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Local Theatre Shows
■ The Monash One-Act Play Festival will be presented next year from February 25 – 27 at the Unicorn Theatre, Lechte Rd., Mount Waverley. Interested playwrights and participants are invited to contact: moapfestival@peridot.com.au ■ Torquay Theatre Troupe: The Kitchen Sink (by Tom Wells) Until November 20 at the Shoestring Playhouse at The MAC, 77 Beach Road, Torquay. Director: Michael Baker. Bookings: trybooking.com.au Enquiries 52616111 ■ BATS Theatre Company: The Full Monty November 18 – 21 at the Cranbourne Community Theatre, Brunt St. (Cranbourne Secondary College). Director: Mihelle Zintschenko. Bookings: www.batstheatre. org.au ■ Warrandyte Theatre Company: Visitors (by Barney Norris) (Live and streamed) November 19 – December 4 at 8.00pm at the Warrandyte Mechanics Institute Hall, Cnr. Yarra and Mitchell Sts., Warrandyte. Bookings: www.warrandytehallarts.asn.au ■ Malvern Theatre Company: The Flick (by Annie Baker) November 19 – December 4 at 29a Burke Rd., Malvern. Director: Helen Ellis. Bookings: www.malverntheatre.com. au 1300 131 552 ■ Heidelberg Theatre Company: Three Little Words (by Joanna Murray-Smith) November 26 – December 9 at 36 Turnham Ave., Rosanna. Director: Tim Scott. www.htc.org.au ■ Theatrical: Little Women the Broadway Musical November 19 – 28 at Chapel off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel St., Prahran. Director: Ange Phillips; Musical Director: Ashley Meliki Shoup, Ass’t. Director: Karen Shnider; Executive Producer: Andrew Gyopar. Bookings: https://theatrical.com.au/littlewomen/ ■ Wonthaggi Theatrical Group: Dimboola (by Jack Hibberd) November 20 – 28 at The Shed, State Coal Mine, Garden St., Wonthaggi. Director: Wayne Moloney. Bookings: www.wtg.org.au ■ Essendon Theatre Company: Death of a Salesman (by Arthur Miller) November 25 – December 4 at 9 Bradshaw Street, Essendon (Entry off Buckley St). Directors: Directed by Michele Haywood and Nicola Taylor. Bookings: www.essendontheatrecompany. com.au ■ Playhouse Players: Around the World in 80 Days (by Jules Verne, adapted for stage by Mark Brown) December 1 – 4 at 7.30pm at the Clayton Theatre, Clayton Community Centre, 9-15 Cooke St., Clayton. Director: Graeme McCoubrie. Tickets: $25/$28. Bookings: www.trybooking.com/BQIMV ■ LOTS Theatre: Legends of the Skies (scripts by Alison Knight, Neil Follett, Geri Colson and Steve Morris) December 3 – 4 at 8.00pm, December 5 at 5.30pm at the Aviation Museum, 12 First St., Moorabbin Airport. Artistic Director: Maggie Morrison. Tickets: $20. Bookings: https:// www.trybooking.com/BUYAX ■ Melbourne French Theatre: La Candidate December 7 – 11 at Library at the Dock, Second floor performance space, 107 Victoria Harbour Promenade, Docklands. Director: Donald McManus; Producer: Michael Bula. Bookings: melbournefrenchtheatre.org.au ■ Peridot Theatre: Hypnosis (by David Tristram) January 28 – February 12 at the Unicorn Theatre, Mt Waverley Secondary College, Lechte Rd., Mt Waverley. Director: Pip LeBlond. Bookings: www.peridot.com.au
Auditions
■ Playhouse Players: Director required for a one-act play to be presented in the delayed 20th National Playwright Competition. Please contact 0407276973 for further details. ■ Geelong Repertory Theatre Company: Private: The Weekend (by Michael Palin) November 12 at 5.00pm at the Woodbin Theatre, 15 Coronation St., West Geelong. Director; Ben Crowley. Further enquiries: www.geeongrep.com ■ Mordialloc Theatre Company: The Kitchen Sink (by Tom Wells) November 14 at 2.00pm, November 16 at 7.00pm at the MTC Lockup Factory 8/417-419 Warrigal Rd., Cheltenham. Director: Rod Hulme. Audition appointment: rod@hulme.email Phone: 0418 117 772. More in column, at right
Observer
The Local Paper - Wednesday, November 10, 2021 - Page 7
Melbourne
Observations Time to sing along
Published statewide weekly in the Melbourne Observer and all editions of The Local Paper. Phone: 1800 231 311. Email: editor@MelbourneObserver.com.au
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2021
DEAR MAMA
■ Wit Incorporated presents a live play-reading of Dear Mama, There's Something Maybe I Have to Tell You on November 11 and 12 at 7.30pm at the Bluestone Church Arts Space, Footscray. For those not ready to return to the theatre just yet, there will also be an online performance of this new play on Tuesday, November 23 from 7pm - 9.30pm. A cross-cultural comedy of errors about love, loss, community, tradition ... and beer, Dear Mama, There's Something Maybe I Have To Tell You is written by Lansy Feng and directed by Ellen O'Connor. The play contains regular musical interludes, including original songs, and is told in English with some moments of Mandarin and French language. There will be a full production coming next year to follow this development play read concert. There are adult themes and occasional coarse language. Recommended for audiences aged 13+. Live Play Reading Performances: Thursday, November 11 and Friday, November 12 at 7.30pm at the Bluestone Church Arts Space, 8A Hyde St., Footscray. Venue and bar open at 7pm. Duration: Two hours plus interval. Tickets: Free, but donations gratefully appreciated. Bookings: https://events.humanitix.com/ dear-mama-bcas
● Lansy Feng, playwright Online Play Reading Performance: Tuesday, November 23, 7pm-9.30pm Tickets: Free or pay what you can Bookings essential: https:// events.humanitix.com/dear-mama-online - Cheryl Threadgold
● Award-winning choreographer Andrea Marsic.
