Egg

Renowned local theatre critic, Peter Wilkins, described it as an "eggcelent production" and I must agree.  I missed some of the gags, it being quick and witty and we weren't too close, but the story of the annual quiche breakfast of the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein meeting in whatever community hall with five leaders / members up front and the audience as part of the action was a strange and welcoming and joyous outing despite the dropping of a nuclear bomb and the need to remain indoors for 4 years and the accidental door issue at one time.  But there were also self-relevations, some unexpected, and challenging alternatives to save the world from nuclear annihilation and all round hilarity and consternation and love for quiches and their and others' eggs.  Great fun hinting at issues and fears that we should be better ready to deal with today, this being way past 1956 and the bomb and the Cold War.  I can see why this won a NY Fringe award.  One thing, though.  We all got labels with women's names.  Megan found her middle name and I did too, but mine was the traditional male spelling.  A very minor and somewhat amusing slip up in a wonderful outing.

Jarrad West (director) led Everyman (?) Theatre in 5 Lesbians eating a quiche at the ACT Hub, the 100yo Causeway Hall.  The cast was Crystal Mahon (Lulie Stanwyck), Steph Roberts (Wren Robin), Meaghan Stewart (Veronica ‘Vern’ Schultz), Sian Harrington (Ginny Cadbury) and Ylaria Rogers (Dale Prist).

Confusions

What could possibly go wrong was asked in the play bill for Spider’s Web. It’s a play by Agatha Christie performed at Theatre 3. It’s also described as “Classic Christie” and it fits as Classic Canberra Rep at their classic venue, Theatre 3. This takes me back in so many ways: the School of Arts buildings, art deco and once the first high school in Canberra; the low rise sprawl out the back bu the entrance to Theatre 3; Agatha Christie herself, one of a period, and challenging and jokey in a way that’s also dated; the Canberra Rep, founded in 1932 and with 550+ productions to its credit. There’s a joyous atmosphere in the place, a tiny entrance and an intimate performance space although with a generous stage, rotating to boot although not tonight. The performers are committed, the characters evident, the complexities were clear if tortuous. Suffice to say there’s a dead man found and eventually a murderer identified although any earlier hints at that bypassed me. But that’s the fun of the whole thing and it was fun and it was done perfectly well. Clever stuff if inconsequential. Nothing unexpected other than a murderer.

Agatha Christie Spiders web was performed at Theatre 3 by Canberra Rep featuring, amongst others, Sian Harrington (Clarissa), Adele Lewin (Mildred Peake), Terry Johnson (Sir Rowland) and Leo Amadeus (Inspector Lord) under Ylaria Rogers (Director).

What is this thing called, love

It's a piece of nostalgia and theatre and comedy as much as music. NCO and CCS and a string of soloists performed Not the Messiah : he's a very naughty boy at Llewellyn last night to a crowded house and everyone had a ball. There's a generation out there that's brought up on Monty Python (I'm of it), so I'm not surprised at the turnout, but to some degree I was surprised at my own enjoyment of the event. I'd gone around thinking this is not Beethoven 9 or Mozart Requiem, especially because of the fairly simple readability of the music. But it's not complexity alone that makes for success in music and I wonder if I'd been snobby about the whole thing. I don't think so but I'd ignored the pleasure of a massed musical outing, of the joy of comedy and the essentially intelligent and well meaning humour of the Python crew and just the effectiveness of our locals to carry all this off.

120-or-so performers filled the stage physically and the hall aurally with a inundation of sound with the help Llewellyn's new phrased array; the orchestra did its musical job, enhanced even with a rhythm section with electric instruments (gasp); the choir sang a treat but also played up the night with discrete props; the soloists were a roguish joy as well as being wonderfully capable as singers; the brass wore sombreros and the pipers brought the house down. There were smiles and joy everywhere and congrats for jobs well done. Well done to Lenny, of course, who conducted this all and to SarahLouise who had done her parallel part with the choir. A huge turnout and a huge success.

National Capital Orchestra and Canberra Choral Society presented Not the Messiah : he's a very naughty boy by Eric Idle and John du Prez at Llewellyn Hall. Soloists were Louise Page and Demi Smith (sopranos), Nick Begbie (tenor), Tobias Cole (baritone), David Pearson (bass) under Leonard Weiss (conductor) with Ylaria Rogers (director) and SarahLouise Owens (chorus master). The bottom-enders were Roger Grime, Lizzy Collier and Eric Pozza (basses).