Lynne's Theatre Notes

A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE ENSEMBLE THEATRE     JULY 2019 Simply, sparsely staged this is a gripping ,intense and very powerful production of Arthur Miller’s 1955 play , with a magnificent cast   strongly directed by Iain Sinclair .It was originally seen at the Old Fitz theatre in 2017 . There is almost no set, just black walls , a chair and a connection to a bell , which focuses the concentration on the acting and emotions with dramatic , atmospheric lighting and startling use of blackouts. The show begins rather calmly and quietly with Alfieri , ( dapper distinguished David Lynch in an elegant suit and tie ) , the lawyer who acts as narrator , commentator and chorus , setting the scene for us taking us to America in the 1950’s and recalling a case that   preyed upon his mind for ages afterwards. It is a view from the Brooklyn Bridge but also Alfieri’s , blurring   both worlds , two continents and involving an understanding of modern day justice a...

https://performing.artshub.com.au/news-article/reviews/performing-arts/lynne-lancaster/review-made-to-measure-seymour-centre-nsw-258040 LYNNE LANCASTER Alana Valentine’s new play is a thought-provoking exploration of fatphobia with a snappy, moving script. Megan Wilding and Tracy Mann. Image: Lisa Tomasetti. In the western world, losing weight has become a constant, all-consuming ideal. Weight loss is seen as a triumphant act of self-transformation that will not only make one healthier but also help solve all our problems, from fatigue and career worries to self-esteem and relationship woes – supposedly. Alana Valentine’s new play is a challenging and thought-provoking exploration of these issues. The protagonist is preparing for her wedding, a time which heightens exposure and sensitivity to fatphobic and body-shaming comments (though this could also apply to, for example, dancers, models, and athletes). ADVERTISEMENT For bride-to-be Ashleigh (M...

https://performing.artshub.com.au/news-article/reviews/performing-arts/lynne-lancaster/review-murder-on-the-wireless-ensemble-theatre-nsw-258208 The double bill dovetails nicely in a delightful evocation of the heyday of the radio play. Katie Fitchett as Foley sound effects artist in  Murder on the Wireless . Photo: Prudence Upton. Much fun was had by all in this exuberant thrilling double bill that transports us back in time to a 1950s BBC studio in London, where we are in the audience for two radio plays,  The Solitary Cyclist , based on one of the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and  The Deadly Wives Club ,   a fast-paced thriller that’s John Buchanan-like in style. ADVERTISEMENT The production is both visually and aurally exciting because we see the usually hidden work of a Foley artist (the often unacknowledged sound effects person). In this case, the work is for a radio play – which are still very popular – but today also...

https://performing.artshub.com.au/news-article/reviews/performing-arts/lynne-lancaster/review-sweeney-todd-darling-harbour-theatre-icc-sydney-nsw-258227 Strong performances can't quite conceal the fact that this production isn't entirely gripping. Gina Riley and Anthony Warlow in  Sweeney Todd . Photo credit: Ben Fon There was a barber and his wife… Sondheim fans and others are probably familiar with the story: Benjamin Barker, a barber by trade, was transported for life to Australia by the corrupt Judge Turpin, who had nefarious designs on Barker’s wife. After 15 years ‘rotting in a living hell,’ Barker returns to London and goes back into business, this time under using the name Sweeney Todd and seeking revenge on Turpin in a bloodcurdling scheme he concocts with the help of his downstairs neighbour, Mrs Lovett. ADVERTISEMENT Directed by Theresa Borg, this production of Sondheim’s darkly disturbing work is bleak and remorseless but with flashes of dark...

https://performing.artshub.com.au/news-article/reviews/performing-arts/lynne-lancaster/review-once-darlinghurst-theatre-nsw-258356 Enda Walsh’s musical is a classic boy-meets-girl romance with terrific singing and great chemistry. Photo: Robert Catto. Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s production is the Sydney premiere of  Once , though Melbourne had a production in 2014. Magnificently directed by Richard Carroll, it is a poignant, exuberant and heart-warming show performed with amazing energy by a cast. With book by Enda Walsh,  Once  is based on John Carney’s 2007 movie and has won eight Tonys (!) as well as Grammy and Olivier Awards. It is a classic archetypal love story of boy meets girl – will it work out happily? ADVERTISEMENT The two main characters are simply called The Guy and The Girl. The Guy is Irish, The Girl is a Czech immigrant. The pair meet when The Guy is busking, away from his day job fixing vacuum cleaners   – the show...

