STAGE GUIDE Performances to see this July

WORDS BY CHESTER OGILVIE

You Are A Doughnut

Prepare for an adventure of biology, music and comedy. There are even doughnuts involved – kind of. You see, you are a fleshy lump with a hole (minus the icing and sprinkles). Your digestive system is remarkable, and biology teachers Oesoph A. Gus and Dewey Dean are keen to show you just how remarkable it is with songs, sketches and science. There are enzyme-powered ping pong balls, a rainbow collection of poop puppets and the weirdest poetry performance.

13 JUL

COPACC

RANDY FELTFACE: FELTOPIA

The world is in a pickle. It has lost its way and the GPS is kaput. So what can we do? To whom can we turn? The world needs someone it can trust to make sense of the nonsensical. We need a guiding hand. It just so happens that this guiding hand belongs to a purple puppet. Here’s to Randy Feltface and his voice of reason, courage and integrity.

BENDIGO BANK THEATRE 21 JUL

BALLARAT MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE 22 JUL

The Wizard Of Oz

Some films live with us our entire lives. They can delight us as children and make us feel at home as adults. Follow the yellow brick road with Holiday Actors and the Warrnambool Theatre Company as they present the timeless story of Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz. Join in on an adventure with good witches and bad witches, newfound friends and a most magical pair of ruby red slippers.

LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE, WARRNAMBOOL 15–22 JUL

An Evening With The Late John Cleese

While his Monty Python work would be a big enough drawcard for fans, it would be selling John Cleese short. The same could be said about Fawlty Towers (or Warty Towels or Flay Otters). He has appeared in TV and films since the ’60s and lent his voice to video games since the ’90s. He’s done a lot of living. Settle in for an evening of the afterlife and anecdotes about his career.

COSTA HALL, DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

GEELONG WATERFRONT 29 JUL

ROSS NOBLE: JIBBER JABBER JAMBOREE

Ross Noble’s latest show, Jibber Jabber Jamboree, is his 21st. That’s enough for a personalised beer stein or champagne flute. Now, this would usually be a good time to tell you a little bit about the show, except there would be little point. It’s like giving a toy to a kid: they might love it, or they might just put the box on their head. You don’t know what’s going to happen, and that’s the fun.

KYNETON TOWN HALL, KYNETON 21 JUL

Murder Mystery Night

Was it love? Greed? Envy? Something else entirely? When two kingdoms come together to celebrate a wedding, the young bride is found in her chambers, murdered. The rulers of the kingdoms deny responsibility, but someone is lying. Enjoy a three-course meal as a Game of Thrones-like story plays out in front of you. Relish in a salacious tale about the struggle for power, the lust for blood and the fear of the blade.

KRYAL CASTLE, LEIGH CREEK, BALLARAT 15 JUL

The Sunshine Club

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Set in 1946, the musical The Sunshine Club tells the story of Aboriginal soldier Frank Doyle who, after returning from WW2, discovers the same attitudes and prejudices remain despite the world having altered dramatically. With a will to change things for the better, Doyle sets up The Sunshine Club, a place where all are welcome to come together to laugh, romance and dance the night away.

LUKE KIDGELL: HAPPY HOUR

They don’t call happy hour happy hour because it’s miserable. Happy things happen. Strangers become friends. Fun is had all around. Laughter and cheer fill the room. And everyone leaves in a happier state than when they arrived. All this is sure to be true of Luke Kidgell’s new show as well.