Brodie Turner - Page 4

You could be guaranteed, no matter where you went or who you were with that at the time her disappearance went public, the circumstances around the death of baby Azaria Chamberlain was the topic of every conversation in Australia. Opinions polarised around the involvement of her mother, Lindy Chamberlain whom some believed to be the fame-hungry, cold-hearted murderer, others the victim of a tragic freak accident involving a dingo and the phrase that became famous the world over. Either way, scrutiny upon Lindy, who was given a life sentence before being released four years later upon the discovery of further evidence. Whilst living between nationwide roles of villain and victim, Lindy received upwards of 20,000 letters. Many years later, with Lindy remarried and living in America, Australian playwright Alana Valentine was granted the ability to write a play based on this mass of correspondence and Lindy's experience. Letters to Lindy is a remarkable, surprising and touching reflection not so much on Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton herself, but on the impassioned public who one way or another found her so easy to relate to.

Every now and then you stumble on a play that is so charming, funny and well put together, a true diamond in the rough that reminds you there is a significant delta between what graces billboards and what is sensational. Due in large part to the incredible textual talents of writer Camilla Whitehill combined with the comedy-performance genius of Bishanyia Vincent, Where Do Little Birds Go? is a musical monologue of impeccable polish.

The beauty of Fringe festival is an opportunity for emerging talent to be revealed amidst an energy of mystery and excitement about which fresh face might be a rising star in the diverse and strong community of local artists. Blackbird definitely fit the bill for such discovery, featuring at the tucked-away Off Broaday venue in Annandale. There in amongst the contemporary pop art outside, and the trashy cafeteria set inside, was woven a dark and devious tale of a reunion between a man seeking a new future, and the young woman who holds all the keys to redemption of them both. Fifteen years prior to her showing up at his workplace, Una was Ray's pre-teen lover whom he abandoned during a romantic getaway. For him, a swift prison stint followed by a new life and lifetime of secrecy, but for her, the scorn and scandal in her hometown that appears to have left her in bitter ruin. Together they will unravel their relationship and leave audiences next to breathless.

The strength of good theatre is its ability to traverse through a range of emotions, bringing along an audience who can explore different facets of their spectrum of feeling and understanding. The best theatre, can take you so deep into one emotion you fear as an audience member you might not come out, and this is the incredible talent of the team behind Griffin Theatre Company's latest premiere, Gloria. Australian work that makes no attempt to relocate itself, justify its idiosyncrasies, or hold back on keeping the audience in the thrill of it, Gloria is theatre with no fear and no fulcrum.

David Mamet's tale of a clinical psychologist curious about con artistry has been revived for a spicy and insightful production at New Theatre. Lured into the dubious House of Games by the plight of gambling addict client Billy, Dr Margaret Ford finds herself entrenched in the schemes of a ragtag group of con artists. Coincidentally, she also finds herself entwined in the arms of the charismatic Mike. It's a recipe for disaster that tastes like a Manhattan.

Seeing the arts community band together to oppose the horrific cuts to federal and state funding was nothing short of inspiring and galvanising. The results have shown that it will take quite a lot to keep the industry down as while they fight for support, companies will continue to join forces so new work can continue to be developed. Joanne Kee, from National Theatre of Parramatta, one half of the crew behind the From Page to Stage program offering experience playwrights a chance at mentorship, skills development and potentially production in Western Sydney's cornerstone theatre is one such champion.

What if the lucky country's luck ran out? Australia has not in the past fifteen years that terrorism has been a key issue all around the globe experienced an act of terror on home soil. We have lost many in overseas massacres, but Australia has been a haven from bombs, shootings and kidnappings during the modern wave of terrorism, which makes it only a matter of time essentially before the events of A Nest of Skunks are likely to unfold. Adapted from Roger Vickery's short story about two Australians who have escaped a detention centre, thrust upon the mercy of a covert network of safe houses, it has translated very strongly on stage with the subtle nuance of Travis Green's direction.

The only thing missing was the cow being in labour. Practically an episode of Packed to the Rafters if it were guest-written by Seth MacFarlane, The Beast brought together three pouty but no less gorgeous gals, the Australian Zachary Quinto, a True North reject and I'm pretty sure the guy from Wolf Creek along with playwright who's the playwright, don't forget he's so talented he's the playwright who wrote this between kissing Kat Stewart on the nose a lot in Offspring, Eddie Penultimate. If you're gunning to be the godparents of your best friend's children, take them to see this! It's bloodthirsty and backward, really gets to the core of humanity: Hipster nonsense.

