Lyrics by W.S. Gilbert

Directed by Richard Carroll

Co-Arranger and Musical Supervisor: Victoria Falconer

Musical Director and Co-Arranger: Trevor Jones

Hayes Theatre Co. production

The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre to 6 April

Reviewed by Len Power 3 April 2025

When a show is over 140 years old, especially an operetta, you’d think it might not have much appeal any more for a modern audience, but “The Pirates Of Penzance or, The Slave To Duty” remains perennially popular.

It was the fifth collaboration of the English team of Gilbert and Sullivan. Surprisingly, it opened in New York in 1879, a year before it opened in London. It has remained popular ever since and, now that it’s out of copyright, it’s fair game for revision and non-traditional presentations.

Hayes Theatre Co. of Sydney have come up with a winner of a show with their current touring production. Gone are the expected large choruses and huge orchestra - this production has a cast of five and a piano or two. That it works so well is a triumph for this production’s creators.

Jay Laga'aia (centre) with, from left, Trevor Jones, Maxwell Simon, Billie Palin and Brittany Shipway

Brittany Shipway plays both Ruth and Mabel, giving a distinctive performance for each character. This fine comedienne sings very well, also popping up as other characters.

Maxwell Simon and Brittany Shipway

Trevor Jones is the pianist, Fishcake, and steals the show with his performance of the Major-General. Singing his tongue-twister of a song and accompanying himself on piano is a hilarious highlight of the show. Make sure you listen carefully to the lyrics!

Trevor Jones

From left: Billie Palin, Trevor Jones, Jay Laga'aia and Brittany Shipway

Photos by supplied by the production

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs and published in his blog 'Just Power Writing' at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/.

The Pirates of Penzance or The Slave of Duty.  

Libretto by W.S. Gilbert. Music by Arthur Sullivan. Directed and adapted by Richard Carroll. Co-Arranger & Musical Supervisor Victoria Falconer. Musical Director and Co-Arranger Trevor Jones. Assistant Director & Choreographer Shannon Burns. Set Designer Nick Fry.  CostumeDesigner Lily Mateljan..Lighting Designer Jasmine Rizk. Sound Designer Daniel Herten. Cast:Jay Laga’aia,Trevor Jones, Maxwell Simon, Brittanie Shipway, Billie Palin. Hayes Theatre Company in association with Canberra Theatre Centre.The Playhouse.  April 2-6 2025. Bookings: canberratheatrecentre.com.au

Reviewed by Peter Wilkins

Trevor Jones (Pirate), Maxwell Simon (Frederic), Jay Laga'aia (Pirate King) Billie Palin (Pirate), Brittanie Shipway (Ruth) in The Pirates of Penzance

If you have a ticket to the Hayes Theatre Company production of The Pirates of Penzance or The Slave of Duty at the Canberra Playhouse then you have struck gold! If you haven’t start digging now because this is one wow of a show you won’t want to miss. It’s hard watching this brilliant ensemble of five performers and their on stage techie to believe that it is over a hundred years since entrepreneur extraordinaire D’Oyly Carte staged Gilbert and Sullivan’s riotously satirical musical about class, gender and duty for an unsuspecting Victorian audience. Gand S were to comic opera what Wilde was to theatre and their enduring popularity is proof of their relevance to a modern-day Canberra audience.

Mabel (Brittanie Shipway) with her sisters

Sea shanties lure the audience into the theatre with some seated inside designer Nick Fry’s  colourful seaside bar. The cast in pirate costuming complete with fake beards and moustaches reminded me of the plethora of amateur Gilbert and Sullivan operas that were churned out during the 1950s. But there is nothing amateur about this production. 

It rides the high seas of professional excellence–a swashbuckling oceanic tidal wave of irreverent fun and frivolity, performed with piratical elan by an amazing ensemble of five versatile performers who throw themselves heartily into the tale of Frederic (Maxwell Simon), the young slave to duty on the cusp of adulthood who decides to leave the pirate crew and pursue a life of respectability and conformity.

Frederic (Maxwell Simon), Ruth (Brittanie Shipway)

What follows is a bountiful swell of mayhem and madcap comedy as Frederic searches for love, meets the Major General (Trevor Jones), father of the sweet Mabel (Brittanie Shipway) and eventually is tricked into returning to the Pirate gang. But like all good endings with a sentimental moral Frederic’s sense of duty makes him a paragon of virtuous humanity.

In reducing the cast to five, director Richard Carroll has turned the G and S classic into a rumbustious romp of high-powered energy. And what a cast! All switch roles with breathtaking alacrity from pirates to fair maidens to London Bobbies. As the Pirate King with a soft spot for orphans Jay Laga’aia cuts an imposing and charismatic figure with a commanding presence and a fine baritone voice. He and Billie Palin also show their versatility as London bobbies with A Policeman’s Lot is not a Happy One. Brittanie Shipway doubles as the pirates’ cook Ruth and the sweet love interest Mabel. It is an extraordinary performance, maximizing Shipway’s command of jazz vocals and operatic vibrato. 

Trevor Jones as the Major General

Arrangements by Victoria Falconer and Trevor Jones imbue the songs with a contemporary feel while retaining the intricate melodies of Arthur Sullivan’s original composition. Shipway’s delivery of When Frederic was a little Boy sung into a standing microphone captured a hint of Weill’s Pirate Jenny. As Mabel, Shipway’s rendition of Poor Wand’ring One harkens back  to the sweet innocence of the Music Hall ingénue. Musical director and arranger Trevor Jones also plays the Major General and other minor roles. His rendition of the Major General’s class patter song I am the very model of a modern Major General  brought the house down with his perfect patter and updated lyrics , giving a nod to Albanese, Tom Cruise and Scientology and Alec Baldwin. In keeping with tradition the contemporary references strike a familiar chord while retaining the satirical intent of G and S. What is amazing is Jones’s perfect timing and rhythmic control as he accompanies himself on the piano while beefing out the Major General’s number.

The Major General's four daughters

Director Carroll has fashioned a magical G and S package with a punch. It’s pacy, ricochet rapid ensemble theatre at its very best, performed by a cast that is having a ton of fun. It’s contagious, a foot-tapping revelry that loses none of its original cutlass-clanging swipe at Victorian propriety. It is as fresh today in this imaginative Hayes Theatre Company production as it must have been at its first production almost one hundred and fifty years ago. This is a new look show for today’s G and S aficionados and totally loyal to its origins. It is a rare occasion to see the Playhouse packed to the rafters with an audience laughing uproariously. In an uncertain and troubled world this sparkling production of The Pirates of Penzance – The Slave to Duty is proof galore that laughter is the best medicine.

Hayes Theatre has brought the most rambunctious, humorous, outrageous production of The Pirates of Penzance from exciting Sydney to cautious Canberra – to a standing laughing cheering ovation.

Don’t miss it if you dare, or you’ll have nothing to talk about in your 3 days in the office.

The point is, of course, that The P of P is a political satire, and the Hayes’ rewiring makes not too subtle but plenty of LOL connections with the pirates of today, while telling the complex story of the moral dilemmas of the orphan Frederic learning proper behaviour.  It could all be happening in Parliament House where Frederic, after battles and promises to marry, finally realises he is really a teal independent simply asking for conflicts of interest to be dealt with through reasonable diplomatic discussion.

Jay Laga'aia (centre) with, from left, Trevor Jones, Maxwell Simon, Billie Palin and Brittany Shipway

Google AI tells me: The Pirates of Penzance was written by the famous duo, with the libretto by W.S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan in 1879. It premiered with a single performance in Paignton, England, on 30th December 1879 and had its official debut in New York the next day, where it was an instant hit.

Penzance is a pretty bay very near the end of Cornwall in UK, a nice little harbour town remote enough for real pirates, while Paignton is easterly, just along the south coast where I used to holiday as a child and learned nice manners, just like Frederic.  G&S for me was quite gentle social satire, rather like a good David Williamson in Australia today.

But their secondary title, The Slave of Duty, had and still has much more significance.  Wikipedia tells us: The Third Socialist Workers' Congress of France was held in Marseille, France, in 1879. At this congress the socialist leaders rejected both cooperation and anarchism, both of which would allow the existing regime to continue, and adopted a program based on collectivism. The congress also adopted a motion that women should have equal rights to men, but several delegates felt that essentially woman's place was in the home…. The congress has been called a triumph of Guesdism and the birthplace of French Marxist socialism.
[  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Workers%27_Congress_(1879)  ]

And there are all the clues in The Pirates of Penzance.  Frederic becomes a socialist, just as did my parents and therefore I did in the following half century.  

