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Venture Down the Rabbit Hole with Alice in Wonderland

14 April 202413 April 2024 Linda Lokhee

Alice In Wonderland Rating

★★★★★

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Under a sunny and exceptionally warm Autumn Saturday, families with young children arrive at the Pioneer Gardens expecting to see beloved characters from Alice in Wonderland. They were soon introduced to the White Rabbit (Stella Coppola), who bounded amongst the picnic blankets, announcing she was late, late, late!

So begins this outdoor performance in the Pioneer Garden by The Australian Shakespeare Company. It’s always a challenge to entertain children in the younger age bracket, as their attention span can be limited at times. I wondered how the company would capture their attention for the 80-minute show.

It was a clever move to have a “children’s only” space in front of the brightly coloured set; no adults were allowed. This enabled the kids to be a captive audience and, therefore, able to be directly talked to by the characters. The regular encouragement of audience participation engaged the little people, as they were able to yell out answers and sing chants.

The director, Dennis Manahan (also acting in the show as Bill the Lizard and The Mad Hatter), has put together an entertaining show, giving the actors opportunities to explore their character quirks with dancing, singing and merriment. Alice (Madeline Calder) led the storyline. There was clever staging as she encountered the various characters, particularly the huge caterpillar played by Ross Daniels. With various parts of this rather large caterpillar spilling out of different windows, with the head above the roof and the bottom half on the floor, the magnitude of this caterpillar was clearly achieved.

Another imaginative part showed that Alice had grown to giant proportions. Oversized inflatable arms extended from the open windows and flapped around, almost squashing the other characters. This made for a funny scene where the children laughed uncontrollably.

Original songs carried on the storyline, combined with some catchy dancing that added to the light-heartedness of the show. The silliness of Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum’s song and dance was very amusing to watch.

The make-up and costumes of all characters were carefully constructed to make them believable. Even Humpty Dumpty made an appearance as a face on a high wall with puppet arms and legs, which I found quite endearing.

The involvement of adults who they asked to be a part of the volunteer ‘card deck march’ would have been a highlight for kids to see. The giant cards slipped over the adults’ heads sandwich board style, which was a clever way to involve the audience in a game on the grass. The caterpillars (the children) entered a caterpillar crawling race, finding their way from the start to the finish line whilst avoiding the card adults’ legs!

At the end of the show, The Mad Hatter invited children to have a cast photo with them. This was a lovely gesture to complete the Alice in Wonderland performance. The Australian Shakespeare Company showcased a lovely afternoon’s entertainment for children and their accompanying adults, which included grandparents as well. Children aged around 3 -5 would love this show.

Alice in Wonderland is playing at The Pioneer Gardens at the Royal Botanical Gardens Sydney from 13 -28 April 2024. Tickets range from $25 in the off-peak period to $30 in peak time. A group of 4 admission tickets are $110. Children under 12 months are admitted free.

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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Wild Dogs Under My Skirt

12 April 2024 Paige Jenkins

Tusiata Avia’s Wild Dogs Under My Skirt has made its way across the ditch from New Zealand to the Illawarra. Adapted from Avia’s poetry collection of the same name, it invites the audience to take a peek into the life of Samoan women.

The five characters, played by the outstanding ensemble of Anapela Polata’ivao, Ilaisaane Green, Stacey Leilua, Joanna Mika-Toloa and Petmal Petelo, were raw and beautiful, exuding class and intensity.

As a poet myself, I was floored by the storytelling and the mix between the character’s native tongues and English. Seeing poetry come to life in such a creative and immersive way is incredibly special. These women have allowed the audience a glimpse into their culture, sharing their beautiful voices in both spoken word and song. Their harmonies were heavenly and incredibly moving, much like an Opera Aria that an audience understands purely by the crescendo of the orchestra and the emotion on the performer’s face. It was unnecessary to be fluent in their dialects, as their portrayal of emotions and accompanying moves were vivid and told a story in themselves.

