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MUSE at The Fuse – ‘Putting It Together’ A Sondheim Revue

06/06/2026 Linda Lokhee🏆🥇🦉

Putting It Together by Stephen Sondheim Rating

★★★★★

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Stephen Sondheim, a legendary composer and lyricist, is well known for musicals such as Into the Woods, Company, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along and A Little Night Music. These are some musicals amongst many that have captured the hearts of people worldwide. After the immensely successful revue Side by Side which had been performing since 1976, Sondheim and co-creator Julia McKenzie’s musical Putting It Together premiered in London in 1992. They chose songs from popular musicals that Sondheim wrote after 1976, to showcase his acclaimed career.

After the lights dim, we hear what we assume is a pre-recorded voice stating the usual requests before live event plays – that the use of cameras is strictly prohibited, etc. As the warnings continue, the announcer continues, “Please do not crinkle your programs incessantly. Please do not fidget uncontrollably in your seats” and “Don’t go, “Oh!” Whenever there’s a song you know“ and suddenly we see a cast member appear, walking down the centre aisle holding a microphone and looking polished. They continue to give the audience instructions. We are all delighted and have a laugh as we realise that the instructions are part of the opening song of the play, called “Invocations and Instructions” from The Frogs. Man 3, brilliantly understatedly played by Eli Reilly, assumes the role of the narrator, leading the story to oversee and influence the other characters throughout the musical.

The narrative of Putting it Together, directed by Gabriel Way Stamatellis, begins in the 90’s, with five friends having a party in one of the couple’s lavish condominiums. The cast, champagne in hand, barrels out “Rich and Happy #1” in a joy filled celebration of laughter. “All our dreams coming true.. this must be what happy means.. skies are beaming, future bright, prospects gleaming” was presented with the energy that showcased how much the cast loved being onstage together. This was a strong song, with the lyrics communicating their optimism.

Despite the initial reach for everlasting happiness, we start to see the underlying foundations of the couple’s marriage to be shaky, as hints of adulterous flirtation are made clear between the husband, played by Hudson Perry and another guest, Woman 2, performed by Nicola Awad. I really enjoyed seeing the wife, Woman 1, played by Jillian Keith shoot murderous glances at her friend Woman 2; her eyes and body language were perfected to show her hostile emotion. It would be easy to imagine that Keith created the phrase, “if looks could kill”. Her voice was sensational with a huge range to cater for the low to high notes in the songs Woman 2 had to sing. Keith gave a standout performance in all of her songs, but most of all during the song “Getting Married Today” (from Company) which required a rapid-fire fast pace of lyrics, and Keith delivered them with the sheer panic and terror of a reluctant bride-to-be.

Man 2, portrayed by Owen Roubeni, brought the sweet simplicity of longing for love into the group. Roubini’s voice was grounded in a wonderfully mellow tone and conveyed a calmness and earnestness in every song that he sang. He portrayed his character as the good friend everyone should have.

The audience never learns these characters’ names, and they are referred to in the program as Man 1, Man 2, Man 3, Girl 1 and Girl 2. It seems a strategic move to not name his characters, as Sondheim does not play favourites with his characters. All have an equal role in telling stories about the stages of relationships, from flirtations through to relationship highs and then the lows.

Zach Moses and Jonathan Zhang, co-musical directors, brought the freshness of the songs to life and with the band, successfully condensed the sounds of a traditional orchestra into a small person band without losing the grandeur. The band, Jonothan Zhang (keys), Emil Vinad (percussion), Yinfan Lin (Keys) and Rachel Glendenning (bass) were led by conductor Zhang and were situated to the right of the audience, giving the cast a clear accompaniment.

MUSE, the Sydney University Musical Ensemble, provided an entertaining and comedic night of music dedicated to Stephen Sondheim’s fans. Even if you were not familiar with any of Sondheim’s music, you would still enjoy this musical. It is a wonderful thing to see and support these Uni students in the Creative Arts field, and it was easy to see how much they enjoyed putting this musical on, altogether!

Putting It Together is showing at The Factory in the Fusebox. 105 Victoria Rd, Marrickville.
Season: June 3 – June 6 2026
Tickets:
www.factorytheatre.com.au/event/putting-it-together-by-stephen-sondheim

To book tickets to Putting It Together by Stephen Sondheim, please visit https://www.factorytheatre.com.au/event/putting-it-together-by-stephen-sondheim/.

