‘Scotty from Marketing’ strikes againI
WRITE after receiving a printed handout distributed in my mail box, and the mail boxes of my neighbours in Swan Hill.
It was a letter untitled or signed but clearly politically motivated and distributed attacking the proposed Andrews legislation on mandated vaccination and emergency activities.
That was curious but I then saw the media theatrics of Scott Morrison, so I realised what was going on.
The habitual theatrics and lying of Scott Morrison as he now sides up to the anti-vaxxers is disgraceful self-serving act supported no doubt by anxious regional Coalition MP support groups, who are also falsely bemoaning the loss of personal freedoms.
Clearly they see this as a possible election winner.
You see the only thing Scott Morrison cares about is winning elections and frankly his attack on State Premiers across the country to stop restricting freedom is a lame election ploy to attract votes from the hardline anti-vaxxers.
And it is hypocritical, because had the Coalition, led by Scott Morrison and the Nationals, deployed vaccinations more quickly, then many of these restrictive lockdowns would not have been necessary.
The values of the Coalition and National Party seem to have taken a hard turn to the right just like in America, but should these values, have to take priority over public health?
The answer is of course no.
This country was also founded upon the idea not only that personal freedoms are important but also that governments should be about protecting us and in a pandemic like this, one person’s freedom may be another’s death.
Maybe our political representatives up here should think about that.
Alan Hollway, SWAN HILL.
MAMMA MIA! Review: A Smash HitWITH uncommon exceptions, (e.g. Show Boat, West Side Story, Cabaret), musicals are less concerned about the story and more about the music, the resultant dancing and singing, the comedy, the staging and the costumes.
The theatregoer is out for a good time.
The Swan Hill Theatre Group gives all this in its latest production, Mamma Mia.
Songs are by ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, so the songs are rightly popular, such as Dancing Queen, Knowing Me, Knowing You, and Money, Money, Money.
They are belted out in high style, with the principals in good voice.
The presentation is eye-catchingly good, starting with the costumes.
They are bright, often unexpected and happily humorous, as in a dance routine in which the dancers wore swimming flippers.
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers they weren’t, but they earned the happy audience reaction.
Much sweat and effort would have been spent in rehearsals, with excellent staging as the result.
The ensemble work was of a very high standard.
It was particularly noted that there wasn’t a weak link in the dance routines.
Several times there would be some 20 performers on stage, going through quite complicated steps without anyone stumbling or having to take side steps to avoid the always present danger of a scene-destroying collision.
Equally impressive was that the singers/dancers in the backstage area were as enthusiastic, as were those in the more spotlighted front positions.
It was ensemble playing of a high order – no wonder the audience of which I was a member were taken in by the total performance, joining in the final scene with clapping in time with the song.
Note that I haven’t made any comment of any individual.
A deliberate decision by me, reflecting my admiration for the above noted ensemble playing.
If I had mentioned names of the principals, I would in justice have to mention everybody, including the band, which provided a rhythmic pulse to the singing; the backstage workers who worked the stage changes with smooth efficiency so that the performance could continue without a hitch; the set designers; the lighting technicians; the costumers.
There were no weak links.
All I have written is shown in the program book.
Alright – I’ll make an exception to not naming anyone.
The director, Karissa Box and producer and co-director Cara Brown would have had to turn up to all rehearsals, sweating when things weren’t really working, but kept going, and going, and going.
Undoubtedly Karissa and Cara would have wondered, ‘why try’, when there were so many obstacles.
But Karissa and Cara, the efforts of all the cast and crew, paid off in the end.
It’s worth it all!
NOTE: because there aren’t many performances remaining, this review is rather late.
But I hope it will influence people to consider supporting future shows by the Swan Hill Theatre Group they are doing Swan Hill proud.
Barrie Bales, SWAN HILL.
