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Adelaide Fringe: The New Abnormal

25 February 2024 Alby T Grace

Walking in to see The New Abnormal, or any show, at the Goodwood Theatre and Studios is always a delight; the beautiful laneway leading to the magnificent theatre is a breath of fresh air in a Fringe of office buildings and hot tents.

It’s absolutely fantastic to sit in a large, air-conditioned theatre with elegant lighting and a generous stage to watch a piece of excellent naturalistic performance. Kudos to Simmy and Chris for their wonderful venue, and a little nudge to the Adelaide City Council to stop destroying
theatres to make car parks.

“The New Abnormal”, written by Jeff Stolzer, starring Orion Powell and Rachel Williams, and directed by Holly Howard and Tim Marriot, is, on the surface, a simple two-hander with excellent performances. However, as the play unfolds, the themes deepen, and this intimate portrayal of a couple faced with crisis is enjoyable and touching.

The premise is familiar to all of us; a couple is stuck in lockdown in New York, dealing with (presumably) the COVID-19 epidemic as it happens. Stuck with only each other’s company, the couple discuss the frightening situation outside, bicker, reveal long-held secrets, fight, make love, and generally be humans. It’s a very recognisable and sympathetic situation; fortunately, a small audience was with the characters every step of the way.

For me, the absolute stand-out of the production is the excellent performances of Powell and Williams. They’re entirely believable and rarely falter with Stolzer’s constant, quick, Mamet-esque dialogue and presence utterly convincing people. It’s effortless to fall into this world with them because of the quality of their acting. The skill in performance alone is worth the price of admittance.

The play itself is very well written, with snappy, crackling dialogue. At times, perhaps because of the premise, it does become a bit repetitive, and maybe we feel, as the audience, that we are also in lockdown with these characters, repeating the same day over and over.

I would have liked a bit more of a rise through the show and a clearer climax, but overall, it’s well-considered with high production values. The sound and lighting design complements the show well, and the subtle direction serves the apparently effortless performances. It’s also fantastic to see love, intimacy and romance on stage – things that are rarely performed nowadays and were executed with aplomb.

With the glut of comedy, circus and other work in The Garden and Gluttony, I always love to seek out the smaller, less represented shows, and this is a great example of well-produced, funny and engaging new theatre. The season only has three shows left, and I encourage you to
attend.

PS to some of the audience – perhaps you shouldn’t eat chips in the front row of a very intimate production.

The New Abnormal has three more performances at Goodwood Theatre and Studios on Feb 26th at 1pm and 6:30pm and Feb 27th at 6:30pm.

This review also appears on It’s On The House, and check out more reviews at Dark Stories Theatre to see what else is on in your town.

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Sherlock Holmes: The Last Act

25 February 2024 Cheryl Lee

I love Fringe time – Adelaide comes alive for Mad-March, which starts in February. There are so many shows, many returning favourites, and hundreds of new favourites, such as Sherlock Holmes: The Last Act, waiting to be discovered.

Nestled on page 147 of 168 of The Guide between the hundreds (more than 1300 actually) of Fringe shows is Sherlock Holmes: The Last Act. Hubby Barry and I head to one of Adelaide’s old buildings, now a boutique venue for performing artists.

We are directed around the back to almost a mysterious secret entrance to “Studio 166” from the rear of the old theatre, originally the Goodwood Institute built-in 1887. We are filed past a surprisingly well-stocked bar into an extremely small theatre of just four rows, seating approximately 50 patrons. There’s not a spare seat in the house.

Sherlock Holmes: The Last Act is performed by Nigel Miles-Thomas, written by David Stuart Davies and directed by award-winning Gareth Armstrong. Being a newcomer to Sherlock Holmes, I wasn’t sure how much was actual Sherlock Holmes fact and how much was created by the writer, but it didn’t matter. Much of the time, if ever in doubt as to what was going on one minute, it was always made clear in the next.

Nigel Miles-Thomas is an amazingly talented actor who spoke the 65-minute monologue nonstop, not a stumble, not a misstep and held character the entire time; in fact, he apparently had multiple characters, 14 in total.

Father of five and I, husband Barry, are not theatre buffs by any stretch of the imagination; in fact, you more likely find us in the mosh pit at the front of a rock concert like The Angels or The Screaming Jets., therefore my thoughts are from an utterly naïve perspective.

In fact, the reviews from people who know theatre a hell of a lot better than I was so glowing I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it. But I must say Nigel Miles-Thomas grabbed my attention from the moment he walked out onto the sparsely decorated stage, and I did not take my eyes off him for the next hour.

Nigel has had an extensive career spanning five decades. He has worked with Steven Berkoff and performed a leading role in London’s West End and many of the regional theatres in the UK. Nigel has performed internationally in the USA, Europe and Asia. He is well known for his appearances in Doctor Who and many other popular UK programmes.

The story, not to spoil anything, is written to reveal the man behind the myth and expose the great detective’s fears and weaknesses, the devastating consequences of the dramas of his formative years, and, unexpectedly, his cutting sense of humour.

Fringe time is the perfect time to go out and see something new or try something different, and even if you’re usually an anti-theatre buff, I can recommend this one. You’ll thoroughly enjoy it as we did.

Remember to get out when you can, support local talent, and I’ll see you down the front!!

