This one-man show is worth seeing purely for the energy and presence of Sam Bowden, its writer and star. The Old Fitz theatre space, downstairs from an excellent pub of the same name and consistently bold and ambitious in its programming, is a perfect fit for this rambling show. “Don’t Panic! (It’s Happened Before)” is closer to a three-drinks-deep conversation than traditional theatre piece, but holds the house’s attention (with both some risky commentary and excellent comedy) for the entire journey.
Bowden doesn’t leave the stage at any point, and in the opening fifteen minutes it feels miraculous that he can catch his breath. Even the premise is ambitious; we begin with the history of human kind and speed-run to the unknowable (and somehow predictable) future. His physicality elevates this show from being an unusual stand-up routine into something with more meat. At the highest velocity moments of the show there were sparks flying everywhere as a disheveled captain steered us through war, plague and queer detours at pace.
Any piece with brave hopes will inevitably not land every trick, and while Bowden acknowledges his euro/western-centric lens at the top, some of his more sweeping conclusions feel like they could be dismantled by the expansion of that lens. That said, the best answer or counter to this within the show is when he wisely and deftly brings the focus to a micro level, unpacking photos from his own life and vast complexities that run through our personal histories as well as our collective ones. There is a strong enough vein of compassion running through the show that any points of discomfort or disagreement from the audience with the confident tales of our life being shared on stage were brief, and not ruinous to the audience leaning in to all we were hearing rather than away.
There are genuine belly laughs and some persuasive insights amongst quips and the scattered apartment set complements the energy perfectly. The use of PowerPoints and whiteboards, scrunched up papers and marker-drawn horsemen of the apocalypse helps thread the varied directions of this show together. There is a core of hope here, despite all the violence and death forewarned in the beginning. Izzy Morrissey’s lighting design gives a crispness to both the staging and sections of the show, adding a theatricality that elevates it.
This is a well executed piece, full of heart. Both Sam Bowden’s performance and writing, and Artie Gallagher’s direction allow the humanity and humour to shine in a densely written one man show. It closes tonight and is worth a visit!
As I walked into the Genesian Theatre, I was greeted with dazzling Christmas decorations and the soundtrack of ‘White Christmas.’ The festive mood spirited the eager audience into the magical world of Christmas, ready to feast upon The Genesian Theatre Company’s stage adaptation of the classic movie It’s A Wonderful Life.
In addition to the sparkling Christmas atmosphere, the theatre is absolutely gorgeous. After residing in their premises at Kent Street Sydney CBD for 70 years, the Genesian Theatre Company relocated to Rozelle in 2025. They have spectacularly renovated a 120-year-old heritage building with state of the art sound and lighting equipment and very comfortable seats (which were much appreciated.)
The story of It’s A Wonderful Life spans over three decades from the 1910s to 1945, depicting flashbacks of the main character George Bailey, presented by Oliver Macfadyen. Macfadyen is a brilliant lead, showing the greatest sincerity and humanity in his character. George is watched over by his guardian angel Clarissa, who is delightfully played by Natasha Todd. Todd was utterly angelic as she guided George Bailey into realising how meaningful and important his existence is, and that it truly is ‘A Wonderful Life.‘ Also faithfully by George’s side, is his adoring wife Mary Bailey, played by Amahlia Day. Day oozes poise and grace into her role and is a picture-perfect image of a 1940s housewife.
Working alongside George in his family loan business ‘Bailey Building and Loan’ is his Aunt Dilly. Aunt Dilly was presented by Karen Firmstone. Firmstone generated a heartfelt rendition and a highly enjoyable performance.
Paul Adderley excelled in his complex task of presenting two very contrasting characters: the first, Mr Gower, who is supportive and kind to George; and the other Mr Potter, a shrewd, heartless business who nearly causes the demise of our beloved George.
Dimitri Poulos and Genevieve Sky play the other angels who are guiding Clarissa on her own path to gain her wings. Their performances were steadfast, and yes, angelic and they showed great talent in portraying multiple characters throughout the play. Werrdan Khoury was another admirable actor who showed great diversity and comedy skill in his portrayal of multiple roles, the main role being Sam, the longstanding friend of George Bailey.