This is where, in the Hayes’ Re-wiring, we stop laughing.  They give an extra solo to Frederic to end the operetta, about his new understanding: we must not allow ourselves to be slaves to duty when the powers that be command you to kill.  

Though G&S could not be so direct in their day, this is what they imply in making fun of the assumption that pirates are all lower class who must kill the upper class to keep their thieving business profitable; and that Major-Generals and Police should therefore imprison and kill all pirates.

Frederic, the orphan pirate, and Mabel, the upper class sophisticated daughter of the Major-General, love each other – a symbol of peace without violence.

Laugh out loud along with Misters Gilbert and Sullivan, and enjoy Hayes Theatre’s genuinely funny – and powerfully performed – theatre.  But take seriously the finale:

Poor wandering ones!
Though ye have surely strayed,
Take heart of grace,
Your steps retrace,
Poor wandering ones!
Poor wandering ones!
If such poor love as ours
Can help you find
True peace of mind,
Why, take it, it is yours!

Maxwell Simon as Frederic and Brittanie Shipway as Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance Hayes Theatre 2025

Written by Sarahlouise Owens

Sarahlouise Owens, soprano

Lucus Allerton, piano

Directed by Tony Turner

A Cantaviva presentation

Canberra REP Theatre to 5 April 2025

Reviewed by Len Power 4 April 2025

Opera diva, Anna Bishop, born in London in 1810, performed in many countries, including Australia, survived a shipwreck, various husbands and scandals. She made and lost fortunes and was considered one of the finest operatic sopranos of her day.

Recreating a recital in the style of the times, soprano Sarahlouise Owens’ takes us on a musical journey through the fascinating life and career of this 19^th century opera diva.

Surrounded by various items from her career and travels, Anna Bishop appears with her accompanist at the piano in a time warp to entertain us, not only singing arias and songs she made famous in her day but also relating stories from her long and colourful career.

Owens presents a rich program of songs associated with Bishop. Opening with Handel’s “Let the Bright Seraphim”, she sings other well-known arias by Balfe, Rossini and Donizetti, but also includes songs by her second husband, Nicolas-Charles Bochsa, and others. “Home Sweet Home” by her first husband, Henry Bishop, and the song she sang at her final concert in 1883 when she was 73 years old, is used to touching effect at the end of the show.

As well as being in fine voice with the many songs, Owens gives a portrait of considerable depth of a strong woman who lived life on her terms, despite the difficulties of doing so in those times.

Her accompanist is played by Lucus Allerton, who is not only a superb pianist, but also gives a sharp character sketch of a stiffly formal young performer of the time. There is a hilarious moment in the show where his over-enthusiastic accompanying is quickly squashed by the demanding diva.

As Bishop toured Australia twice, it would have been interesting to hear of more incidents from those tours, if possible. Otherwise, the level of detail in the show about her life and travels is constantly interesting and the music is delightful.

Director, Tony Turner, has ensured that the show moves at the right pace with a good balance between songs and dialogue.

Anna Bishop may be a diva of the past, but this show brings her to life, giving her the opportunity to entertain once more.

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs and published in his blog 'Just Power Writing' at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/

Brittanie Shipway - Jay Laga'aia -Billie Palin - Trevor Jones - Maxwell Simon in The Hayes Theatre production of "The Pirates of Penzance".

Director: Richard Carroll – Asst.Director & Choreographer: Shannon Burns

 Co-Arranger & Musical Supervisor: Victoria Falconer

 Musical Director & Co-Arranger: Trevor Jones

 Set Designer: Nick Fry – Costumer Designer: Lily Mateljan

 Lighting Designer: Jasmin Rizk – Sound Designer: Daniel Herten

 Production Manager: Abbey Pace – Stage Manager: Sheryden Simson

 Canberra Theatre Centre Playhouse – 3rd – 6th May 2025

 Opening night performance on May 3^rd reviewed by BILL STEPHENS

Hayes Theatre has earned an enviable reputation for its clever reductions of classic Broadway musicals. Canberra audiences have been treated to several of these productions, notably “Sweet Charity” and “Calamity Jane”.

This time intrepid show doctor, Richard Carroll, with the enthusiastic input of his musical collaborator, Victoria Falconer, has turned his attention to Gilbert & Sullivan and taken his trusty scalpel to one of their most popular creations, “The Pirates of Penzance”, and repurposed it as a wickedly silly laugh fest.  

Whether or not Gilbert or Sullivan would have approved, it was obvious from the response of the many of the G. & S. enthusiasts in the first night audience that they were delighted with the ingenuity of the production, with the result that every ticket for the whole Canberra season is already sold out.

Carroll, Falconer and their team of creatives set themselves an extra degree of difficulty by deciding that all the characters in this version of Pirates would be played by just five virtuoso actors.

To this end, set designer Nick Fry has devised a versatile setting approximating a run-down Victorian theatre, but packed with ingenious visual surprises. Witty costumes by Lily Mateljan compliment the era while allowing lightning-fast changes, aided by ingenious lighting and sound by Jasmine Rizk and Daniel Herten, all monitored by the on-stage stage manager, Sherydan Simson.

There’s even room on stage for those audience members who paid extra for the privilege only to find themselves unwittingly engaged in the action.

Brittanie Shipway as Ruth and Jay Laga'aia as the Pirate King in "The Pirates of Penzance

Virtuoso performances are demanded of the cast who portray one, two or more roles as well as play musical instruments.

Brittanie Shipway delights playing both the female leads. As Mabel, the young but certainly not naïve heroine, she effortlessly negotiates the stratospheric coloratura of Poor Wondering One.

Then, with hardly a bat of an eye, she becomes the more mature and manipulative Ruth, intent on inveigling into marriage, the handsome, noble, and possibly stupid, 21year-old, Frederick, played with sly conviction and excellent voice, by Maxwell Simon.

Maxwell Simon & Brittanie Shipway as Frederik and Mabel in "The Pirates of Penzance"

For his part, Jay Laga’aia revels in his swashbuckling glory as The Pirate King, embraces his feminine side to portray, with surprising conviction, one of Mabel’s eclectic group of sisters, and joins Billie Palin in attempting to portray a troupe of singing police recruits battling with some tricky baton choreography devised by Shannon Burns.

Trevor Jones as The Major General in "The Pirates of Penzance"

But it is the avuncular musical director, Trevor Jones, who steals the show being whisked around the stage at his piano impersonating a whole orchestra, singing with sisterly sweetness as one of Mabel’s sisters, but particularly with his show-stopping turn as the Major-General tossing off hilarious tongue-twisting lyrics with casual finesse.

It’s all delightfully silly, but remarkably, in all the threatening chaos, W.S.Gilbert’s story gets told, even though the story-telling gets a bit bumpy towards the end with the necessity to wind up all the outrageous shenanigans, and Arthur Sullivan’s music is respected, particularly in the beautifully sung second act opening, for which the cast enter the theatre through the auditorium.

Billie Palin - Trevor Jones - Jay Laga'aia - Brittanie Shipway as Mabel and her sisters in The Pirates of Penzance"

                                                          Pictures by John McRae

   This review first published in the digital edition of CITY NEWS on 04.04.25 

Michelle Pearson performing "Comfort Food Cabaret"

Written, performed and cooked by Michelle Pearson.

Tuggeranong Arts Centre, ACT, April 5, 2025.

Reviewed by BILL STEPHENS 

Torn between a career as a singer and her love of cooking, Adelaide songstress, Michelle Pearson combined both talents into a cabaret show Comfort Food Cabaret, with which she now tours the world plying her audience with tasty treats as she serenades them.

Pearson has performed Comfort Food Café more than 107 times to over 9000 people in Australia, the United Kingdom and Europe, her 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival season selling out before the cast even arrived in Edinburgh.

However, these Tuggeranong Arts Centre performances are the first time it has been presented in Canberra. In fact it is the first time Pearson herself has ever been to Canberra, a fun fact she shared with her audience, after bursting on to the stage to the strains of the Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse song, Feeling Good.

As she organised her cooking equipment and ingredients for the first of the three courses she would demonstrate during her show, she quickly engaged her audience with stories surrounding the inspirations for her recipes.

A gifted storyteller with a relaxed stream-of-consciousness style, all her stories were around food, mostly against herself, and mostly confiding her misadventures while in the search of love and culinary perfection.

One such story concerned her dislike for dishes combining meat and fruit, and her discomfort when invited home by an early boyfriend to meet his parents she felt obliged to devour a generous plate of apricot chicken served by his adoring mother.

