Shane Warne the Musical was as you would expect, theatre with extra spin, art imitating life, imitating art, until it was impossible to say which was which.

The first cheer of the night at Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre was for the real Warne as he took his seat, A13, in the dress circle, and was as rousing as if he had just been thrown the ball. The last was also for Warne as he joined Eddie Perfect and the cast on the stage for the curtain call and the Athenaeum audience chanted his name.

Originally, Warne objected to the making of the show, a point Perfect also caricatured at the start. Now, he not only had endorsed it, but as good as guaranteed it as a box office success.

Shane Warne the Musical
Athenaeum Theatre
188 Collins Street, Melbourne
From the 10th December 2008

As much as theatre is pure entertainment, I absolutely love when a show throws on stage characters, words and ideas that may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Theatre that is about risk, theatre that doesn’t take the safe option, theatre that inspires debate, praise and censure.

Our mainstage companies usually shy away from exploring such works, so it is a blessing that deep down at the Old Fitz, Peter Morris’ play The Age of Consent is getting a second Australian run after premiering at the Adelaide Fringe Festival. Directed by Shannon Murphy, who recently met with media interest over her production of My Name is Rachel Corrie, The Age of Consent has people all over Australia on internet forums fired up. Ironically, but expected, these people have not even seen or read the play.

Hot off the heels of the Bill Henson saga, we have a play that unashamedly travels the precarious line between innocent youth and adulthood. Based on the horrific murder of UK toddler Jamie Bulger committed by children, and the beauty-queen upbringing of Jon Benet Ramsey, this two-hander is a deftly handled device of intense and fascinating character study.

People love meaning, reasons and explanations to make everything pat and comforting, but this play (and the world) aren’t that reductive. It’s nice that ethical complexity, strong writing and well-directed and acted productions are still welcome, at least in some broad quarters. Catch the play before it closes this month!

Source: Aussietheatre.com

The Age of Consent
The Old Fitzroy Hotel, Cathedral St (Cnr Dowling St), Woolloomooloo.
On until 23rd August 2008
Ph:
Bookings: www.rocksurfers.org

SMH
The age
Aussietheatre.com
Arts Journalist blogspot
Daily Telegraph

The office of Two Flat Whites watched Dateline tonight & a story caught our eye. We heard the opinions of Shannon Murphy, Bren Carlill from the Zionist lobby group Australia-Israel Jewish Affairs Council, and Antony Loewenstein, a Jewish writer who often criticises Israel on My Name is Rachel Corrie.

My Name is Rachel Corrie is showing at Belvoir St Theatre Surry Hills in Sydney & closes Sunday, 8th June 2008. This is the last chance to catch this remarkable story of an activist who has been fighting causes all over the world since the age of five. Rachel Corrie was a wonderful person who lived a tremendous life which was tragically cut short at the age of 23 years while attempting to stop a bulldozer protesting in the Gaza Strip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3JI-axaRF4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa_WFZyN2l8&NR=1