Nov 12

Megan Doherty – La Boheme – 3K

By Peter Maddern

Megan Doherty is the latest performer brought to the stage by Kate Warren’s newly formed The Factory (no doubt with apologies to Warhol, A.) The 28 year old recent graduate in musical theatre from Ballarat chose the topics of loneliness, lust and yearning to underpin her show entitled The Girl Who Won’t Grow Up, a repertoire that had Weimar cabaret strains to it without going for the whole Marlene Dietrich persona.

6pm on a Sunday evening is not usually the best time to collect a crowd but La Boheme was sold out for this last night and certainly it was keen to be swept along by Megan’s solid voice and shtick. After a slow start, her Disney song proved to be a highlight followed up not long after by Coin Operated Boy, all the while ably accompanied on piano by Daniel Brunner.

There is no doubt that Doherty has potential but more experience is needed to lift her to the fore front of similar acts in Adelaide (where queens of the genre like Sidonie Henbest presently reign.) More imaginative lighting, less use of the microphone (a perennial bug bear for this critic when attending at such a small venue as La Boheme) and a breaking down of what seemed like a glass partition between her and her audience members – more intimacy with her patrons gets rewarded – are all elements to be worked on.

But, to be sure, Megan Doherty is a talent worth following and one who will consistently entertain as she refines her performances.

Kryztoff Rating  3K

Nov 12

STCSA – In The Next Room – 4K

By Rupert Hogan-Turner

This is a play about life in the Victorian era. The men are stereotypes; gentlemen, artists, men of science, devoted more to their causes than to their wives. Women exist to maintain an image. Curiosity, love and guilt get the better of our respectable cast as they are thrown into world filled with contrition and complication. This is all backed by a delightful script and amazing situational humour. The characters continue to relive and express personal short comings which bloom into sensational and extremely amusing misunderstandings.

The play follows the life of gentleman and scientist Dr Givings who has invented a machine which harnesses the power of electricity to cure “hysteria” in women. His far younger wife sits in the next room when Dr Givings is with patients; she hears the results and grows curious. However she has enough to deal with, attempting to mother a baby and divulging only unrequited love. Throw a few “hysterical” patients into the mix and let the farce begin.

The play has a variety of emotional shapes; love triangles, hate rhombus’ lust and fear circles. The characters bounce off one another so perfectly. They convey all of the awkward slants and embarrassing verbal clues of people who are ashamed to display their emotions.

The Dunstan Playhouse has been transformed into half of a Victorian mansion. Beautiful white and black wallpaper flows into classic wooden flooring, while leather furniture sits perfectly in the centre of the room.

The most impressive element of this play was the ability to create and secure a character of refinement, going to lengths to express just how modest and polite they would be in all circumstances, and then placing them so far beyond the limits of their comfort zone. This results in unbridled lust and unmatched hilarity. By far this is one of the best pieces of theatre to come along this season.

At the after party, I managed to have a quick chat with Director Catherine Fitzgerald and one of the stars Cameron Goodall. Catherine Fitzgerald reminded me it was “all about what’s not happening”, the play is based on hearing but not seeing, seeing but not knowing, there is always a clandestine element. Curiosity grows and devours the characters who were “the easiest choice” to select for the parts. The most difficult part of the play was keeping the ‘treatment’ as a pure, medicinal procedure. From a modern stand point it can seem entirely sexual and primal. The play is three hours long, but I must agree with Catherine when she says “unless you have a full bladder, you won’t even notice it”

Kryztoff Rating  4K

Nov 09

Cheap Tickets – Stereosonic & Summadayze – Adelaide – Available Now

Hi All,

If you are looking for cheaper tickets to this year’s major music festivals, then look no further than Kryztoff.

So check these offers out for Stereosonic and for Summadayze (with Future Music to come).

For more informatiuon on these festivals go to (by clicking):

The Stereosonic Website AND  The Summadayze Website

We have the following currently available:

Stereosonic – Adelaide – Sat 1 Dec         RRP – $154 + 3.95 BF = $157.95

……………………………………………………Kryztoff Price          = $155.00


Summadayze – Adelaide – Mon 31 Dec    RRP                         = $124.00

…………………………………………………….Kryztoff Price          = $115.00

To Buy,

Paypal

Just make a Paypal payment to us – email address is pmaddern@palmerstonprojects.com.au

Ensure you advise us of your address.

