Chicago: Teen Edition - Bel Canto Performing Arts (12 July 2025)

Give 'em the ol' razzle dazzle. Bel Canto Performing Arts did exactly that with a stylish and confident production of the classic musical Chicago. Before we shimmy into any further details let's set up a little context. As this is the teen edition of what is famously a sexy and pointed satire about celebrity culture and how sensationalism trumps the truth, certain elements have been altered. It's pleasing to see a full page in the programme that respectfully and clearly explains those changes under the licensing agreement and the company's considered approach. An excerpt:

"Every creative decision, from choreography to costuming, has been made with thoughfulness and intention. Our goal has never been to sensationalise, but to present a bold, stylised and age appropriate piece of theatre that encourages growth, confidence and artistic expression."

I witnessed this care and attention to detail talking with members of the creative team before the show. Especially about the costuming which looks fabulous without being inappropriate. I did chuckle a couple of times at some of the lyric changes, however, this didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the production. If anything, it enhanced it. Some of you will faint, I know! ;-) 

This tale contains a fabulous collection of Kander & Ebb songs presented with a sly wink and imbued with a touch of the indelible Fosse style. The performers, ranging from 15 to 21, are poised and focussed as they bring 1920s Chicago to life; a world of jazz and liquor where fame is only a gunshot and tabloid headline away.  

Iconic opening number All That Jazz clearly laid director Blake Jenkins' cards on the table. Equal emphasis on movement, vocal excellence, and capturing the swagger of the era. A simple set on two levels with three sets of stairs and a single door at the rear; along with wooden chairs in the tight wings for the ensemble to observe and adorn themselves on. Set design by George Boyd. 

Lighting design by Katharina Brieden plays with shadows and silhouettes whilst also spotlighting the feuding stars of the Cook County Jail as they vie for the attention of the media and notorious defence lawyer Billy Flynn (Jayden Adams). At times a little too much darkness for secondary characters on the periphery, however, the glitz and glamour shines through in big setpieces such as Roxie. 

Choreography by Matilda Jenkins echoes the precise moves of the Fosse style before embracing some fun flourishes of its own, especially with Amos (Calum Blakemore) in Act Two. Costuming by Matilda Jenkins and Lyn Leeder carefully treads the line between honouring the flapper era for the girls and not being too revealing, while the guys look resplendent in the predominantly black outfits the show favours. Sound design by Gordon Smith does a nice job of balancing vocals with the backing tracks and Musical Director Christie McGarrity ensures the vocal quality across the board is good indeed. 

I've already mentioned a couple of the male performers by name but, of course, Chicago is powered by a trio of female characters. Abigail Hill gives a full throated and feisty performance as the infamous Velma Kelly who is put out by the unexpected ascendancy of latest inmate Roxie Hart. Harriet Kenworthy initially plays Roxie with a disarming naivety that turns into something far more hard-edged as celebrity beckons. Hill and Kenworthy play well off each other; give interesting interpretations of wellknown songs; and sing beautifully together in first act closer My Own Best Friend and the plaintive Nowadays. Madelaine Batten is the other larger-than-life female character in the role of Matron "Mama" Morton. Batten is suitably bossy, plays up to the audience, and is an amiable presence throughout. 

Which brings us back to Jayden Adams and Calum Blakemore. Adams makes for a suave Billy Flynn who charms and cajoles in equal measure in an assured performance. Blakemore garners much audience sympathy as sad sack Amos with his work in the second act particularly affecting. Both have a highlight moment at opposite ends of the spectrum - Adams gets to literally Razzle Dazzle; Blakemore tugs at the heartstrings with Mister Cellophane. 

In the teen version, Mary Sunshine, usually a male in drag, is played by Eloise Andrew. That change does take away from the inherent flamboyance of the character yet Andrew handles the pliant report effectively. As does Matt Ballantine as the opportunistic Fred Casely and Adela Jung as the rambunctious Go-To-Hell Kitty. 

Any highlight of Chicago has to include Cell Block Tango with its anthemic "He had it coming!" refrain. Props to Hope Shepherd, Kayla Brown, Leila Zaknich, Evangeline Scali, and Holly Zaknich as five of the "merry murderesses" along with Velma. Then there's the always fun We Both Reached For The Gun which sees the whole company shine. 

