The show ran on Broadway for 1597 performances over 4 years.

This updated version has had extra dialogue added by Michael Meyer, with the lyrics modified by Andrew Lippa.

The Murdoch Theatre Company actors, in their last show for the year, bring you this two-hour upbeat sparkling, light-hearted spectacular. There are three performances; for the Thursday and Friday night shows, the curtain rises at 7.00 pm, and on Saturday 3^rd December at the earlier time of 5.30 pm.

The scene is Charlie’s schoolyard. The set is symbolic, being a delightful replica of the cartoon strip that we all love. A background of blue skies, clouds, a lone fir tree, a mailbox and a water hydrant; all painted in primary colours. There is a big, red kennel with a flat area on the roof – where Snoopy sleeps.

On each side of the stage is a 4 x 12 metre high flat, showing reproductions of Peanuts cartoons. In the centre of each flat is a curtained doorway. The set design and much of the artistic construction was by Jess Bennett-Hullin, who had helpers working 18 hour days to meet the deadline.

Stage Manager Meagan Dux controlled the large cast flawlessly. The flies’ operator, Sean Wcislo, was also prompt and efficient.

       Everyone seems to like the dim, shy, insecure Charlie Brown (Oliver Kaiser), but is he really a ‘Good Man’? His friends come out to praise him, but all with reservations. Today he is late for the school bus again, and despite Pig Pen (Mike Casas) holding the bus back, Charlie misses it, watching as his friends Violet (Paige Mews), Tapioca Pudding (Claire Tebbutt), Peppermint Patty (Tijana Šimić), Marcie (Rhiannon Moon), Pig Tail Girl (Briana Dunn), Patty (Isla McLeod), Peggy Jean (Grace Pusey) and Sherman (Justin Crossley) disappear into the distance.

     Snoopy (Thomas Dimmick) just turns over and goes back to sleep on top of his kennel, even when his yellow friend, Woodstock (Nashyhithah MD Zaini) arrives for a chat, he remains asleep.

     Charlie is infatuated with the red-haired girl whom he sees each lunchtime, but cannot even look at her without becoming nervous.

     Musical prodigy, Schroeder (Launcelot Ronzan) is fixated with Beethoven, and constantly plays the ‘Moonlight Sonata’ on his piano. Lucy (Paige Morawiec) adores Schroeder and explains to him how someday she will marry him and become Queen. The Intellect of the class, Linus (Will Moriarty), explains to his sister Lucy, that royalty is inherited – but Lucy is not discouraged. Despite his brains, Linus is a child at heart and is devastated when he mislays his security blanket.

       Charlie’s attractive, but dumb sister Sally (Corina Brown) cannot understand why her art class sculpture, made from coat hangers, only got a ‘D’. To cheer Sally up, Snoopy takes her rabbit hunting, but the ballet dancing bunny (Emily Botje) seems to escape every time.

       Snoopy sits on his kennel, and fanaticises of the years he was a fighter pilot in World War I and how he defeated the infamous Red Baron.

Director, Keaton Howe and his assistant director Claire Mosel had to find a cast that could sing well, dance gracefully and have good stage presence, whilst displaying exuberance and energy throughout the show. What a great cast they gathered. The show’s vocal coach (Thomas Dimmick) ensured the whole cast were speaking precisely and with the same drawl.

With numbers like ‘Linus’ blanket’ and the ‘Beethoven tribute’ combined the choreographers (Kelly Buckle, Sara Bluntish, Emily Botje) demanding routines led by the dance captain, Emily Botje, the tongue twisting lyrics flowed smoothly and the smiles never left the chorus’s faces. Snoopy’s solo number about his food and sloth was hilarious.

The play’s copyrighters supplied the quirky, lively music on CD. This ensured a well-balanced musical accompaniment, but CDs are unforgiving if a performer mixes up their lines or stumbles over a phrase. Musical director (Kelly Buckle) gave the cast vocal and singing guidance; with some of the major performers being talented singers, the musical numbers were perfect. In such a musical, maintaining the characterisation is more important than the vocal range or richness of tones, so that Schroeder, Lucy and Sally were most entertaining.

Jess Bennett-Hullin’s costume designs were well tailored and colour co-ordinated in simple primary colours. A great deal of attention has been given to matching any patterns with the cartoon characters e.g. Charlie’s zigzag shirt design.

Lighting designer and operator, Shannen Precious again gave us the primary colours as sky light, with some delightful effects for a star-lit sky and Snoopy’s fighting plane attacks. Shannon has teamed up well with the sound designer and operator, Katie Southwell to ensure a bright and lively event.

Finally, a quality, comedic delivery was essential. This cast had good chemistry and perfectly captured the essence of the Peanuts cartoons. From Charlie’s deadpan ‘loser’ expression; to his temperamental sister, Sally, who was too thick to realise her failures. With the fine work of the directors the characters really came to life.

