Orpheus – A One Of A Kind Captivating Performance

Orpheus

Orpheus Rating

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The ‘Orpheus’ show was mesmerising, and I was utterly captivated by Shakti’s creative brilliance. ‘Orpheus’ is part of the Newcastle Fringe Festival performances, and last night’s show was held at the REX Royal Exchange Newcastle Salon Theatre. I had not previously attended the quaint theatre before, but I will endeavour to return there again soon. The staff were welcoming and friendly and did their best to make everyone feel relaxed and ready to enjoy the performance.

‘Orpheus’ is a solo dance show performed by Shakti, a seasoned professional dancer who has graced stages all over the world, including New York, Moscow, Paris, London, Kyiv, India, Israel and Germany. Her self-choreographed performance is rooted in inspiration from the Greek mythical character Orpheus and his tragic story.

The Greek mythology tale of Orpheus can be traced back to the 5th Century BCE and has captivated and inspired people worldwide for thousands of years. To quickly refresh your memory of the tragic tale, the mythological character Orpheus, gifted with seemingly superhuman musical abilities, is madly in love with his newlywed wife, Eurydice. Shortly after their wedding, Eurydice tragically succumbs to a snake bite, leaving Orpheus in a state of horrific grief. He travels to the underworld to beg Hades and Persephone to allow him to take his beloved wife back to the surface world.

Orpheus’ enchanting musical abilities successfully persuade Hades and Persephone to allow him to return home with his beloved wife on one condition: he must not look back at Eurydice until they reach the surface. Unfortunately, Orpheus doesn’t heed the warning and turns back to check that his beloved is trailing behind. As he does so, Eurydice instantly vanishes, and Orpheus is once again overcome with grief. Orpheus later meets a brutal death, being torn to pieces by frenzied maenads who were scorned by Orpheus’s rejection of their advances.

Through her dancing, Shakti explores the philosophy of life, death and the underworld. At the end of her performance she briefly discussed the concept of the underworld and how we won’t know what happens next until we get there. Will it be life’s greatest adventure? She philosophized how cultures all around the world, throughout time, have been intrigued by death and the various versions of beliefs regarding the age-old question- what is the afterlife?

Shakti’s choreography appeared to be a blend of contemporary dance styles beautifully enriched with Asian influence. Incredible emotion oozed into Shakti’s captivating performance. Her portrayal of torturous grief and loss was powerfully performed through every essence of her being. The use of flickering lights and darkness contributed splendidly in complementing and reinforcing the deeply emotive scenes. Likewise, her utilisation of exquisite materials as coverings and props was both visually impressive and emotive.

Shakti displayed true artistry at its finest in her performance. Her show was unique and extremely creative. I have utmost appreciation and admiration for this inspiringly talented woman. If you missed her at this year’s Fringe Festival, she promised to return next year to captivate audiences once again with her one-of-a-kind dance performance.

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.

Magpie – Fearless and Brave

Magpie

Magpie Rating

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2

I had the pleasure of reviewing EJ Mann’s comedy show MAGPIE at Bernie’s Bar Newcastle. In her own words, “It’s a musical comedy show about being brave and living like one of Australia’s most fearless birds- the Magpie.”

EJ Mann is a Brisbane based comedian on tour for the Fringe Festival. She has been gaining great momentum in the comedy circuit and receiving wonderful acclaim and reviews from her shows. In a relatively short period, of only a few years, she has certainly made her mark in the comedic world as a RAW State Finalist, Funny Coast Laughable Finalist, and Brat Pack People’s Choice Winner.

EJ Mann’s references to Uber drivers, Elon Musk, and keyboard warriors on neighbourhood Facebook pages made the show incredibly relatable and hilarious. There is a meld of Facebook posts and comments from her neighbourhood page, which EJ brilliantly and most creatively creates into a humorous song. I recommend she join my local page, as there is great content there if she is after new material for her next show. Facebook community pages definitely seem to bring the most brazen characters out of the woodwork.

It was most endearing to hear EJ intertwining various quotes and stories from her beloved late grandmother into her performance and songs. She made various mentions regarding her family and personal relationships which created an intimate, personal atmosphere and allowed the audience to feel acquainted, at ease and more receptive to her material.

EJ talked about her self discovery and sexuality in a heartfelt entertaining presentation. What I loved most was how she seamlessly incorporated her original comedic songs, accompanied by her guitar, throughout the show. A very stylish guitar, too, I should mention. EJ sings with an authentic Australian accent and a reminiscent sweetness of Missy Higgins. I could draw comparisons to the comedian Garfunkel (Kate Micucci), whose work I also absolutely adore.

There was a steadfast theme of the brave and fearless Magpie bird which is cleverly intertwined throughout her material. I particularly loved the reference to a ‘Parliament of Magpies’ and their superior efficiency. There were also references to shallow peacocks and rainbow lorikeets which reinforced her ideas beautifully.

EJ Mann is undeniably bold and brave as the Magpie and reveals an authentic, raw, self-exposing performance with skilful comedic light. A solid and professional performance by an up and coming star in her field. It is hard to believe she has only been at this game for just a few years. EJ certainly portrayed the grace and confidence of a seasoned professional. I was truly impressed by her creative witty performance and wish her all the best with her remaining Fringe Festival performances.

To book tickets to Magpie, please visit https://newcastlefringe.com.au/events/magpie/.

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.

The Little Mermaid: Out Of Your World

The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid Rating

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3

I entered the enchanting “Under The Sea” world to review The Little Mermaid by PACA Productions at The Concourse Chatswood and “Darling it’s better” than I could have hoped for “Take it from me!!” 🎶

The theatre was almost full for opening night and the audience was pumped to see this classic childhood nostalgic show. It was one of the most interactive and responsive audiences I have witnessed in some time which is a credit to the marvellous production PACA have produced.

