‘A Very Naughty Christmas’ is back for its eighth year with a delicious new array of jaw-dropping spectacles and skits. The musical features raunchy dance showcases, brilliant Christmas parodies, and hilariously vulgar gags in what is fast becoming Australia’s best Christmas show for adults.
The star-studded cast attacks the stage with vivid confidence. The company is small yet fierce, many of whom are triple-threat performers and graduates of Performing Arts institutes from all over Australia. The show offers almost too many memorable scenes to choose a favourite, and running at just under two hours long, the spectacle is a joy to witness from beginning to end.
The most iconic of parodies include “Walking ‘Round in Women’s Underwear” and “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” (with an expose of X-rated toys…in every store). The calibre of vocal strength among principal singers rivals the talent of Australia’s most well-known musical theatre performers. Grace Laing and Jarrod Moore win over the audience’s affection, particularly for their indulgent vocal qualities, memorable storylines, and natural on-stage charisma.
Asmara Soekotjo stuns as the cast’s most striking mover, unsurprisingly adorned as this season’s Dance Captain. Soekotjo takes center stage in a parody of The Police’s “Roxanne”, turned “Rudolph Put On The Red Light” where she displays her aerial and lyrical might.
Led by the idyllic Mr Santa Claus, played by Tim Paige, the musical sees several hysterical audience interactions during the evening of fun. The cast revels in mischievous antics all night by poking fun at and embarrassing the viewers unlucky enough to be scouted into the limelight by performers. For those particularly unfortunate, a segment of the audience on-stage performance could be involved.
The talented live band adds to the glossy exterior of the production without any significant reliance on pre-recorded material. High-quality lighting, production, live sound, and cast confidence are a testament to the production’s long-standing history of success.
The extravaganza of risque bliss is nestled in St Kilda’s Alex Theatre and is a Christmas show not to be missed. A Very Naughty Christmas is making its way through nine total shows running in Melbourne until December 21.
Christmas has come early to Caulfield with Melbourne’s Christmas Wonderland.
Walking into the Big Top, Christmas lights adorn the enclosure. There is a lot to see and do, and the first stop is the Frosty the Snowman jumping castle.
It’s then onto the Ball Pit before a ride on Rudolf’s train.
At 8:15 pm, we are invited into the Big Top for a circus show with Mrs. Claus and the Elves. We are delighted by acrobatics and aerial artists. Mrs. Claus narrates a Christmas story while we witness thrilling stunts.
Then it’s over to decorate elk antlers with festive stickers before visiting Mrs Clause’s Bakery to decorate gingerbread men’s cookies. It’s a simple yet fun activity for the whole family.
In a separate tent, we meet Santa and his Elves and pose for photos. Photo packages start at reasonable prices, and each visit comes with a surprise present from Santa.
Just outside Santa’s workshop is plaster statue painting, a fun activity for everyone. Paint a Santa, penguin or Christmas tree to take home and keep.
Every part of the experience is immersive, and Christmas has been magically brought to life under the Big Top with all your favourite Christmas characters.
The Christmas Wonderland is a fun experience for adults and children with plenty of activities. Whether it’s photo opportunities in Santa’s workshop with shiny baubles or roller skating, there is something for everyone.
Melbourne’s Christmas Wonderland is returning to Caulfield Racecourse from November 29th to December 24th, 2024. It is advised for children 10 and under.
Since first published in 1843, Charles Dickens ‘ A Christmas Carol’ has captivated audiences.
As the audience enters the theatre, a dimly lit stage with minimal set design greets them, and the sound of carols echos the room.
We meet Ebenezer Scrooge ( Erik Thomson), who we soon learn is a joyless, loveless, grumpy old man.
Life has a way of teaching us lessons, and as Ebenezer soon learns via a series of ghost visits, he has lived his life in a way that will lead him to isolation and loneliness.
The Ghost of Christmas Past (Alison Whyte) takes him on a journey to discover how the choices he made in his youth shaped the course of his future.
As painful as it is, he must learn that every action he took has led him to where he is and given him insights into how his mistakes changed him. As he meets The Ghost of Christmas Present ( Samantha Morely), he learns that the man he has become has consequences for not only himself but also his family and his employees. His selfish, avaricious ways have caused him to have blood on his hands.
Finally, the Ghost of Christmas Presents itself in the form of his sister Little Fan (Aisha Aidara), who shows him the consequences of his mistakes should he continue on his current path.
Through the process, Ebenezer has a revelation. He awakens from the loveless life he has carved out for himself, all in the name of greed. It is with this awakening that he is transformed, and his life changes forever.
A Christmas Carol is a formulaic story, and as it is well known, we all know what happens. However, the performances of the cast and the incredible stage design make this production something special.
With scenic and costume design by Tony Award® winner Rob Howell, music and arrangements by Tony Award® winner Christopher Nightingale, and lighting design by Tony Award® winner Hugh Vanstone, the minimal set comes alive with breathtaking lighting and effects, making viewers believe that they truly are in London, snow and all.