This would be the perfect show to bring your kids along to – as an excuse to see it yourself! This very professional musical is for everyone! It is not often these days to have a theatre show that ALL of the family can enjoy – from age 5 to 95.

An absolute delight.

This lively dramatic production can be seen for three nights only at the Nexus Theatre, at Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night at 7.00, until 20^th August.

The scene is the exercise yard of a compound owned by ‘One World Corporation’. Limestone walls, topped with barbed wire (Designer Allison Bell almost single handed constructed and painted this very realistic set. She had some assistance from John Bailey) surround the area. Overlooking the area is the promotions manager’s office. On a higher level (almost in the lighting grid) stands George Orwell.

At each side of the stage was a TV monitor showing Supervisor Felicity and the sufferings of Julia (Filming by Taylor Gilbert, AV by Blearnard Suarez).

Visible through chinks in the rear limestone wall are the musicians. On Keyboard – Kenn Ellis and Nick Ireland, Cello – Caitlyn Harrison, Drums – Liam Richer, Bass – Chris Heindl, Guitar – Mike Gorman and Trombone – Ned Holland.

A slick show, thanks to Production Manager Thomas Dimmick with his fast and efficient team, under Stage Manager Brianna Lea, who was assisted by Tijana Simich.

       The curtains rise to show us a smartly dressed woman, Roberta (Cat Perez), with a bejewelled pendant of an ever-watching eye around her neck. The ‘eye’ is the symbol of the ‘One World Corporation’ that is having a Memory Day Celebration. Roberta has a small computer attached to her scalp, which, like her armband glows with a blue light (Props, Dean Lovatt). It appears she is in great discomfort from the flickering head unit.

     The celebrations begin with a line of tap-dancing girls, dressed in black leotards and sporting lime green top hats. On the back of their costumes, once again, is the big brother eye. As they finish their routine, the smiles disappear as the hoodies with black masks, under the command of security chief, Will (Will Moriarty) move in and capture the performers. Next time we see the dancers they are wearing armbands and are now ‘committed’ members of the Corporation. The Corporation believes in ‘one voice’ for the benefit of all.

     When Ian Winston’s (Launcelot Ronzan) armband flashes, it means that the power is low and the brainwashing propaganda is not reaching his mind. As a result, Ian, who is Head of Propaganda, seems to be having doubt as to the ethics of his job in this fragile world, as the inmates are like zombies or automatons, void of expression.

     For some unknown reason, one of the Corporation’s members, Julia (Deirdre Khoo), seems to get preferential treatment – this forces Felicity (Rebecca Dilley) the supreme supervisor who looks after the women’s ‘welfare’, to pick on her.

     On high, dressed in a full-length black leather coat, is the omnipotent Orwell, the creator of the Corporation. When Orwell notices that some of the team are rebelling, she sends in her Assistant (Michael Casas).

       With the activated armbands fading rapidly on many of the inmates, and with the brain-washing power fading, could this be their chance for a revolution?

The versatile Ensemble comprised – Tay Broadley, Justin Crossley, Bella Doyle, Andrew Haning, Andrea Kendrick, Abbey McCaughan, Claire Mosel, Ellin Sears, Gema Seenarain, Ashleigh Spring, Clare Talbot, Sean Wcislo, Nashy MZ. This ensemble is includes drama / acting students, but in support of their PhD student friends, they were happy to take themselves out of their comfort zones by singing and dancing with gusto. The dancers may not have been quite top rate, and some singers lacking a little in vocal range, but the performers gave the play everything that they could. Many congratulations.

Sarah Courtis in writing the script and lyrics has produced a most interesting storyline, with great dialogue and engrossing lyrics; but what I found most ingenious was her ability to carry through Orwell’s original style of writing. Along with Sarah’s imaginative directing, the lyrics clearly encompassed the bullying by the supervisors, such as Will’s intimidation and the wonderfully powerful, gritty tones of Roberta (Cat Perez). In a variety of musical styles, a couple of scenes later there were a couple of soft, heartrending songs by Julia (Deidre Khoo).

Choreographer Ellin Sears skilfully gave us the ‘big show opening’ with the bright, bouncy tap chorus. Soon the joyful atmosphere turned to one of drama, as the cast became antagonistic inmates, stomping through a song. There was a delightful ballet scene, rapidly followed by a revolutionary march that could match ‘Les Miserables’ in its threatening power. There followed a tricky Busby Berkeley-style concentric circle dance routine which worked very well.

Nick Choo conducted his musicians through his clever compositions, with carefully selected instruments to match the mood. One scene had staccato strings; next there was the pounding, full power of the band that almost achieved orchestral richness with the limited instruments. Clever arrangement.

