Reviews

Mother shows us the face of homelessness the way we’ve never seen it, the way we’ve always seen it.

The face belongs to Noni Hazlehurst, endearing icon of the Australian entertainment industry, but we’ve never seen it quite like this.

It is haunted. There is confusion, longing and loathing. A loss of self.

Though opera buffo doesn’t traditionally have the same classical ‘standing’ as the dramatic operas, the music is just as beautiful – and there is much more opportunity for directors to have fun with the action and the costumes. Simon Phillips certainly did this in his 2014 production of The Turk in Italy, and revival director Andy Moore has treated it just as playfully in this reprise. In Opera Australia’s own words: “This production is a frivolous take on a comedy that is not often performed”.

The Boy From Oz is a powerhouse show for the title character, and in Rohan Browne they found the right man. He has a good singing voice and his dancing was amazing. However, it was his natural manner, chatting to the audience, which carried the show.

Caroline O’Connor was excellent as his mother-in-law, Judy Garland. She died early on, but that didn’t stop her returning at various intervals to give Peter some good advice. Vocally she really channelled the ageing Judy magnificently. Robyn Arthur was a constant delight as Peter’s mother.

Oil Babies articulates the anxieties around environmental issues and transforms them into a complex and rich text framed by a highly visual and visceral theatrical experience. The dystopian tone of the set design is echoed through the dialogue between the protagonists. The desire to have a child is tempered by a range of mixed feelings and attitudes related to the physical state of the earth and the moral, philosophical and psychological consequences for those who rely on the planet for safe dwelling.