The Bacchae, St Martins Theatre, Theatre Works, Melbourne Festival, Saturday October 24th 2015

The Bacchae, St Martins Theatre, Theatre Works,  Melbourne Festival,  Saturday October 24th 2015

"The Bacchae" is a co-production by St Martins Youth Arts Centre, Theatre Works and Fraught Outfit for the Melbourne Festival .  We attended the 7.30 pm performance on Saturday October 24th 2015 at Theatre Works in Acland St, St Kilda.

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre.  So if you want a re-telling of the story please refer to the links for further information or for further insights.  Note, that I may provide different links for repeated main words or phrases.

 "The Bacchae" was conceived by Adena Jacobs and Aaron Orzech.  The production was directed by  Adena Jacobs with varying degrees of success.

Queuing up for General Admission in New York is better than Theatre Works' push and shove as the doors open.  In New York at the Broadway theatres the patrons queue outside to allow pedestrians to use the side-walk (footpath), while the same occurs at the Fringe and Off Broadway theatres.  They even queue for shows that have allocated seating due to the lack of foyer space.  We are so spoiled in Australia with our larger foyers.    Queuing in New York is a lovely respectful tradition for those who arrived early to have prime position, particularly for General Admission shows.

A person behind the bar made a pre-show announcement regarding turning off phones etc.  Many people were still outside and could not hear this announcement. I cannot understand why they do not use a microphone or learn to project their voice for the announcements.

Entering the theatre the usher wanted to take our whole ticket.  I like to keep my ticket minus stub with all of my programmes.  She said I could get it after the show.  I promptly tore off my stub and continued walking into the theatre.  Who is teaching these people Front of House protocols?  Have they ever had to do a box office reconciliation or budget the show.  Oh no that is what commercial theatres have to do!

A person tripped on the steps entering the theatre and someone came to their assistance.  Some of the steps are difficult to see as each row of seats are extremely close together.

The show began at about 7.39 pm and continues the 30 year tradition of every show that we have attended at the Melbourne Festival since 1986 has not started on time.

Waiting for the show to begin a light was flashing up above centre stage.  It reminded me of the lighting flash that killed Dionysus' mother Semele.  I thought this was a good effect to create an atmosphere.

The font in the programme was so small and quite difficult to read under the foyer's lighting. Thankfully I had read about "The Bacchae" and watched a few short documentaries to remind myself about the story.  Sadly this production did not provide clarity with the story, but rather visions from the story.

There were some strong images throughout the show and also some very long and laboured pauses.  In their press release they called it a meditation.  Some of the still moments were way too long as the audience were becoming restless.  The woman next to me looked at her watch as the opening meditation of a young girl standing and looking at the audience went for about five minutes.

There was the portable loo that a young lady exited from.  It was as if she was leaving her throne!

The main stage was at floor level with a raised stage at the rear.  There was a couch on stage left with a small orchestra.  A covered item was downstage left while the portable loo was upstage right.  In front of the the raised stage was a lot of black plastic covering something to be revealed later in the show.  This reveal was a great highlight both design wise and theatrically.

The young girl finally tells us about waking up to many alarms and getting ready for school and ironing her shirt and forgetting to turn on the iron.  She tells us that "I am Dionysus and if you do not believe me I will punish you" or words to that effect.  She then sits on a couch.   Another meditation = long pause!  She looks at the audience.  It was voyeuristic.  Apparently the character Pentheus is renowned as the first voyeur.

A Greek character lies on the raised stage and we hear amplified breathing.  I think it is Semele who has been struck by the lighting from the flashing lights we saw as we sat waiting.  Long pause and another meditation.  A young mid wife type character walks forward with her mouth covered in an industrial strength rubber mask, and her hands sporting long rubber gloves.  She helps give birth and a large golden item is retrieved.  I recognise the Greek shape but cannot recall its name.  Maybe it is the mask of Dionysus.

The young cast enter and stand against the wall stage right.  A boy soprano sings.  Others join in. The singing was beautiful.  What they sang I could not say but the sounds were beautiful to create a haunting atmosphere.

Gradually each person steps forward and sits on the ground in various poses with or without a prop. They all looked into the audience.  Again voyeuristic.  Are we or are they the voyeurs?  Another long meditation or pause.

The cast gradually come to life one by one.  The frenzy for each character is a teenage version with each in their own world.  One listens to her music via earphones from her phone, others are texting, another eats her packet of chips and shares them to one another performer. It is made obvious that all of these performers are individuals, as there is little interaction between each of the characters.

A small blow up children's wading pool was brought onto the lower stage.  Two performers finished blowing up the pool.  Another stream of performers came and emptied about three buckets of water into the wading pool.

One or two cast get into the wading pool with their shoes on.  By the way all of the female cast wear the same black shoes with a white edge around the sole.  Later they will be barefooted.

Some great images included the warriors lining up in black bikinis with stockings over their heads wearing black baseball caps and their bodies smeared with oil.  They performed a routine counting and repeating the moves.  I found this choreographically created a strong image of young warrior type goddesses.  Gradually they stopped as the leader continued alone and then gold liquid ran from her groin and down her legs.

Some of the images would be confronting for people realising that these are young girls.  In some ways I was worried that the wrong type of person could be viewing this show as the girls are very young.  If I were a parent I would have been very worried.

The young boy soprano in his long socks, basketball boots and baseball cap went up to the raised stage and sat on the black draped sofa and opened a Coca-Cola.  (Great product placement and advertising too!) It was a youthful version of a blokey male kicking back with a drink of choice. A great image.

A large gift bag is placed stage right.  Later the bag will be emptied and the performers' black shoes will be retrieved.  There will lots of checking for names inside the shoes and swapping and matching to ensure the correct performer receives their own shoes.  This was one of the few times that the characters shared or offered help.  It is like a gorge of consumerism and was a great image of seeking the same personalised item and reminiscent of the quest for the latest gadget or consumable.

Underneath the black plastic raises a large blow up.  It is as if it is rising out of the ashes and is a great piece of stage design and engineering.  The blow up transforms and creates a large head with a mouth wide open and a tongue hanging out.  The mouth opening was like a frame of the raised stage behind.  More so it was theatrically intriguing for us as the audience to see what it would become.  I think it was a blown up version of the mask of Dionysus with its tongue sticking out.

Later all of the cast wear long phallic symbols from their waists.  This could be the section where they all turn into snakes.  Each goes into a frenzy of heightened sexual pleasure.  One even urinates proudly, while others swing their members around, others masturbate in various poses, one plays with her member as if a machine gun behind the couch. (I wonder if this idea was copied from Batsheva Dance Company's "Last Work"?)

On the raised stage a large Minnie Mouse head is played with.  I wonder if Disney approved of this being used?  It was foretelling the beheading.

A large piece of meat covered in plastic cling-wrap was beaten by a girl with a baseball bat.  She created a pulsating rhythm with each swing of the bat.

Another monologue from the Messenger outlines aspects of the story of "The Bacchae".

The sexual frenzy erupts and then quietens as a performer enters wearing 1970's platform open toe shoes and a shirt dress with a revealing back-line.  She steps upstage to the others and takes off her dress to reveal she is topless.  It is similar to Pentheus being found out.  This young lady who I think represented Pentheus kneels with her back to the audience and she holds her head forward so that we cannot see her head any-more.  Another steps forward with a baseball bat and swings it to behead the kneeling girl. Blackout!  A strong ending but I wanted the grieving scene of the mother realising that she had killed her own son.

The music was well played by the small ensemble of musicians.  Vocally the singers provided pure sounds.

"The Bacchae" is a complex story and this version was from a different perspective as we could see the women throughout.  I felt sickened by the exploitation of the youth in this production as we were made voyeurs without us knowing in advance.  I would not have attended had I known as it was more pornographic with their vulnerability.