Along the way Pearson’s stories would inspire songs. Harry Warren’s At Last at the discovery of a particularly satisfying flavour; Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 at the start of a cooking adventure; Ryan Griffin’s I’ve Been Missing You, when confessing a passion for Nutella; and a particularly moving version of Keith Richard’s Wild Horses when sharing recollections of her father.

All her renditions were accompanied by her excellent on-stage trio, Aaron Nash (Keyboard), Stephen Foster (Bass) and Kevin Van Der Zwaag (Drums), who also provided background music as the audience, having been tantalised by the smells wafting from the stage, was treated to a delicious sampling of each course, which had been pre-pared by  cooks, Loren Quinn and Rhiannon Groutsch and distributed by Tuggeranong Arts Centre volunteers.

Although it has taken eight years for this entertaining combination of cooking demonstration and cabaret performance to eventually make it to Canberra it has certainly been well worth the wait to experience Comfort Food Cabaret.

                                                    Photo by Cassidy Richens

         This review first published in the Digital Edition of CITY NEWS ON 06.04.25

Daniel Widdowson, co-director and interviewer

In 2022 his groundbreaking doco, Trafficked to Australia, found that most Australians had no idea that there was human trafficking, let alone slavery, in Australia.

Widdowson, who is also artistic director of the company Salthouse Creative, has now taken a close-up look at a subject to which most Australians wouldn't have given a moment’s thought, veering as the public view does between envy of highly-paid superstars and contempt for people they often advise to “go and get a day job.”

By interviewing performers as varied as former Miss Universe Australia Daria Varlamova, casting director Tom McSweeney and his old drama teacher, Joe Woodward, Widdowson found examples of sexual abuse, unpaid gigs, derisive treatment by producers, depression and anxiety caused by missed roles and long gaps in employment—“resting,” as they say in showbiz.

The affable Widdowson appears sometimes with a beard and sometimes not, as the film was cut together out of order from the way segments were shot.

His approach is to interview individuals one might expect to be exemplars of success, but in a casual and encouraging atmosphere, drawing them out with empathy and insight.You sense he's one of them..

Actor Ben Brock for instance, who has worked in corporate roleplaying, leadership, radio, television and theatre in everything from Home & Away and Murder in The Outback for Channel 4 in the UK has a degree in psychology and outlines how an actor’s life can be impeded by mental illness.

Panic attacks, depression and apathy are big problems for people with a lot of time on their hands. “Reflection can be dangerous,” as he says.

Next, Widdowson turns to Sophie Carter, who after graduating from WAAPA enjoyed a 20-year career in the music theatre sector, but later opened a private practice, Centred Stage, centredstage.com, focusing on mental health and well-being for people in the arts industry where, she tells Widdowson, in her earlier days there was very little talk of mental health issues, although that’s changing.

“It's a fact that you are going to be rejected,” Carter says, “and it's not spoken about enough.”

Actor Todd Keys, who’s played lead roles with Opera Australia, now works as a speech pathologist, notes that once while working at Fox Studios he took a look over the fence, as it were.

“There they were filming Moulin Rouge and here we were on $18 an hour,” Keys says.

On and off, he was still living in and out of his family home—“so destroying,” he says, “but tenacity is the key.”

Miss Universe Australia 2021, Daria Varlamova

“The essential thing is to have a good sense of yourself,” Varlamova says.

Widdowson’s old drama teacher, Joe Woodward, talks of his life-changing visit to see Lindsey Kemp's production Flowers, based on a book by Jean Genet, saying, "it shook your paradigms and ways of thinking and seeing of the world.”

Describing the anxiety around working in the theatre while supporting a family, he reports, "Sometimes I couldn't breathe, I felt the ceiling was closing in.”

But, he concludes, art can give people a sense of balance, especially theatre, where you have to perform in front of others.

Chloe McWilliam, singer/actor/comedian/dancer and well-known for her role as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde the musical, relates how she had heard of her brother’s death while in a show but found the strength to go back on stage, although that might have been pushing herself too far.

Acting coach, Brad McMurray, suggests to Widdowson that many people in the acting profession don't like themselves, so can be very vulnerable. He relates how the suicide of a young man he advised had weighed on him.

McMurray has gradually walked away from the corporate side of acting and now runs The Actors Club, on the Gold Coast which helps young actors dealing with early emotional burnout.

American-born casting director Tom McSweeney, who moved with his family to the Gold Coast, describes periods of massive employment and periods of drought.

“Every time you finish a project,” he says, “you convince yourself you'll never work again…time goes by and it tests your resolve.”

Once after he got an Emmy nomination, for eight months he couldn't get a job because people assumed his fees had gone up, even though he didn’t get the Emmy in the end.

He cautions that people you meet at auditions are not the enemy so it’s best not to waste your energy being jealous of them.

Former producer, arts administrator and tour manager, Simone Parrott, now devotes her time to mentalmatters.com.au

Once, she says, after a big production was canned and she woke up homeless on her parents’ couch, she was saved by an interviewer from an unsuccessful application, who got her a place with the Cameron McIntosh organisation, where she ended up in one of their top jobs.

“We need to put in additional strategies and mental first aid training for the arts industry. We need to know how to notice signs and symptoms,” Simone Parrott says.

Widdowson takes a side look at the resilience of an old friend, Vivien Sale, who spent a lifetime in film and showbiz after her supportive father helped her settle into digs in Coventry UK when she was hired as a hoofer in a panto at age 16.

Towards the end of the film, he takes a dive into the world of younger performers, lining them up as he heads towards his peroration but pausing to praise the many support networks across the country, including Canberra Youth Theatre.

Widdowson seems almost breathless in his eagerness to squeeze in the stories of so many articulate and forthcoming interviewees.

There’s Jamie Rogers from Canberra, only 12-years-old when playing Billy Elliott in a production that finished early because of covid.

“When we found out it was closing,” Rogers says, “we had tears running down our faces, but I had a good family and great support through the post-show blues.”

There’s activist Joshua Maxwell, who co-founded Jopuka Productions, a youth arts company based in the Central Coast, and Australian-born Sarah Monahan, the former child actress who was abused by Hey Dad star Robert Hughes, her on-screen father.

Annie Rose Buckley with the cast of Saving Mr Banks

Nothing is harder than knowing where to end, and Widdowson almost doesn’t get there.

He quickly summarises the main possible ways of overcoming mental health threats — having a supportive family, maintaining a good temperament, embracing one’s uniqueness, staying connected with people who inspire you, joining an acting group, standing up for yourself and taking preventative steps.

Eventually to wind up, he turns to an email he received from actress Annie Rose Buckley, who as a child, featured in the 2013 film, Saving Mr. Banks, starring Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson.

Buckley is forthright in her assessment, admitting that she started her career with a positive experience which nonetheless negatively affected her mental state, because she was always comparing her childhood success to her next opportunities.

“I was grateful for the role, but I despises the uncertainty,” she says.

Nonetheless Banks ends on a positive note as she says of her acting career, “I still love it and want it. This is my driving force.”

That’s the paradox on which Widdowson’s film rests.

Mental Health & the Actor's Life, by Daniel Widdowson, viewable at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2l3YBFfYJk&t=10s

Further details of all interviews are available at https://salthousecreative.com.au/mentalhealth/

The Victorian State Ballet in "Swan Lake"

Direction & Concept – Martin & Michelle Sierra

Lighting Design, backdrops, sets & props – Martin Sierra, Victorian State Balle -Scenic Studios.

Choreography – Michelle Sierra with Act 2 & 4 based on the traditional Petipa.

Canberra Theatre April 4^th& 5^th 2025.

Opening night performance on April 4 reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.

Established in 2015 as Victoria’s prime ballet organisation under the Artistic Directorship of Martin Sierra, The Victorian State Ballet has built up an impressive repertoire of full-length ballets.

For its three-performance season in Canberra, as part of its 2025 national tour, Victorian State Ballet chose its production of “Swan Lake” following its performances of "Beauty and the Beast" in 2024..

Originally choreographed by Marius Petipa, and first performed in 1877, “Swan Lake” tells the story of a young prince who falls in love with a swan called Odette, who he discovers was previously a princess who had been turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer called Rothbart.

Over the years “Swan Lake” has become regarded as the ultimate classical ballet, and an essential in the repertoire of every worthwhile ballet company. Countless choreographers have devised their own versions of Petipa’s choreography, usually retaining crucial elements of the story, but incorporating adjustments to accommodate the talents of their dancers and the facilities available.

