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Clue On Stage

Clue On Stage

At the Phoenix Ensemble Theatre located in the Beenleigh Showgrounds, Footlight Theatrical has performed a hilarious rendition of Clue On Stage this weekend. The theatre itself is cozy and compact, the audio is flawless, and there’s plenty of parking. For a murder mystery fan, this was a perfect whodunnit.

Six Washington-located personalities have been invited to dinner with the mysterious Mr Boddy. Instead of their host, they’re introduced to the butler, the snarky and evasive Mr Wadsworth.

Clue On Stage

All the guests have been given pseudonyms to hide their real identities, and the dinner takes a torrid turn as their newly arrived host winds up dead. Boddy has hidden evidence linking all the guests to their indiscretions, so they must find his killer and his stash of secrets before the police arrive.

Clue On Stage had people in stitches on Friday night, from the incredible acting to the set design. The set had comedic Easter eggs throughout, from the “Eat, Prey, Love” sign in the kitchen to the murder weapon-stained glass door. I wonder how Mr Boddy explained those to the decorator. 

Liam McDonell was definitely the star, running the show as Mr Wadsworth. McDonell showed his range as he ran through a summary of the show’s first half, himself playing every character. Genevieve Tree gave a hilarious performance as Mrs Peacock, a senator’s wife with her share of vices, from having a bump to booze to bribery. The audience watches her spiral out with stress while unravelling her mysterious link to the chef (Maegan Micola von Furstenrecht).

Clue On Stage
Clue On Stage

Alas, Clue On Stage was playing for only one weekend so for those who enjoy a night out at the theatre, stay tuned for any upcoming Footlights Theatrical Inc productions in the future. This was an entertaining show and a lovely night out in Beenleigh, thanks to Footlight Theatrical, and I cannot wait to see what shows they put on next.

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Assassins – The Revusical

Assassins

In the lovely Beenleigh Crete Street Theatre, Assassins is a dark comedic revusical (part revue, part musical) telling the stories of the nine men and women who have successfully or unsuccessfully tried to kill a president of the United States. It skips down through the ages from Lincoln to Reagan. It reimagines a world where history brought these people together, meeting throughout time. If you’re a history buff or just a lover of fun musicals, this one is to die for.

Assassins

Cult members, stalker fans, bottle makers, and a man with a stomach ache all shared the same dream: to kill the president of the United States of America. Some things unite all sorts of people. Nine people wanted to be remembered throughout history, to shoot their shot at infamy.

The audience laughed throughout the play, especially at Lynette Fromme (Amelia Burton) and Sara Jane Moore (Alison Pattinson). Their chemistry together was phenomenal, but the performance that really killed the audience was the deranged ramblings of Samuel Byck that Dan Konstantinos brought to life. He must have been gunning to stand out.

Adam Goodall sang throughout, talking to each of the assassins through the ages before his reveal at the end that I won’t spoil. Michael Ware assures us the trick to curing any ailment is to assassinate a president, or at least it can’t hurt to try.

Assassins
Assassins

I give only the highest praise to the live orchestra, directed by Ben Richards, who set the scenes perfectly. The live band added so much to the show’s feel, and they are all so talented. Issac Brown directed the actors, doing a fantastic job. The show ran for 100 minutes without an intermission and just left people wanting more.

If you’d like to take a shot at having a lovely evening, pull the trigger and get tickets to Assassins, the opportunity won’t last long. It will leave you laughing and with some more serious questions about what the American dream truly is.

With just two weekends remaining, grab your tickets for Assassins for any one of the following sessions:-

  • Fri 6th Oct, Evening 8:00 PM
  • Sat 7th Oct, Matinee, 2:00 PM
  • Sat 7th Oct, Evening, 8:00 PM
  • Fri 13th Oct, Evening 8:00 PM
  • Sat 14th Oct, Matinee, 2:00 PM
  • Sat 14th Oct, Evening, 8:00 PM
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Hauntingly Beautiful – Children of the Black Skirt

If you’re looking for a hauntingly beautiful Australian classic, Angela Betzien’s Children of the Black Skirt is an absolute must-see. This production was first performed 20 years ago by a group of young art graduates after approaching the Queensland Art Council, proposing a way to tell real Australian stories.

