Set against the stark backdrop of a bleak Scottish winter, “Falling into Place” invites viewers into a world where two lost souls briefly collide in a bar, igniting a day filled with fleeting joy and profound connection. Directed and written by Aylin Tenzel, who also stars as the film’s emotionally troubled protagonist, the narrative explores the depths of despair and the search for solace in unexpected places.
Tenzel’s character is an artist grappling with the aftermath of a painful breakup, her self-worth at an all-time low. She isolates herself from her family, terrified that revealing her struggles will expose her vulnerabilities. Tenzel embodies this emotional turmoil with a raw honesty that resonates deeply, showcasing her talent as an actress and storyteller.
Opposite her is Chris Fulton, known for his roles in “Outlander” and “Bridgerton,” who plays a man equally enshrouded in grief. His character battles the aftermath of his sister’s suicide attempts and a relationship that has long since soured. Together, Tenzel and Fulton create an intense chemistry that pulses through the film, offering a glimpse of hope amidst their mutual pain. Their connection is not one of idealized romance but rather a bond forged in shared suffering—a recognition of their own self-destructive tendencies.
What sets “Falling into Place” apart is its unflinching portrayal of mental health issues. The film does not shy away from presenting its protagonists in an unflattering light; rather, it embraces their flaws and struggles, allowing audiences to empathize with their journeys. This authenticity is refreshing in a genre often dominated by idealized relationships.
While the film’s pacing may feel slow at times, the emotional weight it carries makes the eventual payoff worthwhile. Tenzel’s directorial debut is a powerful commentary on the healing power of shared experiences, making it a must-watch for those who appreciate intimate, character-driven storytelling.
The British Film Festival 2024 runs from Nov – Dec 8.
Firstly, ‘Sweet Charity’ is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by the legendary Bob Fosse and based on the screenplay for the 1957 Italian film Nights of Cabiria. A show so rich in big name history is no easy feat to pull off and the team at the Mountain District Musical Society currently playing the show at Karralyka Theatre in Ringwood have done an outstanding job.
‘Charity Hope Valentine’ is a taxi dancer, a dance partner-for-hire at a seedy dance hall in New York City. Though the job may be decidedly undesirable, Charity’s hopeful romanticism and unfailing optimism lift her out of her circumstances and help her reach for a life beyond. In the past, she’s been strung along and hung out to dry by a series of bad relationships and lousier men. When she meets Oscar, a neurotic, shy actuary seemingly from another world, will she finally find true love at last?
With a laugh-a-minute script by the incomparable, the audience is destined to fall in love with Charity’s limitless spirit, as she lives life “hopefully ever after.” This exuberant, groovy, hilarious musical comedy includes hits such as Big Spender, If My Friends Could See Me Now, I’m a Brass Band and Baby, Dream Your Dream.
So, having read and seen many a Sweet Charity production before, my expectations are quite high. The “just want to be loved” leading lady Charity is bright and bubbly as played by Madeleine Magetti with an excellent authentic accent from New York. According to the program, this is her dream role, and what a role; this show is all Charity! Madeleine brought to the main character a sense of longing for the audience to feel for her situation, and laughter of course, but we also knew that Charity was seeking even more than love; for acceptance of who she is and the future she dreams of.
‘Oscar’ played by Leigh Roncon was just sooooo much fun, what a talent in comedy! The elevator scene cannot be beaten with claustrophobic Oscar and the upbeat positive Charity trying to hold him together and not panic; it’s professional quality from both of them in this extensive scripting.
There’s LOTS of dancing in the show and LOTS of great musical numbers, the orchestra is a simply amazing; one of the best I’ve heard in an amateur production for sure.
‘Big Spender’ always packs a punch and that theme (that is impossible not to like) is played throughout the show – I loved watching all the girls act it up in their own personality, all of them different but giving the same story to their men visitors “open for business” LOL.
My favourite group rendition was definitely ‘Rhythm of Life’ with Daddy Brubeck played by Jason Sainsbury-King taking over the stage with his band of new age church hippies under the bridge. If you grew up in the 60s you’re going to tap your feet, sing along and enjoy everything about this and the spot-on costuming, full of flower power; I didn’t want it to end!
A standout solo for me was sung by Vittorio played by Julian Campobasso with ‘Too Many Tomorrows’ and the Beehive & Blonde duet ‘Baby Dream Your Dream’ by Nickie and Helene, played by Nicole Kapiniaris-Anson and Hayley Wooten, was only one part of a show filled with their incredible talents as Charity’s two best friends in the dance hall.
The dance hall scenes are great by all the cast and the ensemble too in this show got plenty of shine time, especially in ‘I love to cry at Weddings’ where I think they were able to ad lib and did such a good job.
Bonus points on clever use of the set, the fountain lake, the big window in the apartment and the props and clothes with the line “hide in the wardrobe” – I couldn’t even tell Charity was there in plain sight as she disappeared into the rack.
The supporting cast bounced well off each other. Both my friend and I felt the enthusiasm and love between them all on stage, and the way in which everyone makes up the finale bows was a fabulous finish with tons of applause for all:
Herman: Michael Gibson Ursula: Ella Miatke Carmen: Ellen Lane Rosie: Jessica Clark Suzanne: Amber Orchard Betsy: Gaynor Borlase Frenchy: Stephanie Vienet Elaine: Jade Bishop Alice: Olivia Poggi
Ensemble: Katherine Gloss, Samara Trimble, Ainsley Thomson, Steve Atkinson, Talwyn Gibson, Mark Curran, Nick Toovey, Kyah Pritchard.