While there no longer remains a definitive Petipa version of “Swan Lake”, most productions generally retain elements of the original Petipa choreography for the white scenes as passed down through the memories of dancers who have performed it.

The Dance of the Cygnets performed by dancers of the Victorian State Ballet.

This is the case with this version performed by the Victorian State Ballet, for which acts 1 & 3 have been newly choreographed by Michelle Sierra, with acts 2 & 4, (the white scenes), based on the traditional Petipa choreography as remastered by Sierra, responding to a concept devised by herself and Artistic Director, Martin Sierra.

The result is a large, impressive production, well-danced by the company, and enthusiastically received by the Canberra audience.

Outstanding features of this production include the prettily costumed group dances, particularly the Waltz for the friends of Prince Siegfried in Act 1, the dance for the princesses and the national dances in Act 3, for which Sierra has devised a succession of eye-pleasing groupings, and the Petipa-based white scenes, all of which were danced with admirable attention to detail and mood by the dancers.

Elise Jacques and partner in "Swan Lake"

Company principals Elise Jacques, in the dual roles as Odette/Odile, and Benjamin Harris, as Prince Siegfried, danced their roles efficiently but with only the slightest indications of any emotional connection with each other. That was until midway through Act 3, when with the entrance of Rothbart (Tristan Gross) and his two black swan attendants (Maggie de Koning & Alexia Simpson), sparks began to fly.

 Elise Jacques, obviously relishing portraying the fiery Odile over the colourless Odette, raised both the temperature and the energy level of the Prince and the Magician with her spitfire interpretation and dancing.

Although impressed by the magnificent backdrops, the freshness and glamour of most of the costumes, the overall diligence of the dancers, and the quality and sound volume of the recording of Tchaikovsky’s score, despite some rough edits; aspects of the concept and storytelling puzzled.

In Act 3, the identity of the white-costumed character with whom the prince danced a few steps, before rejecting and turning to dance with the eight princesses, puzzled.  

Why Rothbart wore a mask in Act 11, a moustache in Act 111, and was clean-shaven in Act 1V, puzzled.

Why in act 1V, Prince Siegfried was showered with feathers, causing him to drop to the stage where the swans ripped off his doublet and herded him, bare-chested, off stage, leaving Odette emoting alone onstage; puzzled.

A careful examination of the program disclosed that the feather shower signified Siegfried's transformation into a swan, while their love had reversed Odette’s curse, thereby restoring her to human form.

 Never having encountered this ending before, it proved a distracting ending to an otherwise enjoyable production.

                                          Images provided by Victorian State Ballet.

      This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. www.artsreview.com.au  

Sarahlouise Owens as Anna Bishop in "Opera's Bad Girl"

Conceived, written & performed by Sarahlouise Owens.

Associate Artist: Lucas Allerton

Directed by Tony Turner & Cate Clelland – Set designed by Cate Clelland

Costume design by Cate Clelland – constructed by Robyn Pearson

Lighting design by Michael Moloney & Tim Levy

Presented by CantaViva - Canberra Rep Theatre 3^rd– 5^th April 2025.

Matinee performance on 5^th April reviewed by BILL STEPHENS

Lucus Allerton & Sarahlouise Owens performing "Opera's Bad Girl"

Having borne him three children and built a reputation as one of the finest sopranos of her day, Anna Bishop created a scandal by abandoning her husband for a French harpist, Nicholas-Charles Bochsa, with whom she toured widely before he died during their first tour to Australia and was buried in Camperdown Cemetery.

Undeterred, Bishop continued touring internationally, enduring travel by ship, coach and even donkey. Along the way, she survived a shipwreck in which she lost all her costumes, jewellery and musical arrangements, was accosted by marauding Mexican bandits, and re-married, this time a diamond merchant. She gave her last public concert at age 73 and died at 74.

Although Bishop is largely forgotten now, her story fascinated Sarahlouise Owens, herself an accomplished soprano with international experience who, following extensive research, wrote a script, enlisted the services of directors Tony Turner and Cate Clelland and much sought-after accompanist, Lucas Allerton; to devise and perform this remarkable little gem of a show.

Lucus Allerton & Sarahlouise Owens performing " Opera's Bad Girl"

Introduced by Allerton, elegantly attired in concert tails, Owens, assuming the persona of Anna Bishop, sweeps on to the stage, splendidly costumed in a crimson gown and jewels. Surrounding her are souvenirs from her travels which she draws upon from time to time to illustrate her stories.

Perfectly equipped to portray a prima donna, Owens draws on her own considerable stage experience and superbly trained voice to represent Bishop as imperious, cultured and dignified, but with a wicked sense of humour and certainly not averse to sharing juicy snippets of gossip about famous contemporaries with whom she vied for audiences.

Eschewing microphones, Owens commands the room as Bishop, sharing her anecdotes about her triumphs and trials, shedding crocodile tears when recalling the pain of leaving her children, and demonstrating the voice which won her fame by offering no fewer than sixteen vocal items, all of which were significant to Bishop’s career.

Besides familiar melodies like Flotow’s The Last Rose of Summer, Packer’s Little Nell, the folksong The Harp That Once Through Tara’s Hall and her husband’s famous Home Sweet Home, also included were demanding arias from operas in which Bishop appeared including Let the Bright Seraphim from Handel’s “Samson”,  Spargi d’amaro pianto from Donizett’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” and  Di tanti palpiti  from Rossini’s “Tancredi, which Bishop premiered.

Of particular interest was the inclusion of arias from operas now virtually forgotten such as Mercadante’s “Francesa Donato”, Balfe’s “Maid of Artois” and Boschsa’s “Linda di Chamonix”, all sung in the language in which they were written, and all superbly accompanied by Lucus Allerton.

Besides his flawless accompaniments, Allerton also added gentle humour to the proceedings by risking the ire of the diva by inserting cheeky musical embellishments to her descriptions.

An artistic combination of travelogue, history lesson, classical recital and parlour concert, “Opera’s Bad Girl” is a thoroughly entertaining, brilliantly presented tour de force by Saralouise Owens.

One is hard- pressed to think of another singer capable of sustaining character throughout the long, detailed monologue which frames the musical content, while delivering superbly judged renditions of demanding arias, with such restraint, finesse and humour.  

But then, just when you think her performance couldn’t be bettered, she dazzles further with an encore; a blissful rendition of Bellini's Casta Diva from his opera “Norma”.   

                                                    Images by Sabine Friedrich   

     This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. www.artsreview.com.au

Antigone by Sophocles.

Directed and designed by Cate Clelland. Produced by Michael J Smith. Graphic designer/Photographer Carl Davies. Costume designer Tania Johnson and Cate Clelland. Movement director Lachlan Ruffy Greek Theatre Now3. The Burbidge Amphitheatre. Australian National Botanic Gardens. April 10,11 18-21 2025. Bookings:www.greektheatrenow.com.au

Cast: Ella Buckley, Sienna Curnow, Ian Russell Chorus: Kate Eisenberg, Neil Macleod, Jessica Beange, Samuel THomson, Selene Thomson, Sarah Hull, Justice-Noah Malfitano, Crystal Mahon, Alastair McKenzie, Sienna Curnow, Michael J Smith

Reviewed by Peter Wilkins

A new theatre company has appeared on the Canberra stage. The brainchild of producer Michael J Smith and director Cate Clelland, Greek Theatre Now makes an impressive debut at  the Burbidge Amphitheatre in the heart of the Australian National Botanic Gardens. Signs point the way from the Visitors Centre through the leafy rainforest to the small stone amphitheatre. It is the ideal setting for Sophocles’ immortal tragedy, Antigone. It is quickly apparent that what Clelland and Smith have created is a wonderfully clear telling of a story that captivated Greek audiences 2,500 years ago at the theatre of Dionysus in Athens. 

From the moment that Chorus Leader ll (Kate Eisenberg) addresses the audience with the background story to the play the drama unfolds with captivating clarity. The group of students in the audience from St Francis Xavier College are instantly transfixed by Eisenberg’s prologue and then totally absorbed by the consequences of Antigone’s defiance of authority. Antigone’s brothers Eteocles and Polynices , sons of Oedipus engage in mortal combat. Both die by each other’s hand. Eteocles’ valiant defence of Thebes grants him full funeral honours while Polynices’ treachery in returning from exile condemns his body to the air and defilement.  In defiance of the command by her uncle King Creon (Ian Russell) Antigone (Ella Buckley) resolves to give her disgraced brother proper burial before the Gods. What ensues is the conflict between the will of the individual and the authority of the state.

