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- Written by: Nita Teoh
- Category: Arts & Culture
On a mellow Friday evening my partner and I headed to the Subiaco Arts Centre looking forward to watching “Heart is a Wasteland” by the Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company.
An interesting title for a play which caught my attention – about two strangers who meet in outback Australia – Raye (Claire Fermo / Wilman Noongar), a country music singer doing the pub rounds in remote towns, and Dan (Maitland Schnaars / Nyaki-Nyaki), a FIFO worker with a mysterious past.
As we waited for the play to begin – I enjoyed admiring the striking visuals on the stage – the harshness and redness of the outback dust and the vivid blue purple coloured background of the sky.
Raye kicked off with a song strumming on her guitar – and the show began.
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- Written by: Nita Teoh
- Category: Arts & Culture
I was lucky enough to preview Familiar Touch by Sarah Friedland before it opened at Luna.
The trailer caught my attention as I have been quite aware of how the circle of loved ones that surround you can change quite suddenly – having lost two loved ones recently – one a relative and one of the furry friend variety.
Familiar Touch explores the life of Ruth Goldman (Kathleen Chalfant), an octogenerian with dementia who moves into assisted living with the help of her son and with her consent – even though at times she forgets the fact that she had agreed to it.
We experience first hand what it might be like to be in the shoes of Ruth – learning to adapt to her new circumstances with her memory loss and of finding her sense of self again.
Interestingly, the film is advertised as a “coming of age” movie, ...
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- Written by: Nita Teoh
- Category: Arts & Culture
Sharing details below from Roxy Lane Theatre :
" MOMENTS IN MOTION – A ONE ACT SEASON
Three One Act Plays consisting of:
THE BIRTHDAY
by Peter Flanigan. Directed by Tim Riessen
It is Mrs Little’s 89th birthday. She is in a coma, in a hospice room.
Her 4 children attend. There is reminiscence from them over their growing up.
It is this personal journey that is central to the play.
From Robyn as the oldest, through to Phil as the only boy, to Gail the youngest.
As noted, this is the first time this play has been performed.
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- Written by: Nita Teoh
- Category: Arts & Culture
As we headed into the State Theatre Centre of WA with the light pattering of rain, we were looking forward to watching Speaking in Tongues by Black Swan State Theatre Company.
Having enjoyed watching the movie Lantana a couple of decades ago, I thought it would be interesting to see the original play written by Andrew Bovell performed on stage.
The bed set lands on the stage, silently hoisted down on its 4 steel thin poles, and we were off. It was an attention grabbing start as the 4 main characters spoke in unison – questioning their relationships, infidelities and innermost thoughts with their respective spouses.
Despite being set in the era before mobile phones, Speaking in Tongues remains a contemporary Australian play, and the issues and challenges faced by the two couples are reflective of common relationship problems faced today.
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- Written by: Nita Teoh
- Category: Arts & Culture
On a quiet Monday evening, my partner and I headed down Oxford St to Luna Leederville – this time to watch Mr Burton. Currently immersed in my own acting projects, I thought that the film would be an inspiring one to watch.
Set in the gritty coal mining town of Port Talbot in Wales during World War II, the film Mr Burton follows the inspirational story of a passionate school teacher Philip Burton, who helps out Richie Jenkins - an unpolished teenager from an impoverished home - to pursue his schooling as well as his potential as an actor. To avoid questions about his mentorship that could affect Richie's career, Philip took on Richie as his ward, and thus Richie Jenkins became Richard Burton – revered as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century – well known for his powerful stage presence and his roles in Shakespearean plays.
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- Written by: Greg Letts
- Category: Arts & Culture
On a cold winter's night my partner and I made our way from the safety of our little cottage through the wicked woods ie. the very busy car park to the theatre at Crown Perth looking forward to a heart-warming evening of entertainment watching Beauty and the Beast: The Musical.
Joining the crowd of all ages, we warmed up in the lobby while I speculated to myself about how faithful the musical adaption would be to the original animated movie from the early nineties. Having grown up on a steady diet of Disney movies, I was looking forward to revisiting the classic tale of Belle and the Beast. On the other hand, my partner had not seen any of the Beauty and the Beast productions, and only had a general idea of the story line – “a beautiful girl meets a savage beast, and complications ensue”.
Right from the very start, it was clear that no effort would be spared in bringing the world of Beauty and the Beast to life. The set uses a breathtaking mix of lighting, moving sets, and projection to transport the audience to the mundane world of provincial France and the mystical world of an enchanted castle.
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- Written by: Greg Letts
- Category: Arts & Culture
On a nippy Thursday night in July, my partner and I threaded our way through the Perth Cultural Centre renovations and arrived at the Heath Ledger Theatre for Jonathan Biggins' The Gospel According to Paul.
As someone who became old enough to vote in the late 1980's but who wasn't particularly political, the names of Keating, Hawke, Peacock, and Howard float around in my head linked to caricature-like impressions of the men themselves – Bob Hawke's larrikinism, Andrew Peacock's hair (and tan!), John Howard's eyebrows, and of course, Paul Keating's suits, arrogance, and devasting zingers. So I was looking forward to a little nostalgia and a bit of a peek under the hood of one of Australia's most memorable politicians.