Comedy - Whats The Show

Magpie – Fearless and Brave

04/04/202528/03/2025 Cherelle Flemming🥈🎭🎶

Magpie Rating

★★★★★

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I had the pleasure of reviewing EJ Mann’s comedy show MAGPIE at Bernie’s Bar Newcastle. In her own words, “It’s a musical comedy show about being brave and living like one of Australia’s most fearless birds- the Magpie.”

EJ Mann is a Brisbane based comedian on tour for the Fringe Festival. She has been gaining great momentum in the comedy circuit and receiving wonderful acclaim and reviews from her shows. In a relatively short period, of only a few years, she has certainly made her mark in the comedic world as a RAW State Finalist, Funny Coast Laughable Finalist, and Brat Pack People’s Choice Winner.

EJ Mann’s references to Uber drivers, Elon Musk, and keyboard warriors on neighbourhood Facebook pages made the show incredibly relatable and hilarious. There is a meld of Facebook posts and comments from her neighbourhood page, which EJ brilliantly and most creatively creates into a humorous song. I recommend she join my local page, as there is great content there if she is after new material for her next show. Facebook community pages definitely seem to bring the most brazen characters out of the woodwork.

It was most endearing to hear EJ intertwining various quotes and stories from her beloved late grandmother into her performance and songs. She made various mentions regarding her family and personal relationships which created an intimate, personal atmosphere and allowed the audience to feel acquainted, at ease and more receptive to her material.

EJ talked about her self discovery and sexuality in a heartfelt entertaining presentation. What I loved most was how she seamlessly incorporated her original comedic songs, accompanied by her guitar, throughout the show. A very stylish guitar, too, I should mention. EJ sings with an authentic Australian accent and a reminiscent sweetness of Missy Higgins. I could draw comparisons to the comedian Garfunkel (Kate Micucci), whose work I also absolutely adore.

There was a steadfast theme of the brave and fearless Magpie bird which is cleverly intertwined throughout her material. I particularly loved the reference to a ‘Parliament of Magpies’ and their superior efficiency. There were also references to shallow peacocks and rainbow lorikeets which reinforced her ideas beautifully.

EJ Mann is undeniably bold and brave as the Magpie and reveals an authentic, raw, self-exposing performance with skilful comedic light. A solid and professional performance by an up and coming star in her field. It is hard to believe she has only been at this game for just a few years. EJ certainly portrayed the grace and confidence of a seasoned professional. I was truly impressed by her creative witty performance and wish her all the best with her remaining Fringe Festival performances.

To book tickets to Magpie, please visit https://newcastlefringe.com.au/events/magpie/.

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Cherelle Flemming🥈🎭🎶

The Pirates of Penzance

04/04/202528/03/2025 Paige Jenkins🥈🦉🎭

The Pirates of Penzance Rating

★★★★★

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Hayes Theatre Co has made their way to the Wollongong stage at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, with a fresh and flamboyant flair to Gilbert and Sullivan’s seminal classic of The Pirates of Penzance (or The Slave of Duty).

Usually, a cast of around 40 actors, this delightful production decided to challenge their performers by asking the five of them to play the entire ensemble. This feat could very easily have become confusing and overwhelming for both the actors and the audience, but this cast made the stage their own and gave it their all to create a fast-paced and dynamic performance with seamless or in Billie Palin’s case, intentionally comedic on-stage quick-changes.

The use of the piano was very well done, becoming a change-room, a monologue-worthy soap box, and an off-stage curtain, all while pouring out beautiful scores. That piano is arguably the sixth and most dynamic cast member. Whilst a few of the cast members played it during the 2-hour performance, it is the dedication and consistency of Trevor Jones that should be commended as he somehow managed to continue playing whilst being carted around and changing costume in the blink of an eye, and have the audience in stitches with his lyric changes and commendable diction and pace during ‘I Am the Very Model’.