 "The Bacchae" reminded me of "Lord of the Flies" with the brutality and orgiastic rituals.

This production reminded me of the 1970's productions from the archives of the avant-garde from Megan Terry, Jean-Claude van Itallie or theatres such as The Living Theatre in New York.

I wrote the following feedback on a survey from Theatre Works:

I was disgusted that it was more pornographic than any porn I have ever seen.  We were trapped in the audience and forced to become voyeurs of these under age performers masturbating etc.  I am curious if they received parental permission to perform this work.  I have seen many avant-garde performances and had these performers been over 18 years it would have changed my perception. There was no warning at how graphic this show was to be.  It was not the graphic nature but the age of the young girls oiling themselves etc.  They were basically child bait and playing the seductive mirror of voyeurism.  Not impressed with this aspect.  But thought some of the imagery was good.

We have seen many shows at Theatre Works. We will be very careful about what we will see there in the future.  We have been to 30 Melbourne Festivals and this was the most confronting show we have seen - due to the under age performers.  They subjected us to more antics than Hair, Let My People Come, Oh Calcutta etc.  It made some hard core ADULT porn look tame.

I have attended fringe festivals in many other cities around the world.  This was a good quality fringe festival show and an average Melbourne Festival show.

Overall I gave this a 6.5/10,    My partner gave it a 4/10.

Edmund. The Beginning. Antechamber Productions, Arts House North Melbourne, Sunday November 15th 2015

Edmund. The Beginning.  Antechamber Productions, Arts House North Melbourne, Sunday November 15th 2015

"Edmund. The Beginning" is a one man show from Antechamber Productions, at Arts House North Melbourne, Sunday November 15th 2015.  "Edmund. The Beginning"  is an imaginary journey by Brian Lipson.

The stage is the upstairs Rehearsal Room at the  Arts House North Melbourne.  We see the 7.00 pm show and there is no lighting except for the curtains drawn back and allowing the light to shine in through the windows which provides a natural setting for such an unnatural play.

Brian Lipson introduces us to "Edmund. The Beginning" with his entrance in his multi-faceted costume that speaks volumes throughout the play.  It is as if he is stripping away his exterior to reveal his inner soul of compassion and vulnerability.

So many references went over my head as I am sure it will for many people.  This is a play rich in meaning, research and respect.  Brian Lipson is paying homage to so many people both living and dead in "Edmund. The Beginning."

This play, "Edmund. The Beginning" is one that I could easily see again due to the richness and complexity of the text.  I know that I am not the only audience member to miss some of the references.  Maybe they could include some of the references into the programme.

I loved the opening quote that he scrawls in chalk on the wall.  A great joke of unfinished business that I will not spoil.  This joke resonates, as it heightens our ignorance of so much unfinished business that we do not understand or appreciate about many characters in literature.  Edmund being the example in the title.

His opening lines use neuro- linguistic programming to position and differentiate his three embarrassing statements   This opening sequence also reveals a substantial contract with the audience, as Brian Lipson places items in positions to represent significant people.  He not only honours their position and stature in time but in space and memory.  He moves as if he is the moveable marker/guide on a living Ouija Board conjuring up memories - either real or imagined.

He uses a wonderful analogy of being the sun and these people revolve around him as if planets. With the sun slowly setting through the windows, the room darkens as if we are entering a new moon with each new character revealed.

At times it is as if his character Daniel is ranting.  But we are witnessing a confidential expose.

He shares the story of going to see Harold Pinter's play "The Homecoming" in London.  He travels on the train with Martin his friend.  As he tells us the story he opens and salts a packet of chips.  His timing is sublime as he has us in the palm of his hand awaiting his crunch on the single chip.  The audience are teased on numerous occasions and are distracted as he tells us this story.

In fact Brian Lipson uses so many distracting techniques to command our attention.  By using these distraction techniques you realise that you have the choice to focus elsewhere.  At times it can be hard work to concentrate on aspects of the performance and makes you refine your focus to filter out these distractions - to ensure you do not miss any nuggets of gold.

The first distraction technique is the strong smell of food as you enter the space.  He tells us about this smell at the end.  Such a wonderful "smell-o-vision" and so timely with the recent production of "1984" and the stench upon walking into "Bronx Gothic" (also at Arts House, North Melbourne.

The most significant distraction technique is when he hooks his mobile phone to a set of speakers and plays a ranting monologue.  We are listening to this rant when he announces that we must listen to him or miss the point of the play.  We all lean forward and try to listen to his important information. The audience struggle at times to cut through the background noise.  He is making a wonderful point of how people are distracted by technology and the immediate gratification rather than focusing on important issues of life: relationships with others and being in the moment.

The Pinter-esque pause has new meaning with his right hand being driven down into the chair and held during a long story.  His right hand is framed by the outline of the back of the chair; as if his hand is on stage.  Here, Brian Lipson takes the pause to a new level with stillness and heightens our curiosity what this means.  It got me thinking while watching him: Is his right hand a slave to the rest of his body?  He is honouring Harold Pinter's play "The Dumb Waiter" which I have seen many times. 

Whatever the meaning of this play, it is a fun and mesmerising work.  He challenges our thoughts in time and space.  He checks one, if not all of his five or six watches and at one stage he announces it is 44 minutes into the work.  He is right, as I took note of the starting time.  He teases us and suggests he may start again.  You can hear the suppressed and underlying groans in the room. Bodies shift in their seats waiting his next move.   He again has the audience's attention.  It is timely as this similar device was a major theme of the show  "YOUARENOWEHERE" which was presented at the Arts House for the 2015 Melbourne Festival. Wow, two shows at this same venue, from two different countries that teased and tested our perception of time and reality.

The final image is where Brian Lipson places his mobile phone on the chair to provide the lighting. The light shines upwards and creates the monstrous size version of his persona.  A wonderful and simple effect.

At times I found it hard to understand some of Brian Lipson's diction.

This is a wonderful work that highlights the beauty within the dark chasms of humanity, existence and literature.  He is seeking and revealing the gems hidden within the walls of darkened mines.

Peter Evans and Susie Dee directed "Edmund. The Beginning" and have created a work for long term discussion and soaring memories.  It is a play to transport you and will certainly do very well on the international festival circuit.

My head is still spinning a week later as I try to complete my review.  Whirling and spinning in as I try to recall so many wonderful memories.

This work obtained a 7.5/10 from both myself and partner.

Right and Left, Beckett Theatre, Melbourne Festival, Friday October 16th 2015

Right and Left, Beckett Theatre, Melbourne Festival, Friday October 16th 2015

"Right and Left" is a dance work by choreographer Gu Jiani for the Melbourne Festival    This was a part of the Special Combination workshop which was an invitation only event that was facilitated by Gideon Obarzanek.

We attended the 7.30 pm performance on Friday October 16th 2015 at The Beckett Theatre at The Coopers Malthouse.

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre.  So if you want a re-telling of the story please refer to the links for further information or for further insights.  Note, that I may provide different links for repeated main words or phrases.

I am writing this review from my notes nearly two weeks after the event but still have the same impression.

There were no programmes available.  The performance began at 7.06pm.

There was a large table stage left that was off balance and seemed to be hanging from the back wall.

There were two dancers Gu Jiani and Li Nan with video art by Ping.

I recall the following sections:

1. Shadows
2. Stools
3. Strangulation
4. Solo
5. Sillouettes and shadows (more of the same!)
6. Duets (which I called Suets to keep the "S" theme!)
7. Silence and more silence.  Stillness.  (The lady was on the left)
8. The table was moved.

The choreography was quite pedestrian and did not push the boundaries except for the Stool section. This Stool section was inventive using a stool as a third dancer in a pas de trois.  The stool was not only sat upon but slid between, lifted, hung from, worn, and crawled through.  Such inventive choreography that sadly was not replicated with the table section.

