Animal - Upstart Theatre Company (June 2013)

This is a brilliantly written play - layered, brutal, provocative, sly, heartbreaking - with every setup paid off to telling effect. Nothing is wasted or misplaced here. It is beautifully acted by Kingsley (Judd), Sally (Bruce) and Patrick (Downes) who clearly relish working with such quality material.

The tale of human drug experimentation in a time of civil unrest is indeed harrowing but there is plenty of dark humour here as well. The chilling conclusion, however, has ramifications far beyond the intimate portrayal of patient, doctor, nurse.

It really is exceptional theatre and highly recommended.

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot - Upstart Theatre Company (6 June 2012)

Congratulations to director Patrick Downes; Desiree Crossing, Zalia Joi, Garreth Bradshaw, Braye Dial and the rest of the excellent cast of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot presented by Upstart Theatre Company.

What a play!!! Absurdist, darkly funny, bursting with ideas, pointed, subversive, dense and intricate dialogue, playful... challenging.

Three highlights (amongst many) - a powerhouse penultimate scene between Braye Dial as Judas Iscariot and Simon Thompson as Jesus; Kingsley Judd takes a beautifully written monologue at least 10 minutes long and hits it out of the ballpark; Desiree Crossing's character breaking down as she damns Satan as a liar.

Get along and catch it - highly recommended!