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.

She is also a member of Ensemble Studio Theater’s Youngblood, a group of emerging playwrights under the age of 30.

This 80-minute (no interval), Black Martini Theatre’s production can be seen for a sensible ticket price, in Murdoch University’s Studio 411, opposite car park 4 in Murdoch University, South Street, Murdoch. The curtain rises at 7.00 pm each evening, until Saturday 11^th June.

Thomas Dimmick’s lounge room set design was representational of the New England 18^th century wood panelled rooms. There was a patio window with a rod curtain. In the corner was a toy box. Central stage was an Axminster runner carpet with several beautiful antique chairs.

Stage manager Rebecca Dilley, assisted by Sean Wcislo had one of the best stage teams I have seen in months. Even with major pieces of furniture, each member was totally focused and moved onto the stage, placed or removed the props and left, with no scene change taking more than 3 or 4 seconds. Superb work.

       Mrs March, Marmee (Maddy Jolly Fuentes) has gathered her four daughters in the sitting room. She tells them how their father had been wounded in the Civil War, and that she must go to his side. The girls’ faces showed their devastation at the news, however, when their mother left the room the mood changed.

      Happy but sickly Beth (Virginia Cole) coughs into her handkerchief and sets off to see elderly Mr Lawrence (Michael Casas) in an attempt to borrow money to pay for her mother’s trip.  Uncaring and self-centred, thirteen year old Amy (Claire Tebbutt) immediately complains about the economies that will be required to pay for the mother’s ticket. Meg (Cat Perez) starts to fantasise about meeting a man, because in their remote home she has never even met one.

      Meg decides that they should put on a play to cheer themselves up. Bolshie and politically inclined Jo (Shannen Precious), being the most verbose and snide, is insistent on playing the male part. Then like a gift from God, handsome, alluring Laurie (Hock Edwards) appears, Meg is excited, could this be her big chance? Unfortunately, Laurie sets off to travel the world. The family receive a visit from John, sorry, ‘call me Mr Brooke’ (Matthew Abercromby) – Meg is happy again.

     When the dashing German Professor Bhaer (Will Moriarty) arrives, Jo shuns his attentions. Will she never marry?

 

As you may gather, this play is NOT a version of Louisa May’s Civil War novel, ‘Little Women’, it is more of an anti-play. It mocks the mellifluous overtones of the original, being full of dry, sarcastic and disrespectful humour, in a superbly written, acerbic script.

Director, Jessica Serio, has presented a first-class comedy, by selecting a magnificent cast who fully understand the subtleties of the author’s writing. Jess has staged the play as though it were a BBC tv series, complete with fine costumes (costume design – Anna Weir) and clever lighting (design – Kiah Van Vlijmen). The choice of background music and sound effects by designer Tijana Šimić are perfect.

The cast enunciate and deliver their lines as would be expected for the original, but the brazen attitude of the daughters, and their outlook on life, is very much contemporary. The sisters can be real bitches to each other. The understated, almost throw away delivery coupled with a perfect pace, added greatly to the zany situation.

This is one of the funniest plays in months that works particularly well because of the skilled team presenting it.

‘Punk Rock’ premiered at the London’s ‘Royal Exchange Theatre’ in 2009. Although it has crude and inappropriate language throughout, it is still frequently chosen as a final year text for UK schools.

The Murdoch Theatre Company (MTC), in Studio 411 Theatre (off Car Park 4) at Murdoch University, South Street, Murdoch, is producing this drama, with music.

The one and a half hour performances (no interval) can be seen nightly at 7.30 until Saturday 30^th April.

 The scene is the second floor library of a fee-paying grammar school in working class Stockport, a southern suburb of Manchester. The set shows a large bay window with small leaded panes, and a box seat the length of the window. There are oak student lockers, tables and chairs, but the whole schoolroom has the appearance of decay and lack of funding. The designer of this quality set was Jessica Bennett-Hullin assisted by Ellie Hopwood. The set construction was by Michael Bennett-Hullin, Jessica Bennett-Hullin, William Burgess and Mathew Neale.

The school costumes were all handmade including skirts and trousers. There were specially designed school badges for the blouses and jackets, a huge amount of work, by Ellie Hopwood, Jessica Bennett-Hullin and Anna Weir.

The production manager, Claire Mosel, and her stage manager Grace Pusey have manged to pull this major production together beautifully.

        Seated in the library, studying for his mock exams is teenager, William (Mike Casas), an intelligent pupil who tends to fantasise. When the new girl, Lilly (Paige Mews), who has just moved to the area from Cambridge enters the room, William is only too willing to help her settle in. The next to enter is the heartthrob of the class, Nicholas (Will Moriarty) who is more interested in the older women than students.

