Back at Tasma Terrace at 10pm for a show in a ‘late timeslot’, I entered the theatre to find very welcoming and stunning show performer (and host) Tara Rankine chatting to her audience and making sure everyone was happy and settled. The audience were about to partake in a party – about literally being in Tara’s heart. There were fun ‘party’ aspects to this show – songs, games, activities and inflatables! At times it almost felt like a hen’s party merged with a cabaret show. The songs were often accompanied by live music played by Maddie Thiele (who looked after the music and lyrics) which was a delightful touch.

This show is broadly themed on the different kinds of love (especially those that Tara has experienced) – ‘Rockstar’ love, addictive (Heroin) love, and friendship love (among others). These themes were explored through song (Tara has an amazing voice!), prop comedy and some very interactive hilarious scenes with volunteers from the audience. Yes – this is a show with a good amount of audience participation (plus the inclusion of some sensitive subject matter) – so shrinking violets need not apply!

Tara magically draws her audience into her stories, and invites the audience into her heart throughout the show. It would be difficult not to be moved by “Love is a Work in Progress” – there were times when I was captivated, and at other times I could feel my eyes becoming moist. Big love and big emotions aplenty. It really feels like Tara pours her heart out for her audience, and her audience returned the feels just as much. Having a theatrical background meant that Tara was often (literally) reaching out to audience members, and I loved seeing so much emotion in her eyes that unwavered throughout the show. I could see Tara’s heart shine through her songs and eyes during “Love is a Work in Progress” which made it a special experience. Like the subject matter, this show is more than just a title – it is quite an experience! If it reads like I’m gushing, then I encourage you to see the show as you’ll find out why!

The show ended on a very pleasant note, with Tara receiving a partial standing ovation –  rare for comedy shows and much deserved in this case. I walked away thinking “Gosh, what a room full of love!” There are some powerful stories within the show – and I must admit the day after seeing the show, much of the emotions and story content occupy my mind. Not many shows I’ve seen have had such strong staying power. Testament to the fun time that I had, I am tempted to see the show again – so I encourage all of you to come and see the show before it leaves town! It will be a show you won’t forget in a hurry.

VERDICT: This is a show that will stay with you – in your mind and heart. Featuring a powerful performer addressing some serious subject matter at times, “Love is a Work in Progress” manages to be entertaining, hilarious and meaningful in equal measures – who could ask for more?

*Disclaimer: I attended the performance as a guest of the show.

Tickets: https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/love-is-a-work-in-progress

 

Tasma Terrace is a period building (Terrace house) in the centre of Melbourne, housing a cluster of small theatres. As part of the 2019 Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) I visited Tasma Terrace to enjoy Patrick Collins’ performance of “Mime Consultant”. Attending the opening night, the audience was friendly, supportive and we were all up for the adventures of the show to come.

The premise of the show is directly described in the title – Patrick Collins is a Mime Consultant and the show is about his adventures in this profession. If you’re thinking of the (possibly creepy) white faced mimes with striped t-shirts, then do not fear – Patrick Collins appears onstage in a neat, corporate outfit with no face paint in sight. Patrick is relaxed, yet well composed with perfect enunciation and well planned dialogue throughout the show.

Patrick received a warm reception from the crowd with regular bursts of laughter and giggles heard throughout his show. “Mime Consultant” featured some choice one liners and hilarious anecdotes that had audience members cackling with laughter. Whilst I enjoyed the mime based comedy sketches within the show, the personal anecdotes made the show shine!

It’s a fast paced show that was almost too fast in some areas / sketches, however this wasn’t an issue as the greater story of Patrick’s vocation as a Mime Consultant was consistently referred back to. Each comedy sketch lead back to a scene in Patrick’s Mime Consultancy office, which I liked as each of the ‘office’ scenes enhanced the storyline. Some elaborate setups made for some fun, surprising moments at times. Over the course of the show, everyday type scenarios became slightly ridiculous at times (but were also made hilarious!) A very enjoyable show!

