Valletta Harbour

A ferry trip around Valletta Harbour, Malta.

Bridge

Tonight, 52.40%, 5/15

Marsaxlokk, Malta

A day spent in this fishing village.

Speed-The-Plow

Sydney Theatre Company

In a curious coincidence the Sydney Theatre Company and the Darlinghurst Theatre Company are staging David Mamet plays simultaneously and in a even greater coincidence my theatre subscriptions purchased fully twelve months ahead had me seeing the two plays on consecutive evenings.

The STC is staging 'Speed-The-Plow'. Whereas last night's play centred on the theatre, tonight's play centres on movie production. Another odd coincidence.

Two producers propose a genre action film guaranteed box office success by the participation of a major star but when they involve an apparently uninformed temp secretary into the discussions minds appear to change. Is it a case of the get rich quick American dream versus the power of good?

I'm in two minds about underlying gender issues in this play but the performances by Rose Byrne, Damon Herriman and Lachy Hulme carry the night.

★★★

A Life in the Theatre

The latest production at the Darlinghurst Theatre Company is David Mamet's two hander comedy 'A Life in the Theatre'.

Two actors appearing together in a series of plays are seen back stage, their insecurities exposed through close proximity and increasing familiarity. They play features multiple high speed costume changes as excerpts from a broad variety of fictional works are portrayed.

Lovely performances from John Gaden and Akos Armont are a highlight.

Some dead spots don't detract too much from an entertaining production.

★★★1/2

Elle

A French thriller. 'Elle' opens with the sounds of sex and as an image finally appears on the screen the audience sees that a woman is being raped. We learn that she is a well to do businesswoman with some manner of scandalous past dating from her childhood. She doesn't want the police in her life and so does not report the assault but she sets out in her own quiet way to identify the assailant.

This is a longish drama of relationships, most of them tortured connections between various people in  the main character's life.

Characteristically French, interesting but less than satisfying by the end.

★★★

Mdina, Malta

Information about Mdina here.

Some photos from our visit.

The Accountant

A young boy who is on the Autism spectrum is pushed by his military father to toughen up for adulthood. Gifted with numbers, the boy grows up to become an accountant with a sideline in criminal associations.

'The Accountant' is a fast paced action thriller featuring a convoluted plot that I never quite got to grips with. Mostly interesting, frequently violent and in the end somewhat perplexing.

A Robin Hood accountant? Perhaps but I'm still not sure.

★★1/2

Bridge

Tonight, 43.52%, 11/13

The Light in the Piazza

Life Like Company

The Life Like Company staged a short season in Melbourne of 'The Light in the Piazza' a musical based on the movie which itself was based on a novel by Elizabeth Spencer.

In the post World War 2 era, a mother takes her young daughter on a holiday to Florence where she meets and falls in love with a young Italian.

The musical was originally staged on Broadway in 2005 and won 6 Tony awards from 11 nominations but it seems that the work has not been widely staged otherwise.

There are some lovely moments in this musical which at times borders on operatic. This production is quite simple but effective and the local cast is outstanding.

★★★1/2

Bridge

Tonight, 50.15%, 5/8

A Flea in Her Ear

Sydney Theatre Company

French farces are a dicey prospect. They are silly by nature and they rely on spilt second timing from performers and a general suspension of belief from audiences.

The Sydney Theatre Company is staging 'A Flea in Her Ear'. The work is more than a century old but this adaptation, whilst retaining its period, is peppered with 21st century language to deliver a contemporary sense of comedy.

Two women of society set a trap for the husband of one of them to elicit proof of their belief that he is having an affair.

The first act sets up the situation and establishes the various characters. The second act provides the farce with mistaken identities, mistaken understandings and general foolishness.

The second act felt a little drawn out to me but otherwise this piece of froth provided plenty of laughs.

Faith Healer

Belvoir Street Theatre

'Faith Healer' is essentially a performance piece rather than a narrative play. There are three performers. Each appears solo on stage and between them they perform four monologues; three of which are about half an hour in length.

The three characters are an Irish faith healer, his wife/girlfriend and their manager. They speak about the faith healer's days presenting his healing performance, the couple's relationship and the relationships between the three of them.

I usually find such solo performances trying; my concentration simply doesn't hold but in this instance the performances are superb. The manager's monologue (performer Pip Miller) is particularly memorable.

★★★1/2

The Girl on the Train

A woman travelling to and from work by train every day fantasises about the lives of residents in the houses she passes. When she observes what looks to be an abduction and possible murder she sets out to discover what happened but her recollections appear unreliable, even self incriminatory.

If, like me, you read the book on which 'The Girl on the Train' is based before seeing the film then any element of surprise about the explanations for what transpires is gone. What is left is a rather grey, dour movie minus much of the personal detail about the lives of the main protagonists. Emily Blunt doesn't really match the book's description of Rachel, the principal character, but despite that disadvantage makes a fair attempt at the character reinforcing my favourable impressions of her acting capacity.

★★★

St Julian's Bay

Malta reminded me somewhat of Sydney with pride in its harbour and life centred around its glittering sun drenched bays.

This one is St Julian's Bay.

Bridge

Tonight, 38.07%, 14/15

Wilted spinach

There is a news item today that scientist have 'invented' spinach that can be used as a bomb detection device. The spinach wilts when in proximity to bomb devices.

And it is not even 1 April!

Trick? Treat?

Halloween seems to be a thing now; at least in Sydney's eastern suburbs where I live. Ghoulish house decorations are increasingly the go and parents/guardians are taking to the streets before sunset with their little darlings in tow each holding a bucket for all those treats they hope to collect. I gather that is the aim.

I don't know why parents would feel that extorting loads of lollies from neighbours and strangers is a desirable activity for their children but there you go. Commercialism and marketing trump sense.

Here is one of my neighbourhood residences dressed to kill for the evening.