The audience was too close and the sight lines were only optimum for the first row.  I watched people in the second and third rows craning to view what was within reach of the front row.  The front of the stage should have been pushed back by at least a 1.5 metres for those past the third row to see what was happening downstage.  (That means those in rows C, D, E had limited views of the front of the stage!)

There were eight empty seats in Rows D and E.  Thankfully the ushers used some common sense and offered these to patrons who were in the upper section of the theatre.

The Strangulation section was engaging as the danger of manipulating another person's head can be very uncomfortable viewing.

When the table was moved away from the back wall the dancers played around with it.  They slid the table and hung from its legs and moved with it.  There were so many wonderful moments of dancing with the stool and sadly dancing with the table was not as inventive.  Maybe they ran out of time.

The most exciting part was the bows.  The dancers had the deepest bows and gratitude for the audience.  I wish more performers would take such considered bows.  Plus many performers could learn to command their space from these young performers - not only for their bows but their presence.

This is a work in progress.

Overall I gave this a 5/10.

Last Work, Batsheva Dance Company, State Theatre, Melbourne Festival, Saturday October 17th 2015

Last Work, Batsheva Dance Company, State Theatre, Melbourne Festival, Saturday October 17th 2015

"Last Work" was choreographed by the artistic director of Batsheva Dance Company, Ohad Naharin.  They performed at the State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne as part of the Melbourne Festival.

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre.  So if you want a re-telling of the story please refer to the links for further information or for further insights.  Note, that I may provide different links for repeated main words or phrases.

Batsheva Dance Company is an iconic dance company that I have now seen about six times.  "Last Work" did not disappoint.

A woman wearing a long blue dress runs on the spot upstage right on a treadmill for the duration of the dance work.  This treadmill is on the narrow raised step upstage which also hides costumes and props for the dancers.

A man is wrapping tape around a microphone as if the sounds are reaching different frequencies or listeners.  Another carries a white flag of surrender.

A third is a man seated with a red wrap around skirt and has his back to the audience.  His right arm is vigorously going up and down as if he could be masturbating.  There is an explosion of a celebratory pop streamers as if he has ejaculated.  This continues and finally he turns around for the reveal: he is polishing a gun.  The audience love how they have been tricked by this visually simple ruse.  He is a wanker in more ways than one: not only sexually but by his gun toting intimidating manner.

Our runner is given the white flag of surrender and continues to run.

The final sequence in "Last Work" has all but one dancer scattered across the stage.  A male dancer has been winding brown tape around a microphone on the narrow stage.  Now he pursues each dancer and winds the tape around each body in different patterns.  He then goes to the next dancer across the stage and continues to wind the tape around the new dancer's body.  He continues this crossing and criss-crossing and dodging tape to ensure that all 16 remaining dancers are wound up by his tape.  He then makes his mark on the runner in the blue dress.  The audience roar with laughter.

This image shows how connected everyone is: the six degrees of separation.  It is also the "Ripple Effect" and used in management courses.

Sadly I left it too long to add to my review and is a very scratchy.  There is a lot I have left out.  I was upset by the mobile phone behaviour of my young neighbours.

Overall I gave this a 7.5/10.

Limbo, Spiegeltent, Melbourne Festival, Wednesday October 21st 2015

Limbo, Spiegeltent, Melbourne Festival, Wednesday October 21st 2015

"Limbo" was presented at the Spiegeltent for the Melbourne Festival by Strut and Fret Production House, Underbelly Productions and Southbank Centre (London).

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre.  So if you want a re-telling of the story please refer to the links for further information or for further insights.  Note, that I may provide different links for repeated main words or phrases.

You are welcomed into another world as you enter the Spiegeltent.   "Limbo" is directed by Scott Maidment with varying degrees of success.

The opening announcement for "Limbo" was terrific as it created a sense of expectation.  I also loved their insistence of turning off mobile phones and no photography.  This is the first show at the 2015 Melbourne Festival where there has NOT been an incident with phones or cameras.  LOUD CHEERING OF APPRECIATION! (Well by me - anyway!)

The band entered along the walkway to the central ring and then assumed their positions upstage.  Mick Stuart played multiple instruments.  I was intrigued at him playing his own invention of The Polymba.  It was like a huge acoustic sound engineering table with lots of weird shapes to pluck and push and process.  I could not get a close up enough to zoom in and see the mechanics and must congratulate him on the amazing sounds generated.

I adored the clear glass bowl used by Elyas Khan to create some beautiful tunes.  Especially the coin rolling around the inside of the bowl was simple and effective.  Sadly the first show we saw at the Melbourne Festival "NYX" could have learnt from this simple action.

Tigris is a German force to be reckoned with.  He is a contortionist of the first degree.  He is proud but not arrogant in his demeanour.  Tigris has flexibility, strength and control that makes his routine compelling.  Tigris is a handsome man with his back fully tattooed. 

The Balancing Act by the Russian Danik Abishev was terrific.  The segue and entrance into this routine reminded me of a famous circus painting (the name escapes me!)  He was carried with his hands and feet in irons as he was hanging between two of the five poles.  I particularly enjoyed his opening moves that also ensured that the 5 poles were housed correctly. His swivelling and twisting his body into various shapes showed his superb athletic skills in top condition.

The tap routine with Hilton Denis and Heather Holliday was adequate and well executed with reasonably clear beats.  Choreographically it was not as exciting as it could have been.  The alternate wings are a classic applause inducing step.  His wing beats were very good.  They included a rhythmic "question and answer" with clapping and tapping.  This built up slightly and could have pushed the boundaries more.

The Chinese Pole is a single vertical pole that Mikael Bres scaled and wrapped his body around.  He would then slide down in various positions.  Mikael Bres created a sense of fun and mischief with his body and his seductive eyes.  Though I thought some of the sliding down finishes were not as tight as his earlier examples.  I admire his skill and wonder how he does not get sweaty and make the pole even more slippery.  His engagement with the audience was alluring and teasing.

The segue with the couple sitting at the end of the long entrance was fun.  The others would enter and balance on their heads.  This couple were being interrupted in their personal relationship.  It had a story and worked beautifully.  I craved for more of these moments.

Three cast set their long poles into the floor close to the audience and then scaled them.  At the top they strapped in their legs with their feet planted on the foot rests.  They leant forward and backwards and sideways to create patterns.  The poles leant so far in each direction to create an uncomfortable feeling for the audience.  The three fine performers came within crashing into each other with their close calls.  It was theatrical and tension building.  They even spun around in their seats and leant forward into the crowd.  One man performed high 5's with his audience members and later grabbed a beer, and then returned the beer upon his next forward lurch into the crowd.  This was entertaining and theatrical.  It had the audience loving every minute of their playful antics.  I long for more of this theatricality.

The Sword Swallower routine .by Heather Holliday was uncomfortable for some patrons as they squirmed in their seats.  You craved for more of this type of act.  When we see television shows like "Carnivale" or "American Horror Story" we want to be pushed with being scarred or dared.  She used two swords and then later used a fluorescent light bulb down her throat.  The lights dimmed appropriately for us to savour her "deep throat" ability.

The Fire Eating routine was by Heather Holliday.  Her entrance with men juggling fire sticks was edgy in this enclosed Spiegeltent.   It heightened our sense of  danger and safety.

A man cleaned the floor to ensure there was no residue after the fire eating act.  We needed more to distract us than the band playing music.  There was an opportunity for a clown type distraction or a more varied pulsating lighting change to add interest here.  The music alone was not enough. 