This review also appears on It’s On The House, and check out more reviews at Dark Stories Theatre to see what else is on in your town.

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Adelaide Fringe – Blood Of The Lamb

24 February 2024 Alby T Grace

Blood Of The Lamb. At the Migration Museum, Courtyard of Curiosities, until March 17th.

“You have hurt my feelings. I would obey the law.”

“What if one of my daughters were in your shoes?”

Presented by B-Street Theatre and written by prolific and stalwart playwright Arlene Hutton, Blood of the Lamb is a chilling, fast-paced, and thought-provoking piece of naturalistic theatre.

Borne out of speculation by Hutton on where the US was heading with abortion law, she was astonished and devastated to learn her speculations had gradually become truth in the wake of the overturning of Roe v Wade in the US.

In an anonymous backroom in an airport in Texas, Nessa (Dana Brooke), a well-dressed, professional woman wearing a hospital admittance band, and Val (Elizabeth Nunziato), who is here to help, begin to discuss the events of the day.

The energy is fraught from the outset – Nessa is shaken and disturbed, and a torrent of words pours from her as she attempts to piece together
the day. We gradually learn she has passed out mid-flight, flying from LA, and has to be taken from the plane to Dallas – or maybe Houston.

Nessa has suffered a miscarriage unexpectedly and assumes Val is a medical professional here to assess her before the procedure to remove
the fetus. We soon learn this is wrong; however, Val is actually a lawyer who is acting on behalf of Nessa’s unborn baby.

Nessa may be charged with “abusing a corpse” if the procedure goes ahead, and so she is living in limbo in this back room, with Val in full control of her fate. The play unfolds in many interesting ways, and there are further reveals that deepen the absurdity of the bureaucracy surrounding Nessa’s own body and the body of her baby.

Blood of the Lamb is a slick, tight, and nuanced production. With just two plastic chairs and a table, a few simple props, and a single lighting state, the story is simply and clearly delivered, enlarging the impact of the narrative.

The performances were marginally forced for the first fifteen minutes, but the actors warmed into it. Initially, the clean veneer of the performance style kept me at an emotional remove, but by the end, I was invested in learning both of their fates, especially Nessa’s.

Some aspects of the narrative don’t completely ring true to me – Val’s long conversation with her husband in the earshot of Nessa and then, soon after, Val singing to herself to calm herself both stood out as a bit unbelievable. Perhaps some of the voice work of the performers
was a little loud for the size of the venue. The production is sometimes a little one-note and monotone but picks itself up in its final section to deliver a powerful ending.

The themes of motherhood, bodily autonomy, men making decisions over women’s bodies, and the significance of career advancement over human compassion are interesting and resonant.

For what is very difficult subject matter, the play is never unbearably sombre or heavy, and moments of levity throughout puncture the darkness and clear the air for us to all breathe collectively.

B-Street should be commended for their work; this unique and compelling show deserves audiences. The performances are excellent, and the play is wonderfully written. It is the work we rarely see on a smaller stage in Adelaide. Be sure to get your tickets for Blood Of The Lamb before Adelaide Fringe is over.

This review also appears on It’s On The House, and check out more reviews at Dark Stories Theatre to see what else is on in your town.

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Adelaide Fringe – The Portable Dorothy Parker

19 February 2024 Kenneth Stephens

The Adelaide Fringe is underway for 2024, and I was lucky enough to see The Portable Dorothy Parker, a production currently playing at the Arch in the Holden Street Theatres. Grove Goddess Productions, Fringe Management LLC, and Joanne Hartstone bring this production to you.

Upon entering the theatre, I was greeted by music of the 1940s era and a simple production set containing a drinks table, phone table, chair and a fashionable standard lamp. This setting was very well suited to the space on offer.

The role of Dorothy was ably played by Margot Avery, a third-generation actor from the United States. She commands the stage in the gentle telling of a moment in Dorothy’s life. Margot speaks to the audience as if we are the person working for Viking Press, the publisher for whom she is putting together the book “The Portable Dorothy Parker”, which is the title of Dorothy’s first collection of literary work.

Dorothy Parker was a prolific writer, ensuring plenty of Dorothy’s authored material from which the play’s writer, Annie Lux, could draw upon. We get a sense of Dorothy’s character through her reminiscences as she sorts through samples of her writing and reads them to the invisible interviewer.

The direction by Lee Costello reinforces Dorothy’s character. Her movements around the sparse set to certain elements helped us gain insights into Dorothy’s character, such as the drinks cabinet, telephone and piles of paper and books. Through this, Dorothy talks about her life and namedrops her famous friends and acquaintances such as Ernest Hemingway, F Scott Fitzgerald and others.

A sizable audience enjoyed the show, with plenty of quiet chuckles from the attendees, who were clearly enjoying the wit of Dorothy’s writing. Only a couple of times did I miss a word or two. But that is only a minor complaint.

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Overall, I enjoyed this brief look into the life of Dorothy Parker. The creative team of Margot Avery, Lee Costello and Annie Lux have put together a nice piece of work. From the simple set and sound effects to the acting, it is well worth catching it before the end of the Fringe.

Tickets are on sale now for The Portable Dorothy Parker, which is showing from the 13th of February to the 17th of March with a runtime of 60 minutes.

This review also appears on It’s On The House, and check out more reviews at Dark Stories Theatre to see what else is on in your town.

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