Spanish Film Festival – Mugaritz. No Bread, No Dessert Rating
★★★★★
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Paco Plaza’s “Mugaritz: No Bread, No Dessert” is a poetic documentary that explores the inner workings of one of the world’s most inventive restaurants – Mugaritz. Led by chef Andoni Luis Aduriz, a self-proclaimed non-leader steering his energetic staff with generosity and “stepping back”, the restaurant closes from November to April each year to recreate its thematic menu. For 2025, the culinary concept is “What Cannot Be Seen”.
Plaza’s wobbly, handheld camera is distracting as it allows us to observe the detailed process of creation, trial and perfection through the eyes of what appears to be an overly caffeinated voyeur. There are many scenarios which could have been left out, minimised or replaced with more moments of tension (more than the one shown) to alleviate the feeling of being in an hour-and-a-half board meeting.
The music, composed by Mikel Salas, is bizarre. Salas uses cutlery and frying pans in an effort to match the poeticism of the cuisine, yet ends up making one feel as if they are listening to an Apple iPhone alarm instead of a sumptuous musical score. However, visually, the documentary delights.
The pastoral Basque countryside, the streamlined, cosy restaurant and the new ways in which the fragile dishes are put together all combine to give the audience a real feast for the eyes. There is an entrée tea ceremony where the cups are made from frozen, green tea leaves; then comes a broth only reachable by breaking into an edible bone with a rock and notably a soup-like-substance whereby the diner has to lean down and lick it out of a mould made to look like…well, it’s naughty.
Although “No Bread, No Dessert” has been applauded for its appeal to the masses, this reviewer feels this will appeal especially to the restauranteur and food lovers. It is fascinating for the risk-taker-chefs and those who are interested in combining cooking with storytelling. As Aduriz himself says, it is “…small sparkles and little pearls”.
One of the greatest musicals of all time, now playing June 6 – June 15 at The Round: My Fair Lady (based on George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion) tells the story of Cockney flower-girl Eliza Doolittle and Professor Henry Higgins who takes a bet that he can pass her off as a lady within 6 months. Made famous by Julie Andrews & Rex Harrison, My Fair Lady won many awards and broke many records since its Broadway debut in 1956. The music is universally known and loved and includes timeless songs such as: Wouldn’t It Be Loverly, With A Little Bit Of Luck, The Rain In Spain, I Could Have Danced All Night, On The Street Where You Live and Get Me To The Church On Time.
The write-up on Babirra Musical Theatre’s website sums it up; this is an all-time favourite, but not one you see being produced often anymore. Suitable for all ages, Babirra have gratefully given the script, set and costuming their expertise and it’s especially a no-brainer for your grandparents to go see. Tickets would make a great gift for them too: https://babirra.org.au/
Having followed the journey of leading lady, Siobhan Judge, playing ‘Eliza Doolittle’, and with my own daughter having taken singing lessons with Siobhan for a while, I predicted she’d probably be fantastic! Exactly that she is; in every scene and every song! Siobhan grew up in the Australian Girls’ Choir and later graduated from Monash University; taking the role of ‘performing arts teacher’ at Melbourne Girls College. Apparently the students love her and I bet she will have carloads from the school grabbing group bookings to be WOWed by seeing both her extraordinary vocal talents in fine tune and acting skills up close in this demanding role. The show is also Siobhan’s debut with Babirra and that’s saying something about how well she plays Eliza – she was made for it and I’m sure she gave this impression in auditions from the start.
So, after being awe-struck by Siobhan’s ability, equally another star performer in the show is Tim Maloney playing her on-stage father ‘Alfred Doolittle’. The belly-laughs from him and from us were non-stop as he commanded our attention from the very first words he spoke and I knew straight away he was going to be a stand out in this production. I learn from the program that Tim has done over 80 musicals, yes 80! No stranger at all to getting full attention from the audience, he shows off that he wholeheartedly loves performing and we loved watching him. In fact, by the end of the show, we were smiling as soon as he stepped out of the wings before he even did anything at all and we were cheering out loud when he took his bow, yet we did not know him prior. Bravo!
‘Henry Higgins’ is a masterful character and masterfully played by Mark Monroe. This character is a bit of a mix up and he’s interesting fun, but mostly (given the dialogue in today’s era) you might want to tell him to be ‘more like a woman’ rather than vote for his desire to have women behave more like men! Mark is excellent though, I laughed at how he paced up and down puzzled by Eliza and her outbursts or trying to control her and teach her to speak properly like a ‘lady’. His colleague on set is of course ‘Colonel Pickering’ played by Tim Murphy, another gem on stage as the kinder of the two gentlemen for the most part. Both are eager to see however if Eliza, with 24/7 linguistic education from Henry, can go from being a ‘common flower girl’ on the street where they met her, to fool those in high society that she might be a ‘duchess’ or maybe even ‘royalty’.
