For a Better World by Roland Schimmelpfennig – SBW Stables, ‘till 29 January 11

“Mixed reviews”, I believe is the term. It seems to be a polarizer. Some audience sit pensive and others laugh violently. In the little space of The Stables, I can see the assistant director sitting on the opposite bank of seating, smiling satisfactorily while the shock of horror is on the audience member’s face sitting next to him. What they’re saying is

Lloyd Bradford Syke, Crikey Mag, Curtain Call:
"designer Kate Davis...visually expand[ed] the tiny Stables Theatre stage to epic proportions, with a kind of protean Dr Who-like aesthetic."



Olga Azar, City News Online, Alternative Media Group:
"This production straddles the line between weird and just too weird, but it is engaging, provoking and absurd in a good way."



Neil Litchfield, Stage Whispers:
"It won’t please an audience looking for a conventional theatre experience."



Augusta Supple:
"A stunning design. Noyes’ production team are incredible."
"I absolutely applaud the brave and sassy vision of this production – robust and vivid imagery."

It’s my second time as a producer and I’m watching myself climb that steep curve and learning how I’ll save time and complications…next time. And I've loved watching my friend Daisy Noyes create such a wonderful beast.
My opinion is that we’re kicking it despite being a “Non-Sydney Festival Show”.

http://www.griffintheatre.com.au/whats-on/for-a-better-world/

Crushed by Melita Rowston

I interviewed Melita when she was part of the emerging writers program at Griffin Theatre in around 2005 or 6 with Tommy Murphy, Jonathan Gavin and Caleb Lewis. I decided to interview them all as part of a course I was doing at UNSW with John McCallum to show how emerging writers were being supported or weren’t.

I’ve just read her play, Crushed again tonight and while there’s not a lot of movement in the play and I wonder to myself how it would look on stage, I really love her dialogue. She’s so sharp and witty and has such a huge bank of 80s references it draws me back into the day of Smurfette earings, The Sullivans and jazz ballet.

But the heavier theme of stranger danger borne out of the 80s kidnappings; kids being taken from the safety of their beds and how that might have affected an 80s child’s view of the world.

I see she's been part of the Off The Shelf readings at Queen Street Studios. I’d like to see her writing on stage somewhere soon.

The Sweetest Thing by Verity Laughton

The French Feminists are interested in what it is to hear a woman's voice on stage, in literature, in film. They feel even in our writing we are subconsciously influenced my patriarchal constructs. What does that mean? The incredibly feminine world that is The Sweetest Thing? In either case, as a woman - but of course not speaking on behalf of women - I felt contented and comfortable to be part of this feminine world that is such a contentious issue in theaters at the moment. With usually only token female directors or playwrights being represented in the seasons of major theatre companies. See http://sevenon.blogspot.com/2010/10/we-couldnt-help-noticing.html.

Sydney Theatre have upped the ante and they have a female Literary Manager. Hmmm...

Songs of Grace and Redemption by John Donnelly - Tap Gallery, 'till 20 November

Straight off the back of the Sydney Fringe, Songs of Grace and Redemption is squeezing into the Tap Gallery.

A story of interweaving tales of life changing decisions with high paced broken dialogues and amusingly nervous interrogations.

Directed by Danielle O'Keefe and most notably staring Louise Pronk and Andy Leonard.

The Only Child by Simon Stone with Thomas Henning - B Sharp, 'til 11 October

Wow! This was such a powerful show that I came home to tell my boyfriend about it and the next day he left. Ouch!

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams - Sydney Theatre, 'til 17 October

The Lonesome West by Martin McDonagh - Downstairs Belvoir, 'til 13 September