Brisbane-based barrister, Michael Hodge, wrote the book with his brother, Paul Hodge, who also composed the music and wrote the lyrics. Paul has a PhD in musical composition, and has also gained Brisbane’s prestigious ‘Young and Emerging Artist Fellowship’ and numerous other international awards.

This bright and effervescent 2-hour show can be seen at the Heath Ledger Theatre in Northbridge nightly at 7.30 until 11^th September.

The scene is a magnificent representation of the exterior of the White House, complete with majestic central white dome and flag pole (Set and Costume Designer, Bruce McKinven). The musicians are positioned on the top deck, in a ‘bandstand’ just under the cupola. Sensibly, the drums (Michael Perkins) were enclosed in a Perspex area, allowing a superb balance of the instruments. The Musical Director and keyboard player was David Young, with guitarist Jonathan Fernandes and bass player Andrew Weir. Thanks to clever orchestration (Neil Douglas Reilly), the effect was that of a large band.

As the stage revolves, we see the podium for public announcements. The stage wings’ legs and backdrop are in red, white and blue. This theme by Scenic Artist, Marek Syzler, has been picked up and continued by the Lighting Designer, Mark Howett, and used to great effect.

It is rare to have the audience applaud the set, but at the opening this well admired set earned a big round of applause. 

       The proscenium grand drape is a figurative American flag; it rises to reveal Hillary Clinton (Lisa Adam, looking amazingly like the lady herself) inside the White House’s Oval Office. Hillary makes it clear that she is the person in power, and goes on to tell us the story behind her husband’s mayhem as President.

     The President enters the office, and everyone around sees him as one; but because of his parallel lives, he is portrayed by two very different characters who talk to each other. There is the clear-headed leader, in a smart suit – W.J. Clinton (Simon Burke) and the wild, leather dressed, irresponsible philanderer – Billy Clinton (Matt Dyktynski).

     The country is buoyant and politics running smoothly. The Press however – agitated by Clinton’s nemesis, Newt Gingrich (Luke Hewitt), Speaker of the House – try to create debasing news. They drag up the ‘Whitewater Scandal’, a real estate investment of the Clintons that collapsed with little actual humiliation to them. Gingrich, still determined to shame Clinton engaged Kenneth Starr (Brendan Hanson), an independent counsel who lusts after men in power.

     WJ asks his ever-faithful wife, Hillary, for her advice and unexpectedly receives wise words from the ghost of Eleanor Roosevelt (Clare Moore), the wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt, President during World War 2.

     One day, into the Oval Office came Monica Lewinsky (Megan Kozak), a White House intern. New ‘meat’ for the philandering Clinton?

     There follows attempts at Impeachment and a legal battle, but who will win? Will Bill Clinton leave the post with worthwhile reforms in place? What is Hillary doing in the background?

Director Adam Mitchell is at his best with a musical, but here he gives us something extra special. With a cast of seven performers playing more than a dozen parts, the action moved at jet speed. With the astounding quality of the actors, and their immense versatility, we are soon fooled into thinking that there is a huge cast.

Choreographer, Claudia Alessi, being completely in tune with the uproarious comedy had the cast moving with hilarity. Lisa Adam as Hillary was wild and energetic and her interpretation of ‘Brew It for Your Country’ was dazzling.

Another highlight was Brendan Hanson as Ken Starr, who brought the house down with his rendition of a gay in heat singing ‘Starr Is Born’.

Jenny Edwards’ costumes ranged from the numerous, bright pastel outfits of Hillary to the semi-bondage, ‘cheeky’ ensemble of Ken Starr. Immaculately finished by wardrobe assistants Gail Reading, Elizabeth Buckland and Louise Arcus.

You keep expecting the story to tactfully smudge the details, but this brave musical just gets the boot in, and gives the audience the most fun in a long time. The audience split their sides with Megan Kozak’s execution of ‘Monica’s Song’, as Monica gloated on her conquest by celebrating in song with untamed actions – brilliant.

