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The Twelve Days of Christmas: Irish Theatre Players

8 December 2024 Poppy Rogers

The Twelve Days of Christmas Rating

★★★★★

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While pantomimes aren’t a well-known concept to some, they are a Christmas tradition for many families in the UK. It’s also the one-time audience participation in the theatre that is not only expected but encouraged. Oh no, it’s not, I hear you say. Well, oh yes, it is!

The Irish Theatre Players’ production of The Twelve Days of Christmas takes us to the enchanting village of Old Dimpley Bottom, where the Royal family are planning a grand Festive Ball to bring joy to all the villagers. To mark this splendid occasion, a giant advent calendar with 12 doors is constructed on the Village Green, with one door to be opened each day until Christmas.

However, the festive spirit is threatened when Wizbad, the wicked wizard (Adrian Mills), steals the keys to the advent calendar and scatters them across the globe. Aided by the good Fairy (Anna Sirotkina), the characters embark on an exhilarating race against time, travelling to the world, from South America to Ireland, in their quest to retrieve the missing keys.’

The set got everyone in the Christmas spirit and saw clever use of a single flat interchanged as the residents of Old Dimpley Bottom travelled far and wide in search of the keys to save Christmas. The stage lights would go down, and when they were lit again, we had been transported to a new exotic destination with singing, dancing (yes, of course, some of it Irish) and a range of well-considered props to confirm where we were.

The Twelve Days of Christmas is fun for the whole family. It has the right amount of innuendo to keep the adults laughing, but the kids especially will love it. The audience was clearly well versed in their role, with the expected booing, hissing, and ‘he’s behind you’ happening from the very start.

The cast embraced their roles and hammed it up. The traditional pantomime dame, Gertie Gusset (Peter O’Connor), was a crowd favourite, and relatable local council workers Stampit and Clampit (Nathan Holland and Amanda Walker) were appropriately annoying as they provided fines for inappropriate parking of a wheelbarrow and an announcement after the interval that given its Christmas, instead of wheel clamping audience members’ cars, they’d been nice and had them towed.

Having a reasonably large cast, often on stage at the one time, and with children making up half of the ensemble, things could become a bit of a mess but the action was well choreographed and made great use of the space available, sometimes extending out into the crowd.

The costumes were fabulous and plentiful, keeping some of the main characters’ outfits simple but adding accessories such as Queen Cupcake’s headband…you guessed it, a cupcake. Every different country travelled to in search of keys featured costumes to suit, from French berets to leprechaun outfits.

With Christmas less than three weeks away, what are you waiting for? Head down to The Irish Club of WA in Subiaco to get yourself in the Christmas spirit. There’s even a bar should you need some spirit of a different kind.

Performance Dates: December 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15
Thursday, Friday & Saturday’s at 7.30pm
Saturday & Sunday matinees at 1.30pm.
Book your tickets quickly here:- TAZ Tix.

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.

Poppy Rogers

Vegas In Concert: The Anthems Of Childhood.

1 December 2024 Emma Basc

Vegas in Concert Rating

★★★★★

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Vegas in Concert at the Astor Theatre promised an unforgettable journey through the decades of iconic performances for the seasoned Vegas veteran or those experiencing the magic for the first time. It did not disappoint! We laughed, we sang, we danced, and some cried, but everyone left with the biggest smiles. I’m pretty sure there will be some audience members with incredibly sore quads this morning who will be regretting the number of standing ovations they gave last night, they sure got their squats in! It was a great night filled with great music and awesome entertainers. I’m sure the sore quads are worth it.

First up, the MC Joe White. He had us all laughing (and then seriously questioning our moral character as we thought about what it was we were laughing at), but my goodness, was he funny. Either he is a very skilled comic who could roll with the unintended audience participation and wing it in a seamless way, or the audience plant was one of the best I’ve seen. I’m still wondering what it was he was going to tell us about his sister in the story that got interrupted!

