Reviews

Dial M for Murder, written by Frederick Knoff and bought to mainstream populace by Alfred Hitchcock, is a tale of a spiteful and vindictive husband seeking revenge on his cheating wife.

Two women in crumpled wedding dresses, a pile of brutally honest letters and a pitch perfect pianist. These ingredients form the perfect recipe for an evening of absolute hilarity, tinged with the sharp pangs of heartache that is Love Letters to F**kbois. This highly engaging and interactive show speaks to the shared loneliness that runs rampant in modern society. It highlights the dichotomy of this world of constant, easy, connectivity against the inability for people to commit to any long-term romantic connection. Is Tinder to blame? Are we too spoiled for choice?

Mother shows us the face of homelessness the way we’ve never seen it, the way we’ve always seen it.

The face belongs to Noni Hazlehurst, endearing icon of the Australian entertainment industry, but we’ve never seen it quite like this.

It is haunted. There is confusion, longing and loathing. A loss of self.

Though opera buffo doesn’t traditionally have the same classical ‘standing’ as the dramatic operas, the music is just as beautiful – and there is much more opportunity for directors to have fun with the action and the costumes. Simon Phillips certainly did this in his 2014 production of The Turk in Italy, and revival director Andy Moore has treated it just as playfully in this reprise. In Opera Australia’s own words: “This production is a frivolous take on a comedy that is not often performed”.