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

Shadow of Doubt - Fine Comb Theatre Company (19 April 2025)

“What happens when love turns into fear? When the line between care and control begins to blur?”

The challenge with reviewing such a tightly constructed, supremely acted, and smartly presented work is in not revealing its secrets. This is a powerful tale that audiences should experience on their own terms, drawing their own conclusions, and react to in the moment. I therefore apologise in advance if what follows is, at times, somewhat oblique. It is, however, in keeping with the themes of the play where what lingers beneath the surface can completely alter perceptions of the truth as seen from multiple perspectives. In this, writer-director Rachel McMurray has created a nuanced, confronting, and thought provoking production that is brilliantly written and staged.

Shadow of Doubt is an exploration of a relationship between David (Nathaniel Langworthy) and Heather (Lainey O'Sullivan) from the meet-cute first date to their courtship, marriage, and the slow unravelling of that love. We know early on that there is a disturbance to what appears to be a harmonious match as the play periodically moves forward in time to suggest a far darker strand. 

For now, let's concentrate on Langworthy and O'Sullivan who are terrific as David and Heather. A lot of time is invested in creating a believable relationship between the two and a level of comfort and intimacy on-stage that is enthralling. Langworthy is charming as David who is more a knockabout bloke who names his cars, is genuinely bedazzled by Heather, and cares deeply for her. O'Sullivan's Heather is smart, independent and more than capable of taking care of herself. The hints of the faultlines that will widen between them are subtly established while we are charmed by situations that are familiar, authentic, and beautifully rendered. There is an ease to their interactions, both in the naturalistic dialogue and, notably, the relaxed physicality of them being together. It's clear McMurray and Intimacy Mentor Molly Tipping have worked extensively with the actors to create this tangible connection which is crucial to later developments. 

As I was watching this I wondered about the spectre of what had been established with flash forwards to testimony in a courtroom by both parties. The change, when it comes, is deftly executed, increasingly harrowing, and recontextualises everything we have seen. The acting is superb as new information is revealed and key moments inverted in meaning and intent. There are, however, no easy answers or solutions which is testament to the power of the writing. 

Supporting all of this is a cohesive presentation of the world of the story; from the simple set design (Jake Pitcher) of blocks that the actors clamber over, slouch on, and has a functional component; to the inventive lighting design (Mick Rippon) that adds so much atmosphere and symbolic shadow and shading as events twist and turn; to very subtle sound design and music (Rebecca Riggs-Bennett) that heightens emotional beats and creates a sense of unease when appropriate. Even down to the set being a long strip where the audience sits in two rows on either side echoing a jury. The thought and attention to detail is impressive. 

To say more, I believe, would spoil a compelling theatrical experience. So let me say this - the performances are wonderful, the writing is superb and will feature in any end of year nominations for best new work, and the staging uses the space with expertise and precision. There are scenes of great charm and gentle humour but also exchanges that will be uncomfortable to watch with appropriate trigger warnings given in advance. The play will sponsor robust discussion of a difficult topic which is to its immense credit for such an insightful and nuanced approach. 

With ten performances remaining at the Blue Room Theatre until 3 May, this is an outstanding production that is thought provoking, original theatre at its best and is highly recommended.

Photos by Tallulah Chong

The Diary of Anne Frank - Drew Anthony Creative (17 April 2025)

Complete quiet. Between 8am to 6pm. Every day. Day after day. For a little over two years. Talking nothing above a whisper. Unable to use the facilities. Or move about in other than stockinged feet. Lest a noise attracts unwanted attention. The sort of attention that could lead to your death. A fear and constant dread that is unfathomable. Yet amongst this horror comes an extraordinary testament written by a teenager, only thirteen when she was gifted what would become her famous diary. It's a true life tale that demands the utmost respect and care when being adapted for screen or stage.

Director Drew Anthony, up to this point best known for crowd-pleasing musicals, ventures into the world of drama for the first time well aware of the enormous responsibility he's undertaken. From the choice of the 1955 adaptation by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett that saw them win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama; to the staging of the production at the prestigious Heath Ledger Theatre; the attention to detail in the presentation of the set; and a committed cast wonderfully led by Chloe-Jean Vincent as Anne Frank. 

In Vincent, Anthony has found an actress who embodies the many facets of the title character - from childlike innocence, petulance, rare insight for one so young, stubbornness, a growing sexuality, and the frustrations that come with being cooped up inside for so long, mainly with adults. It's a wonderful performance that is captivating and heartbreaking. It's a role that demands subtlety and nuance as Anne has a frosty relationship with her mother Edith (Holly Easterbrook), a much closer one with her father Otto (Phil Bedworth), and various complications with the other characters including the three years older Peter Van Daan (Nathan Hampson), initially an annoyance who slowly becomes a tentative romantic interest. We also never lose sight of Anne's literary ambitions and her belief in the essential goodness of humanity, punctuated by moments of terror in harrowing nightmares. 

The other standout is Bedworth who imbues Otto Frank with a decency and stoicism that is quietly compelling. We empathise with a man desperate to keep his family and his guests, the Van Daans, safe at all costs. We understand without question why such a dignified and compassionate man would not hesitate in accepting the risk of another lodger entering the secret annex in Jan Dussel (Jamie Jewell). 