Photographer: jack_k.photography

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A Look At Love Again In Neil Simon’s Play ‘Chapter Two’

31/05/202631/05/2026 Linda Lokhee🏆🥇🦉

Chapter Two Rating

★★★★★

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Chapter One of your life – if you are lucky, you may date, find your ‘person’, your one true love and live happily ever after. But what happens if that person isn’t there anymore? Do you find another True Love? Do you deserve a second chance at love? “chapter two”, written by Neil Simon and directed by Moja Band, is a fast-paced play exploring the human depth of emotional self-introspection.

Neil Simon is widely regarded as one of the most successful playwrights by his audience and peers. Over his career, he wrote more than 30 stage plays, many of which were adapted into major motion pictures – a rare achievement that highlights his influence on both theatre and film. Simon’s work earned him significant critical respect, reflected in his record for the highest combined number of Oscar and Tony nominations received by any writer in show business history. Having written comedies such as the well-known plays The Odd Couple and Biloxi Blues, I was looking forward to seeing the Hunter’s Hill Theatre’s production of “chapter two”.

When grieving widower George (Daniel Ferris) returns from an overseas trip that was meant to be healing following the loss of his beloved wife Barbara, his brother Leo (Simon Pearce) sets him up with Jennie (Laura Stead) who had gone through and come out the other side of a divorce. Though at first reluctant to return to dating, George relents and picks up the phone to call Jennie. What follows is a surprisingly strong connection between the two characters and they agree to meet that day in George’s apartment. A whirlwind romance blossoms during the first act leading to an unexpected (from the audience’s point of view) engagement after only knowing each other two weeks. Treated to the witty dialogue with the trademark one liner sharp comedic lines of Neil Simon, carried off with just the right amount of nuance and confidence by the two lead characters, I was hooked and asking myself, “where does it go from here?”.

Meanwhile, Jennie’s best friend Faye (Margareta Moir), a brassy actress unhappy in her loveless marriage, longs for attention and affection. Moir highlights Faye’s dramatic lunge into what she hopes will be a cloak and dagger affair with George’s brother Leo, a busy press agent. Pearce leans fully into the role of Leo, a smooth-talking philanderer (and proud of it!) and both he and Moir together deliver the lighter comedic scenes in contrast to some of the more complex themes his younger brother and Jennie are experiencing.

The second act sets out to explore some of these emotionally conflicting themes as George deals with his unresolved immense guilt about moving forward with his life with Jennie. I felt the weight of these heavy scenes as the actors encompass their characters.

Only two months ago, Ferris co-directed The Heartbreak Choir with Pymble Players, which I saw and loved. He quickly switched hats from director to actor onstage, with an outstanding performance playing all the complicated highs and lows of George. “chapter two” was semi-autobiographical, echoing similarities of Neil Simon’s life. Like his character, Simon was already a successful writer when his wife of twenty years passed away from cancer. He met and married his second wife just three months after she died. Drawing from his own guilt and subsequent pulling away from his second wife in the months shortly after their marriage, it is no wonder the dialogue felt so real and raw.

Jennie is left with the emotional fallout of George’s unhappiness during their honeymoon and on the return to their apartment. Stead’s performance led me to be cheering for her character to have a happy life as when we first met Jennie, she was bright, a real sweetheart and full of life. There were plants all around her apartment and from the first telephone conversation, Jennie’s optimism and sweetness was apparent. In the second act, Jennie stood up to George when he was saying some hurtful things to her, and the strength in these scenes showed us that she would fight for George because she loved him, and that she had the confidence to not be a replacement wife but be loved for who she is.

Stead delivers a commanding performance as Jennie, capturing her fierce independence, yet also her raw vulnerability. I had seen Stead some time ago performing the lead role in Hunters Hill Theatre’s “The Ballad of Maria Marten” and I remember that I was impressed by her acting then. It is to her credit that I didn’t recognise she was the same actress until I read her bio in the program, as that character was so different from the current character she was portraying; a testament to Stead’s acting.

