Hoods - Barking Gecko Arts (17 May 2025)

My mantra when it comes to expectations for any show is simple:

A good story, well told.

A large part of achieving this is establishing the authenticity of the world in which that story takes place. This allows the actors to inhabit their characters truthfully, play freely within the space that has been created, and immerses the audience in the reality of whatever the given circumstances are.

 
The design elements in Hoods are an outstanding example of this. From the set design depicting a segment of society in decay, to the bold and creative lighting design that highlights the obstacles facing the characters, and the subtle layering of sound which adds to the realism of the plight we are confronted with.

That plight is two children - Kyle (Joshua Everett) and Jessie (Natasha Pearson) - who are left in the family vehicle with their baby brother in a carpark near a train station and highway. Mum has told them not to get out of the car which Kyle takes to heart while Jessie, concerned about the baby and desperately needing to pee, wants to leave.

 
The family situation is teased out as the children imagine they see other people from their parents to a kind teacher and a security guard amongst others. We slowly come to learn why the mother has taken such drastic action and it's heartbreaking, all too real, and compelling.

Everett and Pearson give superb performances on multiple levels - realistically playing children and squabbling siblings; portraying adult characters in either flashbacks or imagined encounters with a childlike exaggeration; and embodying the exuberance of play with Kyle in particular resorting to mimicking video games to cope with the situation.

 
Then there is the sheer physicality of the acting which is where such a tactile set comes in. The two actors dodge and weave, prance and cavort on old tyres, through wooden slats, with movable blocks effectively creating the vehicle and, later, a servo where the children try to contact their mum.

There is real tension established throughout. Where is mum? Why did she leave them? Will the baby survive? The callousness of the servo employee had me jittery throughout that interaction. Everett's brief depiction of the dad is genuinely disturbing as is Pearson's response as the mum who has to play along for the sake of the children. It's not an easy watch but I was totally immersed in the world of the drama and the fate of Kyle and Jessie because of the sheer craft and attention to detail on display.

 

Some examples: the barking dog sound effect is so damn good my brain for half a second thought it actually was a dog off-stage. The subtle background noise of trains and suburbia is beautifully realised. The lighting to create the illusion of cars passing back and forth on the highway they have to cross induced fear for their safety. The change from the colder night time to the bright glare of the daytime sun beating down made me feel the heat. Helped by the sweat pouring off the actors from the relentless movement. The reveal of the chip packets and other junk food when the car turns into the servo. The moment the baby cries made me gasp. Every time Everett places a plastic bag over his head with Kyle threatening to asphyxiate himself when he doesn't get his way is devastating.

 
It's all intricately constructed using the video game metaphor to pause and rewind and replay key moments as we jump back and forth in time. Crucially, the story is set in an era before smartphones so having enough change to make a call from a phonebox becomes a critical factor. When the resolution comes there is a sense of relief but it is hard won which is testament to the storytelling and its execution.

 
I was totally invested throughout this hour-long tale. It grabbed me from the start and didn't let go as we are taken on a roller-coaster of emotions, expertly depicted. Playwright Angela Betzien pulls no punches in exploring abuse and neglect from the childrens' perspective, doing so with compassion and intelligence. Director Andrea Gibbs pushes the pace relentlessly and Everett and Pearson rise to the challenge in impressive style. Set and Costume Designer Sam Knox, Lighting Designer Peter Young, and Composer and Sound Designer Tim Collins all do stellar work in creating a world you lean into as an audience member.

 
This is a superb show that should find great success as it travels throughout the state and engages with young people in particular.

Guys and Dolls - Koorliny Arts Centre (3 May 2025)

What a mammoth undertaking! Bringing to life a feted musical from Broadway's golden age with a huge cast, an equally impressive band, and all the attendant creatives and crew needed to put such a show on its feet. I counted 26 cast members and 16 musicians plus two musical directors in the program. A challenge for any director let alone one in the talented Rp Van Der Westhuizen who is tackling his first adult cast musical. In this he is well served by staging it at Koorliny which has built up a sterling reputation over many years of mounting award winning, community theatre musicals.   

Premiering on Broadway in 1950 Guys and Dolls is a time capsule of the prevailing views of the time back in Nu Yawk city where sinners run riot with their gambling and their boozing while the dolls dance in the clubs and, in the case of Miss Adelaide (Jenelle Russo), want to finally tie the knot after a 14 yearlong engagement to hustler Nathan Detroit (Ben Mullings) who is more interested in where to host his next craps game. To complicate matters, Sarah Brown (Hannah Charlotte) from the local mission strives to save these poor sinners' souls but instead encounters the smooth talking Sky Masterson (Lochlan Curtis), a renowned gambler, who is entangled in Detroit's schemes. 

