A review of ‘St Nicholas’ by Rosalind Moran Vampires and theatre critics. What could they possibly have in common? St Nicholas is both a gothic play and an unnerving moral fable. Written by Irish playwright Conor McPherson in 1997, the play follows an unpopular and self-loathing theatre critic as he pursues a beautiful actress, hits rock bottom, and then meets a group of vampires. … Continue reading “Do we have any reviewers tonight?”
“Do you value yourself?” by Rosalind Moran Breaking The Castle is a work of empathy in more than one way. The protagonist is challenged to learn to like himself. The audience is led through a story that humanises people with addiction issues, encouraging compassion for those who have fallen between the cracks. And the playwright himself, Peter Cook – who is also the play’s sole … Continue reading Breaking The Castle
“Are we a Country who listens?” by Rosalind Moran Billed by The Street Theatre as ‘a narrative song cycle about Australian genius’, Flight Memory is no ordinary play. It explores the work of David Warren, inventor of the ‘black box’ flight recorder, through experimental jazz accompanied by an astute critique of Australia’s relationship with innovation. It’s a rare treat: how often are such obscure, potentially … Continue reading Flight Memory
Saw Maura Pierlot’s Fragments; tried not to fall to pieces by Rosalind Moran Fragments is not an easy play to watch. It’s a series of monologues on mental health and social issues faced by young people, covering anxiety, depression, autism, transphobia, social media pressure, stressful home lives, popularity at school, and the feeling of being unprepared for the real world. Eight teens speak to … Continue reading Fragments
Changing faces: a review of the National Portrait Gallery’s Women in Vogue exhibition By Rosalind Moran Attending the National Portrait Gallery’s Women in Vogue: Celebrating Sixty Years in Australia felt like an inherently ‘meta’ experience. At its most base level, the exhibition invites the visitor to look at pictures of pictures of people, as well as to take pictures of oneself with the pictures of … Continue reading Changing faces
Why Speeches Matter By Rosalind Moran At one point during the Canberra Writers Festival event ‘Why Speeches Matter: Lucinda Holdforth in conversation with Charlotte Wood’, Holdforth broke off from her conversation with Wood and addressed the audience. “I don’t know how many Canberra bureaucrats are here who are across the dark arts of speechwriting…?” A confronting moment for yours truly. From the shadows of the … Continue reading Why Speeches Matter – a Canberra Writers Festival event
Metamorphosis and A Night in the Arms of Kafka: many limbs, much brilliance By Rosalind Moran Canberra had not seen a production of Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis in over 50 years. This month, however, all of that changed. The Street Theatre has just wrapped up its run of Metamorphosis, an ambitious piece of theatre adapted by Steven Berkoff from Franz Kafka’s novella. Directed by Adam Broinowski, … Continue reading Metamorphosis and A Night in the Arms of Kafka: many limbs, much brilliance
By Rosalind Moran What gets us so riled up about diet and veganism? I have often pondered this question, particularly since my mother mastered tragicomedy with the phrase “If you loved me, you’d eat this lasagna.” Discord based on diet is commonplace in contemporary Australia, not least due to divisive rhetoric that paints vegans as terrorists and farmers as wilfully ignorant of the ethical, health … Continue reading Meaty Matters – and our insistence on having beef with vegans
By Rosalind Moran You’d be right in thinking this play’s name sounds familiar. Lucas Hnath’s 2017 Broadway hit, A Doll’s House, Part 2, is effectively a sequel to Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s 19th century masterpiece, A Doll’s House. To understand the full context of A Doll’s House, Part 2, it’s worth looking at its prequel. Following its world premiere in 1879, A Doll’s House became … Continue reading A Doll’s House, Part 2 opens a troubling door
By Rosalind Moran Bruce has come a long way. The star of the eponymous lo-fi puppetry show is quite literally a block of yellow foam, carved from a mattress the show’s creators found by the side of a road. A beautiful example of ‘trash puppetry’. A bizarre, but fortuitous, meeting. I’m delighted to confirm that BRUCE is every bit as zany and fun as its … Continue reading BRUCE: the one-puppet show that turned a foam mattress into a star
By Rosalind Moran Cartoons are well-loved for their ability to capture moments in history, shine a light on the quirks and contradictions within us and around us, and puncture the spin of politics. Besides, some mornings one just needs a visual gag to offset the stress which comes of reading the headlines. Inked: Australian Cartoons is a chronological exploration of cartooning in Australia, from the … Continue reading Absences and presences: appreciating the power of the cartoon
