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Tim Carney graduated from Lasalle College of the Arts Singapore with a
Bachelor of Arts in Musical theatre. Tim relocated to London
performing in the international cast of Mamma Mia! understudying Harry
Bright. Since finishing the show Tim filmed the European TV campaign
for Fosters Nreweries and performed as a vocalist on the Best of
Musicals European Tour.
 BWW Reviews: ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS - A Riotous Night Out
May 22, 2013
Richard Bean's One Man Two Guvnors has to be one of the funniest plays written to date. It is nonstop hilarity from beginning to end. The show opened in 2011 on the West end, transferred to Broadway and has been on an International tour in 2013. With a multitude of musicals opening in Melbourne over the next 4 weeks, it feels like the National Theatre of London's production in conjunction with MTC could slip in and out of Melbourne without much mention, especially with King Kong dominating every available publicity space in the city. If every performance of this show is not sold out it will be a travesty. It deserves it ten fold along with an extended season.
 BWW Reviews: LEGALLY BLONDE
May 13, 2013
Legally Blonde opened in Melbourne to a standing ovation that was well deserved for a particularly talented cast . This production is slick. From beginning to end it has everything a musical comedy needs. It's light, camp and fun with a clever score from Laurence O'keefe and Nell Benjamin that combines humorous lyric with catchy vibrant melodies.
 BWW Reviews: BLAK
May 6, 2013
From the opening moments of Bangarra dance theatre's Blak it was obvious there was something magical occurring before us.
 BWW Reviews: CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG Is A Bright, Light-Hearted Romp
February 3, 2013
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is an interesting show to define. Part musical, part children's spectacle, it ultimately settles as a big budget pantomime. It is a clever route for Roger Hodgeman to direct this show as its virtually non-existent script does little for both actor and audience. Everything in this production of Chitty is big and over dramatized, which for the most part works particularly effectively. There are moments and performances however, that aren't in sync with the collective pantomime energy on stage and these become particularly obvious throughout the show.
 BWW Reviews: Cirque Du Soleil's OVO
January 18, 2013
Cirque du Soleil's latest venture to Australia is with the insect themed OVO, a show celebrating the biodiversity and wonder of the ecosystem and all things that move within in it. The particularly impressive set design by Gringo Cardio opens with a giant inflated OVO (portugese for egg) looming over the stage. The sense of the egg is never lost throughout and is the heart of the piece as 'The Foreigner' (Barthelemy Glumineau) travels into the colony with an egg strapped to his back much to the amusement and intrigue of all of the insects led by Master Flipo (Simon Bradbury)
 BWW Reviews: Melbourne's JERSEY BOYS
January 13, 2013
Four years after first opening in Melbourne, Jersey Boys re-opened last night for a brief return season. The cast is predominately new but the gutsy and moving story of The Four Seasons remains timeless and entertaining as ever.
 BWW Reviews: GENESIS TO BROADWAY - Creatively Flawed
December 12, 2012
Fem Bellling, Andrew Dunne and musical director Warren Wills guide their audience on a journey from the beginning of time through varying musical styles and cultural influences leading to the great white way. The show provides few highlights with wills' arrangements and virtuoso accompaniment being one of them. Both Dunne and Belling are seasoned performers with fine voices, however, their harmonies are flawed, their movement awkward and unfortunately for them Frank Howson's dialogue is limited and particularly cheesy. To compound these issues the sound was incomprehensible . How two microphones and a small band can pose an issue for any sound designer is beyond belief, yet it cut in and out all night and was at no moment ever truly balanced.
 BWW Reviews: Charles Dicken Performs A CHRISTMAS CAROL
December 6, 2012
The wafting sounds of Christmas Carols in the foyer pre performance set the tone for what was to be a beautiful performance by a wonderful craftsman. As Charles Dickens, Phil Zachariah takes us on a journey through four staves, three ghosts and protagonist Scrooge. Zachariah embodies and portays every charcater in the Dicken's masterpiece with acute precision both vocally and physically capturing the true essence of the piece. For 90 minutes it is one man alone on a bare stage telling a story and it is more than enough to hold our attention, make us laugh and empathise with one of the most recognisable characters in literature.
