Cicely Binford - Page 2

a?oeDouble, double, toil and troublea?? has made its way to His Majesty's Theatre, but instead of this famous line being spoken by the usual three witches, it (or an approximation of it) is sung in Italian by eighteen classically trained witches. WA Opera's production of Giuseppe Verdi's Macbeth opened Saturday night, delivering a dark, dense and demanding rendition of Shakespeare's classic play.

Black Swan State Theatre Company has brought Kate Mulvany and Anne-Louise Sarks' 'radical' contemporary adaptation of Medea to WA under the direction of Sally Richardson, in collaboration with WAYTCo. This adaptation tells the story of Medea through the eyes of her two boys in the lead-up to their tragedy. 

What would a bunch of American teenage girl soccer players know about the world? Plenty, according to The Wolves playwright Sarah DeLappe and director Emily McLean. A team of 9 young ladies form a fierce pack of characters that come alive with strength, smarts, infectious energy and glorious individuality. Collectively they are the embodiment of the answer to Beyonce's question: Who run the world?

The Last Great Hunt have proven themselves time and time again to be innovators who produce top-notch theatre that has it all: sharp scripts, challenging themes, surprising tech, and engaging performances. Their latest work, Perpetual Wake, written by Gita Bezard and Jeffrey Jay Fowler, opens next week on the main stage at Subiaco Arts Centre. Gita and JJF share some insights into their inspirations and writing process ahead of the show's world premiere.

It's the middle of winter in Perth, so what better way to spend a chilly evening than letting Australia's elite circus company, Circus Oz, get your heart pumping with death-defying stunts and laughter? This year they've brought their climate-minded show Precarious out West, with its team of high flyers, live musicians and riggers to keep us on the edge of our seats as they show us their comedic and athletic prowess. 

Australian piano man Trevor Jones blew into town last weekend to debut his new cabaret, Under the Milky Way: Trevor Jones Sings the Great Australian Songbook. No question as to what the show will be about with a title like that, and indeed, Jones delivered exactly what was promised. He and his band (comprised of Chris Gibbs on guitar, Daniel Skelton on drums, and Craig Skelton on bass) powered through an hour and a bit of some of the best-loved, best-known Australian songs, interspersed with jokes, laughter and personal insights.

Stephen Sondheim's musical retelling of the gruesome tale of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street hasn't lost its appeal in the 40 years since it opened on Broadway, and a sold-out season at His Majesty's Theatre by WA Opera is the proof in the blood pudding.

WA Opera are bringing Stephen Sondheim's much-loved musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of  Fleet Street to His Majesty's Theatre this July, and we caught up with opera star Antoinette Halloran, who joins the cast as the infamous Mrs. Lovett. Read on to find out her take on this twisted tale of blood and revenge. 

As Australia counts down the sleeps to its next federal election, there's a growing feeling amongst certain parts of the population that this is a particularly pivotal one, and Black Swan State Theatre Company's current production Water by Jane Bodie is a timely reflection of our current state of political, environmental and immigration affairs. Water addresses the issues surrounding migration to and from Australia, with its stories traversing three time periods, chronicling the treatment of migrants facing deportation, and being processed through detention centres.

Only 90s kids will remember...That's the line, the bait, the hook that reels the audience into Death Throes by Gillies, Croft and Lui at The Blue Room Theatre. Harriet Gillies, Julia Croft and Joe Lui fell in 'artistic love' with one another at The Blue Room some time ago and decided to collaborate on a project together. Their polyamorous collab has borne something strange and unusual, something challenging, unflinching, raw, sweaty and fun.

Black Swan State Theatre Artistic Director Clare Watson has commissioned playwright Jane Bodie to write a new play called Water for the theatre company's 2019 season. Bodie takes some time to answer a few questions about the play and gives us some insight into her life as a playwright. 

The 2018 Performing Arts WA Awards gala event - the local theatre and dance industry's peak awards - were held on Monday 29 April at the State Theatre Centre of Western Australia.

Bow & Dagger's tale of a sci-fi identity crisis The Double proves that The Blue Room is where the zeitgeist lives. Writer/director Clare Testoni and her team of intrepid collaborators take us into their fears for our future as they tell the story of a woman who sells her likeness to a tech company for monetary gain and the promise of a career in film.

Technology has revolutionised our lives and culture, fundamentally changed who we are as humans, overhauled how we consume and produce art and entertainment. Even an art form as ancient as live theatre can't escape the tide, as we witness increased integration of tech and live performance through means such as headsets allowing audience to choose what part of the action they want to listen to, digital projection and puppetry, and live cameras on stage. Clare Testoni, one of the founding creatives behind Bow & Dagger Theatre, is putting these last three tech elements to use in her newest Blue Room Theatre production, The Double.

Set against the backdrop of World War II, Mimma: A Musical of War & Friendship, tells the story of a young Italian anti-fascist journalist who seeks refuge with her uncle in London and strikes up a friendship with the English jazz singer in residence at his pub. Billed as a world premier, this new musical aims high with its production values, top-notch performers, and ambitious musical score by Ron Siemiginowski. The narrative doesn't quite reach the same heights, however, and this unfortunately lessens the impact of this potentially compelling show.

Perth performance company Whiskey & Boots are mixing up a fusion of photography, music and theatre this month at ART ON THE MOVE's gallery space in Fremantle with their new work The Loneliest Number. Producer and performer Georgia King walks us through the ins and outs of the collaboration between herself, performer/musician Mark Storen, musician Tom Garvey and songwriter/performer/photographer Holly Garvey, and fills us in on what we can expect on our 'night out' tucked away in a gallery in Freo.