Time has not aged this piece as it’s just as relevant today. It’s being performed at The Curators Theatre at Milton’s Christ Church, by the Lost Child Ensemble, right under the wing of Suncorp Stadium. The team has fought pandemics, fires, and floods to put this performance together. It runs for 60 minutes with a 15-minute Q&A with the cast and crew at the end.

Five young children find an abandoned orphanage, and the spirits stuck inside possess them as vessels to tell their long-lost stories in hopes of finally being free. Throughout the play, four children are under the ever-watching eye of the Black Skirt, Emily Greenant (Lisa Hickey), cycling through the stories of different spirits who had suffered in her charge.

The talented Mikeal Bobart, Shahnee Hunter, Malika Savoury, and Vivien Whittle play the four children. Choosing anyone as a stand-out performer is nearly impossible as they all put on incredible performances.

The soundscape is unnerving, with children’s songs and bird calls mixed with reverse clips of children playing. It sets the scene perfectly and sits comfortably with the gothic quality of the Church.

Bill Haycock and Peter Goodwin worked incredibly well together on the set and sound, but one cannot give enough praise to Helen Strube for bringing it all together in the end. Props must also be given to the church for hosting such a harsh critique of institutional abuse in Australia’s history.

If you have the time for a Gothic fairytale, Children of the Black Skirt cannot be recommended highly enough.

With the production running for just one more week, be sure to get tickets for any one of the following sessions at The Curators Theatre:-

  • Wed 19 July, Matinee 12.30 pm
  • Wed 19 July, Evening 7.30 pm
  • Thurs 20 July, Matinee 12.30 pm
  • Thurs 20 July Evening 7.30 pm
  • Fri 21 July Matinee 12.30 pm
  • Fri 21 July Evening 7.30 pm
  • Sat 22 July, Matinee 12.30 pm
  • Sun 23 July Twilight 5.30 pm
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A Singular Crime – Spanish Film Festival

A Singular Crime / Un Crimen Argentino is a 2022 thriller based on the 2002 Reynaldo Sietecasebook of the same name. It’s inspired by a true story occurring in 1980 Rosario, Argentina during the “Dirty War” military dictatorship.

The book was a best seller, and now the film leaves audiences just as intrigued as they try to solve the crime alongside the protagonists. It is airing at the 2023 Spanish Film Festival and is a must-watch for any who love a mystery.

Unlike the book, A Singular Crime primarily follows around two court clerks, Antonio González Rivas (Nicolás Francella) and Carlos Torres (Matías Mayer), alongside the judge’s secretary, Maria Bussato (Malena Sanchez), as they try to solve the case of a missing businessman named Gabriel “Turco” Samid (Pablo Tolosa).

Given the immense corruption of the Dirty War era Argentinian military, the clerks must race to solve the mystery before the police can close the investigation, dodging their interference at each step. The audience follow Rivas and Torres down rabbit-hole after rabbit-hole trying to figure out what happened to Samid, piecing together the last night before his disappearance and who could have demanded the one-million-dollar ransom.

They discover the struggle of solving the mystery when all of the authority figures sing the tune of “no body, no crime.” Fans of the book get to enjoy this story from another perspective, rather than following the story of the perpetrator. 

Director Lucas Combina definitely evokes the imagery of a Hollywood film set in the same time period, especially with the lighting and cinematography. It allows foreign viewers to feel familiar with the art style, appealing to a larger demographic. Francella and Mayer provide excellent performances but personally, Dario Grandinetti as Mariano Marquez was the standout star for me. 

If you’re attending the Spanish Film Festival in 2023, don’t miss A Singular Crime / Un CrimenArgentino. The festival is celebrating its 25th anniversary and is showing 32 films, not to mention highlighting the women in Spanish and Latin cinema. 

This review also appears on It’s On The House.

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