       The pleasant conversation is soon broken by the arrival of the class bully, Bennett (Thomas Dimmick), who is crass with the girls as well as degrading with the boys. He creates conflict wherever he goes. Even his girlfriend Cissy (Bella Doyle) only tolerates him because of his perceived power. When Bennett abuses her friend Tanya (Shannen Precious), Cissy is too scared to support her despite Tanya’s obvious inner turmoil.

       Almost unseen, the school genius, Chadwick Meade (Sean Wcislo) enters the library. As soon as he spots Bennett, he begins to tremble and stammer. Bennett loves to see him suffer by pointing out his sexual inadequacies.

       It is not long before there is a tragedy at the school; will they ever be the same again?

I don’t normally quote paragraphs of dialogue from plays, but this drama has what is considered one of the best monologues in modern writing, when near the end, Chadwick Meade says:-

‘Human beings are pathetic. Everything human beings do, finishes up bad in the end. Everything good human beings ever make is built on something monstrous. Nothing lasts. We certainly won’t.

We could have made something really extraordinary and we won’t. We’ve been around one hundred thousand years. We’ll have died out before the next two hundred. You know what we’ve got to look forward to?

You know what will define the next two hundred years?

Religions will become brutalized; crime rates will become hysterical; everybody will become addicted to internet sex; suicide will become fashionable; there’ll be famine; there’ll be floods; there’ll be fires in the major cities of the Western world. Our education systems will become battered. Our health services unsustainable; our police forces unmanageable; our governments corrupt. There’ll be open brutality in the streets; there’ll be nuclear war; massive depletion of resources on every level; insanely increasing third-world population. It’s happening already. It’s happening now.

Thousands die every summer from floods in the Indian monsoon season.

Africans from Senegal wash up on the beaches of the Mediterranean and get looked after by guilty liberal holiday-makers.

Somalians wait in hostels in Malta or prison islands north of Australia.

Hundreds die of heat or fire every year in Paris. Or California. Or Athens.

The oceans will rise. The cities will flood. The power stations will flood. Airports will flood. Species will vanish forever. Including ours.

So if you think I’m worried by you calling me names, Bennet, you little, little boy, you are fucking kidding yourself’.

 On arrival at the theatre, a clue as to the play content is given by the front of house, St Trinians schoolgirls Kiah Van Vlijmen, Claire Mosel and Rhiannon Moon. In the theatre a feature punk duet, Michael Bennett-Hullin and William Burgess, belted out the preshow music. They also filled in briefly between the scenes.

Bella Doyle and Shannen Precious’s clever lighting design changed subtly with the mood of the classroom conversation (carefully operated by Tijana Simic). Combined Corina Brown’s sound design (operated by Jordan Baynes) the atmosphere was electric.

The magnificent director was Tay Broadley, who along with his co-director Justin Crossley and assistant Katie Southwell, have given us a drama to remember. The choice of cast was perfect. Each actor completely understood and captured the depth of their character’s strengths and weaknesses. The team had impeccable chemistry and timing. Tay has cleverly decided on the slow, underplayed delivery for most of the play, only turning up the drama at specific harrowing points. This took the audience’s breath away several times.

When the play finished there was silence before a half-hearted applause began. I just want the actors to know that this did not reflect the audience’s full appreciation, only that they were stunned and drained – such was the power of the acting. When the cast left the stage, again the audience sat numb. It was clear that a few tears had been cast.

This is one of the most powerful and challenging plays that I have seen in years. Everyone concerned should be extremely proud of their success.

The set (designer – Sam Knox) comprises a bare stage floor, painted with a fascinating map of the Middle East as it was in 1890. Wooden pallets and sandbags stand at the side. Rear stage is a long canvas tent, with a central entrance. Katie Southwell’s lighting design was low key, adding to the drama and misery of the situation. Jess Serio’s sound design was impressive.

Jess Bennett-Hullin’s costume design was complex and varied. With help from John King, as Military Adviser, Jess had to ‘equip’ a modern day army, fighting in Iraq, along with ancient Greek warriors complete with tabards, chitoniskos and greaves. All combatants were complete with weapons.

       With a golden spear in her hand, the goddess of war and wisdom, Athena (Chloé Laffar) enters and explains how distressed she is by the behaviour of military hero, Ajax (Rhys Hyatt). He is slowly losing his sanity and killing animals, thinking they are Greeks being led by his arch enemy, Odysseus – also known as Ulysses (Hock Edwards). Ajax has a few faithful warriors (Shannen Precious, Tay Broadley) but most have deserted him.

