Performing Arts Reviews:
2008–2022

      Sydney Festival present GISELLE from the Company FABULOUS BEAST led by Director, Michael Keegan-Dolan at CarriageWorks Bay 17. The first performance of GISELLE took place in June 1841 at the Paris Opera. It was conceived by the poet, author Theophile Gautier, inspired by Heinrich Heine’s work, De l ‘Állemange, where he came across a passage concerning “the snow white wilis (spirits of jilted brides) who walz pitilessly the whole night long” and lure and dance to death any who come their way during their dark haunting of the night. The music was sketched in 8 days and…

  Company B Belvoir and Kim Carpenter’s Theatre of Image present THE BOOK OF EVERYTHING. The Play. Adapted by Richard Tulloch from the Novel by Guus Kuljer. A few weeks ago writing about WAR HORSE and NATION, two projects that the National Theatre in London developed, with young audiences in mind , I “boldly” suggested that perhaps the STC could begin to be more enterprising in that area with the special commissioning of such like work for Sydney over our long festive summer break. Well, blow me down, there was I at the Belvoir on Saturday afternoon (after fearing I…

Sydney Theatre Company presents TOT MOM created by Steven Soderbergh In Wharf 1. Steven Soderberg has one of the most impressive list of achievements as writer, director and producer of contemporary film. Besides his own Directorial work which includes impressively for me, particularly, TRAFFIC and the recent release THE INFORMANT; the producing credits on such works as I’M NOT THERE, MICHAEL CLAYTON, SYRIANA and GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK are fairly awe inspiring. Important contemporary films with political observation and dramatic clout. Education and entertainment. Well worth watching more than once for lots of reasons. Artistry and integrity supports and…

In the program notes Tom Stoppard writes: “Andre Previn and I met in 1974 while he was principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. One day not long afterwards he said that if ever I wanted to write something which needed a symphony orchestra, well, he had one. We agreed early on that we should try to go beyond a mere recitation for the concert platform, and also that we were not writing a piece for singers. In short, it was going to be a real play, to be performed in conjunction with, and bound up with, a symphony orchestra.”…

Sonia Friedman Productions, Robert G. Bartner, Ambassador Theatre Group, Bud Martin, Adam Zotovich, Jamie Hendry Productions and Act Productions in association with MGM ON STAGE, Darcie Denkert and Dean Stolber present LEGALLY BLONDE, The Musical. Music and Lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin; Book by Heather Hach. Based on the novel “Legally Blonde”by Amanda Brown and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture at the Savoy Theatre, London. As the lyrics in the opening song of this musical goes, “Omigod You Guys, Omigod You Guys” just look at the list, above, of producers that needs to be in line to get a…

  The National Theatre presents THE POWER OF YES by David Hare in the Lyttelton Auditorium of the National Theatre, London. “In retrospect it is fair to say that the idea that banks could manage risk was a total illusion?” “Capitalism works when greed and fear are in the correct balance. This time they got out of balance. Too much greed, not enough fear.” “It’s like a ship which you’re being told is in apple-pie order, the decks are cleaned, the metal is burnished, the only thing nobody mentions, it’s being driven at full speed towards an iceberg.” On September…