The lighting was well considered by Lighting Designer, Katie Southwell and smoothly operated by Shannon Precious. The Sound Design was the work of Christian Mulchinock and operated by Corina Brown. Achieving a balance for a band packed into a small enclosed space, coupled with controlling the dreaded headsets for the lead singers was no mean task. Both worked perfectly, well done.

The final touch to this fast moving drama was the costumes, audaciously designed by Jenia Gladziejewski, Ellin Sears and Sarah Courtis. It would have been easy to just have the dancers in standard black leotards, but the extra ‘eye adornment’ made them relevant to the story. Inventive little touches, like Ian’s leather gauntlet and the ghostly white mask dance gave the show a big budget look – whist being produced on a shoestring.

I learnt afterwards that the show had minimal rehearsal time, and yet the product that was delivered was most professional. A clever show that hit all of the senses.

Mary wrote ‘Frankenstein’ when she was only 21 years old – a similar age to the adaptor and director of this play. The book was first made into a film 85 years ago and was true to the text, by giving the creature real depth and personality. In the 1960s, a string of tacky films came out from companies like Hammer, when the creature was a monster with a bolt through his neck, giving the occasional grunt.

One of Perth’s most respected independent theatre companies, Second Chance Theatre, is proudly presenting this Gothic classic at the Nexus Theatre at Murdoch University until Saturday 23^rd July. The amazing performances are 2 hours 40 minutes long – with one interval – and commence at 7.30 pm.

At the rear of the stage is a raised platform that acts as the brig of a ship, and later as street level.

Stage right is the home of Victor, stage left is the Captain’s cabin on the ship. This ingenious and versatile set was adapted from those of the previous two plays in the Gothic series, again designed by Allison Snell. The numerous slick scene changes were under the supervision of stage manager Georgia Smith and her assistant Dylan Dorotich.

        The snow is falling. It is a bleak winter and a ship has become trapped in the Arctic ice. On board are a desperate crew, and landlubber, Victor Frankenstein (Scott McArdle), a scientist who has paid the female captain, Walton (Rhianna Hall) to help him escape a nightmare. Victor starts to explain to the captain his strange past, and why he left Switzerland in a hurry.

        Fifteen years earlier as a weakly, bullied child, Victor was the first born of Alphonse (John King) and Caroline Frankenstein (Izzy McDonald). He became a stepbrother to their adoptees, Henry (Launcelot Ronzan) and beautiful Elizabeth (Shannon Rogers) – whom they hoped Victor would ultimately marry. Eventually the Frankensteins managed to give birth to another child of their own, a cheery young lad called William (Toni Vernon).

        The children were lovingly cared for by the maid, Josephine (Ellin Sears), the cook (Kate Willoughby) and butler (Andrew Dawson). Then one evening, an accident on the farm resulted in the death of Frau Frankenstein. Feeling lost, Victor sets off to Ingolstadt University to study anatomy and physiology under Professor Dippel (Jenia Gladziejewski). Victor finds some miserable lodgings, with an even more miserable landlord (Stephen Platt).

       Wishing to further his studies and theories, Victor visits a few mortuaries, ingratiating himself with two of the attendants (Daniel Buckle, Justin Crossley). He ‘borrows’ bodily parts from their morgue. One stormy night, a flash of lightning energises Victor’s creation. The Creature (Laughton Mckenzie) is born.

        The Creature’s only friends are a pack of wolves (Rhys Hyatt, Jenia Gladziejewski, Ellin Sears). He meets and helps a poor blind man, Felix (Alex McVey) and his thoughtful daughter, Agatha (Abbey McCaughan) but a tragedy befalls them, and an unfortunate old tramp (Andrew David) who gets in the way.

        With a wedding in the offing, Elizabeth takes on a ‘special’ butler, De Lacey (Rhys Wyatt).

Scott McArdle has wisely taken us back to the original script and theme, by allowing us to see behind the broken body of the hapless ‘creature’. This ‘vision’ took us on an emotional rollercoaster ride, first we feel sorry for the creature and wish it success; before we hit the skids and witness it crashing into another killing spree. The writing skills exhibited in this adaptation are exceptional; just a little subtle humour, a genuine feeling of hopelessness for the creature, rapidly followed by anger at attitudes of the public to this poor human.

There are a couple of incredible wild horses in this play that can be seen through the subdued, misty light. Their eyes glow, they can rear up and trot convincingly around the stage, superbly designed by Anna Sheehy (assisted by Andrew David and Sam Knox) and controlled by the equine wrangling team of Joel Sammels, Tay Broadley and Abbey McCaughan.  Likewise, the wolves sniffed around, showed apprehension and even circled like real animals before they lay down. It was the attention to such minute details that took this whole concept to that only expected of a major professional production.