VERDICT: for a sketch comedy show with a difference that contains many surprises, take a chance on “Mime Consultant”

*Disclaimer: I attended the show as a guest of the performer.

Tickets: https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/patrick-collins-mime-consultant

 

 It’s March and thus Comedy Festival season in Melbourne. This season, I was very excited to see the hilarious duo behind “Woah, Alyssa! 1” – Filip Lescaut and Colwyn Buckland – had made a return to the festival with their new sketch comedy adventure “Woah, Alyssa! 2”.

Housed within the intimate Crowded Within the Vaults: Pilgrim Bar directly beside the Yarra River, Lescaut and Buckland took their “Woah, Alyssa! 2” audience on a party plane full of thrills, spills and hilarity. I’m hesitant to spoil too much, as this show has a wide appeal however I will say that this show isn’t without the duo’s trademark dance breaks, fun songs  / props and costume changes. I can’t impress enough how the “Woah Alyssa, 2!” team are the champions of dance breaks! The songs chosen during the show were well chosen to match the duo’s stories, and much of the time the audience was bopping along and almost dancing in their seats to the songs – it was almost like we had been taken to a club.

Like with previous installments of “Woah, Alyssa!” the comedy sketches within the show had messages behind them – some about the misrepresentations of the GLBTIQ community and other more light hearted messages like the struggles of where to put your donation token when you buy a burger from a certain burger chain. The sketch that gained the most laughs from my friend and I was a sketch about saying the word “Daddy” (in a hot vs creepy way)! I literally heard audience members snorting with laughter at times during the show – a sure sign that people couldn’t help but laugh.

A benchmark of a great show is often that the time passes super quick, and that happened with this show. I felt like Lescaut, Buckland and the audience had gone on such a fun ride together and I was sad when the show came to an end.

VERDICT: Always relevant and consistently funny “Woah, Alyssa! 2 is a party plane to your destination of comedy and dance breaks! Highly recommended for consistent laughs and a fun night out – don’t miss it!

Woah, Alyssa! 2 is playing until April 7th. Tickets / information:

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/woah-alyssa-2

More information about the Woah, Alyssa! team: https://woahalyssa.com/

 

Currently in Melbourne it’s what we call “Mad March” as there are so many large events and festivals starting / happening during March. Later this month, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) commences so stay tuned for more reviews appearing here on the blog.

In addition to my ‘9-5’ job racing into busy season (which tapers off mid June), I’ve also been working on some side projects – one of which I thought I’d highlight here (in a bit of self promotion) as it may be of benefit to any readers who are in showbiz. On Thursday March 28th, Social Media / branding guru Nathan Darma and myself will be hosting a workshop on Marketing and Branding especially for magicians and those in showbiz hosted at The Magic School of Confidence. My focus will be on broader marketing and how to leverage the existing marketing activities you’re doing to better achieve your goals. Nathan’s focus will be specifically on the social media side of things. We’ll also be hosting a Q&A session, so we welcome attendees to think of some questions they have to bring to the event. I’ve been working in various streams of marketing for 13 years, but also have a unique perspective as not only an audience member but a reviewer too so I’m sure the workshop will be valuable and thought provoking.

I know what you’re thinking – marketing is expensive / time consuming / I need to focus on my actual show – I’ve heard all that and more, yet I also hear the same comments coming from frustrated performers who have sluggish ticket sales or who haven’t tapped into certain areas of the market, that others have honed in on. What this all means is like that old saying goes (that has been attributed to many people), if you keep doing the “same thing” you’re going to get the same results / outcomes as previous so you need to change things up if you want to see a change in outcome. Marketing doesn’t have to be expensive or super time consuming. The workshop we’re hosting seeks to address this via leveraging marketing techniques and providing tips and ideas for you to take away and implement in your own plans.