 BWW Reviews: SALLY! A MUSICAL - An Interpretation of Kern's 1920's Hit Musical
November 14, 2012
None of the actors on the stage looked comfortable at last nights second instalment of 5pounds of Repertory Theatre, Sally...the musical. Precisely because it was a musical and the cast and director Celeste Cody were exposed to the challenges of the genre. It's understandable as well, because even the most talented of musical theatre performers can look out of their depth and treading water with material they are uncomfortable with. What this cast did have however, was the courage and the through line of character and plot to present to the audience the story of Sally, a young girl working as a dishwasher at the Alley restaurant who is thrust into the spotlight posing as a famous Russian dancer.
 BWW Reviews: PYGMALION - 5Pounds of Repertory Theatre
November 14, 2012
Opening 5pound theatres repertory season last night was Daniel Lammin's adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion. Lammin's adaptation is a feature of this performance with the 90 minute one act version managing to tell an often drawn out story in a particularly succinct and stylish way. Coupled with this was the theatre in the round-esq stage design which complemented the play and gave it a particularly personal feel. Performances were varied throughout the evening, with Tom Molyneux providing the nights highlight as Colonel Pickering. There were also a couple of dynamic scenes between Jason Cavanagh's Henry Higgins and Freya Pragt's Eliza Doolittle which nailed the dramatic tension required and kept the action humming along. For the majority of the evening however, the play was at that particularly uncomfortable level for both performer and audience where the script isn't fully secure. Lines were dropped and fumbled constantly throughout and on occasion the play was on the brink of stopping due to lost lines. Thankfully it didn't and rounded itself off to be quite a successful performance.
 BWW Reviews: Nothing Worse than Bad Sex in MORE SEX PLEASE WE'RE SENIORS
November 1, 2012
The bland MIDI tracked 'overture' that opened More Sex Please We're Seniors gave an indication that none of Peter Sullivan's songs were going to be memorable. They were, however, particularly memorable for one reason; being musically and lyrically feeble. The script by Jon-Michael Howson is boring with jokes that have already been overused, don't work or just simply aren't funny.
 BWW Reviews: THE LARAMIE PROJECT - Lengthy and Wordy
November 1, 2012
The Laramie project, written by Moises Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theatre Project, is a play that has been particularly overdone since its opening in Denver in 2000. In part because it deals with real human responses to the tragic beating and subsequent death of Matthew Shephard and in part because it has the ability to illicit a distinct response from its audience.
 BWW Reviews: FORUM An Over Camp Romp
October 29, 2012
In 1962, the original production of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum was struggling in its off broadway try out. Audiences were not turning up and so producer Hal Prince hired director Jerome Robbins to come in and offer some advice to the creative team. Robbins biggest influence in the piece was to scrap the opening number 'Love is in the Air' and commission Stephen Sondheim to write a new uptempo tune that introduced the piece as a wild bawdy comedy. 'Comedy tonight'was born and so to the show which went on to win a number of Tony Awards including Best Musical.
 BWW Reviews: PROMISES PROMISES Promises a Wonderful Cast
October 5, 2012
Promises promises is a 'musical' of two halves. I say 'musical' loosely as it is more a play with songs that don't particularly enhance the story. On top of this Burt Bacharach's score never reaches any great soaring heights, it is more a commentary of the action taking place. Its highlight is Turkey Lurkey Time at the conclusion of Act 1, by this stage, unfortunately, the audience has already been lost by some pretty uneventful script and direction.