The complex lighting (designer Scott McArdle, operator Sarah Bond) and crisp sound effects (Katie Southwell) played a major part in the presentation of this play. There were a multitude of effect such as snow, just the right amount of fog and mist, with well-placed lights and perfectly chosen colours to augment the mood. The costumes (Sophie Braham, assisted by Allison Snell, Bella Doyle, Melanie Buchanan) ranged from the tatty urchins to the sumptuous ball gowns of Elizabeth. Every costume fitted immaculately, and was made from fabrics of the era – not simply cotton dyed or painted to appear realistic. The shoes and accessories were carefully chosen.

The makeup design is always important, but in this play the Creature has to look realistically disfigured and not ridiculous. The horrendous scarring and gore was thanks to the talented hard work of Leah Toyne.

The musical soundscape was once again the clever work of Drew Krapljanov, who has just the right touch of matching the scene’s atmosphere with the correct emotion in music. Especially in a play like this, one should be unaware of any accompaniment without actually listening for it. The notes should be mellifluous, invisibly and smoothly coating the vision.

The technical manager, Keaton Howe, and the production managers, Andrew David and Scott McArdle have gone for quality and at no point have they taken the soft option. Quality was always paramount.

It is easy to say that ‘all of the actors did well’, but in this case it is true. The entrances and exits slick, the diction clear, the body language and chemistry exceptional for EVERY single member of the cast. Some stunning and moving performances, but I must give a special mention to Scott McArdle as Victor, and Laughton Mckenzie as the Creature – WOW !!

The thing I like mainly about Murdoch productions is that you can sense that every member of the cast and crew are keen, truly enjoying themselves and determined to give the audience a great night out, by using every ounce of their skills. Enthusiasm brings perfection. A great show that will last in our memories for decades to come.

This superb adaption of ‘Frankenstein’ can be strongly recommended to amateur and professional theatre everywhere. Give yourselves and your audiences something different.

‘Nexus Theatre’, ‘Murdoch Theatre Company’ and ‘From The Hip Productions’ are presenting this fun-filled production at the Nexus Theatre, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch – near car park 3. The series has a crew of over 40, and combined casts of over 30, promising us something that Perth has never yet experienced.

After a warm welcome from Front of House, Rachel Doulton, the one and a half hour performances commence at 7.30 each evening until 16^th July, with one matinée at 2.00 pm on Saturday 16^th July.

The scene is Saqqara, the City of the Dead in Egypt. The year, 1890. The stage is divided into the Waldren’s home and the tomb of Artek Bey. An inscribed, limestone sarcophagus leans against a wall. The rear wall of the cavernous tomb is covered in hieroglyphics.

Later the stage becomes the storeroom at the British Museum. Another triumph from production designer, Allison Snell and her construction and artwork team, John King, Katie Southwell, Andrew David and Sam Knox. There was clever use of the smoke machines, such as when the coffin was opened, and there were cobwebs everywhere.

The period costumes were stunning, and beautifully tailored by Alli Snell, Sophie Braham and Bella Doyle. The Mummy was not simply wrapped in crêpe bandages, but had tassels and rotting material on him too.

The stage management was slick, thanks to Keaton Howe and his assistant Mike Casas.

       It is Egypt 1890, and we hear the sounds of the explorers hacking through the final layer of stone, before entering the tomb of Grand Vizier, Artek Bey. The leader of the British expedition, John Waldren (Tim Brain) and his labourers, Alfie (Andrew David) and Charlie (Tay Broadley) are first into the cavernous tomb.

      Then Lord Preston (Dean Lovatt) demands that they open the sarcophagus. The leader’s daughter, Claire Waldren (Christie Strauss) is an expert on hieroglyphic, so warns them that on opening the coffin a curse will result on all of those invaders. The casket lid is prized open and the bandaged Mummy, Artek Bey (Andrew Dawson) appears to move. There is a rapid exit from the grave, but poor Charlie was a little too slow in leaving.

       Back in the Waldren home, Claire is saying ‘Goodbye’ to Lady Harriet Preston (Anna Weir) who is being treated abominably by her husband. Young Alfie calls around, and we find that there is romance in the air.

       All of the treasures are shipped back to the British Museum in London, where we meet the mad librarians, Miss Dalrymple (Kate Willoughby) and Cora (Abbey McCaughan) trying to catalogue the new items. As they work, the lights flicker and the attractive Priestess, Abrar Ali (Bella Doyle) seems to appear from nowhere. Uttering ancient texts, she commands Artek Bey to come back to life.

      Will her commands work? Who will die? Will the handsome policeman (Andrew Dawson) discover what is going on?

