Reviews

Piper

Created by Frenzy Theatre Company, co-creator Dora Abraham. Theatre Works, St Kilda. 8 – 24 August 2024

Frenzy Theatre Company presents an all-singing-all-dancing, parodic, satiric retelling – or ‘reimagining’ - of the ‘classic’ 13th century fairytale, The Pied Piper of Hamelin.  It has been devised, concocted and assembled by the breath-taking, amazingly all-shapes-and-sizes female and non-binary cast of twenty-four (too many to name here – check the program).  There are acrobats, comedians, musicians, singers, dancers (or combinations of all these), and they are by necessity quick-change artists too.

The Addams Family

Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. Music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa. Based on characters created by Charles Addams. Ballina Players. June 7 – 23, 2024

The Addams Family musical offers a blend of quirky charm and familiar macabre humour that will likely appeal to fans of the original s\eries and cartoons. While the show has its strengths, it also has areas that might leave some audience members wanting more.

The musical score by Andrew Lippa is a key highlight. The songs are catchy and varied, ranging from lively ensemble numbers like "When You're an Addams" to more introspective pieces like "Happy/Sad." However, while some tunes are memorable, others may not leave a lasting impression.

Postcards

Brisbane Music Festival. FourthWall Arts, Brisbane. 10 August 2024.

This year’s Brisbane Music Festival (BMF) is a journey in three parts – its season extending from 23 to 25 August, 25 to 27 October, and finally 13 to 15 December, packing in more than 10 world premiere pieces and a similar number of Australian premieres, featuring Brisbane-based and international artists, some making their Queensland debuts.

Murder for Two

Book Kellen Blair and Joe Kinosian. Music Joe Kinosian. Director Richard Carroll. Riverside Theatre Parramatta. 9-10 Aug, 2024

When Peter Novakovich reviewed this production for Stage Whispers in 2023 he wrote: “The Hayes Theatre Company production of Murder for Two is clever, witty, elegant, sophisticated, laugh-out-loud brilliant! My face hurt from laughing too much”. He followed that with a “clever, witty, elegant” review of this ingenious piece of theatre, covering the multiple theatre genres, musical theatre styles and the very talented actors and director who brought it to such sparkling life.

Apologia

By Nicola Gunn. Malthouse, The Beckett. 6 – 18 August 2024

An ‘apologia’ is not an apology.  On the contrary, it is a defence (written, spoken, passionate, logical, whatever) of one’s actions or beliefs.  So what is Nicola Gunn defending here?  It is the ambiguity of something is translated, transformed, recreated, replicated, copied, or incorporated into something else.  What then is the nature or essential essence of the ur-thing that is translated, transformed and so on?  What is its authenticity?  (Some may recall the Abbas Kiarostami movie Certified Copy.)

Horizon

Presented by QPAC and Bangarra Dance Theatre. Choreographed by Sani Townson, Deborah Brown and Moss Te Ururangi Patterson. QPAC Playhouse, 8 - 17 Aug 2024

Horizon is a commanding double bill that intertwines cultural exploration and artistic expression. It opens with Kulka which is choreographed by Bangarra alum Sani Townson followed by the centrepiece, The Light Inside, a collaborative creation by Bangarra alum Deborah Brown and Māori choreographer Moss Te Ururangi Patterson. Together, these works navigate the quest for cultural and ancestral ties, examining themes of matriarchy, birth, and creation, connection to home, and the rich history of storytelling that defines Indigenous identities.

Silent Sky

By Lauren Gunderson. Presented by St. Jude’s Players. St Jude’s Hall, Brighton, SA. 8 – 18 August 2024

‘Lucky for us the universe doesn’t much care for what you wear’ says an indignant Henrietta Leavitt on first meeting her supervisor who asserts superiority through being a man, only for him to discover she’s just as qualified, and more eloquent with it.

Playwright Lauren Gunderson has created a superb story which director Lesley Reed has brought to life so beautifully on the St. Jude’s stage.

La Rondine

By Giacomo Puccini. Presented by Victorian Opera and Orchestra Victoria. Palais Theatre, Lower Esplanade, St Kilda. 8-10 August 2024

Puccini’s lyric opera is not often performed, perhaps because it is not a sweeping tragedy of complex characters with multiple opportunities for displays of vocal excellence, but it is a pity. It has energy and sufficient opportunities for pathos and vocal displays. This production, directed by Stuart Maunder using his varied experiences in musical theatre and opera together with the wonderful voices of Kiandra Worth (Magda) and Won Whi Choi (Ruggero), revealed its possibilities.

Echoed Voices

Queensland Art Song Festival. Presented in partnership with the Queensland Conservatorium and University of Queensland. 7th August, 2024

Renowned Australian soprano Siobhan Stagg and repetiteur Nico de Villiers wowed the audience last night with a selection of art songs, primarily by lesser-known Dutch/American composer Richard Hageman (including his well-known art song 'Do Not Go My Love'), finalising their tour and bringing to light Art-Song as an additional return to this traditional form of chamber music.

Magnificent Setting Green Amphitheatre

Barrier Reef Orchestra. Queen’s Gardens, Townsville as part of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music. Conducted by Theodore Kuchar. 28 July 2024.

IT WAS a tranquil and beautiful setting – a magnificent green amphitheatre that framed the orchestra and audience on a beautiful mild winter’s afternoon for Sunday’s performance of the Barrier Reef Orchestra in Queen’s Gardens.

Presented by the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, the annual free concert was emceed by Steve Price.

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