Blog — Page 173 of 275

An Enemy of the People

Belvoir Theatre

Sydney, AU

October 11, 2018

Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s prominent position on the forefront of the firmament of contemporary drama has never wavered as his artistic struggle against what he perceived to be the pig-headed middle class and political cowardice has found a myriad of incarnations and reinterpretations ever since he put a pen to paper.

An Enemy of the People (1882) was one of Ibsen’s more forward and direct emissions with the protagonists conveying large-type, stereotypical views and emotions that still resonate throughout this day and age – even more amplified through Melissa Reeves new contemporary version at Belvoir Theatre: Greed, politics, righteousness, corruption, complicit press and moral bankruptcy.

Fiery in delivery with well-calibrated and at times subtle comedic nuances, the ensemble lead by director Anne-Louise Sarks portrays the crisis of a small Australian country town; whose dynamics have more than obvious parallels to the macrocosm of worldwide big league political issues.

What Belvoir Theatre’s 2018 version accomplished is an extension of the surgical precision with which Ibsen smacked down the faults of his audience.

Not merely shedding light on the short sightedness of decision making along with the significance and implications of whistleblowing, but by adapting the main protagonist to feature a female lead (the vibrant Kate Mulvany), Reeves’ redux adds another dimension to Ibsen’s play by examining the discreditation and undermining of women in their endeavor to unveil the truth.

Part of the appeal of An Enemy of the People is that it is a play that switches its emphasis with each production.

Belvoir Theatre’s lively staging excels at displaying the dilemmas and intricate fabric of our society by emphasizing and embodying the fundamental and timeless questions that Henrik Ibsen originally raised.

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Photos by Brett Boardman

Mona Hatoum: Terra Infirma

Yale University Press

Dislocation, borders, political oppression are themes that are omnipresent and reverberate through Mona Hatoum’s oeuvre, which now spans over four decades.

In recent years, the illumination of the implications and contradictions of globalization has become part of her approach via either depicting or referencing mundane everyday household objects and altering or combining them in unusual manners with each other to reflect emotions such as alienation, instability and fear.

Terra Infirma is focused on Mona Hatoum’s solo exhibitions with mainly minimalist sculptures and installations that blur the line between reality and surrealism with the intent to subvert the familiar.

Highlighting the divide between technological advancement and regressions through conflicts and war, Hatoum explores gender issues, feminism and politics.

The copiously illustrated tome contextualizes Hatoum’s ominous work with essays that frame her significance in the canon of the arts as well imaginative interpretations which shed light on aspects that might only meet the eye upon further inspection from different angles.

An ode on book form to an artist that thrives on paradoxes and seems to enjoy frightening and entertaining her audience in equal measures with the aim to attack the barriers between art and life, self and structure, sense of belonging and nomadic uprootedness – the terra infirma we all dwell on.

Jersey Boys

Capitol Theatre

Sydney, Australia

October 4, 2018

The 2018 staging of Jersey Boys at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre opened its proceedings with a bit of a surprise: A hip hop version “Ces Soirées-La”, i.e. the French equivalent to “Oh, what a night” set the tone for the performance, which was bit of a surprise.

Luckily, the storyline that ensued followed the traditional narrative of the entity that became known as the Four Seasons, detailing the trial and tribulations of the troubadours Frankie Valli, Nick Massi, Bob Gaudio and the streetwise promoter Tommy DeVito and gang.

The first quarter of the show had a bit of a slow build-up, framed by lesser known numbers but it was not long until the ensemble found its stride and the affair picked up pace, delivering all the timeless classics in an impeccable manner.

What makes this Australian take on the quartet is that the ensemble infused the characters with its own flavours and the value of the production rests firmly on the talent and showmanship of the well-cast individual performers with their standout vocal deliveries and on-point choreography backed by a superb orchestration, which accentuates and amplifies the individual characters’ distinct personalities.

A feat which is further elaborated on by subdividing the show in four components, i.e. ‘seasons”, each narrated by one of the constituents, which with their at times contradictive points of view complete the mosaic leaving out unnecessary ballast.

The fact that individual segments of the show prompted spontaneous applause and eruptions from the audience reflects the infectious nature the creative team under the guidance of Director Des McAnuff and Musical Supervisor Ron Melrose have accomplished to create.

It proves difficult to not leave the Capitol Theatre in good spirits after being serenaded for more than two hours with catchy harmonies by a cast of eighteen performers.

The imaginative stage settings and their rapid, seamless changes of the troupe’s classic rags-to-riches real life rise to success story complement the story – a story of a conglomerate of artists that were firmly embraced by the American mainstream working class culture and the epitome of what can be described as a jukebox musical.

This show is everything one could hope for – no matter if you are an uninitiated first timer or have seen previous incarnations.

The Merchant of Venice

Pop-up Globe

Sydney, Australia

September 28, 2018

The Buckingham’s Company's comedic take on Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is an exuberant exercise in engaging theatre.

Set in a three-story local pop-up equivalent to the second Globe Theatre built by Shakespeare’s company in 1613-14 under the open sky, the forum is explored to immerse the audience to the fullest, making it come close to what an original incarnation must have looked like when it comes to actors interacting with the audience with quick witted banter.