This adroit, original comedy thriller was directed by Tim Brain, with movement advice from Tym Sanders. On opening night, there were a few nerves and it took a little while for the play to gather pace and for the actors to project their voices; but by the second Act everyone was tuned-in and the show moved up a few gears. Tim is exceptionally talented in numerous theatrical fields, sound, music, directing etc., but to tackle all of these – and several more – in one play I think might have been a touch too much. Perhaps a separate director could have taken this masterful play to yet another level. It must be said that this is a very clever and brave production, with Tim breaking a huge amount of new ground in bringing it to the stage. So much talent, well done.

The soundscape of creepy noises and bodies being broken was created by Tim Brain and operated by Kiah Van Vlijmen. Tim also composed the musical backing that varied from the double bass ‘breathing’, violas scraping to ethereal organ music – even a burst of bagpipes crept into the score. Tim played the various instruments and was ‘accompanied’ by legends Anne Dudley, Jaz Coleman, Erik Satie and the Warner Music Group.

Scott McArdle’s ingenious, complex and highly atmospheric lighting design was set by Katie Southwell, Sarah Bond and Bella Doyle; being operated by Katrina Johnson. The imaginative makeup and hair designs were supervised by Leah Toyne and Sophie Braham.

The main cast members brought depth to the serious drama, with episodes that made the audience wince on occasions – well done. However, the director was a brave man in deciding to mix humour with the creepy violence, an idea that to succeed, takes special acting skills; but the eccentric librarians (Willoughby and McCaughan) captured their brief and chalked up another success for the show.

A must see quality event, but be quick.

The dark set was simple, several dark chairs, a barbed wire fence and a grave cross (designer Shannen Precious).
The muslin backcloth, scrim, acted as a screen for the projected, well-researched photos of Laramie and the main characters of the story – design by Katie Hutton.
The costumes required researching the fashions of the late 1990s, plus police uniforms, prison outfits and angels; the wardrobe ladies, Deborah Huntley, Milena Sheridan and Ramiah Alcantara excelled.
The sound design had just the right level of music and sound effects, with such a delicate subject they had to enhance and not intrude, well done Jordan Baynes.
The lighting was well designed by Kiah van Vlijmen, then rigged by Justin Crossley and Leigh Fitzpatrick. Smoothly operated by Claire Mosel.
The production manager, Kel Fox, was helped by Deborah Huntley and Athena Thompson; with the stage manager, Hannah Summers, assisted by Meagan Dux. A good pace was essential to retain the emotion and tension of the script, the crew worked most efficiently.

        Whilst walking on Brokeback Mountain, young Aaron Stephen (Thomas Ward) finds the severely bashed body of twenty-one years old Matt Shepard tied to a fence. He calls for the police, and Officer Fluty (Tijana Simich) and Senior Officer (Mitchell Johnson) at first think the young boy is dead. However, he is taken to hospital and despite Dr Cantway (Toni Vernon) trying her best, Matt dies. His devastated parents arrive at the hospital, but there is nothing to be done except for the father, Denis (Justin Crossley) to console Mum, Judy (Shannen Precious).
        Very quickly, two locals were rounded up; one was an extreme homophobe and sadist, Aaron McKinney (William Moriarty), the other his subservient, but repentant friend, Russell Henderson (Sean Mackey). On hearing the news, two lesbians (Xarna Rappold, Kiah van Vlijmen) were consoled by the Baptist Minister (Bradley Clarke), whilst a well-meaning bigot (Tay Broadley) thought Matt got what he deserved.
        A group of newspaper reporters (Ramiah Alcantara, Imogen Appleby) arrived along with a TV reporter (Grace Pusy), desperate to hear the comments from the Judge (My Ekstrand) before blowing the whole incident into a major controversy.
       Ten years later, the Tectonic Team returned to see how the atmosphere in the town had changed. Had homophobia reduced? They interviewed a cowboy (Leigh Fitzpatrick) and his girlfriend (Claire Tebbut), before asking the local newspaper editor (Nashyhithah Md Zaini) who was giving the readers the biased opinion that they wanted to hear.
       What had the local school children learnt about the incident from their parents? Had the legal system changed under the State Politicians?

Director David Moody, who has sensitively combined the two plays into a single script, was assisted by Chloé Laffar, Jessica Serio and Tay Broadley. Even with this large cast, most of whom had several parts, the actors had to be alert and well rehearsed. One or two of the cast occasionally struggled with minor parts of their lines, the Wyoming accent or the emotion when changing characters, but this did not impede the power or enjoyment of the story line.

The team have decided to have various actors play Matt, employing males and females, with different nationalities to show that the victim is symbolic of gays everywhere. The actors all wore rainbow T-shirts.