Vincent and Bedworth are surrounded by a cast of well drawn performances. Easterbrook makes for an elegant Edith Frank who laments the lack of warmth from Anne before her frustrations explode in the second half; Asha Cornelia Cluer, by contrast, is showier and increasingly fraught as Petronella Van Daan, a beloved fur coat the cause of several disputes. Matt Dyktynski portrays Putti Van Daan as a ticking time bomb of grievances that threatens any sense of fragile harmony. Ciara Taylor is quiet and reserved as Anne's older sister Margot who is beloved by all; Jewell brings a touch of theatricality as the outsider who becomes increasingly exasperated at having to share a room with Anne and is none too kind about Peter's clumsiness. Hampson navigates a tricky arc from juvenile antagonist to shy confidant and maybe something more with endearing skill; while Kingsley Judd and Grace Tolich are earnest and kind as the loyal helpers who provide food rations and news from the outside world. 

While the situation is bleak there are many moments of warmth, camaraderie, and good natured humour as we are immersed in this hermetically sealed world. Yet human foibles, unrelenting pressure, and the claustrophobic nature of their confinement lead to relationships fracturing as the tension mounts. It's an emotional rollercoaster not only for the characters but the audience as well. We are never left in any doubt as to the stakes with two swastikas, that horrid and despicable symbol of hatred, omnipresent as they hover over the set. Shocking too is the yellow Star of David with Jude inscribed in the centre which the Franks and Van Daans have been forced to wear in the outside world of 1942 Nazi occupied Amsterdam. They are quickly ripped asunder once inside the bookcase concealed refuge. 

Production Design (Drew Anthony), Scenic Build (Rosie Martin), and Scenic Artwork (Jesse Kaserer) create a sombre toned representation of the impressively realised, multi-tiered annex from the attic Peter resides in to the many other bedrooms and shared living space. Costumes (Coordinator, Annette Stivaletta) are also muted in tone and style with two notable exceptions - the aforementioned hint of ostentation with Petronella's fur coat, and, in the second half, with a seeming nod to Schindler's List, the red dress Vincent wears which is a sign of Anne's growing maturity. 

One element I did trip on was the deliberate choice not to use props other than significant items such as the diary itself. This meant there was a significant amount of miming by the actors when dealing with 'paperwork' or 'presents' in the Hanukkah sequence or the consumption of food and drink. Given the attention to detail for all the other elements such as the movie star posters Anne tapes to her bedroom wall this had a tendency to jar.

Lighting design by Christian Lovelady adds to the sense of claustrophobia and foreboding when needed with characters in darkness and shadow but also lends warmth to more positive sequences. Notably, scenes where Anne is reciting passages from her diary as she writes are bathed in a spotlight with the rest of the set concealed in darkness. Audio design by Jordan Gibbs is critical to give a sense of the tumult outside their hiding place including the changing nature of the war as air raids become an increasing reality as the Allies prepare for D-Day and blessed liberation of Europe. 

Yet there are two sounds that cut to the bone - the clatter of a fallen chair, and Petronella's frantic tirade at one point that had me cringing in horror, silently begging her to stop. Such engagement is testament to the immersive nature of the world that had been created.

Their discovery when it comes is gut-wrenching and sad because we know it's all too real what happened. The bookends of Otto returning to the annex to recover the diary are emotional and respectful as we learn of the others' fate, including Anne who died of typhus in a notorious concentration camp. This leaves the audience emotionally devastated yet buoyed by the honesty of the performances. 

As of writing, the production has finished its current run. I believe there are discussions for it to be mounted in other states with a possible return to Perth at some stage. There is no doubt this is a well-acted and moving piece of theatre that highlights the resilience of the human spirit even in the face of unspeakable barbarity. A well-timed reminder of what's worth fighting for even to this very day.

Green Day's American Idiot - Art In Motion Theatre Company (5 April 2025)

In the early going of American Idiot there are videos projected on the rear screen that give us a sense of time and place and most importantly mood. These include snippets from 9/11 and its immediate aftermath. What strikes me is how a pivotal moment in history can be used as the catalyst for vastly different types of stories. Last year saw Come From Away celebrate community and compassion in the wake of that seismic event. Here is the polar opposite. A tale of disillusionment and the struggle to find meaning in a world wracked with strife. Conveyed through the uncompromising music of punk rock. 

Attitude is paramount. Anger, frustration, regret, and longing for something more, something better. Decisions are made that lead to cataclysmic consequences as three friends learn through their mistakes that self-acceptance and belonging is a hard won battle. Quite literally for one of the characters as the Iraq War is a key historical context that informs the story. 

Another element that strikes me is that this musical, unlike a recent production at the same venue, is based on an actual concept album - Green Day's eponymous hit - with additional songs taken from a subsequent offering. While not claiming to be a Green Day fan these are well known songs from a lauded release that won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album. The musical is sung through with the lyrics carrying the narrative. While the band isn't on-stage, the power and volume of the music does, at times, obscure those lyrics. However, it's the sheer brio of the playing and singing that impresses under Musical Director Callum Presbury. 

