Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - Page 109
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Radio: Grubby, Dee Dee return .................... Page 110 Theatre: Murder, he wrote ............................... Page 111 The Spoiler: Advance plotlines for TV soapies .......... Page 111 Jim and Aaron: Top 10, best movies and DVDs ............ Page 112 Cheryl Threadgold: Local theatre shows, auditions ........... Page 113 PLUS THE LOVATT”S MEGA CROSSWORD
SUBLIME AS VIOLETTA Snuff Puppets
Review by DEBORAH MARINARO
● Roy Best as Alfredo Germont, Antoinette Halloran as Violetta Vale´ry, Caroline Vercoe as Flora Bervoix and company
● Snuff Puppets to appear at Fed Square ■ Wedhus Gembel, a spectacular cross-cultural collaboration between Melbourne’s giant puppet company, Snuff Puppets and artists from Java and Indonesia, is being presented from October 2-5 at Federation Square. There will also be a pre-production workshop on September 28-29 at The Drill Hall in Footscray. This extraordinary visual and physical theatrical experience is touring for the first time to Australia in October for a limited season of free public performances in Federation Square’s outdoor amphitheatre. Part ritual, part performance, Wedhus Gembel explores the tensions between traditional and contemporary Indonesian life. The show is a parable about the cycle of life, the destructive power of nature and how innocence and beauty can be disguised in a monster. Wedhus Gembel also includes a two-day workshop with Snuff Puppets and six Indonesian artists, working with approximately 20 local artists and community participants to quickly create new performance content that directly involves locals in the presentation of each show. This free workshop includes an introduction to Wedhus Gembel artists techniques and creative development processes, simple prop and costume making, and will draw out local stories and connections to universal environmental and social themes within the work. The final production of Wedhus Gembel at Federation Square is constructed in such a way as to be able to integrate the outcomes of these workshops into the final public performances. This is a great way of engaging local communities in the show and building local audiences for each performance through peer networks. Performance Season: Wednesday, October 2-Saturday, October 5 Times: Wed. 6pm; Thu.-Sat. 2pm and 6pm Duration: 60 minutes no interval Venue: Federation Square, Flinders St Amphitheatre (next to ACMI) Tickets: Free Further information: snuffpuppets.com/shows/ Wedhus_Gembel ★ Pre-Production Workshop: Workshop dates: September 28 – 29 Workshop venue: The Drill Hall, 395 Barkly St, Footscray - Cheryl Thredadgold
● Antoinette Halloran as Violetta and Roy Best as Alfredo in Melbourne Opera’s La Traviata. ■ Melbourne Opera is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this Manfred Pohlenz as Giorgio Germont and Anmonth by restagingitsfirst opera to have opened their doors: Verdi’s ● toinette Halloran as Violetta Vale’ry La Traviata. Using the set designed by Andrew Bellchambers and Hugh Halliday for the 2009 production, this season features direction by Opera and Theatre Director Suzanne Chaundy and soprano Antoinette Halloran in the role of Violetta. La Traviata is the story of beautiful but ailing Violetta Valery, ■ Brett Sheehy, Melbourne Theatre Company’s Ara Parisian courtesan. When an admirer, Alfredo, surprises her with his genuine care for her, she renounces her ways to live haptistic Director this week revealed his 2014 Season in an evening launch at Hamer Hall. pily with her newfound love. “Next year our season illuminates stories and artists, firBut Alfredo’s outraged father confronts Violetta and convinces her she must leave Alfredo for the sake of his family’s reputation. ing the imaginations of our audience, both in Melbourne and beyond. Like Romeo and Juliet, when they are eventually reunited, it is “We present some of the finest storytelling imaginable too late. Much of the appeal of this opera is that the 160-year-old story across more than 550 performances on our stages to entertain, challenge and delight you. continues to resonate through its female protagonist who finds in“This season sees MTC collaborate with a range of thrilldependence and love are at odds. Of course, attraction to La Traviata has also to do with the exing artists and companies ensuring a vibrant and dynamic year of theatre,” Sheehy said. pressive music, with its many dips and swells, pulsing along with “We want to make theatre accessible to everyone so this the characters through their transitions between turmoil and joy. Melbourne Opera Orchestra performs a masterful, stirring, season we’re presenting a family show for primary aged children; our first choreographic theatre collaboration; and we’re and fervent rendition. expanding activities outside our mainstage season with exHalloran is sublime as Violetta, singing superbly and giving the character such grace and nuance she draws sighs from the crowd. citing new firsts,” Sheehy said. MTC’s Season 2014 features 11 mainstage plays, two Roy Best, as Alfredo, has a gentle voice, often overwhelmed add-on productions, and two education shows. This includes by the orchestra and other singers, that is emotive and impressively controlled. five world premiere productions (The Sublime, The Speechmaker, Pennsylvania Avenue, Complexity of BelongManfred Pohlenz’s commanding Germont, Alfredo’s faing, and education show, Marlin) and three Australian prether, is exceptional. A real highlight, and one of the best occasions in theatre I’ve seen in a while is the scene between Violetta and mieres (Cock, Once, I’ll Eat You Last) from the UK and US. Germont in Act 2. “Timeless masterpieces are revisited including Henrik Accompanying the skilfully designed set and Chaundy’s intuitive direction are stunning costumes conceived by Melbourne Ibsen’s Ghosts, David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross and Noël Coward’s perennially delightful Private Lives. MTC’s fashion designer Linda Britten. The attention and care paid to Season 2014 also features recent works from award-winning each detail in the costuming brings to life all the people that fill this story with an outstanding confidence and exquisite beauty. playwrights: John Logan’s I’ll Eat You Last, and Lally Katz’s Neighbourhood Watch. La Traviata (sung in English) is playing at the Athenaeum Theatre until September 22, with Kerry Gill, Sam Sakker and Roger Howell taking up the roles of Violetta, Alfredo and ■ For some it is the time of giving ... or receiving Germont respectively for the October 11 performance at the ... three months’ notice. 3AW’s sister station in Alexander Theatre. Performance Season: Venue: Athenaeum Theatre, Brisbane, 4BC, is losing its morning host, Greg Cary, Melbourne. Dates and Times: September 18, 20 at 7.30pm and who says he is quitting radio for a “sabbatical”. September 22 at 3pm. Bookings: 9650 1500 or 132849 ■ Mal Walden introduced the re-branded Ten Eyewww.ticketek.com.au witness News on Monday this week. The network Venue: Alexander Theatre, Monash University, Clayton. Dates and Times: October 11 at 8pm. Bookings: 9905 1111 says its news service will be ““anytime, anywhere, Monash.edu.au/mapa any device”. - Deborah Marinaro
MTC 2014 launch