I have seen ‘The Laramie Project’ a couple of times in the past, and even though those productions were first class, the story seemed dry and mechanical. This blended version had extra life and achieved more sympathy for the murdered boy and his family.
A heavy and challenging subject, but sensitively handled so no desire to check my watch.
The tickets are at a sensible price and the venue comfortable, so give this show a viewing.

The work, which was initially meant to be a moved reading with minimal action, has, with the strong support of Scott’s friends and fan club, developed into an almost fully enacted play. The show was produced by Second Chance Theatre, a company that only presents original works.

This outstanding 60-minute work was presented for one night only at the Nexus Theatre, Murdoch University, South Street, Murdoch on Friday, 14^th August at 7.00 pm. This account is not the usual review, as the presentation was aimed mainly at showcasing the storyline and the writing.

The stage is in darkness throughout, with the clever use of lights picking out the action (lighting design Scott McArdle, operated by Sarah Bond). A screen on the rear wall had views of the town and various fascinating, relevant quotes. The set is a central, raised pulpit where the narrator, Stephen Platt, is seated. In front of the podium are 5 chairs with the actors seated awaiting their lines.

There was a very good soundscape (sound designer, Aiden Willoughby) and musical backing by the talented composer, Drew Krapljanov. The headset mics were controlled by Corina Brown and the whole sound system operated by Tay Broadley. The costumes were by Melanie Buchanan and makeup/hair by Sophie Braham.

      A massive storm is approaching the coastal town of Pleasance somewhere in New Zealand (?). The town’s officious Mayor, Jenny (Shannon Rogers) is out and about checking that the town is secure. She meets an old boyfriend, local fisherman, David (Joel Sammels), who is determined to take his boat out, after all what would a woman know about the weather and fishing.

     On the outskirts of the village lives Jenny’s caring, elderly Aunt Ada (Nicola Brescianini) who is cleaning the house when a visitor arrives. It is her nephew, Matt (Philip Hutton) a strange, enigmatic young man who disappeared several years earlier, and has been living rough on a nearby mountain.

     Ignoring the weather, Matt goes back out into the storm, to the local baker’s shop to buy some bread for his aunt. The girl in the shop, Mary (Rhianna Hall) is immediately excited at seeing a new hunk in the village. However, despite her less than subtle approach, Matt seems unresponsive, and void of any real emotion or sex drive.

     What has really happened to Matt during the past seven years?

Writer / director Scott McArdle has created five very different, yet believable complex characters. They were all ingeniously interlinked by the innovative story threads. The family theme for the siblings and the aunt was strong and convincing. The village attitude to life came through lucidly with the stubborn fisherman and the lovelorn baker’s assistant.

Into this short piece, as well as the unusual basic theme, Scott has managed to pack in tension, excitement, love, sex and plenty of comedy. He skilfully fed snippets of information to the audience in drips and subtle hints, letting them assemble the jigsaw themselves. So beautifully and cleverly written was this piece that even the next day, you found yourself thinking of points you may have missed, and a desire to see the piece again.

Even though this production was supposed to be rudimentary, the performers gave the show their all. Another admirable piece of writing from one of Perth’s undiscovered playwrights.

This Murdoch Theatre Company’s 100-minute (including interval), fast moving show is suitable for children aged 6 to 96. It can be seen for 3 more shows only at the Nexus Theatre, Murdoch University – near car park 3 – on Friday 17^th at 7.30, with Saturday 18^th having two performances, a matinee at 2.00 pm (meet the characters after this show) and at 7.30 again in the evening.
The sets are colourful, though the backdrops and trees are recycled, they have been spruced up with large leaves. The witch’s house was particularly impressive.

       As the music of ‘Peter and the Wolf’ faded, the narrator, dressed in a nightshirt – like Wee Willie Winkie, (12 yrs old Amalie Meneghetti – excellent – the only non-Murdoch performer) introduces us to the local village of Grimm Dark. The Mayor (Nicola Brescianini) told us what a wonderful and exciting town it was to live in, however the locals did not seem to agree.

        Into the street wanders Little Red (Cat Perez) with her dim, but brave friend, Peter (Aaron Vanderkley). Little Red is asked by her mother (Meagan Dux) to visit her Grandmother’s (Rhys Hyatt – outstanding, what are you doing after the show Baby?) house in the forest.

       Peter and Red follow the Yellow Brick Road and meet hungry Hansel (Rebecca Dilley) and beautiful Gretel (Shannon Rogers); they had just been in the gingerbread house and killed the Witch (Claire Tebbutt) – or had they?

        Peter tries to protect Little Red but soon they are lost in the woods. A strange and threatening Woodsman (Kieran Renouf) was never far away. Hiding – dressed as a sheep – is The Wolf (Sean Mackey), who is seeking revenge on Peter. 