The in your face attitude is reinforced with muscular choreography by Jordan D'Arcy and Jason Nettle which often zombifies the cast and large ensemble as they stumble through the remnants of their character's lives. It also bolsters the sense of rage at the world and essential conflict as they collide with each other trapped in their own bubbles.

This is a particularly well sung production led by Liam Tickner as Johnny. He gives a full-throated performance as the central figure who descends into a drug fuelled malaise unable to cope with the disconnect between longing and reality. To such an extent Johnny creates a manifestation of his self-destructive tendencies in drug dealer St. Jimmy, played by Christian Dichiera, who also gives a full tilt portrayal. Salvation looms in the form of Whatsername played with tenderness by Jessica Reynolds until Johnny's demons outweigh his better angels and she leaves him. 

Bailey Bridgman-Peters is excellent as Tunny, the friend who makes a dramatically different choice on seeing Favourite Son (Aramis Martino) extol the virtues of American patriotism writ large. Tunny enlists in the army only to be shipped off to war and calamity. Bridgman-Peters has the bearing of a soldier but it's the slow unravelling of that demeanour into something far more vulnerable that is a standout. In Mary Carter's Extraordinary Girl, Tunny creates his own fantasy character as he laments the loss of a limb only to find acceptance through love with the real life nurse on which he bases his dreams. 

Mathew Leak completes the trio of friends - the one who didn't take the leap; caught in stasis by responsibility and inertia as his partner Heather (Breanna Redhead) falls pregnant. Leak doesn't have as many opportunities to shine as Tickner and Bridgman-Peters, largely anchored to a couch, stage left, as Will is frozen by apathy, pot, and booze. His work with Redhead though is affecting as she presents Heather as a far more spiky character not content with Will's bullshit. 

Director Chloe Palliser ratchets up the energy at every opportunity, utilising a large ensemble who use (often nerve-rackingly) movable platforms, shopping trolleys, and the multi-tiered set to clamber on and over to complement the raw nature of the music with kinetic motion. However, there are telling moments of reflection and solitude in quieter numbers played invariably by Tickner on acoustic guitar. There is also a lot of subversive undercutting of iconic American symbolism - especially the flag and the uniform - which speaks volumes as to the disaffection with the status quo. 

Highlights abound from Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Are We The Waiting, Give Me Novacaine, and there's a particularly classy touch with closing number Good Riddance (Time of Your Life). The Before the Lobotomy/Extraordinary Girl/ Before the Lobotomy (Reprise) sequence is also a deftly executed excursion into fantasy and nightmare. 

I really enjoyed this production for its no holds barred approach, a kickarse band that I thought for the longest time was a backing track - that's how good they were - and excellent vocal performances that captured the spirit of rebellion and vitriol when needed, and were plaintive and almost wistful at times as a lovely counterpoint. A powerful depiction of discontent and decay in a post 9/11 America that continues to spiral into the abyss. 

Green Day's American Idiot is on for three more shows only at the Don Russell Performing Arts Centre in Thornlie, 10-12 April. 

*Photos by Perfectly Picturesque Photography 

Lizzie - Milky Way Productions (15 March 2025)

Before Spotify and other streaming applications changed the way we listen to music with self-curated playlists, there used to be the album. The peak expression of that form was the concept album, a cohesive collection of songs that were thematically linked. Think Tommy by The Who. For me, growing up though, it was Pink Floyd's The Wall, that great work of bombast as Roger Waters howled into the void about alienation, rock stardom, and the loss of his father on the Anzio beachhead. Leavened by the brilliant guitar work of David Gilmour, Richard Wright's keyboard and their combined vocals. 

Here's the segue…

An early Pink Floyd instrumental is called, wait for it, Careful With That Axe, Eugene. I recommend the live performance from Live At Pompeii. It starts softly, melodic, seductive, slowly building in intensity until all hell breaks loose as Waters screams and Gilmour's guitar wails surrounded by Wright's psychedelic soundscape and Nick Mason's pounding drums. Replace Eugene with Lizzie and you're on the money. 

All this is to say that at the interval I remarked to another audience member that Lizzie is not so much a musical as it is a rock concert. This is a live performance of a concept album; that concept being the motivations and fallout of Lizzie Borden murdering her father and stepmother with an axe; decidedly not carefully. That revelation, to me, explains all the choices co-directors Kieran Ridgway and Luke Miller make from lighting design, the staging, the prominence of the band, down to costume design and the stylised movement of the cast. 

Let's start with the seven-piece band who take up most of the stage space with lights interspersed between them, front and back, and amps aplenty. It's a rock concert and they are the engine that drive the show. They are excellent under Musical Director Akari Komoto who also plays piano. I really liked the rock infused score that crackled with energy and was loud and aggressive where it needed to be, and quieter in moments of character introspection. 

Lead guitarist Sarah Curran makes an immediate impression and adds a seventies style tone when the electric guitar was the pre-eminent instrument of the era. The presence of Kiara Burke on cello adds a hint of Spring Awakening texture and class. They all rock out when called upon which had me rocking along with them. Take a bow, Komoto, Curran, Burke, Chelsea Cheah (piano), Silvia Salaza Molano (guitar), Erin Steicke (bass), and Martha Bird (drums). 

