Garrick Theatre’s latest production of George Bernard Shaw’s classic play Pygmalion opened last night to great anticipation. While most are familiar with the story through the film My Fair Lady and its countless adaptations, Pygmalion is the original source, encapsulating Shaw’s true intentions.
First premiered in Vienna in 1913, Pygmalion is a romantic comedy about Professor Henry Higgins, an English gentleman who bets he can transform Eliza Doolittle, a scruffy Cockney flower girl, into a proper lady.
As the curtains rose, the audience was transported to Old Covent Garden in London, with excellent lighting effects by Technical Director Geoff Holt, creating a marvellous ambience of an English rainy day.
The cast delivered strong performances throughout the play. Peter Clark excelled as Professor Henry Higgins, portraying the character’s likable-unlikable intellectualism. His blunt honesty and unawareness of the impact of his words on others, coupled with the absence of ill intent, brought depth to the role. Stuart Ridgway’s Colonel Pickering was like a trusted uncle, embodying the Professor’s gentlemanly confidant. Ridgway’s portrayal of Pickering’s paternal relationship with Eliza, helping her gain self-respect alongside phonetics, was heartfelt and genuine. Catherine Leeson’s Eliza Doolittle adeptly showcased the character’s evolution, with her comedic moments peaking in the middle of the play. Her portrayal captured Eliza’s transformation with authenticity and charm.
The supporting cast also shone brightly. Adam Skellham played Alfred Doolittle, Eliza’s scheming father, transitioning from a dustman to the epitome of middle-class morality. Sorcha Leary and Janice Phillips, respectively played Clara and Mrs. Eynsford Hill, depicted the petulant and idle rich with flashes of charm. Marsha Holt, as Mrs. Higgins, consistently put her son, the Professor, in his place, adding a much-needed mature counterbalance to her son’s sometimes haphazard approach to life. James Skellham’s Freddy was convincingly bumbling and infatuated with Eliza, while Allyson Corti’s Mrs. Pearce provided a grounded perspective on the implications of Higgins’ bet. Special mention to Juliette Hyland as the Parlour Maid, whose small role brought subtle yet appreciated comedic relief.
The Set Designer and Director Fred Petersen ingeniously crafted the set, with detailed transitions between scenes from Covent Garden to Higgins’ Laboratory and Mrs. Higgins’ Flat. His meticulous planning was evident and greatly enhanced the production. The choice of classic piano music between scene changes enriched the overall atmosphere, and the period-appropriate wardrobe, especially for the ladies, added a delightful authenticity.
As for the play’s ending? While many adaptations exist, this production offers the unique opportunity to experience Shaw’s original narrative as he intended.
The Garrick Theatre’s cast and crew have created a memorable and faithful rendition of this timeless play. Don’t miss the chance to return to Old Victorian London and enjoy this classic tale.
Pygmalion runs from June 6 to 22.
Performance Dates: June 6, 7, 8, 9*, 13, 14, 15*, 15eve, 16*, 20, 21, 22 All evening shows at 7:30 PM. *Matinees at 2 PM.
Director David Trueba says of his film Jokes and Cigarettes – “This is a film about humour, and about survival. Eugenio was one of the most popular comedians of the Transition. Everything about his appearance was at odds with humour: a serious man, with no gestures, hiding behind tinted glasses and a black shirt, with a lit cigarette behind a microphone, who would be the one to make a whole country laugh. But… what was hidden inside him?”
Directed and written by multiple Goya Award winner David Trueba and starring David Verdaguer in a virtuoso performance, Jokes and Cigarettes tells the story of the famous Catalan comedian Eugenio, the chain-smoking comedian known for his deadpan delivery, his smoked glasses and his trademark total black attire. It concentrates on his formative years as a comedian during the 60s and 70s, where he became a fixture on the TV sets of every Spaniard.
Barcelona, late 1960s. A young jeweller named Eugenio meets Conchita on a bus and it is smitten. Eugenio learns to play guitar to follow Conchita a singer, and, despite stage fright, they start to play together. When Conchita leaves Barcelona for two weeks, she convinces Eugenio to perform solo and Eugenio becomes a phenomenon in the city’s underground comedy scene. Helped by Conchita, he creates his comedy ego–the dark glasses, the black shirt, the barstool, the cigarettes and the high ball glass–the character that would soon become an unexpected success.
The producer Edmon Roch recalls, “I remember when I went to see the comedian who made people laugh before he’d even opened his mouth. I was ten years old, and I could see my parents laughing their heads off at the sight of this tall man sitting on a stool, stretching out his every movement with an unperturbed gesture before he started to speak. There was a liturgy, an expectation, a palpable ritual. Later, when I discovered Buster Keaton, I thought of Eugenio’s unflappable face, he’s still present in our memory and his humour lives on.”
