Chantal Harrison Writer - Whats The Show

We Laughed, We Cried, We Grooved, We Swooned!

04/04/2026 Chantal Harrison Writer🥉

A Transgender Woman On The Internet, Crying Rating

★★★★★

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Wow. Yesterday was the International Day of Trans Visibility, and what better way to honour such an important occasion than by seeing Cassie Hamilton’s hyperpop musical, “A Transgender Woman on the Internet, Crying”.

I love the Old Fitz, not least because of the complete transformation of the set with every new show. This one was brilliantly done, with stylised graffiti and old skool speakers that pumped out the hyperpop hits. What is “hyperpop”? Thanks, Mouth_Feel, played by Rosie Rai, for answering that question. This is one of many questions raised, asked, and answered in this powerful and vulnerable piece of work; some you never thought to ask, some you should have thought to ask, and some most of us have no right to ask. All are handled with a delicate balance of truth through song, delivered with poignancy and emotion by this incredibly talented cast.

The story centres around Avis O’Hara, aka the DIY Doll, played by the epically talented writer and creator Cassie Hamilton. Avis has built an online platform by leaning into being “the right kind of trans”; with an emphasis on “right”, where those internalised self-hate pathways sometimes end up aligning. I first came across Cassie Hamilton in ATYP’s production of “Converted!” and was excited when this project was announced, eagerly awaiting a Sydney season. Even more so when two of my favourites, Blake Appelqvist (who I’ve been fangirling since Fangirls) and Teo Vergara (stole my heart in Jagged Little Pill), were announced, and it was a pleasure to make the acquaintance of the equally talented Rosie Rai. These four powerhouses bring their own unique authenticity and depth to their characters. Blake plays Corrin Verbeck, a left-tube vlogger who, along with besties Mouth_Feel and Sasha (Vergara), is sick of the toxic messaging by people like Avis and conspires to expose her.

It’s a classic frenemies-to-lovers story, but also a beautiful celebration and deeply moving collective healing and purging of complex trauma for one of the world’s most marginalised and persecuted groups of people. The foursome harmonise beautifully, with vocals (musical direction by Lillian Hearne) and choreography by Dan Ham and Riley Gill that allow each performer to shine.

Jean Tong’s direction is a real asset to the production, grounding and guiding the chaos with a deft hand. Tong allows high energy and spontaneity to flourish while maintaining a sharp pace and a strong emotional through line. There is a kind of guerrilla-theatre quality to the staging that feels entirely appropriate here, and the performers absolutely thrive within it. It is a confident, responsive directorial vision that gives the work room to be both playful and devastating.

The creative team deserves huge credit for the world they’ve built. Ruby Jenkins’ set is grungy, eye-catching, and feels like a playground for the characters to gleefully exist in. Rachel Lee and Nick Moloney’s lighting leans into cliché musical-theatre lighting state, and the work is better for it. Dan Ham’s choreography is crafted not only to capture each character’s movement, but to allow each performer to comfortably move within their abilities and fully relish the dance breaks. The lighting and sound design are engaging and responsive, with one of the most impactful moments coming when the production makes the brilliant choice of pure silence at a significant emotional peak.

The trans joy and journey are loud and proud, as they should be. But this work is also an important commentary on the fast-moving pace of online interaction, how quickly acceptance and encouragement can turn into control and isolation, and then just as easily flip into hatred and the dreaded “cancelling”. It highlights the impact of keyboard warriors and the knife’s edge of finding online belonging while surrendering freedom, autonomy, and authentic self-expression. It shines a dark light on the struggles many face when it comes to cyber culture, particularly in specific communities.

The audience was thoroughly engaged throughout. We laughed, we cried, we grooved, we swooned. This is a truly well-written, beautifully crafted show that is a must-see. I might just need to go along and see it again if I can manage to secure a ticket before they sell out.

To book tickets to A Transgender Woman On The Internet, Crying, please visit https://www.oldfitztheatre.com.au/a-transgender-woman-on-the-internet-crying.