Here's the trade off though. In fact there are a few. The volume of the band when they're cranked up and into it is going to submerge the vocalists, even one as powerful as Lukas Perez. That's fine at a concert when everyone knows the words to a decades old classic or have listened to a new release multiple times, however, this is a somewhat obscure musical so the songs were completely foreign to me. 

I certainly understood the gist of what was going on but most of the lyrics were lost in the upbeat numbers. Attitude of delivery, the interaction of our singers, and a passing knowledge of who Lizzie Borden was and what she allegedly did carries me along. Though the writers pretty much put a line through 'allegedly' and point the finger directly at Lizzie as the culprit... while seeking to give plausible reasons as to why that might have been.  

The other trade off is the band takes up a lot of space. It leaves only a narrow strip for our four cast members to work in though there is also a second level where the creation of open barn doors in the rustic wooden set is used as a focal point. Set design by Luke Miller with set painting by Shelly Miller which depicts the two victims' portraits on the rear wall. As an aside, I'm with Mister Borden; pigeons are flying vermin.  

Let's get to our four lead vocalists in this rock extravaganza. Perez shines as Lizzie Borden, both vocally and in depicting an emotionally troubled woman. An early highlight is This Is Not Love where the clear inference is that Lizzie is being sexually abused by her father. Lizzie is surrounded by her older sister Emma (Brittany Isaia), housemaid Bridget Sullivan (Sarah McCabe), and neighbour Alice Russell (Jessica Huysing) and there is the symbolic removal of an outer garment as Perez rocks us in another way with a plaintively sung ballad. 

Isaia brings older sister angst to the portrayal of Emma while McCabe is fussy common sense and practicality as the servant who witnesses all. Huysing's Alice is allowed to be much sweeter in the first half as a suggested love interest of Lizzie's before a harder edge comes into focus after the break. They all sing and harmonise well together though Huysing's mic seemed to have a different tone to it. Perez is given every opportunity to belt out numbers with those impressive pipes and there's plenty of echo and reverb used throughout.

The first half ends with - spoiler alert - yep, you guessed it. The second delves into the trial and aftermath. Any pretence that this isn't a rock concert is dispensed when the four lead vocalists of our rock group come out with handheld mics and are flanked at the front of the stage by guitarists Curran and Molano for the final couple of numbers. They're bathed in an orgy of lights as the band and vocals reach a crescendo. Rock on. 

Lighting design by Bailey Fellows is a showy, multi-coloured spectacle that enhances the rock concert vibe, particularly with the use of an array of lights nestled around the band at stage level. Costume design by Sarah McCabe is an eclectic mix of 1892 period piece in the first half, then modern goth in the second. McCabe's housemaid could be an extra from Rocky Horror in the latter going with an ostentatious wig (Tashlin Church) capping off the illusion. Choreography by Naomi Capon is angular and awkward but again, it makes greater sense if you think of those gloriously over the top 70s concerts before the arrival of punk skewered the self-pretention of the supergroup and rock god.   

Lizzie is loud, it's raucous, it's aggressive. If I considered it as a musical, does it work? No. As a rock concert, I loved the band, enjoyed the score, and accepted the over-the-top theatricality which is a different kind of spectacle to a stage musical. This feels like a cult classic in the making that will attract a niche audience. That appears to be the M.O. for this production company as they offer up a harder edged selection of lesser known works that will appeal to younger and more diverse theatregoers. 

Lizzie is on at the Don Russell Performing Arts Centre in Thornlie until 22 March.

Henry IV - GRADS Theatre Company (12 March 2025)

Let's talk about how special the theatregoing experience can be... 

A couple of hours before opening night there was a pretty heavy shower where I live. This is going to be interesting, I thought, given the New Fortune Theatre is an outdoor venue. I even took a jumper with me. The rain cleared, the night was still, the jumper was never in danger of being required, the peacocks were mute... it was nothing short of a divine evening. 

I was uncharacteristically indecisive and ended up in the upper wing, audience left, looking down at the stage. As I absorbed the action before me, gazing at the performers, clearly seeing the audience where I'd normally sit, listening to the immortal words of Shakespeare, I was struck by how otherworldly this was. In the best possible way. A terrific cast, performing an epic tale, written by the greatest playwright of the English language, in a replica venue, on a perfect night. It floated across my mind that theatre doesn't get much better than this. 

Afterwards, one of the actors remarked they heard someone laughing from the wings and that they must have known the play. Yes, I laughed. But I do not know the play. What I do recognise is wordplay and japery and an inventiveness of language that has never been matched. When writ large in someone as larger-than-life as Sir John Falstaff the ribaldry is nothing short of intoxicating. A condition Falstaff and his companions are certainly not foreign to.

My vantage point also delivered a stunning visual moment that rocked me; like a spectacular wide shot from a movie that could only have been seen in profile. At the end of the first half, to my right, Prince Hal (Fraser Whitely) is at the rear section of the foot of the stage amongst the audience, head slightly bowed. To my left, Henry IV (Grant Malcolm) is on the stage, behind his imposing desk, in an elevated position compared to his son and wayward heir. Whitely moves slowly down the central aisle, mounts the stairs to the stage, and for the first time ascends to meet his father on his own level. Only to be berated by Henry in a fiery monologue delivered by Malcolm that will not be his last burst of sustained brilliance. 

