Lynne's Theatre Notes

https://performing.artshub.com.au/news-article/reviews/performing-arts/lynne-lancaster/the-last-wife-ensemble-theatre-nsw-258744 Nikki Shiels as Kate and Emma Chelsey as Edward in  The Last Wife . Image: Phil Erbacher. Canadian actor and writer Kate Hennig’s 2015 play  The Last Wife   is a somewhat radical retelling of the story of Katherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII of England, transposed and updated to the present day. A strong play with terrific performances, the issues it raises – such as women’s rights and autonomy and questions of faith – are still very relevant today. ADVERTISEMENT We see how Katherine – also called Kate – is in some ways forced into the marriage with Henry and how she has to balance on a knife edge, at times fearing for her life. Beautiful, elegant Nikki Shiels plays her as a survivor: highly educated and steely beneath her seemingly fragile exterior. We see her snowed under administrative duties while acting as Queen Re...

https://performing.artshub.com.au/news-article/reviews/performing-arts/lynne-lancaster/one-state-reverie-sydney-fringe-nsw-258867 One State Reverie, Sydney Fringe (NSW) An intriguing and philosophical dance theatre piece. Dancers in One State Reverie at Sydney Fringe Festival. Image: William Yu. LYNNE LANCASTER Tuesday 24 September, 2019 Part of the Sydney Fringe Festival and presented by the Australian Chinese Performing Artists' Association, this is a highly philosophical dance piece asking some big questions about life, morality and one’s personal sense of identity, as well as one’s sense of self in a group situation. The production’s stated concept is to explore ‘how future imaginations may just be found in the present.’ It is also has elements of political comment. The work is divided into five sections: Metamorphosis, That Revolving Dream, A Dream Rips, A Reverie and Returning to Symbiosis. ADVERTISEMENT There are strong performances ...

A knockout https://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/willoughby-symphony-orchestra-bravura/ WILLOUGHBY SYMPHONY : BRAVURA : THE CONCOURSE CHATSWOOD 25 SEPTEMBER 2019   LYNNE LANCASTER   LEAVE A COMMENT Pianist Tony Lee BRAVURA indeed with an astonishing ,breathtaking performance by the Willoughby Symphony with their latest concert BRAVURA and guest star Tony Lee on piano . Dr Nicholas Milton conducted energetically and enthusiastically yet was extremely precise .The orchestra gave a crisp , polished performance that was inspired, fiery and passionate where required with a rich well – rounded tone. First we heard Zoltan Kodaly’s Dances of Galanta , a set of Hungarian dances based on traditional Gypsy themes . Horns blare then the exuberant dances begin with their whirling , infectious melodies , with slithering sensuous clarinet ,shimmering , quivering strings and insistent woodwind leading to the fiery , explosive conclusion . For this reviewer the major highli...

An absorbing read  https://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/ian-mckellen-the-biography-by-gary-oconnor/ BOOKS & WRITING IAN MCKELLEN THE BIOGRAPHY BY GARRY O’CONNOR 23 SEPTEMBER 2019   LYNNE LANCASTER   LEAVE A COMMENT This is a captivatingly , warmly written ,fascinating biography of one of the theatrical greats of our times .The paperback version is of medium size and weight , divided into three parts and thirty eight chapters and includes a list of illustrations , a file of acknowledgements and a well researched and presented index at the back. The author, Garry O’Connor, is a biographer and novelist, noted for his publications on theatrical and literary figures. He has written acclaimed biographies of Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, Paul Scofield, Peggy Ashcroft, and Alec Guinness – and now McKellen. O’Connor has written and presented programs for radio, including Campion’s Ghost for Radio 4, adapted from his novel about John Donne. O’Connor has di...

https://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/allelulia-allelulia-sacred-sullivan/ ALLELULIA! ALLELULIA! SACRED SULLIVAN @ ST PETERS ANGLICAN CHURCH NEUTRAL BAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2019   LYNNE LANCASTER   LEAVE A COMMENT In the beautiful surroundings of St Peter’s Anglican Church Cremorne , a bell rings. Then Glenn Amer’s rich, full tenor voice fills the church with the processional Lead Kindly Light and ALLELULIA! ALLELULIA! SACRED SULLIVAN begins. It is a blend of church service , concert and musical lecture with a fascinating , witty and informative script written and narrated by Melvyn Morrow and musical segments performed with great panache by Glenn Amer , who happens to be musical director at the church. ( Readers might be familiar with their wonderful past concerts at Mosman Art Gallery, to name just one example). The work explores the now mostly forgotten sacred works of Sir Arthur Sullivan (yes Sullivan of Gilbert and Sullivan) compositions which, in their day, mad...

