Reviews

Belvoir’s new artistic director Eamon Flack both scripted and directed this remarkable reworking of Chekhov's first full-length play.  With a strong comic cast who capture both the pathos and full ridiculousness of Chekhov's lost characters, Flack’s rollicking but sensitive production reaches beyond pre-revolutionary Russia to our Australia today.  The actors somehow inhabit both worlds, and so point to what we have in common, as our social progress also falters into inertia and the only bottom line is economic growth.

Lyric Opera continues to explore obscurity with the first staged version of G. W. L. Marshall-Hall’s opera, Stella, in over 100 years. The Englishman Marshall-Hall was brought out to Australia as founding Ormond Professor of Music at the University of Melbourne and had a profound impact on the musical life of the city. This is believed to be the first opera written in Australia.

Written at the time of Puccini and Massenet, Stella is very melodic and pure verismo. The title character had a couple of beautiful arias and there were some lovely ensembles.

In the Intergalactic Book of Alien planets, Earth is described thus – “The blue bits are water – the green bits are land.” Succinct, simple, and perceptive – as is all of this beautiful and hysterically funny play – aimed at children but a delight for adults whose inner kid is still alive and kicking.

The long line of young children patiently waiting to have their books autographed after the show by children’s author superstar Andy Griffiths made you realise what a phenomenon this writer has become.

The book signings – advertised in advance on his website - are well drilled, no selfies, no personal messages and the line will only go for one hour.

Time is short when your imagination is always running wild and you are working on the next blockbuster.