Theatre - Whats The Show

YENTL

21 October 2024 Natalie Capra

Yentl Rating

★★★★★

Click if you liked this article

The Kadimah Yiddish Theatre has done something extraordinary with their story of Yentl – now showing at the Playhouse at the Sydney Opera House: they have reclaimed Isaac Bashevis Singer’s original story and made it sing in a way that the 1983 musical adaptation could not.

I came into the show with high expectations. When I discovered Singer’s short stories as a teenager, they were revelatory for me. His folk tales, full of customs and characters I didn’t know, were yet more real to me than the Anderson and Grimm tales I’d grown up with. All the demons and sprites in Singer’s stories are simply people with desires and faults driven to extremes. His fairy tales reveal human nature.

It is that spirit that this production captures. Stepping into the world of Yentl is to enter a fairy tale realm. The ground is covered in dirt, rocks and grass, a kind of haunted forest. Everything is just slightly exaggerated, including the actors with their white pantomime makeup. This is not a real world; it is beyond the real, ultra real, super real. And by adhering closely to Singer’s story, published in 1962 and set in 1873, it is also profoundly modern.

Yentl is a young woman who wants to study and yearns for all the benefits that men have. After the death of her father, she takes on a male name – Anshl – and garb, and goes to study at a yeshiva, on the way meeting the melancholic Avigdor who will become her best friend and study partner. As Avigdor pines for Hodes, his betrothed bride whose family rejected him, he suggests that Anshl marry her instead. What could possibly go wrong? Especially as the spark between the two young men feels like it could be something more than friendship.

Amy Hack does a superb job of playing both Yentl and Anshl. She captures Anshl’s eagerness and excitement to be in the world of men, despite being woefully ignorant of men themselves. Her assumed boyishness gradually transforms into something else – something more powerful as Yentl finally realises what she can and can’t have. Nicholas Jaquinot and Genevieve Kingsford are also excellent as Avigdor and Hodes respectively, characters that could easily be one-dimensional but which they both give great depth to.

An interesting addition to the story is Evelyn Krape’s Figure, or yeytser ho’re, who is witch, fairy, joker and conscience all rolled into one. She propels both Yentl and the narrative forward with an unrelenting energy.

Whether on purpose or not, I found that the Figure the queerest character in a cast full of very queer characters. She captures the torment and joy that being queer often feels like – especially in times or places of repression. And let’s face it: everyone in Yentl is a bit queer. Anshl doesn’t want to be a wife, but is fine with being a husband, and you suspect he even quite likes it. Avigdor, for all his loud proclaiming of how much he loves the female form, is definitely more than a little in love with his (male) friend. And Hodes, sweet Hodes, virtuous Hodes, loves that Anshl doesn’t smell or act like the other boys she’s met.

What I particularly loved about this adaptation is that it doesn’t shy away from Yentl’s complicated desires. It is not only that she wants what men have – books and a wife – but she also rejects the feminine. She doesn’t want to be a wife, she doesn’t want to cook someone else’s bread, she doesn’t want to give up her life. And yet she desires both Avigdor and Hodes, and wants to be both male and female. If god created Eve from Adam, then Adam was already both male and female. And if Adam was created in god’s form, then that means god is also both male and female. Mic drop.

In the final part of the show, when Yentl rejects her shame, takes off her male garb and binds her tefillin, it is a beautiful act of defiance. I don’t have to choose, she indicates. This is my body and this is who I am.

You’re damn right, Yentl.

YENTL runs until the 10th November. Book your tickets for one of the remaining performances @ https://www.monstroustheatre.com.au/current-projects/yentl

Tuesday 22 October 2024 6:00pm^
Wednesday 23 October 2024 7:15pm
Thursday 24 October 2024 7:15pm
Friday 25 October 2024 7:15pm
Saturday 26 October 2024 1:30pm
Saturday 26 October 2024 7:15pm
Sunday 27 October 2024 3:00pm
Tuesday 29 October 2024 6:00pm
Wednesday 30 October 2024 7:15pm
Thursday 31 October 2024 7:15pm
Friday 1 November 2024 7:15pm
Saturday 2 November 2024 1:30pm
Saturday 2 November 2024 7:15pm
Sunday 3 November 2024 3:00pm
Tuesday 5 November 2024 6:00pm
Wednesday 6 November 2024 1:30pm
Wednesday 6 November 2024 7:15pm
Thursday 7 November 2024 7:15pm

