Play review - "After the Fall" (1964) by Arthur Miller

 A recording of the 1964 New York production from Elia Kazan, who directed a character based on him played by Ralph Meeker. It's got Jason Robards and Barbara Loden and Faye Dunaway. Fascinating.

Kazan only liked the Marilyn Monroe stuff. He was right. It's the strongest. The informing friend could have worked - needed to connect him with the Marilyn part, made it a love triangle. The first wife - dull, cheated on - is dull. Ditto the third wife - concentration camp and all. it's wife two, Marilyn, that makes this worth watching.

The making of this play would be a great movie/play. 

Play review - "Anna Lucasta" by Philip Yordan

 Yordan's hit stage play isn't that much but was a sensation in its day. He wrote it about a Polish American family it was changed to be about a black one - this "reads black", changes were presumably made by the director and cast though I'm not sure what.

Plot fairly simple - dodgy family discovers a cashed up hayseed is coming to town so they decide to marry him too to the estranged trashy Anna, a prodigal daughter hanging out in a bar and flirting with sailors.

I've seen two film versions of the play before reading this - both faihtful. You could see it working with strong actors, and a sexually charged Anna especially the scenes with her and the hayseed. (Sidney Poitier played that part on the road he would've been perfect.)

Key events happen off stage like the death of Anna's dad (who doesn't have a big part) and Anna reuniting with the hayseed. Odd. Could be adapted less faithfully. Could be musicalised.

A curio. Plot inspired by Anna Christie.

Play review - "Natural Affection" by William Inge (1963)

 Inge's second flop, following on from A Loss of Roses. It's about a troubled teen who stays with his monther and her lover. She's a dreamer who can't resist dick, the boy is senstive, all that stuff.

It's a jolt to read Inge in a city (Chicago). Audiences reacted poorly in part because of that but also the sex and violence - the kid turns into a murderer at the end of a random woman. The work compels interest but you are aware it would need careful direction. 

Play review - "A Loss of Roses" (1960) by William Inge

 Read this because Warren Beatty debuted. It's a simple story - maybe too simple for a play though it would work for a film. An older actress moves in with a woman and her son, who is a young man. The mother apparently is a bit hot for the sun though that's not clear. The woman is a stock type written by gay male playwrights of this era - ageing beauty who's been around the block, emotionally unstable. The son roots her, then won't marry her so she tries to kill herself - this is all rushed through.

It would work as a star vehicle for the young man and the actress. The mother part doesn't quite click. This version I read is different from what was on Broadway. 

Play review - "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune" by Terence McNally (1987)

 This would've had its place in 1987 with TV and Hollywood more conservative, so two acts of chat maybe weren't as draining. The chat is fine but the second act doesn't add to the first. Also he won't leave her house when she asks, and I know that was the time, but it's a drag.

A fine showpiece for actors. 

Play review - "The Front Page" (1928) by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur (1928)

 Walter Burns doesn't appear til half way but when he does this really flies because he's so irredeemibly sociopathic - but you don't mind because the evilness of the mayor and sheriff are established they're willing to let someone die so anyone against them is good. Finale solved by deux ex machina. Takes a while to get into gear then flies. Lot of cynicism and racism.

Play review - "Monster in the Box" by Spalding Gray

 Sequel to Swimming to Cambodia has decent moments but is bitsy - it addresses the success of that movie and its author/star's various adventures: writing a novel about his mother's suicide, going to Nicaragua, maknig a special for HBO, being in Our Town. A little over the shop but entertainining.

Play review - "I Am My Own Wife: A Play" by Doug Wright

 A look at a German transgender activist and spy. One person plays a lot of roles. Some history. The author is a character. Interesting, The right performer I can see it going down a treat.

Play review - "I'll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers" by John Logan

 Very funny, cute, great role, I loved the name checks, the love of Streisand and Ali McGraw and Gene Hackman. 