For more information, check out the Facebook event here or Click here for tickets

 In February 2019, UK electronic group “The Prodigy” returned to Melbourne for one night only (within their Australian tour) to spoil and thrill their audience with the their popular favourite songs that were chart toppers in Australia plus a couple of songs from their new album “No Tourists”. “No Tourists” was released in November 2018, giving audiences ample listening time and to decide on some favourites. For those unaware, The Prodigy is made up of vocalist / frontman Keith Flint, vocalist / rapper Maxim and keyboardist / synth / guitarist Liam Howlett. Their style is broadly electronica, but at times overlaps with big beats and dance music. There are plenty of techno remixes of Proidigy songs out there!

My favourite albums from The Prodigy are their older albums – especially “Fat of the Land” and “Invaders Must Die” . I made my recent ticket purchase as a last minute splurge – for I don’t count myself among their most die-hard fans BUT would relish the chance to see them play live, in a world where you don’t always get second chances to see bands play live in your own hometown. Pre-show, the crowd was warmed up by DJs Enschway and Shockone – who played some slamming tunes with heavy beats to get the crowd pumped for the epic performance to come. I particularly enjoyed the throwbacks to 90’s songs by Enschway, and when Shockone mixed in some psytrance into one of his new songs, it was fantastic. Everyone felt energized after their sets.

 I felt electrified when The Prodigy opened the show with bass heavy, chart topping “Breathe”! It made me so happy to watch the song live and dance along. Frontman Keith Flint looks pretty much exactly the same as he did in the band’s early days – still with a menacing stance and glare that the audience lapped up. All the iconic songs by The Prodigy that you know and love were played live along with my new favourites from “No Tourists” called “We Live Forever” and “Light Up the Sky” which were upbeat, uplifting songs. There were plenty of opportunities for audience members to get their hands in the air, and as soon as The Prodigy started, people couldn’t stop moving and dancing to their deep beats.

 The audience itself was a fair mix of people – there were expats from the UK that the band gave a shout out to; punks in tartan with all manners of hair spikes and mohawks; to people in their mid forties upwards with grey patches starting to appear in their hair. Such is the appeal of The Prodigy. Repeatedly, band member and rapping vocalist Maxim would thank and give respect to the audience for attending, which surprised me – as I’m used to acting the other way around and being super thankful for a band adding my hometown to their visit list.

I’ll admit that at times I’m hesitant to fork out money to see bands play stadium shows – I’ve been burned in the past, paying to see a show from a band who played none of their ‘old stuff’ (which was my fave stuff) and social media is littered with stories of performances and venues with bad concert audio. I’m so glad I put all that aside to see The Prodigy. Their finale of the evening was an old club anthem that I assumed wouldn’t get played, but I was delighted to my core when the band prompted the sound desk to turn the volume way up for their synth / base heavy “Smack my Bitch up”. The crowd went wild and we simply wished the night wouldn’t end. Everyone left on a high with a smile on their face.

If members of The Prodigy happen to stumble across this humble blog: please return to Melbourne – we love you! Your music excites so many and we sure love to dance.

 From the same team that brought audiences ‘The Play that Goes Wrong”, for this production they took a similar concept, made it PG rated within the beloved story of Peter Pan. This show was full of laughs and surprises from the moment you take your seats until some time after the show has officially ended! I had missed out on seeing “The Play that Goes Wrong” (clearly a mistake on my part!) so I was determined not to miss out on this production – especially as “Peter Pan” is one of my favourite stories from childhood. With a theatre buddy at my side, we reached our seats only to be bombarded by a cacophony of action happening in the theatre pre-show. This madcap start of the show contributed to set the expectations of the evening of theatre before us.

