Banquet of Secrets

New musicals are always a bit of a gamble. With Banquet of Secrets Victorian Opera is on a winner!

The premise of the show is quite simple. Four friends have been meeting annually for a meal for the past twenty years since leaving school, and one wants each to tell a secret the others don’t know.

Each of these secrets is quite dramatic in its way, so the action constantly moves between lively banter and high drama throughout the evening.

The thing which appealed to me was that each character was thoroughly believable, and there appeared to be a genuine friendship between them. This was partly due to the writing by Steve Vizard and partly to the superb performances from the four protagonists.

Antoinette Halloran, a standout in Sweeney Todd, was an imperious Mia, the thrice-married successful business woman. Dimity Shepherd was the weary single mother, her fruity mezzo a delight. David Rogers-Smith was heart-rending describing the death of his wife, only to be topped by Kanen Breen, the genial host, with the darkest secret of them all.

At regular intervals the waiter brought out the next course, all included in the program, displayed on the mirror above the stage, then there was a blackout and the table was empty again. The lighting was effective.

The music, by Paul Grabowsky, was accessible and suited the show, and the band good, though occasionally a little loud.

The audience was totally caught up in the characters and drama on stage. An absolute triumph.

Graham Ford

Images: (top) David Rogers-Smith, Dimity Shepherd, Kanen Breen and Antoinette Halloran & (lower) David Rogers-Smith, Dimity Shepherd, Michael Carman, Kanen Breen and Antoinette Halloran. Photographer: Jeff Busby.