Reviews

The Wind in the Willows

By Kenneth Grahame. The Australian Shakespeare Company. Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne Gardens. 17 December 2022 to 29 January 2023

The Wind in the Willows has returned for the summer, currently in its 37th year, staged in the splendidly scenic Royal Botanical Gardens, Melbourne. A delightful and entertaining family show, affordable and interactive, this uniquely Australian twist on the classic children’s book by Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908, has its audiences, young and old, amused, delighted and in rollicking fits of laughter.

Amadeus

By Peter Shaffer. Red Line Productions. Directed by Craig Ilott. Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House. December 27. 2022 - January 21, 2023

In the Opera House’s 50th year, this production provides a tantalising glimpse into what might have been for Australia’s most famous building. The original plan was for the Opera Theatre to be in the larger space of what is now the Concert Hall.

So advanced were those plans, that the backstage structure was already built and had to be scrapped when then the ABC convinced the NSW Government to instead give classical musicians the dibs on the biggest section under sails.

Slava’s Snowshow

Created and staged by Slava Polunin. Directed by Viktor Kramer & Slava Polunin. Scenography by Viktor Plotnikov & Slava Polunin. Presented by Live Nation and ATA Entertainment. Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne. 29 December 2022 - 8 January 2023, then QPAC, Brisbane from January 11 - 15, and State Theatre, Sydney from January 18 - 29..

This is an extraordinary spectacle that is best described as a unique and awe-inspiring theatrical experience created by the renowned Russian-born, Paris-based performer, Slava Polunin. The approach to the artistry of clowning is deeply steeped in European traditions and is defined by a distinctive tragi-comic quality. The show draws on a variety of theatrical practices such as pantomime and theatre of the absurd. Most notably, the slow and sometimes heavy movements of the characters or their deadpan facial expressions allude to theatrical masters such as Samuel Beckett.

A Christmas Carol

By Charles Dickens, adapted by Shake & Stir. Shake & Stir, directed by Michael Futcher. Canberra Theatre, 21–24 December, 2022

Remaining surprisingly faithful to A Christmas Carol, Dickens’s tale of the miser Ebenezer Scrooge, whose visit by a ghost and the spirits of Christmases past, present, and future showed him what had made him a lonely pariah, Shake & Stir has nonetheless made imaginative use of technology in the novella’s adaptation to the stage — most notably in effortlessly and rapidly recombining various sections of the grandly designed sets.  A combination of Dickens’s literary genius, careful adaptation, and controlled acting has given us dialogue that, whilst

Velvet Rewired

Creator/Director: Craig Ilott. Musical Director/Soundtrack: Joe Accaria. The Studio, Sydney Opera House. 22 December, 2022 to 12 February, 2023.

Disco magic is back! The glitter balls! The sequins! The misty smoke! The shine, the sparkle, the sexy shimmer – and the SOUND! Joe Accaria calls it Disco Delirium – the pulse and groove that swept the world in the 1980s – and Velvet Rewired brings it back with a beat that’s brassy, throbbing and definitely, delightfully delirious.

Peter Pan

By Tom Whalley. Zealous Productions. Directed by Peter Cumins. The Regal Theatre, Subiaco, WA. Dec 22-30, 2022

Zealous Productions’ pantomime is a big, beautiful production in the British tradition, that is delighting audiences of all ages. Featuring excellent production values, a stellar cast and a production team that understand pantomime, you couldn’t find a better way to close your theatrical year.

Madagascar the Musical

Book by Kevin Del Aguila. Music and Lyrics by George Noriega & Joel Someillan. GMG Productions. Associate Director: Nick Purdie. Sydney Coliseum Theatre, 16 Dec, 2022 – 1 Jan, 2023, then Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, January 4 – 15, 2023 and Crown Theatre, Perth, Jan 19 – 26, 2023

Recreating animated characters as living beings is difficult enough if the characters are human. But animals? Big, upright, talking, singing and dancing animals! That calls for a great deal of talent and imagination – but costume maker Robert Allsopp and puppet designer Max Humphries had just that creative skill. Their original designs are stunning replicas of the movie characters and bring the caged animals of the New York Zoo to life in a production that is big, colourful, hoof-tapping fun!

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

By William Shakespeare. Sport for Jove Summer Season. Director Sean O’Shea. Bella Vista Farm. 16 Dec – 30 Dec, 2022. Everglades Gardens, Leura. 7 – 22 Jan, 2023

The setting is wonderful. The high, open surrounds of a colonial farmhouse in Baulkham Hills. An outdoor stage framed by a garden of creepers and icehouse roses. Patrons picnicking on rugs or plastic chairs in summery December … or not!

Spirit of Christmas

Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), Concert Hall, Brisbane. 16–17 December 2022

After the current bombardment of consumerism, it’s nice to immerse yourself in what this time of year should ideally be about – taking a step back to recount the past months, as well as reconnect with, and contribute to, our community.

A Cracker Kransky Christmas

The Kransky Sisters. Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) Brisbane. 13–24 December 2022

Get out your Jatz crackers and apple on sticks – the Kransky Sisters have driven their little red Morris all the way from Esk to bring you some early Christmas cheer. And these girls know how to throw a party – just don’t ask Graham Roach, the pest controller who still hasn’t been seen since attending to the Kransky’s Airbnb’s spider infestation.

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