BLOOMSDAY IN MELB.

■ Bloomsday in Melbourne announces the Victorian première of James Joyce’s only play, Exiles (1918), presented from June 15-25 at fortyfivedownstairs.

This rarely seen play, in Bloomsday’s crisp new adaptation, challenges conventional sexual morality.

“It took a crucial revival by Harold Pinter in 1970-71 and subsequent triumphs in London and New York in 2006 for audiences to begin to grasp its true subversiveness,” says Bloomsday’s Artistic Director, Frances DevlinGlass.

“These productions highlighted the play’s dark humour, its unspoken psychological menace and darker motivations.

“Exiles was belatedly recognised as a new kind of theatre, quite different from the wellmade and morality-focussed plays of Ibsen.’

Long before free love, polyamory, homoeroticism, bisexuality and Thruppledom, there was Exiles

Far ahead of its time, it updates the nineteenth-century adultery triangle, presenting not one but two sets of potential partner exchanges, and an additional homoerotic undercurrent.

It is said to prompt the questions: when experimental individuals in a repressed culture untether themselves from sexual conventions, what gives? What are the limits to freedom in love? What are the dangers?

Director Carl Whiteside says he is intrigued by the energy of the play. “We’ve stripped away the conventional trappings to reveal a gutsy, passionate piece that is as relevant today as when it was written – perhaps more so.”

Bloomsday in Melbourne is proud of 30 years of James Joyce-inspired theatre and bringing to thousands of Australian theatre-goers the wit and edginess of Joyce’s writing.

Performance Details: June 15-25. Tues.-Sat. 7.30pm, Sun. 5pm

Venue: fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Duration: 120 minutes

Tickets: $45-$30

Bookings: 9662 9966 or www.fortyfive downstairs.com

- Cheryl Threadgold

Shakespeare In Love

■ William Shakespeare is in a pickle. He has money woes and writers’ block. Shall I compare thee to a …what?

He writes and acts for Philip Henslowe, owner of the Rose Theatre but Henslowe is up to his ruff in debt and Will wants to sell his new play to Henslowe’s rival, actor and Curtain Theatre owner, Richard Burbage. What a to-do.

Enter Viola. She’s beautiful, rich – and stagestruck. Alas, women aren’t permitted to act – all female parts are played by men. Viola moons about spouting sonnets and Shakespearean dialogue.

Auditions are held for Will’s as-yet-unwritten play, Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate’s Daughter’. Amongst the motley auditionees, one pearl amongst the swill is ‘Thomas Kent ’, a handsome young fellow who wins the part of Romeo

Of course, ‘Thomas Kent’ is Viola and inevitably she and Will fall passionately but secretly in love. All (almost) ends well. Viola flees from her new husband, Lord Wessex to the Curtain Theatre to perform Juliet to Will’s Romeo on opening night (it’s complicated).

Queen Elizabeth prevents impending closure of the play and though she’s enjoyed it, requests something ‘cheerful’ next time – and a dog.

The staging was effective - a raised dais stage right and two storied scaffolding stage left. Costumes were stunning and music enhanced the drama with some beautiful a cappella arrangements.

There were too many actors to mention, but all parts (including a ‘dog’) were well portrayed. Lucas Rindt was an elegant Kit Marlowe. Josh Graham (William Shakespeare) and Chelsea Rabl (Viola de Lesseps) were astonishing; they looked fabulous together and their acting was sublime.

Male Welsh Choir

■ The Australian Welsh Male Choir based on the Mornington Peninsula have performed in many parts of the world including Wales, England, Scotland, Ireland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan but most of all, love to sing here in Victoria.

Join the choir on Saturday, June 24, at the Edge Theatre in Federation Square at 7.30pm on Saturday, June 24, where the Choir will be joined by the award-winning Darebin CityPreston Brass Band for an evening of their favourite music.

‘Men of Harlech’ will accompanied by a brass band. This will be a celebration of music from Wales and around the world, directed by the choir's renowned Music Director, Tom Buchanan.

Australian Welsh Male Choir representative Ian Mackie says: “We love meeting our audiences, Join with us after our performance at the Edge Bar. Meet with our choristers and musicians and experience a great Welsh music tradition, the ‘afterglow’. It will be a night you won’t forget”

This witty play suggests Shakespeare’s life circumstances provided the inspiration for his famous tragedy. Viola, her nurse, and thwarted love, mirror the future Romeo and Juliet.

Shakespeare in Love, by Lee Hall, adapted from the screenplay by Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman, was presented by Monash University Student Theatre (MUST) at Alexander Theatre, and under Yvonne Virik’s direction, was an excellent, hilarious production.

