers, dancers and circus artists. It is a visual and aural feast with so much going on that you will want to come back and see it again.
The pre-show foyer entertainment features the eight rat dancers/circus artists who perform an ensemble floating rat movement. They move as one in their rat pack until one-by-one they spook and run into the auditorium. Inside, the audience are invited to step onto the stage and interact with other cast members – Hamelin town councillors, the children, the townspeople. The costumes by Harry Gill and Jessamine Moffett and makeup signal that this is a very colourful but fractured hyper-real world of Hamelin. We vote on which rats get to live, get a Taro Tarot card reading , receive and write mail distributed by the town florist and play a loaded card game with a town councillor. It is Disney-esque and captivating.
Frenzy Theatre Co chooses to be “pop culture-based, and grounded in its commitment to dynamic physical theatre, ensemble devising and maximalism”. For Piper, this is a commitment well and truly kept. Big moments with a lot of action (including an aerialist on a rope) and pumped music beats contrasted with quieter, poetic text-based scenes that take inspiration from Greek tragedy and chorus.
Jack Burmeister’s sound design and composition is integral to the success of the transitions and story-telling as is Sidney Younger’s lighting design. Hannah Jennings’ beautiful cinematography adds to the mood and spectacle. Despite the dark nature of the themes, overall the tone of this thought-provoking show is light and humorous. Rats will die, but why and how? In this version, there is no Piper. Then the children want their turn in the limelight but end up exploited by a different power altogether.
Despite a cast of 20, each performer has their moments to shine and all give solid performances. There is a cohesiveness within each ensemble group (rats, children, townspeople and councillors) so that no one performance steals the limelight. Rather, each performer supports the unity of purpose of their group which in turn supports the performance as a whole. This is remarkable and would have to be a strength of Frenzy’s approach to group devised theatre and ensemble development.
Frenzy Theatre Co was established in 2020 by Belle Hansen and Matilda Gibbs and are now joined by Jack Burmeister and Anna Louey as Company Artists. Their youth is their strength and they dream big. But they also have years and a depth of experience which means their crazy big ideas actually come to fruition! It is worth noting that Frenzy are committed to nurturing and up-skilling early career artists. If you love theatre, you should keep an eye on them.
I absolutely loved the experience of watching PIPER. I had been smarting from seeing a very bland, wordy production with no subtext at unnamed state’s flagship theatre company. I was bored out of my brain. It was predictable and all the loose ends were neatly tied up so there was nothing to have to think about. But PIPER exploded with life and had me hooked every minute. My mind was filled with things to discuss and mull over. So if you want to see the full gamut of what live theatre can be, go and see PIPER!
Disclaimer – I had the privilege to work with Frenzy Theatre Co in their last production, The Roof Is Caving In, as an actor/musician. I know first-hand how professional, inclusive, respectful and nurturing they are and also their incredible work ethic. These people work hard and still have to have day jobs. Yet they produce work far more compelling than some of the work that comes out of flagship companies. But that’s just my opinion.
Tickets available at https://www.theatreworks.org.au/2024/piper
DATES + TIMES Tuesday 13 August – 7:30pm Wednesday 14 August – 7:30pm Thursday 15 August – 7:30pm Friday 16 August – 7:30pm Saturday 17 August – 7:30pm Tuesday 20 August – 7:30pm Wednesday 21 August – 7:30pm Thursday 22 August – 7:30pm Friday 23 August – 7:30pm Saturday 24 August – 1:30pm (MATINEE)
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.
Come along for the ride into the Australian outback with Pymble Players’ Sweet Road. Literary award-winning playwright and scriptwriter Debra Oswald describes her play as a “road movie on stage” and directors Leah White and Rob White have successfully incorporated the stories of multiple characters to create this feel.