■ Congratulations to Melbourne dancer Andrea Marsic, who has been named as the winner of the Most Innovative Choreography Prize in FORM Dance Project’s Sharp Short Dance Digital. Providing a rare opportunity for aspiring choreographers and dancers to display their talents in a supportive environment, Sharp Short Dance Digital returned to the stage, both live and digitally, in 2021. Sharp Short Dance Digital saw more than fifty dance works created and performed by young dancers and choreographers 21 years and under. Andrea is currently a student in her third year of full-time contemporary dance at Transit Dance. She has trained primarily in contemporary dance and ballet as well as other styles and has worked with a myriad of different choreographers in her time at Transit. - Cheryl Threadgold
■ Malthouse Outdoor Stage returns this summer from November 20 to December 19 at the Malthouse Theatre, 113 Sturt St, Southbank. The event will welcome Emma Donovan and the Putbacks on Saturday November 20, Uncle Jack Charles on Sunday November 21, and Women of Soul on Friday-Saturday November 26-27, before the world premiere of the maritime mayhem show S.S. Metaphor from Sunday December 5, running for two weeks. Writer, performer and limbo champion Ash Flanders will bring Zenya Carmellotti, Will Conyers and Natalie Gamsu down to his level in a medley of maritime mayhem, S.S. Metaphor. Directed by Sarah Giles, S.S. Metaphor is the first Malthouse Theatre production on MOS and
premieres on December 5. Set aboard the luxury cruise liner the S.S. Metaphor, this glittering ode to freedom, adventure and endless possibility has been stuck at sea for over a year, but audience members are encouraged to ignore the troubles below deck, sip a mai tai, kick up their heels, and allow the liner’s world-class cabaret duo Cruise Control to croon their cares away as disaster unfolds. Venue: Malthouse Outdoor Stage, 113 Sturt St., Southbank. Emma Donovan and the Putbacks, November 20. Tickets $50 full. Uncle Jack Charles, November 20. Tickets $40 full, $15 concession. Women of Soul, 26 /27 November. Tickets $45 full, $35 concession S.S. Metaphor, December 5 – 19.Tickets $65 full, $40. www.malthousetheatre.com.au/
Andrea wins award
Malthouse outdoor stage
● Phillip Compagna and Ailsa Page ■ Many of us have elderly relatives in aged care, and one of the hardest effects of the constant lockdowns during the pandemic was not being allowed to visit them, and knowing that so many of their activities couldn’t happen. Husband and wife singing duo In The Mood, aka Ailsa Page and Phillip Campagna, were used to bringing high quality entertainment to nursing homes, until suddenly they were locked out too. But this innovative duo were determined that our oldies needn’t miss out on that essential musical stimulation, so they recorded a DVD of favourite songs, complete with singalong lyrics on them. Having both had parents and grandparents affected by dementia and living in aged care facilities, Ailsa and Phillip were used to using music to connect with and entertain their loved ones. While not all elderly people can access performances by Zoom or YouTube, most facilities have a DVD player, so the duo video recorded from home 15 of their most loved songs, with the bonus feature of cameo performances from their geriatric dog, Maxi. “We’ve seen first-hand the immediate benefits of a good singalong with our parents and also the audiences that we sing to,” Ailsa said. “I’ll never forget one performance where most of the audience were wheeled in on princess beds, and I could still see them move their feet and fingers in time to the music.” The DVD is called Singsational Singalong and includes their most requested numbers by audiences, such as Delilah, and Let’s Twist Again. What a fabulous project to develop during enforced lockdown, that will give pleasure to so many people who can’t get out to concerts. Singsational Sing-along costs $39.95, including delivery within Australia, and you can buy it online at www.singalongdvd.com.au Julie Houghton ● From column, at lerft
Auditions
■ Williamstown Little Theatre: The Importance of Being Earnest (by Oscar Wilde) November 20 at 1.00pm, November 21 at 12noon at 2 Albert St., Williamstown. Director: Ellis Ebell. Audition Bookings: ellis@pagebell.com ■ Brighton Theatre Company: Chancers (by Robert Massey) November 21 and 22 at 7.30pm at the Brighton Arts and Cultural Centre, Cnr. Wilson and Carpenter Sts., Brighton. Director: Peter Newling. Audition bookings: www.brightontheatrecompany.com.au ■ Peridot Theatre: I Ought to be in Pictures (by Neil Simon) November 28 at 1.00pm, November 29 at 7.00pm at the Unicorn Theatre, Mt Waverley Secondary College, Lechte Rd., Mt Waverley. Director: Michelle Swann. Audition enquiries: michelleswann65@gmail.com ■ The 1812 Theatre: The History Boys (by Alan Bennett) November 27 and 28 at 9.30am at 3 Rose Street, Upper Ferntree Gully. Director: Dexter Bourke. Audition appointment and enquiries: 0411287043 or dexterb7251@gmail.com - Cheryl Threadgold
