On the 23rd of February last year I marked five years of being a freelance writer with Scenestr magazine.

Five years earlier I had submitted a review for Hidden Figures to their editorial team and they had chosen to publish it. Handy tip to young players, if in doubt call back.

Within a month I was sent on assignment to review Queensland Ballet’s Raw. I was in between jobs and here I was taking my wife to the ballet. We were seated in the row behind the Artistic Director Li Cunxin. My tickets came in an envelope marked Lloyd Marken Reviewer. Tickets that retailed for $100 each.

After we grabbed a bite to eat from Grill’d at South Bank and my wife took maybe one of my favourite pictures of me. In that moment I was living a dream come true. Out on the town late at night having seen a show with a review deadline for the next day.

I also had to do an induction for a new temporary job the next day too but the review would come first. At the time of embarking on this new work I was terrified there would be an end to such nights all too soon. I was fortunate enough that there were many more to come.

I am grateful that I continue to enjoy working with Scenestr.

A few highlights from 141 published pieces.

TOP FIVE SHOWS

1. Queensland Ballet’s Raw (2017) – You never forget your first maybe but beyond the experience I still believe this is one of the best ballet performances I have ever seen.

An anthology show with three distinct pieces that still fitted into a theme for me. The artistry on display not just from the dancers but the costumes and music as well was truly moving.

“A mix of contemporary and classical dance with three distinct works, ‘Raw’ appears to have a common thread throughout of lives wrecked and relationships torn apart by either war, tyranny or something more abstract. It is regularly emotionally engaging and the dancers are a sight to behold.”

2. Humans by Circa (2017) – I saw two shows from Circa in 2017 and came out believing they were the greatest show to see in Brisbane.

A modern circus group they perform far more pared down and intimate pieces than say Cirque Du Soleil but are just as impressive if not more. 

“While never explicitly explained, there could be various takeaways from each piece. On stage there are couplings with the swaying of hips, ascensions to the sky, people unwrapping themselves from clothes like they were cocoons. These could be metaphors for birth, growth, reproduction, decline and the afterlife.”

3. CHER (2018) – I have only really gone to one music concert in my work for what is primarily a music magazine.

But if you are going to go to just one you might as well make it for a legend.

Taking Karen to this and seeing how much she enjoyed it was a real thrill for me.

“There was only one way to top this all off and you could feel the excitement building for the inevitable appearance of ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’, which did not disappoint. Nobody can turn back time or even hold it in place, but one woman has stood the test of it. As she noted at the end of her monologue: “What’s your Grandma doing tonight?” If she has any sense, she is going to see Cher.”

4. The Duke (2019) – I saw two shows at the Brisbane Powerhouse performed by Shon Dale-Jones. If that is his name?

In each show he told a different tale with overlapping consistencies and while the mood was slightly different the result was the same.

I was moved by an intricately crafted and refined narrative and performance.

Just a man on stage with his words and physicality, a reminder of the power of sheer storytelling and one of the best shows I have ever seen.

The style of Shon is to tell something that we can relate to, to be personal and intimate which is perhaps why I have always remarked on the fact that what is real in his shows could be, as he freely informs, not a whole lot. However ultimately, I don’t think it matters if you enjoyed the story and enjoyed it, I did.

“The way Shon describes these things makes us relate to how much we appreciate our own loved ones and our own aspirations to have successful careers and retain some integrity. You will feel things during this play.”

5. Awesome Ocean Party (2019) – I have seen a lot of good shows over the years with Scenestr magazine including the excellent work by ImproMafia and Act/React and hungry fearless young performers. I have seen grappling bravely with the human condition in all it forms. To pick only five seems a crime but when filling out this list I kept on thinking about Giema Contini and her delightful show that made me laugh and moved me. Maybe I’m also a little sentimental since this would be the last Wonderland Festival at the Brisbane Powerhouse before the pandemic.

“It must be said, Giema Contini elevates her material, she effortlessly moves from awkward embarrassment to shaking with barely constrained volatility, expressing goofy joy and heartfelt pain seamlessly. Giema is a powder keg of emotions barely contained and genuinely expressed – and that is before she sings.”

Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. They are the largest street press magazine in the country celebrating 30 years going strong in 2023. They’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland every month.

I am grateful too for this little corner of the internet to write and engage with you. I am sorry I have not been around as much and hope to be around more going forward.  Thank you for joining me on this journey.

-Lloyd Marken