The stage was divided into half, with each representing George and Jennie’s apartments. The lighting design by Antony Read worked well, using different types of light and strengths to highlight each. The sound design by Peter Tucker brought out the emotional moments in the play, with songs from the 1950’s lyrics delivering subtle messages to the audience. Well done to the lighting and sound operators Wayne Chee and Oliver Davies on the night I attended the play.

“chapter two” is a witty and emotionally raw masterpiece. Book your tickets to see Hunters Hill Theatre’s performance of this deeply moving play, which invites audiences to witness a story of self-reflection after tragedy and the courageous pursuit of true happiness, the second time around.

Season: 29 May 2026 – 21 June 2026
Running Time: Approx 2 hours with a 15 minute intermission
Club Ryde Ex. 728 Victoria Road, Ryde.
Tickets: www.huntershilltheatre.com.au

To book tickets to Chapter Two, please visit https://www.huntershilltheatre.com.au/.

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Come you Spirits’ Romeo and Juliet: Immersive and Impressive

24/05/202624/05/2026 Linda Lokhee🏆🥇🦉

Romeo & Juliet Rating

★★★★★

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Romeo and Juliet. Two starry-eyed lovers whose story ends in tragedy. This iconic and universally known play has been performed globally for centuries. The Shakespearean theatre group Come you Spirits’ performance of Romeo and Juliet onstage at the Darling Quarter Theatre, directed by Charles Mayer and Jo Mayer, was immersive.

Through the very first inclusion of the gentle tapping of a suspended gong by Charles Mayer, and the deep, beautiful sustained vibrational tones that Jo Mayer produced on the crystal singing bowl, the audience was introduced into the world of Shakespeare in a truly magical and harmonious way.

Romeo, played by Ciarán O’Riordan and Charlotte Edwards as Juliet performed the title roles. Both actors conveyed their characters’ young love with an earnestness and innocence, and in the second act, with the desperation and anguish that the characters needed. Who wouldn’t swoon with Romeo’s line, “Heaven is here, where Juliet lives.” O’Riordan aptly portrays Romeo’s intensity of his emotions, aligning Juliet with celestial skies, and taken alone without context of the whole quote, it is one romantic quote!

Edward’s delivery of one of my favourite lines was perfection –
“My only love sprung from my only hate,
Too early seen unknown, and known too late!
Prodigious birth of love is it to me
That I must love a loathed enemy.”

In one scene, Edwards was riveting as she faced the heartbreaking choice of following her father’s wishes of Juliet marrying a man he had chosen that she did not love, or face an uncertain future. Lord Capulet, played with a fierceness by Charles Mayer, had a cold stage presence which demanded obedience, or Juliet would be disowned and thrown out onto the street to survive on her own. This scene was particularly strong, and clearly conveyed as the turning point for Juliet’s future plans.

Mayer also played The Friar, the gentle well-meaning clergyman who secretly marries Romeo and Juliet in the hopes of bringing the two feuding families together, as well as being pivotal in providing the potion to Juliet. The two characters’ different personalities showcased Mayer’s acting talent.

Jo Mayer took on dual roles as Juliet’s Nurse and Tybalt. Her depiction of The Nurse was warm and nurturing, serving as a trusted confidante to Juliet. In stark contrast, Mayer brought great energy and passion to her portrayal of Tybalt, capturing their fiery temperament.

David Halgren accurately portrayed Mercutio as the lovable rogue that his character is. He captured the boisterous charm and brought a fiery zest to Mercutio, clearly shining and delivering the bawdy humour directly to the audience. His untimely demise, with the famous lines –
“A plague o’ both your houses.
They have made worms’ meat of me.”
was hard hitting and led to a chain of events that shaped Romeo’s future.

All actors’ accents and, in my opinion, difficult cadence of the Shakespearean language was performed with flawless professionalism throughout the play.

Another original touch to Come you Spirits Romeo and Juliet was the setting. Verona was set in the barren post-apocalyptic land. The characters wore bandanas and gaitors to cover the lower parts of their faces, in part to disguise who they were and to protect themselves from the tumbling dust from sandstorms and brown leaves strewn around the stage. Lighting and sound played a large part in this play, with spotlights, sirens and announcements from the unseen higher hierarchy that alluded to a chaotic environment.

Lighting Design was by Adam Applebaum and the mood he created set the play’s authenticity to bringing our attention to where he wanted us to be.

