This captivating, 80-minute heart-rending, enthralling Red Ryder production (Benj D’Addario) can be seen at the Blue Room Theatre, James Street – in the Northbridge Arts Complex – each evening at 7.00 (time was changed) until Saturday 1^st October.

There is an AUSLAN production on 20^th September.

As well as being named one of the Top 10 London Play of 2013, the ‘Scotsman’ newspaper awarded it a prestigious ‘Fringe First’. On Broadway the pilot was played by Anne Hathaway.

The set (consultant, Frances Danckert) is simply a two-metre square, black dais and a black leather office chair. A wisp of smoke drifts across the stage. Karen Cook’s lighting was exceptional; comprising dozens of spotlights or small floods, she picked out the areas with carefully chosen lighting angles. The subtlety continued in the soft, background music (Brett Smith) and the soundscape with its magnificent sound effects. The music complemented the highly realistic, video design (Mia Holton) depicting pictures from a plane’s computer cameras.

The stage manager, Georgia Smith was operating the consoles. There was probably around a massive 200 lighting and sound cues, most of them requiring split second timing or subtle changes, and she did not miss a single one. Superb work.

The minor scene changes just ‘happened’ in the pitch dark.

      A powerful fighter jet, an F16, roars low overhead. The lights rise to show a smiling pilot, proudly dressed in a sap green, American Air Force jumpsuit. In a slight neutral American accent (coach – Luzita Fereday) the aviator (Alison van Reeken) explains how she has flown numerous types of planes, risen through the ranks and is now flying the ultimate fighting machine. She is an omnipotent fighting God.

      We learn of her joy, flying through blue beyond with her teammates and their amusing camaraderie. However, shopkeeper Eric becomes the new love in her life, and gives her the only thing missing – a baby. Unfortunately, due to health and safety regulations, she can no longer fly and is grounded.

       Three years later, she calls into the office, simple routine and is to be allotted another squadron. However, fighters are now going out of fashion and she is now assigned an $11 million ‘Reaper’, a type of drone. This will mean security, regular hours, an air-conditioned office and be home safely to the family each night. What more could a pilot ask for?

Who in their right mind would accept a part that is 80 minutes of monologue? You would have to be mad – or exceptional. Alison is exceptional, having already won the most prestigious theatre award, Equity’s ‘Best Actor (Female) of the Year’; even so, this intense play is still the ultimate challenge. Guided by an Equity award-winning director, Emily McLean, success was practically assured. All there was left was a colossal amount of work! Could this be the performance of the year?

There was little physical action by the actor, other than meaningful, discreet face and body movements. The director has carefully chosen a crew that is oozing quality, to accompany this solo performer’s tour of action and ensure a rich, vivid image.

I always feel sorry for actors in plays with tragic or surprise endings, as inevitably the applause is muted whilst the mesmerised and drained audience gathers its breath after the assault.

It is always good for publicist to have a thought-provoking show that they can be proud to promote; Alison Welburn has the very best.

Any student studying, or thinking of studying acting should see this play – it will set the bar for you and leave you gasping. A triumph.

In true tradition, Black Swan State Theatre has been bold enough to give us something new and exciting. This first class ‘nested story’ can be seen in the Studio Underground, in the State Theatre Complex, Northbridge.

The 90-minute performances are nightly, with curtain up at 8.00 pm.

The scene is a comfortable, well-furnished living room, in an American flat, situated in a converted warehouse complex. The ceiling is high, the white walls arched, the floor polished concrete and a large copper heating pipe passes vertically though the room. (Set design by Patrick Howe).

       A massive flash of lightning, accompanied by an explosion of thunder (excellent soundscape, Brett Smith and lighting, Joe Lui) complements the pouring rain. There is a knock on the apartment door. The young man, Thomas (Adam Booth), answers it only to find a drenched young girl in a Parka anorak. This is Vanda (Felicity McKay).

       Vanda explains that she has arrived for her audition reading – several hours late. Even though Thomas has just seen three dozen unsuitable actors, and is desperate for someone to play the female lead in his adaptation of a German play, he is most reluctant to let Vanda read for him.

       Due to the weather and her pathetic story of her journey for this reading, he eventually relents. She explains how she loves the semi-pornographic script, and removes her coat to reveal a dominatrix outfit. Thomas is horrified at her sleazy interpretation of his treasured play adaptation, explaining that it is absolutely moral and character based.

      Will this director allow Vanda to audition for his play?

Local talent, Lawrie Cullen-Tait, is one of the few directors capable of presenting such a cleverly written play, in such an intriguing and riveting way. In the wrong hands, this could have been a long, boring struggle for the audience. Instead, with the magnificent actors capturing the ingenious script, their characters changed slowly and cleverly throughout the play, giving huge depth and interest to the situation. The sub plot – which may be considered by some, to be the main theme – is that of sexual competitiveness and dominance, and was extremely well demonstrated. The production was a little bawdy, but still quite refined and filled with humour.

The two actors are young and relatively inexperienced (one WAAPA trained, the other from NIDA), but one would never guess from the powerful and assured performances that this was the case. The depth of raw characterisation and use of various foreign accents (Coach Julia Moody) showed great theatrical skills.

