What is the journey into stand up comedy really like? That was the question posed to me by Paul Richards on FIVEaa on on Friday, February 1, 2019. The interview took place a week after my first (unsuccessful) tilt at Raw Comedy and coincided with the lead up to my Adelaide Fringe show, 2 Cats […]
Category: Media & The Arts
The valuable damaging lost art of reviewing
What is this valuable damaging lost art of reviewing? Or, should I be asking, how do we solve a problem like reviewers? Well, here’s something interesting. I’ve been reviewing for two decades and aim to do a fair job, writing with the subject’s audience in mind. Many performers end up using my reviews as part […]
Bohemian Rhapsody: An ode to silence and emotion
Much has been written about Bohemian Rhapsody and its factual shortcomings but be that as it (Brian) may, there is much to endear this film to those of us who enjoy and appreciate succulent moments of reflection and emotional depth. One of the first things that struck me about this movie was its willingness to […]
LEAKED: Brenton Bock’s next ‘big idea’ for Adelaide
I caught the story last week that Brenton Bock, a local advertising executive, had floated a new ‘big idea’ for Adelaide: a giant maze with restaurant in the south parklands. I wouldn’t mind wandering through the maze, especially if its layout was easily changeable to keep it fresh. But what really piqued my interest was […]
Hypocrisy thy name is modern journalism
My wife calls it getting on your ‘high moral horse’ and I call it hypocrisy. Whenever somebody poses in a holier-than-thou manner while at the same time remaining embroiled in dark, dirty practices, I think we are right to call them on it. And today it is The Advertiser, or rather that morphed mix of […]
If you live in Adelaide, take a deep breath and listen up NOW
I predicted the conversations as soon as I knew the Adelaide. Breathe. ad was being launched on the weekend. People would watch the ad and the audience would be split. Those for it would say bravo, how wonderful, how edgy. Those against would say how stupid, what a waste of money. And then the lame, […]
When did the gulf grow so wide between The Advertiser and The ABC?
The beauty of consuming news from a smartphone, is that you can get a quick overview of the main topics of the day and then choose to dive deeper into the stories that interest you most. I’ve noticed lately that the ABC has recently upgraded its smartphone app, meaning its daily headlines are comprehensive and […]
Thanks Foxtel, thanks Free-To-Air TV, I’ve gotten my life back
A big thank you to the programmers at Foxtel for making it such an easy family decision to cancel our pay TV contract recently. Not only are we now saving money, I’m finding more time to be productive AND enjoy other forms of recreation, like reading. Here’s what happened. We had been paying almost $100 […]
The Guardian Three Little Pigs video reveals truth about Big Bad Media
The Guardian’s two-minute commercial, Guardian open journalism: Three Little Pigs advert – video (view below), attempts to tell the story about how wonderful news coverage is in this age of social media. However, it actually reveals more ugly truth about the media today then was intended. I believe this commercial is the most convincing argument […]
Christmas cards die slow death – good riddance
Had a chat with Glen Ridge on Melbourne Tonight (Radio MTR) this evening in the wake of a Herald Sun report that only one in three Gen Ys and about half Gen Xs will bother sending physical xmas cards this season. The theory is that social networks will carry the cheer and this will be […]
Death in Bowengabbie (****) until Sun, Mar 22, 2009
For once, I can agree with the official blurb for a 2009 Fringe show. This is indeed a “wicked black fat-heartedcomedy about love, loss and the mourning after”. Bowengabbie is a fictitious, regional town that has lost is young people to the big cities, at least until family members die, forcing the young departed to return […]
Other People’s Problems (****) until Sun, Mar 22, 2009
I have discovered a little venue of treasures for the 2009 Adelaide Fringe – The Tuxedo Cat, on the rooftop of 15-19 Synagogue Place in the city. There is a superb array of shows running up in the clouds and they all espouse pure “fringeness”. Other People’s Problems is a performance by Sarah Quinn of […]
Swan Lake (*) until Sun, Mar 15, 2009
Shakti’s Swan Lake is one of those “to be missed” shows. Yes, there is precision, yes it is a good idea to explore this classic ballet, but no, this is not the way. Shakti’s obvious skill is lost in this self-indulgent piece made worse by bad, bad costume choices. There is a certain age after […]
Rich Hall and Otis Lee Crenshaw (****1/2) until Sat, Mar 21, 2009
Rich Hall is an Adelaide Fringe legend. And he keeps getting better with age. His opening segment as Rich Hall is pure stand up gold. Yes, I am gushing a bit as I write this, but he is just so damned good it is hard to sound neutral. Rich happily pokes fun at our habits […]
The John Lennon Play: In His Own Write (****) until Sat, Mar 14, 2009
This is pure Fringe brilliance. A troupe of young actors, I Must Not Theatre, transport us to another world, in fact, into the inner world of a young John Lennon through a play written in 1968. This play is based on the poetry and writings of John Lennon, and captures the spirit of fantasy and […]
I Hate Rabbits (****1/2) until Sat, Mar 21, 2009
