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The Pirates of Penzance

28 March 2025 Paige Jenkins

The Pirates of Penzance Rating

★★★★★

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Hayes Theatre Co has made their way to the Wollongong stage at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, with a fresh and flamboyant flair to Gilbert and Sullivan’s seminal classic of The Pirates of Penzance (or The Slave of Duty).

Usually, a cast of around 40 actors, this delightful production decided to challenge their performers by asking the five of them to play the entire ensemble. This feat could very easily have become confusing and overwhelming for both the actors and the audience, but this cast made the stage their own and gave it their all to create a fast-paced and dynamic performance with seamless or in Billie Palin’s case, intentionally comedic on-stage quick-changes.

The use of the piano was very well done, becoming a change-room, a monologue-worthy soap box, and an off-stage curtain, all while pouring out beautiful scores. That piano is arguably the sixth and most dynamic cast member. Whilst a few of the cast members played it during the 2-hour performance, it is the dedication and consistency of Trevor Jones that should be commended as he somehow managed to continue playing whilst being carted around and changing costume in the blink of an eye, and have the audience in stitches with his lyric changes and commendable diction and pace during ‘I Am the Very Model’.

It’s a personal favourite when a performance becomes an immersive experience like this one, and I adore it when the theatre staff take the theme in stride as the IPAC has done. From small costume additions to the ushers to a special cocktail for the event, in addition to on-stage seating and audience-actor interactions, The Pirates of Penzance had it all. Some of the audience members really stole the show during their five minutes of fame and it just made for a beautiful and joyful experience.

Amid some technical difficulties, the cast remained cool and level-headed. Aside from one hiccup, where the audience stepped in to maintain morale and keep the energy high, the cast didn’t miss a beat.

The vocals and dynamic accent work of Brittanie Shipway was absolutely breathtaking. Her operatic range and ability to stay in and switch between such polarising opposite characters is just incredible. She brought the “wow” factor times ten, which is especially hard to maintain when you’re onstage for all but a few moments of a show of this length. In the company of a big name like Jay Laga’aia who exudes passion and charisma, and is just such a treat to watch, Shipway made certain that she was not to be forgotten.

Maxwell Simon was everything that Fredric should be. His voice had such power and his portrayal of a naïve but determined to be self-assured boy was utterly hilarious. His physical comedy was just brilliant, capturing the attention of the audience whether he was in the spotlight or not.

The Pirates of Penzance is the perfect show to watch to end the week, so make sure to grab yourself a ticket before they sail away from Wollongong by heading to the Merrigong Theatre Company’s website for the remaining shows this weekend!

To book tickets to The Pirates of Penzance, please visit https://merrigong.com.au/shows/the-pirates-of-penzance/.

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.

Paige Jenkins

Summer of the Seventeenth Doll

23 February 2025 Paige Jenkins

Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Rating

★★★★★

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Ray Lawler’s play Summer of the Seventeenth Doll is a cornerstone of Australian theatre. Directed by Tom Richards, the Arts Theatre Cronulla cast put their hearts and backs into this iconic story. The passion displayed onstage and the clear camaraderie of the local audience helped transport the room back to 1953, to a time of labour and love.

As you enter the charming theatre, you first see the gorgeous set. The olive walls and the sixteen beautiful Kewpie dolls scattered around the stage gave the audience a time capsule-like snapshot of the nostalgic and cosy 1950s Melbourne living room. The meticulous attention to detail simultaneously hinted at and highlighted both the charm and decay of the characters’ lives. The set became more than just a backdrop; it was a living, breathing part of the story—the eighth character, if you will.

Among the performances, Pearl, played by Rachel Lauren Baker, was the stand-out. Despite playing the group’s outsider, Baker’s portrayal of the outwardly strait-laced, respectable widow was captivating and made it difficult to look elsewhere when she took to the stage. Her performance unified the cast, drawing out stronger moments from the others and holding tight to the emotional core of Lawler’s work ensured that the play’s over-arching themes resonated with the audience. Pearl’s realist view of the layoff balances the over-excitement of Ally O’Brien’s Olive. The pair were cataclysmic and jarring: a blunt realist who tends to lean more on the pessimistic side and an idealist stuck in the past. The dynamic felt authentic, and the pair played off each other with admirable ease.

Peter David Allison was everything Barney was meant to be: a sloppy but loveable oaf with a wicked sense of humour. His energy was unmatched, forcing laughter from even the most stoic of audience members. Barney’s commanding presence was softened by his unassuming charm, particularly when it came to Bubba or Emma, played by Eliza Spowart and Narelle Jaeger, respectively.

The integrity of the story and the authenticity of the era shone through the costumes and the music that added texture and invaluable personality to the performance. A huge shout-out to Lesley Tinker who oversaw props and wardrobe, they were stunning.

Despite moments where the dialogue felt a little rushed, making it hard to follow on occasion, it was no different to listening to a friend who gets a little over-excited and passionate about a unique interest, which added an endearing quality to the slight confusion.

Overall, this is not a play to miss. Whether you know the story or not, the Arts Theatre in Cronulla is the place to be for the next few weeks. Head to their website to book your tickets before it’s too late! The show closes on the 22nd of March. Performances are Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays 9 and 16 March at 2pm.

To book tickets to Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, please visit https://www.artstheatrecronulla.com.au/summeroftheseventeenthdoll

Photographer: Peter Gale – Graham West

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.