‘Mrs Pearce’ (Henry Higgins’ housekeeper), played by Fiona Carter, isn’t certain she agrees or not with such an idea, but she convincingly helps to care for and look out for Eliza, and Fiona was wonderful in her genuinity.
I waited with anticipation for where Henry says ‘I think she’s got it’ and ‘The Rain in Spain’ from Eliza’s new found pronunciation consumes the auditorium with her operatic flair. I asked Siobhan after the show if going from a tricky ‘Cockney’ accent to a most ‘posh’ English one was hard to perfect. She smiled and said being ‘posh’ was easy, but the Cockney took some practice – she readily had to let go of any embarrassment in rehearsals with extended ‘ahhhhs’ and many an elongated e. I daresay much of the cast had to spend quite a bit of time running lines similarly with the accents required and it’s paid off well as this show wouldn’t be what it is without the vocabulary detail.
A ‘test’ outing at the races is one of the most entertaining scenes (complete with loud galloping sound effects), and brings to the stage a loveable enthusiastic ‘Freddy’ played irresistibly by Charles Conway and a not so enthusiastic character in Henry’s very proper mother, played beautifully and engagingly by Patricia McCracken. I always ask someone at interval how they are enjoying the show and two appreciating ladies answered ‘yes, they are all very strong aren’t they and we love the mother, she’s our age’ haha, Patricia had deservingly won their hearts. I think this a special part of live theatre; connecting with certain actors, not just within the show but for you personally.
Exceptional work from the whole cast, ensemble was energetic and polished; enjoyed so much the dancers in the imaginary scene and watching the ballroom. Congratulations to all!
Finally, I note I don’t usually review shows where I know lead cast members, but it was indeed a pleasure to see Siobhan pull off ‘Eliza’ knowing this role was a dream come true for her. A group of theatre-lovers, such as BABIRRA, provide individuals the chance to do something they are passionate about, but who may not necessarily want (or choose) to pursue a professional career in that tough industry. A big thank you to the committee and volunteers of ‘amateur theatre’ whose efforts make this happen, and, in the process, give us (the audience) the chance to see more shows.
Babirra Music Theatre is a long well-established musical production company and has always encouraged involvement and participation from the local community, both in performing and behind-the-scenes. Don’t miss this show MY FAIR LADY, or their next: GREASE!
Venue: The Round, 379 Whitehorse Rd, Nunawading, is, I think, the very best suburban theatre in Melbourne and likely the biggest newer one – opening in 2023. Easy to get to, park at and with arguably the most comfortable seats and extensive (vegan inclusive) canteen you’ll enjoy in a theatre venue anywhere, plus great coffee before, during and after interval with tables and chairs to wait and chat with the cast afterwards. Very easy access for wheelchairs and assisted-walkers – ‘retirement village’ buses were lined up at the matinee we went to and cars can pull up in a drop-off zone straight outside the door. Enjoy!
CAST:
Eliza Doolittle played by Siobhan Judge Prof. Henry Higgins played by Mark Monroe Colonel Pickering played by Tim Murphy Alfred Doolittle played by Tim Maloney Mrs Higgins played by Patricia McCracken Mrs Pearce played by Fiona Carter Freddy played by Charley Conway Zolton Karpathy played by Matthew Davies
FEATURED ENSEMBLE Jamie, friend of Alfred, Lord Boxington – Steven Keane Harry, friend of Alfred – Brent Denison Higgins’ butler – Mark Curran Higgins’ footman – Paul Ash Mrs Hopkins & Mrs Eynsford-Hill – Ann Hubbard Queen of Transylvania & Lady Boxington – Catherine Bolzonello George, Bartender – Garry Barcham
ENSEMBLE: Esther Bruerton Owen Davies Isobel Edmondson Michael Fang Emma Gilding Mia Grasso Beth Hanlon Steph Herbert Abby James Christine James Alysa Kimpton Yvette Lipovetsky Aaron McBride Tommy Murphy Lotte Papson Liam Rosewarne Avalon Waterfall
Director – Alan Burrows Musical Director – Marty Macaulay Choreographer – James Kaiser Assistant Director – Mark Cluning Set Design – Barry Pearce Costume Designer – Ely Tapp Co-Production Managers – Jo Brincat, Steve Cavell Hair/Make-up, Wigs – Louise Reeder, Maren Holm Set Construction – Garry Barcham and Team
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT: Gavin D. Andrew Design: @luke.jay.designs
Based on a true story, and what an exceptional tale. Marco, The Invented Truth tells of the deception that charismatic Enric Marco unrelentingly and unapologetically carried with him for most of his life. Premiering in Australia at the 2025 HSBC Spanish Film Festival, this film is a gem that is well worth the investment of a packed 100 minutes of time.