We will then mail the tickets to you.

OR, Cash

Contact us at editor@kryztoff.com to arrange to pay and collect direct. (We are based in Unley.)

Any questions or queries, just contact us at editor@kryztoff.com and we will get back to you promptly.

Enjoy this season’s very best music festivals, thanks to Kryztoff.

Nov 07

The Master – 3.5K

By Peter Maddern

There have been many stories about the leaders of cults, usually focusing on the very big and the very bad. The Master focuses on ‘the Cause’ of a small time operator, Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who espouses in words and through ’processing’ that one’s ills of today can be resolved by connecting with the events of the past that have created them. Connections to L Ron Hubbard’s Church of Scientology will spring to mind though the producers deny there is a connection.

Freddy Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), a sex addict, drunk and post-traumatic stress sufferer from World War II gets taken in by Dodd after he stows away on the boat that is hosting Dodd’s daughter’s wedding. Through alcohol, they strike up a friendship and Quell becomes the cause celebre for Dodd’s teachings.

The Master then becomes an intriguing battle of wits between Dodd’s believers and those who are not so certain of the Cause and the revelations of the not so pure aspects of Dodd’s personality.

Hoffman and Phoenix are both excellent with Phoenix’s Quell a study of a broken man, hollowed out spiritually, who lives with only a partial grasp of reality. The women roles are filled by the most respectful, even naïve characters, with Amy Adams as Peggy Dodd a classic example of the faithful wife and partner of the 1950s who ultimately rules while turning, in public at least, a blind eye to her husband’s failings.

While technical qualities of this Paul Thomas Anderson production (he wrote, directed and co-produces) are outstanding and the two male leads deliver what may be Oscar nomination worthy efforts, at the end the film fails to gel or grab its audience – the synergy between the men never gets past sharing an alcoholic cocktail laced with paint thinner, which for all the intricate study of the humans involved is prone to disappoint.

Kryztoff Rating  3.5K

Nov 02

If The Walls Could Talk – Bakehouse Til 10 Nov – 3.5K

By Peter Maddern

The use of a (legitimate) massage therapist’s table as the locale for all sorts to let loose on their problems is at the core of this amusing, if ultimately unfulfilling, farce play from Rita Papillo and produced under the Blackbox initiative at the Bakehouse.

Joey’s three patients include James (Chris Roberts), an emotional mess whose physique is in opposite proportion to his emotional age. His two local flirts, Ruby (Katie O’Reilly) and Sarah (Lucy Slattery) disgorge all as they sore spots are worked on by Joey (Robyn Gough) and watched, unmercifully by the walls, Orecchio (Lotte Crawford) and Bochetta (Andrew Cupi) who flippantly and malevolently delight in creating as much discomfort as possible for all concerned.

Director, Lisa Waite, has done a nice job with all her cast sustaining great energy and humour throughout and her near single stage setting of the Joey’s massage room is highly effective. The finale is good fun and the message that perhaps the people we complain most to have more issues than we do is well made.

However, the role of the ears and eyes of the wall are so interfering and so disruptive that rather less would have been more. Also, unlike some similar theatrical characters, these two were somewhat vacuous neither having much clever nor observationally insightful to say to beef up the merit of the story. Prolonged emphasis on precious bodily fluids and gases were cases in point.

Given the role of the Blackbox initiative is to give local playwrights opportunities, the whole production, cast and crew, achieve their aims admirably. And while many will delight in the light heartedness of it all and an enjoyable evening at the theatre is assured, for some at least, a swelling sense of frustration may reign until the last few moments.

Kryztoff Rating  3.5K

Oct 28

The Jersey Boys – 5K – Festival Theatre Til 2 December

By Peter Maddern

From afar great success often seems so effortless and obvious but when the stories involved get told things often are more complicated and the joys of success can seem more legitimate, more earned.

The story of Franki Valli and his three mates, who together became the Four Seasons and for this production, The Jersey Boys is another where serendipity plays a large role but an abundance of talent, at least for a couple of the quartet, sits at the core of the phenomenon. Three hungry, randy teenagers spy greatness and girls through the end of a microphone and happen upon a great song writing talent (in Bob Gaudio) that can deliver on the vision.