The laughs didn’t end with the MC. All acts were consummate performers, giving so much more than just singing a couple of songs. The show opened with Vito Grillo as Neil Diamond, and he ended the set on a high note with Sweet Caroline getting the audience off and singing early. Next up, Anita Springs is paying tribute to Olivia Newton-John. There were a few audience members in my row dabbing away the tears as the video tribute to Newton-John was played, but the mood lifted quickly as the songs flowed and had the audience singing and bopping along. I do have to give a special mention to the backing singers. When Springs sang ‘Let’s Get Physical’ and started doing side stretches, the look on their faces as they gave the most pathetic attempt at a side stretch and then laughed with each other was priceless! Such good fun.

To end the first act, Greg Andrew took to the stage as Elton John in the most beautiful jacket and with a pretty amazing voice to match. By the time Andrew was finishing his set, the audience couldn’t contain themselves anymore, and they were trying to find spaces to get up and dance. The closest I came to hearing a complaint was, ‘I really wish there was a mosh pit so we had somewhere to really get up and have a dance’ (I probably would have gone with a dancefloor over a mosh pit, but same same).

Opening the second act was Anthony Mara as Billy Joel (who also had a very lovely jacket), and what a great way to get the audience back in the mood for more. So upbeat and lively. I had been a little disappointed thinking he wouldn’t play Piano Man as it would bring the vibe down, but I was wrong. It ended the set on a high. Jay Weston then played the music of Roy Orbison, and according to the whispers in the queue for the ladies’ toilets, he was an unexpected crowd favourite. When people think of Vegas, apparently Orbison doesn’t jump immediately to mind, but Weston did a brilliant job and made my mum’s night when he played her favourite song, Penny Arcade, which got everyone bopping along.

The show ended with Jack Gatto performing as Elvis. When you think of Vegas, you do think of Elvis, and the audience was not disappointed. We were up, dancing in the aisles, singing, and having a brilliant night, and the band shone in the performance of American Trilogy.

Speaking of the band, I can’t end without mentioning how much fun they were. They genuinely seemed to be having a really good time. Special mention to the lead guitarist, who was rocking out to the music and really not taking himself too seriously at all, and the drummer. As someone who has photographed live music for many years now, I know drummers are hard to photograph. They put their head down and hide behind the kit. Not this drummer! He was having a whale of a time, singing, dancing, smiling, laughing, and genuinely looking like he was loving life. Their joy was infectious.

All in all, this was a brilliant show. These songs were the anthems of my childhood. I grew up with Mum and Dad playing the LPs and EPs of all of these artists, so they are the soundtrack of my memories. The show really didn’t disappoint, AND it was a three-hour show! I was expecting maybe 90 minutes with an interval, but it was 3 hours (with interval) and honestly, time flies when you are having fun; it barely felt like any time had passed at all. Highly recommend!

To book tickets to Vegas in Concert, on their upcoming NSW and QLD stopovers, please visit https://vegasinconcert.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.

Emma Basc

The Drowsy Chaperone

1 December 2024 Poppy Rogers

The Drowsy Chaperone Rating

★★★★★

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The Stirling Players return for their final production of 2024, The Drowsy Chaperone, and they’re certainly going out with a bang.

One thing you can count on when it comes to community theatre is the traditional complimentary glass of sherry, and The Spotlight Bar at The Stirling Theatre has you spoiled for choice with a range of different types.

This quirky little theatre at the Innaloo Recreation Centre drew a full house for their Saturday evening performance. The tiered seating was a plus for those of us who often find ourselves missing parts of the stage when there’s a tall person in front of us.

The Tony Award-winning musical by Bob Martin and Don McKellar opens on Man in a Chair (Ben Clarke), who, feeling a little blue, shares with us his favourite record, the cast recording of a fictional 1928 musical, The Drowsy Chaperone. The curtains open, and we’re told to use our imaginations as the recording comes to life.

And so, the stage is set for a hilarious evening with a young couple on the eve of their wedding, a disorganised best man, a desperate theatre producer, a forgetful lady of the house, two gangsters posing as pastry chefs, a self-proclaimed lothario and an intoxicated chaperone. Will the wedding go ahead, or will it be derailed through mistaken identities and the allure of a life in the spotlight?

Even with a relatively simple set, the production values of this show are top-notch; it’s easy to forget you’re in a community hall watching a local production; this could be a cast of professionals at The Regal or His Maj. The costume department was busy with the many costume changes, all of which perfectly suited the era, and a band playing live backstage immersed you in the production when you expect local theatre musicals to come with a backing track.

