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.

Miss Peony review

We have all heard of the expression "be careful what you wish for", but in Miss Peony, the more appropriate expression would be "be careful what you promise on your Poh Poh's deathbed". When Lily agrees to enter - and win - a beauty pageant competition just as her grandmother passes away, she is forced to see it through or risk being haunted by her Poh Poh for the rest of her life. Written by Michelle Law, Miss Peony takes its audience into the world of beauty pageants with plenty of humour and heart.

The relationship between Lily and her Poh Poh (in the living and the spiritual world) constantly moves from affectionate to exasperating as Stephanie Jack and Gabrielle Chan touchingly display the underlying tension, grief and regrets they feel. Chan is full of personality as Adeline, Lily's Poh Poh. Her matter-of-fact attitude and dishing of barbs is a joy to watch and while her fan dance is brief, it is one of Miss Peony’s most powerful moments due to the emotion that Chan carries in it.

Transcendence review (Midsumma Festival)

Taking place over the course of an evening, Transcendence tells the story of 15-year-old William, as he tries to understand who he is and who he wants to be. Written and directed by Wayne Stelini, it offers a humourous yet sincere look at gender identity and the challenges that a teenager has when faced with these choices. Through William’s daggy father (Michael Robins), his acid-tongued friends Ricky and Felicia (Kyle Cuthbert and Ivan Koetsveld) and some brilliant lip-syncing numbers, we follow William (Anthony Pontonio) on this journey of self-discovery.

Stelini has us spend a good half hour focusing on the dynamics of these four people and helping us to see things from their perspectives. However, it isn’t until the final half of the show where we learn that William’s parents are sending him away to a conversion camp and the reasons for this become clear. As such, we don’t get to explore this part of the story which results in an ending that is slightly rushed.

Getting the inside scoop on being an outsider with Amelia O’Leary's new dance work A Certain Mumble

In 2023, Darebin Arts Speakeasy will celebrate a decade of ground-breaking and award-winning performing arts productions, with Amelia O'Leary's contemporary dance work A Certain Mumble making up part of its 2023 season. O'Leary, a First Nations Gamilaroi dancer and choreographer, will be working with Chinese Malaysian artist Janelle Tan Yung Huey as they explore what it feels like to be an outsider in Australia.

"Being an outsider in Australia means feeling different or like you don't belong," O'Leary says. "We particularly felt like outsiders by encountering indirect and direct acts and attitudes of racism. I also struggled with not belonging in certain institutions and social spaces. I can feel the eeriness and unsettling energies of so-called Australia. In a way, being an outsider helps broadens your perspective and makes you a more interesting and understanding person, but it can make you feel unseen, unheard and misunderstood."

Iphis review

It's been a number of years since I've seen an opera by Lyric Opera and there is great anticipation as to not only what story they choose to tell with each production but also the innovation and the uniqueness in which they will present it, and Iphis is no exception.

Running at just 70 minutes, this is a short opera but there is much that is covered in Iphis, beginning with Telethusa going through labour (and what a memorable labour it is) as her husband, Lidgus, eagerly awaits the arrival of a son. However, Telethusa gives birth to a girl and in order to protect her child (and herself) from her husband's wrath, secretly raises Iphis as a boy. Fast forward a decade or two and Lidgus is preparing to marry Iphis off to Ianthe, which introduces various issues around gender, identity and relationships.

Top 10 Shows of 2021

2021 was certainly a difficult year for the performing arts scene in Melbourne. However if you did manage to get to a show between lockdowns, you would have been witness to a great variety of talent and ideas. While I personally find it extremely difficult to engage with a show virtually, there were also some incredible digital works being made. With this in mind, I managed to see 54 pieces of work this year by independent artists and theatre companies in Melbourne. Below are my top ten shows of those 54 works. If I reviewed it, then a link to the original review is provided.

And as I always like to remind people, sometimes the shows that will stick with you months and years after you've seen them, that will leave an imprint on your heart, body and soul, will not always be the big budget, flashy ones but the ones that are only on for four nights with ten people in the audience. In this current arts climate, remember to support your independent theatre makers and venues - some shows can cost you as little as $20 and can be one of the most original, inspiring and though provoking performances you might see.

