TAZTix

Tick, Tick… Boom!

TickTickBoom

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.

 

TickTickBoom
TickTickBoom

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

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Comedy Carousel

Comedy Carousel

Comedy Carousel Rating

★★★★★

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5

Three one-act plays, one charming theatre and oodles of talent. The Garrick Theatre’s latest stage production, the Comedy Carousel delivers ridiculous hilarity and maybe a murder or two.

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of a stage production? ‘All I Really Need to Know I Learned by Being in a Bad Murder Mystery’ offers plenty of insight into the pandemonium when dealing with a bunch of actors rehearsing for a murder mystery play. Throw in a script written by Agatha Christie knock-off Magetha Misty, a loopy director and an indecipherable accent coach, and you (and the cast) are left wondering whodunit and what was done to whom.

The actual director, Ali Louise, did a fantastic job of herding the high-energy cast by encouraging them to be as wacky as the show within the show. Among the tantrums, over-the-top death scenes and butchering of Shakespearian references, this tight-knit troupe delivers cohesive chaos with many laugh-out-loud moments. Narrated by Erin Shay Horrigan with Julia Webster playing the director role and Cambren Price playing the frustrated stage manager, the actors include Rebekah Hannah, Samantha Cashford, Paris Romano Jenner, Aaron Wilkes, Kirsty Plews, Quentin Mitchell, Jason Robert Lester and Steve Moloney, who perform as only thespians can in theatre blacks adorned with madcap props.

The second one-act play, Therapy Go Round, centres around a traumatic break-up that sends Brooke spiralling and into therapy. When she arrives at Dr Marita Welsh’s clinic and is greeted by assistant Janine, Brooke soon wonders who is shrinking who. If only her eccentric therapist had paid attention to the details and Janine wasn’t so absent-minded?

 

Comedy Carousel
Comedy Carousel

Written by playwright Sean Guy and directed by Carly Ranger, Therapy Go Round is performed by an all-female cast of Lis Hoffmann (Dr Marita Welsh), Kylie Calwell (Janine) and Casey Smith as Brooke. The simple set of ‘All I Really Need to Know I Learned by Being in a Bad Murder Mystery’ was miraculously transformed in moments into a clinic with soft pink lighting, a desk and two chairs – had there been a couch, no doubt Brooke would have needed a good lie-down and cry after her session.

Soon enough, a couch appears on stage for the final one-act play titled The Heist, brilliantly performed in New York accents by Colleen Johnson (Muriel), Karin Staflund (Camila), Marsha Holt (Ingrid) and Julie Holmshaw (Delia). Set in an apartment in NYC’s gritty Bronx, as the four ladies settle into their game of Bridge, there’s a sudden knock on the door. Gangster Lenny (played by Andreas Petalas) barges in full of misguided attitude but soon loses control of the situation as the ladies mess with his head as only a bunch of New Yorker broads can.

Directed by Lynne Devenish and written by actor and playwright Shirley Toohey (with script assistant Christine Offringa), strong characterisation creates an evocative sense of place and poignant storytelling to the background soundtrack of the borough’s sirens as Guildford’s trains and planes thunder by.

The ticket price of $15 is incredible value for three one-act plays and the calibre of talent from the cast and crew, including stage managers Sarah Durack and Jason Blaine, Don Allen (Lighting Designer) and sound designer Geoff Holt. Established in 1932 and situated in the heart of historic Guildford, the Garrick Theatre is one of the longest-running community theatres in Perth and always welcomes new members for ongoing discounts, events, news and auditions.

Performance dates: February 6th, 7th , 8th , 9th*, 13th, 14th & 15th February

All evening shows begin at 7.30pm, * denotes the matinee show at 2pm

To book tickets to Comedy Carousel, please visit TAZ Tix.

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The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe

The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe

The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe Rating

★★★★★

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3

If you ask anyone about their top childhood books, C S Lewis’s – The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe will often be cited as a nostalgic favourite across the generations. Garrick Theatre’s stage production of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is full of nostalgia and one not to miss!

My 9-year-old son had recently finished reading the book and was excited to see this stage adaptation by Glyn Robbins. And I myself was curious how they were going to pull off the fantasy world of Narnia, especially since Garrick is such a small heritage theatre! Although they didn’t have high-tech equipment to work with, director Roxi Moore’s, with her simple yet effective directing choices, led to a very successful version of this fantasy world.

The cast, as would be expected, is a young bunch, with the youngest at 16 years old. I enjoyed watching the comradeship of the four children, and what was endearing to read was that two of the children were real-life siblings. Kody Fellows as Edmund was lively and suitably cheeky, and his real-life sister Mia Fellows, in her first lead role, played the timid Lucy, whose childlike innocence was portrayed accurately.

Amy Lock, as Susan, gave us all a fright with her piercing scream and played Lewis’ most unlikable character well. Aaron Wilkes, as Peter, had an impeccable British accent, and I would have loved to see the other actors follow suit to have a unified cast and really be able to get a sense of how quintessentially British this play and writing is.

The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe
The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe

The White Witch, played by Rebekah Hannah, was seemingly the most experienced of the cast. I enjoyed her strong sense of character and her unpredictability vocally, which always left the audience on edge and often scared!

Todd Halvorson, who played Aslan, had a great calm but strong presence as the Christ-like Aslan. At times, he could have projected his voice more, even if he was careful to keep the character calm.

A standout performance goes to Ali Louise, who played three characters: Mr Tumnus, Professor, and Mr Beaver. She was so invested in each character and had great physicality, vocal clarity, and obvious diversity.

The rest of the ensemble should also be commended on their input into the show, with some great characterisations as animals. I especially loved Russell Fellows’s physicality as the Dwarf.

My son and I really enjoyed this production, and it’s safe to say we both left with a smile on our faces and a spring in our step after an enjoyable night out!

Like a lot of community theatre here in Perth, the opening night was sold out, so if you want to see this brilliant production, book now

Bookings: Phone TAZ Tix 9255 3336 or BOOK ONLINE

Performance Dates:
November 28, 29, 30
December 1*, 5, 6, 7*, 7, 8*, 12, 13, 14
All evening shows at 7.30pm
*denotes matinee show at 2pm
Doors open 30 minutes prior to curtain

Tickets: Adult $28, Concession $23, Members $22, Children $15. Processing fees apply.

Please note that Saturday, December 7th, evening includes an Auslan interpreter. Auslan patrons will need to email TAZ Tix their booking request.

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Puss In Boots

Puss In Boots

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.

 

Puss In Boots
Puss In Boots

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.

 

Puss In Boots
Puss In Boots

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.

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