To describe each bit of comedy / scene mishap that occurs during the show would a) make this review like a thesis and b) ensure no one would be interested to see a future production so I will try to keep this review (fairly) brief. Of course, the production features all of your favourite characters from the Peter Pan story: the Darling Children and parents, Nana the dog, Peter Pan and his lost boys, Tinkerbell, Captain Hook and his pirates as well as a cast of other humanoid animals and mermaids etc. The show is easy to follow, with act signs and story progression.

When people ask me what the show was like in general, there’s one scene I refer to: Nana the dog’s first appearance onstage. There we were, watching an adult man in a dog costume receive belly rubs and pats from other adults (dressed as the Darling children); and then Nana gets stuck in her doggy door on the way out of the scene! This sets the tone of the style of humour in the show – slapstick / physical comedy which was ridiculous at times, and cleverly scripted and rehearsed at others. I also enjoyed the stories of people behind the scenes of the production (that the audience are privy to via some of the characters) – like the co-director(Robert Grove)’s audition tapes and what happened during their previous productions. That helped to bring extra dimensions and wider stories to the show, so the audience felt like they really were seeing a play put on by the (fictional) Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society.

In terms of the comedy, most of it is broadly under the banners of physical comedy / verbal /slapstick and prop comedy, with some mime thrown into the mix. Audience participation is encouraged, which enhanced the pantomime nature of the show  – much to the chagrin of Captain Hook (which just made us all laugh harder!) At many points during the show I heard people laugh until they snort, and I also witnessed children laughing, pointing and shouting with glee. It was clear that some audience members had seen this show (or its predecessor) multiple times as they seemed to know exactly what to say to the actors (and when to say it!).

If you ever come across this show (or one from the same franchise) my top tips would be to get to the theatre early and also purchase the program. The story and background to the whole show and the “company” (Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society) that puts on the play is well covered and extended via the program so I can’t recommend that enough!

Peter Pan and crew have now flown back to Neverland, however if you do have the chance to see this show then DO NOT HESITATE to get tickets! It really is a thigh slapping, ‘laugh til you cry’ kinda show…a kind of show I think we all need to see at some point.

 This is the fourth time a group of magicians under the banner of “The Illusionists” have staged a production in Melbourne, and this is the third show within the franchise that I have seen. I was extremely lucky and excited to be sitting in the front row, in front of all the action that was about to unfold! The 2019 installation of “The Illusionists” featured the following performers: Paul Dabek (The Trickster), Florian Sainvet (The Manipulator), Mark Kalin (The Showman) and Jinger Leigh (The Conjuress), Leonardo Bruno (The Alchemist), Chris Cox (The Mind Reader) and Sam Powers (The Enigma). The production also features Robyn Sharpe (The Warrior) however she was absent from the show I attended.

 I do not wish to spoil too much about what feats each act contained, however I will mention that this show has something that appeals to everyone who enjoys magic as there are so many styles that are covered. I especially enjoyed the magic presented by Jinger Leigh and Mark Kalin – both well respected and award winning magicians from the United States – as their acts contained magic that was captivating and incredible. Both are great storytellers and held the audience’s gaze and attention with each magical tale. Another performer of note is Frenchman Flavian Sainvet (The Manipulator)- also an award winning magician – once you’ve seen his act, you’ll understand why! All his magic was so smooth, and there was one piece in particular that made me feel as though I should get my eyes checked (ha!)

Another personal highlight was the MC for most of the evening (and resident Trickster) Paul Dabek. Previously I’d been lucky enough to catch Paul Dabek’s solo show (previous review for that is here) and wasn’t surprised he’d been hand selected to join The Illusionists -the man has impeccable comedic timing! From the moment he appeared onstage he prompted laughs and I know that I was laughing at points all along the show, clearly due to Paul. In an art form that can be a little serious at times, Paul Dabek made this show lighthearted and beyond enjoyable. Clearly I can go on about this man for ages, but trust me – once you enjoy his work you’ll understand why he’s world class.