Erik Thompson gave an exceptional performance, and his supporting cast was equally talented. The use of light and sound, whilst minimalistic, is impressive and effective.
Towards the end of the story, the audience is invited to participate, and the laughter from the crowd is infectious. The snow falling on the front rows and on stage is breathtaking and perfectly captures the atmosphere.
The story might be over 180 years old, but its predictable and transformative character story makes it a much-loved tale.
A Christmas Carol is, in some ways, a love story of sorts—it’s the story of an old man falling in love with life again, reinvigorated, and transformed into a better person. With that love comes redemption and happiness for all who come into contact with the new and improved version of Scrooge.
Jack Thorpe’s adaptation is nothing short of a fantastic telling of a much-loved story. It is a delightful production that is sure to leave audiences with a sense of wonder and excitement.
An Old Vic Production A CHRISTMAS CAROL A version by Jack Thorne Conceived and Directed by Matthew Warchus Presented by GWB Entertainment At the Comedy Theatre from 22 November to 29 December.
The Collector is a harrowing tale about an emotionally stunted and lonely young man who abducts a young woman and keeps her locked in his basement. In this modified version of Mark Healy’s stage play, adapted from John Fowles’s 1963 novel of the same name, Frederick Clegg, an amateur entomologist, wins the lottery and uses his new wealth to buy an old country house a few hours from Sydney.
In the basement, he imprisons Miranda Grey, a young art student he stalks and then kidnaps after forming an obsession. Frederick plans to spend time with Miranda so she gets to know him and falls in love, but what follows is a haunting exploration of power, obsession, fear, loneliness, and dangerous delusion.
As I entered the tiny theatre in Redfern, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The stage stretches from wall to wall and takes up most of the room while the audience looks down on the set as if trapped in the basement along with the characters. This sense of immersion and intimacy worked to the play’s advantage. I was sitting in the front row, and several times, the performers almost stepped on my feet. Tigran Tovmasian, who plays Frederick, often stared me right in the eyes as he delivered his monologue just a meter away, which was both unsettling and intensely immersive. Frederick, not Tigran, was trying to make me understand.
Tigran was, without hyperbole, sensational. I was genuinely impressed by his embodiment of Frederick, from the tone of his voice to his body language. He almost had me feeling sympathetic. I couldn’t help but appreciate the tiny character details, such as nervously picking at his nails, picking at the table, slumped shoulders, and even his trembling lips during the intensely emotional moments. Underneath the awkward nervousness and polite frustration was a real sense of danger, and you fear what Frederick might be capable of.
This fear was convincingly embodied by AJ, playing Miranda Grey. Her performance carefully balanced Miranda’s complex emotional journey, moving between terror and isolation to anger and violence and the desperate attempts to manipulate Frederick into letting her go.
Ruby Busuttil’s direction wisely gave us several moments of laughter despite the heavy themes, with small jokes and absurd moments lifting the tension at the right moments without sacrificing the integrity of the drama or being disrespectful to the story. While bad directing is obvious, great directing isn’t usually noticeable because you get sucked into the narrative and everything just works. That’s what happened. It wasn’t super-flashy or overly dramatic or trying to show off. It just worked. Ruby also produced the play, bringing together a solid team that supported the performances.
Adrien Stark’s set design was impeccable, and his experience shows. The set itself represents three different spaces without needing a single set change, and it worked convincingly. Despite the theatre being tiny there was still plenty of room for the action to take place. Making use of the theatre’s own walls and pillars, Frederick’s basement was utterly convincing and didn’t look like a cheap theatre set. Everything from the furniture and set dressing to the props used by the characters were detailed and convincing. Supporting this fantastic set design and Alice Chao’s solid stage management was the impressive lighting and AV.
The lighting was beautifully crafted to represent the various spaces and time of day without being overbearing. It wasn’t stage lighting. It was film lighting, with the character’s faces often beautifully lit as if I was watching a movie. Isobel Rabbidge should be commended for their ability to create a truly immersive experience without drawing attention to the technical components of the play, including the correct balance of additional audio effects to support the changes in scenery. This can often be hard to achieve.
The accompanying music composed by Roger Ly generally worked well, although I felt it was a bit heavy-handed in the earlier monologues and distracted me from the performance. But part from this the music was a strong addition to the emotional content and tension of the performance.
The only real weakness of the entire production was the script. It does drag a little from time to time, repeating itself or not diving deep enough into the darker emotional journeys from the novel. But that has nothing to do with this production or its team.
All in all, The Collector is the best produced play I’ve seen this year, and I highly recommend you ‘catch it’ before it’s gone.
The Collector is showing at the Playhouse Theatre, inside The Actors Pulse in Redfern, Sydney, for a limited run until December 1st.
