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Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, April 18, 2018 - Page 49
Observer Showbiz
Local Theatre with Cheryl Threadgold and team HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU, SQUID
● Joe Shaffer ■ While amiable and affable, Joe Shaffer’s contribution to the Melbourne Comedy Festival lacks bite. Ostensibly, he utilises animals as a source of comedy even providing screen shots of cute creatures to evoke the requisite ‘ahs’ from the audience. But in venturing further, he relies on the usual innuendo that is associated with pussies, beavers and tits. In so doing, he doesn’t transcend what is common school boy humour. Telling the small audience in the compact room of Tasma Terrace that Australians can eat their national emblems, the emu and kangaroo, is relying on common knowledge but he fails to develop the concept into anything more unique, diverting or funny. The comparisons between his birth state of Texas and Queensland had potential but, overall, the routine lacked a structure that might have given it some coherence and the reliance on animals as a focus was hardly insightful. His style was personable but a more distinctive comic attitude and perspective is needed to distinguish one from the crowd. Performance Dates: Until April 22 at 8.15pm Venue: Tasma Terrace, Melbourne Tickets: $20-$25 Bookings: comedyfestival.com.au - Review by David McLean
BEN VOLCHOK PRESENTS
● Ben Volchok ■ Ben’s talent has been previously recognised in being a winner of the Melbourne University Campus Comedy Competition joining such luminaries as Hamish Blake and Sammy J. His offering as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival at Tasma House confirmed his ability by bringing to the stage two original Radio Plays in the true tradition of bygone days, With little else other than a paper script, twin microphones and a plethora of sound effects (be they on a lap top) he presented his own works in two dramatic episodes. Firstly in the 1970’s in Central London, Mysteries of an Uncanny Nature, private detective Errol Street faces the daunting task of find a missing girl, Miss Sing, a singer and dancer. He has help from his brother Neville Street a regular policeman as they encounter poison, murder and with several trips to the morgue to track down missing buttocks. Continued at top of far right column
For Love Or Money
● Rebecca Moore (left), Danielle O'Malley, Jane Patterson and Laura Burzacott in Ginger and Tonic’s For Love or Money. Photo: Pier Carthew. See below, at right
Latest shows, auditions SHOWS
■ The 1812 Theatre: Constellations (by Nick Payne) until April 28 at 7.30pm at 3-5 Rose St., Upper Ferntree Gully. Director: Justin Stephenson. Bookings: 9758 3964. ■ Williamstown Little Theatre: Stones in his Pockets (by Marie Jones), April 19 - May 5 at 2 Albert St., Williamstown. Director: Trevor Handcock. Bookings: 0447 340 665 www.wlt.org.au ■ Frankston Theatre Group: The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery (by David McGillivray and Walter Zetlin Jr.) April 20 - 29 at Mt Eliza Community Centre, Canadian Bay Rd., Mt Eliza. Director: Annie Laureson. Bookings: 1300 665 377. ■ Mordialloc Theatre Company: All Things Considered (by Ben Brown) April 20 - May 5 at Shirley Burke Theatre, 64 Parkers Rd., Parkdale. Director: Deborah Fabbro. Bookings: 9587 5141. ■ Malvern Theatre Company: Our Town (by Thornton Wilder) April 20 - May 5 at 29a Burke Rd., East Malvern. Director: Peter Newling. Bookings: 1300 131 552. ■ Encore Theatre: Away (by Michael Gow) April 20 - May 5 at Clayton Community Centre, Cooke St., Clayton. Director: Tim Scott. Bookings: www.encoretheatre.com.au ■ Geelong Repertory Theatre Company: The Resistable Rise of Arturo ui (by Bertolt Brecht, adapted by George Tabori). April 20 - May 5 at 15 Coronation St., Geelong. Director: Greg Shawcross. Bookings: GPAC 5225 1200. ■ Peridot Theatre: Three One Act Plays April 26 - 29 at Unicorn Theatre, Mt Waverley Secondary College, Lechte Rd., Mt Waverley. Play 1: English Made Simple (by David Ives), Director Emma Barber. Play 2: On the Edge (by Kylie Rackham), Director Stephanie King; Play 3: A Little Box of Oblivion (by Stephen Bean), Director George Benca. Bookings: 9808 0770. ■ Bright Alpine Players: It's My Party (And I'll Die if I Want to) (by Elizabeth Coleman) April 26 - May 5 at Bright Courthouse, Park St., Bright. Director: Phyl Swindley. Bookings: trybooking.com ■ Foster Arts Music and Drama Association (FAMDA): The Web (by Kate Mulvany) April 27 - May 5 at 79 Main St., Foster. Director: Sue Lindsay. Bookings: 5682 2077. ■ Heidelberg Theatre Company: The House of Bernarda Alba (by Federico Garcia Lorca) April 27 - May 12 at 36 Turnham Ave., Rosanna.