Final performer mentions from me are Chris Cox (The Mind Reader) and ‘homegrown hero’ Sam Powers (The Enigma). Chris Cox took my mental image / concept / prior experience of mind readers and flipped all categories! Literally bounding around stage with exuberance (kind of like Tigger from Winnie the Pooh – but with braces, glasses and a neat outfit), Chris charmed the audience quickly with his endearing nature. Whereas ‘typical’ mind readers can come across as a bit scary / creepy with often serious routines, Chris ensured that his routines were the opposite – lighthearted, charming and not at all scary. The level of details he went to when ‘picking the brains’ of his audience members were incredible – much of the audience members were in disbelief. We are talking about ridiculous levels of detail here. Sam Powers had two segments in the show: one segment of classic stage magic and another set featuring a nail biting escape routine. Ever the showman, Sam was all smiles throughout his magic and showed plenty of panache. I very much enjoyed his magical stage entrance.

Without making too many comparisons to previous productions of “The Illusionists”, I will mention that there were aspects of this show that I liked more than the other shows – radically different presentations of magic and greatly enhanced comedy – however I did feel that some portions of the show did not reward those who had attended the previous productions. This left me wondering as surely the show producers would take into account that a percentage of the audience would have seen at least one of the previous productions of “The Illusionists”? Nevertheless, I’m always excited when the team of “The Illusionists” include Melbourne in their show run. The fact they keep returning is testament to the popularity and public interest in magic around the world and in Melbourne, which I think is wonderful.

 VERDICT: Perfect mix of comedy, suspense and some nail biting moments to keep you on the edge of your seat! “The Illusionists” have high production values and a show formula that consistently works, making this show a ‘safe bet’ for a very entertaining and mystifying night out.

*Note: The Illusionists have concluded their show run, but future shows are listed on their website here: https://www.theillusionistslive.com/
They may be appearing in a city near you soon!

On a hot Summer evening in Melbourne, my partner and I ventured out to the bespoke and exclusive Laneway Theatre (within an inner city suburb) to enjoy the premiere of Tim Ellis’ new magic show, titled “ASPYCADABRA”. For those of you unaware, Tim Ellis is synonymous with magic in Melbourne – during the show, Tim mentions that over the years he has run a magic shop, he runs /organises The Melbourne Magic Festival and now runs his own theatre too. Upfront in the show, Tim explains that he has Asperger’s Syndrome (or Autism Spectrum Disorder as it has now been categorised under) and sometimes refers to himself as an ‘Aspy’ – hence the name of the show.

You may think that the subject matter within this show could get a bit serious, however I found that Tim treated Asperger’s Syndrome with care whilst also being candid. I assure you there were some laughs and lighthearted moments during the show and Tim was keen to project some of the advantages of Asperger’s (especially helping him to succeed in his profession, and have a sort of collection of ‘superpowers’). The downsides to having Asperger’s were also mentioned – but not in a ‘poor me’ fashion – rather a trade off of skills (gaining some skills at the expense of others).

I enjoyed the personal nature of this show as it gave the audience a chance to learn more about the magician themselves. In the magical world of smoke and mirrors – where nothing is as it seems -I relished the chance to discover more about Tim and his background. Almost part TED talk, part magic show, each piece of magic was carefully selected to accompany a piece of dialogue or a short story relating to a strength or weakness of Asperger’s. Speaking of the magic, I won’t spoil too much here but along with some pieces of magic that Tim regularly performs, there was a piece that made everyone gasp with surprise. It was an incredible feat of magic that left audience members with their jaws on the floor! Children were in the audience on opening night, many of them chanting “HOW did he do that?!” I also personally enjoyed the messages conveyed via card magic (especially relating to trying to ‘fit in’).

There were many personal messages in the show, but the one that resonated with me (and that was carried all the way through the show) is that everyone is unique – and that is something that should be celebrated. In a society and world that tends to want everyone to act and work a certain way, there’s something liberating about celebrating everyone’s unique qualities. Indeed, Tim mentions that everyone had their role and part to play in society no matter their background or individual differences. Tim also opened up a segment of question time during the show, which I feel enhanced the audience’s learning. At the end of the show, it felt nice to have seen some fantastic magic and to have learnt more about the performer at the same time.