Take a risk, see something new, unknown and different in 2022.

Here we go:

Adam - Midsumma Festival review

Adam Kashmiry left Egypt, his home and country, at the age of 19. He travelled to Scotland to seek asylum in order so that he could live. Adam is a transgender man, and his journey of determination and hope is presented as part of the Midsumma Festival in France Poet's critically acclaimed Adam. 

Juan Gomez and Ollie Ayres both star as Adam, showing the complementary and contrasting nature of his personality, which links back to the contronyms (words that have two opposing meanings) that they discuss throughout the play. The opposite yet same "parts" of Adam struggle as they try to find a sense of wholeness. This fight becomes evident particularly when Adam begins taking his testosterone injections, and it is acted out powerfully and honestly.

Party Snake review | The Burrow

When we see drag queens perform, they are confident, loud and love being the centre of attention. But how often do we think about the person behind the wig, makeup and dazzling outfit? In Kotryna Gesait’s Party Snake, the duality of these two existences is explored as a drag queen arrives home from a night out only to begin getting ready for work that morning as a primary school drama teacher. 

As Queen and the man behind the persona, Lachlan Martin shows a commanding and captivating understanding of who they are, or thinks they are. It’s rare to watch someone act drunk or high in an authentic yet interesting way, but Martin ensures that despite the state she is in, Queen never stops being a layered character who continues to surprise and engage us. As Queen begins to remove her wig, makeup and clothes, Martin finds a consistent balance in showcasing the opposing nature of these lives. The closer he gets to leaving for work, the more subdued and awkward he becomes, where even his voice changes from animated and bold to meek and polite. It's an incredibly restrained performance that clearly presents an innate awareness of their character.

Top 10 Shows of 2019

Every year I tell myself no more saying yes to going to all the shows in Melbourne, and this year I managed to cut down from 221 in 2018 to only 199 in 2019, and yes, those numbers do annoy me. I found this year particularly exciting as I saw some amazing work from new and emerging writers and performers who I can never get enough of seeing on stage. I witnessed shows in venues that hold hundreds of people and others that were intimate one-on-one experiences.
As an audience member, I got to plan a friend's wedding in a cafe, discover hidden secrets in Werribee, explore loneliness and isolation in a caravan, watch a five hour break-up take place on stage and suckle on some of mummy's breast milk. 
Like most people, I like to keep track of everything I see so I maintained a list of them all. Below I list the top ten shows I saw in 2019. If I reviewed it, then a link to the original review is provided.

This is also a great reminder that sometimes the most memorable and exciting experiences are not always the big budget, flashy ones but the ones that are only on for four nights at a small theatre venue. Especially in this current arts climate, remember to support your independent theatre makers and venues - some can cost you as little as $20 and can be one of the most original, inspiring and though provoking performances you might see.

Here we go:

Adam - Midsumma Festival preview

Adam Kashmiry risked being killed in order to live his life. The Egyptian born transgender man left his home and country at the age of 19 to seek asylum in Scotland for the opportunity to be himself. This extraordinary journey of resilience and strength was first performed at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and is now making its Australian premiere this Midsumma Festival.

It took director Jacob Thomas less than a second after they read the script to know they had to put this on. “Adam’s story is an experience you can easily disregard through one’s privilege, which is exactly why it's vital for our communities to hear this story, particularly as seeking asylum is still incredibly difficult for LGBTIQA+ people," they explain. "White, Western queers - myself included - can forget, perhaps conveniently, how our communities abroad are surviving. They’re getting by without pride parades, support systems and events such as Midsumma. That’s not to say we’re without struggle here in Australia, but more that we can’t ignore the realities of our global queer families. We can hold both our struggles and the struggle of others at the same time."

Exit Strategies review

In Exit Strategies, Mish Grigor explores not only various ways of leaving but also the thinking and process behind this, such as when to leave and how to walk away from a situation. This world premiere, a collaboration with APHIDS co-directors Lara Thoms and Eugenia Lim, is an intimate performance that brings the audience into its absurd environment as we question our own philosophies and decisions around exiting.

