Leading Ladies Shine

Bernadette Robinson, Grace Driscoll and Elise McCann are in the spotlight in DIVAS, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 and Mamma Mia!

DIVAS

Bernadette Robinson is returning to Australian stages with the World Premiere of her post-pandemic solo show, DIVAS.

Robinson is best known for the Australian and West End hit Songs for Nobodies, that channelled five singers, and the impact they had on complete strangers. Audiences were stunned at the authenticity of her impersonations that ranged from Maria Callas to Judy Garland.

Her new show will be a musical journey through the repertoire of ten of our greatest popular music DIVAS, including Edith Piaf, Amy Winehouse, Shirley Bassey, Barbra Streisand, Maria Callas, Kate Bush, Dolly Parton, Karen Carpenter, Miley Cyrus and Judy Garland. 

Robinson will inhabit their most famous songs and their musings on life, music, audiences and their individual challenges and triumphs.

Bernadette Robinson said, “In DIVAS, I aspire to bring to life ten of the most wondrous voices of our time. Each singer is so utterly thrilling. To honour them through my own voice and heart is an enormous challenge and a privilege.

Simon Phillips said, “I’ve been working with Bernadette for over a decade and my awe at her talent remains undiminished. Every time she opens her mouth to ‘become' a new singing legend, I shake my head in disbelief. I should be used to it, but it never ceases to amaze and thrill me. And this new show adds a number of brand-new Divas to her repertoire, which makes it doubly exciting."

DIVAS will opened at QPAC, Brisbane in July, traveling to Sydney Opera House in August, then to Fairfax Studio, Melbourne from 24 August 2023.

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Photographer: Robert Catto

Grace Driscoll plays the role of Natasha in the Darlinghurst Theatre’s Australian premiere production of the musical Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, which is based on a small section of the novel War and Peace. She describes her role.

“Composer and lyricist Dave Malloy’s piece is taken directly from Volume 2, Part V of War and Peace and amounts to a mere 70 pages of the incredible novel,” says Grace Driscoll. “It follows the ingenue Natasha and her love affair with Anatole Kuragin, all whilst coinciding with Pierre’s continual existential crisis. Many of the lines in the show are direct quotes or paraphrased portions of the source material.

“This section is a tight and wonderfully plotted portion of the novel. It is the first time Tolstoy’s main characters share a truly profound moment. It is fascinating to me how Malloy was able to quite literally lift the text off the page (albeit with some small rearrangements).  

“Natasha goes through an incredible transition from girlhood to womanhood. She learns of the treachery in the world, but also the beauty in it. What I love most is that she learns the true meaning of unconditional love - something so rare and wonderful to find.

“Acknowledging that Natasha is a woman of her time period and has certain limitations. I love her zest and excitement for life, finding inspiration in the mundane. She certainly has flaws, but these all contribute to her growth.

“The show is an electro pop opera, meaning it is sung through. It features an array of musical styles from folk, techno, musical theatre, pop and even choral.

“We have assembled the most incredible ensemble of actors who all also play the score. The show has really been designed around us actors, so everyone is integral in their parts. I won’t give too much away, but we have some actors on drum kit, piano and clarinet, as well as some more obscure instruments like the keytar, accordion, cajon and of course the triangle!”

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 plays at Sydney’s Darlinghurst Theatre from July 5 July - 27 August.

Mamma Mia!

Image: Mamma Mia! - Deone Zanotto, Elise McCann and Bianca Bruce - Photographer: David Hooley.

Elise McCann is playing the lead role of Donna in the current revival of Mamma Mia!

“It is so much fun. I am having the best time. It is amazing music. We have the most wonderful cast,” says Elise. “Donna is so confident - this independent woman who runs her own business.

“The audiences are off the chart. Literally the best audiences I have experienced in my career. It is a different crowd. It is really general public, not a theatre crowd. 

“I was surprised that we have a lot of young people; we have a lot of teens and early 20s. They line up at the stage door (for autographs), because they have seen the movie, or the sequel and because ABBA is massive on TikTok. 

“The big thing about being the lead is that I sing 13 songs, so it is a big vocal load. I have look after myself to keep working. 

“I was not nervous. I did Mamma Mia! 14 years ago, when I played Ali. It feels like I am coming home. I feel like I know the show. It just feels joyful.

“I thought it might have been too soon to bring back Mamma Mia! as it was only on five years ago (or so) but I found out that one of the reasons they brought it back, is because they had such great responses last time, but also now we have Australian creatives.

“This is the local production. All of us have been able to make changes, alter blocking, alter delivery and even a few lines. Usually, we never get to do that (due to international creatives). So even if you saw it five years ago, it is different.

“The character of Bill changes in whatever country it is staged. In London he was Cockney, in America he is from Kentucky and in Australia he is always from the outback.

“In this production Donna and Sophie are also Australian. It is all new choreography. Our set and costumes are designed here. But the music has not changed a bit. Except there are two bits of the musical where there is now some ABBA in the mix. In the opening of Act 2, we actually have them singing ‘Is there a man out there’. It is so cool.”

Mamma Mia! is on stage at the Sydney Lyric Theatre until July 30, before moving on to QPAC in Brisbane in August and the Princess Theatre, Melbourne in October