Tag Archives: MIchael Gow

Theatre

ONCE IN ROYAL DAVID’S CITY @ THE NEW

Its Christmas and theatre director Will Drummond is having a huge mid life crisis.

Nothing is certain any more. His parents are suddenly old, his professional world is changing, everyone around him seems to be losing faith and losing the plot and it feels as if society had lost its soul.

For Will, it’s going to be a time of reckoning and a journey of discovery towards a deeper if not especially comfortable awareness of himself.

One of  Australia’s leading playwrights this Michael Gow play was first performed at Belvoir Street in 2014. with BHrendan Cowell in the lead role.

This is a dark play with Will dealing with his mother’s demise as a result of pancreatic cancer. I have to say that I found it particularly dark as I lost my own mother as a result of this very insidious and fast moving form of cancer. Continue reading ONCE IN ROYAL DAVID’S CITY @ THE NEW →

Theatre

MICHAEL GOW’S ‘AWAY’ @ THE BONDI PAVILION

It’s the authenticity of the characters and situations which is the hallmark of Michael Gow’s classic play AWAY. The play is well served in this production by Lambert House Enterprises with good, clear direction by Nicholas Christo.

Gow’s play charts the journeys of three families, connected by one school, who go away on summer vacation. Rather than getting away from it all, each family comes face to face with their issues.

Berynn Schwerdt plays school headmaster Roy who has no great expectations about his holiday as his wife Coral, played by Veronica Lang, is still ridden with grief over the death of their son in the Vietnam War. Coral’s behaviour is increasingly erratic and good natured, conservative Roy finds it hard to take. The scenes between them are played in a very heartfelt way, with Roy getting ever closer to having his wife hospitalised.  

Recently immigrated British couple Vic, played by Beth Daly, and Harry  played by Elliot Weston, are looking forward to going away and are very proud of their son Tom’s  performance as Puck in the end of the year Shakespeare play. Their holiday has a sour note to it as their son has cancer. They want to make the holiday as special as they can for him.   Continue reading MICHAEL GOW’S ‘AWAY’ @ THE BONDI PAVILION →

Theatre

MICHAEL GOW’S SWEET PHOEBE : THE LATE SHOW @ THE OLD FITZ

Michael Gow’s play SWEET PHOEBE is the new late show at the Old Fitz.

This play features a young, very driven couple – Fraser in high finance and Helen – a graphic artist – living the hustle bustle city life. That is until their bestie friends go into couple therapy and Helen agrees to mind their dog, Phoebe. The reluctant bonding with Phoebe goes well until Phoebe escapes.

The trendy couple are mortified and turn their lives upside down in search of their missing mut. Their search is undertaken with the same zealousness as if they were searching for a missing person.   What follows is a journey into the wiley characters of the neighbourhood including the local public housing estates and features some hilarious insights into society. Continue reading MICHAEL GOW’S SWEET PHOEBE : THE LATE SHOW @ THE OLD FITZ →

Theatre

Michael Gow’s EUROPE

Pippa Grandison as highbrow European actress Barbara and Andrew Henry as Douglas his besotted Aussie fan In the current revival of Michael Gow's 1987 play EUROPE. Pic Kurt Sneddon, Blueprint Studios
Pippa Grandison as highbrow European actress Barbara and Andrew Henry as Douglas his besotted Aussie fan In the current revival of Michael Gow’s 1987 play EUROPE. Pic Kurt Sneddon, Blueprint Studios

Theatregoers are in for a genuine treat if they make their way across to  the  Seymour  Centre to see EUROPE, Slip of the Tongue’s very fine production of Michael Gow’s poetic 1987 play.

EUROPE is a quite remarkable play. From a simple premise Gow has come up with a richly textured work, replete with meaning and thematic content.

The premise…. A young Aussie guy, Douglas, and European actress, Barbara, have a brief  affair when Douglas meets Barbara in the foyer after seeing her show that she has brought to Oz. Continue reading Michael Gow’s EUROPE →