SHOWS Director: Joan Moriarty. Bookings: www.htc.org.au ■ Melbourne French Theatre: Le Pere Noel est une Ordure May 2 - 5 at Library on the Dock, 107 Victoria Harbour Promenade, Docklands; Director: Bruce Cochrane, Bookings: 9349 2250. ■ Phoenix Theatre Company: Ghosts May 11 - 19 at the Doncaster Playhouse. Director: Renee Maloney; Musical Director; Ben Heels. Tickets: $30. Bookings: 9012 5897. ■ CLOC Musical Theatre: Strictly Ballroom May 11 - 26 at the National Theatre, St Kilda. Director: Richard Perdriau; Musical Director: Daniel Heskett; Choreographer: David Harford. Bookings: www.cloc.org.au 1300 362 547 ■ Nova Music Theatre: Guys and Dolls May 12 - 26 at The Whitehorse Centre, Whitehorse Road, Nunawading. Co-Directors: Noel Browne and Wayne Robinson; Musical Director: John Clancy; Choreographer: Dean Robinson. Bookings: 1300 304 433. ■ Williamstown Musical Theatre Company: Hot Mikado May 18 - 26 at the new location Centenary Theatre, 71 Railway Place, Williamstown. Bookings: www.wmtc.org.au or 1300 881 545. ■ MLOC Productions: Spring Awakening May 25 - June 2 at Shirley Burke Theatre, 64 Parkers Rd., Parkdale. Director/Choreographer: Angela Phillips; Musical Director; Malcom Huddle. Bookings; www.mloc.org.au.
AUDITIONS ■ Williamstown Little Theatre Inc: Under Milk Wood (by Dylan Thomas) April 22 and 23 at 7.30pm at 2 Albert St., Williamstown. Director: Sandy Green. Enquiries: sandramarygreen22@gmail.com ■ Beaumaris Theatre: Echoes April 22 from 2.30pm and April 24 from 7.00pm at Beaumaris Theatre, 82 Wells Road, Beaumaris. Director: Barbara Crawford. Enquiries: 0414 881 844. ■ Williamstown Little Theatre Inc: Silent Sky (by Lauren Gunderson) May 6 at 2.00pm, May 7 at 7.00pm at 2 Albert St., Williamstown. Director: Ellis Ebell. Enquiries: 0417 393 296 or ellis@pagebell.com ■ MLOC Productions: The Boy From Oz June 12, 14, 15 (singing and acting), June 17 (dancing). Mentone and Mordialloc area. Director/ Choreographer: Rhylee Nowell; Musical Director: Matthew Hadgraft. For audition bookings visit www.mloc.org.au
BEN VOLCHOK PRESENTS ● From far left column, this page The many characters all portrayed admirably by Ben along the way, some helpful, others not, all led Errol Street to solve the case. The second episode took us to the Aussie outback where maverick Pru Blue, Outback Spy Hunter, with her inept assistant Les Mistons needed to find the source of counterfeit notes and the spy who had infiltrated the CSIRO to be able to find how to create the new plastic notes. Once again crazy situations, silly puns, all fast delivered in Ben’s inimitable style. So fast that at times the characters were not so identifiable immediately while some sound effects lacked volume. Ben Volchok captured the true quintessence of those past iconic Radio Plays, the likes of The Goon Show and Hancock’s Half Hour, with absurdity, much wordplay all being very, very silly. Performance dates: Until 22 April Time: 7pm Venue: Tasma House, 6 Parliament Place East Melbourne Tickets: micf.tickets.red61.com - Review by Graeme McCoubrie
GINGER AND TONIC ■ For Love or Money is performed by the phenomenal a capella group Ginger and Tonic at MICF in cabaret at The Melba Spiegeltent. The group members are Laura (Burzie) Burzacott, Rebecca (Bec) Moore, Jane Patterson and Danielle (Dani) O'Malley. They excite with exceptional harmonies, vocal gymnastics and accompanying skilful beat box percussion. They hip-hop, pump and glide as a cohesive, well-oiled choreographic machine. Individual costume, cleverly accessorised with leopard skin, unifies their appearance. This parody tells of the group’s hunger for success in business and love: each member has a badass business enterprise to launch. Stories are told through their original songs including fresh renditions of songs by Miley Cyrus, Pussycat Dolls, Meatloaf and many others Burzie presents as the most badass, hardnosed, business bitch with language and movement to match. With partner, Gary, she is seizing the world of matrimonial events management. Closer scrutiny reveals one half an event so far. Her signature song, Marry Me Gary, may indicate her primary life focus. Inveterate marketer, Bec, demonstrates her active-wear range on-stage while her initial hyped claims to a newfound, hot lover, fade to luke-warm. Jane’s business venture, inspired by guru, Oprah Winfrey, is to revolutionise love-making through some product vaguely to do with balls. We suspect her obsession with Shannon Bennett over-rides her business acumen. Toughest of them all is Dani. She reminds her career-minded friends of the likelihood of missing the ‘biological boat’ and the need to take out insurance, especially of the eggharvesting type. Her ovary-freezing business has all the answers. In For Love or Money these women might want it all in life but Ginger and Tonic have got it all on stage. A stand-out performance. Venue: The Melba Spiegeltent 35 Johnston Street, Collingwood Season: Until April 22 at 8.30pm Time: 60 minutes Bookings: www.comedyfestival.com.au - Review by Sherryn Danaher
MEDIA FLASHES ■ Erin Pearson has started her new role as Crime Reporter at The Age. She joins the publication from the Geelong Advertiser where she had been Police Reporter since 2012. Prior to this, Erin was a Journalist at Geelong Independent. - Telum Australia