Danielle Battista shines as Broadway starlet Janet Van De Graff, building on her amazing performance earlier this year in Stirling Player’s production of Evita, and Sonni Byrne is pitch-perfect as the chaperone who is clearly more concerned with her own love life than that of her young charge.

The exchanges between bridegroom Robert Martin (Max Leunig) and his best man George (Oliver Temby) were also a joy to watch, providing strong vocals and great comic timing. I also have to congratulate the wonderful ensemble performers who were perfectly timed and made the most of the relatively small stage. But it’s Ben Clarke as Man in a Chair who steals the show with his hilariously understated delivery that had you waiting with bated breath to see what he’d come out with next.

This one-act, laugh-a-minute musical has to be one of the best shows I’ve seen this year. Having read the synopsis, I really didn’t know what to expect. Even my not-so-musical-enthused husband had a smile on his face every time I glanced over. With just a handful of performances left, get in quick.

To book tickets to The Drowsy Chaperone, please visit https://www.stirlingplayers.com.au/

Playing dates: December 5, 6, 7 at 7.30pm.
Matinees: Sunday December 1 at 2 pm.
Tickets: Adult $25, Concession $22 Members $20

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.

Poppy Rogers

The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe

1 December 202430 November 2024 Natalie Rees

The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe Rating

★★★★★

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If you ask anyone about their top childhood books, C S Lewis’s – The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe will often be cited as a nostalgic favourite across the generations. Garrick Theatre’s stage production of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is full of nostalgia and one not to miss!

My 9-year-old son had recently finished reading the book and was excited to see this stage adaptation by Glyn Robbins. And I myself was curious how they were going to pull off the fantasy world of Narnia, especially since Garrick is such a small heritage theatre! Although they didn’t have high-tech equipment to work with, director Roxi Moore’s, with her simple yet effective directing choices, led to a very successful version of this fantasy world.

The cast, as would be expected, is a young bunch, with the youngest at 16 years old. I enjoyed watching the comradeship of the four children, and what was endearing to read was that two of the children were real-life siblings. Kody Fellows as Edmund was lively and suitably cheeky, and his real-life sister Mia Fellows, in her first lead role, played the timid Lucy, whose childlike innocence was portrayed accurately.

Amy Lock, as Susan, gave us all a fright with her piercing scream and played Lewis’ most unlikable character well. Aaron Wilkes, as Peter, had an impeccable British accent, and I would have loved to see the other actors follow suit to have a unified cast and really be able to get a sense of how quintessentially British this play and writing is.

The White Witch, played by Rebekah Hannah, was seemingly the most experienced of the cast. I enjoyed her strong sense of character and her unpredictability vocally, which always left the audience on edge and often scared!

Todd Halvorson, who played Aslan, had a great calm but strong presence as the Christ-like Aslan. At times, he could have projected his voice more, even if he was careful to keep the character calm.

A standout performance goes to Ali Louise, who played three characters: Mr Tumnus, Professor, and Mr Beaver. She was so invested in each character and had great physicality, vocal clarity, and obvious diversity.

The rest of the ensemble should also be commended on their input into the show, with some great characterisations as animals. I especially loved Russell Fellows’s physicality as the Dwarf.

My son and I really enjoyed this production, and it’s safe to say we both left with a smile on our faces and a spring in our step after an enjoyable night out!

Like a lot of community theatre here in Perth, the opening night was sold out, so if you want to see this brilliant production, book now

Bookings: Phone TAZ Tix 9255 3336 or BOOK ONLINE

Performance Dates:
November 28, 29, 30
December 1*, 5, 6, 7*, 7, 8*, 12, 13, 14
All evening shows at 7.30pm
*denotes matinee show at 2pm
Doors open 30 minutes prior to curtain

Tickets: Adult $28, Concession $23, Members $22, Children $15. Processing fees apply.

Please note that Saturday, December 7th, evening includes an Auslan interpreter. Auslan patrons will need to email TAZ Tix their booking request.

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.

Natalie Rees

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