A strong part of the production that wove the story together as a quintessential Australian play was the sound design and soundscapes by Wayne Chee. Whether it be cicadas accompanying the stars, or the snippets of meaningful lyrics from Aussie song artists such as James Reyne’s “Reckless”, INXS’s “New Sensation” and Crowded House’s “Better Be Home Soon”, the song choice brought the audience into Australia’s heart.
With the recurring theme of being on the road, six characters revolve around each other, their lives intersecting during a time when they’re moving through stressful periods. Some characters are travellers by choice, others find themselves unexpectedly in front of the wheel heading somewhere else.
Jo (Tonia Davis) leads the opening scene as she narrates how she found herself hitting the road solo after witnessing a life changing incident. Tonia Davis portrays her character’s growth well, from being scattered to feeling whole again. Jo comes across teenage hitchhiker Yasmin (Ome Wu) who is on the way to being reunited with her boyfriend who is up north. Ome Wu successfully captured the high spirited buoyancy of youth in her character which made me smile. I felt that the young naive love struck Yasmin had a lesson to learn in this play, and when she returned in the second act, her storyline confirmed this.
Michael (Nick Roberts) has a job which takes him away from home, restocking soft drink vendor machines. He’s always moving around, never in one place for long and far away in kilometres and mind from his previous life; he’s running away. Michael’s story is tragic, and Nick Robert’s depiction of his character’s depth is admirable.
The fourth lone traveller is Frank (Murray Fane). We meet affable Frank at the caravan park, sitting contentedly on his camping chair, listening to his transistor radio. Frank is what Aussie’s term a ‘grey nomad’ traveller, and Frank’s story is touching and elicits empathy from the audience.
The only couple in Sweet Road are played by Chloe Callow as Carla and Dimitri Armatas as Andy. Married with two children and a dog (unseen but all three spoken frequently to – so the audience can imagine their little personalities), they are heaped inside an unreliable car, relocating to a potential job (not for the first time) that Andy is hoping to get. Andy is clearly hyperactive, bouncing with chatter, big dreams and even bigger positivity whilst Carla is the opposite. At first, we view Carla as a pessimist, stressed and uptight. As their story unfolds, I began to understand her frustration to Andy’s promises and subsequent disappointments and relate to why Carla was this way. Both Chloe Callow and Dimitri Armatas brought their characters to life with strong portrayals of their characters. With Carla carrying her daughter’s tiny Hello Kitty backpack, I hoped that this road trip would not be their last.
Jordan Andrews played 5 characters, each an integral supporting part of the story. Diverse roles such as The Policeman brought some laughs with his interaction with Carla and as Curtis, the hitchhiker, he brought tension and drama to the stage.
The set design by Rob and Leah White was minimal, but effective in combination with the lighting and projections by Wayne Chee. With some scenes being set in country servos (petrol stations), a caravan park and on the road, the wide open spaces of the Australian highways and towns were translated onto the stage with projections. Many scenes were set with the characters sitting in their car seats, miming steering. A standout with the lighting design were these scenes. When they were driving, we would know that they were on the road, with headlight beams showing the passing steady stream of cars and traffic light colours illuminating their drive. Some scenes where characters remained onstage but not lit, to show they were not on, whilst other scenes took place were masterfully done by all.
Due to the script, the first act was dialogue heavy and if the second act was similar, the play may have dragged. However, when drama occurs in the second act, it is here where the play comes together. The first act was needed to set up the characters’ stories in preparation.
Being on the road for everyone is a journey – you are travelling either towards or away from something. These characters’ lives intertwining, show the bones of humanity and the ripples of love, grief and acceptance. For some, what Sweet Road illuminates is that there is beauty in the freedom of the open road, but also for others it provides a safe space.
The Pymble Player’s Theatre have created an emotive play which many people will be able to relate to, from the young starry eyed teenager to the grey nomads amongst us – it’s a journey not to be missed.
Running Time: Two hours and 20 minutes, including a 20 minutes interval.
Season: 7-31 August 2024 Pymble Players Theatre 55A Mona Vale Road, entrance via Bromley Ave