These exits are comical in description and execution, such as Grigor’s reenactments of sneaking out of a yoga class, but they are often acknowledging a greater social or cultural observation. She has a natural charisma on stage, and it is entertaining to see how she will depart next. She finds the subtleties for each scenario and simultaneously plays it naturally and plays it big. There are some thought-provoking points raised but unfortunately there is not enough substance to sustain it and you wish the show would go further in what it is trying to say. The exits never amount to anything substantial and as it nears its own end, Grigor’s words fail to carry adequate weight or urgency to generate a lasting impact on the issues that are introduced.

The Disappearing Trilogy review

In Suzie Hardgrave's The Disappearing Trilogy, gender and character come under the spotlight with an actor expressing her confusion and uncertainty on what it means to be both a woman and a performer. Where does one end and one begin? Can they co-exist, or will one eventually cease to exist?

Hardgrave displays outstanding skill in her writing and acting with each of the three episodes, which partners her thesis on the topic of “the actress”, and performance and construct of gender and character. The first episode has Hardgrave lamenting a one-star review after a show has closed and determining her self-worth. The second, which is the most engaging, has her using her body to explore the demands and expectations placed upon a performer as a pre-recorded narrator verbalises what we are seeing. The final episode has the actor step out from the confines of the stage and attempt to speak to us as a genuine person.

Looking for Tiger Lily review | Yirramboi | Meat Market

Looking for Tiger Lily begins with a scene from the 1960 TV version of Peter Pan in which blonde, blue-eyed Indian “princess” Tiger Lily - played by American actress Sondra Lee - performs “Ugg-a-Wugg” with her tribe. As this screens on a projection, Portland’s premier drag clown Carla Rossi, the “ghost of white privilege”, appears on stage and joins in on the dance. This entrance sets the scene for Anthony Hudson’s (and his alter ego Carla's) solo show on the intersectionality and difficulties of coming to terms with his racial, gender and sexual identity. Hudson is a gay American who is three-eighths Native American with his father being a Grande Ronde tribal member and a mother from Germany.

Hudson’s storytelling is engaging and entertaining as he shares stories of his family and childhood and opening up about his constantly shifting ideas of his own identity. While the space is perhaps too big for an intimate show such as this, he uses it well, giving himself plenty of room to express himself. Hudson is articulate and clear in what he is saying, and his physicality and movement demonstrate his enthusiasm and passion, allowing the audience to be further immersed into his world and gain a better understanding of the issues he is raising.

Where You From, From? - Melbourne International Comedy Festival review

Canadian comedian, Aliya Kanani, has come to Melbourne for her first solo comedy show, Where You From, From? As a person of colour, it's a question she has been asked many times but it's also a question that people are often not satisfied with the response until they get one that confirms the "otherness" of the person. In her show, Kanani explores how these moments have played out in her life, but it's also about how she sees it play out in others' that results in this show being more positive and empowering than you would initially expect.

There is so much energy to Kanani and she is genuinely thrilled to be performing in Melbourne. However, she never lets this excitement envelop her and remains focused on giving the audience a good time. She's extremely comfortable with the material - after all, she has lived it - but she tells it in a way that's like the first time a friend is telling you a story about something that happened to them. There's great interaction with the audience and Kanani is constantly checking in with us to make sure we are still on board.

The Butch Monologues - Midsumma Festival review

Butch. A butch woman. A woman who has masculine traits, behaviours and styles. For The Butch Monologues, playwright Laura Bridgeman interviewed numerous butch-identifying women living in America, the UK, Europe and the Caribbean. There are currently over 100 entries in The Butch Monologues, and 54 of these have been selected for the Melbourne premiere of this show to be read out by five members of the Melbourne queer community, some with little or no stage experience.

The stage is bare except for one chair and a small round table, but once Fiona Jones, Anne Harris, Quinn Eades, Jax Jacki Brown and Jacques De Vere appear on stage, it becomes filled with the lives and personalities of the people whose stories are being shared. While the topics and themes that are raised vary from being humourous to affecting to profound, they all work towards highlighting the trials of butch identity and politics.

Twink Ascending - Melbourne Fringe Festival review

The modern gay man. Who is he? In his Melbourne Fringe Festival show, Twink Ascending, writer and performer Andy Johnston goes on a mission to uncover what it means to be a gay man today. Through a variety of theatrical styles, Johnston shines a light on issues such as body image, relationships, sex, and of course, dick pics.

