top-rated-2024

KINDER Surprises: Where Drag Show Meets Storytime

KINDER

KINDER Rating

★★★★★

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‘The library is open. So sit down, be quiet, and listen up.’

Just around the corner from Melbourne’s Fringe hotspot, Trades Hall, producer and actor Ryan Stewart presents their debut show ‘KINDER’ – and between you and me, I’m all in for Goody Prostate’s message.

When an unexpected phone call turns drag clown Goody Prostate’s evening upside down, they’re left with just a single night to whip up the perfect act for a local library. Amid frantic costume changes and a rising tide of existential dread, Goody faces more than just pressure to perform – they juggle protests and politics, history and herstory, fruit loops and family. What begins as a whirlwind of colour, music, and fashion soon unravels to reveal a long-overdue reconnection with their inner child.

‘KINDER’ serves up a provocative response to the rise in reactionary politics surrounding children’s exposure to queerness. It’s a bold, high-wire act of queer history and social commentary, wrapped up in what can only be described as a drag-show-turned-revelation. The show explores themes of conformity, the complexities of the queer experience, and the importance of community care as Goody grapples with a deep sense of responsibility to nurture that in the next generation.

Ryan Stewart is a force to be reckoned with as the kooky, lovable, delightfully unhinged Goody Prostate. From slapstick one-liners to disarming bursts of vulnerability, Stewart navigates each of Goody’s highs and lows with a well-timed flick of their fan. Watching Goody’s mask slip, transforming from performer to person, is as poignant as it is wonderfully human. The intimacy of the space only intensifies the feeling – when Goody locks eyes with you from the centre of the room, you’re no longer part of the audience; you’re part of the story.

And Goody’s story resonated throughout the room that night. There was laughter, there were tears – it was a shared journey, with Goody reflecting emotions we all knew well: joy, pain, estrangement, liberation. This is what really struck me most about ‘KINDER’, this sense of community. There was no better place to be than right there in that chaotic, messy apartment, where both performer and audience shared complete understanding. This is the true power of theatre: to strip away the pretence and lay bare the raw, glittering heart of the human condition.

That’s not to say it wasn’t oodles of fun, too! Armed with a bubble gun and bedazzled lederhosen, Goody Prostate is unstoppable. Stewart strikes a perfect balance between introspection and laugh-out-loud hilarity – clowning around, bursting into song, and tearing through costumes like a kid let loose in a dress-up shop. It was a bedroom-floor fashion riot, and I loved every second of it.

Parenthood, childhood, the inner child – ‘KINDER’ explores it all. It’s about being a child, knowing a child, and nourishing the child you once were (or never got to be). It’s a celebration of never fully growing up while trying to be the grown-up you always needed. ‘KINDER’ isn’t just a performance; it’s a love letter to the self.

And what a way to kick off this year’s Melbourne Fringe! You can catch ‘KINDER’ at Trades Hall until October 6th, and if you can’t make it this weekend, no worries – Goody will be taking the stage next weekend at Upstairs @ Floridia in Flemington.

Check out ‘KINDER’ here: melbournefringe.com.au/event/kinder

Remaining Sessions:-
Sunday, 06 October 2024 – 8:00pm – Festival Hub: Trades Hall – The Square
Sunday, 13 October 2024 – 6:45pm – Upstairs @ Floridia
Sunday, 20 October 2024 – 6:45pm – Upstairs @ Floridia

For more information about the artist, please follow https://linktr.ee/arypresentation

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Maria Montessori Film Review

Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori Rating

★★★★★

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Léa Todorov’s directorial debut feature film ‘Maria Montessori’ offers a biopic of the Italian doctor’s journey in revolutionising children’s pedagogy. Maria Montessori transformed societies positioning of children with disabilities, medical conditions, &/or neurodivergence in education, and women in the workforce.

Set at the turn of the 20th century, the film begins in Paris where the esteemed French courtesan Lili d’Alengy (Leïla Bekhti) is confronted by the return of her estranged daughter Tina (Rafaëlle Sonneville-Caby) into her custody.

Lili is ashamed of the disabilities Tina possesses and frightened she will ruin her social standing so she flees to Rome. There she attempts to admit Tina as a boarder to a pedagogical institute that takes in ‘idiot children’ (as they were then referred to). Maria Montessori (Jasmine Trinca) and Guiseppe Montesano (Raffaele Esposito) manage the facility.

Maria accepts Tina into the program, but is unable to offer accommodation, much to Lili’s dismay she must stay based in Rome until a bed becomes available for Tina. Tina makes great academic and locomotive progress at the school, under the caring support and guidance of Maria.