I was so excited to discover the live orchestra was warming up when I walked into the theatre early. A live orchestra always elevates a show in my eyes and they delivered a fabulous performance bringing authenticity to this well known wonderful musical score.

It was pleasant to read in the director’s notes the incredible effort they had gone into utilising as many recycled items as possible for the staging in their commitment to sustainability. The staging and props were impressive and cleverly designed to create illusions for each scene. I was particularly impressed with the ‘ship at sea’ set and Ursula’s lair.

They also utilised projected images to create three-dimensional depth, which was especially effective for the ocean and inside the castle. The fly lines were put to fantastic use in creating effective multi-dimensions for the sea depth and a great visual ‘wow factor.’ The lighting techniques were also spectacular in creating green seaweed, effective lightning strikes, and the majestic illusion of sunshine.

Costumes were authentic to the Disney characters and imaginative. I had previously wondered how they would portray the characters of crabs, birds and fish and I loved their creative interpretation for bringing these characters to life.

If I had to pick three favourite music numbers- I couldn’t. I loved them all! My top favourites would be Sebastian’s “Under The Sea” with its full of life music and dance, Ursula’s “Poor Unfortunate Souls” with Jordan Berry’s powerhouse stellar vocals and then there was “Kiss The Girl” with absolutely beautiful choreography, lighting and staging. But I think perhaps my favourite (very hard decision) has to be “Positoovity” by the incredible tap dancing Scuttle (Alexander Billet) and the tap dancing ensemble. This was the opening song in the second act and the choreography and skill of all these dancers was sensational. The way Alexander Billet animated Scuttle the seagull was truly remarkable.

Faith Sherwood played Ariel as a true Disney princess. Her unwavering beautiful Disney smile and wonderful sweet vocals gave a commendable rendition. Her co-star Cameron Mayhew who played Prince Eric also gave a fantastic performance with a natural at ease flair on stage.

Andrew Read as Sebastian brought the house down. Sebastian gave plenty of comedic light and a charismatic performance and was absolutely adored by the audience.

Ursula (one of my favourite characters) was sensational. Jordan Berry’s vocals and acting are truly professional and I will definitely be looking out for her in future productions.

Jemima as Flounder blew me away with her superb vocals as did Simon Buchner who played King Triton. He has a most inviting smooth rich tone and great resonance.

Although not technically a lead role, Chef Louis, played by Mercurius Yousif, definitely deserves a special mention. He absolutely brought the house down with outstanding acclaim for his comedic scene. He has a wonderful stage presence and personality accompanied by fabulous vocals and I hope to see more of him.

The ensemble was brilliant! Their dancing and vocal harmonies tied the show together and illuminated it to greater heights. Their steadfast enthusiasm and energy throughout every scene was commendable.

My only criticism of the production would be it’s not playing long enough for me to watch it again. Nine days simply isn’t long enough for all the creative talent and obvious hard work that has gone into this wonderful production. I admit it is honestly up there with my very favourite musicals and I would love to see it again! Do yourself a favour and if there’s any tickets left, go and have a fabulous night out watching some outstanding talent.

To book tickets to The Little Mermaid , please visit https://paca.sydney/the-little-mermaid/.

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.

First Things First

First Things First

First Things First Rating

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2

First Things First…. I loved the play. Maitland Repertory Theatre has brought to the stage an enthralling comedic performance with a group of very talented actors.

The stage was set as a comfortable living room, practical and well dispersed for audience interaction. The audience is immersed into the crazy antics of the night’s unfolding drama, which all takes place in the living room of Pete and Sarah’s home.

The idiom “Oh, What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive“ rings loud, clear and undeniably true as the predominant theme in “First Things First.” We witness the very anxious, escalating to frantic main character, Pete, played by Matt Scoles, squirming his way through lie after lie in a very sticky delicate dilemma. How does one handle their supposedly dead wife spontaneously returning when you have recently remarried a new wife, who knows nothing of the previous marriage?

Well…our main character Pete handles it deplorably! Matt Scoles gave a fabulous expressive character portrayal with top notch comedic timing. He had the audience in his hands the entire night willing him to confess and put an end to the spiraling chaos. Louise Cowan gave a splendid portrayal of Sarah, Pete’s ‘new wife,’ She was ‘on key’ for the role of a timid, attention-seeking, needy wife.

 

The gorgeous long lost wife of Pete, Jessica, who is responsible for creating all the mayhem and chaos was performed tremendously by Jessica Gray. Jessica brings her own unfolding drama, mystery and surprises to the stage.

Devoted and loyal to Pete’s side and to his ludicrous spinning web of lies, is his best friend George played by Tez Tywal. This is the second time I’ve had the pleasure of watching Tez Tywal perform and I love the natural humorous energy and vibrance he brings to the stage.

A solid and perfectly composed professional performance by Jane Johns who played Margot, the doting and ever inquisitive mother of Sarah. Her skepticism towards her son in law is unwavering and rightly so.

And then there was Alan… who entered in the 2nd half at a time when we thought things couldn’t possibly get any more complicated. But they certainly did! A very enjoyable performance by Matt Robinson who plays the hilarious role of Jessica’s secret French lover. Matt skillfully had the audience in hysterics.

First Things First was a highly engaging and very enjoyable performance from a group of impressive skilled actors. Thoroughly recommended for couples and friends who are after a night full of laughter and great entertainment.

First Things First is running at the Maitland Repertory Theatre from November 20 to December 8, 2024.

To book tickets to First Things First, please visit https://www.mrt.org.au/2024-plays/first-things-first/

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.