The finale of the Aerial Hoop routine by Evelyne Allard was not as exciting as I have seen.  The execution was precise and performed with skill. I wanted to see more showmanship, bravado and proud flourishes at the conclusion of some tricks.  The final sequence of stepping into the box with the steps underneath was not up to scratch for such a close location.   The mechanics of the magic were lost by the obvious design of the staircase.  This routine would have worked in a larger theatre. The way this routine was choreographed gave away the whole trick as soon as she stepped into the box being so careful to stay to the left.  Hello - the audience are not dumb.  More effective lighting to divert attention could have altered my perception or more use of distractions.  I did expect her to pop up from underneath the main stage and the head of the bunny coming to life.  Not to be.  Her entrance to stage left was a bit too passe due to the lack of lighting and musical fanfare.  Had she come up through the stage would have been more exciting.  Sadly not a show-stopper final act.

Segues and transitions varied in complexity and theatrical value.  At times there were huge holes in the production due to the lack of engagement with the audience between acts.  Where as there were some clever transitions that were more thoughtful in their choreographic and theatrical intentions.  The lighting was not fully realised in these segues.

One segue I enjoyed was when Heather Holliday walked en pointe in red pointe shoes. This was such a brief moment of walking en pointe!   The red pointe shoes needed a clean and had seen many shows.  Or maybe buy some new ones.

The Set and Lighting Design by Philip Gladwell varied in approach and execution.  The staging was the raised pathway leading to a central raised ring about two to three metres in diameters. The band stand was at the back with a central entrance and was in classical circus layout.  There was also one stairway leading to the ring area.  (Maybe there was another staircase on the left side also but we could not see it).

The lighting when at its best was when it was theatrical and had old fashioned circus pizzazz.  The effect of the tunnels of lighting creating an enclosed cage for the balancing act was brilliant.  

Choreographically the hat and cane routine was very sloppy.  I have seen Fosse style choreography many times and the dropping of hats and canes is inexcusable on more than one occasion.  Once is an accident, twice or thrice is sloppy.  The footwork and bodies need to be slicker and sharper in their execution of the steps and be able to contrast to any fluid moves. Compare this to a "Pippin" routine with their crisp and clean execution.

Choreographically and staging wise the director had 270 degrees available to the audience.  The other 90 degrees was used for the band and two aisles for entrances.  Sadly much of the choreography and staging was directed outward as if in a proscenium theatre.  It was only during the swinging poles routine and the caged Balancing Act where the action was directed out to more areas. There was also a short section of the tap routine that was directed to the 270 degrees.

I yearned for more Burlesque and Vaudeville style provocative stances and choreography from both sexes.  See any version of "Gypsy" with the three strippers and their bawdy ribald routines and compare with this choreography (from "You Gotta Have a Gimmick") and you will know what I mean.  I wanted choreography that made these women goddesses or sirens rather than glazed over eye contact with their potentially adoring fans. Overall the men provided more of the teasing and seductive qualities at times.

Costume Design by Zoe Rouse was adequate and not as exciting as I have seen for this type of show. The red outfit worn by Heather Holliday was the closest to theatrical.  As was the tulle overdress worn by Evelyne Allard.  The men's outfits were serviceable for each performer's purpose.  They needed grander capes and jackets that they could discard.  The white suit worn by  Elyas Khan also had the sense of cabaret for this show.  Though do clean the white boots please.  Scuffed white boots detract from this magnificent costume.

I was impressed with the overall quality of the singing by all performers.  The sounds made by Elyas Khan were varied and skilfully executed.  The volume levels were not excessive; which was such a relief as sometimes I have been to similar shows and have been deafened.  Thank you for the appropriate sound levels.  Mikael Bres provides some beat-box music to the show as well.

I thought 75 minutes was a good time and it could have been ten minutes shorter for the audience to beg for more.  Or with improving their segues and transitions "Limbo" could be a tighter 75 minutes. 

I do not care about the supposed awards a show can be coveted.  I have seen many shows in every genre over 49 years and will give credit where due. 

Individually each of the acts varied from between a 7 and 9/10.  It was the gaping holes and lack of quality filler, segues and transitions that reduced my overall score for the entire show.  This was an excellent Fringe Festival rather than a great  Melbourne Festival show.

Overall my partner and myself each gave this show a 6.5/10.  It could be an 8/10  or 9/10 with revisions.

Masquerade, Sumner Theatre, Melbourne Festival, Sunday October 25th 2015

Masquerade, Sumner Theatre, Melbourne Festival, Sunday October 25th 2015

"Masquerade" by Kate Mulvany and based on the book by Kit Williams was presented by the Griffin Theatre Company and the State Theatre Company of South Australia at the Sumner Theatre, for the Melbourne Festival, Sunday October 25th 2015.

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre.  So if you want a re-telling of the story please refer to the links for further information or for further insights.  Note, that I may provide different links for repeated main words or phrases.

I love to reminisce about the shows I have seen over my lifetime.  I mainly write this blog for my own memory and it is wonderful to share it with people.  As I have been writing this particular post, my enjoyment for "Masquerade" heightens.  My memories are consolidated.  My heart soars and my soul is nourished. (I wrote this paragraph and could not decide to put it at the end or the beginning.  I chose to place it at the start to give context of why I adore my theatre, and also why I whine about mobile phone usage during a show!)

Kate Mulvany transports us into a world of both realism and fantasy.  It is a world of hopes and dreams, disappointments and mortality.  She has adapted the book by Kit Williams and interspersed her story within this play with music.

The opening outline of the proscenium arch of the theatre is superbly designed with lots of letters.  I knew there was a hidden message in there somewhere, even though I had not read the book.  It instantly created an atmosphere of wonderment, intrigue and mystery.  This is what more shows need to incorporate to build this immediate contract with their audience.

The Melbourne Theatre Company has a welcoming foyer with both upstairs and downstairs bars opened.  This is what the Arts Centre Melbourne need to do to ensure patronage particularly at The Playhouse upstairs which is rarely staffed.  John Truscott would be proud of the holistic experience created at this Melbourne Theatre Company venue.

With the announcements they could have asked patrons to turn off their phones and no recording "as it may interfere with the hospital equipment."  This would have garnered a laugh as well as get the "twanking" devices turned off.  Sadly phones were still being turned off during Helen Dallimore's entrance where she picks up the book.   They should have announced which child was playing the part of Joe for each performance too.

It was so hard to hear Helen Dallimore during the opening scenes.  The volume was noticeably lower than Act Two where you could both hear and understand her dialogue.  Either she projected more or the volume was turned up as I could hear every word in Act Two.  I mentioned this to the guy in the sound box at the back of the theatre at then end of the show and he thanked me for my feedback.  He was very obliging and also told me the name of the child actor as sadly two other staff could not tell me.

Helen Dallimore played Tessa the mother of Joe (played by Jack Andrew) with earnest determination and full of love.  She was totally believable as Joe's mother.  The final scene was so beautiful and touching.  Jack Andrew won the audience's sympathy fighting his crippling cancer/illness.  His solo singing was reminiscent of Lionel Bart's "Where Is Love" song from "Oliver".

I was so pleased that the sound levels had improved for Act Two and would love to see this show again to be able to properly hear Act One.  Sadly this was the last performance for its short festival run.

Kit Williams has lots of riddles in the book obviously and we have not read his book.  Sadly the riddles in Act One made no sense due to the volume of the music over-shadowing the singer, or the singer's diction was not clear enough.  I think the riddles need to be repeated for those who have not read it to make some sense.  In Act Two a riddle is repeated and was clearer than in Act One.

Sets and Costumes Designs by Anna Cordingley were terrific.    The central set was a cube frame with extendible steps at the back.  The curtains were hospital green in Act One and red in Act Two. I wonder if she realises the significance that green diffuses the colour of blood in the operating theatres and it is also a calming colour.  The curtains can be pushed across as in a hospital.  In Act Two the colour scheme for the curtains and the bed changes to red and is much more sinister and foreboding. Here the curtains are pulled down as if the world of Tessa has had the carpet swept from underneath her.