David Verdaguer delivers a totally believable performance as Eugenio. His deadpan delivery as a comedian is perfection contrasting with his love for his wife and son. I particularly enjoyed the scene where he drops in on his son’s school concert, surprising his son who is doing an impersonation of his father’s comedy act.
Carolina Yuste is compassionate, loving and also totally believable as Eugenio’s wife, Conchita. Her early scenes with Verdaguer are a joy to watch and her death scene is a tearjerker. Beautifully photographed, Jokes and Cigarettes also has a magical soundtrack of 60s and 70s Catalan music.
Jokes and Cigarettes is a film about humour and survival that explores what was hiding behind that serious man that made a whole country laugh!
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.
Since 1991, Endeavour Theatre Company has been delighting audiences with its community productions. Their latest offering, Shadows Of The Past, a murder mystery written and directed by talented member Clyde Goodenough, exemplifies the best of a small but committed theatre group.
On arrival at the venue, a full house was present, and audience members found a “Guess Who Did It” sheet of paper on their seats to be submitted at intermission. This interactive element added an engaging twist, making the audience feel like active participants in solving the mystery.
The play centres on Mrs Willoughby, an imperious matriarch, who invites her nephew Jonathon, his American fiancée, her solicitor Mason James, a nun with a past with Jonathon, and an eccentric psychic for a weekend of ‘revelations’ and the reading of her will. Adding humour is Musgrove, the old bumbling butler. Amidst a storm, secrets unravel, leading to murder. But who did it? Adding to the Clyde Goodenough Cluedo-like characters are the police sergeant and Inspector, which add to the intrigue in the second act.
The play is set in the Willoughy Hall manor, and the room is replete with ornate couches, fancy paintings on the walls, a roaring fireplace, making it clear we are in a wealthy manorhouse. In addition, there were clever scene changes as we found ourselves in other rooms within the manor. Clever use of lighting to isolate private conversations not overheard by other Willoughby Hall guests enhanced the mysterious ambience. After each scene, the curtains briefly closed with suitably mysterious music playing, giving the audience time to think about what they had seen and ponder what was coming.
Like the best murder mysteries, it is also important to bring the element of fun, and the script delivers enjoyable moments for all cast members. Opening nights are always challenging and exciting, and an opening night for a brand new play, never performed before in front of an audience, is an even higher level of difficulty. Suffice it to say the performances from the ensemble cast got stronger and stronger as the play progressed, which bodes well for a successful production run.
The ensemble cast also navigated the delicate balance of playing exaggerated stereotypes that a murder mystery show requires without falling into caricature. Their understanding of their characters grew stronger as the play progressed, promising even better performances in future shows.
Congratulations to Endeavour Theatre Company and all the cast and crew for putting on an excellent show. This is a fun production with a well-thought-out story and script. While the first act effectively introduced the characters and set the stage, it would have been great to witness a bit more foreshadowing—like subtle hints or a character’s brief slip—that could enhance the suspense and make later revelations even more impactful for the final act.
My personal endeavour to correctly guess the murderer was a dismal disaster! Can you guess the murderer correctly on your visit?
Don’t miss this opportunity to support local community theatre and enjoy a well-crafted, entertaining murder mystery. ‘Shadows Of The Past‘ runs for only two weekends, so be sure to catch it while you can with session times as follows:- – 19th May 2:30pm – 25th May 7:30pm – 26th May 2:30pm
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.
Barracking For The Umpire, presented by the Black Swan State Theatre Company, will strike a chord with every AFL fan, player, and parent. In this quintessentially Australian family drama, we’re drawn into the lives of the Williams family, posing the poignant question: what sacrifices are we prepared to make for the love of the game?
Doug Williams, celebrated as Donnybrook’s greatest footballer, is the embodiment of resilience—tough and steadfast. His loyal wife, Delveen, has stood by him through countless challenges, witnessing each impact of the game on him. As the local club prepares to present Doug with a lifetime achievement award, their children return home to celebrate. Yet, as the festivities unfold, the once reliable hands of this legendary player ominously begin to falter.
On entering the theatre, the stage transports us to Donnybrook, specifically the Williams’ family living room steeped in 1980s decor—a decade that marked the peak of Doug’s illustrious football career. The space is authentically adorned with a well-stocked bar, doorways that hint at a bustling household, and walls lined with family photos that speak volumes of shared memories. A coffee table, cozy blankets draped over a well-worn couch, and a back-wall display case cum bookshelf contribute to the room’s lived-in feel, wrapping the audience in the comforting embrace of a family home.