Kudos to Brandon Read, who composed and performed original music for Romeo and Juliet. Together with his sound design, it completed this magical play. The audience heard Gregorian Chanting, and Read composed the tracks to Solfreggio frequencies, which throughout the show, aligned with our seven chakras.

This was a truly original experience, different to any Romeo and Juliet play I had previously seen. The characters’ movement around the theatre, into the area where we were, and talking to the audience gathered us all together. Shakespeare would have been impressed seeing this interpretation of Romeo and Juliet through Come you Spirits eyes. And he would have left feeling peaceful and fulfilled, at a night witnessing a tale of comedy and tragedy, ending with a grounding and beautiful meditation of gratitude to people and nature. This is a gorgeous production of Romeo and Juliet, do not miss seeing this and being taken away into the world of Shakespeare.

Romeo and Juliet is showing at Darling Quarter Theatre 20 – 22 May 2026 and at the Concourse Theatre Chatswood 28-30 May 2026
Tickets: www.comeyouspirits.com/in-sydney
Running time: 2 hours with a 15 minute interval

To book tickets to Romeo & Juliet, please visit https://www.darlingquartertheatre.com.au/event/come-you-spirits-romeo-and-juliet/.

Photographer: Syl Marie Photography

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Raw and Feral – Rachael Sue Ragland at The Factory

04/05/202604/05/2026 Linda Lokhee🏆🥇🦉

Feral Rating

★★★★★

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Rachael Sue Ragland is a self-confessed Feral. That’s what she has named her stand-up comedy show. Depending on your definition of the word, she may well be, and that’s a compliment. It’s used to describe someone wild and fierce. After seeing her performance at The Factory in Marrickville Sydney, I would agree with Rachael, and add the words “untamed” and “authentic” to round out the honesty of her show.

Ragland’s shared storytelling of some deeply personal health issues was delivered in a way that allowed the audience to collectively bond together. Her recount of a certain wholistic physiotherapist had everyone voicing their indignation, and with the timing of a good comedian, her next sentence had us laughing. The push and pull switch was done seamlessly.

This was not the first time her experiences with health professionals had us groaning at the unfiltered and unprofessional things that had been said to her on life’s path. The stories were not for sympathy grabbing, more of a recalling and sharing of her life’s journey, and her responses to those rude people that had me cheering for her.

Ragland was unafraid to highlight physical attributions about her own body. Performing her set in a bikini under lights, in front of an audience takes some confidence indeed. She embraced her natural attributes in a way that was very admirable. In her own words, she referred to her ‘thick thighs’, her ‘oak tree legs’ on multiple occasions. But instead of lamenting on them, she told the audience how she turned her thighs to her advantage, making them star in their own show!

Originally from the United States, Ragland told stories about living in Australia. Of course, beach volleyball and sweaty sandy backs featured which was relatable to her audience members. She told us that being the only girl in a predominately male family made her competitive. Quite a few times, she shared golden nuggets of advice from her father, Tom Ragland.

When attending a comedy show, it’s a gamble to sit in the front row. Some comedians mercilessly pick on people in the front row. Ragland went gently on them! She did involve her audience by asking us to close our eyes as she recounted a dream. She even gave out Squishy Mallows to the audience to hug, to set the scene of gently falling asleep, a sweet gesture.

There were moments of clever wordplay – “clench my clam” – and visual pictures painted for the audience. After her show, I can still see this flame red, long haired beauty in a hospital bed, with a shaved head and three cornrows close to the head, and it makes me smile.

Rachael was part of Sydney’s biggest annual event, the Sydney Comedy Festival which runs from early April to mid-May. She is not the usual punchline joke telling comedian. Instead, Rachael took us back to her childhood, her sporting life, to her doctor’s appointments and beyond, and invited the audience warmly in, to sit there with her. There is a vulnerability shown that is uncovered during her time onstage, it is all Rachael Sue Ragland, bare and fierce. Proudly Feral.

Rachael Sue Ragland – Feral
Saturday 2 May 2026
Performance time: approximately 70 minutes
The Matchbox at The Factory
107 Victoria Road, Marrickville
The Sydney Comedy Festival 2026

To book tickets to Feral, please visit https://www.sydneycomedyfest.com.au/event/rachael-ragland-feral/.

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