One of the saddest features of ‘The Arts’ in Australia is that Shakespeare, that wildly popular playwright who enthralled the masses in Elizabethan England, is now seen to be elitist theatre and inaccessible to most people. One of Damian Ryan’s crowning achievements,as creative director of Sport For Jove, is to make Shakespeare live in modern times and in doing so he creates a truly authentic, brilliant and fun experience. His season starts at Bella Vista farm and then moves to Leura- both outdoor venues where audience members are encouraged to bring picnic food cushions and blankets.

This year he is directing the Roman Pair- both ‘Julius Caesar’ and ‘Antony and Cleopatra.’It is a marvelous way to see the sequence of events. As usual his setting is innovative and utilises the three dimensions of the stage.He also brings new ideas to enliven the plot, and the cast is utilised cleverly to create an enormous number of stage characters. I really love the way costumes convey both the historic period but also suggest a link to the present, since the themes of every play have never become outdated.

As a Shakepeare lover he brings new clarity to every play that I see. For those who have not seen or who do not care for Shakespeare I do believe that a trip to Bella Vista will be such a great experience that you will never miss another season. Ultimately Shakespeare was supposed to be fiercely entertaining….and Sport for Jove with Damian Ryan at the helm is the best incarnation in Australia- perhaps the world.

Sometimes I see a play which is so wonderful and so well done that I am surprised! The latest play at the Blood Moon Theatre ( in the World Bar) is a perfect example. Morgan Stern is a one man show written by the talented Gina Schien (she wrote a glorious play, Punter’s Siren which we saw at the same venue). It is performed by a relatively ‘unknown’ actor Graeme Rhodes. He has performed in many productions over several decades but in this play he is remarkable. He is able to create several characters ,each with distinctive voices and facial characteristics, without any confusion to the audience; the complex story is beautifully realised over ninety minutes that sails past too quickly.I hope never to miss him in further plays because his talent is enormous. The theme is mental health but this play has many layers and there is a marvelous fantasy element which ensures that it is not excessively gritty. The direction by Goldele Rayment must also be commended because the flow is seamless, lighting and sound enhance the text, and she has made excellent use of this space. I gave this a standing ovation. Who needs off broadway?

As you may know, there was a Super Moon event this week where, in many parts of the world, the early evening moon appeared as a huge orb, more than twice it normal size.Such an event happens barely twice per century.  The relevance for Shadow Box, the latest play at the Old Fitzroy  Theatre is that this play has a large cast, and it is a group of such renowned, brilliant actors that it may not happen again in this century!

Shadow Box is a beautiful, eloquent play, winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1977. It tackles the theme of dying, using a collage of different characters facing death, but of course it embraces many themes and one can reflect upon the concepts which emerge for months after seeing it.

This production is truly exquisite. The set is extraordinary- designed by recent NIDA graduate Isabel Hudson. The director, Kim Hardwick and producer Dino Dimitriadis have done a remarkable job in creating a huge work within the diminutive Old Fitz theatre space.

And of course, any play is largely about the actors. This Super Moon cast includes Anthony Gooley, Fiona Press, Mark Lee, Jeanette Cronin,Ella Prince, Tim Mcgarry, Kate Raison Simon Thomson, and Jackson Blair-West. I have seen several of these actors in many productions, but in this play I feel that they were at the top of their creativity. I have never seen such a collection of virtuosity  en masse. Anthony Gooley for example, who won best actor for The Libertine- a real womaniser- is completely convincing as the gay lover of a dying writer. Mark Lee is marvelous as  Joe; his acting is effortless. He is an artist who seems to be  internally illuminated whenever he is on stage. His stage wife Jeanette is equally strong. Fiona Press is an actor who has been working for over thirty years. Her portrayal of the blind, demented Felicity is heartbreaking- voice and body are  perfectly honed to the task. The other cast members are equally powerful, and create a production that is beyond compare in 2016.

The next Super moon is more than thirty years away… do not miss this play!!