Paige Jenkins

Feared and Revered – The Women of Shakespeare

20 October 2024 Paige Jenkins

Feared and Revered – The Women of Shakespeare Rating

★★★★★

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‘Feared and Revered—the Women of Shakespeare’ at the Genesian Theatre amalgamates several of Shakespeare’s well-known characters, scenes, and plays with modern backdrops and ideologies. The play, written and directed by Tui Clark, transports its audience to a place where Shakespeare’s women are allowed to have complexities and contradictions all at once, other than the usual good/bad, married/unmarried dichotomies.

The Genesian Theatre itself added to the essence of performance. The beautiful stained-glass windows and intimate size made it easy to become part of the story, especially when actors would situate themselves in or around the audience for entrances or exits.

It was interesting to see how different soliloquies and passages were paired together to create a tapestry of womanhood and femininity of the past and present. I also loved the simplicity of the props and costuming. A tie or a feather boa was enough to symbolise a different character and the location in which these women found themselves together. I especially loved the technical elements that added to the themes of each scene. Layering voices that led into a beautiful delivery of ‘All the World’s a Stage’, from As You Like It to begin the show was a beautiful tie-in with the ‘stages’ of womanhood that followed.

The cast was an incredible collective of women who brought to life 30 women across Shakespeare’s collection of works. It was difficult at times to understand what was being said, but it made it feel more authentic, as a lot of Shakespearean language was completely made up. All audience members were in the same boat when it came to simply listening to the dialogue rather than taking in the context in which it was being said.

Some of the more famous monologues or characters were much easier to spot, but the lesser-known characters or plays had to be viewed in context. It’s important to remember that you’re not supposed to grasp the meaning behind each word spoken immediately, but the way the words are spoken and in which scenes they’re performed in.

Among the talented cast, Liz Grindley stood out with an exceptional stage presence and managed to capture the essence of Cleopatra (among others) in her final moments. The ease with which she moved around the stage and carried each woman in her words and body made it difficult to look away from her, even when she was not speaking.

Charlotte Bromley gave her all to each character, whether the provocative Witch from Macbeth or the hysterical and grieving Ophelia. Bromley captured the audience’s attention and gave them a performance that transcended language.

The closing monologue from Taming of the Shrew, performed by Ali Bendall, was delivered with such reverence and emotion that I had to immediately go and search it up just to read it again. Despite obviously being written by Shakespeare several hundred years ago, Bendall made it her own. In those few moments, I was completely in awe of what was coming out, and you could have told me that she wrote it herself or went off script to say what she was thinking, and I would have believed you.

I recommend grabbing a ticket for yourself and some friends and family to see this beautiful performance before the curtain closes. Even if you don’t know a lot of Shakespeare, these women bring their own elements to the timeless dialogue that draws you in and captivates.

Don’t miss out on these remaining performances – Wednesday, 23rd, and Thursday, 24th October at 7:30pm and Saturday, October 26th, at 2:30pm.

Grab your tickets from https://GENESIAN.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/138915

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.

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The Queens Nanny

19 October 2024 Paige Jenkins

The Queens Nanny Rating

★★★★★

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‘The Queen’s Nanny’ opened in Wollongong on the 16th of October at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre. Fresh from their world premiere season at Sydney’s Ensemble Theatre, ‘The Queen’s Nanny’ is a funny yet poignant story of Marion Crawford, or ‘Crawfie’ who (as the play’s title suggests) was the nanny or governess to Princesses Lilibet and Margaret Rose throughout the 20th century.

Written by Melanie Tait as “a story of class and colonialism” and directed by Priscilla Jackman, ’The Queen’s Nanny’ takes you through the spectrum of emotions. Jackman called the play “fun, artistically lyrical, provocative and playful.” I’d like to add that it is generally brilliant and creatively captivating.

Timed to perfection technical elements, unique use of the stage, minimal props and costume items to differentiate between characters or display how they’ve aged declined, or simply just changed added charm and class to the performance.

Tom Stokes was absolutely incredible. In a league of his own, his ability to transform seamlessly into each of the seven characters he portrayed in 90 minutes with limited breaks was captivating. His mannerisms and perfected accents dazzled the audience, holding their attention while somehow still allowing this to be someone else’s story.

Elizabeth Blackmore’s embodiment of Crawfie left little to be desired. Exploring every aspect of her 16 years with the royal family, and the following decades until her passing in 1988, Blackmore brought the audience into the very heart and soul of the character.

The emotions surrounding the trinkets and memories stored in her carpet bag, even after her employment ended, were suffocatingly genuine. It’s rare that anyone outside of the shared experience will understand the weight of the emotional value of letters, ticket stubs, a particular coin, etc., especially if there’s potentially a financial value to those items, and yet both Blackmore and Stokes captured that dynamic perfectly.

That’s not to forget the performance of Emma Palmer as the Queen Mother. It’s not easy to play a character with such polarity and complexity. Nor is it easy to capture the way responsibilities and internal torment can weigh on a person over time, but Emma Palmer managed to do just that. Initially a breath of fresh air and a beautiful comic, the Queen Mother began and ended as two very different people, as people in the public eye tend to do. As I said, it’s not easy to do, but I think somebody forgot to tell that to Emma Palmer.

Don’t miss this incredible show and group of exceptionally talented creatives. Tickets are available for the final few shows in Wollongong on the Merrigong website.

Book your tickets @ https://merrigong.com.au/shows/the-queens-nanny/

Photographer: Phil Erbacher

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.

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