CRITIQUES OF PERFORMANCES

Reviews from Critics
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Beautiful Thing, Everyman Theatre - Sandra Gangel (2022)
Kowalczuk gives a phenomenal performance as the mother, desperately attempting to do the best for a teenage son, while striving to make a better life for them both. Kowalczuk’s magnetic performance as Sandra defines her as one of Canberra’s finest actors.
 

As Jamie’s mother, Sandra, Amy Kowalczuk dominates the action, creating a fascinating portrait of an openly confident career woman who is hiding her own deep insecurities behind a brittle exterior as she battles to build a life for herself and her son. Kowalczuk’s depiction of a strong woman unravelling, as her outward confidence begins to desert her under the threat of circumstances she can’t control, is mesmerising in its detail and execution, climaxing in a brilliantly staged physical attack on the person she loves most.

 

Amy Kowalczuk gives a strong performance as Sandra, the mother, struggling though life herself.  She strikes the right note of aggression and insecurity right from the beginning and maintains it thoughout. In spite of the tough exterior, you can see the love under the surface.  It’s a very good multi-faceted performance.


Absurd Person Singular - Canberra Repertory Society - Jane Hopcroft (2020)

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The energy and bleak humour of all this is there in Jarrad West’s relentless production. Sterling performances all round, with Dunham’s housework obsessed Jane and Roberts’ turn in the middle act as the suicidal Eva at her lowest the standouts.

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It is Ayckbourn's female characters that arouse poignancy. Dunham (now known as Kowalczuk) perfectly captures the "little wife", obsessed with keeping her kitchen clean and aiming to please.

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a mesmerising Amy Dunham (Kowalczuk) opened this play with a blush of energy and colourful performance as Jane Hopcroft...this show somehow belonged to McKenna and Dunham

Grapes of Wrath -Canberra Repertory Society - Rose of Sharon (2020)

Amy Dunham is heart-breaking in a fine performance as Rose of Shannon, really getting under the skin of a young woman with unrealistic expectations of life.

 

Amy Dunham gives a heartrending performance as Rose of Sharon, the daughter who dreams of a settled life. Dunham's soulful rendition of Let me die in my footprints is beautifully sung from the very soul of deep longing. Her final act of human kindness offers hope in the darkness of deep despair.

Company, Everyman Theatre – April
Four images stand out for me from Best’s Company;… and the story of the butterfly for beautiful timing by Amy Dunham as April. – Frank McKone

Amy Dunham’s butterfly story was skillfully done. – Len Power

Amy Dunham manages to bring surprising warmth to the usually fatuous character of the air hostess, April, for “Barcelona”.  – Bill Stephens

As the three girlfriends, Amy Dunham is sweetly naive and also brings her A-game in wild insanity. I don’t think I’ve previously seen her play a dumb blonde, but this one is dumb like a fox – fascinating, eccentric, bewildered but somehow getting where she’s going anyway.- Simon Tolhurst
 
Les Miserables, Free Rain Theatre, Fantine
Vocal highlights during the night were provided by Amy Dunham (Fantine) quite superb in “I Dreamed a Dream”. – Bill Stephens
 
Steel Magnolias, Canberra Repertory, Annelle
Amy Dunham impresses as a girl who finds a new peace amongst her new friends in the salon – Len Power
 
High Fidelity, Phoenix Players, Liz
Amy Dunham was a stand out as mutual friend Liz, with a slightly sultrier take on the character with a brilliantly executed ‘She Goes’.- Deborah Hawke
Amy Dunham as Liz was also brilliant, and on reading that she has a band (AMAX) –  I’m determined to seek them out. They’d be a right treat to see live. – Fran Marshall

Amy Dunham gave a heartfelt performance as Rob’s good friend, Liz. – Peter Wilkins

Amy Dunham is a mini-Aretha as Rob and Laura’s go-between friend Liz – it’s slightly a crime she only really gets one song to cut loose, but she’s a welcome presence whether singing or cutting forth with a one-liner. – Simon Tolhurst
 
Playhouse Creatures, Pigeonhole Theatre, Nell Gwynn
One could not fault the performances of Vickery, Dunham, Roberts, Wood and Bradley, with each one of them utterly captivating in this superbly casted production. In fact, together they achieved the rarity that is the holy grail

Amy Dunham meanwhile nails her character right from the get-go, giving Nell a bold and expressive physicality that shows her potential on the stage, then very gingerly sanding off Nell’s rougher edges as she learns to mix with a wealthier class of people.

