The Candidate review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

Mandy Nolan ran for the Federal seat of Richmond (Northern NSW) as the Greens candidate and lost. She lost by a 2% margin. In The Candidate, the comedian recalls the experience of running in a federal election and the impact this had on her.

Nolan is an extremely likeable and engaging speaker and it's very easy to see how she came so close to winning the seat in an electorate that is a bit too open to COVID and 5G conspiracy theories with a strong anti-vax mentality. She shows great ability in smoothly transitioning from completely ridiculous but factual encounters to the serious aspects of a feminist comedian running for politics, and the subsequent politics of running for politics.

Rebel review

Playwright Fleur Kilpatrick did not set out to write Rebel, but this serendipitous act has resulted in a warm-hearted play that shares the stories of senior climate and environmental activists. From Queensland to Western Australia and to New South Wales, Kilpatrick met and spoke with several "rebels" and discussed how and why they were doing what they were doing to protect the planet while also bringing up the idea of what makes someone a rebel.

Being familiar with Kilpatrick's writing and having met her a few times, you could mot have picked someone better than Ayesha Tansey to portray her - except if Kilpatrick herself had taken to the stage. Tansey convincingly displays Fleur's sensitivity to the world around her and her curiosity about people and community. She brings forth Fleur's caring nature and kindness as she explores the state of the planet and how hope is not completely lost.

Dirty Words - Melbourne Fringe Festival review

Before Dirty Words begins, performers Jonathan Carter and Alana Dare sweetly croon to the audience on the perils of drugs. This sets the scene nicely for Monash University Student Theatre's rock cabaret show that tackles some of the big issues that society has still failed to address.

Austen (Austen Keating) is holding a vegan dinner party for a group of friends, and as his guests arrive - some invited, some uninvited, some vegan, some not - issues relating to racism, sexuality and the environment are raised and re-enacted. Tara Dowler's direction during these scenes is highly engaging, most notably when Jonathan recalls his life as a waiter at a restaurant and Dowler incorporates the entire cast into the scene. This is successfully repeated during one of the songs on marine protection, which includes some emotive adagio choreographed by Georgia Bell and performed beautifully by Sarah Maher and Carter.

Unfortunately Dowler does not retain this energetic style throughout the show, as other flashback or stories are told without the same visual flair. When child care worker Cat (Catriona Cowie) informs us of her conversation with a pregnant parent regarding the sexuality of her future child, Dowler has her emphatically jumping around the empty stage, which feels like it is being done more for laughs rather than to express the character's thoughts.

Panti: High Heels in Low Places review

Drag artist Panti Bliss rose to prominence in 2014 after her speech about homophobia went viral, where even the Pet Shop Boy remixed her impassioned words into a song. As part of this year's Midsumma Festival, Panti's High Heels in Low Places is the opportunity for Melbourne audiences to be personaly regaled by The Queen of Ireland's stories, experiences and thoughts.

Panti has an innate ability in creating a welcoming, open and safe atmosphere in the room as she walks into the audience, introducing herself to various people, and on the evening I attended, actually meeting one of her cousins for the first time!

Beers and Trees review

Performed as part of La Mama's 2015 Explorations season and developed with the assistance of Theatre 451, Beers and Trees by Allee Richards is a humorous yet thoughtful look at not only what makes a person strive for good, but what makes a 'good' activist and just how important this activity is? We all want to change the world and make it better for everyone but we also want to be happy and fulfilled by our own needs and desires. It's a fine balancing act to get it just right and the question of where this balance lies is what the five characters presented here attempt to answer. 

Adrian Del-Re is the stand out performer in the cast with his portrayal of Brad being highly natural, nuanced and convincing. The delivery really highlights the comfort that Del-Re has found with this character, and his scenes with Julia Hanna (Ruby) are the most entertaining of the show. Playwright Richards has succeeded admirably in finding clear voices for these two characters and really fleshing them out.