Burrinja Theatre
Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow.
Australia’s premier comedy roadshow is coming Upwey.
Australia’s biggest and best comedy spectacular is setting off on its 26th annual road trip around the country.
Showcasing the finest talents from the 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, we’re delivering a dose of laughter right on your doorstep.
Get ready for a well-deserved blast of comedy when the Roadshow hits the Burrinja stage!
Season: Friday April 26 at 7.30pm.
Lilydale Athenaeum theatre
Still Alice
Alice is a university professor on the verge of Alzheimer’s Disease.
The play takes the audience through such a deliberating time for the whole family until there is no hope.
A very good production of such a subject.
The director, Alan Burrows has done wonderful job in the direction and co-design of the set, which consists of six square archways along each side ad at the stage rear, surmounted by black curtains.
The balance of the stage is furnished as a normal house but as Alice moves further along with Alzheimer’s the stage empties like her mind. Very effective.
Alice was played by wo ladies. As ;Alice Angela Glennie gave a stunning performance capturing the full fall throughout Alzheimer from the very beginning to the final scene.
A wonderful portrayal. Herself was played by Audrey-Maeve Barker, as Herself she was behind Alice answering some of the questions and telling Alice some of the answers.
A good performance.
Kohn, Alice’s husband, was given a very good performance by Phil Lambert.
In his role he had to understand what Alice was going through, keep his own job while trying out for a new position, helping his adult children understand the reason that their mother id how she is.
A very good portrayal.
Lachlan Glennie gave a great interpretation of Alice’s son Tom and also played Dean.
Not easy having two roles but Lachlan handled the characters with expertise. His sister Lydia, a budding actress, much to her mother’s discontent.
Francesca Carl t gave a very good performance in both roles as Lydia and as Beth.
Fiona Carter was Alice’s Doctor Tamara. Fiona captured the character as envisaged adding to the high standard of the production.
Ian Frost was Dr Davis, who found that Alice was suffering from Alzheimer’s. Ian caught the feel of such a character giving a good portrayal in the role.
A wonderful evening of theatre which closes April 26.
Don’t miss it.
The Basin Theatre
Berlin
Tom is an Australian abroad, Charlotte is a Berliner through and through.
After meeting in a bar, Sparks fly between them and she invites him to spend the night at her place.
The Basin set was audience left a kitchen and audience right was the lounge room with a central sofa.
There were stairs up to the bedroom and on the wall of the staircase was hanging a painting.
A two hander with Charlotte played by Anatasia Sidorova and Tom played by Aaron Wilson.
Both actors gave credible performance’s but sometimes it was a little hard to hear.
Tom was stabbed in the arm but unfortunately, he carried on the rest of the play as if nothing happed.
A little disappointing as it appeared to be a severe wound but there was no blood (which could have been added) and he did not appear to suffer greatly.
Overall it is an interesting play and was enjoyed by the Friday night audience.
Eltham Little Theatre
The Peppercorn Tree
et in 1993 suburban Melbourne, The Peppercorn Tree tells the story of Jonah Clarke who during an early morning raid in World War ii Tobruk, makes a split second decision with repercussions that grew to overshadow his life and future relationships.
ELT had its foyer decorated to suit the play with many Rembrance day poppies across the wall with a peppercorn tree in the middle surmounted by a digger’s hat.
The stage was set as a lounge room of a house suiting the period.
The furnishings were an hospital bed, Behind it was a window looking out to a wonderful reproduction of a peppercorn tree. Audience right was the entrance door and on the side was a door leading to
the kitchen.
There was some shall we say off language which suited the character and the role.
Jonah Clarke was played by Rowan Francis who really captured the soul of the character.
A wonderful portrayal and one not to forget.
His second wife, Grace, was given a stirling understanding performance by Genevieve Ryan.
Genevieve caught the essence of the second wife and worked well with Rowan Francis.
Zoe Pilgrim played by Hannah Bolt was the biographer trying to write Jonah’s story. A good and sympathetic portrayal.
Michael Clarke, Jonah’s son by his first wife was played by Warrick Smith.
Another great performance adding to the high standard of the production. |
Then through the window we had Evelyn (Evie) Clarke, Jonah’s first wife who appeared as a ghost, great makeup and costuming with a good performance.
A good evening of theatre with a few laughs, poignancy and memopries.