The latest play at the ever astounding Old Fitz theatre is a highly regarded play making its Australian debut. It is a wonderful play- funny and uncomfortable at the same time and it is blisteringly relevant in its themes of social media , teenage sexual relationships and the challenges of modern parenting. The parents are played by Danielle King ( often in Sport For Jove productions) and the extremely versatile Jeremy Waters. These actors are just fabulous- they are always fabulous but this script enables them to present  nuanced characters who dazzle with their stage presence. Their rapport on stage is remarkable and they make wonderful use of the clever set  through dozens of scene changes. The supporting actors, Kate Cheel and Felix Johnson -both with excellent training and previous theatre experience behind them do a great job in holding their own on stage.

This play is directed by Craig Baldwin, who directed the very moving ‘Aliens’ at The Fitz ‘ last year. What a coup to have him back in Australia for this play.

My first rule of theatre is that I must be entertained..so often I am willing a play to be finished, particularly at The Wharf or Opera House. This play seemed to be over in about four minutes and I was wishing that it could have kept going! It is just a winning combination of talent and deserves a full house every night.

The box office attendant explained that there are only a few tickets left for each show….snap them up!

I have explained that I only review theatrical productions which I would highly recommend. Most of the plays I see do not get a mention, and this week I have seen three plays, all well regarded. ‘Where Do Little Birds Go’ stands out as a piece of theatre which is completely entertaining, convincing and has a magical quality. It is a one woman ( plus pianist) piece, an ‘autobiography’ of a teenage lass Lucy who moves to London in the ’60s convinced that she will be a star of the stage. It is based on some true events involving some notorious gangsters of the period.

I had not seen Bishanyia Vincent in her previous productions so I was unprepared for the level of technical mastery with which she creates her character Lucy. She sings and dances in character to perfectly represent Lucy’s raw talent which is not quite at a professional level. Lucy’s indomitable spirit soars in this play but  Bishanyia perfectly modulates her performance to convey the changes in Lucy’s personality as a consequence of her rather dark life experiences. Visually it is a stunning piece, and Lucy looks beautiful with her beehive hair-do and 60’s make up. This is a poignant piece without being overly sentimental, and only an exceptional actress can manage this.

This late show utilises the set of ‘Look Back in anger’ and it works perfectly. The direction, which blends the narrative with action on stage is excellent.

My biggest joy in theatre is discovering a new acting talent to follow in future productions. The program explains that Bishanyia trained in London, but now that she is back in Sydney I will never miss her work. I cannot recommend this play highly enough and hope that it returns for a longer season.

I have been looking forward to the latest play, ‘Look Back in Anger’ at The Old Fitzroy Hotel for weeks. It is a fittingly ‘Olympic’ combination of acting talent, directing brilliance and technical creativity in the design of sets/lighting/sound/costumes. The only question in my mind was the ability of this cutting edge 50s play to resonate in the twenty first century.

I was surprised that the play sounded so beautiful in its prose whilst delivering such angst. The direction allows us to savour these exquisite lines, aware that the action takes place mid twentieth century but without awkward or self conscious references to the period. Damian Ryan is Australia’s best director of Shakespeare and he has a gift for making plays contemporary without necessarily presenting them in current dress and with modern trappings such as i-phones. His co-director is an extremely accomplished actress, Lizzy Schebesta whom I have had the pleasure of seeing perform as far back as 2012 at the Old Fitz in a lovely play Fallout.

Last night’s production was definitely gold medal quality. Andrew Henry in the difficult role of Jimmy was glorious. It is difficult because of the speed with which he must deliver  eloquent ( albeit nasty) speeches in his perfect East London accent, but also because maintaining our interest and connection with his character requires tremendous delicacy in the way he interacts with the other characters. The other cast members are excellent, and I particularly liked Chantelle Jamieson’s take on Helena.

The stage has been completely altered so that the action is as close as possible to the audience, and the full width of the stage is utilised. The effect is stunning.

