Reviews

Promotional image above by Naz Mulla: Julia Johnson as Hazel, Amanda McErlean as Rose, and Terry Hansen as Rob.

In an intimate seaside cottage soaked in beige and tension, The Children begins with a striking image: a well-groomed businesswoman in a muted green and orange suit, standing awkwardly in a kitchen with a bleeding nose. Something feels off.

It’s nearly 20 years since Australian writers, John-Michael Howson, David Mitchell and Melvyn Morrow brought Dusty Springfield’s story to the stage in musical form. So, it’s definitely time to celebrate Dusty again! Dusty’s rise from shy catholic girl to star solo performer is fascinating, especially with the inclusion of her relationship with a soul singer who she meets on an early tour of America. The tour would influence her search for the ‘Dusty’ soul sound. But of course, tragically, the relationship had to be kept a secret.

This wonderful troupe from Peru’s Teatro La Plaza takes Shakespeare’s Hamlet and uses it as a framework for their own purposes.  They play with it, push at it, reinterpret its characters and its very meaning.  To do all that, they use every theatrical trick and mode – comedy, tragedy, clowning, dress-up type costumes, dance (choreography by Mirella Carbone), pop songs and rap songs, dramatic scenes, direct address to the audience and audience participation, lighting effects by Jesus Reyes – as well as images from Lucho Soldevilla projected on a hug

You may wonder why, when we have an international class Queensland Ballet group would we need to see Ballet Preljocaj from Aix-en-Provence in France? Well, this outstanding dance company are performing for an exclusive Brisbane season as part of QPAC’s International Series, which involves connections with our own dance community through workshops and masterclasses.