That's the simplest of descriptions for what is considered one of the great musicals which has a lot of story strands going on that eventually collide in, to no one's surprise, a happy ending. The comedy is broad, the lessons learned pretty earnest, however, there is some throwback sass, an infectious score, and several famous songs to have your dice-throwing hand tapping away merrily. 

It is long though - almost three hours with an interval - which is a fascinating reflection of the storytelling rhythms from over seventy years ago. It takes forever to set up 'the bet' around which most of the action revolves and it isn't shy about reinforcing its story beats throughout a scene or in the reprise of a song. Oh, what a modern day editor might do if given the chance! All that being said, there is much to admire about the show with this production pulling out all the stops. 

Ben Mullings makes for a good-natured Nathan Detroit who's hard not to like as he tries to navigate his way through the perils of the law and matrimony with seemingly equal disregard for both. There's always the sense Detroit is in over his head, especially when he's being fleeced by Big Jule (Pear Carr), but he takes it on the chin and we root for the guy. I mean, Detroit has a growing fictional family to support, after all! 

Jioji Nawanawa immediately captures the attention in an expressive performance as Benny Southstreet with good comic instincts and a soulful voice which he demonstrated to further effect in the lobby at intermission. A classy touch as he sang standards with such passion - Feeling Good was spinetingling! I understand cast member Hallelujah Selepe did likewise onstage and they swap those locations each show.  

Jamie Jewell is all sleek amiability as Nicely-Nicely Johnson before he explodes into peak song and dance mode with Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat, a true showstopper in the home stretch. Clayton Van Dijk plays along gamely, his broadly sketched policeman, Lieutenant Brannigan, always one step behind the ongoing shenanigans. 

You might be thinking that's a lot of guys and not a doll in sight until we get to Jenelle Russo's Miss Adelaide who's the star attraction of the Hot Box club and increasingly distraught at her marathon engagement to Detroit. Part lovable and ditzy; part feisty and forlorn, it's a showy role with Russo playing well against Mullings, with Adelaide's Lament a highlight. There's some inventive letter writing back to mother and a certain allergic reaction, both of which are played for reliable laughs.

On the other side of the ledger, Hannah Charlotte, who sang so beautifully in last year's The Sound of Music, excels again vocally while playing a buttoned-downed character in Sarah Brown who is beguiled and dismayed by Masterson. Charlotte has some lovely moments with Geoffrey Leeder who plays her character's grandfather; gives a glimpse into what Sarah might become free from the strictures of scripture in the Havana sequence; and generally conveys the mixed emotions of a devout person falling for someone way outside her comfort zone well. 

Lochlan Curtis lends a touch of the matinee idol to Masterson in a suave turn that is quite captivating. While the swirl of gangsters and ne'er-do-wells is rough-edged, Curtis turns on the charm when needed yet convinces us that maybe there's something more to this smooth crooner as Sky seeks to redeem himself. Croon away he does until Curtis kicks it up a notch with Luck Be A Lady, a highlight on which so much of the ensuing story rides. 

Others to stand out include Thomas Dimmick as Harry the Horse who radiates a steely confidence and hint of menace; Sarah McCabe as a stern General Cartwright who threatens to close down the mission; and Pear Carr throws his weight around quite literally as the out of town mobster who doesn't like to lose.

They're supported by a large ensemble that adds scale and glamour as well as fleshing out the world in colourful detail. And colourful it is with excellent work by Costume Designer Lyn Leeder in creating that 50s type gangster look, all suits, vests, and bowties for the guys; the various bold dance outfits for the dolls in era appropriate fashion; and the more sombre attire for the mission members. Augmented in wonderful style by the Makeup, Hair & Postiche Design of Yvette Drager Wetherilt who continues to show why she was inducted into the ITA's Hall of Fame this year. 

The set by Pear Carr is multi-tiered and uncluttered to allow such a large cast to roam freely in depicting facets of everyday New York life or bring the razzle dazzle in big production numbers. The main features are multiple neon signs that clearly delineate where we are in the city and the bold lighting design of Kat Brieden and Chloe Palliser which accentuates all that 'sin' going on. These elements, along with Connie Wetherilt's lively choreography, ensure that when the show hits its straps it's an entertaining ride. Van Der Westhuizen keeps proceedings moving as quickly as possible with a certain rhythm as we move through the different story strands. 

Musical Directors Taui Pinker and Tara Oorjitham do an excellent job with strong vocal performances across the board, led by Charlotte, while the band attack the brassy score with flair. Sound design by Jonathan Hoey is top notch and ensures that all the lyrics and dialogue, even when the broadest of accents is being used, is clear throughout. 

While the pace and style of the storytelling at times felt very old-fashioned, there's no doubt that this is a bright and bold staging of an acknowledged classic. If you're a fan of big Broadway musicals of yesteryear it's another strong outing for Koorliny. 

Photos by Mark Labrow Photography