Limelight Theatre - Whats The Show

Tick, Tick… Boom!

3 March 2025 Breanna Redhead

TickTickBoom Rating

★★★★★

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Presented in under 6 weeks, Limelight Theatre has shown that diamonds are made under pressure. Tick, Tick… Boom! is a slick and polished performance in all elements of production.

Telling the story of the life of RENT composer Jonathon Larson, this show is full of heart, humour and a healthy dose of reality.

Jordan Richards leads the cast as Jon, offering an authentic and heartfelt performance with strong vocals throughout. Though his voice did seem fatigued towards the end, I feel it served the character well as it mirrored his emotional arc.

Ellie Coburn shines as Susan, genuine and caring, working well with Richards whilst also showing her own vocal prowess. Best friend and artist-turned-businessman Michael is given life by Blair Price-Morgan – albeit a little young for the character – he too, was consistent throughout.

While this show is typically played out with trio, this particular production was rounded out with a small but sharp ensemble that filled out the wealth of smaller roles with great enthusiasm, each putting their all into their overzealous caricatures.

Personal favourites included Aliesha Archer’s talent agent Judy Wright, and Jake Battle as Jon’s father – both a great laugh. Georgia Goff enjoys her moment in the spotlight as Karessa Johnson singing a beautiful (duetted) rendition of ‘Come to Your Senses’.

Caleb Stevens’s choreography (which also doubles as ensemble) is simple but effective. It adds just the right amount of movement to build up moments without distracting from the main story.

But the testament must also go to the cast and the band, who are clean and concise under the guidance of Jasper Cruden.

I was also a big fan of the lighting design (Matthew Roberts) built into the cubic set. It was a fun and welcome surprise and added great flare to the otherwise simple brick set design.

Overall, I was highly impressed with the quality of this production from start to finish and highly recommend you snatch up a ticket to the remaining performances.

To book tickets to TickTickBoom, please visit https://www.taztix.com.au/limelight/

For Phone Bookings TAZ Tix @ 9255 3336

PERFORMANCE DATES:
FEB 27, 28, MARCH 1, 2*, 6, 7, 8
Recommended MA 15+

Times: Evenings at 7.30pm, *Matinees at 2pm

Tickets: $37 Adult, $32 Concession (seniors/students),
$30 Members, Groups 20+ $32 each
processing fees apply

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.

Breanna Redhead

Puss In Boots

29 November 202423 November 2024 Natalie Rees

Puss In Boots Rating

★★★★★

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With Christmas just around the corner, there is nothing like seeing a pantomime at this time of year, and the Limelight theatre production of Puss in Boots will definitely hit the spot for some Christmas cheer. With an enormous 30-strong cast, this show is a dazzle of song, dance and melodramatic acting that is as impressive as it is entertaining. You will laugh, cheer, boo and get to sing along to the many well-known songs and feel like you are just as much part of the show as the actors.

The pantomime twist of the traditional story of Puss in Boots tells of Jack (Zavier Wileman), a poor miller son who is left just a cat (Beau Poole) after his father dies. Zavier Wileman as Jack gave a strong performance and was well loved by the audience. At times his vocalisation could have been louder and clearer and this was also amplified by some minor technical difficulties.

Beau Poole as Puss in Boots was a bundle of energy and clearly very talented. I absolutely loved his physicality as Puss but would comment that he could have connected with other actors clearer. My six year old daughter pinned Beau as her favourite actor!

The two go through various mishaps over the story, often at the hands of Jack’s two dimwit brothers, Jasper (Isaac McAuley) and Jethro (Jason Pearce). Both played the role with suitable comic timing and made a great pair. Isaac McAuley, as Jasper, would blossom with more confidence.

The two brothers fall in love with Babs (Sarah McDonald) and Betty (Eleanor Mulder). Both actors held a tune well and added to the professionalism of this production. Jack then falls in love with Princess Esmerelda (Zoe Anderson), whose extensive training was evident in her performance. She is a very proficient dancer and singer, bringing charm to the stage.

Jack and Esmerelda’s love is interfered with by the Orge (Andrew Govey), who was an absolute hit with the audience. With a very powerful resonance and performance, he gave me a few belly laughs over the night. The Orge was helped by the Bad Fairy (Gwen Browning), who was incredibly articulate and clear as an actor. I enjoyed her performance, even if I didn’t like her character and joined in on booing her!

To counter this, we had the Good Fairy (Christine Smith), who helped put things right. Smith’s warm energy suited the character perfectly, and she held herself as the character equally as well as Browning.

The standout performance, though, was from the Queen (Chris McCafferty). McCafferty, who nailed the art of Pantomime, had me in bundles of laughter. He is clear and articulate, and his comedic timing was spot on. His ability to interact with the audience and his rifting was hilarious. Cher and Sonny’s song ‘I’ve Got You Babe’ that he preformed with his King (RJ Smolders) was particularly funny. Smolders was so well fit for the role of the submissive King and his dottering characterisation was on point.

Last but not least, the young Luis Proctor as The Page stepped confidently into the big task of opening the show with a song. This boy has a bright future ahead of him.

I won’t give away the end of the story but all in all this was a wonderful production from a very cohesive and professional cast. The standard was very high for amateur theatre and the ensemble as well at the dancer significantly added to this.

This show was a full house on opening night, so if you want to see this splendid production, I suggest booking your tickets right now! This is definitely one not to be missed.

