Kurt Weill's The Seven Deadly Sins & Mahagonny Songspiel

My jaw dropped when I entered the theatre – what, 17 musicians in this tiny space? I read that in the promotional material but assumed it was a joke – how does an independent theatre manage such an extravaganza?

Up the road the Hayes Theatre typically squeezes a handful of players in their 111-seat theatre – but the old Fitz fits just 58. So, this is like trying to break the world record for fitting the most people into a Mini Minor. 

By a country mile this is the biggest production ever at the Old Fitz and the company brought in an industrial strength platform to allow for the orchestra to be on two decks.

So it goes without saying that the music, under the baton of Brian Castles-Onion, was as crisp and present as swimming in a lagoon next to a waterfall.

The music of Kurt Weill is quirky and jazzy and a bit atonal in parts, but always engaging.

Director Constantine Cost selected two contrasting pieces which are tightly put together into a seventy-minute one act treat.

No sitting in a big theatre for three hours straining at subtitles at a distance; this is the 20/20 cricket version of opera.

The first half of the double bill is Kurt Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins, about two sisters hustling their way across America. In short, it is a series of musical sketches which match the sin of the day. To take one as an example - gluttony features a gag on gorging on McDonalds. As you might expect there was a bit of flesh on display when it was time for sin lust.

The cast is just as exquisite as the band. Opera Australia regulars Nicholas Jones, Benjamin Rasheed, Andy Moran and Anthony Mackey are a hoot as the ensemble. They milked one gag after another on the postage stamp stage and sang beautifully.

Dancer Allie Graham and singer Margaret Trubiano were just as enchanting – particularly in the second half of the piece, Mahagonny Songspiel, which was sultry and misty contrasting nicely with the whimsical tone of the first act.

This is a fantastic opportunity to hear a score like this up close at a very affordable price for an opera.

David Spicer

Photographer: Robert Catto