This play has a season at The Old Fitz before moving to the Belvoir.  I am betting that Andrew will be nominated for a Best Actor award to make it four in a row. Buy tickets immediately because these Old Fitz plays are often sold out once word gets around, and the previous play had waiting lists. It is a wonderful play deserving of this talent laden production. Bravi!!

I have written previously about Michael Dean who is a director of independent theatre in Sydney. The magic ingredient in all his plays is imagination.. he has a creative flair which produces astonishing and memorable theatre. His current work is Orpheus at the Blood Moon Theatre in Kings Cross ( inside World Bar). The stage area is quite challenging but he uses it to full advantage. The story is simple- Orpheus travels to the underworld to rescue his beloved Eurydice and having almost secured her safety loses her forever. This retelling is  different and inventive, using dance, music ,singing ,movement and humour to deliver a magnificent piece of theatre. His cast are superb, all versatile and committed to the piece. Any more critique would spoil some of the highlights, but hopefully everyone reading this will be in the audience. It is an exhilarating experience!

As you know, I make posts about great art activities that I have enjoyed, primarily theatre. I have not yet written a post about a forthcoming event, but I attended an evening preview of ‘Notes From Underground’ based on the ( very dense and very difficult) novel by the famous Russian author Dostoevsky. It is on from 15-20 August at Carriageworks. It is going to be amazing!!

SCO is a very modern opera company, and if you have never seen opera/hate opera/hate modern opera/love opera..you just must not miss this. Not only has the artistic director of SCO Jack Symonds BRILLIANTLY understood how to decipher the novel and present it in a way that makes sense, he has engaged a fabulous librettist and a director who is working in opera overseas and an amazing troupe of singers . It will be ( as SCO always is) cutting edge/avant guard/how did they think of that? fabulous and the best part is that Jack makes modern opera music so compelling that he actually improves one’s ability to understand the genre.

My guilty admission is that before SCO I just did not enjoy any modern ‘classical’ music and certainly not modern opera. From all the productions I have attended my ear has been awakened and I can appreciate and follow the music..so now I love it. You will love this work and be grateful for it, as I am. Do not miss it !

Louis Nowra is one of Australia’s most celebrated playwrights and ‘Inner Voices’ is a very early play that he wrote in his twenties. What a joy to see this work in a production that must surely surpass its original presentation. This black comedy is pure entertainment, spellbinding from beginning to end. The play tells the story of Ivan( a wonderful performance by Damien Strouthos), heir to the Russian throne who has been gaoled since childhood. There is a plot hatched by one of his guards ( played magnificently by Anthony Gooley) to put him on the throne- anticipating that he will reap the benefits of being Ivan’s ‘right hand man.’ There are many plot twists involving murders,marriages, deaths and rivals for the throne and these are crafted beautifully by the cast which includes Francesca Savage, (always brilliant) Julian Garner, Emily Goddard, Annie Byron and Nicholas Papademetriou. Since Anthony, Francesca and Nicholas are always in ‘winners’ as productions go, I knew that this would be good, but it really surpassed my anticipated pleasure. The sets and costumes are very creative  and actually enhance the plot, and the lighting and sound design are also just right.

Seeing the current double of Inner Voices and Bicycle – with a pre-theatre scotch fillet from the restaurant must be the best quality, best value night out in Sydney….in fact I would wager that no-one would feel less than exhilarated!

Sometimes I sit in awe when an original piece of theatre has been written by someone whom I have seen several times as a performer but whose gift as a playwright was not known to me. Bicycle is a beautiful imaginative piece of theatre performed to perfection by its writer Danielle Baynes. It is delicious theatre and is directed by the very talented Michael Dean.( Anyone who saw his Phaedra at the Tap Gallery will know what I mean!) As a Late Show it must utilise the set of the Main Stage play, and Danielle  cleverly weaves between the elements of the set . Her performance is enhanced by a violinist, Pip Drakacis, whose musical performance adds another beautiful dimension to this marvelous piece. Do not miss it!