Lynn Belvedere

SHORT AND SWEET WILDCARDS WEEK 5

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Emmanuell Aroney and Sandy Velini in Hilary King’s GREAT EXPECTATIONS IN THE OFFICE OF NOSTALGIA

Wildcards Programme Week 5 of Short+Sweet Sydney 2014 Festival, had nine new short plays this afternoon.  A little bit of clever comedy with some drama to entertain, and to make you think and to challenge your imagination.

JUSTICE by Dona Parise and directed by Michael McCrann. CAST: Matt Burke and Huw Jones. Mistaken identity kidnap drama of witness protection victim, because of 17 Dec 1987 rape of the sister, and will justice prevail?

PLANE CRAZY by Kathy Petrakis. Holly Butler directs a huge ensemble cast    CAST: Kylie Swain, Paul Barbary, Richard Littlehales, Wayne Mitchell, Michael Smith, Paul Hlailel and Raechel Carlsen. Flight 666 to Los Angeles, has renegade cop creating over the top comedy, with the mistaken ‘terrorist onboard’ or was that ‘ten arrests abroad’?

KINKED written by Cootamundra’s Julie Smith and directed by Katrina Papadopoulos.   CAST: Adam Marsden, Rosemae Monte, Rachael Wah Day and Colin Defries. Happy Birthday Joy, cringe-worthy comedy  as reluctant businessman tries to get street walker to move on, despite suddenly being recognised.

DEVIL IN LOVE by Nick Davies and directed by Kate Bookalil.   CAST: Amanda Mikhael (The Devil), Omar Al Sobky (GOD) and writer Nick (Ricky Dive).  Classic comedy turn with the best GOD you will ever hope to meet, was a huge hit with the audience. The female devil, tries to seduce her favourite fallen angel until GOD unexpectedly intervenes.  Will the devil resign, or will true love conquer all?

THE VIOLIN PLAYER by Rosa C and directed by Bernice Breckon,     CAST: Christian Valle  (Pietro), David Prickett (Paul), Noemie Junot (Maria), Nicolas Fancois (Vincente) and Ciara Drew (Daphne). Unexpected complex drama of father acknowledging abandoned Italian son from a small Italian village. The son is invited to fly to Australia, to finally meet dad as well as the new wife and newborn son.  What was hidden inside the violin case?

OH! INDIA by Cindy Neilson.  Shourya Nidhi from ITC Quantum directs.   CAST: Ravi Channa, Marcelle Wever and Arni Dhamoon. Huge Indian comedy as the tuktuk driver Ravi gilds the lily with extra tuktuk taxes, and gets the very expensive better of the Australian passenger Marcelle in Delhi. “When in India do as the Indians do – just do nothing.”

GREAT EXPECTATIONS IN THE OFFICE OF NOSTALGIA by Hilary King and Sam Thomas directing.   CAST: Emmanuell Aroney, Sandy Velini, Phoebe Plasto and Dave Kirkham. Delightful and clever comedy set in the future at the Department of Relationships, Partnerships and Romantic Entanglements.  An arranged marriage as selected by a government computer, falls apart in under ten minutes as the young teenage bride-to-be learns far too much about her old-age groom, and they both find another chance for love. Another audience pleaser.

STARGAZERS by Toby Teh. Marley Erueti directs.    CAST: Scott Stein and Kristina Moschella.  Diagnosed with cancer, so is it in the stars tonight, for her to accept the unexpected  marriage proposal from her best friend of fifteen years?

RE-RUN REHAB written and directed by Cass Beasley     CAST: Keira Bird, Tamsin Rennie, Rhianne Evelyn-Ross, Rob Johnson, Harry Milas and Cass Beasley.  First-rate comedy where screenwriter’s favourite childhood characters take over her life, and she re-learns she is  meant to write brand-new ‘hero girls’ into her next screenplay.

Short and Sweet Wildcards Week 5 played at the King Street Theatre, Newtown between Saturday 8th o Monday 10th February.

Published by Lynn Belvedere

Once we were old enough, my parents took the whole family to the Sydney CBD cinemas every week. Thus began a lifetime interest, in going to the cinema every week, and became a passionate cinephile by watching all those very heavily edited ''Australian Film Censorship Board'' true cinéaste versions of brand new release ''Cinematograph Films''. Greater Union always gave my father (who worked in Cinema Distribution Exhibition) guest double movie passes, to every first-night ''red carpet Opening Night'' at The State Theatre Cinema at 49 Market Street. Up until his death, my dad always received ''two house seats'' for every Opening Night performance events at the Theatre Royal SYDNEY and at Her Majesty's Theatre SYDNEY. As a child, when mum choose not to go, I often went with him, to those live performance events. As a young child, I remember being taken for each new show, at both The New Theatre at 60 Sussex Street, and the Phillip Street Theatre when located at 150 Elizabeth Street, and for classical music concerts at Sydney Town Hall. = = = ★★★★★ = = = Being happy is a choice, and I have always viewed my life, as material ready be made into a series of amazing tentpole movies. My New Years Resolution is kept every year: ''Get to see/review five new live theatre shows each week, and get to see/review six new cinema movies each week'', plus is one of the Australian Cinema Pioneers, and apparently have seen far too much already, but always wanting to experience more and more each year. I am also able to do almost everything that I enjoy doing. Yes, I do have a great daytime job in I.T. as ''Software Design Project Manager'', PLUS each evening until quite late - - - Australian Cinematograph Films historical censorship consultant - product-placement consultant - mystery-shopper consultant - playwright, writer, author, director, producer, photographer, cinematographer, color-grader, subtitles proofreader - arts/ drama/ music/ film critic and judge, journalist, member FIPRESCI & FCCA & AFCA, member AACTA accredited film reviewer-critic-writer, accredited IMDB.COM critic-reviewer-author, projectionist, plus an innovative iconoclast - - - ★★★★★ LYNN BELVEDERE ★★★★★ - - - [usr 5] - - -