Reviews

The University of Adelaide Theatre Guild showcases yet another fine contemporary Australian play, with a solid staging of Debra Oswald’s The Peach Season. This bittersweet coming of age story rehashes many familiar, timeworn conventions of the genre, but contains enough unexpected, idiosyncratic nuances to emerge as fresh and relevant to a modern audience. The intelligent handling of universal themes, combined with candid performances from the entire cast and finely detailed production design result in a deeply immersive theatre experience.

Tanztheater Wuppertal welcomed choreographer Pina Bausch as dance director back in 1973; with this appointment began 36 years of collaborations that transformed the way the world viewed this genre. She gave dancers a voice and developed a combination of theatre and dance that was her personal social commentary. Although Bausch passed away in 2009, we are blessed that this company has resurrected this exceptional piece.

I had mixed feelings about this show.

This year's Adelaide Festival of Arts has thus far been commendably adventurous, unafraid to take an audience out of its comfort zone, willing to stretch the parameters of theatre beyond what feels familiar. Deluge is an experiment that should prove interesting and rewarding for all those willing and eager to be taken somewhere new and different; the unique concept behind this venture makes for an intriguing, excitingly unpredictable experience.