A Slice Of Community

Community Garden

Community Garden Rating

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8

Community Garden is a play with no intermission about a man named Ralph, a nervous and new volunteer at Uptown City Gardens. Throughout the show he is slowly drawn to the strangers in the community, who all offer different stories and upbringings, but who all come together in one garden. This show is written by Justin Borak and directed by Cade Smith. August 7th was the world wide premiere for the Australian version. Justin Borak and Cade Smith worked hand-in-hand to rework the original story to fit Western Australia.

When I walked into Roxy Lane theatre, the foyer was transformed into a small Italian restaurant, representing Gigi’s Italian Family Restaurant, the Italian restaurant in the play. Pizzas were available to order so the audience could come into the restaurant at the end of the show and enjoy their meal, a truly creative way to immerse the audience into the story, even after the show had ended. The art of the set is intricate and realistic while offering lots to look at and the props (including a full-sized cut out of one of the characters) were true works of art that made the audience laugh. The work that went into the set and props, made by Kirsten Halford-Bailey, Nellie Pease, Sophie Harwood, and Cade Smith, hit the mark and it is clear just how much time and effort went into the art. I appreciated the play’s use of technology as they chose to use a screen off to the side of the stage to show the other end of a Zoom call that a character is making. Not many sound effects were used and there was no music, but the performance itself makes up for it. The lighting, designed by Katherine Robertson, was simple, only switching slightly as the tones changed. The costumes, designed by Kirsten Halford-Bailey and the cast, are modest, not drawing too much attention, but they fit the character’s personalities well. Bella, wonderfully played by Zarah D’Costa, is covered in flour to display her hard work at the pizzeria she works at.

 

Ralph, played by Harry West, is naturally funny and would remind you of someone you know, a friend. His acting is real and friendly, allowing the audience to feel at ease. Elle Fisher plays both Donna and April, naturally owning the stage. She provides comic relief and fills the role of characters that show reality and acceptance. When watching Rachel Calder play Casey, her conversations and actions felt natural, like the audience could be part of the conversation. This show offers even more to relate to as there is LGBTQ+ representation in multiple characters. Several times throughout the performance, audience members fully laughed at the dialogue. The comedy gives the audience a joyous moment in such an intricate production.

This is a heartfelt play that offers many moments that people of all ages can relate to. Community Garden is playing at Roxy Lane Theatre from August 14th, 15th, 16th, 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, and I, for one, plan on visiting my local community garden soon to see what might be in store.

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

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The Beast

The Beast

The Beast Rating

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5

The Beast ought to come with a warning, for several reasons. Most will find it confronting. Some will be triggered by the topics explored on stage. And if you’re a vegetarian, you will see blood-red.

Written by playwright, actor, musician and composer Eddie Perfect, The Beast gives some insight into his brilliance, albeit warped mind. The Garrick Theatre stage production succeeds in its interpretation by reflecting humanity at its worst, which director Lynne Devenish delivers with messy aplomb alongside stage manager Nikita Nankiville.

The show opens with a boat trip that no one should have taken, played out by Skipper (Greg Ross), Simon (Russell Fellows), Rob (Paul Cook) and Baird (Darcy Franz). A misguided tree change follows for Rob and wife Sue (Susan Meikle), who join married couple Simon and Gen (Clare Alason). They reunite in the country, and the saying “The road to hell is paved with good intentions” aptly speaks volumes about a society scrambling for meaning.

The finale culminates in a dinner party where every guest is culpable for the destruction of any remaining shred of morality. Their deplorable behaviour is immortalised in the gory nose-to-tail sequence, where Baird and his wife Marge (Katie Nowland) take centre stage as the moral compass of the group.

 

 

Cameo performances from Ben Vaughan-Sanders and Kieran Smith lightened the mood. However, the most surprising performance was delivered by the calf, played by puppeteer Astro Stewart, whose affinity for bovines is sympathetically delivered for all the animal lovers in the audience.

This is black comedy at its darkest as infidelity, racism and snobbery are some of the more palatable themes explored, alongside the heavy-hitting subjects of murder, cannibalism and paedophilia. In saying that, there were plenty of laughs to be had at the sheer ridiculousness of the self-imposed predicaments the characters find themselves in.

Script assistant Christine Offringa is to be commended alongside set designers and constructors Kel Camponovo and Andy Rahim, Joe Hoedermaker (sound and lighting), as well as operators Bella Melbin, Connor Barclay and Kelson McConnell.

I reviewed the show on opening night, which had been pushed back two days, and, if I’m being completely honest, I felt it could have benefited from more preparation to iron out those opening-night hiccups and unpolished sequences.

But as they say, the show must go on, especially when it comes to The Garrick Theatre’s jam-packed production schedule.

Show dates: August 1, 6, 7, 8, 13,14 & 15 at 7.30pm and August 2, 8 & 9 at 2pm.

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

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Limelight Theatre Presents: Aladdin

Collage of a vibrant stage show with performers in colorful costumes across four scenes.

Aladdin Rating

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5

Fun for the whole family, Limelight Theatre’s production of ‘Aladdin’ is full of toe-tapping tunes, witty one-liners, and colourful characters throughout.

