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The Jazz Room: Sinatra and Armstrong Tribute

08/04/202606/04/2026 Manuela Kacomanolis🥈

The Jazz Room: Sinatra and Armstrong Tribute Rating

★★★★★

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The music of two of the most influential musicians of all time, Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong were celebrated in a soulful and energetic performance by Jake Dennis and his talented live band in The Jazz Room: A Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong Tribute.

I was delighted when I found that the show would be held at Freo Social, an entertainment venue that I have always wanted to visit. Although performed in a large space, the ambience created was intimate and chic, complete with candlelights scattered all over the room and on the stage.

Jake did a fantastic job performing some of the most iconic songs by Sinatra and Armstrong. What a Wonderful World, Fly me to the Moon, When You’re Smiling, there’s a reason why these songs have stood the test of time and performers like Jake continue to sing them to this day. His interpretation of the songs paid respect to the enduring legacies of Armstrong and Sinatra while also allowing his own charisma and personality to shine through. Audience members were also encouraged to join Jake in singing these songs.

One particularly effective feature of the show was the inclusion of trivia and personal background between songs. These interludes gave the audience more than a sequence of musical numbers. Anecdotes concerning the lives of Sinatra and Armstrong reminded the audience that these were not merely iconic voices, but complex public figures with fascinating personal histories.

Among the more memorable details was the fact that both Sinatra and Armstrong had each been married four times. Another fascinating fun fact is that the iconic song New York New York was actually first performed by another legend, Liza Minnelli who once lived on the same street as Sinatra. The song My Way, popularised by Sinatra is an adaptation of a French song Comme d’habitude released in 1967. Then two years later Sinatra released the English version of the song.

Overall, The Jazz Room: A Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong Tribute was an enjoyable and nostalgic production. Jazz music is that genre of music that can be enjoyed by people of all backgrounds and all ages. Jake Dennis delivered a soulful and energetic performance that honoured two giants of American music, while the inclusion of biographical trivia enriched the experience.

Don’t miss this celebration of two icons whose influence shaped the world of jazz and popular music in this heartfelt live tribute performance.

To book tickets to The Jazz Room: Sinatra and Armstrong Tribute, please visit https://feverup.com/m/588808.

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The Local

27/03/2026 Manuela Kacomanolis🥈

The Local Rating

★★★★★

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St Patrick’s Day may be over but the Irish charm and fun continues with a play written and directed by WA’s Siobhan Wright called The Local.

Set in a Dublin pub, where unemployed plumber Paddy Branigan, visits every night for his favourite beverage Guinness, it’s the same routine until one night that all changes. Paddy is presented as someone resistant to change, comfortable in the familiar patterns of daily life, until one evening where he either must change his ways or continue down his destructive path and live with the consequences. There is a point in the story where Paddy genuinely tries to turn his life around much to the amusement of the audience.

At the pub there is the regular elderly patron Joe who loves to retell the same stories and the accommodating bar tender Jack who both endure Paddy’s brashness and boastful nature. One evening a stranger walks in but he is not as much of a stranger as they all think. Having grown-up in Dublin but now residing in the south coast of Western Australia, the stranger has returned to wrap up some unfinished business. This unfinished business is linked to Paddy and triggers Paddy’s desire to change.
There are some productions where the venue does more than merely host the performance, it becomes part of the story itself. The Local, now playing at the Irish pub Mons O’Shea in Fremantle, is one such work. What makes the production especially effective is the natural fit between the play and its venue. Mons O’Shea provides a cosy backdrop that feels entirely authentic to the story being told. Rather than watching a pub recreated on stage, the audience is immersed in one. That immediacy lends the production a particular charm and credibility.

The atmosphere before the performance also deserves mention. Audience members were treated to Irish singing prior to the show, with everyone encouraged to join in. By the time the play began, the audience had already been drawn into the spirit of the setting, creating a sense of shared participation.

Overall, The Local offers an engaging theatrical experience grounded in character and atmosphere. It’s a story of a man shaken from complacency by an unexpected encounter. With its lively pre-show entertainment, welcoming environment and intimate staging, this production delivers a night that feels both theatrical and social. Less like attending a conventional play and more like stepping directly into Paddy Branagan’s world.

All the actors delivered superb performances. Dublin native, Carl Flynn as Paddy Branigan, Declan Byrne as bartender Jack, Joe Purcell as regular patron Joe, Roxanne O’Connor as Sky the influencer, Peter O’Connor as the stranger and a special appearance from the director Siobhan Wright as Dot.

To book tickets to The Local, please visit https://www.taztix.com.au/event/thelocal/.

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A Bond Beyond Blood

24/03/202623/03/2026 Irena Fox

Sita and Urmila: Unheard Conversations Rating

★★★★★

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Sita and Urmila: Unheard Conversations is a production from The Great Indian Theatre Company playing at the Nexus Theatre. It is an hour and fifty minutes without an interval. It is the story of two sisters who share a loving bond.