James Galea dubs himself Australia’s Number One magician and I can live with that. He has a warm presence on stage and oozes confidence in what he does. So what does he do? He does tricks! It really is an impressive display of sleight-of-hand. James tells us he saw his first magic trick at the […]
Slim Limits – The Second Coming of Gods Cowboy (**) until Sun, Mar 8, 2009
George Catsi has a great idea buried in this show. His character, Rev Slim, is a “disturbed evangelist, dishing out songs, salvation and spit”. When his deep, southern, US accent is on full throttle, it is good. When it slips, the energy in the room slips. Rev Slim charicatures those much maligned evangelical preachers who […]
1000 Years of German Humour (***) until Sat, Mar 21, 2009
The premise for this show is that Germans are not known for having a sense of humour, at least one that embraces subtlety, irony, and whimsy. We were all expecting awkwardly delivered jokes and brutal slapstick, all with a nod and a wink to the audience acknowledging how “bad” it all was. What we did get from […]
Amazing Drumming Monkeys (**1/2) until Sat, Mar 21, 2009
I am a new parent and I need to get used to children’s shows. So, with great anticipation, our little girl accompanied us to see the monkeys. A dozen or so children ran to the front of the tent and sat on the floor to be closer to the action and they created great atmosphere. […]
Extras Christmas Special right on target
If you get a chance to watch the Extras Christmas Special, please do. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have produced one of the most exquisite and searing critiques of our celebrity culture I have seen. The beauty of this show is that it is largely bereft of laughs throughout, as the main character, Andy, quits his […]
The book of longing (Festival Theatre, 2008)
I am seeing this show March 15, although I am not reviewing this show. This one is an indulgence to celebrate Leonard Cohen. Here’s what the official guide says about the program: A new work by Philip Glass based on the poetry and images of Leonard Cohen, co-commissioned by Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts. A […]
The Glass Boat **** (SoCo Cargo until Saturday, March 15, 2008)
Pig Island (yes, that’s the name of the theatre company) has produced a curious work in which a sketch comedy format is applied to a series of theatrical vignettes. I got a strong sense that this show was devised through a series of improvised theatre ‘games’ such is the eclectic, eccentric, zany feel of many […]
Asher Treleaven, Cellar Door *1/2 (Bosco Theatre until Saturday, March 15, 2008)
Asher Treleaven named his show “cellar door” because it is one of the most beautiful phrases in English, according to JRR Tolkien. I know the show’s title is an ironic device, but I can’t help but think, what a waste! The premise of this show is that there is comedy to be had by regurgitating […]
Daniel Kitson – THE IMPOTENT FURY OF THE PRIVILEGED **** (Royalty Theatre until Sunday, March 16, 2008)
Daniel Kitson delivers thinking-person’s comedy. His rich use of language, his elaborate layering of his narrative, and the deep, internal territory he traverses, will leave a pub crowd a little lost and confused. But if you are willing and able to engage your grey matter and scrutinise some uncomfortable truths that all of us share, […]
Sin City, the Golden Years **** (Garage International until Saturday, March 15, 2008)
It’s New Year’s Eve, 1963, in the Moonlight Lounge in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada. We are there, in the audience, enjoying song and dance, while enduring some very dated comedy. There is no doubt that every cast member, from musicians to singers, to dancers, is very talented. There was not a weak link in the […]
The Knowing of Mary Poppins **** (Fringe Factory until Sunday, March 16, 2008)
This is a luscious show from a purely theatrical point-of-view. It is a very layered script, the three actors share numerous roles, as well as each actor playing the lead character at different stages of her life – child, mother, “crone”. The character in question is the author of Mary Poppins, PL Travers. Travers grew […]
20 Something ***** (Promethean until Tuesday, March 12, 2008)
Here it is – my first five-star show of Adelaide Fringe 2008. Prepare for a late night and book in for the last remaining shows to catch this Fringe’s big surprise event, ’20 Something’. Apart from superb voices and steadfast piano, there is magic in the air when this trio performs – Tamara Shinners, Rachel […]
My Year Without Sex ***1/2 (The Courthouse until Sunday, March 16, 2008)
“Mrs Winifred Tickletext, widow and past president of the Pembleworth Ladies Society, is travelling Europe in the footsteps of Apostle Paul. Very British, very prudish and totally starved of sex, she causes chaos wherever she goes.” Thus reads the blurb for the show. There is no doubt this one-woman show is a great acting challenge […]
Akmal – Live ***1/2 (Arts Theatre until Sunday, March 16, 2008)
Akmal is a naturally funny man and he uses his size and personality to great effect. This show seems largely improvised, using a foundation of some standard routines that have the feeling of being used many times before. If you love Akmal, and it is hard not to like him, you will smile, laugh and […]
A Record or an OBE **1/2 (Fringe Factory until Sunday, March 16, 2008)
This show perplexed me greatly and left me asking why it was written. It wasn’t because the writing was poor, nor was it because the acting was poor, it was because the story lacked drama. Chiefly, it is the story of The Goodies, just after Bill Oddie left the trio to embark on a solo […]