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Jurrungu Ngan-ga – Straight Talk

31 August 202431 August 2024 Paige Jenkins

Jurrungu Ngan-ga – Straight Talk Rating

★★★★★

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Jurrungu Ngan-ga [Straight Talk] opened at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre last night with a powerful and soul-gazing performance.

The amalgamation of dance, music and drama created a haunting and devastatingly beautiful expression of culture and identity. The show was quite confronting, and despite the blurb of the performance, I had no idea what to expect. It was utterly confronting in the best way possible, and the raw talent that pushed the audience out of their comfort zone and check their privilege was deliciously intimidating.

The technical aspects of the performance were absolutely incredible. The persistent soundscape that shifted between beautiful natural sounds of animals and the outdoors, to harsh clanks of metal doors and voices that depicted life in a cell, heightened the senses and the emotions in each scene it transcended. The use of the chandeliers in scenes with more ballet-like movements was incredibly symbolic, especially when paired with others being stuck watching in cells.

There were a few mishaps in terms of quick costume changes not being entirely smooth, but the performers handled those so professionally that it could have almost been on purpose. Each individual performer was so captivating that even blinking for too long felt like I would miss something crucial.

In group scenes, there was so much to take in. Each of the dancers were incredible to watch and I am in complete awe of the strength and technique that they displayed throughout the show. Czack (Ses) Bero, Wimiya Woodley, Taj Pilgram, Luke Currie-Richardson, Mosatafa ‘Moz’ Azimitabar, Gusta Mara, Bhenji Ra, Feras Shaheen and Ashleigh Musk poured their hearts and souls into the performance, and it was such an honour to be invited into their space to have all of these important and heart-breaking stories told in such an engaging manner.

I really commend the seamless insertion of current events and the use of modern allusions like ‘This is Australia’ which I believe is a parody of the Childish Gambino song ‘This is America’, to show that this irrational fear of difference and ignorantly ‘unknown’ is still occurring in many parts of the world, and for some reason, hate and fear are still so prominent.

To the performers, and the entire creative team that have worked on Jurrungu Ngan-ga since its inception in 2016, thankyou for sharing your stories and the stories of those who came before that are not able to speak. It was an honour and a privilege to share a room with your heart, soul and unbreakable joy.

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.

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Diana McLaren is Defective

30 June 2024 Paige Jenkins

Diana McLaren is Defective Rating

★★★★★

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Wollongong Comedy Festival’s ‘Diana McLaren is Defective’ was a cozy affair in Wollongong’s Side Door Theatre. A hidden paradise for up-and-coming artists, the Side Door Theatre provided the perfect backdrop for Diana’s hour of comedy.

McLaren’s style of comedy relied mainly on her personal experiences, ranging from her journey with mental health, navigating the dating pool when emotionally unavailable, and circling back to specific and “weird” sex stories.

The quaint setting made for a very intimate evening without needing to undertake extensive crowdwork. Some audience members seemed disappointed at the prospect that they wouldn’t be randomly picked to talk, so they would do it when they felt they had something to contribute.

Diana’s section of her set that focused on mental health and therapy, whilst deeply personal, was an excellent display of further breaking down the taboos and stereotypes that surround diagnoses like ADHD and dysfunctional families.

She reminded us that even if we are in therapy or are thinking about going to therapy, that doesn’t mean that something is wrong or broken inside; it just means that you’ve decided to work on yourself.

I thoroughly enjoyed her analogy of driving a car that was clearly breaking down, making noises that it shouldn’t be making, the blinkers turning on the windshield wipers, and just generally being wholly unsafe and not roadworthy but saying, “This is fine! I’ll keep driving.”

Instead of going to a mechanic and getting it checked at the first sign of something not working the way it should. If you wouldn’t do that with a car, why do that to your brain?

It was a thoroughly enjoyable performance, and we hope to see Diana on stage again soon. Check-in here for more information about Diana Mclaren.

In addition, Wollongong Comedy Festival has many upcoming shows and events across July; check them out and treat yourself to an evening filled with laughter!

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.

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Dear Diary

9 May 2024 Paige Jenkins

Dear Diary Rating

★★★★★

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‘Dear Diary’, written by Kay Proudlove and directed by Leland Kean, opened last night at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre. The one-woman show, starring Proudlove, is a balanced mix of nostalgia, self-deprecation, and musical comedy.