 BWW Reviews: Trevor Ashley's FAT SWAN - Wickedly Funny
September 30, 2012
Trevor Ashley returns to the Arts Centre in his riorous four hander Fat Swan. The writing is some of the most wickedly funny, sharp, edgy work to be presented on an Australia stage and is performed to perfection by Ashley himself, along with Genevieve Lemon, Brendan Moar and Danielle Barnes.
 BWW Reviews: Conflict-Light BARASSI Loses Interest, Even With Hard-Working Cast
September 30, 2012
Sport and theatre collide in this biographical depiction of AFL legend Ron Barassi written by Tee O'Neill and directed by Terence O'Connell. The play is long...too long, with very little conflict to keep you interested. The cast tries hard and is aptly led by Jane Clifton as narrator, Melba, a fanatical Collingwood supporter who commentats on both the action and the statistical facts of the time. Steve Bastoni as Barassi, whos monologues as the inspirational coach of Carlton, North Mebourne and Melbourne are perfectly executed and Matt Parkinson as Norm Smith, whose calm and effortlessness are particularly resfreshing for a show whos cast are trying too hard throughout to save it. Special mention to former AFL footballer Russel Robertson who provides a sea of highlights in his featured ensemble role.
 BWW Reviews: 5Pound Theatre's KISS THEM ALL SOUNDLY is New and Gritty
September 14, 2012
5Pound Theatre's Jason Cavanagh directs his original work Kiss Them All Soundly, an Into The Woods esq look at the darker, grittier side of three re-imagined nursery rhymes. Cavanagh delves into the realm of fantasy versus reality, digging into the sub-conscious of four famous childhood characters, Simple Simon, Georgie Porgie, Mary Had A Little Lamb and Alice (In Wonderland). It is an insighful look at the darker side of these characters and their stories, their motivations and their existence.
 BWW Reviews: CHESS at The Production Company - Checkmate
August 24, 2012
Gale Edwards' Production of Chess is without a doubt one of the best shows of the year and has to be one of the greatest of the show since its West End opening in 1986.
 BWW Reviews: Rhonda Burchmore Sizzles in CRY ME A RIVER
August 20, 2012
Let's not beat around the bush, Rhonda Burchmore is a sultry sizzling smouldering smoking hot siren. From start to finish she filled the show with a combination of presence and flesh, matched with a voice that transports you back to the time of the smokey jazz clubs of LA.
 BWW Reviews: 5pound Theatre's THE BLUE ROOM
August 10, 2012
David Hare's The Blue Room is a study of sexual desire through the interconnecting web of life. Two actors play over ten characters all of whom share sexual experience both proximately and or indirectly. It is an accurate snapshot of sexual connection by Hare and a fascinating insight into the predisposition of society.
 Inside the Melbourne Cabaret Festival
August 10, 2012
Over the past 3 weeks the Melbourne Cabaret Festival has been entertaining audiences. I was fortunate enough to see two great cabarets along the way!
 BWW Reviews: THE PRODUCERS - All It's Cracked Up to Be
July 12, 2012
Having never seen The Producers, but having heard so much about it, I was genuinely excited to see a performance of this show on a stage. The lasting impression that I took from The Production Company's version is that Mel Brooks is one very funny man who's writing stands alone in the musical comedy genre. Whether on the expanses of a full scale broadway stage, on the West End or on the minimalist stage confronting us at The Arts Centre, this show genuinely works and is so clever in its nuance and wit that you can't help but admire its creator.
 BWW Reviews: Moonshadow in Melbourne - Haunting
June 1, 2012
It is so hard to know what to make of last nights world premiere of Yusef/Cat Stevens musical Moonshadow. I would like to talk to you about the story but unfortunately there is no delineated plot to speak of. I would like to tell you what it's about, but at interval I was unsure, by it's conclusion I had no idea. The script is so banal, devoid of purpose and meaning that a concert version would have been far more enjoyable. However, this was not the case and so we delve a little further.