https://performing.artshub.com.au/news-article/reviews/performing-arts/lynne-lancaster/cats-talk-back-new-theatre-nsw-258778 Cats Talk Back, New Theatre (NSW) A multi-layered, meta satire on theatre and acting. Part of the cast of  Cats Talk Back . Image: Bob Seary. ‘When you take off the make-up and the wig and the tail and the leg warmers, what’s left?’ I am not sure what theatre cat Mouse, the reclusive celebrity that runs the New Theatre, thinks of this fun show presented as part of Sydney Fringe Festival – she is currently unavailable for interviews – but theatre and musical lovers will greatly enjoy this. It is both wickedly, darkly satirical and quite sad and poignant in parts. It is also multi-layered, an example of meta-theatre, with lots of thought-provoking questions about the Heaviside Layer and being: What is a cat? How does one become a cat for the purposes of the show? ADVERTISEMENT The premise of this play by Bess Wohl ( Small Mouth S...

https://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/toi-toi-kim-carpenters-theatre-of-image/ TOI TOI KIM CARPENTER’S THEATRE OF IMAGE :  30 YEARS IN 2019 4 SEPTEMBER 2019   LYNNE LANCASTER   LEAVE A COMMENT Kim Carpenter at his desk This book is medium to large size in format and just on a hundred pages .It is beautifully illustrated and is both poignant , sad and a celebration. It is thirty years since the establishment of Kim Carpenter’s Theatre of Image, (TOI) a majorly important company in the Australian theatre world, and it is a retrospective of all the past productions, some of which have toured internationally. It was founded originally as a Theatre in Education company but is by no means ‘just’ for children and has evolved to become Australia’s premier visual theatre company.                             Carpenter has sadly recently announced that the company will be closing at the end of 20...

https://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/australian-chamber-orchestra-celebrating-mozart/ CLASSICAL MUSIC AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA CELEBRATING MOZART @ CITY RECITAL HALL 14 SEPTEMBER 2019   LYNNE LANCASTER   LEAVE A COMMENT A glorious concert with magnificent performance by the ACO , led by Richard Tognetti and Croatian -born soloist Dejan Lazic on piano , focusing on music mostly by Mozart and showcasing the ACO’s great strengths as well as exploring the “Sturm und Drang” style . The Orchestra and Lazic had a great rapport. HAYDN ‘s Symphony No.39 in G minor ‘Tempesta di mare’ began the concert The first movement with its brisk strings and robust circular melody that was looped and repeated and listen out for the horns featured. The second movement was an elegant lilting dance like movement while the third movement with its horns and woodwind was a cascading wall of pulsating sound .The fourth and final movement was scurrying with its flurried , impatient strin...

https://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/australian-brandenburg-orchestra-next-generation-baroque/ AUSTRALIAN BRANDENBURG ORCHESTRA NEXT GENERATION BAROQUE @ CITY RECITAL HALL 14 SEPTEMBER 2019   LYNNE LANCASTER   LEAVE A COMMENT This was a marvellous concert with a major focus on Handel’s music that showcased some extraordinary young talent , giving us a glimpse of Baroque performance of the future. Under the dynamic direction of Paul Dyer the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra was in fine form and the young guest soloists had a delightful rapport with them. Christian Li has already won the Junior Prize at the prestigious Menuhin Competition in Geneva, and Annie Gard ( violin) and Madison Nonoa ( soprano) are also creating a sensation across London, New York and Europe . First up was eleven year old Christian Li from Melbourne in a dazzling performance of Halvorsen’s Passacaglia for violin and viola after Handel with Shaun Lee Chen in a shimmering, quivering, spiky ...

https://performing.artshub.com.au/news-article/reviews/performing-arts/lynne-lancaster/review-chicago-capitol-theatre-nsw-vic-qld-258705 A sexy and thought-provoking production that shows the dark side of the American dream. Alinta Chidzey and company in  Chicago  the musical, Sydney. Image: Jeff Busby. Sleek, slick, cynical, sexy and sophisticated, the classic musical  Chicago  is back in town to delight us. Chicago  the musical premiered in 1975 and it’s been scandalising and thrilling audiences worldwide ever since. It is based on the 1926 play of the same name by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins who fictionalised actual crimes and criminals she had reported on. This current production, overseen by resident director Karen Johnson, is based on the 1996 New York staging by director Walter Bobbie and choreographer Ann Reinking, as was the 2009 version we saw in Sydney. The orchestra (here excellently led by Daniel Edmonds) is imagined as part of the ...

https://performing.artshub.com.au/news-article/reviews/performing-arts/lynne-lancaster/review-natalia-osipovas-pure-dance-sydney-opera-house-nsw-258699 LYNNE LANCASTER Four dancers present some challenging modern pieces by a smorgasbord of choreographers. Moscow-born Natalia Osipova, a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet in London, presents  Natalia Osipova’s Pure Dance  at Sydney Opera House. Image: Daniel Boud. Hotly anticipated, this was a chance to see one of ballet’s mega superstars, Natalia Osipova, and three of her colleagues perform in some challenging modern pieces by a smorgasbord of choreographers. The opening work is the main pas de deux, Antony Tudor’s  The Leaves Are Fading , danced by Osipova and Halberg with fast fleet footwork, fluid arms and some amazing jetes. The partnering is almost dizzying, performed with a sense of rapport between the two and a luxurious display of technique, with some breathless darts, leaps and catches. Des...