It’s a personal favourite when a performance becomes an immersive experience like this one, and I adore it when the theatre staff take the theme in stride as the IPAC has done. From small costume additions to the ushers to a special cocktail for the event, in addition to on-stage seating and audience-actor interactions, The Pirates of Penzance had it all. Some of the audience members really stole the show during their five minutes of fame and it just made for a beautiful and joyful experience.

Amid some technical difficulties, the cast remained cool and level-headed. Aside from one hiccup, where the audience stepped in to maintain morale and keep the energy high, the cast didn’t miss a beat.

The vocals and dynamic accent work of Brittanie Shipway was absolutely breathtaking. Her operatic range and ability to stay in and switch between such polarising opposite characters is just incredible. She brought the “wow” factor times ten, which is especially hard to maintain when you’re onstage for all but a few moments of a show of this length. In the company of a big name like Jay Laga’aia who exudes passion and charisma, and is just such a treat to watch, Shipway made certain that she was not to be forgotten.

Maxwell Simon was everything that Fredric should be. His voice had such power and his portrayal of a naïve but determined to be self-assured boy was utterly hilarious. His physical comedy was just brilliant, capturing the attention of the audience whether he was in the spotlight or not.

The Pirates of Penzance is the perfect show to watch to end the week, so make sure to grab yourself a ticket before they sail away from Wollongong by heading to the Merrigong Theatre Company’s website for the remaining shows this weekend!

To book tickets to The Pirates of Penzance, please visit https://merrigong.com.au/shows/the-pirates-of-penzance/.

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Paige Jenkins🥈🦉🎭

Mario The Maker Magician

04/04/202518/03/2025 Kenneth Stephens⭐🦉

Mario The Maker Magician Rating

★★★★★

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Mario “the Maker Magician” Marchese is a New York-based performer, author, and maker. He tours worldwide with his wife, producer, and children. He incorporates DIY electronics and robotics into his projects, using magic to inspire limitless creativity in children and families.

This is a fun and amazing show for the whole family. Mario is a dynamic performer. Larger than life, he commands the stage. Even on one of the hottest days in Adelaide, he still put on a stunning show. But I feel we are grateful as he sprays water about the venue, cooling and more sleight of hand.

The audience was totally engaged with Mario’s every move. The hand-made props add a gorgeous charm to the show. They remind you of the toys that children would make themselves with cardboard, paint, and sticky tape. It took me back to my childhood, and I imagine that a lot of the parents were remembering their childhood.

It was also relatable to the younger audience members, the arts and crafts they like to do on a rainy day. Magician David Blaine, whom he has toured with, has labelled Mario “the best kids’ magician in the world”. He has appeared on the “Sesame Street’ show and with Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show. Even David Copperfield has heaped praise on Mario.

The show revolved around robots that Mario had hand-built. There was a lot of audience participation in the show, and the kids loved it. The kids loved the magic, and so did the adults.

Mario touches on his favourite teachers and what they mean to him, reminding the audience that teachers have had a pivotal role in our lives. This is part of the misdirection. In fact, the show starts with some simple, sleight of hand tricks. They immediately draw the audience in. Mario has us all hooked. The pace accelerates, and more tricks are revealed. We are introduced to the simple but fun robots.

The pace of the production helps with the sleight of hand and misdirection, which are important in this show. Mario makes positive statements about children and how the simple act of getting up on stage as a volunteer is a brave moment in their lives. We should applaud this.

The audience’s reaction throughout the show is something to behold. I have never seen an audience so captivated, engaged, and incredibly noisy. He owns the venue, and he takes along his magic journey, meeting those who have influenced him, like Andy Warhol.

As the show progresses to the finale the strings of the story come together. And with an ending we did expect it comes to a close. We are left wanting more. Which is how all shows should end.

The takeaway from this fun, glorious production is “Follow your dreams”.

Performed by Mario “the Maker Magician” Marchese
Written by Mario and Katie Marchese
Produced by Katie Rosa Marchese and Chris Cox

To book tickets to Mario The Maker Magician, please visit https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/mario-the-maker-magician-af2025.

