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Review: The Hero Leaves One Tooth leaves something to be desired
Charlotte enjoys plays that smash boundaries. The Hero Leaves One Tooth is a play that’s a sci-fi story, a musical and a dinner party drama. Read Charlotte’s review of it here.
Essay: procrastination, perfectionism and Jojo Zhou’s Porpoise Pool
Charlotte is a reforming perfectionist and an excellent procrastinator. Porpoise Pool played at Belvoir’s downstairs theatre about a month ago, and Charlotte’s only managed to write about it (and the process of reviewing) now. Read the full essay here.
Review: All His Beloved Children is a sermon in mythmaking
Charlotte went to a Catholic school and was forced to write an essay on sin in Year 9 Religion. All His Beloved Children is a play about myths, morals, and how we twist them for our purposes. Read Charlotte’s review of it here!
Review: Metropolis challenges what a musical can be
Charlotte likes musicals that do something new. Metropolis is a dystopian musical written in six months by the brilliant team at Little Eggs Collective. Read Charlotte’s review of it here.
Review: Fantastic Mr Fox from the mouths of babes
Jemima is 13. Theo is 9. Last week their big sister Charlotte took them to shake & stir’s Fantastic Mr Fox and then asked them a bunch of questions about it. Read their answers here!
Essay: Belvoir’s Into the Woods demonstrates musical theatre’s constant dilemma
Charlotte is on a mission to intellectualise musical theatre. Belvoir’s new version of Into the Woods is smart and exciting, but ultimately not confident enough in its vision to create something new. Read Charlotte’s review/essay about it here.
Review: SHIT doesn’t quite make the jump from theatre to film
Charlotte is a theatre nerd and Ceridwen is a film nerd. Last weekend they both saw Patricia Cornelius, Susie Dee and Trudy Hellier’s SHIT, a film based on a play of the same name and made by a very similar creative team. Read their review of it here.
Review: the ArtsLab: Body of Work festival is an encouraging glimpse of our artistic future
Charlotte is easily excited by new work by new voices. ArtsLab: Body of Work is the culmination of Shopfront Arts Co-Op’s emerging artists program, featuring two gallery works and three performance works. Read Charlotte’s review of the ArtsLab “marathon” here.
Review: Apocka-wocka-lockalypse reaches beyond the fuzzy wuzzy puppet sillies
Charlotte loves silly things, bright colours and Play School. Apocka-wocka-locka-lypse has all three of those things, plus some climate crisis nightmare fuel. Read Charlotte’s review of it here.
Review: Blessed Union brings the queer family kitchen to the stage
Charlotte is a little enby child of divorce who doesn’t know how to cook for one person. Read their review of Maeve Marsden’s debut play, a lesbian divorce comedy set in a family kitchen, here!
Review: plenty of fish in the sea is a thrilling adventure
Charlotte hates dating apps and loves absurdist fiction/theatre. Read their review of the absurdist play about finding the perfect catch by Clockfire Theatre Company here!
Essay: Nobody Special knows how to be alone
MKA theatre brought their show for one audient to KXT on Broadway’s Vault in January. Charlotte the theatre critic doesn’t know how to be alone, or how to write about anything without inserting themselves into the narrative. This is an essay about Charlotte’s experience of Nobody Special, the show, and not being special, the life.
Kaleidoscope’s 2022 Round Up: the art that changed the course of our year
We asked some of our writers to tell us about the pieces of art that changed the course of their year in 2022. We don’t believe in “best”, but we do believe in the power of well-made, exciting bits of creativity to make us feel things. Read about some of them here!
Review: Purgatorio is a surreal examination of forgiveness
Ariel Dorfman’s lesser known play Purgatorio takes shape in an expansive white gallery at Flow Studios. Read Charlotte’s review of this emotional puzzle here.
Review: Tongue Tied has trouble focusing on its real subject
There are so many stories about journalists out there, it’s sometimes hard to make your mark. Read Charlotte’s review of brand new Australian play Tongue Tied, about Mia the journalist, here.
Review: RBG: Of Many, One is a portrait of pop feminism
Charlotte is a lawyer, and every day they get closer and closer to defecting to the arts. Read her review of Suzie Miller’s (a lawyer who’s already defected) newest, somewhat disappointing work with Sydney Theatre Company here.
Review: Australian Theatre Live preserves a sophisticated production of Away
Charlotte played Meg in a high school production of Away, and has finally had an opportunity to see the whole thing performed, thanks to Australian Theatre Live. Read their review of it here!
Review: End Of isn’t necessary enough
It’s an incredible privilege to be an artist in Australia. Read Charlotte’s review of Ash Flanders’ reflection on being an artist that doesn’t quite hit the mark.
Audio review: Looking for Alibrandi is still searching
In a new audio format, Foyer Talks, Vaanie and Charlotte talk Looking for Alibrandi, what worked, and what left them feeling short changed.
Review: Cyrano is incandescent
Read Charlotte’s review of Virginia Gay’s sparkling queer version of Cyrano De Bergerac at Melbourne Theatre Company here!