The staging was cleverly designed to immerse the audience into George Bailey’s business premises. Allocated entries and exits for his business effectively created its own world and space. Ethan Chan’s lighting design was flawless and atmospheric. His techniques were intuitive to the action and cleverly created a movie-like illusion. The music and sound effects were both flawless throughout the performance. Michael Schell utilised panning effects and clearly demonstrated the theatre’s quality sound equipment.
The 1946 Hollywood Christmas classic remains just as charming nearly 80 years later and the Genesian Theatre Company has honoured its long lineage. The director, Kathy Petrakis, has delivered a spectacular rendition of It’s A Wonderful Life and injected the hearts of the audience with love and Christmas cheer. I encourage you to step into the festive season and embrace this timeless, heartwarming classic. It’s a perfect way to kick off your Christmas festivities and will definitely fill your cup with warmth and Christmas spirit.
It takes innovative storytelling to script an approximate 10 minute play. In just a small sixth of an hour, there must be many elements that pool together succinctly to hold the audience’s attention and to simply make sense. Just like a jigsaw puzzle as the minutes slide by, each piece that is put together slowly reveals more and more until, as the last couple of minutes creep up, the picture is complete and all is revealed.
The Manly Festival of Short Plays is one such puzzle, presenting twelve original Australian short plays performed by 39 actors from Manly Theatre Group. These plays are presented over a two week performance period, split into showcasing six plays in week one and six plays in week two. I watched the six plays plays in week 1 and was impressed with the tapestry of themes relatable to the modern audience.
The first play “Cleared for Take Off” was written and directed by Shelley Ross, an avian journalist. It takes us inside the cockpit of a QANTAS plane. Callum Horan, as the First Officer, is the newbie. He’s clearly nervous about meeting the infamous Captain, played with believable super confidence by Lee Sarich. As a storm approaches when the aircraft is in the air, the First Officer is faced with life changing decisions. The First Officer is capable, we can see that, but the play focuses on his internal struggle with being able to have the bravery to question the decisions of his superior and follow his own instincts. The Captain has a strong authoritative leadership style, thanks to Lee’s commanding presence. Callum’s portrayal of the First Officer’s anxiety had me on the edge of my seat!
The second play “Shred or Keep” was written by Cassie Matheson and directed by Frank Byrne. This was a play featuring Phoebe Brian as Simone and Sophie Burton as Penny, Simone’s mum. Set in the home office of Simone’s deceased father, she is helping her mum sort out paperwork. Two boxes lay at their feet with the two words in the play’s title facing the audience. As they go through her father’s desk, Simone comes across something that shocks them both. The dialogue between mother and daughter is the key to this short play and is delivered perfectly by the actors. Sophie delivers Penny’s pointed and not so pointed comments at her daughter in sharp barbs, and we feel Simone’s reactions.
The third play before a twenty minute intermission was “Gold Star Parents” written and directed by Chantal Harrison. It focuses on a ‘new parent’ group, led by an overenthusiastic Barbara ( brilliantly played by Phillipa Coleman). The giant gold cardboard stars with the dangling safety pin was funny, and we laughed as she deemed some parents worthy of its status. This had a relatively large cast of six, a challenge for a 10 minute play for character development which they pulled off perfectly. Each character had their own family unit different from each other and their stories were examined in this short period. Well done to Charlotte Chandler, Claudia Limpert, Max Shadbolt, Chantal Harrison and Audrey Minami along with Phillipa, who shared the stage, as they bounced off each other to show the audience that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to family units and giving advice. There are messy moments and identity morphing when someone becomes a parent, and a parent group leader too!
After intermission, we saw “Faded Flowers” written and directed by Annie Gurton. This is the story of two women, Iris, portrayed by Rowena Robinson and Rose, played by Caroline Pearce who meet through very different circumstances. This is a story of two homeless women, and the writer’s message of the social impact of homelessness in woman over fifty and the resilience of these woman was strong. Rowena played her character Iris’s positivity brightly, and Caroline’s Rose had an inner strength that shone through. I liked Iris’s cap, which was plentiful with pins. It made me think that in another life, this lady had travelled. How had it come to this, with her living in a car? Above all, the message of being kind, to each other and to have it bestowed upon you is a gift. These ladies are not faded flowers, despite the play’s title and their given names, but perhaps that is what we needed to remember.