Their years together, making it and breaking it and prevailing (at least for Valli and Gaudio) have all the elements of a great story. The music they created, like few other groups that started when they did, has survived now two whole generations and seems likely to comfortably make it through another.

The Jersey Boys production is as good a modern musical as you will see. As mentioned, the story is excellent, bolstered by its authenticity, but it is the music that separates this from its peers – it seems impossible now that one could compare A Chorus Line to this in regards to quality and entertainment. Hit after hit, melodies to get your feet tapping, hands clapping and mind wondering back into one’s past just keep coming.

No expense and element of professionalism is spared in this production with live music, quality singing and acting and a staging that seems infinitely flexible. So good were the performances of Valli and Gaudio by Jeff Madden and Bob Declan respectively that one almost believed they were their characters brought back from 50 years ago.

Anyone who is a fan of Four Seasons music or musical theatre would be a fool to miss out on The Jersey Boys – simply this is a theatrical highlight of this year and for a great many others as well.

Oct 21

Theatre – Pornography – STCSA – Space Theatre – 3.5K

In July 2005, London went from being on top of the world following their successful bid for the 2012 Olympics, to reeling from the horror of the bombings on the Underground which killed 52 people. The juxtaposition of these two events provides a powerful background for the exploration of the community psyche at the time. Pornography explores the side of life that society doesn’t usually talk about but which is never-the-less there; whether it be a secret fetish, a dangerous obsession, a prejudiced way of thinking or a desire to shake up the world somehow.

A dark, open space, coupled with fractures of songs and flashes of light (Wendy Todd, Jason Sweeney, Mark Pennington), help to create a raw atmosphere – a window into the inner turmoil of the characters. Some issues with the voice amplification, necessary to achieve the vocal affects utilised, were present and will hopefully be fixed for the remainder of the run.

The characters in the scenes are never named, but there is wonderful detail in their stories, creating realistic individuals who could be anyone on the street. Director Daniel Clarke has used the talents of his four actors (Matt Crook, Carmel Johnson, Ansuya Nathan and Nick Pelomis) well, and in interesting combinations. The performances of the ensemble are all excellent, with a few lapses in accent being the biggest quibble. The monologues are delivered with confidence and the small appearances by the other actors add some aesthetic intrigue. The chemistry in shared scenes is wonderful, with the gender swapped interaction of Crook and Johnson particularly captivating.

Despite the quality of each aspect of the show, however, there seemed to be an element missing to make it really powerful. For a show that is about highlighting and fighting the disconnection in today’s society, it too failed to stir up particularly strong emotions of any kind. As a project in telling stories, in conveying information, in showing a snap-shot of history from the point of view of ordinary people, it works. As a means by which to make people think and feel differently about life, about how they interact with others, to make changes and to move forward, it is somewhat lacking.

Kryztoff rating: 3.5K

Oct 14

Theatre – Into the Woods – Northern Light Theatre Company – Until October 27th

Into the Woods, by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, cleverly brings together characters from several Brothers Grimm fairy-tales and re-tells their stories with a unique and humorous spin. Familiar faces Cindarella (Kish Jedrzejczak), Little Red Riding Hood (Leah Potter) and Jack (of beanstalk fame – Gareth Wilkes) go about their journeys, each wishing for something more than what they have. For a variety of reasons, these characters all find themselves venturing into the quintessential location for fairy-tale mayhem, the woods. Meanwhile, the Baker (Andrew Hawkins) and his wife (Jeri Williams) yearn for a child and must go on a quest to retrieve four items, in order to break a magic spell cast by their neighbour, the Wicked Witch (Megan Humphries), and secure themselves a family.

A superb ensemble of actors has been gathered by director Karen Sheldon, and under her guidance they meet the demands of the vocals admirably, and also shine in their comedic abilities. Humphries gives her usual consummate performance, creating a character that is a brilliant mix of evil, wisdom and hilarity, while, as Little Red, Potter is not quite the innocent flower, dishing out equal measures of both sweetness and manipulation. The charm (and smarm) of the handsome (and prancing) princes (Lindsay Prodea and Max Garcia-Underwood) make them crowd favourites and Sarah Nagy gets many laughs as the delightfully unhinged Rapunzel.

