Review of The Histrionic (Der Theatermacher)

The Histrionic is a deliciously devilish spin on the inner (and outer) most thoughts of every uber-egotistical actor to date. Served with generous lashings of frittata soup and performed to a tea by headliner Billie Brown, the Malthouse/Sydney Theatre Company collaboration will have the dullest of theatregoers giggling like Japanese schoolgirls.

Set solely in the inn of a rustic Austrian town named Utzbach, with a pigsty and numerous mentions of blood sausage to boot, actor Bruscon (Brown) struggles to patch together a workable performance of his ‘worldly masterpiece’, The Wheel of History.

Brown’s performance as self-indulgent Bruscon is exaggerated perfection, ringing true for an eccentric playwright who declares himself the greatest in “the history of the world.” Bruscon consistently critiques his family’s acting abilities and nitpicks at his wife’s ailing predicament (she’s allergic to the smell of pigs), drawing a fine line between narcissism and his misogynistic fanfare. Through and through, his brash personality is complimented with the supporting cast’s fine accompaniment.

Barry Otto sidelines as the twitching, terror-filled innkeeper, aiming to please his tempestuous guest. His performance was enriched by his wife and daughter’s humorous country-bumpkin background shenanigans, yet the entire play succumbs to Brown’s hedonistic, attention-grabbing monologues – a guilty eye-opening, hate-filling pleasure for all.

Writer Thomas Bernhard innocently criticises his Alpine motherland with insults ranging from a light-hearted attack of Austria’s ignorant infatuation with Hitler to the lack of culinary delights. Marg Horwell’s set design and Daniel Schlusser’s directorial skills shine through in the effectiveness of staging rampant familial chaos.

Tickets are well worth the student-friendly price tag. So save up the moolah for a cultural night on the town and rather than those extra puke-inducing vodka shots, consider a pre-performance cocktail at the Wharf Bar. Because we all enjoy being that little bit classy.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
By Ryan Auberson-Walsh

This review was first published online at the Vertigo Magazine website.

Sickness, snow and skiing.

Can you guess the link between the three words above?
No, I wasn’t ill in the snow whilst skiing down a mountain… too literal.

Yesterday I got back from three days in southern Germany staying at my second host family’s winter apartment. From there we could take the fifteen minute drive each day across the border into various Austrian ski resorts. One I remember distinctly was in Unken, simply because I didn’t actually go skiing… Two evenings before I became incredibly sick… here comes the graphic description kiddos. ;]
Lots of vomiting to the point of being physically drained… I ended up in complete pain with a serious stomach ache, head ache and a lack of food in my belly… I couldn’t eat for the next 24 hours. I was bed ridden… and it sucked.

The next day however I felt a bit better, and fit enough at least to go outside and get some fresh air. So I went with my host family to ski area Almenwelt Lofer, and instead of skiing, spent a few hours wandering the mountains and getting lost, then later wandering the cute little Austrian town down below.

I’m happy to say I’m now a lot better. Thank the heavens for pain medicine… it made my agony bearable. I’m also happy to announce that the photos aren’t too bad… although the shotty weather didn’t help my little digital camera much… :p

Wishing all the vomiters a fun trip back to recovery.
Ryan
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Interested in Innsbruck?

Not so much as I am, for sure. I have a little crush on Austria, I’m not going to lie. Ever since wandering by in April, I’ve craved a trip to one of Österreich’s gorgeous cities.

A country of culture, Innsbruck certainly doesn’t let down that reputation. Heading off with my host mum, Sam and that gorgeous French girl from the day before, we stopped numerous times on the way to take in the gorgeous views of the Bavarian Alps. :]

Some of the lovely little stops included Ettal Abbey, Klais and Swarovski Kristallwelten (Crystal World).

We eventually made it to Innsbruck’s centre just before sunset, and had enough time to head up to Hungerburg with a cable railway, where we visited a tiny little Christmas Market claiming to be at the highest altitude of any in Austria. From that point, we could peer over the vast valley that was Innsbruck.

