Cleopatra & Antony review | Melbourne Shakespeare Company | fortyfivedownstairs

History remembers Cleopatra and Mark Antony primarily as lovers, but romance was only one part of what brought them together. Cleopatra was a ruler fighting to preserve Egypt's independence, while Antony was a Roman general caught in the bitter struggle for control of Rome. Their relationship unfolded as the Roman Republic collapsed, making their personal choices inseparable from the political forces that would prove to be their undoing.

While I knew the broad outlines of their story, I wasn’t especially familiar with Shakespeare’s play. Some reading beforehand revealed a more politically charged drama than the popular image of the doomed lovers suggests. Melbourne Shakespeare Company’s production of Cleopatra & Antony, directed by Sonya Suares, brings its intrigue, tension and ambition into fortyfivedownstairs’ basement.

Imp! (One Man, Many Parts) review | Melbourne Fringe Festival | The Motley Bauhaus

Scott Middleton’s Imp! (One Man, Many Parts) is a bold and imaginative physical theatre piece that adapts Shakespeare’s iconic “All the world’s a stage” monologue into a playful, clown-driven exploration of life’s absurdities, loves, struggles, and surprises. He demonstrates a remarkable ability to inhabit multiple guises, inviting the audience into a whirlwind of humour, heart, and theatrical brilliance.



The monologue captures the seven stages of life - from infancy to old age - with each person cast as a player performing in the theatre of life. It is both a meditation on the cycle of life and a wry commentary on the roles we adopt, the masks we wear, and the fleeting nature of our time on this planet. By opening with this text, Middleton acknowledges the timeless theme of “life as performance”, while signalling he will be toying with identity and the comedy and tragedy of everyday life.



Lady MacBreast review

It's hard to believe that Po Po Mo Co (Post Post Modern Comedy) is almost ten years old. This queer collective of theatre makers has been making work as a group, and as individuals, that frames the world via a lens that is wild, absurd and stupid. Its new production of Lady MacBreast - no guesses as to what this is about - indicates there's no signs of them slowing down, and is a perfect reminder of the intelligence and creativity they possess.

Performed and devised by Kimberley Twiner, Lily Fish, Hallie Goodman and Phoebe Mason, Lady MacBreast does not shy away from going too far. While the narrative keeps true to that of Macbeth, the way scenes and characters are presented bring constant laughter and gasps of shock and surprise from the audience. The opening scene of the three witches meeting, with their ridiculously unkempt hair and not much else in terms of clothing, begins our queer and subversive journey of what John Waters' work would look like if he'd been around in Shakespeare's time.

William Shakespeare’s Reservoir Dogs review | St Martins Youth Art Centre

In their latest production, Ghostlight League bring the worlds of William Shakespeare and Quentin Tarantino together with William Shakespeare's Reservoir Dogs. It's not a combination you would normally expect, but this retelling of one of Tarantino's best movies moved into the Victorian era is thoughtfully composed with a few surprises along the way.

Steven Hopley has done wonderful work in "translating" Tarantino's script, with notable scenes cleverly but accurately recreated to great effect. The opening scene where the group discuss Madonna and "Like A Virgin" appropriately sets the tone and the accompaniment of a live band playing period specific covers of the film's soundtrack enhances both genres.

The Taming of the Shrew review

William Shakespeare's The Taming of The Shrew has seen countless adaptations in theatre, opera, ballet, film, radio and TV, and to wrap up its 2019 program, the Melbourne Shakespeare Company have brought it back to Melbourne in an outdoor setting with a twist. To address the controversy of the play regarding its sexist and misogynist tones, the company have pulled together a predominantly female cast with the character of Bianca change to Bianco and played by a man, who has a list of female suitors after him.

The casting of Katherina is determined by an audience vote before every performance and on opening night, the majority voted for John Vizcay-Wilson to be Katerino with the role of Petruchia performed by Emma Jevons. This shift in power and gender blending allows the humour and the liveliness of the story to come through and it's refreshing to have the women be confident, loud and brash and not be admonished for it.

The Will To Be - Melbourne Fringe Festival review

It’s 1962 and a university lecturer in Melbourne has been fired from his position due to having an affair with a student. A male student. As he packs his belongings, he ponders what the next chapter of his life will entail. Should he stay silent and continue living with his adoring wife or does he take a brave step forward and explore his feelings for Henry at a time when homosexuality is still illegal in Australia.