Lili begins to soften her boundaries; a significant turning point of which, is when she plays the piano at the school, and the children delightedly dance along to the music. The music acts as a bridge, that reframes Lili’s perspective of the children’s mental and emotional capabilities, furthermore uniting her with Maria. Maria was initially judgemental of Lili’s abandonment and disavowal of motherhood to Tina, as Lili becomes more involved the two women forge a friendship.

We learn that Maria and Guiseppe are in secret romantic partnership and have a son together, who lives in the care of another woman in the countryside. Maria longs to live with her son Mario (also with disabilities), but she wishes to maintain her autonomy and without marrying Guiseppe he will not claim the child as his own, so the couple are limited to weekend visits to see him. Maria and Lili’s lives’ parallel each other, despite their significant differences.

Both have been estranged mothers in the pursuit of their independence. Lili is shocked to learn Maria doesn’t get paid for her work at the institute and helps Maria pave a path forward to achieve recognition for her pedagogical approach and the ability to grow and transmit the Montessori method.

 

Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori

The film offers fantastic subtext on the societal framing and transmission of shame, particularly as it effects nonhomogeneous groups. The casting is fantastic. The youth cast have real life physical and cognitive disabilities. It’s impactful to see the positive representation of people with disabilities being empowered not just through the story’s messaging, but also in its delivery. Rafaëlle Sonneville-Caby’s acting and depiction of her character Tina’s journey is incredibly moving.

Tina has a strong appetite and inclination towards learning. Seemingly non-verbal but with expressive emotional intelligence, receiving praise and love ignite her spark and inner determination. Rafaëlle illuminates Tina’s personality with beautiful authenticity. Several of her scenes were so affecting and poignant I found my emotional-physiological response resounding in fierce protection of her character. The story is one of sisterhood between Maria and Lili, and motherhood of each with their children, moreover motherhood as an approach to education.

Quotations such as “The new pedagogy must acknowledge the sublime art of motherhood” and “An education of love” speak to this and are expanded upon where Maria advocates for women to contribute to the workforce “Motherhood will then become a social model.” I think this idea is powerful and gaining traction in society today, for all it can offer – not just to women, but to everyone.

The story is both inspiring, and a heartbreaking rendering of the complex decisions women were required to make in this time and context. An important cinematic offering from Léa Todorov.

To book tickets to this or other films, click https://italianfilmfestival.com.au/

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Karate Man – A Brilliantly Clever Interactive Live Action Comedy

Karate Man

Karate Man Rating

★★★★★

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If you have ever played a video game, you’d feel the excitement of pressing a combination of different buttons on the controller and moving your character around the screen – to fight villains, explore different rooms and make decisions. The game always has a goal, often several, with riddles and various quests to complete before the goals are met, before you finally win the game. Perhaps it has taken hours to play. Imagine this. You know what I mean. Now think about the characters jumping out of the screen and are standing right now in front of you, swaying from one foot to the other, patiently waiting for you to give them a command on your controller. Your game has come to life – and you get to make decisions about what happens next. This is what happens in this comedic show Karate Man.

Co-creators and directors Bruno Dubosarsky and Daniel Scarratt have produced a truely unique and hilarious interactive play…and play we did! All audience members participated and became immersed into the story, by taking turns with the controller and pushing buttons, directing Karate Man to do what they wanted in response to the story’s many challenges.

The buttons were typical gaming commands such as kick, throw, punch, jump, grab as well as move left / right/ down and up, all of which Karate Man had to do immediately on command as soon as the it was read out by the game’s narrator. The sound effects added to the authenticity of a video game, complete with repeating sounds when the characters were waiting to be directed what to do.

 

Karate Man
Karate Man

This video game character was portrayed perfectly by Bruno Dubosarsky and done with such robotic fluidity that it was believable, his movements imitating the basic gaming commands of the 1980’s video games. As you can imagine, the fight between Karate Man, moving in a step by step controlled fashion (eg “right, right, jump, right, kick. Left, left, down, punch”) and his arch enemy Ross Roundkick, played with cheeky wickedness by Daniel Scarratt in the year 198X was hilarious and one of the highlights of the show for me. I was laughing so much as poor Karate Man was directed to move in ridiculous excess due to the audience still getting used to using the controls at the beginning of the show – it would have been exhausting for Bruno. At one stage, Karate Man was directed by the controller “left, left, left, left, left” right off the stage – the audience was crippled with laughter! I had never been to a Choose Your Own Adventure show like this before, and I loved it.

