Showing posts with label Dolphin Theatre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dolphin Theatre. Show all posts
NOW SHOWING! The Boys in the Band
Tickets are selling fast for our Dolphin Theatre season, 4-14 November.
Bookings are now open for a short season at the State Theatre Centre of WA, 18-21 November..
Be sure not to miss it!
THE BOYS IN THE BAND. BOOK NOW. SPECIAL EARLY BIRD TICKET OFFER!
Grads is delighted to announce its production of ‘The Boys in the Band’ by Mart Crowley, by arrangement with ORiGiN THEATRICAL on behalf of Samuel French Inc., at the Dolphin Theatre, University of Western Australia, November 4th to 7th and November 11th to 14th at 7:30pm, with matinees on November 7th and 14th at 2:00pm.
Tickets are $35 full and $25 concession, but if you book before midnight October 4th using the promotional code BBEARL you can get all tickets at the $25 concession price.
A group of men gather in an Upper East Side apartment for a friend’s birthday party. An unexpected guest and a street hustler arrive. The drinks are poured and the music is turned up. The evening slowly exposes the fault lines beneath their friendships and the self-inflicted heartache that threatens their solidarity. Secrets are revealed, arguments are unearthed, and blows are thrown, culminating in a shocking game.
Don’t miss the chance to see this ground-breaking play, first performed in 1968, recently revived on Broadway, and soon to be a Netflix film. It is as funny, witty, truthful and poignant as ever - AND IT'S LIVE!
The Glass Menagerie - Reviews
Kimberley Shaw in Stage Whispers:
"An interesting experiment that gives us pause for thought and throws new ideas on a familiar and much-loved text. A good choice for those who really like to think about theatre and style..."
Lucy Eyre in Theatrepeople:
"...the commitment of all involved created a seamless production that was refreshing.
Myles Wright’s haunting sound design, particularly the main theme composed by Wright, is beautifully poignant and wistful..."
Gordon the Optom in WA Theatre Reviews and Database:
"...The chemistry between all the actors was impeccable...
"As expected from GRADS, this play is top quality, powerful and outspoken, yet sensitively handled.
This is a ‘must see’ production of a modern international masterpiece..."
Photographs by Myles Wright
The Glass Menagerie - book now!
GLASS MENAGERIE OPENING NIGHT OFFER!
HALF PRICE TICKETS AND FREE DRINKS AND NIBBLES!
We are delighted to present a special offer for the first night of The Glass Menagerie, in the Dolphin Theatre, UWA, on Wednesday 16 October at 7:30pm.
$20 tickets - that's almost half the full price - and free drinks and finger food after the show!
Book online through TicketsWA and quote the code GMR19 to receive your discount:
https://www.ticketswa.com/event/glass-menagerie
We would love to see you there!
Special thanks to the Business Development Alliance, which is a proud sponsor of this GRADS production.
A View From the Bridge - The Reviews Are In!
KIMBERLEY SHAW, STAGE WHISPERS
You will need to move quickly to catch Grads’ impressive production of A View From the Bridge, as it runs for just five performances, ending this Saturday. I imagine that it will be difficult to get a ticket at the end of the run, as word will quickly spread about the high quality of this classic drama.
I was lucky enough to catch the final dress rehearsal, but apart from the empty auditorium and a lack of resounding applause at the end (my companion and I tried our best), you would not know that this was not a final performance. Polished, smooth and professional, this show was more than ready for an audience.
You might expect this 1955 drama to be rooted in realism, with a highly detailed set. Director Barry Park has flipped this idea. Performed on a stark set, well constructed by Gary Weltherilt, we are given little sense of place. It is played almost in the round. with seating available on the stage if you would like to be very close to the action. The show is also performed without an interval. These changes have the effect of focusing us much more on the acting, a great decision given this highly talented cast.
Dean McAskil soars as Eddie, a family man who struggles with the concept that his only child, a niece, may be about to fly the nest. A strong, convincing and highly emotive performance, we see his conflict and sympathise with him against our will as he anchors this show beautifully. Sally Barendse is excellent as his wife Beatrice, attempting to be a voice of reason, in a well nuanced portrayal.
Grace Edwards plays niece Catherine, in perhaps her best performance to date, a lovely characterisation of a young woman maturing and finding her inner strength. She is very nicely matched with Thomas Dimmick, in a stirring characterisation of illegal immigrant, and young lover Rudolpho.
David Cotgreave narrates this show, observes the action and plays lawyer Alfieri with great feeling and precision. Judd Milner is very solid as Rudolpho’s brother Marco, who gives moving insights of his life back in Italy. Good support comes from Emerson Brophy as Louis, and Neale Paterson and Matti Helm do well in their brief appearance as Immigration Officers.
Sound, by Justin Camilleri and Daniel Toomath, provides punctuation and pushes emotions, while Mark Nicholson’s lighting design is bold and thought provoking.
Don’t miss this production that is intelligently directed, expertly acted and very, very moving. A very different take on a classic play.
