YOU CAN DO IT! (Follow Your Dreams) review

Presented by Easy Killer Productions, YOU CAN DO IT! (Follow Your Dreams) is the motivation we all need to go out and achieve big things, including suicide. This extremely dark comedy is not for the faint-hearted, that begins with two very disappointed and frustrated parents whose loser son can't even successfully kill himself.



Written by Simon Patrick Berman, YOU CAN DO IT! has dialled the absurdism to the max. This satirical look at families and perceptions of success kicks off with opening credits introducing us to the family to a warped Brady Bunch theme. We are definitely not about to watch something consisting of three very lovely girls.



Top 10 Shows of 2024

Another year gone, another year of extraordinary theatre created and performed in Melbourne. I only managed to get to 111 shows (the shame!), due to being out of the country for four months, but as I have been doing for over a decade, I must compile a top ten list.

I say this every year but it's something that deserves repeating every year: sometimes the show that you remember for a long time after, is not the big splashy extravagant piece with recognisable names and a huge budget, but the one that was on for four nights with ten people in the audience. Support your independent theatre makers and venues - some can cost you as little as $20 and can be the most original, inspiring and thought-provoking performances you might see.

There's already plenty to get excited about in 2025, so I urge you to take a risk, seek something new, unknown and different in the new year.

And here are my top ten shows of 2024:

Top 10 Shows of 2023

It was a much welcomed return for live shows in 2023. The intimacy, connection, and engagement with a variety of works was much needed after the last couple of years. From theatre to dance to live art, from satire to comedy to drama, it was an exciting time once again for the Melbourne independent performing arts scene. This year I managed to attend 141 shows and the below ten are the ones that left an impression on me. If I reviewed the show, a link to the review is provided.

And as I always like to remind people, sometimes the show that you remember for a long time after is not the big splashy extravagant piece with recognisable names and a huge budget, but the one that was on for four nights with ten people in the audience. 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.

As I request of you every year, take a risk, seek something new, unknown and different in the new year.

Here we go:

Animal Farm review

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.

Grim review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

Goodness. What a devilish delight that Grim is. Ellen Grimshaw plays Grim, an alien who gets pushed off their Mum's spaceship on their way to Data Collection Headquarters in Hollywood, landing in a Pepsi ad audition in Carlton. What? Yup. It's extremely ridiculous but if you accept it and move on, you get to really enjoy the performance by Grimshaw, the absurd humour and the chance to consider what the cost of always trying to please people can be.

Grimshaw is superb in this role. She completely gives herself over to Grim with the stuttering voice, the physicality and the outlandish red costume with accompanying wig. The alien language that she creates might sound like a bunch of nonsense but it genuinely feels like she's gone and made a specific noise for its equivalent English word, and whether she has or not is beside the point as it is still works on that level.

Trophy Boys review (Midsumma Festival)

The boys of prestigious private school St. Imperium College are all hyped up and ready to win the Year 12 Inter-school Debating Tournament Grand Final. There is a lot riding on this for all four of them but when they learn the topic up for debate is "That Feminism has Failed Women", an extraordinary can of worms is smashed open. Presented as part of Midsumma Festival, Trophy Boys is a biting social commentary as we witness these students grapple with what feminism is, what women want and sometimes saying that you love women does not make you an ally.

Emmanuelle Mattana has written an impressive story that highlights a number of matters pertaining to feminism, equality and the patriarchy. There are plenty of laughs and absurdity as the boys begin discussing and arguing that feminism has indeed failed women, which includes a few dance interludes and many sweeping statements about loving and believing women. As the story progresses, Mattana's script gradually but suddenly gets quite dark when an accusation of sexual assault is made. Comments made earlier that are now repeated are met with less laughter and more unease as we are confronted with far-reaching revelations.

Top 10 Shows of 2022

It was a much welcomed return for live shows in 2022. The intimacy, connection, and engagement with a variety of works was much needed after the last couple of years. From theatre to dance to live art, from satire to comedy to drama, it was an exciting time once again for the Melbourne independent performing arts scene. With "only" 90 pieces of work seen this year, my top ten is merely an indicator of the fantastic works that were put on in 2022, and try as I might, it just isn't possible to see everything, especially while travelling for ten weeks! If I reviewed the show, a link to the 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 mind, 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. 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, seek something new, unknown and different in 2023.

