SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE - Mockingbird Theatre Company - Belconnen Arts Centre

Tom Cullen (William Shakespeare) - Asha Forno (Viola de Lesseps) and company in
  "Shakespeare in Love".

Adapted by Lee Hall from the original screenplay by Tom Stoppard & Marc Norman

Direction, Choreography, Set and Sound design by Chris Baldock

Assistant Director: Zac Bridgman- Lighting Design by Rhiley Winnett and Chris Baldock.

Costumes by Maya Hadfield, Sian Harrington, Liz St Clair Long.

Stage management by Lottie Leahy – Intimacy co-ordination by Steph Evans.

Belconnen Arts Centre: 11^th – 28^th February 2026.

Opening night performance on 11^th February reviewed by BILL STEPHENS

Some of the company of Mockingbird Theatre's production of "Shakespeare in Love"

Having spent 2025 cementing his company, Mockingbird Theatre, into the Belconnen Arts Centre as its resident theatre company with an attention-grabbing program of productions which have won himself and his company numerous awards during the year, Chris Baldock has chosen Shakespeare in Love for his first production for 2026.

The play is a witty adaptation by Lee Hall of the original screenplay written by Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman for the Academy Award winning film of the same name.

The plot revolves around an imagining of a fictional love affair between playwright, William Shakespeare, and a noblewoman, Viola de Lesseps, during a period when Shakespeare supposedly suffered writer’s block during the writing of Romeo and Juliet.

The play is set in 1593, and involves characters based on historical figures, among them Christopher Marlowe, Lord Wessex, Richard Burbage, Lord Edmund Tilney and Queen Elizabeth 1. The plot also incorporates many of the characters, lines and plot devices that turn up in Shakespeare’s plays.

Sachin Nayak (Lord Edmund Tilney) - Anto Hermida (Henslowe)- Bruce Hardie (Lord Wessex) in
"Shakespeare in Love"

Given the size of the Studio Theatre at the Belconnen Arts Centre, the idea of presenting such a sprawling play in this confined environment was no doubt an intriguing challenge for Baldock to set himself.

So, drawing on the abilities of no fewer than 23 actors of wildly varying abilities, a mixture of experienced senior actors and students from his acting classes, he has applied his celebrated directorial skills and ingenuity to producing a sometimes challenging, but very watchable entertainment.

Tom Cullen (William Shakespeare) - Asha Forno (Viola de Lesseps) in "Shakespeare in Love".

Heading the cast as Will Shakespeare and the object of his affections, Viola de Lesseps, Tom Cullen and Asha Forno are a delightful pairing, easily believable as the inspiration for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, whose story, their own appears to duplicate.

 James Phillips is also well cast as Shakespeare’s friend and confidant, Kit Marlowe, who, if you believe this play, deserves more recognition for his contribution to Romeo and Juliet, than previously recognised.

Strong performances from Sian Harrington (Nurse), Bruce Hardie (Lord Wessex), Richard Manning (Richard Burbage), Anto Hermida (Henslowe), Sachin Nayak (Lord Edmund Tilney) and particularly Liz St Clair Long who dominates every scene in which she appears as the imperious Queen Elizabeth 1, all add gravitas to the proceedings.

Liz St Clair Long as Queen Elizabeth 1 in "Mockingbird Theatre's production of
"Shakespeare in Love".

But despite the enthusiasm of the large cast, the variance in stagecraft among the rest of the cast becomes a distraction to the success of the storytelling.

Baldock’s attractive setting, while appropriate, even evocative, also proved a hindrance to keeping abreast with changes in timelines and locales. Having only two points of access compromised exits and entrances.  

Similarly with the costumes. Adhering to the Bridgeton aesthetic of eschewing historical accuracy for appearance, many costumes were quite splendid. But when worn besides others that looked very ‘make do’, exampled by the extraordinarily unconvincing disguise for Forno as Thomas Kent, not only was the effect of opulence dissipated but also, any semblance of a consistent overall vision.

Asha Forno (Thomas Kent) - Sian Harrington (Nurse) in "Shakespeare in Love".

Also, while it is accepted, that in Shakespeare’s day, male actors performed the female characters, it’s hard to imagine bearded actors being cast in these roles.