 BWW Reviews: The Sun Fails to Shine on ANNIE in Melbourne
May 30, 2012
A polite smattering of applause rang around The Regent Theatre at the conclusion of last nights opening of Annie. Then came a hesitant standing ovation almost out of forced habit. For this production of Annie, filled with a cast of the highest order, was performed with a great deal of precision and technicality, but which,however, left me with an ambivalent feeling of....oh yeah. Australian theatre royalty Anthony Warlow and Nancye Hayes take on the roles of Daddy Warbucks and Miss Hannigan. The pairs acting skill is both effortless and flawless and we all know Warlow's voice cuts deep into the crevices of our own body and has the ability to illicit spontaneous excitement within us.
 BWW Reviews: MARY POPPINS - Actually Perfect
April 3, 2012
A rousing standing ovation met the cast of Mary Poppins at the conclusion of their opening night in Perth on Saturday night. And They had deserve it. The show is filled with magic and joy but most importantly it comes with heart. This quality is not achievable without quality performances. British actress Lisa O'Hare takes over the role as Mary Poppins and delivers a performance of someone who has clearly made the character hers over a long period of time. She is fun, frivolous, and overwhelmingly loveable. O'Hares unassuming soprano voice is exquisite.
 BWW Reviews: Dance 10, Show 3 - A CHORUS LINE at Her Majesty's Theatre
February 6, 2012
On January 26 1974 the first taped session of a group of dancers was recorded at the Nickolaus Exercise Centre in New York. It delved into the lives of professional artists, their hopes, dreams and sacrifices and would go on to form the nucleus of one of the longest running shows in Broadway history.
 BWW Reviews: Tom Tom Crew - Outrageously Raw and Adrenaline-Inducing
October 13, 2011
Walking into the Forum Theatre last night was like walking into the latest, funkiest nightclub and then taking a very legal dose of the world class Australian Tom Tom Crew. This all male troupe can seemingly do anything they put their mind to. One moment these boys are acrobatically flying through the air, the next on turntables mixing the music, the next accompanying the action on electric guitar...oh yeah and why not throw a bit of contortion in just for good measure. These are the type of guys that make you wish you hadn't bought your girlfriend that ticket for her birthday.
 BWW Reviews: NYTW's AFTERMATH is Completely Captivating at Malthouse Theatre
October 12, 2011
Theatre is designed to educate and The New York Theater Workshop's production of Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen's Aftermath is a lesson that forces us to learn. This is the principal feature of a show that is, by the very nature of its style, repetitive. Don't get me wrong I left the Malthouse Theatre last night completely captivated by the performances of a stunningly talented cast traversing the dialogue of the real people that Blank and Jensen interviewed post reign of Saddam Hussein. For this is what Aftermath is, a recount of the transcripts from the interviews that these talented collaborators have interwoven into a creative piece of educational history from the point of view of 9 Iraqi's across varying class and status.
 BWW Reviews: HOLD THE PICKLE - The Perfect Mix of Creative and Real
September 21, 2011
Hold The Pickle, a one woman autobiographical journey through Rachel Berger's fascinating upbringing, can be summed up simply in one word...Real. Everything about Berger's performance is real, and it should be, with Berger traversing between the three central characters in her life, her Mother, Father and herself. And while the reality of the dialogue cannot be questioned it is the nuance that Berger elicits in her performance that mould this piece and transport it (without trying to sound pretentious) into the spectrum of creative art. At its simplest we are being told a story, as if we are children being recounted a tale before bedtime. At its most complex Hold The Pickle is a raw account of the life of an immigrant family fleeing war torn Poland to Melbourne via the corners of the globe in a desperate struggle for survival and the chance of a safer life.
