Words to Lyrics Ben Ho's observations from the cloud

18 September 2010

Review: Stories from the 428

Filed under: Arts,Attended,review — Tags: , , , , , — Ben @ 10:01 pm

Earlier this weekend (Sat. 5pm in fact), I went to see Stories From The 428 at Sidetrack Theatre in Marrickville. It’s part of the Sydney Fringe Festival, and it’s got two shows left tomorrow. So if you are reading this now, I suggest you book tickets now, because in short, it’s really good.

Stories From The 428 is a collection of anecdotes and stories collected from the passengers of Sydney Buses route 428 (Canterbury <-> City). It’s presented in a way so that your attention span will not be tested (i.e. short and sweet). As someone who has never caught the 428, it’s an engrossing look into the diverse group of people who fill the seats and aisle. Whether it’s the two old folks, the city worker, the tertiary student or the socialist (oh yes, the socialist!), each have a unique and somewhat relatable story to tell.

I would have thought the monotony of the ordinary bus trip to work or uni would be rather boring. Instead the team of writers and the cast inject plentiful amounts of humour and life into each story. The intimacy of the venue also adds to the experience; it’s just like listening to the passenger next to you. If you have a spare 90 minutes tomorrow, go see this, you’ll smile once you leave.

Stories From The 428 Twitter

PS: I’m volunteering at the Sydney Fringe, selling tickets at the Greek Theatre tomorrow afternoon, next Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. If you like, come along, say hi and enjoy a show. Details at the Fringe website.

5 September 2010

Film Review: Tomorrow, When the War Began

Filed under: review — Tags: , , , , , , — Ben @ 10:33 pm

Notes: This is quick and short review. My election night post is coming soon.

Tomorrow, When the War Began is the film adaptation of the first of the Tomorrow series of young adult novels by John Marsden. It follows the life of seven, later eight teenagers during the school holidays. What starts out as the perfect camping trip turns into a fight for their survival.

Upon the first viewing of the film, you get the impression that it would deviate greatly from the books. But as it progresses, director Stuart Beattie deals with the core subject of survival very well, emphasising the situations that Ellie and her friends have to deal with. Explosions and action scenes are not in short supply, so those that enjoy blowing things up won’t be disappointed.

Character development is another focus in this film. We do see the relationships between Ellie and Lee, Homer and Fi, and Kevin and Corrie presented with subtlety, and sprinkled throughout. As Ellie is the narrator, it’s also good to see the characters from her perspective. There are a few ‘cheesy’ bits in this film, although I think it won’t matter to most people.

I enjoyed this film, and I would be excited if the second book is to be made.

I give this four stars. What about you?

24 May 2009

Inherit the Wind

Filed under: Attended,Reflection — Tags: , , , — Ben @ 11:08 am

A few people have asked me to write a review of Barker’s Year 11 play, “Inherit the Wind”, because they themselves couldn’t get to the play. Having seen it yesterday night, it’s fine.

Note that the powers that be have forbidden me to use people’s names, so I’ll write about it in context.

“He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.” – Proverbs 11:29 (King James Version)

This is a play is based on the Scopes Trial in Tennessee in the 1920s. The Scopes Trial was a rather famous case, testing the Act that prohibits the teaching of creationism, i.e. from Charles Darwin’s book ‘The Origin of Species’. Although the characters and accounts are fictionalised, it does stay true to the core ideas of that case.

The play started off rather quietly. I could sense that the audience was watching closely with intent. As we watched the case unfold, with every piece of evidence presented to the audience, the intensity in the courtroom built up. You could see it becoming a landmark case. Add in the zany journalists from Baltimore and the UK, and suddenly there’s another set of opinions to think about.

While the dialogue was concentrated on a few characters, the acting was well done. Another point to note was the minimal staging and props, mainly chairs, desks and picket signs. Also, flawless American accents.

Overall, another fantastic production. Nothing else needs to be said.

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