When Prince Ram of Ayodhya wins Sita’s hand in marriage, he reveals he has a vow that he and his brothers must marry from the same family. A solution is made and his brother, Laxman, marries Urmila. When Prince Ram is exiled to the forest for fourteen years, Sita immediately agrees to come with while Urmila must stay behind. Laxman is visited by The Goddess of Sleep and asks to stay awake for fourteen years to protect Ram and Sita. When The Goddess of Sleep says that someone must take his place to sleep, Laxman tells her that Urmila will, who reluctantly agrees.

The story is written and directed by Sreekanth Gopalakrishnan. I particularly loved the sisters’ bond. Sita is adopted and although they don’t share the same biological family, they say the words “beyond blood”, meaning their love for each other goes beyond their DNA. Karthika Nair gives a stellar and powerful performance as Urmila and she captured my attention in every emotional scene. Prakriti Rayamajhi shows Sita’s character growth beautifully and portrays her journey from a dutiful woman to one who is strong and independent.

Deepti Shukla gives a delightfully cheeky performance as The Goddess of Sleep and children will love Akshay Sheela Nair as Hanuman, a monkey, whose physicality was engaging and entertaining. Ashish Malik and Wilfred Doray play perfectly evil characters and comedy is speckled through the script, giving audiences a chuckle when needed.

The costumes, designed by Param Kaur and Sreekanth Gopalakrishnan, was the first thing that caught my eye. They are beautiful and elegant with intricate designs. Indian music plays throughout the show and throughout scenes but still gives the actors the stage to capture the scene. When Sita and Urmila are separated, the set is cleverly split into two without feeling disjointed.

Dance is also incorporated into the storytelling and Sindhu Nair, winner of the Western Australia’s Multicultural Artist of the Year, brought a unique cultural interpretation of dance to be shared with the audience. The lighting works well with the storytelling, including spotlights to build dramatic tension during intense conversations with the sisters as well as sinister red lighting to highlight the emotions of the scene.

This is a production which would be enjoyed by anyone who has a sister or familial bond who they would do anything for.

To book tickets to Sita and Urmila: Unheard Conversations, please visit https://thegreatindiantheatrecomp.com/.

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Marjorie Prime

07/03/2026 Sarah Schmitt🥉

Marjorie Prime Rating

★★★★★

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Marjorie Prime speaks to our deeply human longing for connection and prompts us to reflect on how much of our past we would choose to preserve, and what memories we might leave.

It’s the fragile humanity at the centre of this play that gives power to the storytelling. In an imagined future, we can turn our lost loved ones into ‘Primes’. These realistic holographic recreations provide emotional support as we navigate our grief and move forward with our lives. It’s an intriguing concept that leaves us questioning how far we would go when gripped by uncertainty and grief.

The story introduces Marjorie, an elderly woman living with dementia. Her daughter Tess and son-in-law Jon give her a ‘Prime’ of her late husband Walter to provide comfort. This holographic Walter appears eternally youthful and endlessly patient, sitting perfectly upright, attentive and still as he listens to stories about Marjorie’s life. Each day he absorbs new anecdotes, ready to repeat them later, gradually constructing a version of the man he once was through the memories of others.

The effect is both touching and unsettling. Walter’s kindness is constant, and he pays utmost attention to Marjorie. As she interacts with him, her daughter Tess watches with unease. She struggles with complicated feelings, sometimes resentful of the gentleness her mother shows the Prime, the same warmth she herself longed for growing up. At the same time, Tess is determined to shield certain painful memories from the Prime, hoping to spare Marjorie distress. Her husband Jon, however, sees value in honesty, even if the memories are difficult.

Moments of humour slip gently into the narrative too. At one point Marjorie persuades Walter to embellish the story of their engagement by inserting a movie-theatre outing to Casablanca, improving the memory just a little. It’s a small moment, but one that neatly illustrates how fluid and fragile memory can be.

Between scenes, blackouts punctuate the action, echoing the gaps forming in Marjorie’s mind. As the story unfolds, time begins to stretch and shift. After Marjorie’s death, she herself returns as a Prime. Yet instead of offering comfort to a grieving Tess, she seems to deepen the pain. Years pass in quiet leaps, and while people age and die, the Primes remain with their distorted, incomplete memories of the past.

When the play debuted in 2014, its exploration of artificial intelligence and memory felt speculative. Watching it now in 2026, with AI firmly embedded in everyday life, the questions it raises create discomfort. Is recreating the dead a source of solace, or does it blur the boundaries of grief in ways we may not yet understand?

This production at Roxy Lane Theatre brings the story beautifully to life. Janet Dickinson is compelling as Marjorie, capturing both vulnerability and warmth, while Finn Happ’s youthful Walter embodies the eerie calm of the Prime. Liza Black, who also directs the production, gives Tess a moving emotional depth and is supported by Chris Harris as the steady and kind-hearted Jon.

Short-listed for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2015, Marjorie Prime remains as thoughtful and moving as ever. It’s a tender reflection on memory, technology and the enduring complexity of love.

Congratulations to the cast and crew on a heartfelt and thought-provoking performance. Marjorie Prime is currently showing at the Roxy Theatre from Friday to Sunday at 7.30pm, with Sunday matinee performances at 2.30, until 22 March.

To book tickets to Marjorie Prime, please visit https://www.taztix.com.au/event/roxylanetheatre/.

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