Reviews

Kate Mulvany’s The Seed is not locally written but has extensive ties to Western Australia. This bitter-sweet examination of family, heritage and inter-generational trauma has been re-written for Black Swan’s 2024 Season.

Australia is extremely fortunate to have a string quartet of the calibre of The Australian String Quartet. With its 40th anniversary looming next year, they have amassed an astounding body of work including 80 Australian premiere compositions.

Comprised of Dale Barltrop (violin), Francesca Hiew (violin), Chris Cartlidge (viola) and guest cellist Charlotte Miles, this unique combination of performers share a special bond that brings classical and modern string quartet compositions to Australian audiences in their latest concert entitled Aurora.

Christopher Wheldon’s full-length narrative ballet about the life and work, loves and gay martyrdom of Oscar Wilde leaps beyond the usual heteronormative stories of the Australian Ballet. 

Artistic director David Hallberg looked especially proud at Sydney’s opening night, even as he was gently hosing down any conservative reaction in the audience.  A few rows left but almost all were on their feet by the end.

Based on the Touchstone Motion Picture Sister Act (Emile Ardolino, 1992), this musical stage production capitalises on all appealing elements of the original film.  Casey Donovan captures Deloris Van Cartier perfectly. She preserves both the crass and heartwarming aspects of the character with exactly the right measure of impishness. The audience is always on her side regardless of her brashness or her dubious lifestyle. Donovan also woos the audience by emphatically creating her own singing style for the part.