This year, I saw shows in Adelaide, New York, Sydney and
Melbourne. Here are my Top Ten, Runners-Up and Honourable Mentions.
They are listed in alphabetical order. I didn’t want to
torture myself by having to rank them.
THE TOP TEN
BOY GIRL WALL - The Escapists, Melbourne Theatre Company
A smart, insightful, cleverly-written, engagingly-performed
monologue about a Boy, a Girl and the Wall in between them.
THE BOYS - Griffin Theatre Company, Sydney
Sam Strong’s powerful production of the heavy-hitting
Australian classic. A tour-de-force for everyone involved.
INTO THE WOODS - Public Theatre, New York
Any show, even one of Sondheim’s best, might not be able to
live up to the expectation I had for wanting to see it in Central Park so badly
I based my trip to New York around when it was playing. It exceeded
expectations.
ONCE - Broadway
The perfect little movie is developed into a perfectly
crafted immersive stage musical. A revelation.
ON THE MISCONCEPTION OF OEDIPUS - Malthouse
The Oedipus myth fully interrogated by artists at the top of
their game. Kudos Zoe Atkinson, Matthew Lutton and Tom Wright
POMPEII, L.A. - Malthouse
Declan Greene and Matthew Lutton combine their considerable
talents into a searing depiction of celebrity and tragedy and rising stars
being destroyed in front of our eyes.
PALE BLUE DOT - Optic Nerve
Optic Nerve’s collage of stories about space, time and
space-time which hit many of my favourite subjects and combined them into a
piece of theatre that I won’t soon forget.
SONS & MOTHERS - No Strings Attached, Adelaide Fringe Festival
Sometimes theatre-makers try every piece of artiface at
their disposal to move people. No Strings Attached, an ensemble of disabled
actors, tell simple stories of their lives and their mothers and there was not
a dry eye in the house.
SUMMER OF THE SEVENTEENTH DOLL - Belvoir, Melbourne Theatre Company
This classic of the Australian stage is returned, in top
form, from a production that began at Belvoir in Sydney and returned to the
play’s spiritual home at the Melbourne Theatre Company. An incredible
experience.
TOP GIRLS - Melbourne Theatre Company
A classic of modern theatre, this thirtieth anniversary
production directed by Jenny Kemp was sharp and pointed and poignant; this
ensemble of actors rivalled any I saw in any show this year or ever.
ANGELA’S KITCHEN - Griffin, Malthouse
Paul Capsis’ mesmirising ode to his grandmother, her kitchen
and the family she raised.
THE BLUE ROOM - 5 Pound
Jason Cavanagh’s beautiful production allowed actors Zak
Zavod and Kaitlyn Clare to shine in the darkness.
EVERYNIGHT, EVERYNIGHT - Frank Theatre
A haunting, heavy production of Ray Mooney’s important
prison drama by new company, Frank Theatre.
THE GOAT (OR, WHO IS SYLVIA?) - 5 Pound
Edward Albee’s black comedy made seriously voyeuristic by
Christine Husband in the Collingwood Underground Carpark. (I didn’t see the
transfer to the Owl and Pussycat.)
THE SEIZURE - The Hayloft Project
The Hayloft Project continue to bring sharp, intelligent theatrical
reimaginings of classic texts to the independant Melbourne stage.
THE TEMPTATION OF ST ANTHONY - Four Larks
Four Larks had a mainstage show at the Malthouse this year,
but it was this return to their junkyard opera roots that really shone.
TRIBES - Melbourne Theatre Company
Julian Meyrick’s stunning production of Nina Raine’s new
work about inter-family communication and an interloper.
UTA UBER KOOL JA - Adelaide Fringe Festival
This hilarious and ultimately moving site-specific work was
another highlight of the Adelaide Fringe Festival. Find Uta in a hotel room
near you.
THE WILD DUCK - Belvoir, Malthouse
Simon Stone beautifully rewrites Ibsen’s classic work for a
modern audience and a modern sensibility. The debate about re-writing classics
will go on forever, but in the plus column is haunting productions like this.
THE WELL - La Mama
Robert Reid’s devised work with an acting company plucked
from the Monash Student Theatre told the story of the end of the world in a way
that was beautiful, haunting, hilarious and visually stunning – often all at
the same time.
THE HONOURABLE MENTIONS
THE BOOK OF MORMON - Broadway
An hilarious, crass musical satire.
CHOIR GIRL - Attic Erratic, Melbourne Fringe Festival
A beautifully designed, wonderfully written cabaret
experience.
5 POUNDS OF REPERTORY THEATRE - 5 Pound
I couldn’t go past mentioning this extraordinary achievement
by 5 Pound theatre – 5 actors, 5 directors, 5 plays, 5 weeks. I missed one of
the plays, but I supported this one all the way – and Melbourne audiences
seemed to embrace this amazing ensemble of theatre-makers.
A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM - Her Majesty's Theatre
Sondheim at his most farcical under the clear direction of
Simon Phillips and starring Geoffrey Rush and a whole host of great comic
actors and musical theatre stars.
PETER AND THE STARCATCHER - Broadway
A visually inventive and smart retelling of the Peter Pan
story.
RHONDA IS IN THERAPY - Hoy Polloy, 45 Downstairs
Bridgette Burton’s play is smart and funny and very
insightful look at a woman dealing with the loss of a child.
THE UNSPOKEN WORD IS “JOE” - MKA, La Mama
As described in the press release, this is Zoe Dawson’s “really
good” play about the reading of a really good play. Really.
*
And that, as they say, is that. Some amazing theatre in all the places I visited this year.
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