From a perfect in every way nanny to a dance hall hostess, Verity Hunt-Ballard has triumphed in some of the most demanding roles in musical theatre. As she prepared for a re-mount of the award winning production of Sweet Charity at the Sydney Opera House, Canberra Theatre, Melbourne Arts Centre and IPAC in Wollongong,she told David Spicer that even exhausting lead roles have nothing on the demands of becoming a mother.
French Physics graduate and student of architectural acoustics Aurélien Bory was on his way to a career in science when he joined the circus and acrobatics entered his life, but his scientific background still influences his current career as a celebrated artistic director. His work is driven by an exploration of our relationship with space.
Begun soon after he completed Ulysses and published in 1939, James Joyce’s monumental and unconventional novel Finnegan’s Wake took seventeen long years to complete and has left scholars debating the ambiguities of every aspect of it ever since; its characters (particularly the Earwicker family, including the mother, Anna Livia Plurabelle or ALP), its plot, its language, its theme and more.
When a production is simultaneously described as an ‘utterly compelling verbal symphony…’ (The Herald, UK), ‘…truly shocking and brilliant,’ (British Theatre Guide) and ‘…terrifying and hard to ignore’ (The Guardian, UK) the show concerned is clearly a provocative, even controversial one. Once the Italian cult phenomenon of Cristian Ceresoli’s La Merda rages into town for the Adelaide Festival, audiences will understand why.
Nufonia Must Fall - Adelaide Festival of Arts 2015
When well-known Canadian turntablist, music producer and graphic novelist Kid Koala (real name Eric San) wrote music that he hoped people would listen to while they read his graphic novel Nufonia Must Fall, he had no idea he was already on the path towards creating the novel’s next incantation. The book eventually morphed into the entrancing multidisciplinary puppet, film and music event of the same name and Kid Koala’s production graces the Adelaide Festival this year.
Liane Keegan, Australia’s only Dramatic Contralto, appears in the Victorian Opera’s ground-breaking3D production of Richard Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman at the Palais Theare, St Kilda, during February. She spoke to Peter Kemp.
Melbourne born, Liane Keegan knew from her school days that a life on stage was for her. As a youngster she was taken to opera rehearsals and upon hearing leading dramatic soprano Rita Hunter, she knew where her future lay.
While musical theatre buffs have been grabbing their popcorn and choc tops, ready to spend some time at the movies, Ian Nisbet asks whether these new movie adaptations of Broadway favourites do justice to the original works.
Presenting a collective of fabulous songs made famous by jazz diva Julie London, Fat Lady Productions and singer Steph Acraman will take this year’s Adelaide Fringe patrons on a delightful journey of discovery with Nice Girls…Don’t Stay For Breakfast.
