Theatre - Whats The Show

Samson

08/10/2025 Georgia Drewe🆕

Samson Rating

★★★★★

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Samson, the stunning debut production from Luminar Theatre Company, opens with a hauntingly beautiful performance of Nick Cave’s ‘O children.’ From the very first notes, I had goosebumps over my entire body; from the first scene to the very last Samson had me utterly entranced.

Samson centres around a group of teenagers in a small seaside town, who are grieving the sudden loss of a friend they’ve known their whole life when he dies tragically and unexpectedly in an accident. Julia- Rose Lewis’ script is visceral, raw and brimming with vulnerability and emotion, masterfully brought to life with sensitivity and zeal by director Chloe Callow.

It’s difficult to believe that Samson is Chloe Callow’s debut production as a theatre director. Everything about this production, from its striking visuals to its beautifully tempered emotionality, was perfectly curated. With a debut production of this quality, I’m eager to see what Callow has in store for the future.

The cast brought boundless energy and a grounded authenticity to the characters, as well as an unexpected but welcome dose of humour. Samuel Ireland was brilliant as Sid, bringing a marvelous complexity to a character that, in the wrong hands, might have just been dismissed as a bully. Ireland’s performance was deeply moving, his moments of humour landing perfectly with spot-on comedic timing.

Ava Jones’ portrayal of Beth was perfectly delivered- her grief felt so raw and genuine, and her character’s complicated relationship with God and religion was a fascinating exploration on the theme of spirituality and faith, and the ways in which belief can be both a comfort and a weapon in times of grief.

Henry Lopez Lopez is a brilliant ball of energy as Rabbit, equal parts sparkling vivacity and striking vulnerability. His chemistry with Rhiannon Jean as Essie was perfect. Jean’s performance was deeply emotional, and her journey is, in many ways, the heart of the show. Lopez and Jean both also deserve an honourable mention as the show’s producers.

Samson is carried by spectacular performances and thoughtful direction, and the production is full of little touches that really make it sing. Max Shaw’s set design beautifully captures the essence of a small town, and his work as fight choreographer elevates the dramatic scenes beautifully. Rhiannon Jean also did some incredible work as sound designer, adding a polish and dimensionality to the show.

The most wonderful thing about Samson is how life affirming it is. It’s a story about grief, but within that, it’s a story about resilience. The experience of watching Samson was deeply affecting- I laughed, and I cried (a lot) but I left feeling uplifted. I highly recommend seeing this production as soon as possible- Samson is one not to be missed.

Samson, presented by Luminar Theatre Company, is on at The Greek Theatre in Marrickville until October 11th.

To book tickets to Samson, please visit https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/samson-tickets-1564791747239.

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Interactive Storytelling Once Upon a Grimm Night

07/10/202505/10/2025 Linda Lokhee🏆💎🔥🦉🎭

Once Upon a Grimm Night Rating

★★★★★

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Picture this. It’s 8pm and you’re driving through a forest. It’s pitch black, except for the beam of your headlights cutting through the stillness. Lining one side of the single gravel road, silhouettes of inky branches reach over, like fingers beckoning you to continue to the house. Old Government House in Parramatta, Sydney. I have to shake off thoughts of ghoulish entities and murderous strangers hiding in the shadows! Maybe my imagination had run awry because we’d just entered Halloween month. Most likely though, it’s because I was on the way to see Once Upon a Grimm Night, an interactive play by Odyssey Theatre! Just the title had scary connotations.

I need not have worried, because I arrived safely and in one piece at Old Government House’s door. After we were greeted by The Narrator, it became clear that in Once Upon a Grimm Night, guests were adventurer travellers and not hapless victims, and this was going to be a live theatre experience with tons of humour, not horror.

Once Upon a Grimm Night is the brainchild of Emily McKendry, who wrote and directed the play. Emily says that her love of all things magical and fantastical inspired her to write about characters from the fairy tale realm. Once Upon Grim Night is set in the world of Everafter, and due to cosmic forces, our world and theirs have crossed for a short time, and we needed to help find a special something.

The Narrator, played with delicious relish and cheeky trickery by Jared Gerschwitz, was a chaos-loving mischievous character who reminded me of Loki with wicked laugh. He guided us in a quest to save Everafter, introducing the wayfarer travellers along the way to the other characters.

We first met Cly, AKA The Maiden, in the garden playing with a frog. Cly had an earnest innocence about her. I loved the way Phoebe Lumley Tow portrayed Cly, who was quick to deliver some very funny lines in response to audience participation . As Cly started singing, I had the impression that she was channelling Snow White, or Cinderella, or any another female stereotypical female fairytale character (which I think may have been the point).

