Chicago | QPAC & Crossroads Live Australia
Chicago is the best thing I have seen, perhaps ever. Chicago is A Night At The Theatre – I can’t emphasise enough the visceral nature of the experience or the extent of its quality. Let’s just say: I was in such a state of euphoria I completely blacked out. Go and see Chicago, I don’t care who you’ve gotta screw, shoot, or shun to make it happen, just go and see it.
Bananaland | Kate Miller-Heidke & Keir Nuttall
It’s always wonderful to see other people’s creations, especially original ones. Drawing inspirations from the origin story of The Wiggles and real life experiences, Keir Nuttall and Kate Miller-Heidke created Bananaland during the pandemic
There’s Something About Music | The Little Red Company
The Little Red Company’s ‘There’s Something About Music’ is the perfect show for anyone, whether you’re a rom-com lover, a Julia Roberts or Hugh Grant fan, in the mood for something nostalgic, or just want a relaxing time step away from reality and get lost in those catchy songs.
Ordinary Days | New Worlds Stage
I was completely drawn to the performance throughout. I have to admit it was difficult for me to write notes during the performance, as I did not want to take my eyes off away for just one moment. ‘I’ll be here’ by Claire was one of the most touching scenes for me and I couldn’t help but teared up in the end. There were also many funny moments, particularly ‘Dear Professor’., which kept the audience laughing.
The Human Centipede Parody Musical | Synergy Production Co & Anywhere Festival
Writers Liam Hartley and Oliver Catton have taken the storyline of the horror movie and turned it into a camp, self-aware, and ridiculous romp, a parody of the film and the cheesiness of musicals generally. The musical numbers are hilarious, clever, and performed with great skill. The content is gruesome, but the energy is high, and the choreography is peppy. We are even treated to a tap-dancing centipede nightmare, complete with a cane held by Dr. Heiter.
Urinetown | Phoenix Ensemble
The cast was accompanied by a live band that really elevated the whole show, and interacted with the characters in ways that fit really well and made the whole audience laugh. The same could be said for the choreography and dance, it was sharp, well placed and well executed. Frantic jazz moves or hip thrusts might have been ill fitted to a story about resource hoarding and capitalism, but it was exactly that contrast that made otherwise funny scenes hilarious.
Choir Boy | Riverside's National Theatre of Parramatta
With any play-with-music, the sudden shifts into musical numbers can snatch the viewer out of the story and prevent them from fully experiencing pathos. It’s actually the opposite in this case. The music is phenomenal and these moments are the most affective of the show both due to the immense vocal talent of the cast and the emotional intensity they bring to the songs. It is the spoken scenes that have to justify their presence in my opinion.
Macbeth in Concert | Opera Queensland & Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Macbeth in Concert is an object lesson in what is possible when a group of people who have trained to do something exceptionally their entire lives gather in a room together and do that something exceptionally. The orchestra, led by conductor Umberto Clerici, is truly a wonder to behold. Their work in combination with Opera Queensland’s company meant the sheer sonic power of a number of sequences left with me chills, in particular the full-company scene that takes place after King Duncan is murdered.
The Wharf Revue: Looking for Albanese | Jonathan Biggins, Drew Forsythe and Phillip Scott
The Wharf Revue is an irreverent adventure combining popular culture, cabaret and politics cleverly executed just as much as Scomo ruled the nation singlehandedly and got away with it till he didn’t. This show is just as ambitious as Clive Palmer spending $123 million to win one seat to open another iron ore mine. With such a huge field of contenders to choose from, this show delivers one punch line after the other, meticulously crafted to squeeze out every climate denying, debt defying, corrupted and lying gag possible.
Down the Rabbit Hole | Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts
Accompanied by a catchy, upbeat original musical score, the stark reality of dealing with mental health issues was laid bare. As they worked their way through their group therapy session with Dr Hatter, the characters’ myriad mental health issues are revealed through incorporating catchy dance numbers and engaging singing.
Brown Church | The Naavikaran Collective
It is not long before I find myself completely taken in by the artists who have now formed a circle of celebration, clapping their hands to time. Naavikaran’s white flowy skirt accented with silvery foil-like material has a life force of its own. The other performers look equally royal in their costumes, twirling, swirling, locking eyes with one another, immersing themselves in the beauty and safety of friendships they have forged amongst themselves. I smile so much at the unfolding of this dance sequence simply because it is unadulterated, unpretentious joy.
The Last Five Years | La Boite
Director Darren Yap played so beautifully with the moments of looking, longing and near misses. In each song there was always a character longing for a glance, a look, a touch or an echo. And that glance, look, touch or echo was never received. There were some ‘ooo might it happen now’ which just made all the misses all the more painful.
9 to 5: The Musical | Jones Theatrical Group & QPAC
The Australian leads did a great job with their roles. Casey Donovan’s vocals were a standout, and if you like Donovan’s voice you are definitely going to enjoy the show. Donovan’s portrayal of the newly-divorced Judy Bernly was excellent—taking us on the journey from a gauche first day at work,through to the depiction of an empowered executive who really did not need her cheating husband back.
Audiences will experience the camaraderie of sharing in stories and music around the campfire
When I was growing up in South Africa, it was second nature for musical instruments to come out around the campfire late at night. Everyone would sit around the fire and play and sing together. With this show, I really wanted to recreate this campfire atmosphere. These are some of my fondest memories growing up and I firmly believe that this is storytelling, theatre in its original form; just friends sharing tales around the fire.
"I have been told that my voice changes lives" - Louise Winton sings for Anywhere Festival
“I was born to sing. I have been told that my voice changes lives. I refused to listen to those who said I couldn't make a career from singing. I have so much passion and emotion when I sing that I my audience loses themselves.”