It’s a tale as old as time; a story most children would have heard a version of, about an unusual duckling who didn’t quite fit in. Q Theatre’s adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen classic uses physical theatre to explore difference and acceptance.
Tag / review
Chasing Smoke | Casus
Ushered into an intimate tent past two open fires, the audience are greeted by a mock anthropological “Aborigine” scene. The sarcastic narration quickly sets the scene for Chasing Smoke’s playful tongue-in-cheek tone. Combining circus, dance, and a bit of comedy, this production from Australia’s only entirely Indigenous circus group is a celebration of identity and story-telling.
Spider in My Soup | Bondi Feast
These two girls have been friends since childhood, playing make-believe and integrating themselves into each other’s families, but something has changed and it’s making this reunion awkward. Life’s path only seems clear in retrospect so having a spider friend, a symbol of your future self, drop in to say hello becomes a source of affirmation and reassurance in this production of Spider in My Soup.
Slavic Passion | Seraphim Trio
Arranged as a celebration of some Slavic master composers, Seraphim Trio’s Slavic Passion program could also be said to combine representations of remembrance. Across grief, loss, celebration, and captured moments, the pieces uniquely demonstrate the trio’s range of skill and interest.
Persuasion | the Genesian Theatre
Image by Craig O’Regan
Persuasion is often labeled the most romantic of Jane Austen’s novels for its mixture of love, regret, and a sense of destiny in the lead couple, much like more recently love stories like The Notebook or Always Be My Maybe. Two people fall in love but the circumstances drive them apart only for them to be reunited in the future when rekindle their young romance.
I Hope it’s Not Raining in London | Bearfoot Theatre
Image by Riley McLean
Two beings find themselves together in a Wonderland-esque world with some memories of a life before but no clear idea of how they got to be here. Over the course of an hour, or perhaps years in this timeless place, they build their pasts and develop a symbiotic relationship through which they can explore philosophy, self, and trauma.
Girl in the Machine | National Theatre of Parramatta
Image by Noni Carroll
Girl in the Machine imagines a future where the messy, complicated, and thankless jobs of care are automated. Sanitised of human contact and compassion, hospitals and medical professionals are obsolete, replaced by a small earpiece called Black Box. Focusing in on one marriage, Stef Smith’s play covers the conflict between technology and human connection, addiction, love, and the philosophy of life.
Trevor | Outhouse Theatre Co with bAKEHOUSE
Image by Clare Hawley
In all the conventional ways Sandra is just a single mom doing her best to make ends meet after her husband left her while still providing the nurturing and stimulating environment her growing child needs. The only difference is that her son Trevor is actually a chimpanzee and the older he gets, the more precarious their position in the town becomes.
Anatomy of a Suicide | Sugary Rum Productions with Red Line Productions
Image by Kate Williams
Three generations of women, a house handed between them, and a long history of illness and trauma. Alice Birch traces the legacy of loss and the intergenerational experiences of motherhood in a family across decades in her Anatomy of a Suicide.
Herstory – Leading Ladies | Imogen Kelly
Inspired by the rumours and inaccuracies circulated about powerful women, burlesque star Imogen Kelly mixes satire, comedy, and burlesque to spread the stories of their successes. With the help of her psychic assistant, Kelly summons the spirits of women through time to challenge the patriarchal lens of their remembrance.
Night Writes 