A Spanish factory worker in Germany during World War II, Marco contrived the story of being a Holocaust survivor, in his mind to highlight the plight of approximately 9000 Spanish deportees who were imprisoned in concentration camps during the war – less than half of whom survived. Enric Marco was appointed as president of the Amincal Mauthausen, the association set up to defend the rights of the 9,000 Spanish people who were sent to Nazi concentration camps. His tireless work, which included giving numerous talks to school children, was revered.
His courage while suffering the horrors of Flossenbürg, the camp in which he claims to have been held prisoner, was given great respect and admiration, and through his efforts, Marco brought the organisation to great heights. That was until his false assertions were uncovered by historian Benito Bermejo who declared him a fake; he had never been in a concentration camp. The reality was that Enric Marco volunteered to travel to Germany in 1941 to work for the German war machine.
Although in fact Marco was imprisoned in Germany, it was not in a concentration camp but rather a Gestapo jail, accused of spreading Communist propaganda. A master storyteller who never apologised for his indiscretions upset many, although he was unrelenting in his belief that what he did, he did for good reasons.
Written by Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño, Jorge Gil Munarriz, and Jose Mari Goenaga, the building of the lie was directed believably by Aitor Arregi and Jon Garaño as they work to take the audience on a roller coaster of emotions that fall somewhere between sympathy and dismay. 2025 Spanish Cinema Writers Circle Award winner for Best Actor, Spanish born Eduard Fernández’ depicts Enric Marco with extraordinary poise. If for no other reason, and there are many, Marco, The Invented Truth is worth watching for Fernández’ stunning performance alone.
Fans made the hero’s journey to Melbourne’s Convention and Exhibition Centre this weekend to meet their favourite celebrities, buy their weight in merch and revel in two days of pop culture chaos at Oz Comic-Con. For a nerd, it’s paradise. For anyone else, stay out of the way because this is my Super Bowl.
Oz Comic-Con is huge. MCEC was absolutely buzzing with activity by the time I arrived–at 9AM! Inside, the hall was wall-to-wall full, from panels to cosplay competitions, interactive challenges, tabletop games, retail vendors and workshops. Travellers, take heed: it’s not for the faint of heart. I had to join the Vaders posted outside for more than one (suspiciously wheezy) breather…
Celebrity panels featured Breaking Bad’s Giancarlo Esposito, voice actor and comedian Brandon Rogers, The Boys’ Moff Gideon and–my personal OZCC highlight–Catherine Tate, Doctor Who’s Donna Noble. Other guests included voice actors, cosplayers, costume designers–I could go on. I quite literally did not have enough time in the day to check every event out, so a comprehensive schedule (or a time machine, ha ha) is a must-have for those looking to see anything in particular.
For theatre fans, OZCC hosted a Q&A with the Beetlejuice cast, who are currently completing a fantastic run at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre. In their panel, cast members Eddie Perfect, Karis Oka and Elise McCann touched on some behind-the-scenes insights that you rarely get to hear elsewhere, so I considered myself very fortunate for catching that.
Oz Comic-Con had a massive lineup in the artist alley this year. From movies, TV shows and anime to books and even music, artists showcased fan art and plenty of amazing indie work too. Authors were also in attendance, promoting their books, chatting with fans and signing copies all weekend. Artist alleys embody what OZCC is all about: connecting not only fans with the authors and artists they love, but fellow creatives with one another, supporting the ecosystem of our thriving local art scene. Crucial, creative, and so fun.
I only wish that all of these incredible events could have taken place in separate halls, or with a more thoughtful configuration of booths. MCEC has a wonderful plenary for use, which would have given the guests the undivided attention they deserved; I could barely hear myself think, packed into one room like sardines. With a bit of breathing space, perhaps each element would have had the chance to connect with con-goers on a more personal level.
Still, a large-scale event completely dedicated to a love of art will always leave you walking away inspired to create. Oz Comic-Con brings together people across all walks of life with a common thread: celebrating the hard work of creatives and shaping the future of pop culture and entertainment.
Oz Comic-Con will be travelling to the rest of Australia throughout the year, but will be back in Melbourne from the 6th-7th of December for a special ‘Xmas edition’.