The green curtains in Act One also serve as screens to show shadow video images. This is a beautiful piece of stage design that creates atmosphere and movement, and also progresses the story.

Above the central cube area is a large circle that has two banks of lights, one representing the moon and the other the sun.  At one stage these two light banks pass each other to create an eclipse.  A lovely piece of theatre lighting and stage design.

The large cube frame is central and stands on a raised platform that houses a revolve.  This is used effectively for changes of scenes and location.  The five piece band is located on stage left.

Costumes also by Anna Cordingley were clever from a theatrical perspective and practical for the numerous quick changes.  Penny Pockets played by Zindzi Okenyo wore the most elaborate costume being a full skirted dress with lots of pockets full of characteristic items.  The curly long wig and the large glasses created a larger than life character.  The special touch was incorporating the trick of the eye ball falling out of her head.  On her next entrance the left frame of her glasses had a black patch resembling a pirate.  A magnificent piece of complete costume design.

The Pig costume was effective as a simple step into costume with braces.  Gloves to create pig's trotters would polish this costume.  The Hare costume for Nathan O'Keefe was also a great piece of costume design, though some gloves for paws would finish this costume.

Costumes for Tessa, Joe and the nurses were all practical that defined each character.

Zindzi Okenyo is a versatile actress playing four different characters.  Her nurse was clinical and not obtrusive.  Playing the role Dawn had a positive quality, while Penny Pockets character could have been more defined physically as a baddie.

Kate Cheel as the Moon created a journey as we watched how the Hare did not pass on her message to The Sun played by Mikelangelo.  The Moon costume reminded me of the "Man in the Moon" dress worn by Gaylea Byrne in "Mame" at Her Majesty's Theatre in 1968.  Kate Cheel worked her Moon dress effectively to be uplifting and hopeful, and then in Act Two she worked her body and the dress despondently and sad.  Her shift in physical moods demonstrated a clear connection to the Moon's journey for children.  I wanted more of this physical clarity with some of the other characters.

The Fish costume worn and played by Zindzi Okenyo was fabulous as worked the costume to create a a character.  The lighting for the fish's entry reminded of the Beatles song  "Octopus's Garden" and "Under the Sea" from "The Little Mermaid".  I thought this lighting effect could have also been ramped up more to create beneath the sea illusion.  Maybe dropping the lights to increase the focus on the projections onto the cube could have achieved this.

The music composed by Mikelangelo was fun and memorable.  I loved the different tunes for the various songs and interludes.  My main beef was that sometimes the volume of the band drowned out the singer/s.  The lyrics were hard to hear.  I would love to buy the "Masquerade" music CD with the lyrics included to add to my Music Theatre collection.

The Barbershop Quartet minus Ali Aba was a good joke.  Though they sang quite flat which took away from their quality playing of various instruments.  In the tradition of "The Music Man" a Barbershop Quartet is slick - visually and vocally.

The violinist role of The Man Who Makes The World Go Round played by Pip Branson gave an honest performance.  When the music suddenly stopped when a mortal died, came as a shock and I was taken aback and emotionally charged.  It was a wonderful and sudden reality check. This was staged with sincerity and compassion without patronising the audience.   It was good theatre to bring us back from the fantasy.  Also having seen so much theatre it is lovely to be transported by such a simple theatrical device.

Pip Branson also played the Newton role reminding me of Professor Ratbaggy from the early 1960's television.  It is such a compliment as Pip Branson transported me back to fondly remember Ernie Carroll playing Professor Ratbaggy using old fashioned pantomime skills.

The wind effect could be ramped up a bit for more effect with both sound, staging and lighting design.  It is very much in keeping with, and pays homage to "The Wizard of Oz."

Mikelangelo played The Sun and The Practical Man.  Mikelangelo is also the composer of this terrific score for adults and children.  Singing wise he was a bit flat but I forgave him as he wrote such wonderful music.  Playing the Practical Man visually could have used more gesturing or posturing be an obvious baddie.  I enjoyed The Practical Man's downfall in Act Two.  The classic three times joke was fun: when he was trying to sell a piece of string as a necklace, then trying to sell pegs as earrings and then a cockroach that was gobbled up by the Hare.  (Mikelangelo reminded me of Bryan Batt from "Mad Men").

The second act had more heart, soul and humanity than the first act which was more clinical in its approach.  I mean clinical in that there were so many elements to get across with the riddles and the characters and the loss of the amulet.  With the two stories happening concurrently it also reminded me of "Matilda" and how they added the extra story into the musical.  Here, "Masquerade would work better in Act One with more clarity of the riddles.

The characterisation of the baddies were not defined enough for identification as baddies.  The closest was the Practical Man who obviously stole the amulet.  The role of Penny Pockets, if intended to be a baddie needs to be physically and vocally nastier.  This is old fashioned pantomime and we should want to boo and hiss the villain and cheer the hero.

The Bag of Dreams prop was absolutely so simple and created so much emotion as each balloon was released.  This section was poignant and very moving for adults;  and also tender and full of hope.  It was one of my favourite moments in the show.

It was lovely to hear children talking to the characters in Act Two, as in the tradition of an old fashioned pantomime.  I wanted more of this with heightened clarity.

The ending is very moving and realistic without being morbid.  The music plays on.  Congratulations to the directors Sam Strong and Lee Lewis.

This show, "Masquerade" will do very well internationally as the book is so well known.

This was our final show for the 2015 Melbourne Festival.

Another year passes and not one show started on time at the 2015 Melbourne Festival.  This show began at about 6.39 pm.

An older lady in about C Row was asked by an usher to stop taking photos at the end.  Maybe a proud Grandmother, even so it is not amateur theatre!

There has been a theme with about five shows testing the boundaries with fantasy and reality, and the contrast between rational and irrational thoughts.

Love conquers all is a lovely theme for this show, along with "never quit"  or "never give in" as in the famous Winston Churchhill speech.

Overall my partner gave this production a 6/10 and I gave it a 7/10.

1984, Headlong, Playhouse Theatre, Melbourne Festival, Thursday October 22nd 2015

1984, Headlong, Playhouse Theatre, Melbourne Festival, Thursday October 22nd 2015

"1984" was presented by Headlong  at the Playhouse Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne for the Melbourne Festival Thursday October 22nd 2015.  This production was adapted from George Orwell's satirical novel and also directed by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan.

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre.  So if you want a re-telling of the story please refer to the links for further information or for further insights.  Note, that I may provide different links for repeated main words or phrases.

"Not bad is a phrase of understatement.  "Not good" can be a reprimand.  "Not Happy Jan" is an iconic phrase that most Australians can quote due to advertising brain washing.   Good and ungood are Newspeak terms.  None of these phrases give this "1984" justice, as it was brilliant.

The arts are subjective and viewpoints can vary.  I am interested to learn about other's viewpoints to understand different perspectives.

I enquired about obtaining a "1984" programme in the upstairs foyer from a helpful Programme Seller who suggested that I ask one of the door attendants.   I asked an usher at Door One and took the opportunity to ask two gentlemen sitting near Door One if they too would like a programme to read before the show.  The usher kindly obliged with two copies.

I am saddened that these programmes should have been given out prior to entry as they had a lot of information  and a substantial Glossary of Terms.  John Truscott would be turning in his grave that the standards of service at the Arts Centre Melbourne have deteriorated and you have to ask for a programme rather than being offered prior to entry.  Note that the Playhouse Theatre is dark inside and it is very hard to read the programme!

