debritz.net - Theatre

Give plays a chance

debritz — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 03:10:54 -0700

"Go see a straight play and see how you like it." So says actor Richard Schiff from television's West Wing in trying to dissaude theatregoers from only seeing musicals. Why? Because he is starring in a play called Underneath the Lintel on London's West End. It's about Schiff plays a small-town librarian perplexed when a book that is 113 years overdue is returned. Sounds like the kind of thing I'd go and see if I was in London. But I'd see the musicals as well.

Hale St blues

debritz — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 13:57:24 -0700

As The Sunday Mail reports this morning, Brisbane's Coronation Drive is to be dug up yet again as part of the controversial Hale St Bridge project. Is the bridge - which, in the words of someone in the know, will "completely stuff" the Queensland Theatre Company's relatively new $7 million offices and studio complex at South Brisbane - more trouble than it's worth? I'm a motorist but I'm, also aware of the damage driving does to the environment. Perhaps the council and the State Government should take a new tack - do absolutely nothing to help private motorists in the inner city and put everything they've got into improving public transport. Eventually, gridlock (and rising petrol prices) will force us to use it.

A week of losses

debritz — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 16:21:08 -0700

The world has lost some great entertainers in the past few days. French actor Philippe Noiret, US jazz singer Anita O'Day, Broadway producer Betty Comden and BBC radio journalist Nick Clarke have all been added to my Celebrity Deaths Archive.

Help yourself

debritz — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 15:32:37 -0700

A colleague of mine pre-ordered drinks at the Lyric Theatre last night and asked the bar attendant where he might find them at interval. "Will they be outside?" he inquired, gesturing towards the balcony. "I don't know," the attendant replied, "but I'm sure you'll find them."
There must have been something in the air last night. After the show, I was scolded by a waiter for attempting to take a mineral water off his tray - as I have done on hundreds of occasions previously (although, admittedly, rarely involving mineral water). I gather he wanted me to ask for it first - which pretty much defeats the purpose of having them freely on offer.

Not the ticket

debritz — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 23:20:23 -0700

I just had occasion to visit the QTix website, where one can purchase tickets for shows at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre and various other Brisbane venues. I was immediately reminded that the site is quite unfriendly. It features just a few shows on the front page and then invites users to search for what else is on offer. All very well if you know what you're looking for, but not very helpful if you just want to have a quick look at what's on offer. Yes, you can just search by genres, but surely a significant number of people might just want to browse the "shop window" and, as a result, could end up buying tickets for something quite different to what they were originally looking for.

Panto points

debritz — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 01:38:06 -0700

Thanks to the listener of Spencer Howson's show this morning who pointed out by email that the Queensland Theatre Company used to do pantos many years ago, when the cast members included Bille Brown and Geoffrey Rush. And apologies to anyone who thought I was saying that QTC is trying to revive the panto. If that was the case, there'd be one in the 2007 season - and there isn't. A shame, really, because if they keep at it, they might help create a whole new set of regular theatregoers.

On the air today

debritz — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 14:33:12 -0700

This morning on 612 ABC, Spencer Howson and I spoke about the things that happen on planes and at airports, what time the theatre should start, changes in the news at Channel 7 and Puss in Boots.

Behind the times

debritz — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 19:40:33 -0700

Callers to the Queensland Theatre Company who get put on hold hear a recorded message extolling the virtues of the 2006 season, encouraging them to request a brochure. What a pity that the final show in the season, Puss in Boots, opens on Thursday, so 90 per cent of the message is redundant.

Another of life's annoyances

debritz — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 14:57:37 -0600

Leaving the theatre last night (after seeing the quite wonderful Private Lives), I noticed yet another irritating human habit. Why is it that when people file out of an exit, a good number of them just stop and congregate, thus making it harder for other people to get out? Surely is doesn't require too much brains and effort to move away to one side?

No seat for me

debritz — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 15:01:18 -0600

I now know how Papa Bear felt after the Goldilocks home invasion. Someone not only had been sitting in my chair for the opening night of Dusty at the Lyric Theatre last night, they were still in it - and they weren't going to budge because they had a ticket for the very same seat on the very same night. Nobody could tell me how it happened and the usher, who was overstretched as it was looking after two doors, was clueless as to what to do (so she just started looking after other people instead). I'm just glad a friend of mine was also there, and that his wife had got sick at the last moment and was unable to come. I sat in her place instead.