White Whale Theatre's magnificent MELBURNALIA No. 2, featuring five short plays by five Melbourne playwrights, each set in a different suburb and exploring a different aspect of Melbourne life. My favourites were the two plays which bookended the show: Andrea James' Birrarung, in which an Aboriginal warrior wreaked havoc on a trio of Yarra Tram ticket inspectors; and Aidan Fennessy's beautiful Mentone, inspired by Under Milk Wood (and cleverly incorporating part of the poem into its text), which had me wiping away tears at its simple, beautiful conclusion. A solid ensemble cast, with a standout performance by Margot Fenley, who brought pathos and emotion you could taste to every role; and directed by David Mence. Season concluded at 45 Downstairs.
The opening night of Optimism at the Malthouse Theatre, quite possibly the most fully realised presentation of the vision of director Michael Kantor I've yet seen. This contemporary retelling of Voltaire features Frank Woodley as the eternally cheerful Candide, a piece of casting which didn't quite work for me, as Woodley seemed sometimes hindered by a lack of opportunities to express his trademark physical comedy. Nor did some other elements entirely gel for me, such as a long monologue about rape and murder by Alison Whyte, or the inclusion of yodelling. Nonetheless, as an expression of Kantor's creativity, it's an intriguing and rewarding show, especially in the second half. Showing until June 13.
The opening night of Avenue Q at the Comedy Theatre, a musical that's best described as Sesame Street for grownups, complete with puppet sex, and songs about porn and being gay. A solidly entertaining show which will delight anyone who grew up on The Muppet Show, although if you've seen Peter Jackson's obscenely wonderful Meet the Feebles, you've seen this done before, and more originally. Nonetheless, some wonderful staging and performances ensure that this is a fun, albeit slight night out. Running in Melbourne for at least a month, maybe two, depending on ticket sales.