Reviews

Elvis: A Musical Revolution

By Sean Cercone and David Abbinanti. Directed by Alister Smith. State Theatre, Sydney. February 4 – March 9, 2024

Only six months after this high-energy production opened with full bells and whistles at the State Theatre it’s back again, still loud and brash, a few minutes shorter and soon to be followed by a national tour to Adelaide, Perth and the Gold Coast.

Produced in partnership with Elvis Presley Enterprises, it’s hardly judgemental about the career of our hero, but nevertheless takes a look at how Elvis endured a ‘psychological crisis’ that lead to the famous 1968 TV Special and a certain maturity.

Theodora in Concert

By George Frideric Handel and Thomas Morrell. Opera Australia and Pinchgut Opera. Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. 8-9 February, 2024

Handel’s dramatic oratorio Theodora was first performed in Covent Garden in 1750. It is in English, set to the libretto by Thomas Morell. It is said that Handel considered it his best work, though history would seem to favour Messiah. It is Handel’s only tragic oratorio and the only one written in English.

Set in Rome, in the 4th century AD, it tells the story of the Christian martyr Theodora who refuses to pay homage to the Roman god, Venus, and is executed with her Roman lover Didymus, who has secretly converted to Christianity.

Last Cab to Darwin

By Reg Cribb. Hobart Repertory Theatre Company. Shauna-Lee Ward (Director). Carolyn Whamond (designer). Louise Stubs (lighting design). The Playhouse Hobart. 7-17 February 2024

Last Cab to Darwin is a play about death (and life) the personal (and the political) an individual (and a country). Cribb’s script is redolent with poetry and metaphor.

Jersey Boys

Prospero Arts Concert Series. Concert Hall, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), Brisbane. 8 - 11 February 2024

Image above (from L to R) Connor Crawford, (Tommy DeVito) Jack Saunders (Bob Gaudio), Josh Mulheran (Frankie Valli) and Glaston Toft (Nick Massi). Photographer: Joel Devereux

La Nonna’s Saucy Sauce Day

Created & performed by Samuel Dariol and Anna Cerreto. La Mama HQ, Carlton. 7 – 11 February 2024

It’s the traditional day to make passata – chopping, crushing, bottling the summer’s best tomatoes – juicy, rich – but gotta be cheap.  Two nonnas – played by sparky, vivacious Anna Cerreto and pernickety, dour Samuel Dariol (in drag) - prepare for the big day… But, oh, no, they don’t have enough tomatoes! 

MENwhoDANCE ‘Alpha’

Adelaide Fringe Festival 2024. Star Theatre One at Star Theatres, Hilton; Feb 6 & Feb 20 – Mar 3, 2024; Port Lincoln, Feb 8; Whyalla, Feb 9; Port Pyrie, Feb 10; Renmark, Feb 14; Mt Gambier, Feb 16.

The title of this production is MENwhoDANCE ‘Alpha’. However, it is so much more than that. The boys don’t just dance, they sing and most of all they entertain!

The men in question, Charlie, Calin, Bailey, Willian, Rhys and Dhuruva individually have their own styles but mould them into a tight unit which is like a union of Human Nature and Manpower, they are the boy band of dance groups.

The Children

By Lucy Kirkwood. Presented by State Theatre of South Australia. Dunstan Playhouse. 2 – 17 February 2023

‘I don’t know how to want less’ says Hazel in desperation, a child’s response to an adult question, when presented with choices in preservation. She’s a mother of four, grandmother to four more, who has spent her life trying to prolong her future: with sunscreen, yoga, and salads. Her husband Robin thinks too much of himself and drinks too much of his home-made wine. Rose was a co-worker to them both, an occasional lover to Robin, and has returned from self-exile in America with secrets to share.

An Inspector Calls

By J.B. Priestley. Castle Hill Players. The Pavilion Theatre. February 2 – 24, 2024

An Inspector Calls’ enduring relevance lies in its exploration of class divisions, ethical dilemmas, and the ramifications of unchecked privilege. It is as relevant and conversational today as ever. We may be peering into a living room from long ago, but who do we see inside? 

Each character's moral complexity contributes to the narrative, prompting such reflection on personal integrity, social consciousness, and the collective impact of individual choices. This enduring masterpiece resonates across time and societal contexts.

Amanda Palmer

At the Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne. February 3, 2024.

I have never seen Amanda Palmer perform live. I really only came to know of her in more recent years, after I exploded out of my marriage, culture and religion - a very sheltered, naïve and impressionable single mum. A few new arty friends were proclaiming I needed to check her out like my life depended on it.

Tiny Beautiful Things

Adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos, from the book by Cheryl Strayed. Co-conceived by Marshall Heyman and Nia Vardalos. A Queensland Theatre Production, in association with Trish Wadley Productions. Director: Lee Lewis. Belvoir Street Theatre. 1 Feb – 2 Mar, 2024

Cheryl Strayed’s book Tiny Beautiful Things was published in 2012. It is a collection of letters she received and answered, anonymously, and unpaid, in an advice column called “Dear Sugar” on an online literary website. Topics ranged from mundane questions to lifetime sorrows.  When it was suggested to Canadian writer and actor Nia Vardalos that it might be adapted for the stage, Vardalos was astonished by the “raw and extraordinary candour” of both the writers of the letters and Strayed herself.

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