VERDICT: A thought provoking and candid show well worth your time. Part TED talk and part magic show “ASPYCADABRA” is as entertaining as it is informative, thought provoking and clever. I encourage everyone to come and see this show – it is so worthwhile.

Notes:
– this show is suited to teens upwards
– Disclaimer: my partner and I attended as guests of the performer

Tickets and further information:
https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=448181

Hello readers! I hope the new year has started well for you all. You’re probably (again!) wondering where I’ve gone to / where I’ve been hiding these past couple of months…well in a nutshell, it has been a mixture of being unwell (and being unable to go out and watch shows) along with trying to find a new place to live mixed in with the usual holiday family gatherings. It has been a busy time and I have been to a few outings however I haven’t had a chance to write about them as life and ‘life admin’ got in the way a little. I am keen to resume my regular posts and reviews so I hope you are keen to continue reading about my adventures.

I am excited to write that I’m back reviewing this week and can’t wait to share my adventures with you all! This week brings two magic shows (one an International production), along with a play and a fun adventure to a mini golf pop-up experience. Plenty of fun ‘on the cards’ (as they say) this week!

I’m also looking forward to some other adventures / potential adventures that may be occurring later this year (not much I can elaborate on right now) as well as enjoying all the regular festivals on Melbourne’s annual calendar of events – like the International Comedy Festival, the Melbourne Magic Festival and the Fringe Festival among others.

Currently, Midsumma is on so I hope some of you are enjoying all the fun moments that festival brings.

I look forward to writing again soon, and as always, thanks for sticking around and having a read and a share.

Tay

 

 Having grown up in the Western suburbs of Melbourne, I was very excited to spend an evening in Footscray to revel in “Ophelia Thinks Harder” by western suburbs performance group wit incorporated. “Ophelia Thinks Harder” is a play based on William Shakespeare’s great tragedy – Hamlet – with playwright Jean Betts adding a different frame to the story, and of course some modern twists. wit incoporated co founder Belinda Campbell directs the performance of “Ophelia Thinks Harder” and once you see the show I’m sure you’ll agree she does a stellar job.

To set the scene: “Ophelia Thinks Harder” is housed inside the beautiful Bluestone arts space (a former church) in Footscray. Within, the setup matches that of a castle which matches the aesthetic of Hamlet. The stage and audience space was in a completely different setup to what I expected – with the stage being a massive ‘chessboard’ bookmark shaped space, along the sides / length of which sat the audience in tiered seats. It was thrilling to see how close the front row audience was going to be to the performers, but on that note all the reactions and facial expressions of the audience will be on show at times (so beware of you’re a frequent yawner or sniffer!) Each end of the ‘chessboard’ held a small, well decorated set – a castle room, and Ophelia’s bedroom.

Photo credit: Jack Dixon-Gunn

Heading up the amazing cast is Sarah Clarke as the titular Ophelia, Ruby Lauret as Maid, Leigh Scully as the dastardly Hamlet, Sam Anderson as the sweet Horatio and Jennifer Piper as the imposing Queen (among a fantastic array of other cast members). I could honestly write a separate essay on how awesome each cast member is in their own right, however for the sake of brevity I won’t do that here. Many of the cast members have more than one role over the course of the show and their hard work is seen through their reams of dialogue, strong facial expressions and physical scenes within the play. The actors listed above do a superb job of pulling the audience into their character’s world – when Ophelia’s lips tremble and her eyes search for help I honestly wished I could depart my seat and give her a big hug. When Hamlet stokes an angry fire inside each female audience member (and let me tell you – there were a lot of us!) I had to stop my urge to kick him when he was rolling around on the floor (not that I would actually do that, but the temptation was there). When the Queen made her grand entrance into the theatre, she was so striking and imposing – every set of eyes in the theatre was set on her. It was so quiet in the theatre you could have heard a pin drop. The strength of all the acting is testament to audience members feeling those emotions inside. The play contains turbulent scenes at times, but the cast take that in their stride – never wavering or looking tired – until the final moment when everyone takes a bow. A personal favourite character of mine was that of Maid (Ruby Lauret) – consistently helpful and dependable – with some funny and potent scenes too.

