Heart, flair and talent to boot. That’s how to best summarise Tomas Clifford, who recently dazzled crowds at the understandable encore season of his cabaret Tomas Clifford Got Stood Up.
Having not been able to attend the initial run of the show during Perth Fringe, I was itching to see it, following nothing but praise from others who had snagged a ticket. Presented as part of the Perth Comedy Festival, and showing at the Rechabite – it was the perfect venue for this production, providing a sense of intimacy while also just enough grandeur to allow Clifford to milk his moment in the spotlight.
Though based on his own experience of a date gone wrong, whirlwind hour grapples with themes everyone can strongly resonate with – feeling alienated, the desire to be accepted and most importantly self love. Mostly sung through; the music and vocals – both written by Clifford – are outstanding, featuring an eclectic mix of genres that keeps audiences on their toes. His clever lyricism was both witty and thought-provoking, but it was ultimately his overall candidness that truly drove home the messaging. I really enjoyed the way the tunes were both performative yet conversational, helping to build rapport with the crowd.
Having previously seen Clifford on stage in acting roles, it was great to see his personality shine through here. The authenticity added a whole extra layer to the performance and it was very evident, as is told within the show, that he is so confident in who he is and was proud to celebrate that with the world.
Props must also go to the small but mighty band helping bring the story to life – drums, keys, bass and guitar, rounded out by the welcome brassy tones of a saxophone and trumpet – along with three backing vocals, all phenomenal in their own right. Clifford’s relationship with both his band and BVs was refreshing, ensuring they were just as much a part of the performance as he was – with the vocalists in particular helping to serve as other ‘characters’ in his life.
All in all, this was an excellently executed cabaret that audiences evidently had a lot of fun at – helped largely in part by that fact that Clifford was too. I cannot wait to see what he does next.
Keeping it simple, stupid is never as simple as it sounds. Especially if you’re Andrew Barnett (aka Barney), where life is anything but simple as the father of two teenage boys who don’t yet appreciate that the ultimate sign of coolness is being able to drive yourself to the shops to buy stuff with your own money.
Ah, yes, the woes of being middle-aged while surrounded by teenagers and TikTok is the comedic stuff that dreams are made of, and Barney nails it with his wry outlook that anyone over 30 will relate to. Warning: If you have the audacity to show up below the age of 30, it’s probably best that you don’t sit in the two front rows.
His ease of delivery makes it feel like you’re just chatting at the pub, where he’s doing most of the talking. Barney’s effortless style is down to an extensive career since 2010 as a stand-up comedian, writer and media personality, including TV, radio and podcast appearances.
He currently co-hosts the Not Another F#ing Rugby League Podcast and is a familiar voice on SEN radio, aired in New South Wales and Queensland, when he’s not performing at high-profile sporting, comedy, music and fringe festivals around the country.
Reigning from Sydney to join the Perth Comedy Festival on 2nd and 3rd May, and performing upstairs of the Regal Theatre in the Regal Chorus Room is the perfect setting for Barney’s laid-back banter.
He returns to Sydney for the Sydney Comedy Festival on 8 & 9th May. Keep an eye out at various Perth venues, including The Rechabite and Comedy Lounge, for his quick-witted, relatable and endearing observational humour.
Performances: 2nd – 3rd May 2025, 7pm Regal Theatre, Regal Chorus Room, 474 Hay Street, Subiaco Tickets: $41.58
The Beep Test follows Jane, Zach, Cooper and Sandra in their year 7 beep test and Sir, the PE teacher enforcing this hell upon them. The show explores the pressures and high stakes of high school, the importance of finding your own worth and what an absolute nightmare the beep test is, all in a short and sweet 60 minute run time.
At the first toll of the titular ‘beep’ you could practically feel the shiver that went down the spine of every audience member. Sat beside a friend of mine from high school, she gripped my arm, bracing for impact. Such a clever concept to take one of the most hated Australian school activities and draw it out to interrogate the themes that affect teenagers of this age.
Like high school, the stakes feel ridiculously high, the perfect vessel for big laughs, which The Beep Test delivered on at every point. The show crammed as much comedy as it could into its 60 minute run time, milking every second of stage time and every ounce of physicality to ensure our cheeks hurt by the end. With a full audience, not a single joke didn’t land. Through this, what I most admired was how each emotional beat still landed. Neylon and Peele balanced the stakes for these characters while keeping us laughing, but never at the expense of rushing through appropriate character development. It was almost pantomime how quickly the show had the whole audience uproariously laughing, to then cooing with a sea of “aww’s” as the romantic storyline progressed, or as another detail was revealed about a student’s depressing home life.
Each actor really shone as well, hitting the comedic beats and every note. The vocals were particularly impressive from the leads Sara Reed and Axel Duffy who portrayed Jane and Zach respectively. Similarly, I adored the chemistry between Sebastian Li, who played Cooper and Carly Jaz, who played Sandra. I was hook, line and sinker for every moment of their storyline. With the exception of the musical number ‘Zachiarah Nicholson’, the songs between these two characters won my heart over every time.