There is much to be enjoyed with this production; especially its audacity, the exuberance of its cast, and the obvious talent and skill that has been lavished on it by its cast and creatives. However, when compared to the award-winning standard set by Mockingbird Theatre with its 2025 program, the end result rarely rises above that of a good student production.

However, when considering the huge restrictions placed on the concept by the size of the Studio Theatre, perhaps preventing the style, polish and attention to detail usually associated with a Baldock production, given its entertainment potential, perhaps the Belconnen Arts Centre could consider a Main Stage revival of this production to allow it to be enjoyed by the wider audience it deserves.

                                                        Photos by Chris Baldock   

 

   This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. www.australianreview.com.au

 

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE

 

 Shakespeare in Love. 

Original screenplay by Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman. Adapted for the stage by Lee Hall. Director, set designer and sound designer Chris Baldock. Assistant director Zac Bridgman. Stage Manager and Lighting Operation. Lottie Leahy. Set realisation. Chris Baldock and cast. Lighting design. Rhiley Winnett and Chris Baldock. Costumes. Maya Hadfield. Sian Harrington, Liz St. Clair Long. Props Lottie Leahy, Chris Baldock and Cast. Publicity and Photography – Chris Baldock. Intimacy Coordination – Steph Evans. Mockingbird Theatre Company and Acting Studio. Belconnen Arts Centre February 11 – 28 at 7.30 p.m. Bookings   https://www.belcoarts.com.au/shakespeare-in-love/.

Reviewed by Peter Wilkins

Tom Cullen as Will Shakespeare Asha Forno as Thomas Kent.

Award-winning Mockingbird Theatre Company has chosen to open its 2026 season with Lee Hall’s bright and breezy stage adaptation of Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman’s uplifting  screenplay of Shakespeare in Love. The play’s the thing and if you loved the film you will delight in the fun and frolic of Chris Baldock’s production for Mockingbird. Stoppard’s wit and intellect sparkle in this mischievously inventive juggling game with Shakespeare’s theatre. Playwright  Lee Hall ensures that the comedy of errors and mistaken identities and true love’s foibles are not lost on an audience. 

Asha Forno as Lady Viola De Lesseps

Will Shakespeare (Tom Cullen) is struggling to write his comedy Romeo and Ethel the Pirate’s Daughter. Richard Burbage (Richard Manning) demands a play for his theatre. Kit Marlowe (James Phillips) helps the struggling Shakespeare to find the words for Sonnet 18 to woo the beautiful Viola De Lesseps (Asha Forno) (Could she be the Dark Lady of the Sonnets?). Viola disguises as Thomas Kent to play the part of Romeo and face the ire of   Lord Edmund Tilney (Sachin Nayak), Lord Chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth 1st. (Liz St. Clair Long). Today’s feminists would howl down the sexist suitor Lord Wessex (Bruce Hardie) as Shakespeare once again proved that the course of true love never did run smooth.

Sian Harrington as the Nurse

Director Baldock has taken on a huge task to direct Shakespeare in Love with a mix of experienced actors in the key roles while encouraging emerging actors in less prominent roles. With a cast of twenty or so, it is a bold and brave move by Canberra’s renowned director of Mockingbird Theatre in his intimate studio under the auspices of Belconnen Arts Centre. Opening night delivered the entertaining promise of greater things to come. It is no mean feat to bring Stoppard and Norman’s witty, funny and ingeniously clever insight into Shakespeare’s life, times and work to life. It begs the question, “Can the intimate Mockingbird studio contain the vasty deeds of the Bard’s wide world. On opening night it was clear that much thought and imagination had gone into lending authenticity to the play. This was in no small way due to some excellent performances and much spirited gusto in Baldock’s company of revellers.

Ethan Wiggin as Sam. Asha Forno as Thomas Kent 

Baldock has cast well. Cullen’s Will Shakespeare and Forno’s Viola/Juliet as the play’s romantic couple are a delight to watch, whether as the struggling playwright or the lady who would act upon the Elizabethan stage. There is both charm and truth in their performance and they are well supported by the dashing Darcy Worthy‘s Ned Alleyn as Mercutio. As Will’s Muse James Phillips’s deliciously camp Kit Marlowe begs the debate about who wrote the Bard’s plays. Other notable performances are Sian Harrington’s flustery Nurse, Ethan Wiggins’s comical boy actor Sam as Juliet and Sachin Nayak as a Malvolio-like Lord Chamberlain. Experienced actors Richard Manning as the bombastic Richard Burbage, Bruce Hardie as the villainous misogynist Lord Wessex and Liz St. Clair Long, resplendent and powerfully authoritative as the  Virgin Queen command the stage with assured presence.