Photographer: Brett Boardman

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A Bold and Breathtaking Culmination of Art Forms

27/09/2025 Chantal Harrison Writer🥉

BiPolar Express Rating

★★★★★

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As a community theatre director, I often stress the importance of teamwork and that no player reaches their best without the shared journey and uplifting of every member of the cast, often to eye rolls. However, Bipolar Express is a gleaming example of a powerful ensemble who are the backbone and heart of the story. It’s only now as I sit down to write this, having just read the program, that I ascertained how many creatives were among this ensemble cast including choreographer, Avalon Ormiston, and producer, Phaedra Brown, which doesn’t surprise me considering what a stellar example of full-bodied togetherness that this piece is.

Anton played by writer, Bianca Yeung, is on a train to meet an estranged friend when she has a manic episode. The train is depicted with a simple yet vibrant set consisting of three double floodlights, and cane chairs with the iconic Sydney Transit blue squiggly velvet seats. Anton is desperately trying to remain upright as she sends voice-notes to friend, Mish, not knowing if Mish will be meeting her at the other end.

The ensemble weave and move around her, engaging in conversations that begin as small talk and progress into more interesting musings. Anton has a bouquet of orange flowers that become more disheveled as she unravels. They are the motif that anchors the passage of time. The set is changed with rhythm and poetry by the actors throughout the show.

The story moves between the present train delay and the past story of Mish and Anton. We discover that Mish was the keeper of Anton’s secrets, she was the one with the directives for what to do and when, and she was often the keeper of this part of Anton. We see the complications of these assigned roles between the two, and how it impacts their friendship over time.

To describe and adequately give voice and understanding to a complex mental health diagnosis such as Bipolar would be incredibly difficult in words, that is where the powerful art of movement and dance breathtakingly fill in some of those gaps. For example; the ensemble close in around Anton during a portrayal of exhaustion. She tries to creep out, reach out and even tries to free Mish in these moments, but she is unheard as she is swallowed by “The Others”.

Sound and light design take a huge amount of credit as a device in this piece as well. We are stagnant and trapped along with Anton in the darkness and we are pulled into the jubilance of the bright highs punctuated by poppy, boppy, music.

It is abundantly clear this piece has involved all creatives building, supporting and creating deep intimacy, which in turn made it inevitable that the audience become deeply invested and intertwined.

It’s a bold and breath-taking culmination of art forms that does great justice to shining some light on an important lived experience. I highly recommend supporting this work.

To book tickets to BiPolar Express, please visit https://sydneyfringe.com/events/bipolar-express/.

Photographer: Nat Cartney

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Nostalgic, Hilarious, Infectious Fun for Fans Old and New!

26/09/2025 Chantal Harrison Writer🥉

Stranger Sings! A Parody Musical Rating

★★★★★

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The Eternity Playhouse Theatre in Darlinghurst is a perfect blend of plush red velvet and modern design, creating a space that feels rich with history, despite modern touches. To the side of the stage, a small band waits eagerly, giving that unique thrill only live musical theatre provides. Early show wrinkles were handled with humour and camaraderie, immediately setting the tone for a show that thrives on both chaos and connection.

Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical is exactly what its title promises: a satirical, joyfully camp reimagining of Stranger Things. Across 90 minutes, Hawkins is gleefully turned upside down, with the iconic core four; Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Will; at the story’s centre. Each young performer captures their role with razor-sharp comic nuance. Raven Swinkels gives Eleven both haunting presence and playful edge, while Anouk Macarthur Mitchell leans into Will’s fragility with endearing self-parody. Julien Daher’s winning Dustin brims with charisma, Ruben Aguilera hits the mark as earnest Mike, and Jahzara Mariasson brings fiery energy to Lucas.

And then, of course, there’s Barb. Belle’s powerhouse vocals ensure justice is not just served but belted to the back row, a standout that lit up the night. The wider ensemble provide a constant stream of physical comedy and energy, morphing into bullies, scientists, and perhaps most memorably, a gloriously camp Demogorgon. Together, their knack for timing and willingness to push into parody’s extremes kept the show fizzing with momentum.

