Directed by John Sheedy, with Production Design by Alicia Clements and Lighting by Matthew Marshall, THE RASPUTIN AFFAIR, is playing at the Ensemble Theatre until April 30.
“John Sheedy the director, with a sure touch establishes and maintains the play’s fast pace.” – ArtsHub
“Director John Sheedy keeps the action rolling forward at a satisfying and fast pace, and works particularly well with the more physical elements of the comedy.” – Daily Review
“Costumes by Alicia Clements are extravagant and slickly appropriate. The opulent set design (like a room at the Hermitage) is a terrific invocation of late Tsarist Russia” – ArtsHub
“Alicia Clements’ extravagant, purple set is a wonderfully whimsical takes on late Tsarist Russia, allowing for plenty of quick entrances and exits, while her costumes are appropriately sleek.” Daily Review
“An ingenious, effective set by Alicia Clements with essential collaborative lighting by Matthew Marshall.” – Stage Noise
“Sheedy brings his much-awarded skill and vision to the production. Moments of fast pace and tempo are juxtaposed with concentration centred on the gradually changing contortions of a character’s face. Every action and interaction is precisely choreographed; every aspect of each character’s eccentricity is meticulously exploited.” – Stage Whispers
“Full of false walls and hidden doors, Alicia Clements’ sumptuous set bursts with possibilities – surprise entries and exits abound and the portraits that line the wall open to create upper rooms for plots and trysts, not to mention plenty of opportunities for physical comedy” – Limelight Magazine
MRS MCCUTCHEON is heading to International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, for it’s world premier! Directed and conceived by John Sheedy, the film is the theatre veteran’s first foray into filmmaking, featuring production design by Marg Horwell.
Read more here
Directed by Neil Armfield, written by Andrew Bovell and designed by Stephen Curtis, THE SECRET RIVER opened the Adelaide Festival to rave reviews last week:
“Neil Armfield’s brilliantly inventive direction adds the theatrical fairy-dust that makes the play soar…Andrew Bovell’s script for this Sydney Theatre Company production produces some incredibly complex characters who speak some remarkably powerful lines.” – In Daily
“The adaptation, the direction, the design elements, the acting: these weave an experience not only more than the sum of its parts, but serving the higher purpose of illuminating an originary moment for the life of this nation.” – The Conversation
“For all its eventual darkness, playwright Andrew Bovell’s adaptation of Kate Grenville’s novel is peppered with many moments of laughter, levity and elation, songs and rhymes, and a driving sense of adventure. Armfield keeps the action flowing like the river itself around the expansive stage, making clever use of the elements — fire, water, wind and dust — as well as integrating live music, song and dance to create a most memorable and moving spectacle.” – The Advertiser
CABARET is now showing at the Hayes Theatre, featuring James Browne’s stunning designs!
“Production designer James Browne has worked wonders in transforming the tiny footprint of the Hayes Theatre into the dingy surrounds of the less-than salubrious Kit Kat Club.”
– The Daily Telegraph
“James Browne’s set is particularly evocative with its authentic parquet flooring”- Daily Review
“And what a stage – Designed by James Browne and lit by Rob Sowinski it’s one of the cleverest uses of this small space I have seen, and I cannot heap enough accolades on the production team for managing to avoid the obvious and bring a really fresh new look to this production”
– Australian Stage
“James Browne’s witty costumes, and atmospheric setting which includes members of the audience seated at tables, and which transforms seamlessly from decadent cabaret room to run-down boarding house at the blink of an eye.”
– Arts Review
“James Browne’s set and costume design, perfectly complemented by Rob Sowinski’s delicately detailed lighting design, is beautifully observed. The sense of period is palpable, from the battered parquet floor through to the meshed footlights and the peeling 1920s posters adorning the walls. Browne makes the Hayes’ postage stamp somehow bigger than I’ve seen it before, providing Christo with the means to neatly shift gears from cabaret stage to domestic interior.”
– Limelight Magazine
Congratulations to Tim Chappel who won Best Costume Design of a Mainstream Production for his work on LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at last night’s Sydney Theatre Awards.
The Sydney Morning Herald gives LADIES IN BLACK an outstanding review for its Sydney Festival season. Featuring the work of an all-star HLA team, LADIES IN BLACK is written by Carolyn Burns, directed by Simon Phillips and designed by Gabriela Tylesova.
“Burns’ scenes retain the artless economy of St John’s prose and her faultless ear for the language of the times. Director Simon Phillips and designer Gabriela Tylesova’s production is likewise faithful to the tone of the source, a simple, elegant staging using revolves to sweep characters and bits of furniture on and off.”