Here we go:

Paradise Lost review

Based on English poet John Milton's epic 1667 poem "Paradise Lost", local independent theatre company The Bloomshed presents its interpretation of the temptation of Adam and Eve by fallen angel Lucifer and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden with its trademark contemporary satirical style.

This is the third iteration of Paradise Lost by the company, and each one has been unique in scale and delivery. The first in 2019 was an in-development season at The Butterfly Club, with minimal set design and a highly frenetic pace. One year later, we were blessed with a remarkable radio play adaptation and in 2022, The Bloomshed have come back to the stage in a momentous way. With the years spent working on Paradise Lost the cast and creatives have finessed the foundations of the narrative they want to share while continuously challenging themselves to take this production to the next level.

Dog Park - Melbourne Fringe Festival interview

It has been proven that dogs can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, ease loneliness and encourage exercise and playfulness. They truly are a human's best friend. Walk past a dog park and you're bound to see dogs sniffing each other, running for tennis balls and marking their territory while their owners gather around catching up on local news and talking about their fur-baby like parents waiting to pick up their children from school. But what happens when that pocket of sanctuary is threatened by an unspeakable act? Presented by Lab Kelpie, Dog Park is a satirical and biting look at how one dog park community is impacted when a private school boy on exchange from Sri Lanka, is found dead in the leafy suburbs of a Melbourne dog park covered in bites.

In some ways, Dog Park is a work almost 30 years in the making when director Lyall Brooks, who also serves as Artistic Director of the now regional-based not-for-profit theatre company, first met the show's playwright Sally Faraday. "Sally and I used to act in shows and musicals together back in the *cough* late 90s *cough* when she was studying at Monash University and I was basically just hanging around there pretending to be a student because they had an incredible Performing Arts program," he recalls.

The Great Australian Play review

Winner of the Patrick White Playwrights' Award, Kim Ho brings the great Australian play, aptly titled The Great Australian Play, to Theatre Works. This new satire begins with the Great Depression as Harold Bell Lasseter sets off on an expedition to find riches and salvation. We then fast forward 90 years to 2020 where Ho has persuaded Theatre Works that he can create the next great Aussie play around Lasseter's legend. He creates five characters to retrace the footsteps of the original journey, and it is here where things begin to escalate to horrific proportions.

There is enthusiasm in Ho's writing and he has clearly put in plenty of time and effort in creating this play, especially evident with the endless industry, pop culture and literary references. This results in instances of humorous scenes and laughter from the audience, but unfortunately it never goes beyond that. The frustration continues to increase during the two hour performance as we patiently wait for a satisfying narrative or a theme to form so we can justify its duration.

Let Meowt! - Melbourne Fringe Festival review

Have you ever wondered what your pets get up to when you’re not home? In the absurdist comedy Let Meowt!, every act you’ve suspected your pets of doing but were unable to accuse them of is proven true when two cats find themselves locked in their owner’s bathroom. Created and performed by Catherine Holder and Laura Moran, the show is a wacky attempt at what happens when animals go wild while examining the odd behavior of humans, but it is unable to get there. 

Holder and Moran remain committed in their impersonations of cats, with movement, facial expression and voice being constant and in line with what you would imagine a human playing a cat would look and sound like. Their costumes are simple but one glaring omission is the lack of tails on Cinnamon and Pepper. 

The performances might be amusing but unfortunately the rest of this production does not fare up as well. Cinnamon and Pepper may be locked in a bathroom but there is no narrative progression, no suspense and very little comedy. There are many moments that should be funny but the humour never lands or it becomes repetitive; there’s only so long one can watch cats scratching maniacally at a door or discovering the strange items their owner uses on her face and body.

Oh No! Satan Stole My Pineal Gland! - Melbourne Fringe Festival preview

Oh No! Satan Stole My Pineal Gland! would have to be one of the fringiest Melbourne Fringe Festival show names this year. Written by Kirby Medway, the twisted comedy is an ode to every awkward, hellish conversation you’ve ever endured to make a friend in an increasingly bewildering and segregated world. Directors Jean Tong and Lou Wall have pulled together a devilish cast consisting of Sarah Fitzgerald, Cheryl Ho, Liam Maguire, Natesha Somasundaram and Wall that brings reality and Satan into the one world.