That image, of those two characters at the extremities of, in film language, the frame; the difference in elevation, in posture, and demeanour said EVERYTHING about their respective status and relationship without a word being spoken. It's imprinted on my brain. The act of humble ascension and subsequent rebuke is superb. If I sat where I normally do I would never have seen it. Not like that. Thank you, indecisiveness!

I digress.

This adaptation by director Patrick Downes is the merging of two plays, Henry IV, Parts One and Two. In short, Hotspur (Grace Edwards) has taken up arms against Henry IV (Malcolm) while Henry's son, Prince Hal (Whitely), carouses with the notorious Falstaff and associates. High court politics, battles, and sword fights ensue with plenty of hijinks along the way. Think of it as Game of Thrones without the dragons. In essence it is a story about the son who will assume the mantle of the father and cast aside his rebellious past. All stirring stuff. 

Grant Malcolm excels as Henry IV. Regal, commanding, exasperated at his son and the folly of those who oppose him. His monologue towards the end of the play as Henry catches Hal wearing the crown is worth the price of admission alone. Wounded in more ways than one, his Henry is distraught at this act. Malcolm is devastating as he conjures a response of raw emotion until Whitely's Hal seeks to placate him. 

Whitely, youthful and exuberant, plays Hal as one of the lads until duty calls and the arc towards regal responsibility is set in motion. It's a likeable and charming performance contrasted by the coldness of Hal's repudiation of his past in the closing moments. 

Where Grant Malcolm brings the authority, Michael Lamont brings stout and roundly humour in a fabulous turn as Falstaff. He is never less than captivating as he carouses and cajoles; schemes and pontificates. His speech about honour is a highlight as Lamont shifts gears to bring insight to such a boastful man. 

Grace Edwards is all fire and scorn as Hotspur who defies the king and sets in motion the broader political and military machinations. Edwards prowls the stage, her Hotspur restless and discontent, until fury meets destiny in a clash that will define the fortunes of all involved. 

The supporting players inhabit multiple roles with skill and flair - Martyn Churcher, notably as Worcester whose deceit ends in calamity; Anna Head, both regal and common as Westmoreland and Doll Tearsheet respectively; Joanne Lamont who moves between inn-keeper and finely accented, rebel nobles; Nic Doig as a vibrant Poins, in particular; Jason Dohle whose Douglas hunts Henry with rare savagery; Andreas Petalas as a sixth man off the bench taking on multiple roles, highbrow and low; and Kaitlyn Barry, quieter yet no less arresting, as Peto and Vernon.  

Patrick Downes uses all of the space, however, there's a clear delineation, especially in the first half, like an Elizabethan netball court. The highborn and those of authority are on the raised stage; the lowborn and the fallen Prince Hal perform at the foot of the stage. The traversing of those boundaries, when it comes, is of notable importance until the chaos of battle leads to far more fluid staging in the second half. 

Well lit (Fiona Reid), well costumed (Merri Ford), and well staged this is a showpiece for the actors and they deliver in rousing fashion. Music cues were a little off-putting and abrupt to mine ears but maybe that's because the inherent drama and comedy did not need buttressing.  

Shakespeare can be difficult for the modern sensibility. I have to tell you though, sitting there, watching a stirring production on a balmy Perth night was pretty damn special. A unique experience and one that's well worth attending.  

Henry IV is on at the New Fortune Theatre in the Arts Building of the UWA campus until 22 March. 

Photos by Paris Romano Jenner

Endgame - Kalamunda Dramatic Society (9 March 2025)

Life can be absurd. Chaotic. Meaningless. Repetitive. Fraught with setbacks and obstacles. This may sound bleak. But that doesn't mean it isn't honest. Or filled with dark humour and small moments of triumph. 

Most stories lean towards the light. Towards narrative structures and arcs that are familiar and comforting. Storytelling that is ingrained on the human psyche. Aristotle's Poetics. The Hero's Journey. Save the Cat! I'm from that school of writers. Well, maybe not the last one. 

Samuel Beckett is decidedly not. His work stubbornly refuses to conform to those traditional norms. It is absurd, chaotic, and repetitive. It's also often repetitive and bleak. And absurd. Oftentimes chaotic. 

It's a style that can be alienating and confronting. There aren't the normal storytelling rhythms you expect - not in narrative structure, not in the flow and cadence of dialogue. Nor in tidy resolutions or convenient character arcs.

What there is though is adherence to theme. A sort of existential dread as we battle those darker forces in everyday life; from the absurd to the meaningless. The audience grapples for meaning mirroring the characters' own struggle. 

In an intimate theatre such as KADS there's an unspoken compact in a play like Endgame. We are trapped with the characters. We may suffer. We may get frustrated or confused. We laugh at the absurdity and the bleak humour. We might empathise with the plight of these characters. If we pay attention we could actually discern the thread of a more conventional story that is being told; hidden in fragments and ellipses, and the whims of what is possibly an unreliable narrator. At the very least one that delights in bombast. It's a fascinating concoction that challenges an audience and forces us to think. 

It strikes me as a play that demands great patience from its director and cast. Stage directions are performed at an almost metronomic pace which requires an impressive level of discipline. The same with the delivery of dialogue. The pause is the master of all here. In the space between lines. In the stillness between movement. 