This was one of these plays that looked simple in its presentation but in the hours after the show, one started to really appreciate the immense skills exhibited in the dialogue and acting.

An unusual production, but one of true quality.

Georgia King’s production of ‘Welcome to Slaughter’ was developed with the support of PACT, centre for emerging artists, and HotHouse Theatre’s ‘A Month in the Country’ residential program, a project delivered in partnership with Albury City.

This outstanding 50-minute play can be seen at the Blue Room Theatre, 53 James Street, Northbridge nightly until 25^th October. Performances commence at 7.00 pm.

The audience are ushered through forest growth as big leafy branches trail in your face. The ground is thick with autumn leaves and rotting logs. At the side stands a very old VW (?) convertible car with the roof down – it moves! Through an arch, dense dank undergrowth can be seen. The full moon lights up the scene. Superb set and AV by Shaye Preston, with a special mention to stage manager Georgia Smith and production manager Meabh Walton.

        An old car is driving through countryside lanes. It is the middle of the night and there is a full moon. In the car are two young women who have been in a relationship for several years. They are getting away from it all with a break in the country.

      We see the glow of the twisting roadside as the kilometres fly by, and watch as the driver (Jo Morris) struggles to stay awake by inanely singing along with the car radio. Her bored partner (Michelle Robin Anderson) tries to entertain herself, but in the end succumbs to weary, childish car games. Soon the warm glow of the morning sky can be seen.

      It is time for a pee break. The car draws into the side of the road. Whilst the driver is sitting in the car waiting for her friend to return, who should arrive on the scene but someone she hadn’t seen for many a year.

Every now and again, the ‘complete production’ arrives at the theatre. This is one of those special occasions. It has an amazing storyline, very well directed (Michelle Robin Anderson, Joe Lui), tremendous actors, fabulous mood lighting (Joe Lui), realistic set, perfect costumes, makeup, mood music and effects.

Brett Smith has produced a pumping, eerie soundtrack, that ranged from a couple of decibels to 120 dBs – that of a plane taking off. The creepy voiceovers make you shudder; this really was an amazing soundscape.

When an emotion-charged production has truly succeeded, as in the case of a tragedy or as in this production, chilling horror, the applause can often be stunted, when deep down the audience would really like to give a standing ovation. Last night the actors left the stage and not a single audience member moved for about 30 seconds – totally drained and fearful of having to leave the theatre through the haunted forest.

So take your heart tablets, wear incontinence pads – I guarantee that you will jump with shock – and trot down to the Blue Room for a new experience. Un-missable quality.

This 90-minute theatrical treasure is showing in the Blue Room Studio, James Street, Northbridge nightly at 8.30 pm, with performances until Sunday 18^th May.

The walls and floor are black. To the left are a settee and a carpet, to the right are a piano and a grey zoo wall (Designer Tarryn Gill). Tarryn has also created delightful, funky headpieces with elephant ears and tusks. Her choice of wigs brought a smile for each character.

       Five heads pop up over the Tuskville Zoo wall. They are the last four elephants in the universe along with their tender, caring keeper, Annie (Gita Bezard). They sing of their happier days of ice-creams and peanuts, but now in their senior years there is just death ahead. Indeed, the older elephant, Carabooda (Brett Smith) dies. Broken hearted, Annie goes home for consolation from her husband, Harton (Jeffrey Jay Fowler).

     Harton, being a businessman, is obsessed with contracts and is far too busy renovating their house, choosing only the very best of materials irrespective of the cost. Annie explains to him that her beloved elephants are dying for the sake of a few dollars donation, but with all the warmth of a polar bear’s bottom, Harton gives a heartless, unsympathetic remark before continuing with his home renovations.

     When Annie’s best friend Nellie (Adriane Daff) calls around, she tries to console the zookeeper, but Harton’s attitude drives her out of the house. Back at home, Nellie is being sung to by her musically untalented husband, Roger (Jeffrey Jay Fowler), when her gifted bachelor, brother in law, (Pete Townsend) calls. He is desperate for a girlfriend, and Nellie has just the friend for him.

     Will the elephants in the zoo be saved? Will the elephants in the room become clear to all?

 

This hilarious piece caricatures all the worst points of the people we know. Jeffrey Jay has given us the miser, the lousy lover, the over legislative, the self-righteous unfaithful partner. The politically incorrect script is delivered by the team with deadpan expressions and has the audience in fits of laughter throughout. Director, Kathryn Osborne has helped create several very different characters and brought them to life. Talented musician, Brett Smith, provides the musical accompaniment, ranging from the tinkle of a xylophone to the pounding of an electric guitar.

Lighting designer Chris Isaacs has come up with some clever and innovative uses of LED lights. Great atmospherics.

This show really has everything, singing, live music, a powerful message and oodles of very dry humour. The houses are packed out every night, so ensure that you book ahead. Jeffery Jay is one of the Blue Room’s most popular performers, and with a team of his talented friends is bound to have another major hit on his hands.

Try to grab a ticket for this unusual show that will have you chuckling days later.