- Review by Juliet Charles

Just a Boy, Standing in Front of a Girl

■ Melbourne playwright Jane Miller and director Beng Oh return to fortyfivedownstairs with their latest collaborative work Just a Boy, Standing in Front of a Girl from June 30 to July 9.

Described as 'a Medea for our times', Just a Boy, Standing in Front of a Girl is a tragicomic take on the legendary relationship between J and M, from teenage romance to domestic nightmare.

The creators of successful productions such as The Yellow Wave and Cuckoo, Millerand Oh are this time presenting a savage and subversive re-imagining of events surrounding a classic text.

This contemporary parable of the patriarchy shows what happens when you're smart, strong and female.

Just a Boy, Standing in Front of a Girl will be performed by Hudson Emery, Sophie Lampel, Annie Lumsden, Gabriel Partington and Glenn van Oosterom.

The show is developed with the support of Hothouse Theatre's A Month in the Country; the original production was presented in 2018 at La Mama Courthouse.

Performance Details: June 30 - July 9 (Preview June 29) Tues-Sat 7.30pm, Sun 5pm

Venue: fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders lane, Melbourne. Duration: 90 minutes. Tickets: $45 -$30. Bookings: 9662 9966 or www.fortyfivedownstairs.com

- Cheryl Threadgold

The Dress

■ Essence Theatre Productions present a return of The Dress, on June 29, July 1 and July 2 at historic Werribee Park Mansion

The Dress is set in 1899. Mrs Hannah Bryden, a widow, enjoys nothing save for the occasional company of her dressmaker, the flamboyant Mr Bertin. But when massive advances in the fashion industry jeopardise Bertin's livelihood, he hatches a plan to save both of them from obscurity. Hannah must launch herself once more as one of Melbourne's leading socialites at an upcoming masquerade ball in the most jaw-dropping fashion statement Berlin has ever created. Two unlikely allies racing to regain their spark of life.

Performers include Alaine Beek and Scott Jackson, with cellist Patrick Schnur. Performance Details: June 29 - July 1 at 8pm, July 2 at 7pm. Location: Werribee Park Mansion, K Road, Werribee South. Bookings: www.essencetheatre.productions

The Australian Welsh Male Choir, are renowned for their harmonies and performances. The choir is heading for its 50th birthday next year and ‘Bold as Brass’ is the first of several concerts they are performing leading up to their exciting ‘50th Birthday Outback Tour’ in 2024.

The choir’s Outback Tour by bus will include performances in towns right acrossAustralia, at places that probably have never heard a Welsh choir before.

They will sing in pubs, community halls, village greens and sharing music with many indigenous communities along the way. The choir will also perform at the Desert Song Festival in Alice Springs, in Canberra where they will perform at Parliament House and finally at the Sydney Opera House before returning home to Melbourne.

Tickets online: www.eventbright/ australianwelsh/boldasbrass

Metro Comic Con

■ Metro Comic Con is coming to the Melbourne Showgrounds on July8-9, and bringing with it a showcase of pop culture, stars of the big and small screen, talented artists and family-friendly fun.

Guests already announced for the first event are: actors Henry Thomas (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), Dee Wallace (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), Kim Coates (Sons ofAnarchy), Tommy Flanagan (Sons of Anarchy), Vico Ortiz (Our Flag Means Death), Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), Brendan Fehr (Roswell) and Katy O’Brian (The Mandalorian)

Also appearing are voice actor Daman Mills (Dragon Ball Super, Fighting Fantasy VII Remake), writers Andrew Constant, Christopher Sequeira and Jason Franks, iIllustrators and comic artists Glenn Fabry, Dr. Paul Mason, Nicola Scott, Daniel Picciotto, Jon Sommariva, Jamie Johnson, Dillon Naylor, W. Chew 'Chewie' Chan, David Dunstan, Jason Palmer and Mike McKone.

From Indigiverse Comics are co-founder, Benny Eggmolesse; artist Katie HoughtonWard; writer Scott Wilson.

Gestalt Comics: Editor-in-Chief,Wolfgang Bylsma; Editor and writer, Gary Proudley; artist,Trev Wood; artist, Jake Bartok; artist, Mitch Collins.

The event will feature Q&A sessions, informative panels, photo and autograph opportunities, and appearances by local and international stars. All this will be alongside an array of pop culture exhibitors, activities, cosplay opportunities, fan and professional artist stalls, merchandise and more.

Spectacular

■ Te 2023 Victorian State Schools Spectacular returns for its annual extravaganza for two shows on Saturday, September 9, at 1pm and 6:30pm at John Cain Arena

Tickets to this year’s Victorian State Schools Spectacular are on sale now at www.ticketek.com.au/spectacular

More than 2000 Victorian students are on an extraordinary eight-month creative journey, culminating in the shows.