Taking on any play by William Shakespeare is no easy feat, especially in theatre, where actors are required to memorise heavy and complicated dialogue. Amanda Crewes, through the talented cast at The Actors Hub, has done a tremendous job bringing Othello to life.
Although the play is set in what appears to be the present time, this is evident from the clothing worn by the cast, Amanda has remained true to Shakespear’s words.
For those who are not big fans or accustomed to Shakespearean talk, you should not be put off. Extra concentration may be needed (as in any Shakespeare story) to follow every interaction between the characters. However, you should still be able to understand the essence of the play and the storyline.
The protagonist and title character Othello, who, despite his ethnicity, has risen through the ranks of a white society to become a General in Venice and marry a white woman, the noble Desdemona. Roderigo, a wealthy man, longs for Desdemona. He is heartbroken upon learning the news of Desdemona’s marriage to Othello.
Trouble ensues when Lago, who serves under Othello, is overlooked for the position of lieutenant in favour of a less experienced soldier, Michael Cassio. Filled with bitterness and resentment, Lago devises a web of lies in his plot to bring down Othello as revenge for this perceived injustice. On his path to destroy Othello, he manipulates those around him, cunningly convincing Othello of Desmonda being unfaithful, which leads to devasting consequences.
Amanda cleverly uses a giant chess board as the central focus of the stage, with the characters performing in and around the board. Every move Lago makes on the chess board is matched with a move he makes in destroying Othello.
The play is long, which makes me applaud the amazing cast, which never misses a beat. Leo Rimmer, Bernard Bolum, Kayla Merritt, Jayk Thomas, and Jet Fairlie are exceptional in portraying their characters.
Even if you are not a Shakespeare fan, the play is worth viewing to see these rising young actors.
The Adelaide Repertory Theatre’s Mother and Son delivers a perfect blend of humor and heart, offering a touching yet funny exploration of the challenges that dementia brings to a family. Based on Geoffrey Atherden’s iconic 1980s TV series, this stage adaptation shifts the story into a contemporary setting, where aging mother Maggie (Penni Hamilton-Smith) and her devoted son Arthur (Patrick Clements) navigate the ups and downs of memory loss, family dynamics, and caregiving.
Penni Hamilton-Smith’s portrayal of Maggie is a standout—funny, vulnerable, very expressive and incredibly warm. Despite her memory lapses and confusion, Maggie’s wit and charm shine through, and by the end of the play, the audience is utterly captivated by her. Hamilton-Smith’s performance builds a deep emotional connection with the audience, a true testament to her skill in drawing the crowd in.
Arthur, played by Patrick Clements, is the long-suffering son who takes on the role of caregiver, torn between his duties to his mother and his desire to live his own life. The contrasting personalities of the two Beare brothers—Arthur, the reliable but exasperated caretaker, and Robert (Stephen Bills), the successful but largely absent dentist—add another layer of complexity to the family dynamic. The family’s comedic mishaps, from Robert’s dubious life choices to Maggie’s comically excessive admiration for him, provide plenty of laughs, but also bring attention to deeper issues of responsibility, loyalty and family dynamics.
The modernised setting introduces relatable elements—mobile phones, telemarketing, and video calls—that add a fresh twist to the play. Video interactions with the Beare family’s grandchildren, projected on a large screen, reflect the generational divide and give a humorous yet poignant glimpse into everyday family life. These technological touches also highlight the growing gap between the older and younger generations, amplifying the play’s themes of communication, disconnection, and change.
The supporting cast delivers equally strong performances, with notable appearances by Mollie Mooney as Anita, Arthur’s romantic interest, and Jessica Corrie as an Aged Care Assessor. Sandy Whitelaw’s cameo as Monica, a no-nonsense resident in an aged care home, is a hilarious high point that underscores the play’s deft handling of both humour and pathos.
Under the direction of Jude Hines, Mother and Son expertly balances light hearted moments with poignant reflections on aging, care, and family obligations. While the play provides plenty of laughs—often at the expense of Maggie’s confusion or the absurdities of caregiving—it also offers a deeply human portrayal of the emotional toll dementia takes on families. The audience is left with much to reflect on, from the fear of loneliness and institutionalisation to the everyday struggles of maintaining family bonds.
The set design cleverly evokes the atmosphere of a family home and the production’s contemporary touches, including the use of technology, ensure that Mother and Son feels fresh and relevant while staying true to the spirit of the original show.
In the end, this is a play that’s as much about the heart as it is about the laughs. With its excellent performances, sharp humour, and emotional depth, Mother and Son is a beautifully executed exploration of the challenges of family life, caregiving, and growing old. Whether you’re a fan of the original television series or coming to the story for the first time, this production is sure to leave you both laughing and thinking long after the final curtain.
I found myself back at the wonderful Javeenbah theatre, nestled away in Nerang, on Saturday night to absorb their production of John Cariani’s play “Almost, Maine.”
This magical play is set in Almost Maine, a place so far north that it’s almost not in the United States. It’s almost in Canada. And it’s not quite a town because its residents never got around to getting organized. Does it even exist?