Chicago is one of my favourite musicals and the movie version is a stunning adaptation. Watching the teen edition is a real pleasure. Yes, there are mandated limitations which means that if you know the full show it sometimes feels like it's pulling its punches. But to be honest, it's only a minor quibble when you see such a talented young cast on stage being so well supported by dedicated creatives from producers Katherine & Justin Freind on down. 

A glimpse at the future as you enjoy one of the legendary shows of the past. Chicago is on at the Old Mill Theatre in South Perth until 19 July. 

Photos by Outatime Pictures

Blackadder the Third - Serial Productions (5 October 2014)

Serial Productions and the Old Mill Theatre appear to have concocted a cunning plan, more cunning than a fox that has majored in cunning and decided to enact a plan so full of guile and cunningness that it would stump a master criminal. Following last year’s by-all-accounts successful run of Blackadder Goes Forth these clever chaps have decided to put on the Third iteration of the popular sitcom. At this backwards rate, 2017 should see a stonking good production of Not The Nine O’Clock News. Yes, I have been a fan of Rowan Atkinson’s for some time. Throw in a little Ben Elton - though size isn’t all that important here - and some Richard Curtis and you’re pretty much guaranteed to have more fun than that time Hugh Laurie used to be a comedian.

Edmund Blackadder, the scheming, conniving butler in early 19th century London who suffers in the service of a Regent so foppish he makes Hugh Grant’s hairdo look like a crew-cut, labours away doing what he does best – scheming and conniving with trademark acerbic wit. He is assisted in this by his dogsbody Baldrick in much the same way engine failure assists aircraft fly. The acting Regent, George, the Prince of Wales, really is a decent chap though he is a few swizzle sticks short of a jolly good cocktail party. Together they navigate the treacherous waters of anarchists, overblown actors, transvestite highwaymen, destitution, and the Duke of Wellington’s wrath among other things.

Okay, down to business. Blackadder is an iconic character and Atkinson’s shoes are formidable ones to fill. I wasn’t convinced at first but Joe Isaia slowly won me over and is very good as the narky butler. The putdowns and snide remarks are all there and Isaia uses a lot of the same inflections but didn’t quite nail the scorn behind the words. No shame there – Atkinson is the absolute master of the cutting aside. Isaia is front and centre pretty much for the whole four acts and works particularly well with Rodney van Groningen’s George.

And what a George it is. Originally played by Hugh Laurie in the television series this is another challenge for any actor but van Groningen, who was excellent as Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream earlier in the year, is the standout here. His George is preening, childlike, naïve and stupid with some lovely moments of physical comedy as well. Keith Scrivens’ Baldrick, however, was oddly a little flat for me. His infamous “cunning plans” (yes, thank you to the gentleman sitting behind me on pointing them out lest the audience and I were under the misapprehension we were attending some strange re-imagining of The King and I) didn’t elicit the sort of craftiness and glee that I had hoped.

In support was Jacqui Warner as Mrs. Miggins with Natalie Watson and Brendan Tobin in minor roles. Michael Lamont played several characters, notably Samuel Johnson and the mad Scot, McAdder while Clare Fazackerley Wood had fun with the duality of Amy Hardwood, initially the source of George’s misguided affections who is later revealed to be a notorious robber. Finally, the director himself, David Gregory has a featured role as the Duke of Wellington in what was the last and best of the four acts, Duel and Duality.

This is where the source material is paramount – this isn’t a coherent play with a single through line narrative, rather four episodes of the show presented as individual acts. Even the running order has been changed – episodes 4 and 5 presented as Acts 1 and 2 with episodes 2 and 6 performed after intermission. The production lands on a suitable ending though the episodic nature detracts a little from the overall experience.

The other stars are the costumes which are fabulous and appropriately gaudy for the period where needed; and especially the set which is a marvel. Not one but TWO revolving sets, one taking up a third of the stage, the other twice the size. I may be no mathematician but that pretty much covered the entire available space. They worked so smoothly like rotating things that revolved on their axis in a circular motion creating the illusion of multiple sets and quick transitions. It really was well thought out and executed most impressively.

This is a slick presentation of a beloved television show, one that really hits its stride in the second half. Directed by David Gregory and written by Ben Elton and Richard Curtis, it stars Joe Isaia, Keith Scrivens, Rodney van Groningen, Jacqui Warner, Michael Lamont, David Gregory, Clare Fazackerley Wood, Brendan Tobin and Natalie Watson and is on at the Old Mill Theatre in South Perth until 11 October. 