Kimberley Shaw
FROM GORDON THE OPTOM'S REVIEW, INDEPENDENT THEATRE ASSOCIATION
I am sure the fellow performers will not mind me giving a special mention to Dean, who had the difficult task of hinting at his suppressed affectionate emotions, and then with only minor facial changes, could bring a real chill to the room. Brilliant.
A stunning and moving tragedy. Congratulations to all concerned. Try your best to catch the last show.
Gordon the Optom
Photos copyright Myles Wright
Photos copyright Myles Wright
BOOK NOW - A View From The Bridge - October 17-20, 2018
Following on from GRADS' highly successful production of Macbeth at the Dolphin Theatre in June, Barry Park’s inspired production of Arthur Miller’s dark and passionate classic drama, set on the Brooklyn waterfront, will soon be the hottest play in Perth.
Presented by the Graduate Dramatic Society, the great American classic A View from the Bridge will be playing for a very short season this October at the Dolphin Theatre.
https://www.ticketswa.com/event/view-bridge
Dolphin Theatre, University of Western Australia, 17 - 20 October 7.30 pm & 2 pm 20 October 2018
A limited number of on-stage seats are available at a special price. These can be chosen via the ticketing website.
Photos copyright Myles Wright
Macbeth - June 6-9, 2018
Reviewed by Alicia Smith, Australian Theatre and Live Performance Reviews
Opening on a midweek night where the weather decided to emulate that of Scotland you’d expect that there wouldn’t be much of an audience but the Dolphin was at about half capacity, and they were lucky because this was a great show.
This is a production in which GRADS is once more looking more slick and in the groove than some professional troupes I’ve seen. With a huge cast – 26! spangled with experienced performers like Stephen Lee and Jenny Howard, directed with Grant Malcolm’s the sure touch it’s a substantial offering. Even on the first night there’s an enormous frisson between the actors, quite sizzling at times!
But there’s too many to mention, even though I want to because even the smallest roles – a child stacking blocks - Isaac McCann’s humour and pathos, – a servant – Neve Havercroft’s studied expression - Tim Prosser’s doctor’s concerns both for his patient, and tellingly, more for himself all played with clarity, passion and dedication. Jeff Watkin’s ability to bring forth real tears in the throes of Macduff’s grief is very moving. There’s a driving force to this production and it seems at times to be wringing the very best out of the actors.
For purists complaining that they’ve made Duncan a Queen, not a King, pah – Sue Lynch has proved that she’s a fine Duncan and clearly has earned respect and loyalty. She’s just not going to get it from Macbeth, who, like the audience, is clearly captivated by the amazing Weird Sisters.
Grace Edwards, Sylvia Cornes and Anka Cikic were very clearly of the Other, frightening and manipulative, compelling with their cult-choreography and obscure warnings.
Stephen Lee as Macbeth and Jenny Howard as his ambitious wife were an amazing pair, and the way the dynamic see-sawed between them as one of them would be set by uncertainty or the odd vision of a bleeding ghost at the banquet, and be shored up by the other.
Kristine Lockwood’s Porter was a welcome and hilarious relief from the brooding atmosphere and some great physical comedy.
Shivas Lindsay’s Angus got the first laugh of the play when his genuine Scottish accent (amid so many acted in this play that I can be no judge of) announced that “We are sent To give thee from our royal mistress thanks; Only to herald thee into her sight, Not pay thee.”
Eddie Stowers and Davis McCann you wouldn’t want to meet, well, anywhere, in their roles as Murderers.
I’ve seen Banquos in the past that have been real walking bloodbaths, almost slaughterhouse visions, where it’s so over the top that the effect is over, heh, saturated, if you’ll pardon the expression. But when Banquo’s ghost comes on, it looks like he’s been murdered professionally, with no mucking about, a straightforward job, which is all the more chilling. Very realistic moulage.
Quite in keeping with the play, this is not a tame production – there is real fire and smoke, there are metal weapons and there’s stage fighting. And witches. The well tempered sound effects gather us into the play, and the music – original score by Myles Wright was very evocative. The actors are playing passionate roles of madness, violence, murderous death and anger and other overwhelming emotional conflicts.
If they had trigger warnings in Elizabethan times the ones for this one would be plastered all over the door. There’s one thing I’ve never seen done before in a stage play to quite that extent. (You’ll know it when you see it.) It’s really quite exciting.
Beautiful props – the Weird Sisters’ enormous Cauldron had a presence all of its own, and it was wise to let it have the stage to itself for a while, to allow us time to adjust to it. This must have taken a while to construct and it looks like antique cast iron. The thrones are beautiful pieces of work, I just hope that Banquo’s ghost didn’t bleed too much on them.
If you want to introduce someone to Shakespeare this production would be the one I’d pick – clarity, vision, terrible passion, fine acting, stage fighting, witches, great lighting and sound and stage. If you want to see some blood and thunder Shakespeare this is it too.
9/10 Indomitable and finding the Royal Shakespeare Company and Bell Shakespeare are juggling fire and duelling soliloquies at your local community theatre on the Sid and Nancy Scale.
Alicia Smith
Australian Theatre and Live Performance Reviews
Photos copyright Myles Wright
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