Photographer: Jeff Busby

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Sir Terry Pratchett’s The Fifth Elephant

24 October 202421 October 2024 Calliope Skye

The Fifth Elephant Rating

★★★★★

Click if you liked this article

The Fifth Elephant, one of Terry Pratchett’s many successful fantasy novels, inspires this whimsical and spellbinding stage play from Brisbane Arts Theatre Company. This production, directed by Sarah Drew and Eleni Koutsoukis, was especially exciting to attend as I was interested to see how the themes and characters of Pratchett’s Discworld novels come to life.

While the stage design was simple, the crew used contemporary methods to convey scene changes and effective space use. In the top right corner of the stage was a black, long staircase from which characters could emerge to signify a character’s status or moods and give group scenes more varied dynamics. It was well received in each instance and an adequate expression.

Something of note was the use of lighting and projections. In the first act, the lighting crew encountered occasional timing issues a few times. Despite this, each time, they recovered quickly, and it became less of a distraction as the show went on, and their cues were more on point. The use of red flashing lights during one of the action scenes and the red lighting during one of the final scenes aligned well with what was happening and engaged viewers. Using projected images to signify scene changes was a simple but clear way to manage the design and cast movement. Instead of moving furniture between scenes and waiting for transitions, the cast could immediately focus on the next one.

As for the actors and actresses, I was very impressed by the amount of talent and focus they conveyed in each scene. The physical demands of the roles of those who played werewolves/wolves/talking dogs were also commendable, as they often had to move about the stage reasonably quickly during action scenes.

Especially notable mentions include the roles of Commander Vimes, Carrot, Igor (all of them), Wolfgang, Littlebottom and Skimmer. I enjoyed seeing how all of these characters interact and how the actors professionally and thoughtfully executed them. Their use of comic relief, tension, body language, and vocal tone made each scene stand out in quite a unique way. If I were to pick one scene that the audience and I seemed to have favoured and thoroughly enjoyed, it would be the final scene between Vimes and Wolfgang. The audience also enjoyed the Igor scenes; many spoke lovingly of them during intermission.

Each actor, whether in a major or minor role, did an amazing job, and I am eager to see how their skills are utilised in the next production.

The Fifth Elephant runs until the 2nd November. Book your tickets for one of the remaining performances @ https://www.artstheatre.com.au/productions/sir-terry-pratchetts-the-fifth-elephant/

Friday 25th October – 8pm
Saturday 26th October – 7pm
Sunday 27th October – 2pm
Thursday 31st October – 8pm
Friday 1st November – 8pm
Saturday 2nd November – 7pm

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Jack And Millie

21 October 2024 Caitren Sheather-Reid

Jack and Millie Rating

★★★★★

Click if you liked this article

So, a story about cancer. A topic and illness infamously known as a big damper on pretty much everything. How does one convey a story with a sense of positivity, of movement, of life still continuing through this unpredictable time?

Enter Alain Beek, Actor and Director with Essence Productions whose story was told through Jack and Millie. And what a story it was!

Beek was joined on stage by Phil Cameron-Smith (who played Jack) and Ross Daniels (who played every other character) in this heart-touching story. Truly a loaded theatre cast!

Beek not only shared this story, but when she was on stage, I felt every one of her emotions, her eyerolls and her smiles. Beek is an inspiring story teller and the depth of her character was highly tangible to each audience member. She helped me understand this story in ways that just reading a script would not. Beeks’ character Millie felt wonderfully lived in, like a familiar coat you put on or a close friend to confide in. And that just helped to draw me in even more.

Cameron-Smith is Jack in this play and represents all the thoughts that Millie has about cancer. Some do hit home hard, but I was surprised to see how many of these thoughts were also comedic. Cameron-Smith had me laughing a lot and helped to put a more wholesome and positive spin on what should be quite a downcast story. He was funny, deadpan and at times unapologetic in his views which made for all the more riotous viewing! I would happily see a play all about Jack and his thoughts and feelings.