The production is deliberately low-fi in its design, which only adds to its charm. Simple staging is enlivened with clever costumes, witty choreography by Anna Jaques, and inventive ensemble work that makes even the scene changes cheekily entertaining. Musical director Mitch Brown guides the band through a synth-heavy score that perfectly skewers the 1980s vibe, layered with inside jokes and knowing winks to pop culture.

Vocally, the cast are outstanding. Occasional mic issues threatened clarity, but the performers carried through with enough charisma and vocal strength that the cracks only showed how strong the foundations were.

What elevates Stranger Sings! beyond parody is its cheeky breaking of the fourth wall. These playful intrusions make the audience co-conspirators, reminding us all that this is both fan satire and affectionate send-up. Even for those of us who lost track of the show past season three, the humour lands. The references are sharp enough for superfans, yet broad enough to keep casual viewers grinning throughout.

Above all, the joy radiating from this young cast is infectious. They aren’t just parodying Netflix’s most nostalgic property; they’re celebrating the simple delight of putting on a show with gusto, fearlessness, and a palpable sense of fun. To see so much future talent unified in delivering something this funny, smart, and warm is a treat, and a reminder that Sydney’s next wave of performers is already here.

Did I want to leap onto the stage to join them? Absolutely. And that’s the upside-down magic of Stranger Sings!: a parody that revels in its chaos, and a cast that makes you want to be part of the ride.

To book tickets to Stranger Sings! A Parody Musical, please visit https://sydneyfringe.com/events/strangers-sings-the-musical-parody/.

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A Deep, Beautiful, Brave and Vulnerable Piece of Performance Art

08/09/202507/09/2025 Chantal Harrison Writer🥉

Once In A Blue Moon Rating

★★★★★

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“Once in a Blue Moon,” created and performed by Tala Issaoui as part of PYT Fairfield at the Sydney Fringe Festival, delivers a brief yet densely layered experience that fuses dance, ritual, and evocative visual storytelling.

Spanning just 30 minutes, Issaoui’s multidisciplinary performance beckons the audience into a shifting world of transformation. It’s a melancholic trilogy told through patterns, transitions, and potent symbolism.

The work opens with a striking video projection: Issaoui’s dance, rendered in cinematic hues and fluid imagery.

The transitions between film and live presence feel seamless, as the artist materialises onstage before a circular altar adorned with pebbles, an urn, and a pair of goblets.

The artist’s movements around this circle are cyclical and deliberate, blending ritual with choreography in a way that bridges the personal and the universal, with the lights, sound and music complimenting each phase.

Throughout, imagery and symbolism abound; the veil, for instance, which seems to float between meanings, might connote marriage, transformation, or transcendence.

The rhythmic motions, paired with dynamic lighting and a soundscape of often eery music, build tension and drama: thunder and lightning suggest fear and elemental power, while the act of dousing with water feels like a physical release, mourning, or rebirth. Texture becomes tangible as exaggerated makeup begins to spill down Issaoui’s face, accentuating the emotional intensity and the sense of unravelling.

The performer’s precision timing is key, with the crafted sound and lighting cues. These multi-dimensional effects surround the audience with layers of sensation, blurring boundaries between dance, ritual, and visual art.

Patterns repeat and modulate, symbolising repetition and cyclical pain, while the pace of the piece builds into a crescendo of melancholy.

Issaoui is visibly moved by the work’s close, punctuating the experience with authenticity and emotional depth. The ritual ends not with clear answers, but with a shared sense that something profound, if hard to articulate, has transpired.

While “Once in a Blue Moon” may not suit every taste, I found myself admiring the precision and vision more than personally connecting with its abstract ethos. It stands as a compelling example of experimental performance in Western Sydney. The blending of film, choreography, sound, and symbolic staging delivers a textured, esoteric meditation on grief, transformation, and spiritual passage. Issaoui’s willingness to traverse the boundaries of art-form and narrative ensures this work is both brave and memorable. I admire and am in awe of the power of the personal artistic risk and wholehearted embodiment.

Recommended for those ready to meaningfully engage with experimental theatre. It is a deep, beautiful, brave and vulnerable piece of performance art.

To book tickets to Once In A Blue Moon, please visit https://sydneyfringe.com/events/once-in-a-blue-moon/.

Photographer: Benjamin Tiger La

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