Reviews

For a Look or a Touch

Composed by Jake Heggie. Libretto: Gene Scheer. Presented by Voxalis Opera. Studio 1, Old Museum Building, Brisbane. 29th June, 2024

Based on the journal of gay victim Manfred Lewin expressing the horrors of Auschwitz and the infamous 'Paragraph 175' outlawing homosexuality, even after the war, this short one-act opera sets the scene for a survivor of the Holocaust and his reflections on his past romance with a Jewish young man who was one of the unfortunate victims, along with his immediate family, of the horrendous Nazi regime and the gas chambers.

My First Ballet: Cinderella

Relaxed Performance. Staged by Matthew Lawrence. Queensland Ballet. Playhouse, Talbot Theatre, Thomas Dixon Centre, Brisbane. 29 June 2024

If you have ever hesitated at choosing a ‘relaxed performance’ to attend for fear of missing out on the action – then think again. A group of us – aged between 8 and 80 – attended the relaxed version of My First Ballet: Cinderella at the gorgeous Talbot Theatre. Matthew Lawrence, the production’s Stager, and dancer Jack Jones (playing one of the Step Sisters) introduced the performance and reassured the audience that they were there to have fun in a safe environment.

The Exorcist

By John Pielmeier, adapted from the novel by William Petter Beatty. Produced by Redcliffe Musical Theatre and Ghostlight Theatre Company. Directed by Yasmin Elahi. Theatre 102, 102 Anzac Avenue, Redcliffe. 28 June – 14 July, 2024

From the moment you stepped into Theatre 102, an aura of foreboding gripped the air. The lights dimmed low, casting shadows over tables draped in ominous black, setting the stage for a night of spine-tingling terror. Rain sound effects whispered hauntingly in the background, and a chilling pre-show announcement sent shivers down the spine, signalling the beginning of a horrifying journey.

Hands on a Hardbody

By Doug Wright, Trey Anastasio, and Amanda Green. Wanneroo Repertory. Directed by David Nelson and Jane Anderson. The Limelight Theatre, Wanneroo, WA. Jun 27 – Jul 13, 2024

Wanneroo Repertory’s WA Premiere of Hands on a Hardbody opened to a small but appreciative audience at the Limelight Theatre. Based on a documentary and a real-life event, it is set around a competition in Texas, where competitors must keep a hand on a truck for the longest time, in order to win the vehicle.

Very much an ensemble piece, we meet the ten competitors, two competition organisers, local radio host and a smattering of competitors’ family and supporters.

Steel Magnolias

By Robert Harling. North Queensland Opera and Musical Theatre Company. Directed by Alan Cooke. Assistant Director Donna Clayton-Smith. NQOMT Hall. 27 June – 7 July 2024.

ONE IS INCLINED to forget that this favourite film of the 1980s was actually a play before it was extended so terrifically to become considered a minor classic of the era. This is not only because it is an engaging piece of work, but it also had one of the best ensemble casts in any movie.

Moana Jr

Music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina. Book adapted by Susan Soon he Stanton. Music Ian Weinberger. Based on Disney film. Directed by Paula-Mary Camilleri. KSP Theatre, Burpengary, QLD. Jun 26 – 29, 2024

Set in ancient Polynesia, as was the film, and this musical tells the story of Moana, the strong-willed daughter of a chief of a coastal village. She is chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a mystical relic with the goddess Te Fiti.  When blight strikes the island, Moana sets sail in search of Maui, a legendary demigod, with hopes of saving her people and her island. With waves breaking on stage, the audience follows Moana’s efforts with hopes for her success. Making it even more attractive is the wide ranging use of song and dance.

The Lion King Jr

By Elton John and Tim Rice, Roger Allers, and Irene Mecchi. Albany Children’s Theatre. Directed by Emma Davis. Albany Entertainment Centre, WA. Jun 22, 2024

Albany Children’s Theatre’s production of The Lion King Jr was an extravaganza of a production, with a cast of 82 children aged from just 5 to 18. Warm, well performed and fun, the capacity audience was delighted during their short, one day, two performance season.

Starweaver

Madness of Two and State Theatre Company SA. The Void. Flinders University Drama Centre. 25th June – 6 July, 2024

Madness of Two is an innovative new theatre company, founded by theatre-makers Ellen Graham and Jamie Hornsby. In Starweaver, they are partnering with the State Theatre company and premiering a new piece of very high-quality science fiction performance with innovative staging and effects.

The Hardcase Hotel

By Devon Williamson. Cairns Little Theatre. Directed By Lynn Cropp. June 28-July 13, 2024

Cairns Little Theatre’s production of The Hardcase Hotel has all the ingredients of an Agatha Christie thriller. The play is set in a remote cliff side Italian hotel that is inhabited by an eccentric group of guests, all of whom have absurdly strong accents.

Tosca

Composed by Giacomo Puccini. Librettists: Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. Opera Australia in collaboration with Opera North. Directed by Edward Dick. Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. June 25 - August 16, 2024

When this production was first conceived by Opera North in 2018, Donald Trump was in the White House and the #MeToo movement was a dominant cultural force,  which partly inspired the Director Edward Dick to give it a modern sensibility.

The story was transplanted from Rome during the Napoleonic wars to an unnamed present-day country where Church and State collude.

In one of the most striking parallels about powerful men behaving badly, the villain Scarpia sings about his desire to both bed Tosca and discard her after his prospective conquest.

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