Quartet

Quartet is a comedy set in a retirement home for former performers. We meet a quartet of former opera singers who many years earlier recorded a very well received version of Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto.

Robert Benson-Parry and Dave Browning have convincingly created a music room and its adjoining terrace in this country home, with beautiful decor (Rob Vincent and Polly Waugh) that sets the scene well. The show is lit with precision by designers Brayden Neilan and Paul King, and features a well created sound design by Paul King and Daniel Toomath.

Chris Juckes delivers a very solid performance as Reginald Paget, a renowned tenor who is apprehensive that former wife Jean will move into the home where, apart from the ability to get marmalade for breakfast, he is very happy. The closest character to a protagonist in this well-shared show, this is a comfortable and well inhabited portrayal. Catalyst character Jean Horton is played with elegance and sophistication by Sue Marsh, very believable as a former star. Gino Cataldo treads a fine line as Wilfred Bond, a character who has clearly not heard of the Me Too Movement, but in Gino’s portrayal is very loveable, sympathetic and funny - impressive work. Rosalyn Anderson was a late addition to the cast, presumably joining after the COVID shutdown. While she feels a little young for the role, her portrayal of the slightly eccentric, adorable Cissy is a highlight of the show.

Particularly impressive were the final scenes, where we get a glimpse at the former lives of these retirees. Costumes, by Joan Baskic and Julia Gobbert, are beautifully chosen throughout, but are a feature of the show’s final moments.

While this production may have particular resonance with Wanneroo Repertory’s traditionally more-mature audience, this well-presented comedy has broad appeal and will adored by lovers of opera.

Kimberley Shaw