Reviews

Summertime in Melbourne is never far from a deluge of rain and with a 2024 weather forecast predicting stormy weather came a hasty venue change for this much heralded production of Alice in Wonderland, usually staged in the lush gardens at the Ripponlea Estate.

Circus 1903 is a delightful family-oriented show that astonishes and surprises the audience. The idea of capturing the historical atmosphere of circus performance gives this show a very endearing quality. Ringmaster Willy Whipsnade (David Williamson) takes command of the performance in a very welcoming manner. He introduces the different acts with great fanfare. He especially involves very young audience members and often makes them the star of the show.

Australian Shakespeare Company are renowned for their lively and engaging productions set in the outdoors. This year A Midsummer Night’s Dream features in the Shakespeare Under the Stars program. This is a dazzling and delightful production which exploits the outdoor setting to the fullest. The performances are energetic, the costuming and props sparkle, and the lighting is spectacularly colourful and dynamic. The show is replete with an array of special effects that create a truly magical atmosphere and bring the fairy world of the forest to life.

The magic of the power of music once again attracted an almost full house to all performances of this annual QPAC event, this year with the diffusion of traditional Christian European celebration with First Nation Peoples of Australia and our neighbours from New Zealand and the Pacific region, creating a colourful and varied combination of well-known Christmas songs and original styles and arrangements.