2001
Murray Bramwell
The past two months have been like a spill of dominoes for the Adelaide Festival. From the debacle over the Hitler poster, late in October, to the dismal program launch, days later, which revealed, finally, how empty the larder had become and how many projects had failed – like so many baby turtles on the beach – to reach maturity. To make matters worse, Artistic Director Peter Sellars was unavailable for the launch, neither as support to …
Continue Reading Back to top2001
A Lie of the Mind
by Sam Shepard
Brink Productions
Space
Reviewed by Murray Bramwell
The second and final Brink production for the year is also an American play. Sam Shepard’s A Lie of the Mind makes an interesting pair with the company’s co-production with State Theatre back in June. That was Killer Joe, Tracy Letts’ grim trailer park tragicomedy of love, and death, for sale. Both plays are set in the poor white margins, one in Texas, …
Continue Reading Back to top27 Nov 2001
Murray Bramwell
A Lie of the Mind
by Sam Shepard. Brink Productions.
The Space, Adelaide Festival Centre.
Ends 1 December.
What is a lie of the mind ? In Sam Shepard’s play of that name, his troubled central character Jake says – “These things – in my head – lie to me. Everything lies. Tells me a story.“ These lies are fears, jealousies, suspicions and fixations. They have murky origins in a half-remembered past and have driven …
Continue Reading Back to topBilly Bragg
with Dave Graney Show
Norwood Concert Hall
Reviewed by Murray Bramwell
The prospect of The Dave Graney Show on the same card as Billy Bragg made this event doubly appealing. But I am sorry to report Mr Graney ‘s opening set is a disappointment. Perhaps he is diligently not wanting to steal the show. If so, I for one would not have been sorry if he’d taken that risk. Instead he’s looking uncertain and understaffed, even his raffish …
Continue Reading Back to top24 October, 2001
Murray Bramwell
The Dying Gaul
by Craig Lucas
State Theatre Company of South Australia,
Festival Centre Space, Adelaide, ends 10 November, 2001.
The Dying Gaul referred to in the title of State Theatre’s current production is an ancient Roman statue depicting a young, naked man from an opposing army, represented in all his vulnerable humanity. In Craig Lucas’s play-about-a-script, Robert is a screen writer who uses the Dying Gaul as a metaphor for a work of art …
Continue Reading Back to topMurray Bramwell
The Dying Gaul
by Craig Lucas
State Theatre Company of South Australia,
Festival Centre Space, Adelaide, ends 10 November.
The Dying Gaul referred to in the title of State Theatre’s current production is an ancient Roman statue depicting a young, naked man from an opposing army, represented in all his vulnerable humanity. In Craig Lucas’s play-about-a-script, Robert is a screen writer who uses the Dying Gaul as a metaphor for a work of art that creates compassion even …
Continue Reading Back to topLife After George
by Hannie Rayson
Melbourne Theatre Company
Playhouse
Reviewed by Murray Bramwell
Since its first performances in January last year Hannie Rayson’s MTC commission, Life After George, has had an impressive trajectory. There were extended seasons in Melbourne and numerous awards and nominations including the Miles Franklin, a stint at the Brisbane Festival and now, since July, a sixteen town whistlestop tour from North Queensland to Launcestoun.
It is not hard to see the play’s appeal – Rayson, …
Continue Reading Back to topHoly Day
by Andrew Bovell
State Theatre Company
Playhouse
August, 2001
Reviewed by Murray Bramwell
The pursuit of new Australian works for the stage is an incessant one. Artistic Directors, particularly of state theatre companies, pore over new scripts in the hope of turning them into productions which will capture audiences with their relevance and truthfulness. Over the past twenty years the demand for such plays has been so keen that any writer achieving a modicum of success has been …
Continue Reading Back to top24 August, 2001
Murray Bramwell
Jennifer in Security
by Noelle Janaczewska
Vitalstatistix
Waterside, Port Adelaide
ends September 1.
Odeon Theatre, Norwood
4 – 8 September.
Jennifer is in a jam after being down-sized from retail. Then, when her Excel breaks down, she is helped out by the blokes at Oakhurst Security and she talks herself into a job. Now, in her white shirt, black tie, dark windbreaker and with everything but a Colt revolver hanging from her belt, she works …
Continue Reading Back to top22 August, 2001
Murray Bramwell
Holy Day
by Andrew Bovell
State Theatre Company of South Australia
Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre,
ends 8 September.
Melbourne season at the CUB Malthouse
from 13 September to 6 October, 2001.
Andrew Bovell’s Holy Day had been in draft form for something like ten years, set aside for such various other ventures as his script for Strictly Ballroom and the current New York stage version – as well as the soon-to-be-released Geoffrey Rush film – …
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