The story of Karate Man takes us into the lives of Karate Man and his wife Kara. Her name being half of his name seemed to be on purpose, and added to the cheesy charm of the show. Kara was played by Stephanie Ryan and her mannerisms of a video game character were spot on. Karate Man had to complete some challenges in this game and the audience was given three choices which led to different scenes and more goals to achieve. As the audience were making the decisions about where Karate Man was going to go next in our rendition of the play, I could see how the show would completely change on different nights. It would be interesting to return to experience another scenario and set of goals.

 

Karate Man
Karate Man

The supporting cast, Tim Dunk as the Time Fish, Juliet Rae Timmerman as Alex Coober and Maddie Atkins lent keen exaggeration into their video game characters and were very entertaining. All of the actors at different times were so funny, and I believe that some lines may have been impromptu.

The script was clever and contained some references to pop culture embedded. Prop designer Stephanie Ryan kept the stage simple. A few painted large posters were used, as well as a few other props, and was all this show needed as it was more reliant on the physical comedy and the script.

Shown as part of the Sydney Fringe Festival 2024, Karate Man was spectacularly funny and one of the most original interactive shows to hit the stage! Instead of playing video games at home, head out to the PACT Centre for Emerging Artists in Erskineville to have your own personalised adventure with Karate Man.

Show run: 17-21 September 2024
Tickets: $30 – $38
www.sydneyfringe.com/events/karate-man-a-live-action-video-game

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Leather Lungs: Shut Up and Sing – Big Boots, Big Hair, Bigger Heart

Leather Lungs: Shut Up and Sing

Leather Lungs: Shut Up and Sing Rating

★★★★★

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It’s September in Sydney – time for the largest arts festival in NSW The Sydney Fringe Festival, to come alive. Over 400 events are being hosted across multi venues. I visited the Village Green Festival Garden at Darling Quarter on a cold evening to watch the cabaret Leather Lungs: Shut Up and Sing. The outside was chilly, but fortunately inside the tent it was warmer and was about to become even more so with the arrival of Leather Lungs.

Bursting onto the stage with bright blue hair, long eyelashes, wearing a sequin dress and a bright pink taffeta coat, Leather Lungs exuded energy and radiance. Their introduction and comedic story telling immediately had the audience cheering. We discovered that although this opening night act was the first time they had performed at The Fringe Festival in Sydney, this New Zealand entertainer has had a full career performing their self written cabaret all over the world. Leather Lungs has sung with Adele and performed for the Beckhams, and has won the Best Cabaret Weekly Awards in 2020 and 2021.

Shut Up and Sing, Leather Lung’s solo show, blends storytelling and song together into a mesmerising walk through some experiences in their life. They begin with an original song which appears to be a dedication to their Nanna Gail and the very sound advice that she had given to them when she was alive. They share this memory as they reminiscence, conveyed in a sweet and gentle song about insecurity and being kind to yourself. Within the small tent, we could almost feel Nana Gail there with us.

Leather Lungs followed with a song that they and Nana Gail had sung when they were out exploring the woods – a cheeky rendition of Old MacDonald Had a Farm. Although this traditional nursery song doesn’t sound like the typical cabaret song, coupled with Leather Lung’s active physicality accompaniment around the stage and a hilarious repetitive impersonation of some farm animal noises, they had us in stitches laughing! This was also one song where we were encouraged to join in singing with them, which delighted the audience. 

Leather Lungs: Shut Up and Sing

Leather Lungs continued to capture the audience with their humour, wit and spectacular four octave vocal range! They had the skill of storytelling, highlighting some important serious themes, ranging from being in an unhealthy relationship and sharing some health issues, to balancing it with tales of growth, self acceptance and love. It was a beautiful mix in the show and Leather Lungs left us with the very real message to not be a bystander, and not to be complacent when faced with difficulties life will inevitably throw at us. Don’t depend on others rescuing you – a reminder as they purposely cut short the song “I Need a Hero”. We can rescue ourselves.

Leather Lungs reminds us via their song lyrics – “Life is no cabaret, but I’m inviting you anyway.. just Sing”.

Go see this show – it was and it wasn’t what I was expecting from a cabaret. Yes it was energetic. Yes there were songs, glitter, fabulously outrageous costumes, fishnet stockings, big boots and an even bigger voice. What I didn’t expect was the cohesive flow of life’s lessons told with tender charm – bravo Leather Lungs!

Leather Lungs: Shut Up and Sing, is playing inside the South Tent at the Village Green Festival Garden.
Dates: 17 – 22 September 2024
Tickets: $23
Duration: 55 minutes
Producer: Ben Anderson
www.sydneyfringe.com/events/leather-lungs-shut-up-sing

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