The lively and interesting sound design was by Ben Collins. There were about a couple of dozen songs with hysterical lyrics, but as the actors wore headsets the words were crystal clear.

A poor American accent can grate and annoy, however Voice Coach, Julia Moody, had the whole cast speaking in the same modest accent. The cast even managed to change this slightly with the multiple characters that they played.

Stage Manager, Claudia Blagaich and her assistant Stage Manager, Rhianne Perrie were dressed in smart black suits and moved in and out of the action moving lecterns, chairs and other props.

There are plays where the acting can be outstanding, the singing melodic and the dancing inventive. There are shows that give the audience a good laugh and you leave the theatre with a smile; but rarely do you get all the features combined in one production. This musical is just one of these rarities. A MUST see show.

Standing ovations are quite infrequent these days, but this production truly deserved theirs.

This tightly written, cleverly structured, 55-minute play can be seen Studio Theatre at the Subiaco Arts Centre, 180 Hamersley Road, Subiaco each evening at 7.30 until Saturday 25^th June.

The set shows several roadside shrines, shaded by overhanging branches. Memorials set up by the families and friends for their recently departed. The tree stumps are surrounded by a collection of their friend’s personal treasures, varying from religious statues to fun junk.

The scene is completed with Joe Lui’s incredible lighting and soundscape. The tech operator is Jarrod (?) who applied one of the slowest and most subtle light changes I have seen – great work.

      A young couple are laughing and joking as they drive along a remote Australian country road. Suddenly, their car runs off the road and into a tree. Luckily, they are not injured, but their car is in a sorry state. Even when they realise that they are stuck in the middle of nowhere, the young girl, Abby (Amy Johnston) just chuckles nervously at having avoided death; and asks her angry boyfriend, Sam (Barnaby Pollock) what the Hell had made him run off the road.

     As Sam explains, unconvincingly, how he thought he had seen someone and had swerved to avoid hitting her, a dishevelled old woman steps out of the forest. She introduces herself as Ruth (Nicola Bartlett) and starts chatting to Abby. She asks what Abby does for a living, and discovers that she works for a company called ‘Moving On Inc.’ that carries out house clearances for the traumatised families of recently deceased. Abby chuckles as she explains how many unusual treasures she seems to gather.

      After a while, Ruth says she can get the couple’s car repaired, if they can do her a favour in return. A rather demanding favour!

 

There are plenty of laughs in this creepy and haunting play, as it grabs your attention and keeps you in its grip throughout. The three, very different characters are beautifully portrayed by the cast. Amy Johnston, who is in her first major professional production, played Abby; WAAPA graduate, Barnaby Pollock, accompanies her. Nicola Bartlett, who has been much admired for decades as one of WA’s finest actors, gives a superb performance as Ruth.

Directed by Mikala Westall and dramaturged by Will O’Mahony, the body language and chemistry flow naturally in this most enjoyable piece.

This production oozes quality in every department. Many congratulations to all concerned.

This first class interpretation can be seen at the Heath Ledger Theatre, in the State Theatre Centre of Western Australia, 174 – 176 William Street, Northbridge.

I am pleased to say that this production is travelling around WA, taking quality entertainment to the often forgotten regions. It has already been to Albany, with Geraldton and Mandurah next.

The 160-minute performances at the Heath Ledger Theatre commence nightly at 7.30, running until Saturday 26^th July. There is one matinee at 2.15 pm on the Saturday.

The Captioned Performance is Thursday, with the Audio Described Performance at the Saturday matinee.

The scene is a basement classroom during the London Blitz. Anna Gardiner’s design is illusory and unpretentious, whilst jaw-droppingly versatile.

        It is St Crispin’s Day, 1940. As the bombs fall outside, the elderly teacher (Keith Agius) is finishing a lesson on ‘Richard II’ and ‘Henry IV’. With enthusiasm he introduces the children to ‘Henry V’ and Salian Law (written in Latin in the 8^th century to govern inheritance in most of Europe) that contained such Acts as ‘no portion of the inheritance shall come to a woman; but the whole inheritance of the land shall come to the male sex.’