 BWW Reviews: Production Company's ANYTHING GOES - a Throwback to Musical Theatre's Golden Age
July 26, 2011
You forget just how good the Golden Age of Musical Theatre is when you are saturated by contemporary shows in today's evolving theatre world. Tonight, however, The Production Company's revival of Cole Porter's Anything Goes reminds us of how the foundations of the modern musical were formed and just how strong these foundations were. Anything Goes is a show filled with moments. Moments of love, moments of hilarity, family and comradeship all of which crescendo towards the happy ever after that we are longing for. To get there however, takes great skill. Enter the cast. An all-star cast of Australian musical Theatre royalty is at hand to land each and every one of the desired moments. Todd Mckenny's over-enthusiastic Lord Evelyn Oakleigh is so completely embodied that an initial feeling of 'too much' is soon proven to be a whole heartedly secure character choice. Wayne Scott Kermond as Moonface Martin was dynamic, and full of tricks that had the audience craving more. Further, John O'May and Anne Wood as Elisha Whitney and Evageline Harcourt compliment the show with their experience and poise.
 Twisted Broadway Hits Melbourne for Oz Showbiz Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
July 25, 2011
Melbourne's Musical Theatre community came together at The BMW Edge on Monday night in a celebration of togetherness for a wonderful cause. Thousands were raised for Oz Showbiz Cares/Equity Fights Aids. Hosted by the highly entertaining Leah Howard and Brent Hill, the programme featured performers from musicals being performed around Australia including Rock of Ages, Mary Poppins, Wicked and Love Never Dies. The concept was simple with performers singing songs originally written for the opposite gender. There were many highlights of the night including Gareth Keegan's charismatic performance of Life of The Party from the Wild Party, David Rogers Smith and Troy Sussman's highly comic version of I know Him So Well from Chess was vocally effortless and the riotous Amy Housewine had the audience in stitches with her outrageous parody of If I Only Had A Brain from the Wizard of Oz, (If I Only Had Cocaine). Matt Robinson's Original Composition from his show Sing Through Tomorrow was also a real feature of the evening.
 Twisted Broadway Plays BMW Edge at Federation Square, 7/18
July 11, 2011
Based on Broadway Backwards, The Benge Group's Twisted Broadway is playing for one night only on Monday July 18 at the BMW Edge at Federation Square. The show features a cast of 50 performers from Rock of Ages, Wicked, Love Never Dies, Next to Normal Mary Poppins and many others. The concept is unique and fun with performers singing songs originally written for the opposite gender.
 BWW Reviews: TURNS at Arts Centre Melbourne; But What is the Point?
July 5, 2011
Turns Starring Nancye Hayes and Reg Livermore at the Arts Centre Melbourne
 BWW Reviews: THE SUM OF US Makes Australian Premiere
June 20, 2011
The Australian Premiere of David Stevens' play The Sum of Us opened in Melbourne this week. It will be followed by an Australian Tour throughout the rest of the year.
 BWW Reviews: LOVE NEVER DIES Impresses in Melbourne
May 31, 2011
A lack of enthusiasm embodied me as I entered the Regent Theater on Saturday night for the Australian opening of Love Never Dies, the sequel to Andrew LLoyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. Having seen the show twice at the Adelphi Theater in London I had a fair idea of what I was in for and quite honestly I felt that the two previous times where more than enough to convince me that this show, no matter how hard LLoyd Webber tries, simply does not work. How wrong I was. This is a brand new show from Overture to Curtain and even the familar story and score seemed to rise in this herculean effort by an Australian creative team led by Director Simon Phillips and Designer Gabriela Tylesova. The vast minimalist expanses of the Adelphi stage were now filled with a carnival of lights, carousels, and a cast of freaks and outcast characters that finally gave the show the vibe it needed. One cannot help but be wowed by the spherical design employed by Tylesova in the Coney Island Waltz in the early stages of Act 1, and in reality, it is the design of the show that is its star attraction. That and Phantom Ben Lewis. Lewis' character is vocally as powerful a Phantom that I have seen. However, it wasn't Lewis' vocal ability that won me over, it was his tender acting performance. So much so that what in the past was a particularly unmoving final scene became one of the most finite and complete in recent memory. The audience either side of me were fossicking for their handkerchiefs and it left me wishing I had brought one myself.
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