The Christmas Spectacular tour has officially begun with its season debut at Crown’s Palms Theatre in Melbourne. The glitzy extravaganza features magic, circus art, showgirl acts, and performances of universally adored Christmas songs.
The shining star of the night was host and principal singer Prinnie Stevens. Gracing the stage after rising to fame on Season One of The Voice Australia, Stevens radiated confidence and charm all evening long. Highlights of her vocal showcase included Mariah Carey’s hits ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You” and “Joy to the World”.
Illusionist Michael Boyd performed spectacular shows of magic that proved mind-blowing for viewers of all ages. The former Australia’s Got Talent Finalist showcased brilliance as a magician and semi-host of the night with his captivating stage personality and interactive stunts.
Circus artist Aleisha Manion showcased gravity-defying stunts without fault. Her executions were polished, smooth, and perfectly timed between showcases of dance and song to maintain audience excitement.
Glamorous costuming took full effect and enhanced the performances of Showgirls and male dancers. The vast array of dance styles and stage-wear complimented the talent and sharp work of all performers.
The momentum of the show, however, was interrupted by the incorporation of several slow ballad songs, which halted the ‘extravaganza’ theme of the night. Similarly, the frequent use of backing tracks with automated singing flattened the polish of the evening, and a pre-recorded speech during Santa’s appearance gave the finale an awkward feel.
Overall, the debut of the 2024 Christmas Spectacular was a success, with the cast and crew delivering a dazzling evening as intended. The spectacle held the attention of even the youngest crowd members from start to finish by showcasing short bursts of entertainment. At 90 minutes long, it makes for a perfect snapshot of Christmas-themed excitement for all ages. The show is now on the road heading for Canberra, followed by stops in Brisbane and Adelaide before concluding in Sydney.
To book tickets to The Christmas Spectacular, please visit https://thechristmasspectacular.com.au/
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.
Clare Mendes’ current play “Skating In the Clouds”, directed by Emily Farrell, brings her passion for saving the environment to the fore but also shows her passion for people and relationships. Two years in the making, with assistance from a Malcolm Robertson grant, Mendes explores the responses we make, as individuals, as generations and as a society to that big topic, climate change.
I say “we” because, through the actors on stage, we see ourselves represented. Summer and Autumn, in solid performances by Katrina Mathers and Rebecca Morton, are like two sides of a coin. Together, they are facing a world that is changing, but they have opposing coping mechanisms. Autumn, a scientist, wants to fix it but despairs at her inability to get to the root cause. Summer would rather hide in her daydreams, imagining a perfect future unaffected by such changes, yet the truth hits her in small moments every day. How will they navigate the future together? Can they reconcile their differences?
The play makes more sense when viewed as a morality play, with the symbolically-named Summer and Autumn together being our Every(wo)man (or Every person). Described as a “magic-realist romp”, there is a disconnect from a specific time and place. The beautifully simple set by Bianca Pardo is timeless, and despite Melbourne’s locations being mentioned, we imagine it to be in the clouds. Whilst we are told that our ladies are turning 70 in 2040, we don’t feel like we are fully in 2024 either. Props are oversized. It’s all very dreamy.
Performers El Kiley and Shamita Sivabalan ably support the action with youthful energy in scenes that punctuate the main storyline. Their physical embodiment of various characters reveal different societal responses to the climate crisis: politicians, journalists and rich corporate workers as examples.
For me, the highlight of the play was the confrontation scene between Mathers’ Summer, and Sivabalan, playing Summer’s daughter, Toby. After the discussion of ideas that dominate Summer and Autumn’s conflict in the previous scenes, we finally see raw emotions we can relate to. Summer has to face her fears for her daughter and mourns the simplicity of life when she was young; she wonders how we got into this mess that includes the overproduction of disposables. Toby believes herself and her generation innocent and rages against the undeserved burden, directing it at her mother. But the argument is pointless. The problem remains and mother and daughter must find hope for the future by finding small ways they can contribute to change. The passion in this scene has stayed with me, both its rage and its hope, and is a testament to the writing and the performances of the actors.
The lighting design by Natalia Velasco Moreno and the sound design by Sharyn Brand supported the action effectively but, along with all the creative team including set/costume, actors and movement (Lucy Payne) I would have liked to have seen more of their stamp on the whole production. The amount of talent in the creative team is immense, and the “magic-realism” element could have been leaned into even more, allowing the story and its deeper emotional meanings to unfold in the spaces between the words.
“Skating in the Clouds” is on at Theatreworks, Acland St, St Kilda, until Saturday, December 14th.
Comedy On The Rocks is the perfect way to spend a few hours for an afternoon of laughs, creativity, and cheeky fun. Held at the delightfully chaotic and cosy Motley Bauhaus, this theatrical drinking game combines quick-witted performances, unpredictable plays, and communal cheers to deliver a boozy comedy experience unlike anything else on the Melbourne independent theatre scene.
The Format: Cheers to Surprise The premise is simple but ingenious: six short comedy plays, each crafted by talented performers. Every play features three designated “Cheers!” moments that keep the audience on their toes: an action (like an actor jumping), a prop appearance (say, a trusty fry pan), and a line of dialogue (like “Speak of the devil!”). The result? Every time these cues appear, the audience raises their drinks, whoops and sips. It’s participatory theatre at its most playful.
What makes Comedy On The Rocks particularly special is its spontaneity. With a rotating cast and new material for each show, all performances are different. You genuinely don’t know what’s coming next – which, let’s be honest, is half the fun.
