Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, July 10, 2013 - Page 93
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Veritas: My tip about Melissa Doyle ................ Page 95 The Spoiler: Neighbours and Home and Away ...... Page 95 Jim and Aaron: The life of Richard Matheson ............ Page 96 Cheryl Threadgold: Local theatre shows, auditions ......... Page 97 Radio: More women on the air in Melb. ........................... Page 100 PLUS THE LOVATT”S MEGA CROSSWORD
Little Orphan trAshley: a gay old time ‘My Life In The Nude’ at La Mama
● Maude Davey tells her story in My Life In The Nude, at La Mama Theatre, Carlton until July 21. Photo: Paul Dunn ■ La Mama Theatre presents My Life In The Nude at 205 Faraday St, Carlton until July 21. Maude Davey is retiring her nude acts, having been taking her clothes off in public for 29 years. Now it's time for less make-up, and more clothes! My Life In The Nude is written and performed by Maude Davey, directed by Anni Davey and designed by Isaac Lumis. Maude Davey trained as an actor at the Victorian College Of The Arts and was a founding member of the theatre/music a cappella group Crying In Public Places, with which she has toured nationally and internationally with three shows. She collaborates frequently with Finucane and Smith, performing nationally and internationally in The Burlesque Hour and nationally in Salon de Dance, The Flood by Jackie Smith and Carnival Of Mysteries for the Melbourne Festival 2010. A celebration of her body of work, My Life In The Nude will be a ribald retrospective, a cabaret confession, in which Maude bares all for the very last time. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council For The Arts, its arts funding and advisory body. Performance Season: Until July 21 Venue: La Mama Theatre, 205 Faraday St, Carlton. Tickets: $25/$15 Bookings: 9347 6142 or www.lamama.com.au - Cheryl Threadgold ■ Pseudo Echo will bring to a close the 14th Australian Masters Games in Geelong this October as they headline an evening of celebration and achievement at the official closing ceremony. Lead singer-guitarist Brian Canham and band members Ben Grayson, Darren Danielson and Simon Rayner will send off Games participants in grand style.
Review by STEPHEN LEEDEN
● Rhys Bobridge, Trevor Ashley and Rhonda Burchmore in Little Orphan trAshley. Photo: Prudence Upton ■ Following the success of their smash hit Fat Swan, writing team Trevor Ashley and Phil Scott are back in Melbourne and have brought with them their latest production Little Orphan trAshley. Playing at the Comedy Theatre, the show follows the story of Little Orphan Fannie (Trevor Ashley), an inmate at an orphanage run by the boozy and wretched Miss Trannigan (Rhonda Burchmore). Fannie has a terrible secret about her being "not yet all woman" and sets off to find her parents to seek their permission for gender reassignment surgery. On her quest Fannie meets acclaimed photographer/multimillionaire Daddy Warhorse (Gary Sweet) who promises to sponsor her and help her along the way. The plot is not that deep, the storyline is simple, most of the jokes are aimed at a target audience of gay men and the semirelevant topical references used all centre on predictable popular culture. In terms of writing, Ashley and Scott have done a good job of parodying popular songs to make them suit the action playing out on stage, but the show itself leaves a lot to be desired in terms of the richness of the narrative. Rhonda Burchmore steals the show each time she steps out on stage, the audience responded with laughs, applause and admiration for her. Gary Sweet is dashing and charming in his role as Daddy Warhorse, and will make every gay man in the audience want to be adopted by their very own sexy bald millionaire. Little Orphan trAshley may not be the most powerful, provocative or well scripted show, but if you like a bit of song, dance, drag, and a lot of popular culture references all wound together in one show (or if you simply like watching an attractive buff half-naked dancer dressed as a dog) then it's worth checking out. Season: Until July 14 Times: Tues 7pm, Wed - Fri 8pm, Sat 6.30 and 9.30pm, Sun 5pm Venue: Comedy Theatre, 240 Exhibition Street, Melbourne
Ron, Linda play to crowd of 33 ■ There is something exciting and novel happening in Burwood that lovers of acoustic music will not want to miss. Forget about microphones and speakers, because Live At Baker Street is a special performing venue where the focus is on acoustic instrumental and vocal music in an intimate setting. Comfort for the audience is a large factor, as there are just 33 seats in this delightful venue, and they are the kind of seats you might expect at your local Gold Class cinema. Coming up on Thursday July 18 at Live At Baker Street, at 2 Florence St, Burwood, are the simply named but powerful duo Ron and Linda. Linda O'Brien is one of Melbourne's best accompanists who is also a superb jazz pianist with two successful CDs to her name, Kitten On The Keys and Dizzy Fingers . Linda is teaming with Ron Caffyn, a man with some of the smoothest vocals I have heard, and between them they tackle a selection of Broadway classics, a little jazz, blues, pop and cabaret. And all with just a small stage, a great human voice and a Yamaha C7 grand piano. Audience members who value their hearing will enjoy the fact that there is no amplification - it is all done by a pair of human hands and a set of good vocal chords. The power and emotion of Ron's voice easily projects over thegrand piano, played with Linda's delicacy of touch and dynamics. Linda O'Brien is a music/arts graduate of the University of Melbourne. She has played piano for Marina Prior, Sally-Anne Russell, Jackie Love, Donald Cant, the Australian Pops Orchestra, Australian Girls Choir and the Melbourne Welsh Male Choir. She is the official vocal accompanist for many major eisteddfods, including the prestigious Royal South. Ron Caffyn has performed on many live entertainment television shows, TV shows as well as in cabaret clubs and on major stages, including Hamer Hall, and has been the support artist for many international acts such as Helen Shapiro, Winifred Atwell, Del Shannon, Lovelace Watkins, Wilfred Bramble and Harry Corbett (Steptoe And Son), Norman Wisdom, Warren Mitchell (Til Death Do Us Part) and Eartha Kitt, to name a few. Recently, Ron and Linda performed together at the Karralyka Theatre to sold-out audiences. To book your tickets for what sounds like a very special and mellow evening, go to www.liveatbakerstreet.com - Julie Houghton
Gilchrist joins 10 ■ Legendary Australian wicket-keeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist is joining the Ten Network’s T20 Big Bash League commentary team. Adam will join former team mate Ricky Ponting in the commentary box for the T20 Big Bash League, which will be broadcast live on Ten from December. ““The success of the Big Bash League last season shows T20 has a prominent place not only in the cricket calendar but also in the minds of cricket followers of all ages,” Adam said.
● Adam Gilchrist
● Linda O’Brien