Medway's creative process for writing this show required much research and investigation, predominantly in his dreams. "The show came from me trying to write in a more irrational and impulsive way by throwing a lot of different ideas together to see what happened. I wanted to write something to do with reality as something unstable and fluid but present it in a fun and gentle way," he explains. "I was thinking about a number of things that might not typically be considered part of reality that still impact on my life in very real ways. Dreams, as individual as they are, are an experience I thought people would find easy to relate to. I kept a dream journal which I used to inspire a lot of the first draft and generally tried to stay open to anything going on in my life that was impacting on my reality and allowed them into my writing.

Truly Madly Britney - Midsumma Festival review

An outrageous look at obsession and pop culture, Truly Madly Britney follows a gay couple and their dreams of experiencing a life changing meet-and-greet with their idol Britney Spears at her residency in Las Vegas. Sadly, a sprained ankle puts the kibosh on said dream but hell hath no fury like two gay men denied access to Britney and the two scheme and plot a way to change their luck.

Adam and Steve (Nick Clark and Adam Garner) have spent a good chunk of their savings to get up close and personal with Britney and their rage is understandable, particularly as their income is earned working as a barista and a retail assistant. While staying in Vegas, the couple meet a gun-toting closeted gay man (Alex Thew), an egotistical woman who'll do anything to meet Britney, and her gay son who is dying from brain cancer (Louisa Wall and Karl Richmond).

The Boy, George - Melbourne Fringe Festival review

The year is 2028 and it's been six days since the Queen died. King Charles is privately mourning her death, seemingly ignoring the fact that the monarchy's reign is about to be overthrown by the House of Commons. But 14-year-old Prince George has a few tricks up his sleeve to save the monarchy and ensure his rightful place as the future King.

Written and performed by Patrick Livesey, The Boy, George is a queer and satirical look at privilege, power, the struggle to hold on to it and what happens when the tables turn, and it's all fabulously seen through the eyes of the now 14-year-old Prince. The set and costume designs consist of a few select pieces that tell us all that we need to know about George; there is a chaise longue that he reclines on while wearing his pink pyjamas, pink robe and pink slippers. On the table next to him, incense burns with three framed photos of his 'Gods': The Queen, Princess Diana and his mother Kate.

While George adores these women, he has nothing but contempt for the men in his life. He sees them as weak minded and inept, so it's all fallen on his shoulders to save the monarchy. He attempts to record a video urging the citizens of England to retain the status quo, but for a number of reasons he is unable to complete this, partly because his thoughts turns to a fellow classmate at Eton College on whom he has a crush on.

Love/Hate Actually - Melbourne Fringe Festival preview

Released almost 15 years ago, Love Actually is a romantic comedy film that has acquired universal adoration with its look at a group of people living in London and the relationships they have had, currently have or seek. Or has it? Over the years, a growing number of people have come out against the film due to its perceived sexism and problematic storylines. Well the feud is about to be settled this Melbourne Fringe Festival with Love/Hate Actually.

Performed and written by Amy Currie and Natalie Bochenski, Love/Hate Actually is a sketch comedy where the two try and convince the other (and the audience) to join their side. "Nat and I have an argument every year over the merits of Love Actually. In our two-woman show, we take the grudge to the stage," Currie says. "It’s a comedy showdown full of sketches, persuasive arguments and silly voices that ends with an extremely democratic (if somewhat unorthodox) audience vote."  

Currie and Bochenski have worked together for over a decade, and it was during one of their shows that the two began to have a discussion about Love Actually which sowed the seeds for their show. "We were in Canberra to do some Regency-themed improvised comedy at the Jane Austen Festival (we are suckers for bonnets). Obviously, we were thinking a lot about Colin Firth that day," she tells me. "Over some very ambitious freakshakes, Nat was musing that a cruel, one-sided article she’d written about her hatred for Love Actually might make for a (cruel, one-sided) one-woman show. I insisted at once that balance was necessary, and we started scribbling."

The Boy, George - Melbourne Fringe Festival preview

On 22 July 2013, George Alexander Louis was born. Why is this important? Because George is the third in line of succession to the British throne. Looks like Prince George - as he is otherwise known - has his entire life planned out for him. But by 2028, with the Queen dead and George finally set for the throne, it appears that a revolution will begin which will threaten the rule and existence of the entire Royal Family. In his solo Melbourne Fringe Festival debut, writer and performer Patrick Livesey takes a futuristic look at the life of Prince George and his aspirations to be King in The Boy, George.