And filling in every other character we have Ross Daniels, and my, what stage presence! It was so easy to watch Daniels as he went between characters, especially in the Zoom scene (trust me, watch it and laugh a lot, because I have never seen anything more relatable). Daniels had this incredible focus to him, even off stage, and managed to play characters ranging from cold and informative to a supportive friend and buddy. And each one of these characters was so believable! Daniels also had these unique little movements or actions he would do to get into each character which was fascinating to observe.

As an audience member, I really enjoyed some of the choices that were made by the Director Nigel Sutton, especially props wise! The stage was only set with 2 big white boxes which were used in such simple ways and yet transported me to a restaurant or the park seamlessly. The costming for this play was also very simple, just plain whites for each character. And I think this all needed to be understated to let the story shine through which was more than successfully achieved.

I did also want to commend the creative uses of sound effects, especially the ring tones for each character that gave such a unique insight into that character. The assumptions were handed to the audience with very little to go off and my imagination thoroughly enjoyed filling in the blanks. And other members of the audience afterwards expressed similar thoughts to me – this was a truly enjoyable experience.

So, in conclusion, please see this play if you can! This is a funny story full of life’s ups and downs, but left me feeling positive. It is said in the program of this show that this script is deeply loved by those who feature in it, and even as an audience member I was able to feel this. This was not a sad story, just an eventful one filled with delicious morsels of laughter to help you on the way. And one (I can confidently say) I would happily see again!

For further information about Essence Theatre Productions, please follow: https://www.essencetheatre.productions/

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Feared and Revered – The Women of Shakespeare

20 October 2024 Paige Jenkins

Feared and Revered – The Women of Shakespeare Rating

★★★★★

Click if you liked this article

‘Feared and Revered—the Women of Shakespeare’ at the Genesian Theatre amalgamates several of Shakespeare’s well-known characters, scenes, and plays with modern backdrops and ideologies. The play, written and directed by Tui Clark, transports its audience to a place where Shakespeare’s women are allowed to have complexities and contradictions all at once, other than the usual good/bad, married/unmarried dichotomies.

The Genesian Theatre itself added to the essence of performance. The beautiful stained-glass windows and intimate size made it easy to become part of the story, especially when actors would situate themselves in or around the audience for entrances or exits.

It was interesting to see how different soliloquies and passages were paired together to create a tapestry of womanhood and femininity of the past and present. I also loved the simplicity of the props and costuming. A tie or a feather boa was enough to symbolise a different character and the location in which these women found themselves together. I especially loved the technical elements that added to the themes of each scene. Layering voices that led into a beautiful delivery of ‘All the World’s a Stage’, from As You Like It to begin the show was a beautiful tie-in with the ‘stages’ of womanhood that followed.

The cast was an incredible collective of women who brought to life 30 women across Shakespeare’s collection of works. It was difficult at times to understand what was being said, but it made it feel more authentic, as a lot of Shakespearean language was completely made up. All audience members were in the same boat when it came to simply listening to the dialogue rather than taking in the context in which it was being said.

Some of the more famous monologues or characters were much easier to spot, but the lesser-known characters or plays had to be viewed in context. It’s important to remember that you’re not supposed to grasp the meaning behind each word spoken immediately, but the way the words are spoken and in which scenes they’re performed in.

Among the talented cast, Liz Grindley stood out with an exceptional stage presence and managed to capture the essence of Cleopatra (among others) in her final moments. The ease with which she moved around the stage and carried each woman in her words and body made it difficult to look away from her, even when she was not speaking.

Charlotte Bromley gave her all to each character, whether the provocative Witch from Macbeth or the hysterical and grieving Ophelia. Bromley captured the audience’s attention and gave them a performance that transcended language.

The closing monologue from Taming of the Shrew, performed by Ali Bendall, was delivered with such reverence and emotion that I had to immediately go and search it up just to read it again. Despite obviously being written by Shakespeare several hundred years ago, Bendall made it her own. In those few moments, I was completely in awe of what was coming out, and you could have told me that she wrote it herself or went off script to say what she was thinking, and I would have believed you.

I recommend grabbing a ticket for yourself and some friends and family to see this beautiful performance before the curtain closes. Even if you don’t know a lot of Shakespeare, these women bring their own elements to the timeless dialogue that draws you in and captivates.

Don’t miss out on these remaining performances – Wednesday, 23rd, and Thursday, 24th October at 7:30pm and Saturday, October 26th, at 2:30pm.

Grab your tickets from https://GENESIAN.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/138915

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Connect Online