Reviews

Amongst the Trees was an intense and sometimes challenging evening. Its intensity came from both the subject matter and the style of music. This was a departure from the usual style of operatic offerings from Co-Opera, which usually chooses more traditional and ‘audience-friendly’ operatic offerings.

Amongst the Trees demanded close attention from the audience. The Schoenberg in particular is rarely performed and lacked the melodies, and for me, the moments of transcendent beauty that come from arias in the more well-known operas.

Stirling Players’ John and Jen may be this year’s best kept secret. This beautifully produced two-hander may not be getting the audiences that it deserves (a little known show and the small cast make it a little hard to sell), but those that do catch this little gem will appreciate this excellent production.

On Our Beach, a World Premiere production by Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, is a delightful romp that is part traditional puppetry, part promenade theatre, with a huge amount of audience participation and a whole lot of surprises.

The Opening Night audience, which had a few more grown-ups than will be expected at most performances, showed that it really is a show that will be appreciated by parents as much as their children, which makes this a particularly attractive holiday option for families.

Flamenco Fire – Australia’s only national flamenco company – have been performing their unique mix of traditional and contemporary Spanish Flamenco with international and interstate musicians and dancers since 1999. To celebrate their vibrant 20 years together, they premiered their new show – Veinte Años – at the Brisbane Festival.