Having seem a myriad of interpretations of The Merchant of Venice, this was certainly one of the more entertaining ones and the bits that were improvised and left up to chance as the audience’s repartees are seamlessly incorporated into mono- and dialogues, were highlights of the evening that often left a smile on the faces both on- and offstage.

The fact that what is commonly perceived to be a play with anti-Semitic undertones, was reinterpreted so that the villain, i.e. Shylock found a representation through Peter Daubé’s nuanced portrayal in a manner that gave an inkling of an idea what has formed his character, that being the mistreatment by devout Christians.

Another connotation the play was infused with to make it relevant to modern times were allusions to current day Australia and the climate of prejudices, justice system and detention.

Despite these modern adjustments, the play was well-balanced and in some aspects very faithful to an original Shakespeare production, e.g. having an all-male cast (with one exception, i.e. the smart Portia, which given the nature of the role could have been a deliberate choice to make a statement) that was a pleasure to watch – specifically the female leads who were portrayed by male actors in all shapes and sizes adding to the resolutely comedic atmosphere but also something that can be further interpreted as a take on modern day gender identity issues.

The Merchant of Venice is not unlike any of Shakespeare’s plays a timeless classic, yet infused with the fresh blood of this New Zealand based production company and against the backdrop of a Globe Theater, it is given a new dimension and thereby builds a bridge between the 16th and the 21st centuries.

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Photo courtesy of Pop Up Globe Sydney

A veritable delight.

Water of Life

Bruichladdich

The Isle of Islay is the mecca for whisky connoisseurs, specifically for ones into the smoky and peaty variants. Bruichladdich is a distillery that reopened its doors shortly after the millennium and one that has first come across my radar with their curiously turquoise coloured Classic Laddie bottle.

Many moons ago we played a show in Connecticut and the after party culminated in the hip hop-phile thugged out club owner handing out bottles of the bewildering liqueur Hpnotiq, a concoction of fruit juices, French vodka and a dash of cognac that made for a fun evening yet resulted in a royal headache the following morning and an aftertaste that kept me from trying the Classic Laddie merely because of the fact that its visual aesthetic catapulted me back to da club.

A huge mistake as sampling revealed – the triple distilled Classic Ladddie is an unpeated single malt of epic proportions, matured in American oak and straight from the epicentre of the Islay region, bottled at hundred proof.

A zesty arrival is followed by traces of nut pervade the thick liquid that rest on a layer of vanilla, sweet fruity flavours on a bed of milky nuances and a bit of sugary salt with a finish that ebbs and flows and slowly fades.

The Classic Laddie is a well-composed introduction to the alchemy Bruichladdich channels as it gives an idea of how they honour the traditional ways of whisky away from prefabricated computerized mass production and one at that, that I would not want to miss on my shelves.

Now, not a bad start at all – specifically for the heathens who shiver on the back when the shores of Islay are mentioned.

Talking of which – you came for peat and smoke? Fret not and fasten your seatbelt.

Port Charlotte is the name of the town in close proximity to the original site of the Bruichladdich distillery and the name of one of their more exquisite expressions.  Again, higher in strength yet with the adage of Islay spring water below to make it dial in just below cask strength.

Port Charlotte is in essence an accomplished exercise in peated whisky excellence. Opening the bottle made me sit in awe, indulging in sniffing the cork of the bottle before pouring the first dram.

What materializes in the Glencairn is something else.

Matured in a melange of bourbon, French and Spanish wine casks, it is gentle with subtle flavour nuances running the gamut from lemons via chocolaty honey leading up to sweet smoke – a lot of meaty smoke with a ferocious finish. Peated to 40ppm peat, yet light and friendly, this is one solid dram for both hardcore Islay aficionados as well as an introduction for the uninitiated.

If you are remotely into whiskies of the Islay regions and you think you have found your favourite whisky without having tried the wonderfully crisp Port Charlotte – think again.

Starting with Bruichladdich’s Classic Laddie and building up via the excellent Port Charlotte is quite a build-up, yet we have not peaked yet – the climax is yet to come:

Enter the much fabled about Octomore.

An uncompromising peat bomb. 

59.3% ABV.

Peated to 167 ppm.

Manna from heaven.

Smoke, peat, smoke, peat, smoked salmon, peat, smoke, honey, smoke, peat, cinnamon, peaty smoke, bananas, smoky peat and hint of honey.

I have had a chance to try the excellent Octomore 7.1 before, but the 8.1 expression feels, smells and tastes gentler. The eight-year aging in first fill Bourbon barrels has left an inedible mark as the Octomore 8.1. finishes with a long, warming elegant embrace.

The dominance of smoke, tar and campfire is combined in a way that makes one wonder if the angels have collectively decided to distil the best of their Islay shares and sent it back in a stylish bottle.

The Octomore completes a troika of Bruichladdich’s flagship expressions, which make it one of my favourite distilleries from the Islay region. 

Each of the aforementioned is one for special occasions and if the circumstances are not special enough, having a dram will dramatically enhance the moment.

For peat and smoke aficionados, I would find it hard to imagine finding something more satisfying than the Octomore 8.1. - having a dram is the ultimate pause button in this busy age and silence the humdrum of white noise.

What a beauty.

Read more Water of Life entries here.

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Photos by T