Reviews

If ever there was a year for theatre to explore the intimate conversations of a young man and his AI technology, 2020 is top of the list.

Originally scheduled to premiere in March, but postponed due to the nationwide lockdown, Alexa,Turn The Lights On - a story of humanity vs technology - featured in Toowoomba’s annual Curious Arts Festival over the weekend.

Self-professed Luddite Jacob Watton starred alongside Amazon Alexa technology and humorously pontificated about modern technology that has “taken over his house”.

Love Fail is an original work by David Lang that is inspired by the varied accounts of Tristan and Isolde. This story of star-crossed lovers has been adapted in many forms and continues to be pervasive in our cultural landscape. However, Love Fails is heavily focused on allusion and creates a unique and new text to address this classic tale. This performance is mystical and eerie in the way it elicits the spirit of the characters and their elusive and often shadowy presence.

The festival opens with a gala concert featuring performances from company singers over the past eleven years. The concert is hosted by Gertrude Opera’s Artistic Director, Linda Thompson, with Maestro Brian Castles Onion and the artists perform from their homes from around the world. The hosts take the time to have a friendly chat with each artist prior to their performance and this creates a warm atmosphere. Some performances are more relaxed while others try to create the formality of the opera and the variety of music and approaches makes the concert interesting and dynamic.

Company O is an independent theatre company that is particularly interested in performing new writing and insightful interpretations of the classics. This World Premiere production sort of ticks both boxes, as it tells about a company of actors presenting a not-so-insightful production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.