Greek Theatre Now’s recreation of Sophocles’ Antigone in the open air amphitheatre and unaided by modern technology possesses a compelling authenticity. There is a declamatory conviction in the performance, supported by the commentary by the Chorus who describe the events, judge the actions, advise the characters and reflect society’s attitude. Director Clelland and movement director Lachlan Ruffy combine movement, dance, choral voice and chant in a finely orchestrated choreography of voice and movement.

In keeping with tradition, some performers would step out of the chorus to take on the roles of  major characters in the drama.  Chorus leaders (Neil McLeod, and Kate Eisenberg). Creon and Antigone maintain their roles throughout. Clelland’s direction is precise, insightful and constantly honouring the story. A flock of cockatoos appear to screech on cue as omens to the drama, but Clelland and her cast allow no distraction.

Clelland’s incisive direction cleverly draws forth the vulnerability of her characters and the human condition. Sophocles’ observance of the human condition underpins each performance. Russell’s Creon is driven by a fear of defiance and the stubborn resistance to reason. It is a performance more human in vulnerability than archetypal in hubris. Buckley’s Antigone is not the woman of steel but a loving sister determined to do what is right by her brother and against the wishes of the law. Buckley gives a very human and moving impression of a young woman , trapped and yet resolved to do what is right in her eyes and the eyes of the gods. Sienna Curnow as Antigones’ sister Ismene is the perfect foil, fearful of consequence and yet bound by the laws of the state. 

There are strong performances by minor characters. Justice-Noah Malfitano’s fawning fool of a guard lends a clownish aspect to the character of the Guard. Michael J Smith’s blind prophet Teiresius gives credence in his dramatic evocation to the saying “There’s none so blind as those who do not see” Creon’s son Haemon is played by Alastair McKenzie with the universal  reality of the contemporary youth. It is in the performance of all the characters that we observe the universality of the human condition in all its aspects. Crystal Mahon as the Messenger and Sarah Hull as Creon’s wife Eurydice also give credible performances. This thoughtful and faithful production of Sophocles’ Antigone is an excellent example of ensemble playing. It is appropriately declamatory and moralistic in its discourse on the condition of Man and plea for reason and happiness through wisdom.

 Greek Theatre Now’s  inaugural production is a welcome innovation in Canberra’s vibrant theatrical landscape. Its amateur status gives it a raw honesty and professional truth that echoes through the ages. If you want to experience what it may have been like for the Greek audiences to witness Sophocles’ Antigone in 441 BC at the Theatre of Dionysus then Greek Theatre Now’s production for contemporary audiences is a must see experience.

THE MIRROR – Gravity & Other Myths – Canberra Theatre

Directed by Darcy Grant – Associate Director: Jascha Boyce

Set and Lighting designed by Matt Adey – Associate Designer: Lachlan Binns

Composer: Ekrem Eli Phoneix – Sound Design by Mik La Vague

Costumes designed by Renate Henschke

Performed by: Martin Schreiber, Simon McLure, Lisa Goldsworthy, Lewis Rankin, Dylan Philips, Emily Gare, Jascha Boyce, Lachlan Binns, Maya Tregonning, Ekrem Eli Phoenix.

Canberra Theatre 10 – 12 April 2025 – Reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.

The cast of "The Mirror"

Multi-award-winning Adelaide based physical theatre company, Gravity and Other Myths, has been touring the world, winning plaudits for the ingenuity, skill, and sheer virtuosity of its productions.

These Canberra performances are the last in its Australian tour before it begins to hectically criss-cross the globe exciting audiences with various of its productions in Korea, United Arab Emirates, USA, Canada, Germany, and the UK.

In Canberra it is presenting “The Mirror” a physically and conceptually ambitious program addressing concepts of entertainment through the language of contemporary circus. 

Ekrem Eli Phoenix and the cast of "The Mirror"

The 80-minute performance is divided into sections and presented without an interval or interruption, during which the company explores physical movement that is likely to entertain contemporary audiences.

The first harkens back to the old-fashioned tableau, during which the performers use an arrangement of black drapes to intrigue the audience by revealing a succession of images of bodies arranged in remarkably unlikely situations.

The introduction of a LED wall, a large decorative neon construction to border the action, cameras and selfie sticks constantly dazzle and confuse the eye, as bodies are piled upon and around each other to construct surrealistic images.

The cast of "The Mirror" in action.

Gender-blind acrobatics have the women bearing as much weight as the men for manoeuvres in which performers scramble over their colleagues to create human towers often four bodies high. Elsewhere colleagues are tossed around with such reckless abandon that, even though meticulously choreographed, the mesmerised audience is left gasping as to how injury could possibly have been avoided.  

Costume designer Renate Henschke has eschewed the glitz and glamour of familiar circus presentations in favour of minimalist, apparently haphazard garments, with performers dressed individually, mostly in underwear, often transparent, often revealing, but ideal for displaying the magnificent, widely varying physiques of each performer, who unselfconsciously change elements of their costumes in full view of the audience.

With “The Mirror”, Director Darcy Grant and his associate Jascha Boyce have created an entertaining and gripping evening of world-class acrobatics, presented with flair and imagination and performed with irresistible joie de vivre and skill, that offers a series of surprising and intriguing ways with which to utilise the human body as a medium of entertainment.

                                    Except where otherwise marked all images by Andy Phillipson.

  This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW.      www.artsreview.com.au  

Written by William Shakespeare

Directed by Marion Potts

Bell Shakespeare

The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre to 20 April

Reviewed by Len Power 11 April 2025

Henry 5 may be Shakespeare’s well-known play with the rousing call to battle, ”Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more”, but the grim reality of war is unflinchingly depicted in this production with its messy brutality and death. In its contemporary setting with laptops, microphones and surtitles digitally identifying characters by name and serial number, the dehumanization of war is clear. The use of today’s communication equipment is a reminder that current world conflicts and their biased reporting are probably shaping our own attitudes. Our minds become the weapons of the future.

The drama before and after Henry 5’s victorious Battle of Agincourt in 1415 plays out on a bare stage in which darkness looms over the characters. Everything is geared for war – the metallic uniformity of the set pieces and the costuming that hints at uniforms. There’s even a punching bag hanging aggressively on the set that becomes a symbol of dead soldiers being dragged over the battlefield.

Marion Potts’ production strips the play down to its essential story. Many characters and subplots are omitted as the narrative drives forward compellingly in one act. The battles are cleverly choreographed with movement (Nigel Poulton), lighting (Verity Hampson) and sound (Jethro Woodward) and the atmospheric set design (Anna Tregloan) includes the inspired use of real and very messy mud to depict the bloodiness of battle.

JK Kazzi is a fine, physical King Henry. There are echoes of his dissolute youth in his characterization but there is a steely resolve that drives him towards battle. His famous speeches “Once more unto the breach” and “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers” are delivered with a notable intensity and sensitivity.  There are fine, colourful and truthful performances from all members of this ensemble cast.

This is a memorable production from Bell Shakespeare. It’s atmospheric and disturbing and its message for today’s world is worryingly relevant.

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs and published in his blog 'Just Power Writing' at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/.

Henry V by William Shakespeare.

Directed by Marion Potts.Set and costume designer Anna Tregloan. Lighting designer Verity Hampson. Composer and sound designer Jethro Woodward. Movement, intimacy and fight director Nigel Poulton. Voice director Jack Starkey-Gill. Bell Shakespeare. The Playhouse. Canberra Theatre Centre. April 10-20. Bookings; 6275 2700 or canberratheatrecentre.com.au

Reviewed by Peter Wilkins

JK Kazzi as Henry V

Bell Shakespeare has brought a right royal production of Shakespeare’s most patriotic history play to Canberra. Henry V is a sequel to Henry lV and a prequel to Henry Vl, . The trilogy traces the rise and fall of the Plantagenet royal line.  On the death of Henry lV, the king’s son assumes the throne after a wild and dissolute youth. Through his surprising transformation Prince Hal becomes the warrior king and through conquest and marriage unites the nations of France and England.   Shakespeare in deference to his patroness Queen Elizabeth describes the war and eventual peace  after the heroic battle of Agincourt in 1415.

Henry V Company

Henry V - Preparing for war

Henry V - At war

Jack Halabi (Dauphin), Ella Prince (Exeter) in HenryV

Jo Turner (King of France), Katherine (Ava Madon) JK Kazzi

The action begins in preparation for the Battle of Agincourt

In a highly original approach to Shakespeare’s asking for our indulgence for two hours, Marion Potts has made Henry V – the third in the Henry IV and V set – fit neatly into 1 hour 50 minutes with no interval:

Act 1, Prologue: PROLOGUE
Act 1, Scene 1: London. An ante-chamber in the KING'S palace.
Act 1, Scene 2: The same. The Presence chamber.