Photo credit: Jack Dixon-Gunn

Photo credit: Jack Dixon-Gunn

The extended cast seems to be largely made up females, which in itself is a large departure from the times of Shakespeare which  were traditionally male dominated performances – I found this refreshing. There are times during “Ophelia Thinks Harder” where there are female cast members playing males who then dress up as females, which adds to the complexity (but also adds some light hearted banter).

Photo credit: Jack Dixon-Gunn

“Ophelia Thinks Harder” takes elements of Hamlet, but the whole show is through the lens of Ophelia – especially her trials, self doubt, how she relates to others and her questions. This is where the feminist take also comes in, with Ophelia (and other characters) speculating on what it means to be a woman – the expectations of yourself and those that society thrusts upon you. Whether it be modern day society or otherwise, the expectations and messages sing the same tune. The dialogue is rich in many places, there are many notable quotes that I could list here but I don’t want to spoil the show. “Ophelia Thinks Harder” isn’t afraid to depict serious issues – sexual harassment, assault and partner violence among them – issues which have been brought to the forefront of society in recent times. All of the characters in “Ophelia Thinks Harder” are manipulative and have their own agendas, but this and the pertinent themes combine to make a show that you can’t tear yourself away from – you become compelled to watch to see how things pan out.

There are times when this performance breaks the “4th wall” or comes close to it. The audience is so close to the performers and the cast utilise every square of space – an aspect that I loved. There were moments where (if I had outstretched my hand or leg) I could have touched many of the cast. During other moments, cast members locked eyes with audience members. All this made the show so real and potent. The audience couldn’t help but be drawn into the show and into each character’s spaces and predicaments. A wide assortment of props were used during the show, which enhanced the storyline (and laughs) in places.

The audience seemed to be engaged and enthralled by this show with each scene and interaction between cast members. There were laughs, snorts of derision (especially reserved for Hamlet!) and gasps of surprise around every corner. Scanning around the room, I found many people smiling and enjoying every scene. Indeed, it is easy to sit back and enjoy this show – it is not pretentious and you don’t need to be a Shakespeare buff to enjoy the evening ahead of you. If you are familiar with Shakespeare, there are nods to some of his other works – Much Ado About Nothing and Macbeth among them – to make any Shakespeare fan smile.

Understandably, Shakespearean shows aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but I encourage you to put your misgivings and prior experiences of Shakespearean plays aside. This is the play for you – there are modern twists and references, there are relatable characters and while there is an amount of traditional Shakespearean prose, traditional and modern dialogue and references are combined to create an enthralling, entertaining and worthwhile show.

I had such a great night out and clearly became so immersed in the characters and storyline that when I exited the theatre I completely forgot where I was! We may have been in an inner Western suburb of Melbourne, but within the church we were in Ophelia’s domain.

VERDICT: A fantastic production that will engage, enthrall and entertain. Shakespeare fan or not, it is easy to be pulled into Ophelia’s world and to be thrust into the storyline. It is a show you can’t take your eyes away from. “Ophelia Thinks Harder” will surely make you think harder too!

*disclaimer: I attended this show as a guest of wit incorporated

Tickets and information: “Ophelia Thinks Harder” is showing at the Bluestone Church Arts Space in Footscray until Sunday November 24th.
Information and tickets via: http://www.witinc.com.au/whats-on/ophelia-thinks-harder