Congratulations to Director/Choreographer Di Morgan, Musical Director Vicki Quinn and your production team. We loved it – a happy night out with a bestie who also loves musical theatre.
The program is great, too. Give whoever put that together for this show a clap. Make sure you get one. I often think amateur theatre programs are better than professional ones. It has lots of information and pictures of everyone in the cast and creative team.
SWEET CHARITY is playing the rest of this weekend until their Sunday, 27 October matinee – ‘you should see it now’ and note in your diary Mary Poppins in June 2025: https://www.mdms.org.au/
Photo credit: Gavin Andrew
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.
From the visionary creator of The Fifth Element, Luc Besson comes the exhilarating action film Weekend in Taipei.
You don’t have to wait for long before the first action scene begins, 5 minutes in fact, where a brand new Ferrari takes you on a high-speed joyride through Taiwan’s capital, Taipei.
The film centers around a DEA agent, portrayed by Luke Evans, who is on a relentless mission to dismantle a formidable drug lord’s operation. Unbeknownst to him, this notorious criminal is married to his former love interest, adding an emotional layer to the narrative.
The plot takes viewers on a journey from the United States to Taiwan, where the reunion between the long-lost lovers sparks unresolved feelings and secrets. This rekindling of romance unveils a love triangle that complicates the agent’s mission, leading to a gripping confrontation between good and evil.
The combination of Luke Evans, known for his roles in Hollywood Blockbusters such as Clash of the Titans, a very likeable leading lady, played by Gwei Lun-mei, hailing from Taiwan, and ‘bad guy’, Sung Kang, who starred in the Fast & Furious franchise, makes for a strong cast.
Where the film lacks a strong story, it definitely overachieves in superbly choreographed fight scenes, with lots of humour thrown in. With the addition of a killer soundtrack, some gorgeous cinematography, and good duration, this film is perfect for an entertaining cinematic experience without the need for deep contemplation.
Weekend In Taipei will open in Australian cinemas in the coming weeks. Check your local cinemas for session details.
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 theatre collective PIGEONPIGEON showcased their play ‘FUTURE’ in the Melbourne Fringe Festival 2024. The original concept of taking different predictions about the future and turning them into a theatre production sparked my curiosity, and the hopeful tone of the synopsis intrigued me further.
I was disappointed by the incongruence of the synopsis and the show that I saw. It was very bleak. That’s not to say the show wasn’t without its strengths. I must give props to their use of props- giant jenga blocks and a large tome both full of predictions- were a couple of these that supported the show well. Some props were a little off-putting, such as a large notepad used to give prompts to their on stage “audience member”.
They built pace effectively to demonstrate a crescendo when reading through scripted predictions contained in a box, with the bits of paper left scattered around them. Following this an emotional monologue was delivered, where the very real, confronting, question many of us struggle to reconcile was raised- Is it fair on a child’s welfare to be brought into this world, when the climate crisis threatens their safety and wellbeing in ways we cannot yet even fathom. Unfortunately, the poorly synced text that was projected on the large screen behind them significantly detracted from the actor’s performance, and continued to irritate me throughout the entire show.
‘FUTURE’ felt structurally confused. I’d expected they would be dramatising different predictions on the future, instead it felt very bitsy with large chunks of the show entirely relying on audience participation. At the start of the show, they warned the audience about any loud sounds or bright lights to expect, painstakingly demonstrating the level of intensity that could be expected with each. This information was already provided in the ‘event warnings’ of the show summary. I’m sensitive to sound myself, but when I go to a play I expect my senses to be engaged and surprised throughout.
What I think was intended as a sensitive warning came across as pedantic coddling, delivered without any snappy energy to relieve the tension. It felt ironic, but I don’t think that was the intention. It provided an interesting subtext on the pervasive fog of anxiety Gen Z have grown up in, and the pendulum swing between action and inertia that often manifests. It would seem the entire framing and response is technology based, the cell phone is the gatekeeper, gateway, and fence. I wonder the level of awareness PIGEONPIGEON had on this, or if it was intrinsic.
A sore point for me was the en masse bagging of Taylor Swift from the cast and audience for her use of a private plane- is there really a practical alternative? As if she is the only carbon emitter on the planet, would she be so demonised if she wasn’t a powerful woman. Yet many far-left identifying people seem to have no issue fueling this hateful rhetoric. They might be surprised to know that her donations to various local UK foodbanks covered a years worth of meals for those organisations. I linger on this detail for two reasons- 1. It really frustrated me, and 2. It is emblematic of the show- a lot of negative commentary with little consideration for solutions.
I thought the “audience member” who came on stage had a certain charisma and levity that injected a bit of life into the show. Unfortunately, this impression waned as a function of the poor writing. The hope that was promised was hard to find. I think it was all strained into a bit about crabs that felt like it may have been inspired by The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy type absurdism, but rather missed the mark. Maybe if I was born 7 years later the show would have resonated with me more.
I did attend ‘FUTURE’ with another person who is of that generation who found the show stilted as I did; so, it’s not entirely a function of age as to whether the humour that was given was perceived as having landed or not. If you’re looking for some hope, I’d avoid ‘FUTURE’, unless you really like crabs and awkward jokes.
