Sunday in the Park With George

As WAAPA’s Third Year Music Theatre students near the end of their time at WAAPA, this musical about creative fulfilment and the plight of the artist is either a highly appropriate or a very daunting choice of subject matter. A highly polished, beautifully presented production, it showcases the talents of this cohort and their creative contemporaries beautifully.

As Georges Seurat’s pointillist masterpiece “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” comes to life, live action meets exquisite projection, beautiful costuming and notable lighting in a seemingly seamless collaboration between director and student led creatives. Wonderful artistic cohesion from Set Designer Maeli Cherel, Costume Designer Georgia Manning, Lighting Designer Spencer Herd, Vision Designer James Glasson, Sound Designer Matthew Beaver, Stage Manager Catherine O’Donoghue and their departments, creates Seurat’s world, and that of his grandson.

The role of George is a mammoth one, and is handled with a compelling performance by Jarrod Draper, who is a pleasure to watch. Prudence Daniels is outstanding in the dual roles of Dot and Marie, bringing depth and a wonderful honesty to her portrayal.

The remaining roles are smaller, but are filled with wonderful characterisations. Particularly memorable are Emma Bradley, who plays much older with a lovely grouchiness as the Old Lady, with Crystal Haig lovely as her long suffering nurse (and a very different double as Blair Daniels). Jarrod Griffiths and Alessandra Tonkich play an artist friend and his wife with lovely depth for brief appearances. The shop girls Celeste and Celeste are given a lovely vibrancy by Alexandra Cornish and Amy Fortnum, with Kurt Russo and Benjamin Stuart impressive as their soldier suitors. Aiden Puglielli is likeable as baker Louis. All of the performances are strong, with a strong commitment to character.

Sunday in the Park With George shows a strong cast who seem ready to make their mark on the theatre world. Keep your eyes peeled for this dynamic young graduating class, and if you are able to catch one of their final performances at WAAPA, you will not be disappointed.

Kimberley Shaw

Photographer: Jon Green