Reviews

In a cultural landscape where “multidisciplinary” is often shorthand for vaguely related art forms co-existing politely, Brisbane Music Festival’s double bill bloodpaths and Orpheus proves the term can still mean something muscular, imaginative and deeply integrated. Across two richly contrasting halves, Artistic Director Alex Raineri and his collaborators offer a fiercely contemporary evening that sits somewhere between meditation, provocation and tectonic shift in how sound, movement and image can co author meaning.

Big Fish is a story about stories and a lovely blend of fantasy and reality, well understood by Director Tammy Peckover. Will Bloom’s father is a consummate storyteller. As he faces his final illness, Edward sets out to find the truth behind his tall tales. Murray Music and Drama Club’s production is full of warmth.

Every time I see a Wyong Drama Group production I am always immediately struck by the attention to detail with the scenery.  When I walked in to see this play however, I noticed very quickly that there was clearly less decoration on the stage.  Apart from the fact that this play is mainly set in the backyard, the reason for the relatively pared back scenery soon becomes very apparent:  it simply isn’t necessary.  The quality of the performances in this dramatic production is so high that any superfluous decoration would only be a potential distraction. 

Carmen is an opera that provides highly recognisable music having infiltrated its way into popular culture and the popular psyche. The story is extremely colourful, highly dramatic and the music emphatically accentuates these aspects. This production is clearly inspired by the strong emotions the opera elicits, and the overall vision and design of this production is extremely willing to emphasise these aspects. No character or context is trivialised, and the contemporary setting reinforces the relevance of the bigoted and discriminatory gender dynamics that feature in the story.