Composer: Gaetano Donizetti. Librettist: Salvadore CammaranoVictorian Opera. Director: Cameron Menzies. Musical Director: Richard Mills. Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne. April 12 – 21, 2016
Jessica Pratt has sung Lucia in some of the biggest opera houses in the world. Melbourne audiences were luckier than that. They got to hear her in the intimate Her Majesty’s theatre where she rarely needed to open up that magnificent instrument and so was able to give a much subtler, nuanced performance. Her pianissimo singing was particularly beautiful, and made her a more vulnerable Lucia than one would find in a bigger theatre.
Melbourne International Cabaret Festival. The Upstairs Lounge @ Little Sista. Mar 22 – April 17, 2016.
Tanyalee names the elephant in the room right at the beginning of the show. She’s Canadian! Her experience as a person of very short stature forms the backbone of the show. There is gentle education and sideways challenges to stereotypes blended with physical enactments and using her physical attributes to poke at conventional thinking. The difficulties of T-Rex arms provided many chuckles. There were many boom, boom moments.
By Gilbert and Sullivan. Holroyd Musical & Dramatic Society. Director: John Brown, Musical Director: Susan Brown, Choreographer: “M” Seedsman. Redgum Centre. April 08 -16, 2016.
Oh joy oh rapture unforeseen. This is an elegantly staged and beautifully sung production.
Husband and wife creative team John and Susan Brown has created a Pinafore that sticks to the era and the script. It proves that even over a century old the script can still be just as funny and entertaining as it is.
By David Williamson. Genesian Theatre, Sydney. Directed by Sahn Millington. April 1 - May 7, 2016
Beautifully cast, nicely staged and well directed, this production has almost everything going for it. David Williamson sets the scene inside a publishing house, which pits a formidable publisher Bea against a younger rival Naomi.
The issues are laid out clearly. Bea – an older woman stands for literary quality, whilst the much younger and slimmer Naomi is pushing for sales.
Shoestring Opera Melbourne. Directed by Timothy Nolan. Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Comedy Club, Athenaeum Theatre, 188 Collins St, Melbourne. 9, 10, 16 & 17 April 2016
Le 66 is a delightful opportunity to experience comic-opera; a genre that rarely has the opportunity to be seen on stage. This was one of the many operettas by the German-born French composer of the romantic period and it premiered in Paris in July 1856. Ellen Leather plays Grittly and gives a powerful performance as the Tyrolean travelling singer. Her characterisation accurately captures the tone of the narrative. Timothy Daly is charming as Frantz, Grittly’s cousin and fellow travelling singer.
By William Shakespeare. Independent Theatre. Directed by Rob Croser. Goodwood Institute Theatre, Adelaide. 8-16 April, 2016
The works of William Shakespeare have their agnostics in addition to their adherents, and this reviewer must confess to being 'on the fence' with regards to the much-revered tragedy of the Prince of Denmark...Is this a Hamlet that lovers of the text will enjoy seeing? Very likely. Does it have enough strength and quality to impress the fence-sitters and make them glad they came? Most probably.
Music by Alan Menken. Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater. Book by Doug Wright. Free Rain Production. Producer: Anne Somes. Directed by David Atfield. Designed by Cate Clelland. Canberra Theatre. April 8 – 17, 2016
With great musical talent, a vibrant design and cute and funny characters, Free Rain’s The Little Mermaid will delight children of all ages, including sixteen-year-old nit-picking Disney nerds. I know this because I accidentally brought one along and she air sang for the duration. Oops.
Directed and written by Trevor Ashley. Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne. MICF April 7 – 17, 2016
To see two giants of cabaret together is worth the admission price even if they just stood there and smiled. But Trevor Ashley and Rhonda (Ruda) Burchmore, do far more than that in this lavish production which includes sensational costumes, a kick-ass seven piece band, video screen comedy sketches, awesome vocals – and a script that overall just doesn’t work and leads to some poor comic choices.
Created by Yaron Lifschitz, Libby McDonnell (also the Directors) & the Circa Ensemble. Presented by La Boite and Circa at the Roundhouse Theatre, Brisbane 6-23 April, 2016
This is a style of theatre quite unlike anything I've seen before. La Boite's theme of the adventurous and the alternative is in full flood with this production including some deep intellect at the helm to inspire and invigorate. Previous experimentation with the fusion of traditional styles has been around a long time now but in this instance the collaborative directors have developed a technique designed to stretch the imagination and add a new dimension to theatre with a circus theme.
By Ray Cooney. Ballina Players. Players Theatre, Ballina. Directed by: Jackie Reidy and Mike Sheehan. April 1st to 10th, 2016
FUNNY Money (as the name suggests) is a funny show and this production had everything worthy of a great comedy; pace, timing, lots of laughs, sight gags and a solid set that withstood the continuous banging of doors!