Here are some of the photos from our adventurous day!

Lots of love from snowy Europe,
Ryan
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When Ignorance Isn’t Bliss

There are [many] times a year when I look at myself in the mirror and see how far in my life I’ve come to become the strong person I am here today. And with assistance from one little thing, I’ve been comfortable and happy living in this world… completely ignorant (and perhaps beneficially intentionally). It means that I’ve never looked deep into the negative aspects of the universe… but there have been numerous occasions this year when I’ve found that clichéd expression is really out of tune.

Ignorance is not bliss. Living in another country for a year, I’ve been asked a number of questions about my country, and not all of them have been roses. They’ll go from the silly and absurd, to the amusing and plain insulting.

Here below I’ve included a short list of some of my favourite questions, along with a few that other exchange students from Australia have been asked about our motherland.

1. Is there winter in Australia? – Sweden
2. Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia? – Denmark
3. Can you buy potatoes in Australia? – Germany
4. Does it rain in Australia? – Denmark
5. Do you have chocolate in Australia? – Switzerland
6. Are there cows in Australia? – Germany
7. Do people drink milk in Australia? – Finland
8. Do you have facebook in Australia? – Belgium
9. Is there a bridge between Australia and New Zealand? – Sweden
10. What type of washing machine does one use in Australia? – Norway
11. You speak Australian in Australia, right? – Denmark
12. Have you heard of wireless internet? – Sweden
13. Where exactly in America is Melbourne? – Austria
14. What language do you speak in Australia? – Germany
15. Don’t you have giraffes in Australia? No? What about Lions? – Denmark
16. Is it true you have a kangaroo in your garage instead of a car? – Germany
17. Do you have hot water in Australia? – Austria 
18. Have you ever met an aboriginal? – Switzerland
19. Do you have mobiles in Australia? – Denmark
20. Don’t you speak spanish in Australia? – Brazil
and last but not least, a girl from Perth got asked this:
21. Have you ever walked to Sydney? – Austria

So my dear friends, I have to point something out… don’t ask dumb questions… in this day and age, I’m certain most countries have access to milk, chocolate and potatoes.
Half the stuff you say sounds ridiculous I’ll have you know… and the other half isn’t embarrassing, it’s irritating… and depressing to know that you’re clueless. ;]

Now what can one learn from this?
When you travel overseas, don’t feel obliged to ask every question under the sun… it’s called Wikipedia. That shit has all the answers. ;]

Ryan
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100 Ultimate Wishes

In honor of my blog’s 100th post, here’s a list I once kept secretly, that I now wish to share with the world!

When reading through you’ll discover it may just be another Bucket List, but this is in fact an excerpt from my real one that I keep hidden away in my Laptop’s files. :]
It ranges from places and events, to things I’ll need to try at least once, all of which I wish to complete before my time on this lovely planet is up. For convenience, they’re organized into where in the world they’d be done; by country.
So enjoy flicking through my secret list, it’s now yours too, and if you’re open to helping me complete anything on here, I’d love to know what you know; send me an email (ryanaubersonwalsh[@]hotmail.com). :]

View the list below :]

In the steps of the crazy Bavarian king…

Today was a good day… like a really amazing day. :]

With my host mum, grandmother, brother and a fellow exchange student from the USA, we all travelled to gorgeous Schloss Linderhof and later the unfinished Schloss Neuschwanstein, both built by Ludwig II, the King of Bavaria. We also popped by Alpsee and Stausee. :]

Then afterwards on the way home… we had a picnic with fresh milk, bread, cheese and grapes! :] Delicious! We sat there enjoying the view of the Bavarian Alps whilst nibbling on our goodies and listening to the sounds of tweeting birds and the clonking of the cow bells… Was lovely!
You’ll want to see these photos…

Ryan
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