As William deals with the immediate repercussions of his relationship being uncovered, The Will To Be flashbacks to his life with Lola and his encounters with Henry. Mark Salvestro puts in an admirable performance as the educator, with his quivering voice, nervous disposition and hints of a longing to be himself. The way he describes his sexual encounter with Henry is suitably erotically awkward and very much in line with the character that is presented to us.

Bell Shakespeare's 2020 Season

Bell Shakespeare has unveiled its splendid 2020 season exploring two of William Shakespeare’s most popular and classic plays, re-imagined for 21st century audiences, Hamlet and The Comedy of Errors. Touring to Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, these two productions are bound to be a hit with audiences as Shakespeare's universal insights bring inspiration and truth to the uncertain world in which we live in today.

"From humble beginnings in a circus tent, to presenting a program I couldn’t be more excited to share on stages around Australia in 2020, Bell Shakespeare has come a very long way in 30 years.” says Artistic Director Peter Evans. “Shakespeare and the other classic plays we present challenge our beliefs and urge us to see ourselves in a new light. Their ability to discover the things that make us human inspires us to make work that challenges preconceptions and encourages new interpretations and contemporary parallels – work that speaks to every age."

The Hamlet Apocalypse review

The end of the world is nigh. In fact, it is just mere hours away. But for seven people there is something more pressing at hand. These seven actors have come together for one final time to stage Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Eventually what is fiction and what is reality is not as clear as it once was as the group attempts to accept what is happening outside while remaining committed to their last rehearsal and to their roles.

As Hamlet's story unfolds, links are made between the tale and the actors' personal lives that are impossible to ignore, and everything begins to slowly and painfully unravel. The ensemble - Chris Beckey, Katrina Cornwell, Nicole Harvey, Thomas Hutchins, Polly Sará, Peta Ward and Mitch Wood - deliver utterly engrossing performances as the actors in the play and as the characters within the play of the play. They find nuanced balanced of showing the truth of both their characters and highlighting the similarities and differences to who they are playing.

Garry Starr Performs Everything - Melbourne International Comedy Festival review

Fresh from his Adelaide Fringe Emerging Artist Weekly Award win, Damien Warren-Smith brings his first solo show, Garry Starr Performs Everything, to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Dismissed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, the jaded thespian is determined to show them the error of their ways and attempts to perform every single genre of theatre in under 50 minutes. 

The audience is forced to endure watching Starr perform a variety of theatrical and live performance genres, ranging from butoh to slap stick comedy to ballet. His modernisation of Shakespeare during his tragedy genre is a tragedy in itself, but it is perfectly executed by Warren-Smith and hearing the laughter in the audience grow as they recognise what is happening, with Warren-Smith remaining as straight-faced as they come, is pure joy.

A Midsummer Night's Dream review

Nestled within the Royal Botanic Gardens, The Australian Shakespeare Company present William Shakepeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. This outdoor performance is the perfect way to spend a Melbourne summer evening enjoying a picnic with friends, surrounded by nature and being thoroughly entertained by the hijinks these Athenian residents and fairies find themselves in. 

For those unaware, the plot follows the marriage between Theseus, the Duke of Athens, and Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazon. However their marriage is put on hold when Egeus announces he want his daughter Hermia to marry Demetrius, despite Hermia wanting to marry Lysander and Hermia's close friend Helen being desperately in love with Demetrius. Within the forest that these young lovers find themselves, Oberon, the King of the Fairies attempts to put Titania, the Queen of the Fairies, under a magic spell. Of course, things don't go quite according to plan and just who is supposed to be in love with who becomes one confusing and chaotic romantic comedy.

True Love's Sight review

The great thing about La Mama's Explorations season, is that it gives artists the opportunity to present works in various stages of development. It might be the first time it is staged to an audience or a scripted reading. In the case of True Love's Sight, we see a number of segments from their upcoming immersive theatrical experience.

Taking place inside the walls of Athens, the work, created by Michaela Bedel and Nikki Brumen, is inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. We meet a number of characters from the play, including Theseus, Hermia, Helena, Lysander and Demetrius. William Ewing, Doug Lyons and  Tamzen Hayes do well with their characters and are confident enough in making their interactions with the audience seem genuine and spontaneous.