For Amy Dunham, it’s a role that could have been written for her. She is lustily enjoyable as the most famous of the bunch, Nell Gwynn, who gets the widest arc as she rises from tavern wench to king’s mistress. She’s vulgar, naive, engaging, wildly crazy, fun, reflective, glamorous, thoughtful, emotional and above all mesmerising. She’s one of my favourite actresses on the Canberra stage and this may be the best thing I’ve seen her in thus far – if not, it’s pretty darn close. 

Casanova, Canberra Rep, Henriette
Dunham is in more restrained style than I’ve previously seen her (she has a wild engaging style in shows like “Hairspray” and “High Fidelity” which isn’t seen here) but she’s gorgeous, classy, with still just that touch of mischief that makes her a perfect playmate for Casanova, and makes it heartbreaking when they’re unable to be together.

Amy Dunham as Henriette, the love of Casanova’s life, displays great vulnerability and a moving sense of the damage the relationship caused her. 
 

West Side Story, Free Rain Theatre, Anita
Amy Dunham was particularly impressive as Anita and completely convincing as she pleaded with Maria during their duet, A boy like that. Her flirtatious interactions with Bernardo (Jordan Kelly) were lots of fun. It is always good to see a strong singer who can also act, as Dunham can, providing fun and laughs all round in her rendition of America.
 
The Burning, Everyman Theatre, Madeline Schiller
Amy Dunham has that strange gift of being instantly loveable as soon as she appears on stage.In her opening bickering with Parker, she’s fast and clever, and the two of them have great chemistry together with that real, strong, binding relationship. Her final exit from the play (late in act one) also sees her launch herself off the stage in a way that seems astonishingly reckless (but I have no doubt is carefully choreographed for her own safety) – she amazes me.

Madeline, played sensitively and beautifully by Amy Dunham, was a prime example of humanity rising above her destructive social setting.

Amy Dunham’s sharp, controlled performance is only too brief
 
Home at the End, Everyman Theatre, Molly
Amy Dunham’s vocal work and puppet-manipuation as Molly creates a real, questioning, intriguing six year old.
Moments to notice include Dunham’s sensitive work with the child puppet
The use of a puppet to represent a child was effectively integrated into the style and structure of the play
 
Hairspray, Canberra Philharmonic Society, Penny Pingleton
This review could be a love-letter to Amy Dunham’s Penny, a stand out in an “everybody’s great” cast – She is complete hilarity and, in the best possible way, a scene stealer.
Amy Dunham, as Tracy’s best friend, Penny, is wonderfully funny with excellent comic timing and fine singing
 
Pool (No Water), Everyman Theatre
A tight quartet of actors (Amy Dunham, Zac Raffan, Steph Roberts and Jarrad West) provide nonstop energy, supreme physical acting, precise vocal control and attention in a one-hour tale of ambition, jealousy and conspicuous bad behaviour. The beautiful simplicity of the staging (backed by a more-than-usually fantastic lighting design) keeps the focus, as it should be, on the actors and the text. This is not going to be a show everybody takes to their heart (the doings are very very dark indeed and it’s pretty confrontational stuff), but I doubt that I’ll see better ensemble acting this year anywhere.

…an outstanding company of performers in Jarrad West, Steph Roberts, Amy Dunham and Zach Raffan
…a masterpiece offering an experience that only live theatre can provide. The cast of Jarrad West, Steph Roberts, Amy Dunham and Zach Raffan work as an ensemble providing excellent vocal delivery and superbly sculptured movement requiring the precision of a choreographed dance piece. It is erotic, comical, savage, very irreverent and provocative theatre that only a company with the maturity, depth and skill of Everyman can make work.
 
Goldilocks, Goldilocks and the Three Bears
The bears would have been a hard act to follow, but Amy Dunham as Goldilocks showed her strong performance skills, quickly winning the audience over and singing beautifully
…an absolutely flawless retelling of the tale of Daddy Bear (Jim Adamik), Mummy Bear (Kiki Skountzos), Baby Bear (Tim Sekuless) and Goldilocks (Amy Dunham). I don’t say this lightly. I urge any touring production company to take up this show and delight the widest possible audience
 
Little Shop of Horrors Review, by Shanna Provost in The Canberra Review.
“The god’s were smiling down on director Kelda McManus when young Amy Dunham and Dave Evans decided to audition for the roles of Audrey and Seymore, for the two young leads carry the show. Dunham’s outstanding voice raises the bar for the rest of the cast. her rendition of Somewhere That’s Green evokes goosebumps and her Suddenly Seymore duet with Evans is a delight.”
 
Grease Review, by Bill Stephens in The Canberra Review
“Amy Dunham (Marty) gives a stand out performance”.