The Show: Inventive, Funny, and Just a Bit Tipsy The short plays showcased a variety of comedic styles, from quick banter to absurd gags, proving the creativity of Melbourne’s emerging theatre scene. While the sketches varied in tone and execution, the overall vibe was fresh, inventive, and energetic. Of particular note were the performances by the show’s organisers and hosts, Cat and Caz, whose impeccable comic timing and natural chemistry made their sketch one of the day’s highlights.
The tight runtime – about two hours, including a 20-minute interval – is perfect for keeping the energy high and the drinks flowing without overdoing it. Whether you’re a casual theatre-goer or a comedy lover, the unpredictability ensures something for everyone.
The Venue: Motley Bauhaus – Tight but Delightful The Motley Bauhaus adds its own charm to the experience. Sure, the theatre seating can feel a little snug, but the atmosphere more than makes up for it. The bar buzzes with pre-show excitement, and the live jazz band playing outside post-performance adds a delightful bonus, creating an authentic festival vibe.
For those who enjoy supporting local and independent talent, Comedy On The Rocks feels like a celebration of the best Melbourne has to offer: creativity, camaraderie, and a generous side of fun.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Miss It The final show on 15th December promises another lineup of fresh, unpredictable sketches. If Cat and Caz have anything to do with it, you’re guaranteed a good time. Grab your mates, grab a drink, and get ready to cheer your way through a fast, funny, and delightfully silly afternoon of theatre.
In short, Comedy On The Rocks is fun. It’s creative, surprising, and refreshingly unpretentious. Whether you’re a sketch comedy or theatre fan or simply looking for a boozy afternoon out, this show delivers in spades. Cheers to that!
Details: What: Comedy On The Rocks – A Theatre Drinking Game Where: Motley Bauhaus When: Final show on 15th December Drinks: From 3PM Performances: 3:30PM–5:30PM (20-min interval) Tickets: Includes a mystery prize raffle!
Take your chance to sip, shout, and laugh one last time.
Photographer:- Ian Thrussel
To book tickets to Comedy On The Rocks, please visit The Motley Bauhaus.
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 Ninth Tone is the latest offering from Speak Percussion, an established Melbourne-based “internationally recognised leader in the fields of experimental and contemporary classical music”. Presented on Sunday, December 1, 2024, at the Museum of Chinese Australian History, the hour-long performance was conceived and composed by Jasmin Wing Yin Leung. This work uses a non-traditional approach to music to explore the 200-year history of Chinese music in Australia. It is a “speculation” and invites a questioning of past, present and future.
Whilst devised through thorough research of performances and practices of Chinese music in Australia, it is not necessary for the listener to have a previous interest in this. What is more important is the ability to sit with the unknown and be curious, similar to the openness needed when viewing modern abstract art.
You will not hear traditional melodies, only a tiny fragment, and the instruments are not used traditionally but adapted to sometimes non-musical details extracted from historical research. For example, the guzheng, usually plucked, is bowed for most of the performance, and its strings are de-tuned to match the dimensions of a tent that was used for Cantonese opera performances in Clinkers Hill, Castlemaine, in the 1850s.
I found the whole experience mesmerising as soon as I entered the performance space, which was dimly lit by a few round red paper lanterns. Set in the round, the variety of instruments on display whet the appetite visually – two sizes of guzheng for Mindy Meng Wang; a woodblock and a collection of small gongs and snares for Kaylie Melville; an erhu, yehu and laptop for Leung the composer; a laptop, a number of transistor radios, a vintage gramophone and an old record player (complete with 78rpm records in shellac and vinyl) for Sally Ann McIntyre who was also a key artistic collaborator.
I had a peek at the scores which were indecipherable to me – no usual 5-line staves or notes, just long horizontal lines divided by small circles, some 3 digit numbers (radio frequencies?), curved lines and performer names at their cues.
From silence, the performance opens with McIntyre setting up a pad of static hiss generated by the gradual activation of each transistor radio and record players. These are recorded and amplified through a microphone wired to the performer’s wrist. The sounds are manipulated through a laptop using Ableton’s looping capabilities. A pre-recorded faint 3 note melodic motif is heard and repeats sparsely, but the soundscape is dominated by layers of static. This fragment is later developed into a duet with the live erhu player, Leung, but for now, it remains a faint bell-like relief from the static.
The texture builds with the addition of sustained bowed notes from the guzheng and yehu (or erhu, I am not sure) and even a bowed gong. I am reminded of some filmic mood music and remain tantalised by the gradual addition of layers of sound and watch closely at all players to see if I can work out its origin – electronic or acoustic, looped from a previous recording or from the current sonic offerings generated in the here and now.
Kaylie Melville, co-director of Speak Percussion, provides the backbone of the highest point of the work with an intense, insistent drum roll on the woodblock, which breaks the dominance of tonal drones and static pads. Different percussive timbres are explored, but eventually, the long tones re-emerge, and the even patter of the woodblock subsides into yet another sustain.
Kudos should be given to Rohan Goldsmith’s sound engineering for sound clarity in the performance space. Also, Giovanna Yate Gonzalez’s very effective lighting design underlined the mood changes between sections.
The performance was effectively closed in a mirror of its opening, with a gradual dimming of light and sound, the thinning of texture, and finally the switching off, one by one of the transistor radios until there was silence and darkness.
I enjoyed this performance of The Ninth Tone: Speculations of Chinese Australian Sonic History (produced by Chelsea Byrne for Speak Percussion). You don’t have to have any prior knowledge of Chinese music or history to appreciate this experimental work, which explores an approach to history’s offerings, recorded and imagined, and its effect on the present and future. But you do have to suspend any expectation of traditional music and join in the “speculation”.
Look for future performances of this exciting work and other works by Speak Percussion on their website, https://www.speakpercussion.com.
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.
