Reviews
ACTING REVIEWS
“Even with all this going on, the words still take centre stage. Thanks to this (as well as incendiary performances from Sally McLean as Kate and Miguel Perez as Petruchio), I really felt like I got a completely new insight into their relationship, and particularly the character of Katharina. She can be portrayed as a broken woman, beaten & psychologically abused into submission, but equally she could just have quickly learned how to ‘play the game’ and found ways of making it work for her; that McLean had Petruchio kiss her on the cheek rather than give in and kiss him to me suggests that Kate has him under her power in at least a small way.”
Debbie
Mind The Blog (#LDNTheatreBloggers circle)
(for “Taming of The Shrew” @ The Show Must Go Online”)
“One of my laugh out loud moments from this episode was with the police chief (Christopher Kirby) and his female offsider (Sally McLean) watching the morning breakfast show massacre and (McLean’s) dry delivery of “Anything for ratings.”. Such a huge commentary on television generally, and the perceived amped up need from networks for sex and violence on our screens to get viewers – all delivered in one line through script and deft comic performance. (Could also be seen as a bit meta and self-deprecating for the show itself). Love those moments in this series, which could be seen as total throwaway, but really say volumes about the world in general. This episode had a great script and great direction … Also great actors in all roles – big and small.”
Den Of Geek
(for “Preacher”, Season 4, Episode 9 – AMC/Sony)
“The three women barely interact; they do not look at each other; they address the audience with emotion charged eloquence. Their movements are stylised and highly expressive, complementing the text … Sally McLean as the ‘Nurse’ – which also means a kind of choric narrator as well – carries and expounds the text in a mellifluous voice with great confidence, authority and a feel for the timing of the rhetoric. … beautiful, disciplined performances …”
Michael Brindley
Stage Whispers
(for “The Medea Project”, Brunswick Arts Space)
“Sally McLean as “Val Crane”, the embittered aunt of the lead character (Tess), found tremendous light and shade in a role that could have easily been played on the one angry note. Instead of taking that obvious road, she showed her depth of talent, giving Val a compelling complexity and believability while negotiating some very tricky plot points, which a lesser actor would have found impossible to navigate with any truth. (Not to give any spoilers, but the moment I found myself forming tears – a rare occurrence for me in the theatre – was watching McLean in her final scene).”
Theatre Alive
An Arts Victoria Initiative
(for “Flame Trees”, TheatreWorks)
“Laugh-out-loud funny at times, with clever direction and brilliant performances from a strong ensemble of actors … Highlights: Sally McLean as “Dowsabel” (her commitment to character and belief in the world on stage makes her a joy to watch) … Don’t miss this show. Five out of five stars.”
David Warlow
Beat.com.au
(for “The Comedy Of Errors”, Australian Shakespeare Company)
“… an utterly convincing performance as the old Scottish King, belying the fact that McLean is not only young and a woman, but also Australian.”
Time Out
London, UK
(for “Macbeth”, Duke of Cambridge, UK)
“The cast are all superb actors … Judith (played by Sally McLean), starts off as a likable, genuine character … McLean gave the character great vulnerability and depth, as well as being convincing as an early sufferer of MS …”
Tara Wilkins
Theater Talk
(for “The Clairvoyant”, Kingston Arts Centre)
“The cast were all strong performers, playing their well-drawn characters with truth and believability, but the standouts were … Sally McLean (“Katherine”)who drew an achingly beautiful and entirely convincing portrait of a woman in crisis and conflict, caught between her love for and abject fear of a brutal husband.“
Theatre Australia
an initiative of the Independent Theatre Association
(for “Chasing Pegasus: a play in ten chords”, Gasworks Arts Park)
“… an excellent night’s entertainment. Laughs galore, strong comedic acting – altogether a really tight show. All the cast’s performances were delightful … the two actors that had the toughest job as far as the laugh lines department goes – Bruce Woolley as “Glen” and Sally McLean as “Marissa” – shone for me, both making what could have been the most bland of lines funny.“
Susan Thwaites
CitySearch
(for “Lovepuke”, Mechanics Institute Performing Arts Centre, Brunswick)
“The cast were superb, all of them giving strong performances, particularlyRebecca Nunn, Joanna Goodchild, James Buckley and Sally McLean.”
IMDB
(for “A Little Rain Must Fall”, Mynfel Films, UK)
“The artists: Sonya Kerr, Amy Felman, Lily Frances, Katie Boon, Caroline Lloyd and Sally McLean. The girls worked well together with no hesitation in their performances. Emotions ranged from comedy to grief , drama and dance, all done with ease and professionalism.”