     We jump forward a couple of millennia as a platoon of American soldiers wearing night sights enters the same desert scene.

     There is Debbie (Cat Perez) back for her fourth tour in Iraq, then there is a sex-starved sergeant (Launcelot Ronzan) who ‘using’ a young female recruit, AJ (Sam Knox) for his fun. In the evenings the women try to avoid the males by playing cards. Rugged soldier, Sickles (Amanda Ferguson) looks after the innocent recruits, whilst the chaplain (Luke Gratton) provides for their mental care and the nurse (Claire Tebbutt) tries to cope with the injured.

     At one stage, in a very moving speech, Constance Mangus (Tijana Šimić) tries to explain what the war is doing to the soldiers, but finds it hard to justify the suffering and skirmishes. How little war has changed over the years.

For Thomas Dimmick, this was a particularly difficult play to direct; he had to convincingly show the ancient lifestyle and aggression of the Greek troops, with a contrasting modern narrative of today’s soldiers with their advanced weaponry, and yet retain the playwright’s clever use of parallels. The actors were required to give powerful and assured performances, as no one is fooled by a set of wimpy soldiers. On the whole – with Harriet Fettis’ movement choreography – the tension and horror of the situation held up very well for the whole 100 minutes of this drama.

With material gained from interviews with Iraq war veterans and their families, the script is poignant. Once again several of the actors stood out as they ‘lived’ the wretchedness of the soldiers. Cat Perez as the grieving soldier, riddled with guilt at not stopping the suicide of her friend; and Sam Knox, as AJ, who was horrifyingly raped, by her sergeant, just as Cassandra had been raped by Ajax, both gave particularly convincing and moving performances.

Rhys, as Ajax dripping in blood (great makeup) perfectly captured the madness of this ancient warrior.

This production was – due to the subject – very heavy going, but it had numerous qualities not often seen in student productions of this complexity. Great team work.

This 65-minute production is being presented by the Black Martini Theatre Group, in the Murdoch University Drama Workshop, next to car park 4, 90 South Street, Murdoch. The performances are on nightly until Saturday 16^th May, with curtain up at the slightly earlier time of 7.30 pm.

Sam Knox’s set depicts a typical young student’s diseased bedroom. Dark blue walls covered in posters of the cinema’s famous heroes. In the corner stands an old wardrobe. The floor is covered with clothes and junk. In the centre of the stage is a double bed with octopus tentacles crawling out from underneath. Stage Managed by Michael Casas.

       The sun shines through the drawn curtains. The mound in the bed is static. Lazarus (Alex McVey) is depressed, and has been lying there for the past three days, refusing to move. His flat mate, Panda (Shannon Rogers) is madly in love with Laz, but he is too self-centred with his troubles to notice. Panda tries every trick in the book and various enticements, to get Lazarus to leave his bed, but he won’t even talk to her.

      In his little world, Laz sees himself as the master of his own fate there. Then, like a scene from the ‘Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’, his wardrobe door opens and out steps the mysterious, mischievous Sidney Arthur (Philip Hutton). Lazarus seems to recognise Sid, but is not too sure who he is.

      Sid chats to Lazarus, trying to get him to open up about his past memories and why he won’t leave his bed. Even when Lazarus’s red-hot friend, Mackenzie (Rhianna Hall) calls around, he cannot be tempted from his kip. Lazarus even prefers his exotic fantasies about Harry Potter and Superman, than to make love – or sabre fight (choreographed by Launcelot Ronzan) – with Mackenzie.

       Can Sid get to the bottom of Lazarus’s problems? Will Sidney ever be normal again?

Plenty of lateral thinking from the director, Thomas Dimmick, has this very funny play belting along at a cracking pace. The cast are exceptional, with the miserable Lazarus being perfectly countered by the zany and whacky Sidney. Two superb performances, but Philip won the day with his numerous accents and impersonations.

The soundscape called for numerous split second cues, but designer Luke Gratton was well up to the task. His choice of music showed great imagination, and was perfect. The sound effects ranged in volume from 10 to 100 decibels.

The lighting designer, Scott McArdle, created some wonderful effects from sunrise to the dappled light of the fantasy sections. Slick operation by Jess Serio.

Some extra fun was added by the choice of costumes by designer Cat Perez.

If you like ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Star Wars’ and ‘The Young Ones’, then you will love this skilfully presented, madcap blend. Plenty of belly laughs, sensitively mixed in with the odd sad cameo. MOST enjoyable, great theatre.

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.