The show’s premise arose from a fateful day in Kay’s life when she was summoned to her parent’s house to clean out her childhood bedroom. The layout of the stage represented said bedroom, which felt both homey and oddly clinical, as she slowly removed the sense of comfort that comes from a safe space like a bedroom as the story progressed. Certain moments were punctuated with clothes being removed from the racks and piled up downstage, symbolising moving on and growing up.

The casual tone and delivery of the interwoven collection of stories made the performance feel like old friends catching up over coffee or a bottle of Moscato. The fourth wall was delicately danced around, with Proudlove referring to her writing process for the show and providing sidenotes and commentary on her memories and diary entries.

Kay’s generational humour and songs crafted from extracts of her teenage self’s diary had the audience in stitches. The stories of her high school crushes on both celebrities and boys she went to school with were hilarious and authentically awkward.

The selective use of a screen to show images and blow-up pages from her diary assisted in comedic timing and context and authenticating the words being read from the diary. It was wonderful to see her growth as a musician and a songwriter, as she has moved past her one verse and one chorus songs with a catalogue of beautiful, powerful, and reflective songs, as well as the majority of songs in ‘Dear Diary’ that are upbeat and lyrically diarised.

Growing up as a theatre kid and having big dreams like fame and going on a world tour are formative in the way young artists identify and shape their perspective on themselves and their environment. Her moment of realisation of her replaceability within her musical space struck a chord with me, who also put together performances and had big dreams of fame as a pre-teen. A sad part of growing up is looking back at all the plans your younger self had made, often with absolutely no understanding of the world and the inner workings of adulthood. Kay captured this beautifully with such raw emotion and simplicity.

If you grew up in the Illawarra and are looking for a healthy dose of nostalgia, this is the show for you. Grab yourself a ticket on the Merrigong Theatre Company website. ‘Dear Diary’ runs until Saturday, 11 May, at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre before continuing her national tour in Tasmania.

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.

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Send For Nellie

16 February 202415 February 2024 Paige Jenkins

The opening night of ‘Send For Nellie’ is a bright and deeply captivating performance celebrating and commemorating the life of Sydney’s own cross-dressing cabaret queen, Nellie Small.

Rich with history, soul and laughter, Alana Valentine’s research into Nellie and her stage presence was well executed by performers Elenoa Rokobaro and Eleanor Stankiewicz, the incredibly talented musicians Maria Alfonsine, Camilla Bellstedt and Wollongong local Jodie Michael, and director Liesel Badorrek.

Elenoa Rokobaro brought Nellie Small to life with grace and power. Her vocals boasted of control and an enjoyment of the craft. Rokobaro captivated the audience, whether jazzy or mournful, throughout each song, and it was difficult to look away.

Her scene partner, Eleanor Stankiewicz, should be commended for her commitment to each character she transformed into. With hats and jackets as the sole means of a character change, Stankiewicz put everything into the physicality and vocal performances of the people in Nellie’s life. Right down to the way a certain character would sit or walk or even hold their hands when listening to Nellie perform, there was never any confusion as to who was on stage with Nellie at the time.

The hilarity of movement and costume choices contrasted with the authentic conversations and laws of the 1930s and 40s in Australia. Using clown noses and vaudeville choreography made those scenes and the following songs more powerful.

Clearly, each person on stage was having a good time, which encouraged the audience to be consumed by the story. The set up of cabaret tables directly in front of the stage and the performers moving through the crowd at different times allowed for an immersive experience. From the get-go of the theatre doors opening and jazz music playing softly from the speakers, it was like stepping back in time to a smoky jazz club and waiting to hear the shouts of “Send for Nellie!” in order to salvage a performance.

This performance, however, needed no salvaging. ‘Send For Nellie’ is a moving story of a cross-dressing, gender non-conforming, black Australian woman pursuing her passion in show business and is backed by more multi-talented women. ‘Send For Nellie’ is a good time from start to finish. The entire creative team should be very proud of themselves.

Tickets are available to see ‘Send for Nellie’ at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre via the link below.
Performance Times: Thu 15 Feb, 6:30pm; Fri 16 Feb, 7:30pm; Sat 17 Feb, 1:30pm &7:30pm
Where: Bruce Gordon Theatre–Illawarra Performing

This review also appears on It’s On The House, and check out more reviews at Dark Stories Theatre to see what else is on in your town.

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