In the foyer, an announcement was made at 7.32 pm and then repeated at about 7.45 pm: explaining that if you leave the theatre then you will not be let back in.  Sadly, this over affected voice also enunciated items for patrons attention, with the exception of turning off phones and not taking photography etc.  Inside the theatre, another announcement was made stating such, and sadly they missed a great opportunity to warn patrons "That Big Brother is watching you."  This would have served two purposes to ensure audience members would not be disturbed by technology, and also create an atmosphere of surveillance that this  production would deliver.

The woman sitting next to me behaved as if she was from the Thought Police, because within about 40 minutes from the beginning of the show, her constant sighing and clock watching occurred.  I did not react to her rude and disruptive behaviour.  I cannot understand why she did not leave rather than displaying her "Two Minutes Hate" with her body shifting and disturbing manner.  The main consolation was that no mobile phones went off during this performance.  At the end I applauded so loudly to her patronising "baby claps."

Set design by Chloe Lamford was brilliant.  Though the carpet curling up in the first scene bothered me from a safety perspective.  The opening set was stark and was used so effectively.  As one panel fell down, it gave the illusion of the saying "if only these walls could talk."  A large white area above the main set doubled as a screen allowing us the opportunity to spy upon Winston and Julia in the bedroom. Three cameras in the bedroom provided different angles emphasising the cramped conditions and the loss of privacy.  

The Thought Police arrived and the opening set was opened up to reveal the location of the bedroom upstage.  A sense of urgency and menace was created as the Thought Police de-constructed the opening set.  The staging was slick, cold and calculating to create a dark and sinister scene of investigation with a black out and the requisite torches.

The set was changed again to create the White Room 101.  I adore the use of technology and the way in which sets can be flown in to create walls on the side of the stage.  A large plastic square covers the centre downstage area.  You know something is going to get nasty here.  It was not "X marks the spot" but rather, the plastic square to hide any evidence.  (I wonder if this was their intention or if it was purely a logistical reason to protect the main stage tarkett?)

Lighting design by Natasha Chivers was brilliant to create the opening mundane environment to the harsh and blinding White Room 101.  More importantly the transitions between many of the opening scenes required tight coordination with both the sound designer and the action on stage.

Vocally one actor was harder to hear than the others throughout.  The acting was stylised and appropriate to the satire of "1984".  Winston Smith played by Matthew Spencer took the audience on an emotional journey and allowed us to empathise with his situation.  I particularly liked his restraint that built to sheer terror.  Julia played by Janine Harouni with clinical coldness, until trust could be built with Winston.  The ensemble of actors held me spellbound with their craft and their teamwork. The child actor was especially disturbing. (Apologies as I cannot name and credit which of the three children played at our performance: as no name was supplied.)

White Room 101 had Winston seated centre downstage with six helpers in their white boiler suits sitting like a Greek Chorus, three on each side during the interrogation.  Three helpers selected their equipment and stepped forward to Winston.  Blackout. Then the reveal of Winston and his fingertips cut off.  This was made more gruesome by the director allowing the audience to see the before and after of action, using the unseen to heighten our imagination.

Winston then had electrical apparatus attached to his head and wrists.  He went through the brainwashing of looking at four fingers until he named them as five fingers. This scene was even more sinister when Winston was subjected to the rats in the cage in full view in front of him. The rats' cage was then raised to head height to increase tension, climaxing with the rats' cage put onto his face. This build up made it even more horrific.

Sound design by Tom Gibbons was haunting and electric.  I saw audience members jump at the synchronising of the white flashes of light with the stirring sound.  We sat in P Row and watched bodies jump out of their their seats.  This is theatre that moves you - physically and emotionally!!! Yes!!!  Simple and effective to scare the shit out of you!  His sounds pierced your body, not just your ears.  Mind you, the sound was loud, but not excessively so, which made it even more disturbing.

Video design by Tim Reid was also brilliant as described above with the three camera angles creating intrusive and claustrophobic conditions. The upward close-up camera angle was particularly revealing for each character.

The Actors' Gang production of "1984" by Tim Robbins from 2006 should have played in The Playhouse and not the State Theatre were it was lost.  That production was more clinical than this which gnawed at you throughout.  I thought the Tim Robbins' version used the squealing rats more effectively and the rat cage was more sinister.  Their grey uniforms were characteristically more impersonal than this production with its very 1950's drab and comfortable designs.

The Headlong production of "1984" made sense out of a difficult book.

The scenes which were repeated in the first section remind me of Jenny Kemp's play, "The Black Sequin Dress" with the Natasha Herbert tripping sequence.  This is the third show in this 2015 festival to have this type of repetition and each has worked so well.  Tripping is like a sub-theme of the 2015 Melbourne Festival. (I wrote about how I tripped upon entry to "YOUARENOWHERE").  Yes tripping without drugs and tripping physically!

The staging and movement of "1984" was stylised, robotic and calculated.  The people were lifeless at times.

"1984" is a great companion piece to "YOUARENOWHERE" with the connections of memory, time and the nose bleed.  The other connection was stating the obvious at the conclusion of each play with "This is the end."

The ending of "1984" reminded me of a scene from the movie version of Ray Bradbury's "Farenheit 451" where the characters are reciting their memorised book.  Asking if the writer was real made it so sinister.

Winston sat during this final scene as if he was had not existed or had been unpersoned.  This is so timely with our computer age as people's files are either misplaced, deleted or stolen.  With identify fraud so prevalent in our modern times this scene was made even more relevant.  It is so easy to just un-friend someone on Facebook with the same cold harshness of being deleted in  "1984".

 Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan and Headlong are to be congratulated on creating a wonderfully memorable piece of  accessible theatre with "1984".

Brilliant theatre and I gave this a 9/10 and my partner 8.5/10. (Note my partner has not read the book)

YOUARENOWHERE, Performance Space 122, Arts House, North Melbourne, Melbourne Festival, Monday October 19th 2015

YOUARENOWHERE, Performance Space 122, Arts House, North Melbourne, Melbourne Festival, Monday October 19th 2015

I have written two versions of this review:  one with spoilers for myself and THIS ONE is published without the spoilers.

"YOUARENOWHERE" is presented by New York's Performance Space 122 in conjunction with Arts House, North Melbourne and the Melbourne Festival.

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre.  So if you want a re-telling of the story please refer to the links for further information or for further insights.  Note, that I may provide different links for repeated main words or phrases.

Wow what a way to spend Monday October 19th 2015!

I have written two versions of my review.  This one for public release is minus my spoilers.  The second version will be printed and stored with my programme.

This is my interpretation of what I saw in this sensational show called "YOUARENOWHERE" by Andrew Schneider and a superb team of collaborators/co-creators.

We were so lucky to have seen the last performance of "YOUARENOWHERE".  The Melbourne Festival can have its hits and misses and this show was certainly up there as one of the most memorable for this 2015 festival.  I am so glad that we took a chance when buying tickets with our package a few months earlier.

The doors opened at about 6.28 and we knew the show would not start on time.  What is new?  As no show we have attended the Melbourne Festival since 1986 has started on time.  We had bets on what time it would begin which was in keeping with the time travelling theme of the show.  We thought the show began at about 6.42 pm.  Well by my watch anyway!  MMMMM!? Or was it the past? Or the future of that time zone?  MMMM!

When entering the theatre I tripped on something which was a cushion.  For safety reasons there should have been an usher with a torch making patrons aware of a potential obstacle.  The theatre filled very quickly and the usher was struggling to locate vacant seats for those who could not sit on the cushions in the front row.  Two young people offered their seats to a smartly dressed couple who could sit on the floor mats in their attire.

Upon entering the theatre two people held long black hanging straps to be kept out of the way of the audience entering the theatre, and for safety reasons.  There was a stark white floor with a white background and black walls on either end of the staging area.  A rectangular shape hangs centre stage at about head height for a tall person.