The production superbly uses lighting(Lucy Brikinshaw) and video effects(Michael Carmody) to facilitate smooth transitions from the family living room to the football locker room—a sacred space residing solely in Doug’s memories. As the spotlight dims on these ephemeral glimpses into the past, the stage’s ambient sounds and lighting subtly recede, reorienting the audience to the present moment where Doug, though momentarily disoriented, is prompted back into the present by a worried family member.
The cast expertly brings the characters to life, making them authentic and believable.
Ben (played by Ian Wilkes), a Noongar man, is a current-day AFL footballer dealing with all the pressures that his high profile brings and harbouring a deep secret that he never wishes to become public. Ben, away from the pressure of AFL footy, is a relaxed and laid-back character who wants to play footy and toys with the idea of revealing his secret to the family. Some family members wonder why he is single, although hints of a relationship occur. Some of his stage exits and entrances show a worried Ben trying to find out about the health of a recently concussed teammate.
Mena (played by Ebony McGuire) is a journalist who wants to make her mark in the world but chafes in the shadows of her father and brother Ben’s football careers. She is interested in telling a story to make her way up the journalistic ladder, but possibly at the expense of her brother’s wishes. One scene, in particular, highlights the dog with a bone journalist in her as she interrogates her brother about the need for a particular story to be told.
Charaine (played by Jo Morris) is the stabilising influence amongst the three siblings. However, her own life is going through a rocky patch with her recent breakup with her boyfriend. Her calm demeanour quickly changes whenever her ex-boyfriend enters the scene, as her Mother has mortifyingly invited him to visit after a family dinner. This leads to some comedic hijinks that work well to balance out the drama of the relationship.
Tom (played by Michale Abercromby) is an MC and Charaine’s recent ex-boyfriend who worships Doug and Ben, vicariously living through their football deeds, making the men somewhat uncomfortable. His devotion to the family footballers creates friction in his relationship with Charaine, which he strives to repair. Tom also brings some lighthearted comedic moments at awkward moments that relieve the tension of the family dramas at play.
Doug (played by Steve Le Marquand) skillfully plays the family patriarch, but he unfortunately experiences increasingly recurring episodes from his declining health. A famed local footballer in his day, he is highly respected by the family and community alike. When surrounded by his family, he is quick to exchange friendly barbs and banter as well as anyone else, but when left alone, he becomes lost in his surroundings.
The Coach (played by Joel Jackson) also doubles as Eckhart, an AFL football player and Ben’s teammate. These two open the play with an energetic start, as the opening tune of Up There Cazaly fades to the background, being in the locker rooms post-game and bantering about life and their just completed match. Joel spends most of the play existing as the personification of the Coach, who only exists in the recesses of Doug’s fading memory. His entrance onto the stage signifies moments where Doug loses his grip on current-day reality and relives some of the traumatic moments of his football career.
Football fans will delight in numerous lines delivered by the inspirational coach, no doubt causing them to reflect on their football careers no matter how humble. Football afficionadoes will recognise many famous football quotes that have gone into folklore, including John Kennedy Senior’s immortal lines: “Do Something. Don’t think. Don’t hope. Do.”
Costumes designed by Sara Chirichilli have been selected with great care and attention. The Coach’s costume channels Tom Hafey’s iconic style, complete with a snug Adidas T-shirt and classic short shorts, perfectly capturing the aura of 1980s football. In the opening scene, the footballers Eckhart and Ben sport authentic football guernseys that set the stage for the action. The rest of the cast’s wardrobe is thoughtfully chosen to reflect a casual, comfortable attire that one might find in any relaxed family setting. This naturalistic approach complements the home’s 1980s vibe, seamlessly integrating the characters with their environment.
Andrea Gibbs’ debut play is a beautifully crafted story that feels quintessentially Australian. With its rich themes and relatable characters, ‘Barracking for the Umpire’ is set to become a favourite among theatres across Australia for many years to come.
Director Clare Watson has selected a winning team with this cast and crew, who have all kicked winning goals here. Together, their efforts successfully showcase what is destined to be a classic Australian play. I rate this play five stars out of Five, and I highly recommend you see it while you have the chance. Don’t think—do see this show.
Barracking For The Umpire is playing at the Subiaco Arts Centre from 23rd April to 5th May. After that, the cast and crew will take this play on tour across Western Australia to the following locations and dates:-
Port Hedland – 11th May Broome – 18th May Karratha – 23rd & 24th May Geraldton – 29th May Mandurah – 1st June Margaret River – 15th June Albany – 6th & 7th June Esperance – 12th June
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.