Something terrible has happened. By the time you realise it's still happening, you will be too drawn into what seems like the closest thing to normal each of three housemates can enjoy. In Lucy Clements' quick-and-the-dead script, secure comprehension is slippery in the audience's grasp, which her doubling as director continually turns the tables through the latest late show at Old Fitz. Dark yet endearing, Fracture fits splendidly, although surreptitiously, into their edgy canon of Australian stories.

Three lives orbit each other, each on the brink of chaos in the serendipitous pursuit of rapture. Darlinghurst Theatre Company's Broken is akin to theatre heroin; powerful in its purest form capable of transfixing in some moments and transporting in others whilst maintaining a reverent potency in word and sound. Playwright Mary Anne Butler and Director Shannon Murphy didn't cook this in a bathtub, it is effective and razor-sharp. An intertwining, drain-circling tale of a car accident romance and domestic collapse in dustbowl Australia, every element from cast to homespun sound effects brought a sense of ambient pregnancy. Broken is very much a gem that too rushed a judgement will cost the flawless experience of it.

Whilst much of Australian theatre is gloriously preoccupied with exporting homeland stories and home-grown talent on international platforms, there are diamonds in the rough inviting the stories from nations far flung and offering us connection to a world we often feel disconnected from down here in comparable paradise. Beirut Adrenaline transports audiences into the conflict happening in Lebanon, that has become as much a part of life as work and romance. There, Marwan Daher lives separated from his family who have escaped to Paris. From their perspective, there is a somewhat rosy glow we can identify with as fellow outsiders. Director Anna Jahjah keeps the action remarkably genuine, overlapping rushing drama with sincere humour and teary-eyed nostalgia that left a slew of audience members lost in reminiscence, some weeping, others holding tight to their loved ones. It was truly a community being part of the audience.

It's a classic fairy-tale. Boy meets Girl. Girl likes Boy. Girl has abusive boyfriend who thrives on orthodontic agony. Boy has abusive plant who thrives on human blood. Boy feeds boyfriend to plant and becomes world famous. Yeah, in hindsight, it's not exactly your classic fairy-tale.

SPOILER: The only thing better than Hairspray isn't Corny Collins, it's Hairspray Big Fat Arena Spectacular! As if this absolutely fantastic show spreading messages of acceptance and self-worth couldn't get any bigger, blonder or more beautiful, Harvest Rain has two-stepped up a notch or 500! Taking Marc Shaiman's Tony award-winning musical, based on John Waters' 1988 film, they've turned it into a large-scale visual delight complete with local young talent to sing and dance those memorable numbers alongside some of Australia's greatest stage talent legendary and emerging.

The witching hour was brought forward by a margin over the weekend when four of Australia's most wicked and wonderful took the stage backed by the magical Sydney Symphony Orchestra for a most spellbinding concert full of passion, humour and sonic sorcery. OK that's all the magic puns I swear!

We've all felt the sensation where we talk fondly about artistic legends from our time only to discover someone younger or of another genre having no idea and genuinely concerning you that your icons might be lost someday entirely, and what a sad day that would be. That's where absolute miracle artists like Anthony de Mare come in, reinventing and reimagining this legendary work to renew its life, transform it to become relevant to new and broadening audiences as he has done with the work of Stephen Sondheim for The Liaisons Project.

Mix the face of Brick-era Ben Folds, with the musical talent of Tim Minchin, with the stagecraft of Ross Gellar's music career and you've got Bryce Halliday. An adorkable juxtaposition of vocal simplicity and production complexity. A comedy-jazz musician in his prime, Halliday is looking anachronistically back to bring the Hayes Theatre Cabaret audience something 'basic', a mission in which he fails most sublimely spectacularly.

It's funny how some of the most iconic moments, the most important figures in one's life can go by unnoticed, until one takes a raw moment of honesty and clarity when those easily emerge. I wonder if Simon Burke felt something like this as he brought a life's worth of story and song before us at the Hayes Theatre, for it's certainly what the audience were feeling. In a show truly genuine and generous, Burke played remarkably in the moment, to present his audience with a journey that warmed the cockles of the Hayes Theatre Cabaret season's heart.

Readers can you hear me? Readers can you see me? Readers can you read me? And all the Barbra puns you can think of, whatever will get you to this irreverent, hilarious and vocally delightful cabar-gay that is so much more than an ode to Streisand!