EXHIBITION ON SCREEN : YOUNG PICASSO JULY 21, 2019   LYNNE LANCASTER LEAVE A COMMENT The latest fascinating film from the Exhibition on Screen team is THE YOUNG PICASSO . YOUNG PICASSO looks at Picasso’s earlier years up until 1907, with the production of the revolutionary Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, Picasso’s childhood , training and influences and how he eventually became one of the world’s most famous artists. Various museums are visited – we briefly see assorted exhibition displays in Spain, France and MOMA in New York for example – as the camera pans around the room. Several museum directors, curators and other experts talk about Picasso’s life and analySe the numerous works and Picasso’s grandson Olivier Widmaier is featured. Where appropriate the film is in Spanish with English subtitles. We see fascinating shots of places where Picasso lived (Montemarte in Paris for example) both then and now. The three main cities where the young Picasso lived – Malaga, Bar...

a fabulous new book by renowned dance author Valerie Lawson https://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/dancing-under-the-southern-skies-by-valerie-lawson/#more-64432 ALLET ,  BOOKS & WRITING ,  DANCE DANCING UNDER THE SOUTHERN SKIES BY VALERIE LAWSON JULY 18, 2019   LYNNE LANCASTER LEAVE A COMMENT This is a fascinating ,enthralling book extensively researched and vividly written by renowned dance critic and journalist Valerie Lawson . Lawson uses letters, interviews and personal anecdotes from dancers, directors, impresarios , producers, and critics to bring the history and characters alive . The horrendous drain of one night stands on the exhausting long tours ! The backstage scandals and dramas! With a forward by David McAllister of the Australian Ballet , and a well laid out table of contents , the book while large and heavy is beautifully illustrated and also includes a terrific bibliography and helpful index at the back . The preface briefly acknow...

https://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/traffic-jam-galleries-kathryn-mcgovern-fashioned-from-nature/#more-64360 TRAFFIC JAM GALLERIES KATHRYN MCGOVERN FASHIONED FROM NATURE JULY 16, 2019   LYNNE LANCASTER LEAVE A COMMENT The latest exhibition at the Mosman branch of Traffic Jam Galleries is Kathryn McGovern’s FASHIONED FROM NATURE . McGovern’s exhibition focuses on the interactions between animals and human beings sharing the planet. McGovern is based in Brisbane. In most of her work she concentrates on endangered species . McGovern’s anthropomorphic creations in watercolour, gouache and ink show the idea of the imposition of the human aesthetic of beauty on nature through artifice and intervention and simultaneously derive inspiration from the impact of fashion on the natural world – blending ecological awareness and fashion. The works are exquisite , incredibly detailed and range in size , some small some quite large all beautifully presented. If you look closely y...

https://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/water-lilies-of-monet-the-magic-of-water-and-light/ WATER LILLIES BY MONET – THE MAGIC OF WATER AND LIGHT MARCH 13, 2019   LYNNE LANCASTER Brought to us by the team who produced Florence and the Uffizi Gallery and Caravaggio: The Soul and The Blood this is a journey through the life and times of Claude Monet ( 1840-1926) the obsessive Impressionist . An art-world disruptor at the turn of the 20th century whose obsession with capturing light and water broke all convention, Monet revolutionised Modern Art with his timeless masterpieces. His intention was to try and transfer onto canvas the “first, pure impression” of forms and objects as they appear to the eye as if they have never been seen before. Monet was always trying to capture in paint Water,Light and Air. He lived most of his life near the River Seine . Like Turner and Constable ( for example) he painted in all kinds of weather. The term ‘ Impressionism ‘ comes from the title o...

https://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/eileen-stories-from-the-courtyard/ EILEEN: STORIES FROM THE PHILLIP STREET COURTYARD APRIL 3, 2019   LYNNE LANCASTER At 104 Eileen Kramer has led an incredible life, some of which is vividly evoked in this book. Born in Sydney in 1914, Kramer was an original member of Australia’s first modern dance company, the influential Bodenwieser Ballet, and has lived and danced everywhere from India to Paris, London and New York. Eileen originally wanted to be an opera singer and studied at the Conservatorium of Music in Sydney. She came to dance relatively late in life, joining the Bodenwieser Ballet company, Australia’s first professional modern dance company, in 1940. Sue Healey has produced a short film entitled Eileen about Kramer and she is regarded as a National Treasure by the Arts Health Institute . Kramer left Australia in the 1950s, performing around the world and meeting contemporary artists who have gone down in histor...