Someone’s Universe

Someone’s Universe (3.0/5)

Eugene Carchesio

Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane

27^th January 2009

Very gentle and intimate watercolours and small paper constructions. With an emphasis on animals and geometric shapes Carchesio’s work has a childlike simplicity that is very easy on the eye and mind. Below the surface deeper questions are asked - you can choose to go there or not. That this exhibition is so low impact is both to its credit and a shortcoming. You’ll come away relaxed though possibly not enlightened.

Old World/New World

Old World/New World (3.0/5)

Sydney Symphony

(Conductor: Richard Gill, Tenor: Roy Best [operettas], Violin: Dene Olding [Remote-Ecstatic-Remote])
The Domain, Sydney.

24^th January 2009

(Part 1: Jet-Stream [Stanhope], Lite Speed [Hindson], Elevator Music [Koehne], Remote-Ecstatic-Remote [Edwards], Cudmirrah Fanfare [Westlake], Colonial Song [Grainger].

Part 2: New World Symphony 1^st movement [Dovřák], three songs from operettas [Lehár], Symphony No.4 finale [Tchaikovsky], 1812 Overture [Tchaikovsky])

Gill’s enthusiasm for popularising classical music is to be applauded. Likewise the selection of lively and contemporary Australian composers for Part 1. Relying on old favourites of similar pomp for Part 2 was disappointing, though Best was enjoyable.

Large, free, community events are always welcome though being outdoors are subject to so many vagaries. A southerly wind froze us after a 40C day and the amplification lacked subtly on an otherwise a popular night.

The Tell-Tale Heart

The Tell-Tale Heart (2.5/5)

(Adapted and directed by Barrie Kosky [after Edgar Allan Poe] Performer: Martin Niedermair, Piano: Barrie Kosky)
CarriageWorks, Sydney.

22^nd January 2009

Dramatically subtle opening fade to black sets-up a sinister tale, bookended by a spine chilling closing tableau; in-between a masterpiece is trying to escape. The madness of Niedermair’s character established I found his monologue insufficiently descriptive to hold my attention. Exceptionally dramatic lighting plays with the shadows and eerily sculpts Niedermair’s pale features. Kosky’s piano builds to a thunderous ending.

Listen to your heart-beat as the lights go down a final time and be afraid.....

The Yalta Game

The Yalta Game (3.0/5)

Gate Festival Friel-Gate

(Adapted by Brian Friel from Chekhov’s “The Lady & The Lapdog”)
Parade Theatre, Sydney.

20^th January 2009

Friel’s wonderfully descriptive monologues paint the scene in Yalta allowing the two illicit lovers to inhabit an almost bare stage. The Irish lilt has a nice ring; at times one feels party to a private conversation over a pint of Guinness. Excepting the start and end when the link between audience and actor was not quite there. At 50 minutes, enjoy a glass of wine beforehand, a light super afterwards and have a pleasant evening.

Fantastic Planet with live soundtrack by Ben Walsh & The Orkestra of the Underground

Fantastic Planet with live soundtrack by Ben Walsh & The Orkestra of the Underground (2.0/5)

Darling Harbour, Sydney.

18^th January 2009

An animated world in which Oms (humans) are the toy-things of giant Draags. Attempting to exterminate wild Oms precipitates a kind of war and then peace breaks out. There is something deep about this film, though it verges on the dull in its ponderous, emotionally detached story telling. The Orkestra plays a fusion of experimental jazz, folk & world music that suits the film whilst somehow contriving to add little.

Lipsynch

Lipsynch (4.5/5)

Ex Machina/Théâtre Sans Frontières

(Director: Robert Lepage)
Theatre Royal, Sydney

17^th January 2009

Wow. Awesome. An epic episodic production of nine acts in eight hours. Nine acts, each tells an individual’s story, each is intimately and tangentially linked. Although largely one paced there are so many layers, so many intricacies, to hold one’s curiosity. The language, languages and soundtrack, the lighting and projections, the simple yet highly versatile set, combine to create a truly special theatre experience. Thought-provoking, how language is so central to our being.

Run Lola Run with live soundtrack by The Bays

Run Lola Run with live soundtrack by The Bays (2.5/5)

Darling Harbour, Sydney.

14^th January 2009

Intriguing German film offering three versions of the same tale – Lola’s 20 minute flight to deliver 1M Marks to save her criminally inept boyfriend. The Bays techno beat sat well with Lola on the run. But, was the whole greater than the parts? No, as much as The Bays were hypnotically engaging they took the easy route of laying their frantic beat over Lola’s run and falling silent during the film’s more subtle drama.

War of the Roses

War of the Roses (3.5/5, on reflection 4.0/5)

Sydney Theatre Company

(Director: Benedict Andrews)

Sydney Theatre

8^th & 10^th January 2009

Bloody, stripped bare production of Shakespeare’s two tetralogies:

Part 1 Act 1: Richard II

Part 1 Act 2: Henry IV parts 1 & 2, Henry V

Part 2 Act 1: Henry VI, parts 1,2 & 3

Part 2 Act 2: Richard III

Cate Blanchett (Richard II) and Robert Menzies (Bolingbroke) are outstanding in their malicious conflict for the Crown of England. Ninety minutes of gold flutter covers the cast in royal inscrutability. The telling of Henry’s IV & V is a little uneven starting with a drawn-out and challenging homosexual scene. The closing scenes are worth the wait - played solo in front of the curtain by a rotation of blooded King Henry V (Ewen Leslie) and chorus this tale of warfare is dramatically told.

Blood, blood and more blood sums up Henry VI’s story. A series of surtitled vignettes dramatically and, very importantly, clearly play out a succession of wars and assassinations. The gruesome quantities of blood are entirely appropriate, though the repeated delivery by one actor spraying a mouthful of blood at another becomes a little tired by the umpteenth death.

Our winter of discontent is swathed in another long, impressionistic flutter drop, this time of snow. The pace pick-ups nicely as we move into the young princes murder and the Battle of Bosworth. Richard III is played with convincing and increasing madness by Pamela Rabe, though the dialogue can be too fast as a substitute for anger.

Although occasionally uneven the 8 hours of this production pass quickly, which is surely indicative of a worthy final effort by the Actors Company.

[Since this is really 8 plays I’ve liberally interpreted the 75-word rule for this review.]