Act 2, Prologue: PROLOGUE
Act 2, Scene 1: London. A street.
Act 2, Scene 2: Southampton. A council-chamber.
Act 2, Scene 3: London. Before a tavern.
Act 2, Scene 4: France. The KING'S palace.

Act 3, Prologue: PROLOGUE
Act 3, Scene 1: France. Before Harfleur.
Act 3, Scene 2: The same.
Act 3, Scene 3: The same. Before the gates.
Act 3, Scene 4: The FRENCH KING's palace.
Act 3, Scene 5: The same.
Act 3, Scene 6: The English camp in Picardy.
Act 3, Scene 7: The French camp, near Agincourt:

Act 4, Prologue: PROLOGUE
Act 4, Scene 1: The English camp at Agincourt.
Act 4, Scene 2: The French camp.
Act 4, Scene 3: The English camp.
Act 4, Scene 4: The field of battle.
Act 4, Scene 5: Another part of the field.
Act 4, Scene 6: Another part of the field.
Act 4, Scene 7: Another part of the field.
Act 4, Scene 8: Before KING HENRY'S pavilion.

Act 5, Prologue: PROLOGUE
Act 5, Scene 1: France. The English camp.
Act 5, Scene 2: France. A royal palace.

And it works a treat, because it concentrates the play into realising our understanding of the real autocrat behind the playboy Prince Hal.  He doesn’t become this just because he becomes King Harry.  He just is a coercive control freak, which director Marion Potts makes clear in the final scene of enforced acceptance by the French Princess Katherine that he “loves” her.

Katharine has no real choice

Bell Shakespeare has made Henry 5 out of Henry V, an exciting and important contribution to our thinking about politics – democratic and autocratic; about the anti-humane character of warfare; and about the destruction of personal worth and integrity, at the individual level – especially, but not only, for women.

This a Bell Shakespeare production which should tour world-wide.

King Harry incognito, pretending to be a common man, while gathering intelligence.

Conceived and Directed by Joseph Ashton.

Gungahlin ACT – April 11^th– May 3, 2025.

Performance on April 13^th reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.

Dante Ashton & Jansen Grant full flight on the Flying Trapeze.

It’s billed as an 'adults only' show, but that has more to do with liquor laws than the performance content. There are certainly risqué moments, but don’t be put off by the possibility of spotting a penis. You cannot always believe what you see.

“Infamous” is the brainchild of Joseph Ashton, a sixth generation Ashton, and patriarch of the famous Ashton circus family which has been presenting circuses around Australia for 180 years.

Following the trend towards circuses no longer featuring animals, and the growing appetite for virtuosic physical theatre usually presented in intimate spiegeltents. So, Joe decided to embrace the trend and create his own spiegeltent-style show.

Jansen Grant on the Wheel of Death

But there was a problem. Joe Ashton has a particular affection for large apparatus circus acts particularly the flying trapeze and the ominously named Wheel of Death. Joe is master of both, and these acts would never fit into even the largest spiegeltent.  

Therefore, Joe decided to design his own tent and replace his animals with glamorous dancers to support his world-class acrobats and aerialists, and create a new format aimed at an adult audience and “Infamous” was born.

The “Infamous” tent itself is part of the experience. Embracing the latest in circus tent design technology, the “Infamous” tent is fully air-conditioned, with a foyer featuring a   fully licenced bar serving wine and spirits (hence the “adult” label. Another bar offers non-alcoholic beverages as well as hot and cold snacks, and for those wishing to satisfy their inner urge to run away with the circus, there’s a well-stocked merchandise stall offering everything necessary.  

Comfortable tables and stools allow patrons to chill out with friends and soak up the atmosphere before moving into the main performance area.

Once inside, neon-outlined arches replace the familiar spiegeltent mirrors to create an intimate atmosphere for the rows of comfortable chairs arranged around raked flooring which provides excellent views of the central performance area. Patrons seeking an even more deluxe experience can book individual tables and chairs ringside.

Dancye Rae in "Infamous"

From the moment guests enter the main auditorium, clowns, glamorously costumed dancers, sensational Marilyn Monroe look-alike, Dancye Rae, and vocalist Tomi Gray, vie for their attention until showtime, which begins with a parade by the performers to introduce the Wheel of Death. 

This terrifying apparatus is manipulated by Kyle Wishart, while Jansen Grant performs a series of heart-stopping manoeuvres both inside and out of the apparatus.  Then follows a succession of outstanding circus acts sourced from around the world, among which a duo performed an extraordinary aerial bungee act, then later a sensuous slow-motion adagio in a bathtub. 

Dante Ashton & Mimi Lenoire in "Infamous"

Generations of the Ashton family are well-represented in all aspects of this family-run circus including aerialist star Dante Ashton, who dazzles with her  solo aerial act, is joined by Mimi Lenoire for a duo-trapeze routine, and for the finale, by her mother Bekki Ashton, and her aunt, Michelle Ashton-Jarman, for their high-flying trapeze act.

Between the various circus acts, clowns and troupes of trim, taut and terrific dancers, both male and female, keep the audience entertained with provocatively choregraphed routines.

Pole Dancer Mimi Lenoire in "Infamous"

As is circus tradition, following the high-flying grand finale, the whole cast parade again to acknowledge the enthusiastic applause, leading to another tradition that is new and unique to  “Infamous”, an invitation for audience members to meet and be photographed with the cast of the show at the end of the performance.

                                                                         Images provided.  

      This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. www.artsreview.com.au

Concept by Patrick Nolan

Directed by Laura Hansford

Opera Queensland production

Q Theatre, Queanbeyan 15 April 2025

Reviewed by Len Power

Described as a unique celebration of country music and opera, featuring arias and songs by Puccini, Verdi, Slim Dusty, Troy Cassar-Daly and Dolly Parton, Are You Lonesome Tonight was a pleasant evening of song from both genres cleverly woven together.

The young cast of singers – Gabrielle Diaz, Marcus Corowa and Jonathan Hickey – moved from Opera to Country effortlessly. All three amiable individuals connected quickly with the audience in a down to earth manner and showed themselves to be very capable singers of both styles of music as well as being accomplished musicians.

Jonathan Hickey, Gabrielle Diaz and Marcus Corowa

The show moved at a good pace with most of the arias being from very well-known operas like Carmen, La Traviata, The Marriage Of Figaro and La Boheme. The country music included songs by Hank Williams, Slim Dusty, Troy-Cassar-Daly and Dolly Parton, amongst others. The arrangements where arias moved deftly to country and back again were very well done.

The operatic arias were sung in their original languages, which might have been a barrier for audience members unfamiliar with the shows they came from, but they could not fail to be affected by the powerful melodies and emotions in the music. The country songs were well-chosen, also displaying emotions and melodies that make this a powerful genre for many.

It was the choice of a song from Kate Miller-Heidke’s opera, The Rabbits, that particularly showed that opera and country can come together very well. This was the highlight of the show.

The show finished with the song Are You Lonesome Tonight. It had been an enjoyable evening of song that should gain some converts to a genre of music until now unfamiliar to them.

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs and published in his blog 'Just Power Writing' at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/.

Watching Ratburger as I am in my second childhood, I feel more frightened than when reading any of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales in my first.  I’m sure Zoe’s step-mother in Ratburger is closely related to both Gretel’s mother and the wicked witch in the Hansel and Gretel story.

Reading the Grimm’s dark stories was a calm and thoughtful experience for me in my first childhood – as I hope it is for eight-year olds reading Walliams today – but this presentation of Ratburger on stage is loud audially and visually, turning the essential dark story into a kind of black comic satire.

This is what frightens me.  The set and video design is absolutely fascinating, intriguing to watch, drawing in even the toddlers in the audience.  The choreography is fast, theatrical and often funny.  The amplified voices range from loud to screaming, and cannot be ignored. The images are designed to create curiosity, especially about how the shadow effects are done – including when Zoe’s step-mother and Burt the Burgerman cause her father’s final divorce as they race each other off and into his grinding machine.  

The puppetry is exquisite.  The dialogue is full of ‘woke’ phrases.  And then we adults understand the satire.  