The set and costume design by Dann Barber add a camp sci-fi dance floor aesthetic to the performance, which fits in nicely with the opening moments of the show. Curled up on the floor in the foetal position, Johnston is eventually born into a queer world and bombarded with catchphrases and comments you would come across on online dating apps.

Twink Ascending | Melbourne Fringe Festival interview

Bears, otters, pups, cubs, wolves, daddies, jocks, twunks and twinks. These are just a few terms to describe the type of gay men in the world. It's enough to cause a lot of confusion and uncertainty as to where exactly you fit in. Presented as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival, Andy Johnston is taking a look at what it means to be a gay man in the modern world with his solo show Twink Ascending. Told through cabaret, drag, physical theatre, spoken word, dance and song, this experimental piece is unapologetic in its exploration of what it’s like to be a queer man in this day and age, which is something that even Johnston himself continues to question.

"I don’t think I know the answer to this and that’s why I made this show, to find out who he is. But I do think every modern gay man shares the desire to be seen and heard and therefore respected and accepted. Standing in the way of that desire is a real pressure to blend in to the traditional ideals of a heteronormative, masculine lifestyle," he says. "I feel that every day coming from the media, the government, social media and even guys I date! I’ve chosen not to give in to that, and I’m seeing others making that decision more and more. It is an exciting wave of queer pride and courage to witness. So I guess I have a theory that the modern gay man is someone who is dipping his/her/their toe into the fluidity of change and I’m excited to see what happens when we all jump in."

Identity Steft - Melbourne International Comedy Festival review

I am, you are, we are Austr - hang on a second. If you've ever wondered what it's like to be an Aboriginal person living in Australia, Steph Tisdell has got you covered. Her comedy show, Identity Steft, takes a look at racism, white guilt and identity in Australia through the eyes of the Funniest Aboriginal Woman in Australia.

Tisdell is quite affable on stage, which is a good thing considering she spends the opening of her show getting acquainted with her audience. It's just as important for her to find out who her audience is as it is for the audience to find out who she is. She covers a lot of ground in her show but unfortunately Identity Steft suffers from a lack of focus and structure that ultimately makes it feel disjointed. Tisdell touches on the aforementioned issues but she never she never seems to drive her point home or make any bold statements about the realities of being an Aboriginal person living in Australia.

Identity Steft | Melbourne International Comedy Festival preview

She was the winner of Deadly Funny at the 2014 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and now in 2018, Steph Tisdell is presenting her debut show, Identify Steft at this year's festival. Tisdell, who has also been named the Funniest Aboriginal Woman in Australia looks at what 'sorry day' means to her and sharing her thoughts on white guilt and racism However, her show will also delve further into the more personal with Tisdell sharing her own mental health struggles and identity issues.

"Both my awful mental health and my identity crisis were actually what inspired this show. I desperately wanted to know more things about my culture but there were roadblocks everywhere. From every angle," she explains. "I needed to tell MY story. Which is one of feeling pride and fear at the same time. And I know it's one that a lot of Aboriginal people feel, certainly if they're mixed race."

The Yonder - Melbourne Fringe Festival review

With our planet about to implode, a lucky few citizens board a spacecraft to take them to safety on a deserted planet. Presented as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival, The Yonder follows three people on board this ship and looks at the tension, affection and horror that eventuates during these trying times.

The costuming is simple yet effective in this show, with the cast donning basic white and silver clothing - different to each other but uniform with their theme. While there are minimal props used, what is used is creative in its representation, particularly the hairdryers and socks as guns and space squid aliens respectively.

While the show has a lo-fi aesthetic, it unfortunately doesn't support the work as it results in performances by Shannan Lim, Elizabeth Davie and Ezel Doruk that don't seem believable with dialogue and reactions that are not always engaging. There are some humorous moments throughout the show which makes use of the trio's experience in clowning and absurdism, including Davie as the CEO of the shuttle company and the romance between Lim and Doruk's characters but none of this ever culminates to anything of note or play a role in any choices these characters face. 

The direction of the show creates an awkward pace with too many silences and the big moments of the show are never played out to invest the audience in the outcomes. There are far too many short scenes with blackouts that constantly prevent you from connecting with the work being performed.