      As the students read the story of war out loud, the situation becomes real. The teacher, with a cushion stuffed up his cardigan, become Falstaff. The students start enacting the play that they are studying, only to find that the war zone they are in blends remarkably with Henry’s life centuries earlier. The senior student (Michael Sheasby) dons a rugby jumper and becomes King Harry – Henry V’s ‘pet name’.

      Guided by the teacher and the school nurse (Danielle King), the students become totally embroiled in the play. Patriotic Henry, due to the strong church influence is filled with indecision. Then, because of the despicable treatment of his so called aristocratic friends, the Earl of Gloucester (Damien Strouthos) and the Earl of Salisbury (Gabriel Fancourt) who fill him with self-doubt, he has them executed.

      Welsh born Harry, Prince of Wales, wishes to marry the Princess Catherine of France (Eloise Winestock), and her father – in order to beat the Salian law – is keen to pay a dowry; but on his terms. When Harry receives a present of tennis balls from the French royalty, he realises that this is a dig at his age and vigour, so to prove them wrong Harry decides to fight it out. He sails his army across to France, landing in Harfleur.

      Seasick and generally incapacitated, Henry’s army is diminished and suffering badly as it stumbles towards Agincourt, but Henry’s oratory carries his ‘Brothers in Arms’ (soldiers) onwards. They are decimated, but against all odds, still win the day. After the battle, the French Duke of Orléans(Drew Livingston) was found on the battlefield, so weighed down by his armour that he could not escape.

      The Dauphin (Matthew Backer), Catherine’s mother (Ildiko Susany) and Alice, her lady in waiting give advice to the bride-to-be on English terminology. Catherine hears the words ‘foot’ and ‘gown’, and is appalled, declaring that they sound very like the French words ‘foutre’ and ‘con’. The marriage takes place and all is well for the time being.

      Henry died in France about 7 years later, aged 35.

With Bell Shakespeare, one expects quality and a novel outlook in every production. Director and script adaptor, Damien Ryan (assisted by Susanna Dowling), has certainly given us that. The audience soon became part of the school, genuinely experiencing and suffering, the heart-wrenching horrors going on outside. The morals of war, the pure heartbreak and waste of life are laid bare being as relevant today as they were then. There are some very poignant moments.

The two eras are skilfully blended, with famous speeches such as ‘Once more unto the breach …’ are quoted next to a radio broadcast by Churchill (dialect coach Jess Chambers). The long bow archers are fighting at Agincourt, then seconds later operating the submachine guns of today.

The ‘heavier’ scenes are broken up by brief melodies (composer Drew Livingston) sung beautifully in madrigal by the whole cast.

With today’s computer generation on the TV and cinema screens, we have become accustomed, even blasé at seeing miracles take place; but even so, the lighting (Sian James-Holland) and sound (composer and soundscape designer, Steve Francis) design team unite to give us numerous memorable and inspired moments in the theatre. Almost every minute, the schoolroom furniture and fittings are transformed into castle battlements, battlefield, or the English Channel etc., all are stunningly effective. The set changes were slick, complex and carried out by the cast. Their movement director (Scott Witt) and the designer must have spent many mind-blowing hours together to create the correct effect, and for it to morph in a couple of seconds. The costumes changes were clever, with simple everyday items being used to confirm the character being portrayed (Renata Beslik).

Shakespeare’s historical tales can often be dry and heavy on the eyelids. This script, while almost true to the original 16^th century play (there are odd occasions when an obscure words may be used, and the teacher gives a brief aside to explain the meaning), is very long and therefore one of Shakespeare’s least dramatized plays. However it has been most skilfully adapted and sprinkled with humour; it is truly gripping, inspiring and adrenaline-charged. The action and energy displayed by the whole cast was quite unique in the theatre.

You will become so involved that when you set off for home, you will feel that you, personally, have won the war.

An amazing interpretation, absolutely terrific.