Dramafest - Session 7 (28 September 2014)

The last session of Dramafest! What a ride. Well done Festival Director Emma Davis, ITA President Paul Treasure and his committee, host club Playlovers, all the volunteer front of house and bar staff, the technical staff, and the Adjudicator Adam T Perkins.

This session was a mixed bag of different styles which is to be applauded. It began with a farce called Hotel L’Amour by Playlovers. This was a curious beast that I didn’t really get. A businessman in the cattle trade is forced to share a hotel room with two female ‘fantasy tourists’ in a French themed establishment in the middle of a country town. From a writing pointing of view that’s a hell of a lot going on to explain for a one act play. I didn’t quite understand all those separate working parts so together it was as busy as the cluttered stage. I would suggest stripping this back to only one quirky element and build the farce from there, for example a French themed hotel in a country town. I didn’t get who or what the women were and references to one of them being a slave was confusing. They came across as sex-starved yet were chaste enough to ask him to leave the room when changing.

I found male lead David Cosgrove’s delivery very rushed so had trouble following an already problematic script. One of the female ‘tourists’ was quite softly spoken which didn’t help. Ze ‘eavily accented French innkeepair ‘ad a nice showee part and I liked a couple of her in-the-moment adjustments – kicking the roll of carpet back down after a corner had been tripped up, and working with the broken curtain without breaking character. There was surprisingly quite a lot of mugging to the audience but this whole production needed to be simplified and the writing really sharpened to earn that sort of stylistic choice. Written by Peter Bibby and directed by John Senczuk this starred David Cosgrove, Anne Speicher, Vickie Billingham, and Olivia Colja.

From farce to stand-up, the next act was a ten minute spotlight by Adrian Smith called The Cost of Living. An observational routine covering traffic snarls and childcare issues to politicians in general, the performer didn’t really attack it and his lack of confidence left the material flat. A learning experience in front of a good sized but friendly audience, Smith will need to sharpen both his material and delivery.

Then we had our first performance and movement piece, an adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream focussing on the fairies in the woods called Sleepless. Predominantly movement with some dance to a contemporary selection of music, this featured a large ensemble of young performers and was very stylised, nicely costumed and looked great with simple lighting effects. There were occasional dialogue excerpts from the source material, notably the lovers who were all played by female performers. Some familiarity with Shakespeare’s comedy would have been handy but the use of flowers to symbolise the fairies magic as characters fell in and out of love was well done. This was a lovely change of pace for the festival and was a great inclusion. Directed by Josh Walker and presented by Stirling Players Youth and the Shadowlight Darkly Theatre Company, Sleepless featured Matt Randall, Angela Donlan, Steve Anderson, Kylie Webb, Ellie Prober, Keren Schlink, Tahlia McQuade, Michael Moshos, Mia Robertson, Brendan Ellis, Benjamin Costantin, Shannon Berry, Alana McKenzie, Sarah Cubbage, and Jessie Williams.

Lastly, and fittingly, the final production of Dramafest was Noel O’Neill’s superb Under Any Old Gum Tree. Beautifully written and brilliantly performed by Kieran Garvey (with Rex Gray in support), this was powerful, moving, insightful, occasionally funny and a blistering exploration of the devastation the Great War caused on those who survived No Man’s Land. Garvey plays real life Martin O’Meara VC who came to Collie from Ireland then went to the trenches of France where he survived that most brutal of wars only to end up in a mental institution. This is a powerhouse 50 minute monologue that was emotionally-affecting such was the craft on display in all facets. Simply staged, well-paced, with Garvey truly outstanding, this will no doubt rightfully feature in next year’s 100 year ANZAC commemoration. A highlight of the festival written and directed by Noel O’Neill for the Old Mill Theatre and in association with the Australian-Irish Heritage Association.