        Can Little Bo Peep (Karen Hansord) find her sheep? Will the three bears, Papa Bear (Launcelot Ronzan), Mama Bear (Abbey McCaughan) and Baby Bear (Tijana Simich) save poor Red? Is Grandma all she seems?

Director Kate Willoughby has gathered several of her friends, all of whom have proved themselves numerous times as first class actors, for her pantomime, however, Panto is another genre and not everyone can make it work. This band of actors were magnificent, they threw themselves into a laissée-faire attitude, enjoyed themselves and the pleasure flowed from the stage to the audience who loved it. Kate has also put in many asides and novel ideas, such as the comical bear family’s walk.

Sean Mackey was amazing as the wolf; even when faced with a front row of rowdy children from hell, he was unfazed. Hansel and Gretel’s rapport was also top notch.

Unfortunately I haven’t a techies list so cannot give credit to the excellent mood lighting and sound. I did learn that the striking poster design was by Mama Bear, Abbey McCaughan.

The stylish costumes were bright and well made, from Hansel and Gretel’s buttercup yellow to the furry wolf.

Plenty of laughs, well-written, well directed and well acted. Well, well well, three holes in the ground. A good winter holiday laugh for ALL of the family. Family tickets available at the door, at a sensible price.

Car Park 3 (free of charge), top far end, is closest to the theatre.

The Modicum Theatre group comprises a bunch of friends who did school plays together at Perth Modern, and wished to reform for a bit of fun – fun for them and fun for the audience.
The shows are nightly until Saturday 11^th July, with a standard ticket price of only $10. Curtain up on the 2-hour, roller coaster performance at 6.30.

The set is simple, with a lectern to the left and an electric keyboard to the right. The second Act has a huge, magnificent painting of the Last Supper (artwork by Tatiane van den Akker and Bram Kotzee).

          There is a crash of thunder and God’s voice – a woman of course – introduces us to Adam (Bram Kotzee) and Eve (Sarah Lewis), but did I spot an unlikely navel? To the catchy musical accompaniment of Joseph Sabbagh, we are welcomed irrespective of our religion, on a strange journey through the Bible. Each of the actors changes parts several times, in this madcap blend of heretic tales, in the form of an adult pantomime combined with ‘The Young Ones’.

          You will meet Abraham (Lincoln – thanks to Sean Mackey) and Tony Abbott on the way.

         We witness the dramatic and moving birth of Jesus by Mary (Rachel Bate), and then meet the three wise men. After the building of the Ark, one could almost feel the storm in the air as the animals – with the aid of the audience – climbed aboard.

       The blasphemous ripping yarns continue to Armageddon, when the troupe is led by Melody Schnauer in the BIG finish.

Jamie Cook has directed a slick, fast-moving romp, packed with sight gags and jokes of the quality that only grandparents would tell; however, with the wonderful delivery by this cast of buffoons, the giggles (and groans) were guaranteed.

The technicians under the supervision of John King were on the ball for lighting, Kiah Van Vlijmen and for sound Ryan Partridge. Stephanie Ferguson, Joel Armstrong and Em Dickinson managed the numerous stage props.

This enthusiastic cast set out to give the audience not necessarily the best acting ever, but rather a really good laugh. They were excellent, throwing all they had into squeezing every smile from the zany script.

Aged nineteen, Levon directed a trailer for a bogus Bollywood Kung Fu film, which became a finalist in Margaret and David’s ‘At the Movies’ 25^th Anniversary trailer competition.

This riotous 150-minute show runs each night at 7.30 pm until the 21^st March in The Nexus Theatre, Murdoch University, near car park 3.

Ally Snell’s set is a dark, bleak forest in Huntersville in 1880. The music in the background is Credence Clearwater’s ‘Bad Moon Rising’, a hint as to the wacky humour to come. Set builder, John King has brought Ally’s creations to life. Many of the sets were flies, operated by Tay Broadley.

The superb costumes were created by Melanie Buchanan, and had lots of little extras and trims to ensure an authentic look.

The forest scene was lit by LEDs at ground level, emphasising the creepy effect. Good lighting design by Scott McArdle, with precision timing by operator, Katie Southwell. The quality soundscape had a huge amount of work put into it by Jess Serio, with crisp lively effects.

The excellent fight scene was most convincing, congrats to Launcelot Ronzan.

         There is a full moon, and a young priest, Father Hank Grimby (Thomas Dimmick) is walking through the woods, when a bloodcurdling sound is heard. In terror he flees, but is caught and mauled by a creature.

        When he awakes, he finds himself in the home of Mayor Gainsborough (Timothy Brain) being attended by the maid (Cat Maree Perez), and more affectionately by the Mayor’s beautiful young daughter, Brooke (Harriet Fettis). His scars are being examined by anatomy researcher and family quack, Dr Talbot (Jason Dohle).