The third character whose namesake is in the title, is Grimm Volkov, resident Everafter’s hero / heartthrob with fabulous fairytale prince-like hair. Grimm is played with a natural charm by Harlee Timms. Grimm assisted us travellers (or, “Princes” as he nicknamed us all) in the quest to find what we needed to save the realm.

Grimm led us to meet The Witch, a character who we could not help but warm to because of her sarcastic yet hilarious humour. Emily McKendry portrayed The Witch, and her spin on this character was unique. She wasn’t really an evil wicked witch as fairytale land stereotypically paints witches to be. Emily was quick to improvise answers with funny quips and respond to our questions, making us feel comfortable in her dark and dank basement. One of the highlights of the performance was held in the basement, where The Witch chose different audience members / travellers to interact with the magic potions to uncover a mystery.

The set up of Once Upon a Grimm Night is very original, with physical puzzles for us travellers to discover and solve in certain rooms. The Narrator was there to encourage us to work together and to ensure that most guests had a turn.
The costumes of all the characters added to the fairy tale feel. The cast had taken care to ensure their characters looked the part, right down to little details like the jewellery they wore, (especially The Narrator’s extended silver sharp finger ring) waist belts, corsets, billowy sleeves and black boots.

Odyssey Theatre selected the heritage-listed Old Government House as a fitting location for their performance. It was a former country residence, home to Governors and their families from 1800 to 1847. The play was performed both outdoors and indoors, allowing the audience to explore the rooms and experience a set that matched the story. The performance lasted one hour, though I would have liked more time to explore the house and its rooms.

Once Upon a Grimm Night was a unique and enjoyable experience. The small group I attended with was lively, and there was a lot of laughter throughout the evening as the audience banded together to solve puzzles. The interactive nature of this play would be an excellent opportunity for companies to bring their staff together for bonding. With the holiday season coming up, it would make a fantastic choice for an end-of-year Christmas party. Whether you go solo or with a group of friends, it is certainly worth taking a trip into Everafter where you can enjoy a hands-on potion-making activity and take part in clue-solving challenges that are perfect for clue finding sleuths.

Season run: Friday 3 October – Saturday 25 October. 3 session available at 5.30pm, 7pm and 8.30pm
Duration: One hour, no intermission
Old Government House. Parramatta Park, Pitt St entrance. Limited parking is available nearby.
Tickets: www.odysseytheatre.com.au/once-upon-a-grimm-night-parramatta

To book tickets to Once Upon a Grimm Night, please visit https://www.odysseytheatre.com.au/once-upon-a-grimm-night-parramatta
.

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Kitchen Witches: Stirring the Pot

03/10/202503/10/2025 Genevieve Hudson🥉

Kitchen Witches Rating

★★★★★

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Tea Tree Player’s debut production of Kitchen Witches, directed by Lachie Blackwell and written by Caroline Smith, opens behind the scenes of a basic white kitchen film set for supposedly the last time. During the completion of Dolly Biddle’s final ‘Baking with Babcha’ episode, she is interrupted by longtime frenemy and chef Isobel Lomax while on air. The heated barbs that fly somehow inspire an opportunity to co-host a show, to be produced by Stephen Biddle, Dolly’s son. From there the ensuing arguments and revelations both on and off the air challenge them all to consider a more flexible definition of family, however dysfunctional it may appear.

The small cast worked well together to create a colourful palate of flavours that mixed seamlessly. Dolly Biddle, played by Michelle Hrvatin, was domineering from the beginning as she demonstrated changes in accents, costumes, and relationship dynamics throughout. Also with great comic timing, Hrvartin’s much louder persona was a fantastic contrast to her castmates. Jo-Anne Davis’s portrayal of Isobel Lomax began as delightfully simpering and superficial in comparison and growing into something floaty and gentle later. The unpredictability and hostility between the two women, despite often being in close quarters, is quite entertaining.

Often a mediator between the two witches (“with a ‘B’”) is Matt Bryker-Oman as Stephen Biddle, the long-suffering producer and son of Dolly, and is often stressed due to spiteful shenanigans. Bryker-Oman’s first stage appearance since school, his performance provided grounding and relatability amongst the tumult of the kitchen set, particularly in the second act where his character is challenged from a variety of ways. Torin Hill, as Rob the Camera Guy, provides a stable yet mostly silent presence throughout the show as he assists in setting up and operating the camera within the studio atmosphere. Hill’s few lines, despite ample stage time, certainly prove that quality over quantity can prove to be particularly memorable.