Peter Kemp
Stage Whispers
(for “The Auxiliary”, Phrankly Theatre)
“Elsie, Anne’s sister was given a good all round performance by Sally McLean. Elsie was a worrier when it came to her sister’s idea of fun and particularly with an American serviceman. Sally handled the character with finesse.“
Peter Kemp
Peter Kemp’s Theatre
(for “P.S. I Love You”, Incognita Enterprises)
“… Last night’s opening performance was perfectly professional, with deft hands evident in acting, directing, musical direction and design. Each of the cast members (Matt Hetherington, Sally McLean, Tim Wood and Elizabeth O’Hanlon) sang and acted well. Even the radio mikes worked …”
Ralph McLean (no relation)
3RRR
(for “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change”, Athenaeum Theatre)
WRITER/DIRECTOR REVIEWS
“… Sally McLean has managed to put screen adaptations of Shakespeare back on the map …”
Realist WebFest (Russia)
(for “Shakespeare Republic: #LoveTheBard”)
“… (a) polished, beautifully made series from director/producer Sally McLean … A fine use of the platform and, more importantly, a very fine adaptation of the Bard … Shakespeare Republic is put together with grace and wit. An assortment of actors do terrific work making the (non-dumbed down) dialogue accessible, prying it open with great care and skill.”
The Guardian (Australia)
(for “Shakespeare Republic: #LoveTheBard”,
Incognita Enterprises as Writer/Director/Producer & Actor)
“ … immensely enjoyable … wonderfully realistic … refreshing … The cast played their well defined characters superbly without exception … (the dramatic events in the film) were handled both by the cast and writers with skill and sensitivity.”
BBC Single Drama & Film (UK)
(for “A Little Rain Must Fall”,
Incognita Enterprises as Writer/Producer & Actor)
“… strong performances from a cast containing many familiar faces from Australian television … engaging … insightful … if you’re in the mood for some dramatic theatre with interesting characters, inspiring stories and a feel-good, uplifting message, Chasing Pegasus provides an ultimately engaging hour of theatre.”
Radio 3RRR (Australia)
(for “Chasing Pegasus: a play in ten chords”,
Incognita Enterprises as Writer/Director/Producer & Actor)
“… a tightly written and superbly acted piece that explored the difficulties of being a twenty-something living in London in the last throes of the 20th Century. Very similar to the Australian television series “The Secret Life of Us” (which aired here on Channel 4 in 2001), this film is funny, touching, absorbing and confronting. The relationships between the characters are raw and realistic – sometimes disturbingly so.”
IMDB (USA)
(for “A Little Rain Must Fall”,
Incognita Enterprises as Writer/Producer & Actor)
“… confronting, thought provoking and engaging … plenty of laughs as well … a great balance … I have gained a great respect for the writer/director, Sally McLean and the talented cast she has assembled … an experience that shouldn’t be missed.”
Theatre Alive (Australia)
(an Arts Victoria initiative)
(for “Chasing Pegasus: a play in ten chords”,
Incognita Enterprises as Writer/Director/Producer & Actor)
“… taking the world by storm, done in an inventive, captivating way … the entire series is astonishingly smart.”
Stareable.com (USA)
(for “Shakespeare Republic: #LoveTheBard”,
Incognita Enterprises as Writer/Director/Producer & Actor)
“… incredibly clever and highly addictive …”
Made In Melbourne Film Festival (Australia)
(for “Shakespeare Republic: #LoveTheBard”,
Incognita Enterprises as Writer/Director/Producer & Actor)
“… magnificent interpretations of some of Shakespeare’s most well known monologues and soliloquies filmed gorgeously in contemporary settings.”
Theater People (USA)
(for “Shakespeare Republic: #LoveTheBard”,
Incognita Enterprises as Writer/Director/Producer & Actor)
“… beautifully produced soliloquies from Shakespeare’s most famous characters, interpreted by a wide range of talented actors.”
Shakespeare Twentyscore (Australia)
(for “Shakespeare Republic: #LoveTheBard”,
Incognita Enterprises as Writer/Director/Producer & Actor)
” … Shakespeare Republic … a series of stand-alone episodes, each one featuring one of Shakespeare’s monologues or sonnets, with a slightly modern twist … a sophisticated twenty-first century series with its own particularly Australian flavour.”
The Shakespeare Blog (UK)
(for “Shakespeare Republic: #LoveTheBard”,
Incognita Enterprises as Writer/Director/Producer & Actor)