I am slightly biased, as this is one of my favourite plays, and this production, directed by Kaela Gray and Jake Goodall, was a beautiful interpretation. The play follows strangers, friends, and lovers navigating the ups and downs of love and relationships under the glistening northern lights.
I am always blown away by the quality and professionalism of Javeenbah theatre, and Almost, Maine is no exception. The cast and production are of the highest quality, and they will not disappoint. This play will have you laugh and cry as you follow the goofy and lovable characters through 10 minutes of their lives on a cold, clear winter night. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. But the bruises heal, and the hearts almost mend in this delightful midwinter night’s dream.
Javeenbah Theatre is nestled on the corner of Steven and Ferry Street in Nerang, overlooking the Gold Coast skyline. There is ample parking onsite or on the street, and the theatre serves drinks and a small selection of snacks for patrons to enjoy before or during the show.
The theatre is on ground level, surrounded by grass and gravel, but there are no stairs to negotiate for theatre access if you use a mobility aid. The theatre is quite intimate, with excellent views of the stage from any seat in the house, comfortable chairs and ample legroom.
If you are looking for a fun evening on the Gold Coast, I highly recommend attending this show.
The season for Almost, Maine runs out on the 30th of November, the calendar’s official date of the last day of spring. Please do not miss this show.
The Collector is a harrowing tale about an emotionally stunted and lonely young man who abducts a young woman and keeps her locked in his basement. In this modified version of Mark Healy’s stage play, adapted from John Fowles’s 1963 novel of the same name, Frederick Clegg, an amateur entomologist, wins the lottery and uses his new wealth to buy an old country house a few hours from Sydney.
In the basement, he imprisons Miranda Grey, a young art student he stalks and then kidnaps after forming an obsession. Frederick plans to spend time with Miranda so she gets to know him and falls in love, but what follows is a haunting exploration of power, obsession, fear, loneliness, and dangerous delusion.
As I entered the tiny theatre in Redfern, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The stage stretches from wall to wall and takes up most of the room while the audience looks down on the set as if trapped in the basement along with the characters. This sense of immersion and intimacy worked to the play’s advantage. I was sitting in the front row, and several times, the performers almost stepped on my feet. Tigran Tovmasian, who plays Frederick, often stared me right in the eyes as he delivered his monologue just a meter away, which was both unsettling and intensely immersive. Frederick, not Tigran, was trying to make me understand.
Tigran was, without hyperbole, sensational. I was genuinely impressed by his embodiment of Frederick, from the tone of his voice to his body language. He almost had me feeling sympathetic. I couldn’t help but appreciate the tiny character details, such as nervously picking at his nails, picking at the table, slumped shoulders, and even his trembling lips during the intensely emotional moments. Underneath the awkward nervousness and polite frustration was a real sense of danger, and you fear what Frederick might be capable of.
This fear was convincingly embodied by AJ, playing Miranda Grey. Her performance carefully balanced Miranda’s complex emotional journey, moving between terror and isolation to anger and violence and the desperate attempts to manipulate Frederick into letting her go.
Ruby Busuttil’s direction wisely gave us several moments of laughter despite the heavy themes, with small jokes and absurd moments lifting the tension at the right moments without sacrificing the integrity of the drama or being disrespectful to the story. While bad directing is obvious, great directing isn’t usually noticeable because you get sucked into the narrative and everything just works. That’s what happened. It wasn’t super-flashy or overly dramatic or trying to show off. It just worked. Ruby also produced the play, bringing together a solid team that supported the performances.
Adrien Stark’s set design was impeccable, and his experience shows. The set itself represents three different spaces without needing a single set change, and it worked convincingly. Despite the theatre being tiny there was still plenty of room for the action to take place. Making use of the theatre’s own walls and pillars, Frederick’s basement was utterly convincing and didn’t look like a cheap theatre set. Everything from the furniture and set dressing to the props used by the characters were detailed and convincing. Supporting this fantastic set design and Alice Chao’s solid stage management was the impressive lighting and AV.
The lighting was beautifully crafted to represent the various spaces and time of day without being overbearing. It wasn’t stage lighting. It was film lighting, with the character’s faces often beautifully lit as if I was watching a movie. Isobel Rabbidge should be commended for their ability to create a truly immersive experience without drawing attention to the technical components of the play, including the correct balance of additional audio effects to support the changes in scenery. This can often be hard to achieve.
The accompanying music composed by Roger Ly generally worked well, although I felt it was a bit heavy-handed in the earlier monologues and distracted me from the performance. But part from this the music was a strong addition to the emotional content and tension of the performance.
The only real weakness of the entire production was the script. It does drag a little from time to time, repeating itself or not diving deep enough into the darker emotional journeys from the novel. But that has nothing to do with this production or its team.
All in all, The Collector is the best produced play I’ve seen this year, and I highly recommend you ‘catch it’ before it’s gone.
The Collector is showing at the Playhouse Theatre, inside The Actors Pulse in Redfern, Sydney, for a limited run until December 1st.