Play review - "Peter and Alice" by John Logan

 I'm enjoying these Logan plays. Small casts. Famous people. Word play. Not heavy on story. Theatrical - this has the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan meet and chat and deal with their fictional counterparts. Good old World War One pops up to kill loved ones for both. Both have creepy authors fascinating with them. Juicy roles.

Play review - "Red" by John Logan (2009)

 I hadn't heard of the painter. It's not story heavy but full of wonderful words and imagery - painting, art, all that stuff, Bravaura role for whoever plays the painted. I enjoyed it.

Play review - "Swimming to Cambodia" by Spalding Gray

 Heard about these. Never seen one. Gray was a very good supporting actor that's all I know him from. Actors playing suppport characters in movies aren't that interesting but filming in Thailand and recapping the Cambodia conflict is interesting. David Puttnam and Roland Joffe come out of this very well. A bit too much about his sex life in Thailand. 

Jonathan Demme filmed this. 

Play review - "Every Brilliant Thing" by Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe

 Brilliant one person show, about a man trying to stop his mother killing herself by listing things. There is audience interaction very cleverly done with humour, and warmth and plenty of emotion. It's a marvellous piece of work even on the page. Illuminationg footnotes. Really terrific.

Play review - "Buyer and Seller" by Jonathan Tollins (2013)

 Really funny bright one man show which takes a fun concept - Streisand's shopping centre under her house - and runs with it. One actor plays different roles. Lots of show biz in jokes and we meet James Brolin as well as Babs. There's Arthur Laurents jokes and Elliot Gould mentions. That sort. Campy but there are people like this. Fun digs at screenwriters.

Play review - "This is our Youth" by Kenneth Longeran (1996)

 Pretty good. I am still annoyed by that ad with all those Hollywood actors on the West End with the same dumb expression. I get it, don't blame them or the producers, it was annoying.

Decent play. Three roles. Seduction scene. Monologue. Yelling. There's cocaine and drugs and intelligence. Probably better on stage as you'd get the energy of the actors. 

Play review - "Hail to the Thief" (May 2025)

 Well directed. Nicely stylish. A little overpraised. If you don't know the play it's hard to follow. A friend said of this show it's a red flag when you watch a show and can think of its parody. I like the Ophelia-Hamlet dance - she was great.

Theatre review - "Back to the Future The Musical" (May 2025)

 A surprise - my expectations were low, I'd heard some songs that weren't much but this is a really colourful, fun show, a reminder of what a terrific film its source material was, bright 80s and 50s fashion and fun, energetic numbers. I liked some changes - swapping terrorists for plutonium, and having the car only respond to Doc's voice not Marty's. The heart of this is George but the by play between Marty and Doc is joyout and the horny mother gives it an edge.

Play review - "Daybreak" By Catherine Shepherd

 A really solid Aussie play. Good conflict - strict dad, romantic daughter, wild idealist bloke who wants to create a utopia. A lot of exciting action happens off stage - idealist is shot, an escape goes badly. But it works as a whole.

There's subplots that could be ejected - visiting soldiers. The subplot about the servants in love is effective and dove tails.

This should have been filmed by the ABC.

Play review - "A Local Man" by Bob Ellis and Robin McLachlan

 I'd be curious to see how this played on stage. A one man piece, with Ben Chifley talking into a dictaphone, and taking phone calls. It read well, like an essay - Ellis' essays are full of pieces on Chifley. He also loves to write about "oh poor me" and "if only". Mind you there's some interesting if onlys here... if only Labor hadn't lost Francis Forde or Nelson Lemmon (who I didn't know)... maybe. Most effective moment is him going to bed and the radio announces from four days later that he'd died.

Play review - "I Have Been Here Before" by JP Priestley (1937) (warning spoilers)

 A time play. People go to an inn where they have been before. Married woman meets her future lover. She's allowed to go off with him which is novel. Not quite enough for a full play, needed a subplot. Better if shorter.