"The idea for the show began as a semi-autobiographical piece about graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts and taking on the world, but that became very boring very quickly," Livesey recalls. "One day at work, I was doing the dishes and I began to imagine a slightly older and gay Prince George losing it all, and thought that might be a bit more fun, and also be a nice homage to my mother's intense Princess Diana obsession. I grew up with a Royal-obsessed Mum and bookshelves full of biographies so they were never distant figures, but I would classify myself as more of a curious observer than a fan."

I Am Not A Unicorn! - Melbourne International Comedy Festival review

I Am Not A Unicorn! is Emma J Hawkins' one-woman show about living life at 103cm short. Hawkins shares her experiences of being a short statured person through some entertaining and thoughtful dance, comedy and storytelling. 

Even while wearing a unicorn mask, from the second Hawkins appears on stage, she exudes an energy that you can't help but instantly warm to. She performs a number of sketches and scenes that provide insight into her life while highlighting the difficulty she has in fitting in to a world that seems to cater wholly for "normal" people. While she may not be a fairy tale creature, the treatment and consideration she often receives, feels like she should be playing cards with Snow White and Rumplestiltskin and getting drunk with Goldilocks.

I Am Not A Unicorn! - Melbourne International Comedy Festival preview

In Emma J Hawkins' whimsical comedy show, I Am Not A Unicorn! you can expect to come across trolls destroying the world, be educated on the delicate art of eating bananas and how to find love in the local supermarket. While some of this may seem strange or peculiar, the heart of the show rests with Hawkins opening up and illustrating what life at 103cm short is like.

"The name of the show came from the fact that often people do look at me like I'm a unicorn walking down the street. Being a short statured person, I do stand out from the 'normal'," Hawkins explains. "I still get stared at and overhear comments in the street as I go about my daily life and in a way I can understand the gaze. I am pretty different and most people will not have seen a short statured person in their life. I think it's more about how you take those things on board and as I got older I've been able to be comfortable in my own skin. However, being the butt of an unknown joke is not very fun. Peter Dinklage talks about us (short statured people) being the last bastions of acceptable prejudice." 

Let’s Get Practical! Live - Melbourne Fringe Festival review

Bonkers. Utterly bonkers is the only way to describe Let's Get Practical! Live. Presented by The Very Good Looking Initiative (which brought us last year's CULL), this show is absurdist humour at its core with the usual dose of high-octane energy that comes with a TVGLI production.

Australia's most popular late-night chat show Let's Get Practical! is being performed live for the very first time. Our host is the tanned, charismatic and seemingly confident Elliott Gee and along with his two audience warmers, Honor Wolff and Patrick Durnan Silva, they successfully work the crowd into a frenzy with promises of non-stop entertainment, games and guests.

But this is live television where you can't get a do over if something doesn't go according to plan, say for instance, if your host freaks out as soon as the cameras start recording and rushes backstage leaving the audience staring at an empty stage. I have never laughed so hard than as I have with what happens next and it is testament to Gee, Wolff and Durnan Silva's skill and awareness in what they are creating, and knowing not only what will get them laughs but also how to sustain the laughter. 

There are a few times where the comedy doesn't quite hit the mark - in concept and duration - but even in these instances it is fascinating to see how they continue to up the ante and being witness to what they have conceived. The uneasiness and uncertainty is accentuated by some impressive sound and lighting design by Tom Backhaus, and you begin to feel that you are in a Lynch-esque nightmare where the performers have taken too much acid - but all in a good way.

Bliss! review - Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Everyone wants a hot beach body for summer. For some it's an unattainable dream and for others, it's their sole purpose for living. In Bliss! Isabel Angus takes a number of swipes at an industry that has people feeling more insecure about themselves, through her fitspo and fitspirational character, Penny Parsins. 

Angus touches on a number of issues that are raised by the fitness obsessed times we live in. Having recently watched another fitness themed show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival but from a male perspective, it was interesting to see the similarities and difference that females encounter when it comes to fitness, most notably that men exercise to put on muscle and women, such as Penny, exercise to lose weight because as we all know, strong is the new skinny.