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Kenneth Stephens⭐🦉

It’s Only A Play – Pymble Players arrive at The Zenith Theatre

04/04/202515/03/2025 Linda Lokhee🏆💎🦉🎭😂

It’s Only A Play Rating

★★★★★

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It’s evening in a New York townhouse. Plush pillows adorn the bed, and the room furniture’s white colour palette portrays understated luxury. Jazz plays as the audience is seated. I loved the director and set designer Joy Sweeney’s selection of extra-long curtains, which gave the set a high ceiling and confirmed the architecture of an upper-class Manhattan residence.
This is a room of affluence and perhaps also influence.

Terrence McNally’s It’s Only A Play could be set in any era, but it’s soon clear from the references to Broadway musicals mentioned that it’s set in the present day. We join a group of creatives (and a coat check boy) after the opening night of playwright Peter Austin’s (Nick Roberts) play named “The Golden Egg”. What “The Golden Egg” is about remains a mystery for the entirety of the play, but it doesn’t matter. What matters to these characters is how it is received by Broadway’s top theatre critics. McNally’s play shows how powerful the weight of a good or bad theatre review can affect the future of a production and the survival of some theatre venues.

This is a comedy with many big characters, oversized personalities, and even larger egos. James Wicker (played with self-centred relish by Ross Alexander) is Peter’s best friend who has come to support Peter on his big night. James had previously turned down Peter’s offer to play a character in his play, instead choosing the path of acting in a long-running series on television. Was he viewed as a sellout as he swapped over to television? It was interesting to see how Ross portrayed friendship with his character’s feelings of jealousy over casting, and the interaction between he and Peter with unfavourable comparisons being made between being a Broadway theatre actor and a television series actor.

Gus (Cameron Drake) the wannabe actor, delivers a light hearted distraction whilst everyone waits for the reviews to come in. He brings several coats into the room, ceremoniously announcing who they belong to, and dumps them on the bed, which gains a lot of laughs from the audience. Many coats have their own recognisable star factor, including coats from Les Miserables, Cats, Hamilton and Joseph and the Technicolour Coat. There’s even a musical nod to Wicked performed by Gus.

Heather Pitt’s character Virginia Noyes has a feisty ‘tell-em-how-it-is’ spunk. Virginia starred in Peter’s play that night and eagerly waits to see how her return to the stage is received. Her retelling of a certain dance onstage due to an ankle monitor was funny.

Julia Budder, played by Cassandra Gorman, is the producer of “The Golden Egg”. She decided to back Peter’s play and brings hope to the room, as well as a certain fragility. Clive Hobson’s character Ira Drew is a harsh film critic. He throws a barb at Peter: “I like you personally, it’s your play I can’t stand” is one insulting comment, amongst many others.

Tim Wotherspoon, who plays the director of “The Golden Egg” Frank Finger, is a standout. Frank Finger is a flamboyant, sensitive and dramatic character, full of hair tosses and bouts of kleptomania. His highly successful previous projects prompted a potential imposter syndrome line “I need a flop!”. The dramatics with his ‘invisible cloak’ (a nod to Harry Potter perhaps?) had the audience laughing.

Director Joy Sweeney has successfully led The Pymble Players’ first performance into their new performance theatre venue – The Zenith Theatre in Chatswood. Congratulations to The Pymble Players on their opening night.

Finally, what did the theatre critic Ben Brantley from The New York Times and other theatre critics have to say about “The Golden Egg”? No spoilers here – the second act is filled with the characters’ reactions, so you’ll have to see it to find out!

It’s Only a Play performances:

14 March 2025 – 22 March 2025.
Tickets: $35 Concession Card holders $30

To book tickets to It’s Only A Play, please visit www.pymbleplayers.com.au/its-only-a-play.

Photographer: Daniel Ferris

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Linda Lokhee🏆💎🦉🎭😂

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

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