Melbourne Shakespeare Company gives their new “MSC Studio” brand a highly auspicious debut with this confidently condensed, genuinely gripping new staging of Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy King Lear.
Melbourne Shakespeare Company: King Lear review
Simon Parris
I have appeared in about 40 productions over the past forty years. Favourite roles include Eugene Fodor and Junior in (separate productions of) Crazy for You, Mr Fox in Mack and Mabel, Max in The Sound of Music, Freddy in My Fair Lady, Julio in Paint Your Wagon, Marcellus in The Music Man and Grantaire in Les Miserables.
I have directed several school productions. I choreographed Urinetown and Little Shop of Horrors, then went on to direct Hot Mikado and the Australian premiere of 13. I have since gone on to direct/choreograph The Music Man Jr and Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr.
At my next school, I was Head of Productions, overseeing up to a dozen productions each year and directing another seven musicals, including The Music Man, Brigadoon and How To Succeed in Business Without really Trying.
I reviewed music theatre and opera for Theatre People and the Sunday Herald Sun (Melbourne). I served on the Music Theatre Guild of Victoria Committee for five years as Treasurer and was on the Board of The Opera Studio Melbourne.
I am a keen audience member, having seen 58 shows in six weeks in a 2012 trip to New York, as well as 57 shows during 6 weeks in London/Europe earlier the same year.
I hope you enjoy reading the news and reviews at Man in Chair. I would love to hear your thoughts on the shows covered here so please feel free to leave your comments.
Melbourne Opera: Macbeth review
Their standard ever on the rise, Melbourne Opera assembles a uniformly splendid company of singers to bring out the compelling potency of Verdi’s Macbeth.
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Early Verdi chestnut Ernani may be strong on melodious music but the stilted story struggles to take flight despite an interesting directorial concept and a suite of strong performances.
CLOC Musical Theatre: Priscilla Queen of the Desert review
CLOC Musical Theatre makes a spectacular return to the stage, bringing out the full spectrum of heartfelt humanity in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
Opera Australia: Aida review [Melbourne 2021]
In a suitably grand reopening for Melbourne’s much-loved State Theatre, Opera Australia brings the digital dazzle with their high-tech production of Verdi’s Aida.
The Wedding Singer review [Melbourne]
Shoulder pads, big hair and vivid colours come back to the future in the vibrant Australian premiere season of The Wedding Singer.
Drummer Queens review
A cleverly conceived musical spectacle, Drummer Queens is boosted by confident theatricality and high production values.
Fangirls review [Melbourne 2021]
Not just an original score but also an original and highly entertaining story, new Australian musical Fangirls explodes onto the Melbourne stage in a very welcome yet all too brief season.
Red Stitch: The Cane review
Riding the crest of the oh-so-politically-correct zeitgeist, The Cane taps into the current craze for scrutinising old sins under today’s standards.
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Amassing a list of lovers almost as long as her list of stage and screen credits, formidable Australian actress Coral Browne left West Footscray to take on the world. Her terrifically titillating […]
