Circus 1903 review

As you take your seat and look at the stage of Circus 1903, it really feels like you have been transported back 120 years ago to a big top circus. World-class talent undertake breathtaking acrobatics and routines that show what can be achieved if you put your mind to it. An appearance by an African elephant and her baby calf further heightens the excitement felt over a century ago when circuses would travel into small towns offering locals opportunities to witness extraordinary artists and exotic animals, and for a limited season, it is Melbourne's turn to experience this.

Every act is a highlight and while favourites among the audience varies, there's no denying the absolute skill possessed by the Icarian Games performers Mohammed Ibrahim and Hamza Seid, in a stunning routine of foot juggling a human body. At one point, 23 consecutive rotations are completed one after the other and watching the strength and flexibility in both these performers is simply jaw dropping. Mekdes Kebede's contortionist act is utterly engrossing as she manipulates her body into positions that should not be feasible, and receives plenty of gasps from the crowd.

SWAMP review

Created by Andy Freer and Nick Wilson, and presented by Snuff Puppets, SWAMP sends its audience into a fascinating journey into the impact humans have had on Earth's geology and ecosystems through the adventures of a number of Australian animals.

Large scale intricately designed animal puppets - including koalas, mosquitos, cane toads and lyrebirds - are bought to life by puppeteers in "short stories" of their interactions with each other and their changing environment. Varying in their humour and dramatics, each story effectively highlights their plight, and how humans have explicitly and implicitly made their homes a risk to their safety and lives.

Animal Farm review | Darebin Arts Speakeasy

First published in 1945, it would be hard to imagine how a production of George Orwell's classic Animal Farm could offer something new to audiences. But theatre company Bloomshed have proven they are more than up to the challenge, imbuing the narrative with their dramatic flair and sharp satire to present a highly memorable experience in successfully exploring dark issues with a comedic tone.

The ensemble (Elizabeth Breenan, James Malcher, Anna Louey, Eden Goodall, Lauren Swain, Laura Aldous, Syd Brisbane and Sam Nix) do a brilliant job with the anthropomorphism of their assigned animals, be it Malcher's blindly loyal bleating sheep, Goodall's nervous chicken or Louey and Brisbane's respective vain and dim-witted horses.

Long Prawn is cooking up a conversation on food with its Live Leisure Yabby Fishing Restaurant at Melbourne Fringe

If there's one rule to be aware of when going to the Melbourne Fringe Festival, it's to expect the unexpected and open yourself up to new adventures. Okay, so maybe that's two rules. But in Long Prawn's Live Leisure Yabby Fishing Restaurant, both these statements ring true. During the last weekend of the festival, the public will be given the chance to flex their fishing skills as they are given a rod for an hour to go fishing for yabbies. Catch one, and pass it to renowned chef Lorcan Kan who will cook it for you on the spot and create a delicious yabby snack.

For the brains behind Long Prawn, Frederick MG Mora and Lauren B Stephens, the appeal in putting together an event likes this stems from wanting to offer unique dining experiences while subtly asking people to think about the various stories of where our food comes from.

Creatures Lost - Melbourne Fringe Festival preview

Winners of Best Cabaret at the 2018 Melbourne Fringe Festival, Picked Last For Sport are back with a brand new show on animals and the environment. Moving away from the ocean theme of their original show, Creatures of the Deep, Creatures Lost focuses on highlighting the impact that humans have had on extinct animals and the need to look after and respect them as much as we do each other. 

Founded by Ryan Smith and Sarah Wall, Picked Last For Sport's exploration of sustainability and environmental issues extends beyond their content. The company only sources their costumes and props from recyclables and up-cycled materials, which has given them more freedom and creativity with their productions. "We pride ourselves on producing sustainable theatre so all our props and costumes come from recyclables and upcycled materials. It can be challenging at times when it would be easier to head to Kmart, but problem solving and figuring out how to make something out of what you’ve got is half the fun," they tell me. "It forces us to think outside the box and be more inventive in the way we represent the animals. In a lot of ways the restrictions make the show so much better by forcing you to consider things you never would have thought of. A director once told me that if you could have everything you wanted for your show with no compromises it would probably not be very good, and there’s a lot of truth in that. Also, Savers is a life saver!"

Love Bird review

It's a parent's worst nightmare. The day their eight-year-old daughter falls in love. To Mr. Ping Pong, her pet cockatiel. Despite its absurd storyline, Georgina Harris' Love Bird is an offbeat approach to exploring sexuality, gender and identity through a highly unconventional relationship that has plenty of laughs with moments that will surprise and strangely delight audiences.