Black out.  The show begins.  The harsh lighting presents the stark white stage.  Black out and the lights come up again and a man appears.  This repeats a few times with the man appearing and disappearing.  Is he there or not?  Did we really see him?  An instant contract is made with the audience to allow us to immediately enter the genre of theatre.

Andrew Schneider lies on the ground after one of the black out moments.  This reminded me of the repeating tripping sequence from Jenny Kemp's "Black Sequin Dress" performed at the Playbox Malthouse Theatre.  Here we are reminded of the time shifting blur between memory and reality.

He looks into the hanging rectangle which could be a mirror.  At times he seems to go through the mirror as if time shifting.   He talks about time and what is now or the past or the future.  We are spinning with time options.  Are we seeing the beginning, the end or the middle?

The sound of his voice is sampled and repeated.  His voice is scrambled.  Is it happening live?

He speaks to a crew as if giving directions when the lights or sound appear to muck up.  Could it be errors or directions?  It all blurs and you are taken on an incredible journey.

He sings a song into a microphone.  He has a lovely melodious voice.  I can't remember the song he sang now which frustrates the hell out of me.  I remembered at the time and loved the lyrics.  Did I really hear him sing?

Later he offers a lady sitting on the floor mat a CD and asks her to select a track.  The sound changes rapidly between many genres of music.  He is playing with us as if we are on a roller coaster ride, and our seats are our only safety device to protect us.

There is a huge blast of colour lighting change which is in total contrast to the black and white.

There is a duet with a man who presents a monologue on a screen.  He says the same monologue in unison with the man on the screen.  Sometimes the screen voice fades out,  The vocal unison is brilliantly executed.  He even mirrors the gestures and facial expressions of the on-screen image.

A train speeds across the large white backdrop.  At times it looks like it is in mirror image and other times it looks as if the same images are horizontally duplicated.  It blurs and your mind is spinning with this journey.  My partner could not tell me for sure as our realities are now divided.

He appears to lecture the audience about a missed opportunity.  There is a man and woman and he questions whether they saw each other as the train went through a station.  What do you see first - that which is forward or backward?  We saw a documentary on this similar story on television in 2014.  It also reminded us of a train and body scene from an Agatha Christie movie.

At no time was I  bored during this brilliant show which was so intriguing and yet there was more to come.

SPOILERS here have been deleted on purpose!

"YOUARENOWHERE"is one of the moments in time that you want to remember like I was three years old when JFK got shot and I remember the crying. Or Princess Diana died a day after my youngest brother died.  These are unforgettable events and this show is one that I want to talk to people about and yet I do not want to spoil it.

Make sure you see it when it comes to a theatre near you.

I adored the change of perspective.  It was as if our reality was being challenged, but the steak knives were yet to come!

We were then invited to change seats to get a new perspective.  I have seen this done before with a dance performance and more recently on Broadway with the final scenes in "Rocky - the musical".    (You may wish to read my review of  "Rocky the musical" that as I am still in awe at how they staged that final section.  It was amazing to watch the major staging of how security and stage management moved hundreds of people onto the stage as they flew in the boxing ring to cover the front rows of the Wintergarden Theatre.

The AA meeting sequence with the twelve steps where his voice is reversed and replayed.  But does he say some of this live too?  Boy we are really blurring what happened.

There are discussions about physics and time curving and Einstein's theory of relativity etc.  So much science that I do not pretend to understand.

I could not work out why the words in the title all joined together.  Thank you to The Age reviewer, Cameron Woodhead who pointed out that the title could be interpreted as either "You are nowhere" or "You are now here" on Saturday October 17th 2015.  I am glad I did not read his review until afterwards as it would have given me some hints and reduced the my head spinning during this show.

Near death experience:  Yes I nearly died in 1998 in a work accident and the opening sequence reminded me of some aspects of that memory.  Flashes and drifting in and out.

Ending with a light globe falling from the ceiling.  Or was the beginning action that caused his nosebleed.  He did not have the nosebleed at the start of the show. Whereas in a promotional video of "YOUARENOWHERE" he did have the nosebleed at the beginning of the show.   But was that the start of the show? He steps on the globe as he exits and it shatters.

He comes forward at least twice to tell us "This is the end" - once in blackout and then once in full light to repeat "This really is the end".  This ending reminded me of the Melbourne Festival 2014 show "Since I Suppose" by "One Step at a Time Like This" that concluded in a similar way in this exact same space twelve months ago.

After the show two young people swept up the shattered globe.   Did this just happen?  Or have we been watching a show for an hour?  What a great journey and all without alcohol or drugs!

It was delightful that there were no mobile phone incidents during the show.  An usher did make an announcement prior to entry for people to turn off their phones prior to entry as they could interfere with the equipment.  Mind you two people near us only turned their phones off at the last minute.

Andrew Schneider is a talented artist who is compelling to watch.  He has a great body, a rich melodious voice and is a terrific mover.  More so, he is a great story teller who takes us on a wonderful mind blowing journey.  I have seen many great artists perform and he is certainly in one of my favourite shows ever.  I cannot wait to see more of his works.

Congratulations on a brilliant show that finally pushed some of my boundaries with some simple and effective staging devices.   After seeing so many wonderful types of theatre over 49 years "YOUARENOWEHRE" is so far (as of October 21st 2015), my highlight of this year's Melbourne Festival.

Thank you to Josephine Ridge and the Melbourne Festival team for bringing Andrew Schneider with "YOUARENOWHERE".

This was sensational festival fare and gets 8.5/10.

Patti Smith's Horses, Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne Festival, Sunday October 18th 5.00 pm show

Patti Smith's Horses, Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne Festival, Sunday October 18th 5.00 pm show

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre.  So if you want a re-telling of the story please refer to the links for further information or for further insights.  Note, that I may provide different links for repeated main words or phrases.

We had booked tickets for nine shows for the Melbourne Festival in early August 2015 and my partner asked me to book three more shows on Saturday 17th 2015.  So I went through the Melbourne Festival site and booked what suited our available dates.

Some of you reading this will think it sacrilege that we did not know of "Patti Smith's Horses" other than we knew her name and the name of the album.

We arrived early to pick up our tickets and the queue wound from the main entrance of Melbourne Town Hall to Little Collins St and back.  We knew that this was an additional show as the 8.00 pm show had sold out and thought it would be worthwhile.  The queue was quite entertaining as you could not but hear the conversation behind us about "temp-ing" and not being successful in job interviews.  I bit my tongue as I could have given him some hints due to my background.  If he is reading this prepare some answers, do your homework and sound more enthusiastic.

We arrived at our seats with a young couple from a town between Canberra and Byron Bay. Welcome to Melbourne guys and we hope that you have an amazing trip to New York when you do go.  It was terrific to hear this young couple so in awe of our Melbourne Town Hall.  Thank you for coming to Melbourne and hope that you come again for the Melbourne Festival.

We sat up the back in Q Row in the Balcony and we are so relieved that we did not get standing room tickets.   It was terrific to see obvious fans bopping along and relishing the music.

We were not disappointed as some of the music did sound familiar.  I know I can hear you now scathing and rolling your eyes.

"Gloria" was familiar and we realised that we knew this iconic song.  Some relief that we knew this song.

Yes I normally complain about mobile phone usage at the theatre but this is a concert.  Sadly people were going wild taking photos and recording the concert on cameras and phones. It is a copyright issue; but hey security were not going to do anything about it.   I am not complaining but just recording my observations of this event.  It is a concert and it appears to be expected that people need proof of their attendance by taking selfies, we-lfies and recordings.

The concert began at about 5.15 pm and prolongs the record fhat no Melbourne Festival show that we have attended has started on time in its 30 year history!

I assume the 8.00 pm concert will be recorded by two professional cameramen as was the 5.00 pm show.  These cameramen did not intrude on the performers and I was pleased that this historical event was being recorded for their fans.

