Reviews

There’s something magical about the Northern Lights, and they certainly have breathed a little magic into the Castle Hill Players' latest production, Almost, Maine, written by John Cariani.

Here, love is the common theme, presented in 9 tiny pieces (or vignettes) stitched into an unexpectedly poignant night at the theatre. The romantic, dramatic comedy explores various facets of love through interconnected vignettes in the fictional Almost, a small town in Maine, USA. 

When I saw The Guilty Feminist podcast was going to do a live show at the Arts Centre I thought ‘that’s interesting, I’ll go’ since most of the time, I feel like a guilty feminist. I’ve never listened to the podcast because as a single mum, I have so many stresses and pressures in my brain I do not have the room to inject any podcasts. If I’m going to unwind, it has to be to something that completely transports me away from my work as a feminist poet, writer and performer.

The remarkable transformation of MCA into a grand opera house truly exceeds expectations. This large-scale production successfully manages to create a quality intimate theatrical experience in this vast space. There is a surprising positioning of the orchestra on an elevated platform behind the singers on stage. This facilitates the magnificent acoustics and provides delightfully unusual glimpses of the orchestra.

Candide is a spectacularly crazy show and the audience on opening night lapped up every note, nuance and movement with gusto. Everyone was along for the ride - and what a ride! We travel from Westphalia to Lisbon at the time of the 1755 earthquake to the Spanish Inquisition to Montevideo to Eldorado, and finally Constantinople through a whimsical set of polka dots and fabulously flamboyant costumes!