As a long time fan and follower of Lachlan Philpott’s writing – yes let me list them for you – Catapult, Colder, Bison, Bustown this is perhaps one of the most anticipated productions noted in my diary. Directed by Lee Lewis Associate Director/Literary Advisor of the Griffin Theatre, Silent Disco is the 2009 Griffin Award-winning play and makes it’s debut at the Stables. It’s exciting to see a company dedicate not only an award, but the truly rewarding exciting prize of production to Australian playwrights. I’ve always said, if its worth an award it’s worth a production.

A chain link fence. The city skyline traced in plastic cups. Shall we begin? Read more

As You Like It. Really! Shakespeare telling me what I like from beyond the grave? I’m offended! How could he assume what I like? How I like my plays? I like my plays fresh and intense and unique. So generally, I don’t selected Shakespeare lightly (as mentioned in my response to Anthony Skuse’s recent Julius Caesar and you can read about that here)… and this is my third production of As You like It. The first was as a teenager sitting amongst the trees of the Coffs Harbour Botanic Gardens (I was 16 I think?) and the one after that was a SUDS production at the Seymour Centre in the late 90s… and now Kate Gaul’s production at Carriageworks. Read more

New Theatre in Newtown is no stranger to revolution. With a communist heart and a 70-odd-year history, New Theatre has been at the fore front of making theatre that matters. It has also been a theatre which has been run by a very part-time staff and has been a place where theatre folk have cut their teeth in a Pro-Am/Pro bono fashion. But in 2011, thanks to a government grant, New Theatre have offered 4 independent companies the opportunity to come into the theatre under a co-production (predominantly a co-op structure) to make work. Not just any work – new work. Most of which is new Australian work. How could I let this momentus occasion pass? How could I not acknowledge the shift in identity this has for the work at the New? This is big. BIG. And this program has my full support, as does the artists housed within the program – and the artists who are still under the pro-bono old structure of the New Theatre productions. Always.

Now, to talk about Dirtyland by Elise Hearst. Read more

OK… you may have noticed that i haven’t been my usual diligent self, updating all there is to update… being the loudest ranter on the web… perhaps you’ve thought I’ve been laying low. And indeed I have been. And here’s why… Read more

Things that land in my inbox – here’s some great things happening at PlayWriting Australia… Read more

From the moment my 12 year-old palm was pressed onto the tiles of the Sydney Opera House, I was in love. Not just with the architecture – not just with the harbour and the natural beauty surrounding it in the botanical gardens -but the history, the people, the culture. (Yes, I used the ‘c’ word.) It’s a beautiful place – and an interesting place – a new city – with some established traditions, and a sense of urgency Read more

In the half nest of Belvoir’s Downstairs Theatre, there is nothing to give us any sign of what is about to happen. For those that skim programmes in foyers – or flick over postcards – or read reviews or previews, perhaps you already know. I didn’t. I like to sail blind -I always read reviews after the event -because really, they’re not to be trusted – only because words in print (or online) can only barely replicate the moment – mainly perhaps because theatre is not such a linear experience and our language, it seems, is trapped on lines. Trapped in sentences. But the language of theatre, or memory, or feeling – swirls like thick red wine in a glass, leaving the ghost shadow of a sensation. I sail in. Blind. Read more

She starts. Read more

I don’t see Shakespeare if I can help it. I know, I can hear you tsk tsking. There are many and varied reasons for this – Read more

Try as we might, there is no escaping history. We carry it in our bones, our skin – the wrinkles, freckles, scars carry the impact of a life lived – a life of suffering, struggle that no one can avoid. This tender organ – the largest in our body – constantly shedding, in minute scales – contains our unique genetic information which we leave as a trail where ever we go – like Hansel and Gretel’s bread crumbs. Read more