Musically the band played well except for one song toward the end that seemed a little out of musical synchronisation.  But, hey I do not know the songs well enough to judge.  But I do know when music does not unite.

Vocally the singers were in tune and not flat like some performers can sing a bung note.  We found the volume was quieter than we expected, which was a relief.  Yes it was loud but not excessively so.
On one or two occasions the sound mixing seemed to be a little wonky.

Diction wise it was typical rock singing whereby it can be hard to understand the lyrics at times.  I am not complaining as I enjoyed each performer's singing and the emotions they portrayed.

I loved the balance of the different performers sharing the limelight.

The lighting evoked a celebratory mood.  I especially liked the music during the "Horses" section with the smoky lights appearing to create illusions of horses.  Maybe it was coincidence but I thought I could see some horses in the smoky lights.  But hey look into the clouds and you see different images.

It was terrific to have an hour show of "Patti Smith's Horses" with the one encore.  Keeping it succinct and the crowd wanting more is the way to go.  Quality entertainment rather than people leaving as some concerts can go on too long.

The encore had someone playing the Melbourne Town Hall organ and this was terrific to be able to inform our young neighbours from NSW.

I will have to listen to this album and read the lyrics now.

Overall a 7/10

Decadance, Batsheva Dance Company, State Theatre, Melbourne Festival, Thursday October 15th 2015

Decadance, Batsheva Dance Company, State Theatre, Melbourne Festival, Thursday October 15th 2015

I have seen Batsheva Dance Company perform about four or five times before and was not disappointed this time with "Decadance".  They are a superb group of athletic artists.  They performed at the State Theatre at Arts Centre Melbourne for the Melbourne Festival.

For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre.  So if you want a re-telling of the story please refer to the links for further information or for further insights.  Note, that I may provide different links for repeated main words or phrases.

Entering the theatre the usher did not have any programmes.  I earlier went to the programme sellers and they were selling the 30th Anniversary book that I had bought last Saturday. I thought it odd that there was not a programme in sight with any of the audience members in our area in the stalls, and so I resigned myself that there was not a programme.  Meeting up with friends, who had sat in the Balcony, after the show had received a programme.  I write this review without any reference to the programme notes.

Upon entering the theatre a male dancer was warming up on stage with phrases from dances.  He kept us entertained as people assumed their seats and he received warm applause.  Extra security was evident throughout the theatre and reminded me of the famous final performance scene from "A Sound Of Music".    This extra security was interesting as the usual prevalence of mobile phones had been turned off, except for a blonde woman in F Row who just had to write a text.  Doesn't she know that there is no coverage and it will not be sent until after the show.  She proceeded to take out a pad for notes - maybe a reviewer who should know better to be a role model and turn her phone off prior to the performance.

I think the official performance began at 7.38 when the male dancer went upstage and began a new sequence.  The other dancers now joined him in the pulsating and individual solos.  It appeared totally improvised and it became more exciting when all of the dancers simultaneously synchronised their movements. The ensemble danced in unison briefly and the curtain quickly fell and was a very funny beginning to the "Decadance".

The curtain opens and fifteen dancers are in a semi circle seated on chairs.  The dancers all wear the same costume of a white shirt under a black jacket, Their shoes and trousers are also black.  They perform swirling, reaching and yearning movements.  There is a repeated canon of the dancers who lean back in their seats with their arms and legs outstretched.  The last dancer falls forward off their seat and performs a short solo in mainly a prone position.  The repeated seated dance is very spiritual and respectful. It is also similar to an initiation as if he must succumb to be accepted This canon is repeated many times with the same man falling from his seat.  Later canons have a central man jump onto his seat. In contrast his solos are upright.

The dancers throw off their hats and continue to dance.  Later they discard their shoe then their jackets and finally their trousers,  The dance is so pulsating and reminded me of Ravel's "Bolero" as it is so exciting and builds intensity both musically and choreographically.

This first piece segued with the fading of the lights, the dancers scooping up their costumes as six men stepped forward into a line.

These six men stood forming a line in a tunnel of light.  They created a dance whereby the line would move either to the right or left that was hypnotic.  A new dancer would join the formation as one would leave the group.  This was repeated in the opposite direction with a new member joining the group.  This piece had a different mood to the opening.  To me it was so much about respect for the dancers that have been a part of Batsheva Dance Company as it is also about welcoming new members to the ensemble.

The segues or transitions from one piece to the next were clean.  There was a trio of two women and a man.  This piece was quieter and more reflective with weaving in and out between of the other dancers.

The joy of Batsheva Dance Company is their exciting and exhilarating homage to folkloric traditions and rhythms. Simple gestures or movements are embellished with such grace and dignity. Sometimes the dancers are required to vocalise with either a chant or song in such a compelling and determined manner.

Another sequence was a column of five dancers who would each step forward, expose their mid torso and return to the back of the column.  Later each dancer would be reveal their back and return to the back of the column.  This sequence reminded me of Pina Bausch's "1980" with each dancer competing to show their scars or wounds.  Choreographically Batsheva's version was so different to the competitive nature of Pina Bausch but the mood of exposition and sharing was similar.  We, as the audience were witnessing the dancers ability to share.

There is another large ensemble piece with fifteen dancers.  They again wear their hats and black suits.  Each dancer performs a variation of a gyrating shimmy.  "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" plays at some stage.  Later they turn to the audience and walk forward.  It is quite sinister as they walk towards and into the audience as the house lights are brought up.

Each dancer walks up the aisles selecting a victim and escorts them to the stage.  There are various expressions of fear, trepidation and excitement on the faces of the audience members.  They dance to
Dean Martin's "Sway".  The audience members can improvise with the professional dancers and are also guided into their choices.  Sometimes a Batsheva dancer would try to spin or lift an audience member.  These moments were magical when they either failed or were choreographically in harmony as we were watching the joy of dancing and sharing.  The audience cheered and applauded and you could feel the State Theatre rise with joy.

The dancers coerced the audience members into the centre of a circle as they danced around them. One female audience member was left upstage left to roars of laughter from the crowd.  The spontaneity of this dance made my heart swell.  I have tears of joy while remembering the incredibly powerful moments that all of these people shared.  The audience members were directed to their seats and the audience wildly greeted them back into the audience.

A lone audience woman was dancing centre stage with a Batsheva man.  She cringed at the attention she was receiving and the audience cheered her.  Suddenly all of the Batsheva dancers fall to the ground and this lone woman in a red dress is left awkwardly standing centre stage.  The audience went wild at the end with cheers and thunderous applause.

Another piece I will call "Numbers" as a counting sequence is repeated (in Yiddish?) with one, one two, one two three, one two three, one two three four etc.  Each counting sequence building with an extra new count.  The phrases would coincide with the repetitive moves for each count.  New phrases would be danced with each new grouping.

The final sequence had a female dancer show her hands.  It was like a curtain call.  The audience applauded and a male dancer did the same, so again the audience applauded.  The dance continued and the audience stopped applauding.  People were confused and now decided it was not the curtain call as the dancers moved on from showing their hands.  This was probably the only down fall of the night as people looked at each other not knowing if this was the curtain calls or not.

The action did build until it was obvious the night was complete.  The magnificent dancers made two circles each swirling in opposite directions.  The lights faded to a wonderful night of dance.

The audience went wild and some people did stand though not like a pure eruptive standing ovation. Audience members now began to look to get permission to see if they too should stand.  No it was too late folks.  A true standing ovation is eruptive like the "Korean Drummers" back in an earlier Melbourne Festival.  I think they would have received a standing ovation had they finished with a stronger piece.

I wish Arts Centre Melbourne management would have their ushers stand like the security staff did at this performance as it certainly reduced the mobile phone usage during  the performance. The security staff were not off putting.  I welcome more of this.


Both my partner and I gave this 8.5/10.