Having not seen its first staging earlier in the year at The Butterfly Club, it feels like time and thought has been put into grounding the work, particularly by Jessica Martin who plays Franny. She delivers a nuanced performance showing Franny as being naive and innocent but with a yearning to comprehend who she is and what her place in society is. As ridiculous as the premise of her being intimate with a cockatiel is, Martin sells the emotional connection she seeks that she can't seem to find from the humans around her.

My Monster: The Human-Animal Hybrid exhibition review | RMIT University

My Monster: The Human-Animal Hybrid is an exhibition at RMIT Gallery that looks at our relationships and perceptions of the non-humans who are among us. Curated by Evelyn Tsitas, the exhibition is divided into five different and curious sections: xenos (foreigner / stranger), mythos (stories / narratives), tokos (childbirth / reproduction), eros (erotic love) and kosmos (the world).

A highlight of the exhibition is in mythos, with Moira Finucane and David Verhagen’s Fur Can’t Fly (The Mourning of the Fur). This is beautifully conceived immersive, multi sensory installation that tells of a transformative journey in the mountains of Brazil. The evocative score by Shinjuku Thief and the soothing yet commanding voice of Finucane aid you through your journey. The specially designed vibrating chair and the lighting design by Thomas Dahlrnburg and Verhagen are simply stunning. With your eyes closed, every movement of the chair and sliver of light slipping into your vision makes you believe you are living this uplifting tale.

Nautilus review - Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Of all the silent comedies I've seen, none have spoken to me more than Trygve Wakenshaw's Nautilus. The New Zealand born, London based comedian is back at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival with his uproarious one-man multiple-characters silent comedy show that is bound to amuse and delight audiences.

He appears on stage in a grey suit and shirt with bright red socks that immediately stand out. This fashion oddity is the perfect way to describe Wakenshaw and his show as he starts breaking out in some seriously over the top but wicked dance moves to Justice's "D.A.N.C.E". Once the music cuts, he instantly takes the form of his first character, which happens to be a chicken. But this isn't your standard just-for-laughs chicken; this is a chicken with a defined personality and purpose seeking to answer one of life's most elusive mysteries.

A Heard of Elephants - Melbourne Fringe Festival review

Presented as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival, Heard of Elephants is a musical on elephant conservation that follows a herd of elephants over a year as they face daily threats from nature and man. Further to that, the play explores the intricate relationships these animals share with each other by exploring their strong links to family, mating rituals and traditions within their species.

The way writer and director Katherine Phelps has humanized elephants with her cast (Alanna Baschera, Victoria Haslam, Karanvir Malhorta, Suhasini Seelin and Harlene Hercules) is surprisingly clever and charming. Their basic movements and simple costumes easily convince you that they are indeed elephants - provided you allow the magic of theatre to do its work.

All the Animals We Ate review | Melbourne Fringe Festival | Arts House

Last year, James Tresise’s mother passed away. During that same time, Sean M. Whelan’s pet spoodle passed away after 13 years. In All The Animals We Ate, the two come together to grieve and mourn the passing of someone they love and to celebrate their life. Death may be the end of one thing but it not need be the end of everything.

There is a lot of heart in this show; it’s hard not to feel sadness as Whelan’s recalls the moment he found out his beloved dog, Cady, had died. Despite the show being predominantly about the loss of animals, we are invited to link these experiences to any sense of personal loss we’ve had, let it be animal or human. This empathy is created in part through the animal impersonations the two performers take on throughout, emphasising their connections to human beings.

All The Animals We Ate by Sean M Whelan & James Tresise - Melbourne Fringe Festival preview

If the Internet has taught us anything, it's that we love watching videos and pictures of cats and dogs. In their upcoming Melbourne Fringe show, All The Animals We Ate, spoken word poet Sean M Whelan and performer James Tresise explore the complex relationship between humans and animals and how we deal with love and loss. 

'The reason we started making All the Animals We Ate was because I was struggling to respond to the passing of my mother last year. I saw that Sean's beloved spoodle Cady had passed and that was the impetus for me to ask Sean to collaborate on a new work," Tresise explains. "We built this play from the ground up using a series of theatre games that I adapted to generate a written script. It was a really fun and lively way to deal with some of the more challenging themes we decided to tackle. It also became very evident that this work required both Sean and I to perform it, so excitingly Melbourne audiences will be treated to the acting debut of Sean M. Whelan!"