Accompanied excellently by an orchestra matched at just the right volume to compliment rather than overpower the singers, and under the steady guidance of Musical Director Peter Johns, the complicated score of Sondheim is navigated with aplomb. The production values are also up to the usual NLTC standard. The set, courtesy of Damon Hill, is aesthetically interesting and provides a multilayered field on which the action of the show, including the well drilled dances moves (choreography Kerry Hauber), can take place. Costumes from Ann Humphries are plentiful and sumptuous, and Renee Brice is to be commended for her impressive makeup, particularly the body decoration of the Wolf (Buddy Dawson). The only major detraction is the delay of some microphones, with the resulting uneven amplification creating a disappointing distraction.

While the basis of the show is in children’s stories, these are the fairy-tales of old – although there is the happily ever after, the flip side of the bad guys getting their comeuppance (often in the form of some good old-fashioned eye gouging) is not shied away from either and some more serious concepts are also explored. This is a long show, pushing three hours, but in the hands of this professional cast and crew, the pace remains constant, the performances are engaging and the time flies.

Oct 11

The Mousetrap – Playhouse – 3.5K

By Peter Maddern

About the only thing that hasn’t been written about The Mousetrap is whodunit and this critic is not about to go there either. Eight people have been brought together in a comfortable country lodging but they have been shut off from the outside world by a snow storm; even the phone line has gone down.

As the play progresses, in classic Agatha Christie style, there is a death amongst them and all manner of secrets emerge so the audience is kept pondering on the developments and seeking out the clues. The ending stills packs a punch and this cast has great delight in playing the various extreme English characters.

As we know The Moustrap just goes on and on with its ‘season’ in London and it is now very much a part of the Thos Cook highlights of England that any minimally discerning tourist is told is a ‘must do’. The well-heeled audience at the Playhouse last night looked like they had all done it before at various times on their travels or felt compelled to see in their own home town even if they had resisted the urgings when abroad – in brief, there were few under the age of 50 there last night and those over 70 must have been sure the shock of the ending would not upset their constitution.

It’s all good fun and could be put in the same category as The Nutcracker on Ice and Yes, Prime Minister, two other shows that toured earlier in the year, in the category of safe entertainment. Given times have greatly changed since Christie wrote these stories, particularly the constant fare of the same genre each night on TV, The Mousetrap is all a bit ho-hum but if it exists for you on some ‘must do before I die’ list, then this is no better time to see and enjoy it.

Kryztoff Rating  3.5K

Oct 11

HOLOGRAPHIC CHARIZARD is back! …in BLUE

Holographic Charizard is back from touring interstate, and has a brand new shiny EP to release!

And to celebrate this achievement Holographic Charizard is holding another Launch Party at Worldsend Hotel on Hindley St. The show will be on the 13th of October and will be supported by Star Wars enthusiasts Kessel Run and Pasta fanatics Tram Spaghetti.

The new EP BLUE is being released only months after the début RED, which might be surprising, but Holographic Charizard explains, “Blue is very different and in many ways like their namesakes you really can’t have one without the other.”

The namesakes for the two EPs are of-course the canonical names of Pokemon’s protagonist ‘Red’ and rival ‘Blue’. “I guess it was only fitting to name BLUE after Blue, the songs while touching on the same subjects, come from a very different viewpoint and reflect his personality in the same way that the first EP reflected Red.”

On the issue of Blue’s Charizard Credibility, “Many don’t know this but Blue in the manga was actually the one who had a Charizard, Red had a Bulbasaur… Even a vegan would eat a Bulbasaur.”

The two EPs take on a very different viewpoint of the same world, and the music reflects that, while RED was an acoustic folk masterpiece with relatively sombre arrangements and minimalistic instrumentation, BLUE borrows allot more from the Kantoan Dance and Underground Electro scene, the arrangements are very cocky and somewhat unfriendly, but in a good way.

While the EP will not be available before the Launch Party, you can hear one of the B-Sides from the EP on the official Holographic Charizard Bandcamp.

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Direct Links:

http://youtu.be/kXFAHdBazHQ (“A Song About Charizard”)

http://holographiccharizard.bandcamp.com/ (Bandcamp page)

http://www.youtube.com/CharizardMusic (Youtube channel)

http://www.facebook.com/HolographicCharizard (Facebook page)

http://www.facebook.com/events/159994290807756/ (Facebook Event)

Thomas Begg

+61 424 144 812 – thomas@savanua.com