Archive for June 17, 2010
RAW: Tim Rogers – Festival Theatre
Jun 17th
Reviewer – Jenna Munday
Superbia, Avaritia, Luxuria, Invidia, Gula, Ira, Aceda. Or, if you don’t understand Latin- Wrath, Greed, Sloth, Pride, Lust, Envy and Gluttony. Yes, they’re the seven cardinal sins, or Saligia, and Tim Rogers was in town recently to explain them all.
Running for three nights as part of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Tim’s show Saligia captivated me for the show’s entirety. Taking us through and singing about the seven deadly sins, Roger’s had the packed out audience in awe. This man can perform. He’s charismatic and funny, making jokes about the fact that he did go to school, football teams and asking that all important question, “why did Big Star close?”
In a show put together especially for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Rogers’ seven piece band, featuring Xani Kolac, Ben Franz, Iain Grandage, Ian Kitney, Shane O’Mara and Melanie Robinson, shone. The stage was filled with candelabras giving a very European feel and humorous and quirky illustrations depicted Rogers’ punishment for committing the sins spoken of.
This show deserves to be performed outside of the three date Adelaide Cabaret Festival. I hope Mr Rogers performs it around Australia because it is a truly wonderful seventy-five minutes of art.
Kryztoff Rating 4K
RAW: Why Muriel Matters – La Boheme
Jun 17th
An interesting piece of cabaret theatre, this tells the story of local woman, Muriel Matters, who left Australia at the beginning of the twentieth century to become an actress in London. After at first progressing in this area, she finds herself drawn to the Suffragette movement, joining the campaign to win voting rights for British women.
Presented primarily as a monologue by Muriel (Teresa De Gannaro) we follow her from the streets of Adelaide to bustling London and then all around the British Isles as she takes the message to the people. The storyline is interspersed with various songs; of the time as well as new compositions by writer Sheila Duncan.
De Gannaro does well in the role, embodying Muriel with a likable enthusiasm for life and social change. Her performance is not flawless – some lines were stumbled over – but she has a fantastic singing voice and a vitality that makes up for this. Ably supporting her is Carol Young, providing piano accompaniment and pleasing harmonies in several songs. She also inhabits the other citizens in the story, moving seamlessly from one character to another.
This show is, essentially, a history lesson, but one that is pleasurable and appealing. Despite her being Adelaide born and bred and having played such an important role in history, few people will have heard of Muriel. This piece offers a brief overview of her life, which informs the audience about this remarkable woman and why she matters.
Kryztoff Rating 4K