The young will only see the horror of nasty grown-up untrustworthy woman  and conniving even criminal man making burgers from rats, as they break up Zoe’s family again; and Zoe’s incompetent but loving man – the father she loves – coming good and helping save her favourite rat from the grinder.  

If they are old enough, they may see the extreme presentation as funny. In the performance I saw there were not many laughs.  Middling youngsters laughed at obvious gags (words and in actions); some adults laughed at the ‘woke’ dialogue; little youngsters mainly watched with little apparent reaction; some fiddled with the cushions they were given to lift them high enough to see the stage.

As an example of responsible theatre for children, it concerns me that those too young to cotton on to the satire will remember family breakdown and how unloving adult women behave; and will pick up on the sentimental message of the girl saving the rat despite everything, (and learning to like the girl next door, but only after she has apologised).

In my role as a grown up, I see the play for what it is – a satire of the tragedy of life where divorce is increasingly common and there are plenty of rats who make burgers from rats.  

But I think Master’s play is more for adult education than for children.  I haven’t had the opportunity to read the book by David Walliams, but hope children who read it may respond as I did to the Grimm Brothers’ fairy stories.

Marcus Corowa - Gabrielle Diaz - Jonathan Hickey in "Are You Lonesome Tonight".

Concept by Patrick Nolan - Directed by Laura Hansford

Designed by Penny Challen – Lighting by Wesley Bluff.

Musical Director: Steve Russell – Performance MD & Pianist: Trevor Jones.

Performed by Gabrielle Diaz, Marcus Corowa, Jonathan Hickey.

The Q – Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre – April 15. 2025 

Reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.

Jonathan Hickey - Gabrielle Diaz - Marcus Corowa in "Are You Lonesome Tonight".

Opera Queensland created this production in 2021 and toured over 8000 kilometres, performing for more than thirty communities.

The production was revived this year to undertake a more extensive tour, including venues in NSW and new locations in Queensland.

Lucky Queanbeyan was the first NSW stop on this tour, following which the show will visit another nine NSW venues and a further seven in Queensland.

Initially conceived by the CEO and Artistic Director of Opera Queensland, Patrick Nolan, as a vehicle to promote the work of Opera Queensland to a wider audience, the idea was to demonstrate the rather tenuous connection between the origins of opera and that of country music; both being rooted in storytelling.

Conceived as a vehicle for three multi-talented singers, this iteration of “Are You Lonesome Tonight” is performed by Marcus Corowa and Jonathan Hickey, both original cast from the 2021 tour, with soprano Gabrielle Diaz replacing original cast member, Irena Lysiuk. 

The musical director, accompanist and occasional chorister is Trevor Jones, whose scene-stealing performance during the recent Canberra season of The Hayes Theatre production of “The Pirates of Penzance,” is a fondly remembered highlight. Though on this occasion, Jones is doing his best to curb his enthusiasm.

Jonathan Hickey in "Are You Lonesome Tonight"

In addition to their accomplished solo vocals, each are masters of at least one musical instrument, contributing instrumental interpolations as well as harmonies to Steve Russell’s ingenious music arrangements. Jonathan Hickey outstanding with his charming violin embellishments, with Marcus Corowa contributing guitar, and Gabrielle Diaz, cello.

They also take turns in delivering sections of the excellent explanatory dialogue which stressed the connections between opera and country music. However, in a misguided effort to connect with their audience, their delivery was often more flippant than necessary, sometimes “talking down.”

Excerpts from operas as varied as Monteverdi’s “The Coronation of Poppea,” Puccini’s “La Boheme” and Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro,” vied for attention with Pat Alexander’s, “I Love to Have a Beer with Duncan” and Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”

Marcus Corowa in "Are You Lonesome Tonight"

Memorable solos included Marcus Corowa’s rendition of Troy Cassar-Daley’s “Take a Walk in My Country,” and Jonathan Hickey’s moving version of Banjo Paterson’s “Clancy of the Overflow.”

 Gabrielle Diaz demonstrated her vocal versatility by combining the “Habanera” from Bizet’s “Carmen” with the Nancy Sinatra hit, “These Boots were made for Walking.”

Gabrielle Diaz in "Are You Lonesome Tonight"

But the items which drew the most applause from the thoroughly engaged audience were the two most unlikely. A surprisingly effective quartet arrangement of the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from the Verdi opera “Nabucco,” and the real hit of the night, a beautifully rendered excerpt from the Kate Miller-Heidt opera “The Rabbits.”

Although early into this tour, it is perhaps worth noting that this intelligent, entertaining and engagingly presented program is at its best when the artists allow each item, whether opera or country music, to engage on its own merits rather than assist with superfluous schtick that detracts from the central premise of the piece.  

                                                       Image by Murray Summerville

      This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. www.artsreview.com.au

Visual Art Exhibition Review | Brian Rope

Cries of the Anthropocene: Creative Practice in response to climate change - Various Creative Practice Circle members

The Chapel, Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture (15 Blackall St, Barton, ACT, Australia)

2 – 24 April 2025, 10 am - 3 pm, Wed – Sat (closed Easter weekend)

After a successful exhibition at Wagga, Cries from the Anthropocene is now in Canberra. From poetry to painted car bonnets, the exhibition reflects growing concern about climate change. Creatives from Beechworth to Bathurst and in between (including in Canberra) have joined in response to climate change and its effect on us in their parts of Australia and the world.

The Creative Practice Circle is a network of creative and performing arts practitioners and researchers, born out of Charles Sturt University in 2016. The group meets regularly via Zoom and shares what is happening in the worlds of the members. One of the common threads holding them together is concern for the planet and all its inhabitants. How can they, as concerned creatives, help encourage everyone to act in the face of climate change? The Circle’s research theme for 2024-25 is “Cries from the Anthropocene – How might we respond?” Just one of the suggested research questions was: How might the arts intersect with the grief and anxiety of living in the Anthropocene?

The artworks are very diverse. There are hand-stitched stories which speak to issues of habitat. A variety of artwork media note the decline of the iconic Bogong Moth. Poetry makes the language and issues of the climate crisis accessible. Call to action posters provide ideas and information about small actions they can be taken to address climate change. Here is a selection of installation images that I took at the show to provide readers with a visual idea of the diverse artworks. 

Hazel Prince – Our Paths with Nature - Postcards

Frank Prem – I sing (a car a train an aeroplane)

 Scan the QR code on the above image and have a listen.

Donna Caffrey – Cal to Action posters

Claire Baker – broken (n)aimless (mixed media - foam packing sheets, embroidery thread, adhesive dots, broken shells, pebbles, glass splinter, ink)

Dr Tracy Sorensen – The Blue House (work in progress)

Detail of one of the Seven books of tears by Barbel Ullrich – tears that are sobs and tears in our world’s fabric.

These seven huge books are extraordinarily beautiful – and you are allowed to turn the pages to look at them all.   

Toni Hassan – a four-part installation (acrylic on a reclaimed car bonnet, digital photo printed on rag paper with gouache moths on watercolour paper, textile mask with transfer prints and elastic). The part not shown in these images is a 3:47” (looped) stereo channel video.

These (and the other artists represented in this exhibition) are not the only creatives addressing the climate change issues. An article in https://www.researchgate.net/publication/385060095_Artistic_Practices_in_the_Anthropocene reviews Western perspectives (in a fruitful dialogue with non-Western perspectives) regarding the climate emergency and artistic experiences amid the ongoing debate about futures currently at stake in the climate crisis or climate emergency. It suggests, correctly in my view, that if the climate crisis ignited in the Anthropocene is a shared crisis - both political and aesthetic - then art, inseparable from life and hence nature, holds a crucial role in nurturing care and the potency of imagining other possible worlds.

Four years ago, the National Visual Arts Editor of ArtsHub, Gina Fairley, wrote After two summers that couldn’t be more different – from drought and fires to heavy rain – conversations about the Anthropocene, and artist activism around climate change, are ripe for new resolutions. Fairley suggested that a less recited stanza from Dorothea Mackellar’s much loved 1908 poem, My Country, captured the mood of Australia’s climate crisis, 110+ years on:

Core of my heart, my country!

Her pitiless blue sky,

When sick at heart, around us,

We see the cattle die –

But then the grey clouds gather,

And we can bless again

The drumming of an army

The steady, soaking rain.

It is good to see all the artists represented in this exhibition continuing to explore the critically important matter of climate change. Together they have created an excellent exhibition with much to look at, read, view on video, and think deeply about. I strongly encourage all who are able to visit the show in person.

This review is also available on the author's personal blog here.