       After a worldwide search, the Mayor has found a suitable husband for Brooke, explorer George Waggner (Joshua Towns), a legend in his own mind. This rumbustious and loud swashbuckler loves to tell stories of his journeys around the planet and of his many passionate affairs on the way. However, Brooke is in love with another, will she really have to marry this braggart? On his arrival in the village, George meets yokel Farmer Brandybuck (Michael Casas with a hilarious accent, coached by Shona Beringer), Missus Hornblower (Kiah Van Vlijmen) and Tabitha (Bella Doyle), and foolishly asks them for directions.

       When a local farmer (Andrew Dawson), his wife (Claire Tebbutt) and daughters (Shannon Rogers, Maggie Clark) are all attacked by the illusive werewolf, bold George takes on the help of the village yokel, Tomas (Phillip Hutton) and seeks revenge  – and a replacement girlfriend, the innocent Angelique (Tijana Simic).

Directing his first major production is Keaton Howe. Keaton has done a wonderful job; the actors were charged up and perfectly cast. I first saw this play at the Blue Room and the more intimate setting worked better, as the scene changes were quicker – less distance to carry the furniture – and the actors kept up the pace better in the changes. The Murdoch Workshop may have worked better in some ways, but of course does not have the technical qualities.

The acting was very good, with a perfect, straight delivery; but at times a hammier, tongue in cheek genre could have been better. Some of the lines had double-entendres, or were designed to have pauses mid-sentence, to hint at another meaning, this was often missed. Nevertheless, the overall effect was creepy and frightening; the performances were assured and the singing melodious. Even the gory scenes brought a laugh. People squirmed a little, but there was always a smile at the end.

Levon J Polinelli’s clever lyrics were comical, with subtle hints at famous films and musicals. Musical director and composer, Ash Gibson Greig, has blended into his score some special sound effects. Hats off to Harriet – a divine voice – and to Joshua, whose singing and musical performance was well on the way to that of Hugh Jackman.

An all-round night of entertainment, with quality singing, horror and visual excitement.

A really good night at the theatre, presented by a talented team.

With a special interest in Shakespeare, the theatre company’s mission is to entertain, engage and inspire the multitudes – especially the younger audiences.

This superbly scripted, 80-minute play is being performed to a general audience, before being toured around WA schools. It can be seen at the Nexus Theatre – near car park 3 – Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch at 8.00 pm, nightly until Saturday 23^rd November, with one matinee on Saturday at 3.00 pm.

On a stage surrounded by black drapes, the floor has painted upon it, a white spider’s web. The ceiling is draped like a luxurious bower. Sitting and lying around on beds and cushions are five women, all dressed in bridal gowns (costumes Mandy Crooke). The scene is lit by a single, precisely positioned shoulder high, powerful flood that casts a golden glow across the whole scene (lighting by Aleesha and Joey McKenna-Green). A series of metronomes are ticking away at about 60 beats per minute, and then most of them stop and a single heartbeat pace can be heard throughout the play.

The youngest woman, Abigale (Cassee Lazic), is sitting in the corner plucking petals from a flower, and contemplating her marriage that will take place later that day. Across the room, the quiet philosopher, Julie (Sarah Courtis) is stroking her friend, Eve’s hair. Eve (Jenia Gladziejewski) is heartbroken girl who spends most of her day spouting the definitions of words mentioned in the conversation. This pedantic trait annoys Bailey (Clare Talbot) a bossy woman with a hundred chips on her shoulder.

There is an electrical crackling noise and dazzling white lights flicker. The ‘chief’, a matriarchal figure, Tracy (Tara Hoban) steps forward and tells her roommates that a new room guest is about to arrive. To the annoyance of Bailey, two women – again in bridal dresses – enter the boudoir. They are Alex (Ellin Sears), an angry young lady and Katie (Kate Raine) a young girl who had just died in a car crash.

Kate realises that all of the women present are in fact dead and that they are now in the anteroom to purgatory, awaiting a move to a more permanent resting place. Tracy appeared with a clipboard, and started asking the two new arrivals simple questions to start, such as ‘what was the last thing you remember?’, before moving on to more searching questions, that perhaps the audience should ask of themselves.

This thoroughly enjoyable play is beautifully structured. The dialogue is cleverly created to ensure that the seven characters, which are all very different, have strong individual personalities. This could have been clunky, especially when the director and the writer are one in the same, but Andrew has managed to transfer his thoughts to the stage perfectly. Because the excellent cast chemistry was well tuned in and worked as a team, the play flowed steadily and the intriguing storylines became lucid.

This was delightful story, magnificently written and performed. Congratulations to all. Highly recommended.