Reviews

This is a comedy based on numerous misunderstandings, misapprehensions and mockery. The Melbourne Shakespeare Company takes all of these elements and creates a dynamic and often hysterical interpretation of Shakespeare’s masterful play with words, disguise and deception. After surviving a shipwreck, Viola (Meg McKibbin) disguises herself as Cesario and enters the courtly world of Duke Orsino (Sami Obama). This triggers a series events that ultimately lead to most of the characters finding true love, but not before creating some mayhem.

The Russian punk-collective delivers an angry, defiant and powerful message to the enthusiastic crowd in the comfortable surroundings of the University of Adelaide, in stark contrast to their reception in their own country.

The five performers shout, play brass and rap their story to the backdrop of video footage of their political performances in Moscow, and the subsequent trial and imprisonment. The English surtitles are stirring enough, but the passion in their voices, percussion, trumpet and saxophone resonates with your core.

The music of Queen seems to be the flavour of the times and here it is presented through the rather convoluted story devised by Ben Elton. The play is set in the future where individuality no longer exists. Under the control of the Killer Queen, everyone wears the same style clothing and there is no original thinking and no music. However, a group of Bohemians is searching for the music and mysteries of the past from their meeting place, the Hard Rock Café. They have given themselves names of old time rock stars.

Opening the Adelaide Festival, The Magic Flute is a theatrical experience comparable to no other. This joyful offering - acollaboration between Komische Oper Berlin and London-based 1927 - is a psychedelic tour de force.