The fifth play, “Unfolding Harry” was written and directed by Barbara Courtille. An investigative journalist, Harry Bennett, played by Gavin Woodford sets out to uncover and expose a potential scam – that of Suzi Sock. Mina Vu portrayed Suzi with zen and mesmerising calmness, so much so, that her character’s worldwide “Sock Chi” which earned her 50 million followers and no doubt a ton of money from her health retreats, seemed believable. This had a few exaggerated comedic moments in it, which the audience appreciated.
The last play, “Losing the Plot” was written by Carlin Hurdis and directed by Paul Kininmonth. The originality of the story unwound itself, changed through the short ten minutes and I loved the ride! Cindy, portrayed by Angharad Thompson-Rees, first approaches Keiran, played with an innocent charm by John Cross, (an eco-cemetery manager) to enquire about a new age green burial. She feels this may well be the right final resting place for her globe-trotting, nature loving mum. The plot thickens, excuse the pun, as we come across a father and son carrying a corpse who intend to use this area to do this very same thing… an eco burial! With brilliant acting from Tony (the semi-retired hitman), portrayed by Jeff Parsons, Issac West as Marcus (Tony’s reluctant son) and the return of Callum Horan to the stage—this time as Darrell, a corpse (he previously played the First Officer in the opening play), Losing the Plot’s script delivered a fast-paced and hilarious experience!
Time flew watching these six plays, which is a testament to the skill of the playwrights. The themes were varied, and each performance was engaging and had the audience’s attention. My two favourite plays were “Cleared for Take Off” with its suspense anxiety driven, yet comedic, script and “Losing the Plot”. This collection of plays from the Manly Theatre Group showcases concise storytelling at its finest! Don’t miss it—you’re sure to be impressed and leave with a couple or more of your favourites too. It left me wanting to attend the second lot of six short plays.
Season run: 13 – 22 November 2025 Venue: The Sky Theatre. St Andrew’s Hall. 56 Raglan St Manly Tickets: www.manlytheatregroup.com
Douglas Maxwell has built a strong reputation as one of Scotland’s most successful playwrights.
Now, Ainslie McGlynn, Jeremy Waters, Henry Nixon and Aisha Aidara bring Maxwell’s comedic four hander ‘So Young’ to the Old Fitz for its Australian premiere for Outhouse Theatre Co.
‘So Young’ won the Best New Play at the annual Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland with its funny and heartfelt portrayal of facing the future while the scars of the covid pandemic are still healing.
Sydney’s a long way from Glasgow. The four actors performing So Young had no way of knowing there was a Scots native that lived for years in Glasgow hiding at the back of the audience. I’m happy to report that Outhouse Theatre Co’s new production wouldn’t be out of place in the Tron, the Traverse or Oran Mor’s a Play, a Pie and a Pint.
Sam O’Sullivan’s clean and realistic direction wastes nothing. The text is timed exquisitely, making great use of Maxwell’s pauses for comic effect. Lighting design by Aron Murry supports the realism using changes and specials to assist the settings of place and time. Set by Kate Beere is detailed and homely, with a warmth created by an autumnal colour palette. Lamps, books and records adorn and enhance the ‘lived in’ feel.
Greta: “This is my world – it’s mine for the taking and I’m taking it!”
The acting walks the line of heightened drama and comedy with precision. Aisha Aidara is warm, vibrant and kind as “Greta”. Ainslie McGlynn shows great range as “Liane” battling change and grief, as does Henry Nixon as Milo – but with stoicism and Vesuvian anger. Jeremy Waters is thoroughly watchable as “Davie” – working the text with aplomb.
It’s a risky endeavour to take on a Glasgow accent. For a comparatively wee city there’s a wide variety of accents and throw in some Scots words and you’re playing with fireworks. Hats off to Linda Nicholls-Gidley for coaching the cast to succeed in sounding Glaswegian, while keeping it easily accessible for a Sydney audience, and only occasionally stray west toward Ireland.
At one point Maxwell namechecks Scots authors Iain Banks and Irvine Welsh. So Young’s comedy is not nearly as dark as Banks or Welsh. This is a Glasgow of middle-aged teachers and graphic artists. They drink white wine instead of Buckfast and Irn Bru.
The audience clearly loved it, laughing happily throughout, with a few tears shed in the final act.
