The Robot Dog review | Melbourne Theatre Company

Janelle, a woman of Cantonese heritage, and Harry, a First Nations man, are a seemingly happy couple living in Australia in 2042. When Janelle's mother dies, she and Harry move into her mother's home as they attempt to clear out the house. But this is 2042, so there are a few distinct additions to this home, such as an AI system that controls their daily movements (sometimes literally), and a robotic therapy dog.

As they begin packing and cleaning, the two are forced to confront their own cultural identity and the way it has shaped them, even if they feel little attachment to it. Written by Roshelle Yee Pui Fong and Matthew Ngamurarri Heffernan, The Robot Dog, offers a quirky exploration of how technology has become an inseparable part of our lives, particularly in an ever-changing world.

Hands Over Eyes review

There were times while watching Hands Over Eyes that I felt like I was watching a live episode of Black Mirror, a TV series that looks at how our over-reliance on technology can have far darker consequences than we could have imagined. Presented as part of La Mama Theatre Explorations season for work in various stages of development Peter Danastasio's Hands Over Eyes raises discussion on perceptions of truth and honesty and how the impact this can have on people.

Danny Carroll plays Paul Havour, a conversationalist who works for a company that conducts simulated experience sessions to assist patients with their past traumas or phobic treatments. Through the course of the week he begins to question his beliefs and work ethics while attempting to assist his patients with treatments he finds troubling.

Perhaps There Is Hope Yet… review - Melbourne Fringe

Having recently seen Rockie Stone perform in Finucane and Smith's Glory Box and being blown away by her sets, I was very much looking forward to seeing her in Melbourne Fringe show, Perhaps There Is Hope Yet, and it did not disappoint. Along with fellow circus performer Vincent van Berkel and with music by Sam Keevers, it is a wonderfully constructed show that is inspired by climate change and the slow disintegration of our environment.

The stage is littered with a number of glass bottles, a makeshift seesaw and a kinetic sculpture by Callan Morgan that while only acknowledged a few times, has a strong visual presence throughout the show. Initially reminding me of a traditional windmill and later, due to its movements, that of a wind turbine, it keeps the idea of retaining a sustainable environment for the future churning.