The inclusion of the audience as part of the live studio experience was a clever device, complete with handpicking ‘celebrity’ taste-testers, prompted reactions, and the sounds of genuine laughter instead of canned tracks. While some of the specific mentions of ‘audience’ names sounded a little rehearsed at the beginning, this became much more natural as it went along. Similarly, while the initial dynamics on stage felt a little hesitant, momentum was quickly gained and maintained as the show progressed.

The set itself was also impressive despite its simplicity. As all cooking shows need food to work with, even staged ones, with a working fridge/freezer being used for edible props and a sink with running water to always “wash your hands”. The amount and variety of aprons used throughout was quite amusing and were always complementary to the character that was wearing them, as did the rest of their costumes. Rather than the use of traditional wings, dressing room doors are used to further create an intimacy with the audience with proximity, and moving from the back of the stage. Lighting changes were also used sparingly but particularly to signal being on air with a brighter white light and a warmer tone for off air.

Without being indicative of a particular era, Kitchen Witches is a fun and surprisingly heartwarming show that carries some relatability in each of the characters. An enjoyable night out for some witchy cackling, a brew, and a show.

To book tickets to Kitchen Witches, please visit https://teatreeplayers.com/production/kitchen-witches/.

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Powerful, Passionate, and Fantastic

02/10/2025 Karen Yee⭐🦉

The Comedy Games with Coach Mon Rating

★★★★★

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Comedy Games With Coach Mon is now on at the Ivanhoe Library & Cultural Hub’s Yarra-me Djila Theatrette as part of the Melbourne Fringe. Aimed at children age 4 and up, the show is a really fun way to introduce your junior primary and pre-school kids to interactive live theatre. It’s a great antidote to the effects of too much screen time – it’s upbeat, inclusive, funny and interactive. It stimulates the imagination and reminds us how to play. The age appropriate humour is infectious, and a lot of it is supplied organically by the children themselves. I highly recommend it.

The theatrette is cosy, clean and family-friendly. Coach Mon makes your child feel at home by introducing herself to each child and learning their names before the show starts, so I recommend getting there a little early to settle into the space. There is ample parking at the Ivanhoe venue which also has a lovely café and a library on the same level.

The theme of the show is sports. Coach Mon’s dream is to be a sports coach and she is looking for athletes who are Powerful, Passionate, and Fantastic. There’s a good dose of the ridiculous, which kids love, so we’ll be starting with eyebrow push-ups and weight-lifting with marshmallows on a skewer, for starters. Sometimes Coach Mon might need some coaching herself. Does she really know what hurdles are? Why is she asking for child hurdles – “churdles”? Will she jump over them or fly?

Adults – you will not be bored! Coach Mon knows how to keep the kids’ attention with singing, acrobatics, jokes, miming and clowning-skills, all with a warm connected personality. She knows how to keep them quietly in their seat, if needed, and, conversely, how to get them up and noisy depending on the scene of the show. You’ll be able to relax and enjoy the antics with your child, and possibly even take part in some synchronised swimming!

The fast pace of the show is underscored by well-chosen classical and pop-rock songs. For example, who doesn’t like a slow-mo running race with Chariots of Fire as the soundtrack? I loved that this show was exposing the young ones to really good music from Peer Gynt Suite’s Hall of the Mountain King to Eye of the Tiger. We might know these songs, but it might just be the first time the little ones get to hear it.

After the show, Coach Mon stayed to chat to kids and adults as they were leaving. I had a chat to her too and discovered that Coach Mon is the multi-talented Monique Warren who is an actor, musician, educator, choir director and clown. She grew up singing in the Australian Girls Choir and then stayed on as a choir teacher for 12 years. Her inspiration for the show came out of blue one day while she was teaching an online co-curricular drama class online during COVID lockdown in 2021. Worn out by the sheer boredom she had had enough and walked away from the faces on the computer screen. A minute later, she was back with sports cap on and tennis ball in hand and announced “I’m Coach Mon. Let’s play!”.

Monique Warren’s dream is to build her kids show to be a regular school holiday gig. The joy she gets from doing the show is from bringing people together and that is her passion. It’s a Passion that is Powerful and her show is Fantastic! Go see it before it closes. Let’s play!

To book tickets to The Comedy Games with Coach Mon, please visit https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/whats-on/events/the-comedy-games-with-coach-mon.

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