Leki Jackson-Burke should be acknowledged and commended for his beautiful contribution to the performance. Watching someone make an impact with very few scene opportunities is always a treat. He may not have been a character or part of the story, but his musical contributions added an insurmountable degree of feeling. The drum beats and use of beautiful instruments maintained or raised the intensity of a scene, drawing the audience in and forcing them to listen.

Whilst Wild Dogs Under My Skirt can be classified as a comedy, much darker themes lie between the poetry. Split-second changes between young girls giggling and laughing about the story of the Virgin Mary to discussing horrific acts of sexual violence were staggering. The flow of the stories and the chosen sequence proved very powerful and took the audience on an emotional journey. The portrayal of the rollercoaster, which is life for Samoan and Pasifika women, was both lovely and uncomfortable. Years of dark colonial history, the sexualisation of Pasifika women, and the dastardly patriarchy in all its glory are all laid out on the stage.

This show was absolutely remarkable, and it’s not difficult to see why it has won its awards. It is such a privilege to have a production that has been performed in New York and provides a window into different countries and cultures right here in our backyard.

Wild Dogs Under My Skirt is performing at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Wollongong, from 10-13 April and Riverside Theatres, Parramatta, from 18-20 April.

Make sure to grab a ticket for yourself; you don’t want to miss this!!

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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Carlotta: The Party’s Over

2 March 20242 March 2024 Linda Lokhee

Part of the lure of seeing an entertainer, the self-proclaimed and well-earned title of the ‘Aussie living legend’ Carlotta AM, is the hope that the show will be fabulous. And that plenty of sequins, feathers and bright costumes will adorn her – and Carlotta did not disappoint.

She burst onto the stage to thunderous applause and cheering from the audience, wearing a black outfit covered in dazzling diamantes and dark feathers for her show, The Party’s Over.

It seemed this title implied Carlotta would retire, yet in her own words, she would perform until the day she can’t, as retirement would be too boring. Carlotta has had a long and varied career, and it seems she isn’t going to quietly exit showbusiness to drink cups of camomile tea and knit!

The musical director, Helpman Award winner Michael Griffiths, accompanied Carlotta on the piano, singing some songs alongside her. Michael brought a polished charm to the stage. Also on the set were two talented musicians playing the bass guitar and drums.

The Hayes Theatre is a small venue that allowed Carlotta an evening that seemed an intimate performance, and at times, she exuded warmth and felt like she was friends with everyone in the audience. Indeed, she did have some friends in the audience, and she kindly gave a shout-out to her one-hundred-year-old friend and another friend in the biz with whom she had previously worked.

Carlotta has a quick sense of humour and injected a lot of levity into her show. No one was safe from her witty remarks, especially not the front row, who traditionally were targets for a comedy show! No topics and no people were off limits, even the ex-PMs, a certain broadcasting studio whose security was exceptionally high, “millenniums”, and even her own self, making light of her age and that it was a “hideous age” she was currently at.

She made everyone laugh when alluding to keeping up with the demands of performing standing up for long periods when she was in her eighties and feeling too hot in her costumes. (She had three costume changes, each as captivating and fabulously outrageous as the last, complete with tall, sparkly headpieces and gigantic feather fans).

Carlotta’s singing voice was strong and robust, and she sang classics such as I Write the Songs, My Way, and I Still Call Australia Home. She had the audience singing along, clapping, and swaying in their seats.

Scattered throughout her show, Carlotta reminisced about different parts of her life. She had performed in Les Girls in Kings Cross for almost 30 years, followed by a career in television. She gave a condensed version of the history of Kings Cross and how lovely it used to be, with a good reputation where people from overseas wanted to come to dine at the Bourbon and Beefsteak pub and see shows at the Les Girls nightclub.

Carlotta is a seasoned performer comfortable in her own skin. She is an advocate for the LGBTIQ+ community, leaving the audience with a message to always be yourself and not be silenced on your thoughts because – “darlings, life is too short.”

