Reviews

Musical Theatre tragics, myself included, long found the relative local obscurity of this Broadway musical from the creators of Fiddler on the Roof hard to grasp, having listened rapturously and repeatedly to the original stellar cast recording. After decades of ‘cult’ status, award winning Broadway and West End revivals have spread awareness of this 1960s charm show, now receiving an intimate professional production at Sydney’s Hayes Theatre.

Voices and Vines was a beautiful way to experience the beauty of both well-known and not so well known vocal pieces. Set in the lovely sandstone barn at Golding Winery, this was another example of how fortunate South Australia is with its wealth of world-class singers and the ever-increasing number of interesting, beautiful and acoustically appropriate venues in which they can be showcased.

Voices and Vines featured soprano Karina Bligh, mezzo soprano Charlotte Kelso and guest artist, bass Lachlan Scott, who were accompanied perfectly by Mark Sandon.

Seeing The Australian Ballet perform Giselle is like coming home. If your home is a peasant village or forest graveyard that is. There is something delightfully comforting in seeing a narrative ballet you know so well. Yes, the story in and of itself is somewhat old-fashioned as is the concept of just so much mime in dance, but not everything old should be thrown away. This is never more evident than in the beautiful story-book scrim which transports you into the world beyond.

No-one could better describe the premise behind Vicki Van Hout’s clever, creative – and philosophical – piece of theatre than the performer herself:

Even if I am on stage by myself, as an artist, I am never truly alone, as I am bound to bring my family, my community, my peers and mentors to work with me. In this piece, I decided to place the usual behind-the-scenes action of the indigenous arts making process front and centre …