press
recent
ON Nosferatu - Director (Malthouse)
"⭑⭑⭑⭑1/2...A delightful, funny and grotesque (in the most glorious sense of the word) pastiche of colour, movement, text and imagery. It’s also a whole heap of fun that pays homage to obvious film tropes while harking back to centuries-old theatrical storytelling traditions. What we fear is what we manifest. How we avoid succumbing to the things that go bump in the night is the reason for our survival."
- Christine Davey, ArtsHub
"Nosferatu exudes sultry intoxication to a breath-taking degree...Equal parts schlock horror, hilarious camp and surprising social commentary, Nosferatu reinvents the age-old vampire tale for a modern, and most importantly, Australian audience."
- James Robertson, Beat Magazine
"The build is slow and delicious as Orlok’s reign of terror continues: it’s the kind of grip-your-seat suspense that makes live theatre so exciting"
-Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen
"The whole team behind Nosferatu should be extremely proud with what they have been able to produce. A tale that is hundreds of years old, re-written with an Australian modernised twist...you will not be disappointed."
-Lilithia Reviews
ON K-Box - Director (Malthouse)
"⭑⭑⭑⭑ K-Box is an extraordinary mainstage debut...genuinely funny, expertly cringe-worthy...The performances here are absolutely spot on; a four-person cast that expertly dance around each other with conviction and a deep understanding of their characters, directed with a beautifully light touch by Bridget Balodis..”
- Timeout Melbourne
⭑⭑⭑⭑ ...sharply funny and moving...a hyperractive domestic satire, Bridget Balodis’ poised direction, Romanie Harper’s flamboyant set and costume design, and Marco Cher-Gibard’s synthwave score all add zest to the production"
- Cameron Woodhead, The Age
"...often so real that it’s difficult to watch..K-BOX’s great strength is in unfurling the profound loneliness experienced and expressed by its characters."
-Giselle Au Nhien Nguyen, Guardian
“fierce, surprising, funny, and deeply affecting. The show has clearly been wrought with clear vision, great empathy, intelligence, and inevitable anger, all of which emanate to the viewer."
– Chris Hosking, Theatre People
MORAL PANIC - Darebin Arts
ON STAY WOKE - Director (Malthouse)
"⭑⭑⭑⭑...directed by the company's artist in residence Bridget Balodis, Stay Woke is a crowd-pleasing ripper...
Far from a deep dive on these issues, it’s a smart move by Thangaratnam to broach dismantling systems of oppression via comic relief in Stay Woke. In the sound hands of Balodis, the message cuts through, and the tight ensemble shines."
- Stephen A Russell, Timeout
"⭑⭑⭑⭑There’s no weak link. The ensemble is perfectly poised."
- Cameron Woodhead, The Age
"⭑⭑⭑⭑ perhaps Stay Woke’s greatest success is that it addresses the lack of diversity in Australian theatrical discourse in the best way possible. There are two characters of Sri Lankan heritage but both are talking about issues other than race."
- Satara Uthayakumaran, ArtsHub