Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Review of my play

The Chronic Ills

of Robert Zimmerman:

The Old Fitzroy Theatre

By Victor Kline ArtsHub | Thursday, May 21, 2009


The Chronic Ills of Robert Zimmerman: The Old Fitzroy Theatre

Go, go go!

Do not miss this show!

Benito Di Fonzo has a

decidedly twisted view

of existence which only

serves to feed the madness of this quirky show –

The Chronic Ills of Robert Zimmerman: AKA Bob Dylan (A Lie) -

A Theatrical Talking Blues

playing at the Old Fitzroy.


He is a writer and performer of diverse tastes and he

doesn’t shrink from tasting

all there is.

This gives his talented director and ensemble

of actors the opportunity

to also taste the fruits of their own art with relish and delight.

I enjoyed seeing a kaleidoscope of

characters from my own past a singin’ and a dancin’ their celebrity

heads off. Congratulations to

Andrew Henry, Leonore Munro,

and Matt Ralph as the Zimm.


As for Lucinda Gleeson’s direction and Simon Rippingdale’s music, why be shackled? I agree.

Go for it! That’s what theatre

needs. And the metaphorical burning of the effigy? If you blinked you missed it, but then you would really be missing something.

Well done to all.


The Chronic Ills of Robert Zimmerman: AKA Bob Dylan (A Lie) - A Theatrical Talking Blues


The Old Fitzroy Theatre,

Woolloomooloo, Sydney

Dates: May 11, 15-18, 22-25

Friday and Saturday nights at

9:30pm, Sunday and Monday

nights at 8:00 pm


Cast and Crew

Playwright: Benito Di Fonzo

Director: Lucinda Gleeson

Musical Directors: The Company

With: Andrew Henry, Lenore

Munro, Matt Ralph and Simon Rippingale

Photography and Graphic Design: Dan Collopy for Think Five

Producer: Jennifer Hamilton for

Bicycle User Group

To purchase tickets please visit

the Rock Surfers website

Victor Kline

Victor Kline started his working life as Sydney's youngest barrister. He is now Editor of the Federal Court Reports, and an award winning playwright, director and actor who has worked extensively in theatre in Sydney and off Broadway in New York. He is also author of the novel 'Rough Justice'.

E: vkline@bigpond.com

Monday, May 11, 2009

my Dylan parody opening tonight!


(from TRS site -  http://www.rocksurfers.org/node/150)

The Chronic Ills of Robert Zimmerman: AKA Bob Dylan (A Lie) - A Theatrical Talking Blues 

(May 11, 15-18, 22-25)

By Benito Di Fonzo

The Chronic Ills of Robert Zimmerman is a surrealo-absudist theatrical re-imagining of the life and weird times of folk-rock legend and pop cultural icon Bob Dylan. Written by award winning Sydney poet, playwright, journalist and kazooist Benito Di Fonzo, The Chronic Ills is a reverently ironic homage to the man born Robert Allen Zimmerman sixty-eight years ago this May 24.

We follow Bob/Robert as he begins his career by running away from home at ten, twelve, thirteen, fifteen, fifteen-and-a-half, seventeen and eighteen years old. Instructed by Woody Guthrie, he goes in pursuit of a holy grail of songs armed only with a fascist-killing guitar and a dream. Accidentally renamed Dylan in a New York public hospital, he then encounters, corrupts, jams and gets lost at sea with fellow icons Ginsberg, Lennon, Pound, Eliot, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, Billy Bragg, and a hipster-Yiddish speaking Abraham Lincoln (to name a few).

“It’s a long story mister, involving bible, ghosts, chaos, clocks, watermelons, everything”


Cast and Crew
Playwright: Benito Di Fonzo
Director: Lucinda Gleeson
Musical Directors: The Company
With: Andrew Henry, Lenore Munro, Matt Ralph and Simon Rippingale
Photography and Graphic Design: Dan Collopy for Think Five
Producer: Jennifer Hamilton for Bicycle User Group

Producing Company: bicycleusergroup.wordpress.com

The Chronic Ills of Robert Zimmerman is part of the Tamarama Rock Surfers 2009 'Late Sessions' Season, and is in development with TRS's 'Early Sessions' development Program.