Reviews

The ever-popular Cinematic concerts entered their fifth instalment this year and are likely to become an annual event judging by the bulging concert hall on opening night. What with a simultaneously packed frenzied Friday night of patrons in the Lyric Theatre, the whole complex was a-buzz of a slice of Brisbane theatre-goers eager to escape into the world of showbiz, including an understandably somewhat stressed mix of QPAC staff.

Moving a popular television series like the ABC’s Mother and Son from the screen to the stage is never easy, especially when the characters involved were as clearly defined and well-loved as Arthur Beare and his ageing mother, Maggie. However, if the adaptation is done by the original writer, who also writes for stage, there’s a chance that the move will work! In this case, it does!

Koorliny Arts Centre’s production of Come From Away, the WA Amateur Premier of this very popular show, has created quite a buzz, and the full, very theatrical crowd on Opening Night can testify that this production is very much worthy of the hype.

This story of the town of Gander, whose residents cared for thousands of people from stranded airplanes following September 11, has quickly become a modern classic.

The second major production by The Great Indian Theatre Company, Crimson Gully, played for a short season to sold out houses at the Nexus Theatre. Starting each show with reminders of theatre etiquette, and a front of house member who felt the need to explain that A row was at the front, and that the seats followed the alphabet back from there, it is clear that they are bringing new audiences to theatre, and that is a great thing to celebrate.