Reviews

THERE WAS a little bit of undersea magic at the Townsville Civic Theatre last night for the (long-awaited) opening of this production of The Little Mermaid, which has been in the pipeline for some time.

This was a bright and lively production which sparkled in many places. It was carried by an enthusiastic cast, appropriately eccentric performances, colourful and imaginative costuming (the illusion of the movement underwater was very clever) and an outstanding orchestra.

It hasn’t happened for a long time, but Sydney has four large professional musicals going at once, and The Wedding Singer, which has a short season at the State Theatre before returning to Melbourne and then Perth, is the best date night out of those on stage now.

The romantic comedy from 1998 starred Adam Sandler as the wedding singer who fell in love with a waitress played by Drew Barrymore.

Whilst the movie was filled with classic hits from the 1980s, the musical, which ran for nine months on Broadway, has an original score.

Sugarglass Entertainment’s World Premiere musical, Sugar and Ice is a high energy, unapologetically feminine tale, of a young entertainer in the world of bubble-gum-pop.

When Camilla Moore’s X Factor Winning, girl-group Starburst breaks up, she attempts to make it on her own, facing the pressure of social media, unscrupulous management and demanding fans.

Tracey Trinder’s characters have graced the small screen for many years. Killing Katie: Confessions of a Book Club is her first stage play – and it’s a winner. The writing is clever, economic, perceptive, witty. The characters are tellingly recognisable yet lovably warm. The dialogue demands astute direction and fast, adroit delivery. It’s a director’s play and actors’ play rolled into one …