The staging was great. The back wall of the school gym was riddled with graffiti and secret silly details, and my friend and I spent each moment before the lights went down and as the lights came out pointing out to each other and giggling. It was a really well-executed use of space, immersive and simple, with essentially the only key props being a bench seat and the cones the characters had to run between.
There were a few aspects of Jane’s storyline I wanted slightly more from. For me, she was the character who had the least backstory, and her motivation felt a little one note. Sara Reed performed as Jane fantastically; however, with so much of the dialogue in the show putting her down for being a girl, with that simple term being used as an insult, I wanted more rage from her character. It’s clear she wants to beat Zach to prove to herself that she can, but I almost feel like there was further possibility for comedy in pushing that motivation further and tying it into the playground misogyny that is consistently thrown her way.
The Beep Test is an undeniably charming comedy musical bursting with passion, heart and consistent laughs.
Published in 1891 as a short story by Oscar Wilde, Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime was the basis of this satire adaptation by Constance Cox and presented by the Genesian Theatre Company. Although I had previously seen productions over many years at their historic 70-year venue on Kent St in Sydney’s heart of the city, this was the first time I had seen a Genesian Theatre Company’s production in 2025 in their purpose-built new theatre. Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime was performed in their new venue at Rozelle, complete with high ceilings, air conditioning, with every comfortable plush seat having an unobstructed view of the stage.
It is the late 1800’s and Aristocrat Lord Arthur Savile (Brock Cramond) is engaged to Sybil Merton (Catherine Layard), the daughter of haughty Lady Julia Merton. Lady Julia, portrayed with relish by Roslyn Hicks, clearly doesn’t approve of Lord Arthur as a suitable husband for her beloved daughter. Roslyn’s performance as Lady Julia was a standout. Her disdain towards her future son-in-law, highlighted by her finger pointing and sharp words, as well as her outrageously ostentatious white bird hat, made the audience laugh many times! With the hope of getting a dire warning and thus having an excuse to cancel the engagement, Lady Julia brings a famous cheiromantist (fortune teller) Mr Podgers (Kees Harmsen), to see Lord Arthur, who predicts the past and future by reading palms. Kees’ portrayal of a serious soothsayer was excellent, and as he loomed over Lord Arthur, cloaked in a dark suit wearing a black tophat, he created a sense of mystery and foreboding, and was reminiscent of a human grim reaper. Well done to the costume designers, Molly Haddon and Susan Carveth.
Mr Podgers predicts that Lord Arthur is going to commit a crime of the most serious nature – murder! He keeps this news from Lady Julia, and admits it only to Lord Arthur, who then decides he must complete this murder before his upcoming marriage. With the help of his loyal man servant Baines, impeccably dressed in a black suit with tails (Oliver Harcourt-Ham) Lord Arthur goes about planning to poison his dear Aunty, Lady Clementina. The circumstances surrounding this murder change as he tries to implement his plan, and the audience is left holding their breath waiting to see what happens. Lady Clementina was portrayed by Diedre Campbell, who created a character that was so likeable, it left me hoping she wasn’t going to be a victim.
The following attempts as he goes through his possible family murder victim list, conveniently given to him by an earnest and helpful Baines, involve his other Aunty, Lady Windermere (Julia Burns) and the Dean of Paddington (Christopher Hamilton). Involved with the planning and the supplier of certain possible murder items was a member of the Anarchy Society, Herr Winkelkopf, played with comical overzealousness by Sebastian Lodge. His interactions with Lord Arthur and Baines were earnest in his offer to help, and providing items of the explosive type, (that may or may not work, no spoilers) was one of the highlights of the play. The scene where he was delivering a ‘bomb’ dressed in the exact two shade colours of the wall, so as to ‘blend in’, was hilarious!
A supporting character, Maid Nellie, (Amy Silvana Thomas) added to the wealth of the Savile family. At one point, whether intentional or not, I got the impression that Nellie may be more than whom she seems with her intentions.
The playwright’s characters are quite the caricature of Britain’s high society’s wealthy people, as well as the hired help. Every character had some funny quips, which made the 2 hour, 10 min play flow at a good pace.
The music was suited to the era and emotive theme. Sound Designer Rhea Moloo set a scene of intrigue and trepidation during the introduction and interval, with classical songs, such as Palladio by Virtuoso and Ivan Dohovic, Concerto in G Minor and Flight of the Bumblebee.
Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime was masterfully directed by Molly Haddon and has all the elements of a traditional Victorian Crime – with the murder choices popular during that time, spliced with comedic drama. There is the underlying sense of social class motivations of mixed-up morality, as Lord Arthur is continually supported by ‘his people” as he desperately tries to fulfil his supposed future murder prophecy. The result is a very satisfying comedic play with unexpected twists!
The Genesian Theatre
2B Gordon St, Rozelle
25 April – 7 June 2025
Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes (including 20 min interval)
Tickets: Full $35 / Concession, Groups 10+ $30