Running Time: 75 minutes, no interval
Performances: 28 Feb -3 March 2024
Hayes Theatre 19 Greenknowe Ave, Potts Point

This review also appears on It’s On The House, and check out more reviews at Dark Stories Theatre to see what else is on in your town.

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The Hello Girls Answer The Call

15 January 2024 Natalie Capra

The Hello Girls have arrived at Hayes Theatre, and Sydneysiders are in for a treat. Friday night’s audience were enthralled, right from the raucous opening exhortation to “Answer The Call” to the very last reminder that we are all “Making History”. With phenomenal performances from all the actors, this is a show that is definitely going to be a hit.

The Hello Girls tells the little-known story of the first American women recruited into the US Army as switchboard operators during World War I. They may not have carried guns or fought on the front lines, but their service was indispensable to ensuring that communications across the sphere of war remained open and that orders and troop movements could be relayed between officers.

It is essentially a workplace musical (if such a genre exists!) about a group of women trying to do their jobs well in extraordinary circumstances. There’s no suggestion that these switchboard operators single-handledly saved the day or played a crucial role in one defining event. The Hello Girls didn’t win the war – they were one of many people who did their jobs and contributed to the overall success of the armed forces. The overarching theme is one of connection rather than heroism.

The set reflects this theme with a simple but effective design. Telephone wires strung between poles create netting and transparent walls, which add a lovely texture to the multi-level stage. Wheeled tables with perspex lids act as switchboards, desks and even a piano. Hayes Theatre is a small space, so performances always feel intimate, but there was still a roominess to the set that made it feel larger than it actually is, even with all 10 cast members on stage.

And what a cast! As Chief Operator Grace Banker, Rhianna McCourt brought a wonderful strength to the role, with powerful vocals paired with a nuanced performance. Kira Leiva plays Suzanne Prevot with sass and charm, Kaori Maeda-Judge is a quietly determined Bertha, and Kaitlin Nihill is a fiery Louise Lebreton. Special mention must go to Nikola Gucciardo, whose backwater character Helen Hill almost steals the show with her wide-eyed naivety and guilelessness. All five performers were terrific and clearly masters of their craft.

Lest you think it was an all-female show – fear not! The five male performers were also excellent, playing soldiers, officers, musicians, dancers and a prisoner of war. The main social commentary came through their choreography choices, with the men stepping in as background singers and dancers to the women’s story.

Interestingly, the script doesn’t dig deep into social commentary. It could be called a ‘feminist’ story, but The Hello Girls is not bogged down with ‘issues’. While we do see these women in harsh conditions and facing the reality of war – particularly in the excellent number “Quinze Minutes”, where the women literally have 15 minutes between bombs to make it to their workplace – there is a light touch that emphasises the just-get-on-with-it attitude that is essential to teamwork and success in adversity.

Some might be disappointed at the lack of high stakes and/or romance. There is no powerful transformation of one character and no real perilous struggle to achieve their goal. I liked that the focus was more on camaraderie than personal relationships, and there weren’t any intimate duets. Interestingly, the one bit of (straight) romance that does quietly blossom involves a character who gave off seriously queer vibes, but perhaps that was just the trousers 🙂

The costuming is restrained because everyone is in uniform for much of the play, but they all managed a bit of individuality nonetheless. The director has chosen to bookend the play with the cast in contemporary outfits, an excellent way to gently ease us in and out of a story set more than 100 years ago. Hard to believe! Especially considering how the struggle for recognition remains real for so many women.

All in all, this was an extraordinary night out for audiences of all types. While centred on women, it’s not really a feminist story but a story of people just wanting to step up and prove themselves. As producer Ylaria Rogers says in her notes, it is “a call to arms to anyone who has ever felt left behind, forgotten, and unacknowledged for the part they play in this world.”

Everyone left the theatre with a little more knowledge of these people and their part of history – and a little more joy. And that’s precisely what theatre like this should provide.

This review also appears on It’s On The House.

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