The cast of "Madagascar the Musical"

Book by Kevin Del Aguila – Music & Lyrics by George Noriega & Joel Someilann

Produced by Layton Lillas & Brad Thomson – Directed by Nick Wilkinson

Musical Direction by Nick Braae – Choreography by Sonja McGirr-Garrett

Costume Design by Tina Hutchinson-Thomas – Lighting Design by Sam Moxham

Puppet Design by Martin Jago & Jon Coddington  

Canberra Theatre April 22^nd& 23^rd, 2025 – Reviewed by BILL STEPHENS

Based on the DreamWorks animated film series, “Madagascar the Musical” follows the adventures of Alex the lion, Melman the giraffe, Gloria the hippo, and Marty the zebra, who, bored with life in the New York Central Park Zoo, decide to escape and explore the world beyond.

After outwitting the zookeepers and assisted by a quartet of penguins they achieve their goal but bewildered by the big city eventually find themselves shipwrecked in Madagascar, where King Julien befriends them.  

Performed by a cast of thirteen actors, some of whom portrayed up to five different characters, both animal and human, the storyline may have been difficult to understand for those not acquainted with the source material.

Although the young audience enjoyed recognising familiar characters, engaging with the songs and dances, and admiring the vibrant scenery and lighting, despite the lack of detail, more focus on characterisation could have made the production more memorable for the intended audience.

It was often difficult to identify the animals because the actors relied heavily on their costumes, without mimicking the animals' movements or behaviours.

Lochlan Erard as Alex the Lion in "Madagascar the Musical".

Locklan Erard offered an engagingly athletic interpretation of Alex the Lion, even if his exuberant movements were more suggestive of a monkey than a lion. Jessica Ruck Nu’u charmed as Gloria the hippo, although her costume bore scant resemblance to a hippopotamus.

Despite having to walk on his knees to portray King Julien, Matt Henderson’s costume offered few clues as to King Julien’s species, although Samoan actor, Iosia Tofilau’s white and black striped costume guaranteed that there was no mistaking that he was playing the zebra, Marty.

 Jeremy Hinman was most successful in creating a memorable character by embracing the opportunities offered by his towering, part-puppet costume to portray the lovable Giraffe, Melman.

Iosia Tofilau (Marty the Zebra) - Jeremy Hinman (Melman the Giraffe) - Lochlan Erard (Alex the Lion) - Jessica Ruck N'u (Gloria the Hippo) plus the Zookeepers in "Madagascar the Musical"

Visual Art Exhibition Review | Brian Rope

Emotional Landscapes II I Margaret Gordon, Manuel Pfeiffer and Alan Pomeroy

ANCA Gallery I 23 April – 11 May 2025

In July/August 2024, ANCA exhibited Emotional Landscapes Iby Jenny Adams, Julie Delves, Eva van Gorsel & Delene White. Van Gorsel subsequently received a Canberra Critics Circle award for her imaginative and creative observations and, in particular, her key part in that exhibition.

Emotional Landscapes II featuring artworks by three other artists has the same purpose - questioning the dichotomy of being apart from nature versus being an integral part of it. Photographer and former climate scientist van Gorsel curated this show, in close consultation with the artists.

My initial reaction on entering the gallery was to immediately see the landscape in Pfeiffer’s pieces, but not in the other works. That was my narrow interpretation of landscape. Gordon’s works feature landscapes of nude human bodies, whilst Pomeroy has “set out to re-imagine the contemplative posture as a composite posture figure set against evocative landscapes.” Pfeiffer’s art is not a straightforward representation of landscapes as we might actually see them. Like those of all good artists, they are interpretations of what he saw.

Each artist has revealed something of their personal emotional experiences to a variety of landscapes, enabling viewers of the works to reflect on their own emotional responses to landscapes they explore.

Gordon most commonly produces small sculptural pieces of her models. But here she presents mostly pastel and charcoal drawings, with just one acrylic painting and one ceramic sculpture.

Margaret Gordon, 38 Small Form, 2024, ceramic sculpture, 13.5 x 18.5 x 10cm Photograph provided by ANCA

All these human landscapes are female. She participates in a variety of workshops sketching both genders, but as selected pieces for this show she felt it appropriate to use only drawings of female models. The drawings are diverse, showing various amounts of detail in differing parts of the sketched bodies. That, plus the variety of body types reveals the diversity of the female body landscape. How we each respond emotionally will depend on our genders, ages, personal body types and more.

Margaret Gordon, 26 Another Seated Form, 2024, pastel and charcoal, 52 x 46cm Photograph provided by ANCA

Six of Pfeiffer’s works on canvas are painted with acrylic; two are mixed media. All eight vibrantly colourful works are striking in appearance. As always with this artist, they are beautifully composed and executed. One most interesting feature is the inclusion of shapes, such as that of a diamond or an egg. They are paintings of landscapes many of us have visited or, at least, seen in photographs. We can clearly recognise some outback places. My favourite work is of the Devil’s Marbles, but they are all a joy to look at.

Manuel Pfeiffer, 04 Karlu Karlu (Devil's marbles), 2023, Acrylic on canvas, 24x36 inches (61x92cm) Photograph provided by the artist

Some of the landscapes portrayed are less obvious, but the titles identify them. So, for example, we know the Nullarbor is being portrayed even if we don’t immediately recognise it. I very much enjoyed the clear representation of the long straight stretch of road through a flat landscape with no trees. The magical place known as Larapinta is also delightfully shown, almost demanding we walk on the long trail.

Manuel Pfeiffer, 07 Magic Larapinta, 2024, Acrylic on canvas, 24x36 inches (61x92cm) Photograph provided by the artist

And then there are Pomeroy’s wonderfully thought-provoking works. Again the catalogue titles arguably provide keys which enable us to open the doors to the material we need to explore in order to properly think about what this artist is saying. Each piece shows figures set against evocative landscapes. They are observing and meditating, fingers pressed against their mouths almost being gnawed. They are sitting on the fence in one work – seeking the wisdom of the three wise monkeys?

Alan Pomeroy 02, On the Fence, 2024, oil on canvas, 76 x 91.5 cm. Photograph, Alan Pomeroy. TBE

All are simply delightful paintings. And there is also a most affordable 40pp book featuring the artist’s own photographs of his art. In it his artist’s statement reveals the inspirations for these works in his continuing artistic inquiry, and his hoping to encourage awareness of the power of thought .

Alan Pomeroy 05, In Too Deep, 2024, oil on canvas, 76 x 112 cm. Photograph, Alan Pomeroy. TBE

As with its forerunner, Emotional Landscapes I, this exhibition most successfully achieves what its artists set out to do. They have created artworks which cause us to reflect on our personal emotional responses to the natural world in which we live. And invite us to ask ourselves how and whether we can live in harmony with our natural environment.

This review is also available on the author's blog here.

Directed by Joe Woodward

Daramalan Theatre Company

Joe Woodward Theatre, Dickson to 3 May

Reviewed by Len Power 26 April 2025

One of Shakespeare’s most well-known and accessible plays, ‘Romeo & Juliet’ encourages us to think about our own personal relationships and the decisions we make that affect others. But is there more to this story of the ‘star-crossed lovers’? In Joe Woodward’s new production, there is an examination of ancient and shadowy revelations that may have more bearing on the decisions we make. It’s a challenging and fascinating way to consider this most moving of Shakespeare’s tragedies. It applies to our world and our current actions, too, not just to the world of those young lovers.

Using a circular thrust stage, background projections and the considerable height of the theatre, director, Woodward, who also designed the production, creates a haunting, shadowy atmosphere for the play that is often startlingly effective. The careful use of music, including the love theme by Nino Rota of Zeffirelli’s 1968 film of ‘Romeo & Juliet’ and the Flower Duet from Delibes’ opera, ‘Lakme’, adds a great deal of atmosphere to this production. The singers, Ruby Gifford and Ruby Holden, give a fine performance of the Delibes aria.

Oscar Lee (Romeo) and Evie Nicholls (Juliet)

Oscar Lee (Romeo) and Tybalt (Zac Olsen)

Performances from the large cast show a good understanding of the vision of this production. Vocal delivery is often uneven with a lack of projection in some cases and a tendency to speak too fast, so that the meaning and poetry of the words are lost. However, it takes years to perfect this and, for a student cast starting their journey in the world of theatre performance, they do very well overall.

The finale of the play, with the lovers’ deaths staged and performed simply, is especially touching. This is a fine and clear production with a thoughtful perspective that adds new depth to this great play.

Photos supplied by the production. 

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs and published in his blog 'Just Power Writing' at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/.