Reviews

Gala – At Home

Yarra Valley Opera Festival. Presented by Gertrude Opera (online opera festival). 16-25 October, 2020.

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.

Alfie Boe – Bring Him Home Tour 2012

Alfie Boe. Guest Artists: Claude-Michel Schönberg, Matt Lucas, Melanie C, Tom Fletcher, Chakira Riddell-Morales. Brighton Festival Chorus. Heart of England Philharmonic (Boe’s Band). Conductor: James Morgan. The Shows Must Go On, YouTube - Streaming Free for 48hrs from 16 Oct 2020

The Shows Must Go On continues its free streaming this weekend with Alfie Boe’s Bring Him Home Tour from the Royal Festival Hall in 2012. The British tenor, who first came to notice in the O2 Arena Concert Production of Les Misérables (2002), is in thrilling voice, with impeccable phrasing, as he sings a good selection of modern musical theatre favourites.

professional premises

Written and directed by Andrew O’'Connell. Company O. Paper Mountain, William St, Northbridge WA. Oct 15-25, 2020

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.

Vincent River

By Philip Ridley. The Curators Theatre, Christ Church, Milton, Qld. Director: Michael Beh. 13-31 October 2020

Brutally horrific, Philip Ridley’s Vincent River has been given a taut and harrowing production by Curators Theatre, with solid direction by Michael Beh. It’s the Brisbane premiere of this bleak play, which has had innumerable productions since its world premiere at the Hampstead Theatre, London, 2000. It’s not time specific, but judging by the music that permeates the production, it feels like we’re back in the eighties.

The Elephant Man

By Bernard Pomerance. WAAPA Third Year Acting Students. Directed by Andrew Lewis. Roundhouse Theatre, WAAPA, Edith Cowan University, WA. Oct 12-15, 2020

The Elephant Man is a beautifully presented production acted by WAAPA’s Third Year Acting Students and featuring the creative talents of Production and Design Students. Not open to the public, The Elephant Man played to fellow students and selected audience members for a short season of matinee performances.

Grease

By Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. Adelaide Youth Theatre. The Arts Theatre, Adelaide. 15-18 October, 2020

Grease – the musical began life in a Chicago night-club in 1971. The title comes from an American sub-culture group known as ‘the greasers’. Grease moved to Broadway in 1972 and the international smash hit movie version was released in 1978. Subsequently, it was revived in 1994 and 2007, combining the original and movie versions. Grease is now a ‘classic’ pop musical, and as evident in this delightful Adelaide Youth Theatre production, is as wonderful and as subversive as it ever was.

A Chorus Line

Conceived by Michael Bennett. Book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante. Music by Marvin Hamlisch. Lyrics by Edward Kleban. WAAPA. Directed by Crispin Taylor. Geoff Gibbs Theatre, WAAPA, Edith Cowan University, Mt Lawley, WA. Oct 13-15, 2020

WAAPA’s biggest production of 2020 is being performed to a very exclusive audience in the Geoff Gibbs Theatre. Featuring the forty 3rd Year and 2nd Year Music Theatre students onstage, it highlights the talents of just as many Production and Design Students, is staffed by Arts Management Students and includes a plethora of students in the orchestra.

Orpheus In the Underworld

Jacques Offenbach, with new lyrics by Nicole Stinton. WAAPA Classical Voice Students. Directed by Nicole Stinton. The Rechabite Hall, Northbridge WA. Oct 12-15, 2020

WAAPA productions are currently not open to the general public, but Classical Voice students are performing to very limited audiences at The Rechabite, preceding a YouTube broadcast season from 24-31 October.

My Wife’s Family

Based on a play by Henry Duprez, original story by Hal Stephens and Harry B. Linton. Tea Tree Players, SA. Online from October 11, 2020.

During the lockdown period for Covid-19 we all baked, crafted, gardened and, of course, spent time watching Stan, Netflix and bingeing on Binge. For a long while our theatre exposure was restricted to old YouTube versions of plays, musicals, operas and ballet. Lately, some companies have presented virtual theatre to keep the Arts alive in Adelaide. The Adelaide Repertory Theatre has presented a number of virtual productions. Now Tea Tree Players (famous for their productions of farce) present their latest contribution, My Wife’s Family, a radio play on film!

Disney’s High School Musical

By David Sympatico. HAMA Productions. Directed by Olivia Collier. Regal Theatre, Subiaco, WA. Oct 7-11, 2020

The biggest production to hit Perth since the shut-down, HAMA Productions’ High School Musical, is playing to Covid capacity audiences in a well-polished feel-good show.

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