Reviews

Stephen Sondheim surprised us when he wrote a musical called Assassins and another  about a murderous barber, Sweeney Todd.  American Pyscho is far darker. 

It’s based on Bret Easton Ellis’ 1991 horrific tale of a privileged narcissistic Wall Street success who turns to serial killing in an attempt to feel something. The 2000 film and this thriller musical version hold back a touch on Ellis’ blood and gore, throwing the switch to high camp satire and laughter.

This year's Opera Queensland recital programme started in February and runs until September 2021. In the small Opera Queensland South Bank Studio, the series is a brilliant opportunity to see main-stage opera stars and hear the power of their (relatively unamplified) human voices in a wonderfully intimate space. It is also a chance to feel you are sitting in on a dress rehearsal, hearing the singers talk informally about their journey in song. 

200 years of theft—of cultural continuity, land, children, liberty and often lives, each decade bringing a new form of oppression—have left generations of Indigenous Australians traumatised. Palawa man Dylan Van Den Berg’s exploration of his culture has resulted in the play Milk, where the protagonist finds himself on Flinders Island and able to ask the spirits of his grandmother and great-grandmother about events that have been hidden from him. Slowly, he becomes aware of stories of hardship and heartbreaking tragedy.

Everyone remembers that Beauty and the Beast tells the story of a cold blooded prince who has been magically transformed into an unsightly creature as punishment for his selfish ways. His friends and colleagues have also been changed. To revert into his true human form, the Beast must learn to love a bright beautiful young woman whom he has imprisoned in his enchanted castle before it is too late. The others will then also revert to normal. Being a Disney story we know what the result will be - but the question is how does that happen.