The story is set in a place that feels timeless; where the world as we know it has ended for reasons we will never glean. A blind, infirmed man with a cruel intellect - Hamm (Neale Paterson) - who is confined to an armchair set on casters, is engaged in a battle of wills with his servile companion who tends to him and cannot sit - Clov (Zane Alexander). All the while, Hamm's elderly and legless parents - Nagg (Malcolm Douglas) and Nell (Amanda Watson) - who are stuffed in large dustbins watch on helplessly. All of them face an inevitable end the same as the chess pieces and board that adorn the set. 

The metaphor is clear - the chessboard is a finite space and the pieces within it can only move in certain predetermined ways until the game finally comes to a conclusion. Hamm is the King who is to be attended to at all times and whose movement is minimal. Clov, I suspect, is perhaps best suited as a Bishop who can only move awkwardly, legs splayed apart, all diagonal. Nagg and Nell feel like hapless pawns though the dustbins are reminiscent of castles.

It's a handsome and striking set credited to Kresna, Melisa Musulin, Leigh Siragusa, Peter Bloor, Peter Neaves and Virigina Moore Price who also directs here alongside Rosalind Moore. It features two portholes set high on either side of the stage walls - lit to represent the dark/ocean; the other the earth/light. Again, the symmetry with the chessboard is clear. Also two large dustbins that sit atop a table, and Hamm's armchair. 

Makeup and costuming is exaggerated for effect - Nagg and Nell especially looking grotesquely decrepit. There is a sense of decay as the end approaches. The lighting design is very atmospheric as it conceals almost as much as it reveals at times. The porthole lighting is beautifully symbolic.

The acting is excellent. Neale Paterson holds our attention as Hamm even though the character is largely unable to move and his eyes are shielded by sunglasses. It's his voice that commands attention here as Hamm cajoles and belittles Clov whilst pleading for his painkillers and occasionally undercutting theatrical virtuosity with the underplayed aside. Again, the pause is used to great effect.

Zane Alexander is at the top of his game with a wonderfully judged physical performance that is exacting in its repetition and pace. We feel Clov's dilemma - he desperately wants to leave... but where would he go? There is a delicate balance of reproachment, reluctant compliance, and utter exasperation which Alexander cycles through with great skill.

Malcolm Douglas and Amanda Watson are the offbeat comic foil with tragic overtones. Douglas delivers a cutting tale about a man and a tailor with a gloriously dark punchline. Watson tugs briefly at our heartstrings in a wistful manner that belies the darkness. 

Director Virginia Moore Price, who also did the lighting design and was sound and lighting operator for Sunday's matinee, and her co-director Rosalind Moore, stick to their guns in terms of pacing and embracing the inherent absurdism of the piece. Nothing is rushed. There are no apologies here for a style that some audience members may blanch at. 

I confess, it took me an entire day pondering what I had seen to slowly grasp the meaning of the play, as incomplete as that may be. In this way it's like that other lauded play that confounded me last year until it all made sense in the Moore directed Top Girls. It took me a little longer this time! 

Endgame is on at KADS in Kalamunda until 22 March 2025. Be patient with it. Chew over it. Come to your own conclusions and epiphanies. It's part of an encouraging trend in community theatre - putting on complex and challenging works that are a little outside the norm. I love the confidence that signals. 

Assassins - Roleystone Theatre (1 March 2025)

Let's not beat around the grassy knoll. Assassins is one of my favourite musicals. I love the audacity of telling a story - a musical no less! - about those misbegotten fiends who successfully assassinated or tried to assassinate a president of the good ol' US of A. All because "Everybody's got the right/To be happy."

Of course it's Sondheim. It could only be Sondheim. With a deliciously subversive Book by John Weidman which features one of my favourite sequences in pretty much anything which I won't spoil here but is still as astonishing a piece of writing as the first time I saw it back in 2015. 

The tone is darkly satirical and by dark I mean at the bottom of a mine shaft, complete absence of light, dark. Which some may find challenging or perhaps miss the point of, whereas I find utterly invigorating. This isn't a hum-hum-hummable musical with happy lyrics and a leggy chorus line - this is a savage commentary on the American dream, gun culture, and the lengths desperate people go to after being marginalised and cast aside. If you tell a whole nation they can be anything they want then create a system where that's abundantly untrue, well, sometimes a president or two might get shot. 

I deliberately called them misbegotten fiends and it's true, there's a high level of dysfunction and self-delusion here. But the musical also scratches beneath the surface of these footnotes in history to try and explain their actions without exonerating them. Some names are eternal - John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald at the forefront; others are largely forgotten or oddities now. It's an eclectic mix across time, across rationales, across personality types and circumstances. It's also bleakly funny in ways that cut deep. 

Director Christopher Alvaro has made several key decisions in this version. The first is to forgo the usual gaming arcade set; instead opting to depict the white frontal columns of the White House with the orchestra nestled behind them. Characters literally take aim at the workplace and residence of  the president; several incarnations of whom wander by in the form of Peter 'Pear' Carr who also designed the set with Alvaro.  

The second is to dial up the performances to 11. This is a full-throated assault as the cast magnify the grievances, real and imagined, of these figures, almost haranguing the audience in the process. It's bold and, when it works best, utterly electrifying. Apologies, Giuseppe Zangara (Marshall Brown). 

