Category: Drama
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The Dictionary of Lost Words (Sydney Theatre Co) ★★★
Words and language are powerful signifiers of what we consider to be important. While in the internet age words are easy to disseminate (like one guy spouting his opinions about theatre for example), the history of how we organise and communicate information and the decisions made along the way, is a thorny one.
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The Memory of Water (Ensemble) ★★★★
The premise of Shelagh Stephenson’s The Memory of Water sounds like the set up to a farce. After the death of their mother Violet (Nicole Da Silva), three sisters converge on the family home for the funeral. They each deal with their grief in different ways. It’s a comedy that’ll make you cry.
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Venus & Adonis (Seymour Centre) ★★★1/2
Damien Ryan’s Venus & Adonis feels like a companion piece to Jessica Swale’s Nell Gwynn, both reframe Shakespeare with a female protagonist, lashings for humour and cutting commentary on the battle of the sexes.
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Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill (Belvoir) ★★★★1/2
Zahra Newman steps into the role that won Audra McDonald her 6th Tony Award and an Emmy nomination. These are big shoes to fill, and she is more than up to the task.
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The Visitors (Sydney Theatre Co.) ★★★★
Six clan leaders, and one younger proxy, gather to observe the boats approaching their land and discuss how best to deal with the situation. Should they present a show of force to scare them away, or treat them like visitors and offer hospitality?
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Summer of Harold (Ensemble Theatre) ★★★1/2
Written by Hilary Bell. World Premiere. Ensemble Theatre. 8 Sep – 14 Oct, 2023. Hilary Bell’s triptych of short plays focuses on the way memory interacts with our present-day lives. From heart-warming stories of youth, to tales of past snubs and regrets. Summer of Harold, Enfant Terrible and Lookout are beautiful vignettes of life, showcasing…
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Miss Saigon (Sydney Opera House) ★★★★★
Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg. Lyrics by Alain Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. Book by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil. Dame Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. 17 Aug – 13 Oct, 2023. Full review up on The Queer Review.
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The Hollow (Genesian Theatre) ★★★
Written by Agatha Christie. Genesian Theatre Company. 19 Aug – 23 Sep, 2023. After seeing both The Mousetrap and Witness for the Prosecution in the last year, I’ve been keen to see more of Agatha Christie’s plays. The Hollow is an adaptation of the Hercule Poirot novel of the same name, sans Poirot – a…
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The Approach (Flight Path Theatre) ★★★
Written by Mark O’Rowe. Flight Path Theatre. 16 Aug – 2 Sep, 2023. Mark O’Rowe’s The Approach became something of a Covid lock down hit when it was streamed live from Dublin. A circular tale of three women, having three conversations that mimic and loop around each other to slowly reveal the inner lives of…
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Constellations (Sydney Theatre Co.) ★★★★1/2
Written by Nick Payne. Sydney Theatre Company. 28 Jul – 2 Sep, 2023. A beekeeper and an astrophysicist meet and fall in love. A beekeeper and an astrophysicist meet and don’t fall in love. A beekeeper and an astrophysicist meet and fall in love but it’s complicated. Don’t worry, if you search through the multiverse…
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