Now, I did not see all seven sessions and the official awards have already been handed out but these are my selections from the six sessions I did attend:

Best Production: Under Any Old Gum Tree

Special Mention: Picasso’s Women and Mag and Bag

Best Actor: Kieran Garvey (Under Any Old Gum Tree)

Best Actress: Sharnya Thompson (Picasso’s Women)

Best Writing: Noel O’Neill (Under Any Old Gum Tree)

Best Directing: Christine Ellis (Picasso’s Women)

Best Comedy: Love and Other Flushes

Best Ensemble: 4AM

Best 10 Minute Spotlight: Judgement Call

Best Youth Production: Sleepless

Most Disappointing Performance: The insipid Sydney Swans who didn’t use the front half of the stage at all, didn’t commit to an opinion at any point, and had no sense of play. Suggest they not be invited back next year.

That’s it for my first Dramafest. Hope you’ve enjoyed the reviews and see you next year!

Richard Hyde  

It's All Greek To Me - Old Mill Theatre (11 May 2014)

There I was hanging around in the bar at the Old Mill Theatre not long after today’s matinee had concluded. In strolls the writer, Mister Noel O’Neill. We clock each other, exchange “I haven’t seen you in a long time” pleasantries and (in surely a moment of weakness) I buy him a beer. Chink of glass before we go outside to sit in the glorious Mother’s Day sunshine to have a chat.

Part of the discussion is how prolific Noel is as a playwright but more to the point, how he has two emerging strands of play – the more serious fare (Under Any Old Gum Tree, Holly and Ivy) and the ‘kitchen table comedy’ of which It’s All Greek To Me is clearly a member and includes the two part trilogy (come on Noel, surely there’s a third in you!) Confetti from Graceland and Spaghetti and Graceland. 

These are quite literally set around the kitchen table (an excellent set today) and involve the squabbles and heightened comic-drama of a family in some form of domestic flux. 

Here it is the philandering Nicky Plankos (Kim Taylor) who cheats on his wife Athena (Vivienne Marshall) with the seemingly insatiable Circe (Nada Dilevska). His life is complicated by dim-witted son Dimitri (Cameron Leese), pregnant daughter Jenna (Valerie Dragojevic), and the antics of the suspicious Athena who has a propensity for flinging herself off the roof. Add a curse put on him by Circe and the arrival of his cousin Stavros ( Emilio Evangelopoulos) from Greece expecting to find a beautiful wife waiting for him and Nicky has his hands full. There’s nothing for it but to call in the shonky oracle Andronokos (Rex Gray) to help find the girl of Stavros’ dreams. Will it be Katarina (Jessica Stenglein) who arrives to tell Nicky she doesn’t want to be there?

Well, no, it won’t but everything is tied up neatly, the curse is lifted and everyone lives happily ever after whilst dancing off stage to the exit.

If you’re looking for a searing exploration of the human spirit then this ain’t it. If you’re after a couple of hours of fun entertainment then you’ve come to the right place. It’s no doubt that this is a crowd pleaser as the happy murmur of the audience attests to after the play finished. Noel was called away from our chat as a group of people wanted to tell him how much they enjoyed his writing. Ever the gentleman he was only too happy to oblige. Fair play, Sir.

The comedy has very much a 60's-70’s English vibe to it – a mix of Benny Hill, Morecambe & Wise with Kim Taylor compared to Michael Caine’s Alfie by more than one person and Stenglein inadvertently (as I later discovered) creating a female Frank Spencer of a character. There’s no doubt Taylor works hard in the lead role as he’s rarely off stage and uses constant asides to the audience and flourishes of physical comedy especially when he is mocking his son. Marshall is suitably shrill and melodramatic as the neglected wife and has some lovely sight gags with Leese as the son struggles to do basic tasks like wash his hands or feed himself. Evangelopoulos adds a shot in the arm with his stammering, lovelorn Stavros while Stenglein’s brief appearance is amusing.

While Noel was off talking with other audience members I went back inside to be greeted by the director who demanded, “Did I hear you laugh?” Given I am known for my distinctive laughter and propensity to use it I was somewhat taken aback. Gentle mocking on both sides ensued which is one of the things I love about community theatre - the relaxed nature and genuineness of the people involved.

The aforementioned person is Valerie Dragojevic who I know as a talented actor but is forging a career in directing with Holly & Ivy, Snow and Ash and now It’s All Greek To Me under her belt. I also had a chance to chat with cast members Vivienne Marshall and Jessica Stenglein, lovely people who, along with their fellow cast members, put on a fun show that runs until 17 May at the Old Mill Theatre in South Perth.