The pantomime pokes fun at the popular Disney adaption, telling the story of an ambitious young man, Aladdin (Jake Libbis) discovering a magic lamp and using its resident genie to win the heart of Princess Jasmine (Emily Patterson).

An unsuspecting crowd favourite comes in the form of Aladdin’s friend Wishy Washy played with gusto by Mutiara Libbis who embodied the goofy character well and had a beautiful voice, though unfortunately did not get many opportunities to show it off. Equally a highlight was Limelight debutante Ana Fernandez as the glittering genie of the lamp who showed great flair and was a pleasure to watch.

Earning the bellowing ‘boos’ from the crowd was the wicked Abanazar portrayed by Matt Winter. Though the show’s antagonist, he rightfully earnt his final applause for his energetic and charismatic performance.

Peter Giles has the joyful job of bringing to life the Dame, which in this story takes root in Aladdin’s dithering mother Widow twankey, offering plenty of laughs. While Sarah Mcdonald, Chris Juckes, Gordon Park and Christine Smith round out the featured cast as Noddy, the Emperor, Sergeant Ping and PC Pong respectively.

 

 

A highlight of the production is Gwen and Dave Browning’s set, largely dominated by a beautifully painted mural that brings to life the ancient town in which the story takes place. The cleverly designed laundry room made the scene with Noddy particularly fun to watch, while the effects throughout were also a surprising treat.

Though several well-known songs were used across the performance, I do think some of the song selection was slightly odd or dated at times. Though well performed, I felt both duets between Aladdin and the Princess could’ve benefited from alternate selections, with one leaning more friendly than romantic and the other seemingly unknown to audience members sitting in my vicinity.

In the case of a pantomime, where half the fun is in picking the music, I do also think it’s important to consider the vocal abilities of your cast members. I couldn’t help but feel several female characters were under-utilised in cases where they were left to sing songs that sat quite low in their register, due to the songs being originally written and performed by men.

It was fabulous to see people of all ages taking to the stage, with Fiona Scott and Madison Allen’s choreography doing well to accommodate all dance abilities. Though it could have been cleaner in parts, a special mention must go to Kyra Havel and her acrobatic abilities as well as the four featured tappers in We’re in the Money, with this avid theatre-goer recognising the familiar costuming and props from seasons past.

A great school holiday outing for the young ones, congratulations to all involved.

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

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The Playboy of the Western World

The Playboy of the Western World

The Playboy of the Western World Rating

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1

First performed in Dublin in 1907, The Playboy of the Western World was written by Irish playwright John Millington Synge, and so scandalous for its time, it was met with protests. Deemed a traditional Irish comedy, the three-act play translates well to modern society as a timeless masterpiece.

In a nutshell, the playboy, Christopher Mahon (Garrison Cox), shows up one night at Pegeen’s (Rebekah Hannah) tavern with a questionable past. He boasts about a grandiose story involving his father, Old Mahon (Ron Arthurs), which elevates him to hero status and gets all the ladies of the village in a flutter, including Widow Quin (Siobhan Vincent), Susan Brady (Kirsty Plews), Honor Blake (Piper Gibson), Nelly (Olivia Keary) and Sara Tansey (Isabella Di Giovanni). In fact, Christopher is such a hit with the ladies that it causes much angst among the men, especially Shawn Keogh (Ian Staunton), who has been promised to Pegeen.

Michael James Flaherty (Gavin Crane), Jimmy Farrell (Stuart Ridgway), Philomena Cullen (Dame Kerry Goode OAM) and Philly Cullen (Ben Vaughan-Sanders) are innocent by-standers, for the most part, who bemusedly watch it all play out from the sidelines.

Reigning from around the globe, mastering the Irish accent is a testament to the talented cast that I really enjoyed once I relaxed into its musicality and lyrical rhythm. 

 

With all three acts performed in the tavern, with walls crafted from papier-mache, it’s a cosy setting, made all the more atmospheric by Perth’s chilly nights as the train rattles past and planes thunder above. A big thanks to the set design crew, including Jake Newby (also lighting design), Graeme Dick (also stage manager), Nera Camponovo and Paris Jenner.

Directed and performed by Siobhan Vincent, who did a brilliant job of bringing the story to life at the historic Garrick Theatre. Acknowledgement must go to her assistant, Marion West, who also handled props and set dressing, and to Sarah House for stepping in for Siobhan during rehearsals.

Isabella Melbin (assistant stage manager), Conor Barclay (lighting operator), Ricky Penrose (sound operator) all deserve a round of applause. Tamar Basini’s talent and attention to detail for the costumes took me on a journey to the early 1900s.

The Playboy of the Western World is a scintillating tale of seduction, betrayal and violence and as relevant now as it was in 1907.

Performed at the Garrick Theatre in Guildford, get your tickets here. Shows start at 7.30pm from 4th to 20th June, with matinee sessions at 2pm on Sunday 7th, 13 & 14th June.

To book tickets to The Playboy of the Western World, please visit https://www.TAZtix.com.au/garricktheatre/.

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