The satirical tone is immediately established as The Proprietor (Carr again) entices our wannabe assassins to purchase a gun in the opening number Everybody's Got The Right and solve all their problems by shooting a president. The intensity that follows is led by the wonderfully earnest performance of Mark Thompson as the pioneer of all American presidential assassins, John Wilkes Booth. He commands the stage as he does the other assassins, imbuing Booth with commitment and passion. We have no doubt Booth believes in the (misguided) cause he spilled blood for in notorious fashion. The vainglorious actor who changed the course of history.

In contrast, the transparently vain Charles Guiteau (Rp van der Westhuizen) hawks his book, claims he is extraordinary, and demands to be Ambassador to France; the refusal to name him as such leading to President James Garfield's demise. The showstopper, The Ballad of Guiteau, becomes an increasingly fraught display that verges into true horror as Guiteau stares mortality in the eye as the gallows are assembled before him. The manufactured charm and confidence van der Westhuizen portrays the character with earlier evaporates into manic fear. Not for the fainthearted! 

Ethan Battle doubles down on the earnestness as his Leon Czologosz features in several key moments - the harrowing story of how a bottle is made after John Hinckley (Lochlan Curtis) carelessly breaks one in a bar; the encounter with the anarchist Emma Goldman (Erin Craddock) who he has been following and declares his love for; leading off the aptly named The Gun Song; oh, and his assassination of William McKinley. 

Paul Treasure, bedraggled and decked out in a Santa outfit befitting a child's worst nightmare, excels as Samuel Byck. Gifted with two brilliantly written monologues - one directed at Leonard Bernstein ("Lenny"); the other to Richard Nixon ("Dick") who Byck intends to kill by flying a 747 into the White House. Treasure expertly modulates his delivery from conversational to outright bile as he pours Byck's disenchantment and rage into a tape recorder while happily munching away on a sandwich or burger. It's exhilarating to watch.   

Another standout is Sonja Reynolds as Sara Jane Moore, the absentminded, would be assassin of Gerald Ford who teams up with Charles Manson acolyte, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme (Madeleine Shaw) in a compression of real events. Shaw brings the creepy, cult-like vibes while Reynolds imbues Moore with a ditzy air that adds genuine comic relief. You sense Ford was never in any real danger though fried chicken and pooches should be wary! 

Marshall Brown adds to the intensity in stomach churning fashion playing the man who tried to assassinate FDR while Lochlan Curtis is quietly obsessed as Hinckley. The closest you get to a ballad in this musical is Curtis and Shaw singing of their love for, ahem, Jodie Foster and "Charlie" respectively. Yep, it's dark alright!  

Erin Craddock is featured as Emma Goldman and leads the ensemble, most notably in the show closer Something Just Broke which follows the exceptional 15 or so minute sequence that is brilliant in its sheer audacity. And is where we talk about Matthew Walford's Balladeer, the clean cut presence who seemingly mocks this collection of misfits before... go see it, you'll be astounded. Walford adds a slice of genuine Yankee spirit that turns into bewilderment as events transform his character. 

The score, as you would expect, is superb and well played by the orchestra under Krispin Maesalu. Lighting design by Alvaro is very stylistic with each assassin having their own colourful backdrop as Booth thrusts them literally into the spotlight. Like the musical styles Sondheim uses, the costumes also have to cover a range of time periods and fashions which Cherie Alvaro manages well; that grimy Santa suit and Booth's handsome attire to the fore. First time choreographer, Tatum Stafford, adds more movement than I expected with, again, a playfully satirical style at work. 

My main issue, however, is that this IS Sondheim so the lyrics are incredibly important. With no pit and a sizeable orchestra directly behind the cast, it was a battle at times to clearly make out and savour those words. The volume on the mics was turned up high to compensate which often led to some distortion and, when there was shrieking to be done in non-musical moments, became somewhat painful.  

However, I walked away impressed by a total cast commitment to going for broke with their characterisations and how relevant this musical is today, perhaps more so than its debut off-Broadway in 1990 and its 2004 Broadway revival given current events in America. An outstanding entry into the Sondheim canon which is tackled with real verve here. 

Assassins is on at the Roleystone Theatre until 15 March.

Two Plays by Caryl Churchill - Melville Theatre Company (15 February 2025)

A preamble. In two parts.

Part one:

The first play finishes. I scurry off to the lobby to type some notes into my phone. I'm by myself and madly processing what I've just seen. I wander back in and talk briefly with an adjudicator whose opinions I respect. I retake my seat and the lady next to me asks what I thought. I offer some tentative views to which her and her friend thank me for the explanation. I'm sorry, what? Explanation? I'm still processing and feel nowhere close to explaining anything! I reveal I'm reviewing the show. On leaving for the night the lady good-naturedly wishes me, “good luck!” This makes me laugh.

Part two:

I'm a huge fan of discussing theatre in the moment so I grab a drink and stay. For me it's an integral part of the overall experience. Cast members, two of which are also the director of the show they're not acting in, come over. We have a wide-ranging discussion about the plays; about theme and meaning and the playwright's intent. The writing is deliberately obtuse and, as a writer, I'm grappling to understand the intended effect. I'm also experiencing these plays cold; the cast have worked on the text for weeks. Talking about it helps me order my thoughts and clarify my understanding. We end up getting kicked out of the theatre as it closes. Such conversations are a delight.

