Reviews

Top of the range audio visuals and superb musical backing were the stars of Pannic Productions’ version of Pink Floyd’s The Wall. In fact they were so good I could have gladly sat in the theatre and just watched them and listened to the music. With three LED screens at the rear of the stage with forever changing images and a multitude of coloured lights, the iconic rock album was brought vividly to life.

First-time director Rianna Hartley-Smith has assembled a talented cast including Nicola Barrett, David Fraser, Peta Simeon, Nathan Schulz, Margaret Radcliffe and Cecile Campbell for this ten-hander thriller, which is full of mystery and intrigue, with strong performances from all involved.  

Set in western England in the 1960’s, the story revolves around an old cliff-top house that has been uninhabited for a number of years and has been the focus of various stories over that time.

This reviewer has been involved in theatre for longer than I care to remember and the depth of talent both on and off the stage in Adelaide never ceases to amaze me. The latest offering from University of Adelaide Theatre Guild is no exception. Edward Albee’s Pulitzer Prize winning Three Tall Women was written shortly after the death of his mother in 1991 and is strongly autobiographical. Albee draws on his childhood that, while privileged, was devoid of a loving mother. He draws on memories of a mother who preferred horses to people and almost anyone to her adopted son.

Wagner may have been famous for synthesising all the arts into his operas, but with this concert version it’s a starker affair.  The singers stand in a row, the mighty chorus at the back and the Opera Australia Orchestra moves from pit to centre stage.  

Here the conductor, Pinchas Steinberg, is the star.