To book tickets to Puss In Boots, please visit TAZTix or phone 9255 3336.

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.

Natalie Rees

Bleak Expectations: Presented by Limelight Theatre

19 September 202416 September 2024 Breanna Redhead

Bleak Expectations Rating

★★★★★

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Adapted from a series of BBC radio plays, ‘Bleak Expectations’ puts a fun twist on Charles Dickens’s classic tale. It is well-staged and performed by the team at Limelight Theatre.

Narrated by a grown-up Pip Bin, we look back on his coming of age as a young man in a life full of twists, turns, and slapstick English humour.

Gordon Park guides our story as the older Pip, with a commanding stage presence that fills the stage. Jack Riches, who brings a refreshing, happy-go-lucky nature to the central role, portrays his younger counterpart with naivety.

Natalie Wiles and Mary Del Casale round out the trio of Bin children as Pip’s sisters, the strong-willed, ambitious Pippa and spritely Poppy. Del Casale particularly shines as the cheeky youngest sister and later brings humour to the pining Ripley.

Peter Giles and Shayla Brown complete the family as mum and dad, with Brown to be commended for embracing her character’s rather bizarre arc with full force.

Tomas Kinshela is a stand-out as best friend Harry Biscuit, who brings a certain candidness to the character that is a pleasure to watch. Some of his finer moments play out when he is not the focus of a scene, with excellent nuisances and mannerisms if you’re lucky to catch them.

Also a highlight is Jason Pearce, who is comedic gold in his smorgasbord of roles—the Act 2 courtroom scene is a particularly memorable moment.

And what is a show without its villain – Mr Benevolent – which Gareth Bishop brings great life to. Across the board, the cast is to be commended for the high energy on-stage from start to finish.

The set for this production is rather impressive. The design team—led by Roger Oakes—created a single multi-level piece that largely serves as the family home and is used well throughout, with simple added dressings to help establish different locations.

Bold and colourful costumes from Julie Clark also help to transport us back to the 1800s.

All in all, this comedy is exactly that—a laugh-a-minute show that serves as a great escape from reality for an evening. Director Barry Lefort has put together a solid production lifted by a cast that looks like they are having an absolute ball on stage.

For Bookings, phone TAZ Tix at 9255 3336 or book online @ https://www.taztix.com.au/limelight/

Venue: Limelight Theatre
Civic Drive, Wanneroo

Performance Dates: September 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 22*, 26, 27, 28

Times: Evenings at 7.30pm, *Matinees at 2pm

Tickets: $27 Adult, $22 Concession (seniors/students),
$20 Member, Groups 20+ $22 each
processing fees apply

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.

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Hands On A Hardbody

28 June 202428 June 2024 Breanna Redhead

Hands On A Hardbody Rating

★★★★★

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It’s always a pleasure when theatre companies step away from big-name shows to bring local audiences more unique (and often fantastic) shows. Limelight Theatre is the latest in this endeavour – giving Hands On A Hardbody an exceptional Australian debut with excellent production values.

Based on the 1997 documentary of the same name, Hands On A Hardbody is the unexpectedly heartwarming story of competitors vying to win a pick-up truck by being the last person to keep their hands on the vehicle.

Spanning over nearly four days, we meet a pool of characters and learn why they’ve come to take part in the competition and how the win would change their lives. The hardbody in question is a thoughtfully designed piece that anchors the show, offering actors versatility in their abilities to interact with it and each other.

Designed by Mal Anderson, the rest of the set is equally impressive. It helps to bring the ageing car dealership to life, with a lack of side stage curtains creating an outdoor feel to the auditorium. Effective lighting and sound design add to the ambience while assisting in showing the passing of time.

A strong ensemble cast—Breeahn Carter is simply captivating as Heather Stovall, with great spunk and confidence, while Lukas Perez brings an infectious energy to Norma Valverde. Phil Bedworth gives great depth to previous champion Benny Perkins, and Rodrigo Goncalves de Azevado is compelling as Jesus Pena.

Helen Carey and Brad Beckett are utterly endearing, as are Janis and Don Curtis, and are well-balanced in the tense relationship of J.D. Drew and his wife Virginia (Chris McCafferty and Gillian Binks).

Amber Wilson leads the competition as Cindy Barnes, who is the perfect balance of sweet and stern against Ben Mullings’ slimy Mike Ferris. Jacob Anderson is a ball of energy as radio host Frank Nugent. The cast is rounded out by a small ensemble and brief appearances from the competition’s early bow-outs, including a crowd-pleasing Christian Dichiera.

Vocally, audiences are treated to a suite of talent, with slick ensemble singing and harmony work under Sean Davis’s leadership. However, occasional imbalances in sound mixing left soloists momentarily overpowered by the chorus.

Individual stand-outs include Brittany Isaia and Joshua Hollander’s ‘I’m Gone’ – showing off the pair’s palpable chemistry and lovely vocal tone. Riley Merigan also displays his powerful vocal chops in ‘Stronger.’

With performers limited in their movements to stay in the competition, Jane Anderson’s choreography is to be commended – thinking outside the box to create engaging numbers with ‘Joy of the Lord’ a particular high point.

Co-directors David Nelson and Jane Anderson have put together a fun-filled, cohesive production deserving of full-house crowds. It’s a definite recommendation to anyone into a ‘human drama kind of thing.’

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.

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