All this is to say, bear with me as I pick my way through these reviews. I apologise if I'm not as concise as I would like. These are difficult plays, however, there are joys to be found in their staging and value in thinking about them.

ESCAPED ALONE - 55 minute one act play 

A neighbour joins three friends having a cuppa in a suburban backyard. They discuss all kinds of things; some trivial, some fraught, some surprising, some puzzling. Meanwhile the neighbour narrates a dystopian future that is shocking and deliberately provocative.

Director Lucy Eyre has assembled an excellent cast - Suzannah Churchman, Caroline McDonnell, Natalie Burbage, and Susan Lynch. It's a real pleasure watching the four of them inhabit such diverse roles - Churchman as the emotionally fragile friend with a feline phobia that explodes into a striking, if somewhat overlong, monologue that treads the line between bizarre and heartbreaking. Burbage, whose character would rather be invisible than face the inequities of modern life. McDonnell as the brusque friend who cares not for others' feelings before delivering a stark monologue about the murder of her husband with unexpected ramifications.

Then there's Lynch as the neighbour who intrudes and is our narrator of sorts as she delivers brutal descriptions of a dystopian hellscape supported by the projection of images of a planet in distress - whether by climate change, natural disasters, manmade follies, political stupidity, and social inequality.

The lighting design by Lars Jensen resonates with me, having recently been on a film shoot where there were transitions back and forth between real and imagined scenes. The techniques used here are similar albeit on a bigger stage. The world of the backyard is bright and lush with greenery; the dystopian visions dark and disturbing. Sound design by Myles Wright accentuates the discomfort. Video projections (visual design by Dylan Randall) hint at how the calamitous disaster came to be. The language is, again, deliberately perverse in its choice of imagery. 

I wait. 

For an epiphany that links the bleakest of visions with the seemingly innocuous reality of these women's lives. I recall that Caryl Churchill wrote Top Girls and my response to that play eventually coming into sharp focus with a glorious revelation.

I wait. 

No epiphany comes. 

Until I am assaulted with TERRIBLE RAGE.

Those two words. Over and over. Lynch absolutely laid emotionally bare and vulnerable. It's an extraordinary moment. 

This isn't subtext. This is straight up text as theme. 

It's an angry play. It roils and spits venom. I feel the writer's fury.  

The juxtaposition is absolutely intended. We sit and talk about idle fears and concerns while the planet burns. The dialogue is almost malicious in how obtuse it is. It's a writer demanding you pay attention and, I expect, get angry yourself. 

Does it work? In the moment, no. I think Churchill has done herself a disservice by being too obtuse, too elusive. You can sense the audience grappling like I was with any sense of meaning. If you take the time to sit down and think about it and talk about it then yes, it does work on that basis. But it's a hard watch and will likely prove divisive to audiences. However, it is a showcase for fine performances and impressive staging, particularly as the script format itself, I believe, is equally impenetrable.   

I brace myself after the interval...

WHAT IF IF ONLY - 20 minute one act play 

I'm greeted with an open box structure onstage and an apple featured in a glass case. There's a kitchen setting where Lucy Eyre has moved from directing duties to playing a woman who is mired in grief. She tells the tale of a man who tried to paint an apple, then not paint an apple, eventually concluding that perhaps he should have tried to paint an orange instead. 

Again, an intriguing opening gambit as Eyre's "Someone" wishes her partner were still alive; taken by tragic circumstances out of her control. It's a naturalistic performance. A relatable one. A moving and honest one. 

Until hyper theatricality comes crashing into her structured world in the form of Jarrod Buttery's "Future/s", Clare Talbot's "Present", and Tanisha Mavunduse's "Child Future". Again, the juxtaposition is clearly intended, deliberately pushed, and stylised. Director Natalie Burbage gives licence to the actors playing these fantastical characters to go big; not only in performance but costume and lighting (Lars Jensen) as well.

Buttery goes full tilt vaudevillian shtick; Talbot is almost maniacally insistent; while Mavunduse's brief appearance speaks to youthful mischief. The writing is circular - the same arguments and position are stated and restated as if these phantasms are beseeching "Someone" through sheer force of will and repetition. 

In the end, I suspect I've been conned by the verbal equivalent of sleight of hand. The apple story is the most telling. Yes, in our grief we may summon a flurry of thoughts - "What if I..." or "If only I..." but the apple will never be an orange even if you forget what it looks like as cherished memories fade over time. The apparitions are more a fever dream of a woman in pain and sorrow.

Ultimately, on reflection, I appreciate the decision to tackle both these plays. There's no getting around it though - the writing is deliberately obtuse; the juxtaposition of styles and tone purposefully jarring. This isn't theatre for enjoyment as such. This is theatre for discussion and debate. 

I would recommend that if you go and see these plays which are well acted and well staged, have those discussions and debates afterwards; either in the lobby, in the carpark, the next day, whenever. You may find you are well rewarded for the effort. 

Two Plays by Caryl Churchill is on at the Main Hall, Melville Civic Centre until 1 March.

Photos by Curtain Call Creatives