Liz St. Clair LOng as Queen Elizabeth 1st.

Aficionados of the Bard’s life and work will delight in spotting the references in a play that offers the perfect opportunity to brush up your Shakespeare. Baldock directs with a keen sense for the dramatic and the melodramatic from Anto Hermida’s art of coarse acting with his grimacing and heavily accented Henslowe, Ashton Casha’s stuttering Adam or the moments of tender love and reverence at the sad news of Marlowe’s fate. Mockingbird’s production is more than a cascade of mishaps and misconceptions, interspersed with a serious assortment of faithfully performed moments from Romeo and Juliet. It is both a love letter and a protest. It decries the injustice of society’s assertion that actors are mere rogues and vagabonds or the assumption that if women were permitted to tread the stage they would be nothing more than prostitutes.

Comedy and tragedy remain the Janus faces of the human condition and Mockingbird’s production of Shakespeare in Love is the laughing face of life that masks a lesson for us all.

 

 

 

 

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE

 

Adapted by Lee Hall from the screenplay by Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman

Directed by Chris Baldock

Mockingbird Theatre Company

Belconnen Arts Theatre to 28 February

 

Reviewed by Len Power 11 February 2026

 

 

Sometimes a stage adaptation of a much-loved movie can be a disappointment, but with Lee Hall’s adaptation and Chris Baldock’s inventive and fastidious direction, this production of ‘Shakespeare In Love’ is a colourful love letter to theatre, Shakespeare and the art of creation.

The wit and cleverness of the screenplay by Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman remain in this Elizabethan tale of an author desperately trying to overcome writers’ block with his fledgling play, Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter. The colourful background of the theatre and its inhabitants of the time provide distraction and inspiration as well as an unexpected romance for the author.

Members of the Company

On a simple but effective set that evokes the theatre of the period, Chris Baldock has assembled a large group of performers who bring this entertaining story skilfully to life. Although the major characters of the story dominate the action, everyone on that stage presents a fully developed and colourful character. It really is ensemble acting at its best.

Tom Cullen (Shakespeare) and James Phillips (Kit Marlowe)

Tom Cullen is a sensitive and appealing Shakespeare, while James Phillips gives playwright, Kit Marlowe, a sly and biting intelligence. There are also fine performances by Anto Hermida as Henslow, Asha Forno as Viola de Lesseps, Richard Manning as Richard Burbage, Bruce Hardie as Lord Wessex, Sachin Nayak as both Lord Edmund Tilney and Sir Robert de Lesseps, Sian Harrington as Nurse, Mia Dimovski as Mistress Quickly and Peter Fock as Fennyman.

Left: Tom Cullen (Shakespeare) and Right: Asha Forno (Viola de Lesseps) with members of the Company

Liz St Clair Long is a standout in her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I. Making the most of her short appearances in the plot, she commands the stage with the Queen’s imperiousness as well as her underlying sense of humour.

The costumes by Maya Hadfield, Sian Harrington and Liz St Clair Long are nicely detailed, colourful and correctly in period.

The director keeps the action fast and furious throughout, ensuring that everyone in this enthusiastic cast presents a strong characterization. This is theatre of a high standard, clever, funny and enormously entertaining.

 

Photos by Chris Baldock

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs and published in his blog 'Just Power Writing' at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/.

 

 

The Social Ladder

 

The Social Ladder by David Williamson.  Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, 23 January – 14 March 2026

Reviewed by Frank McKone
February 7

Playwright: David Williamson
Director: Janine Watson; Assistant Director: Jules Billington
Set & Costume Designer: Veronique Benett 
Costume Supervisor: Lily Mateljan; Choreographer: Sanjana Dhanakoti
Lighting Designer: Matt Cox
Composer & Sound Designer: Clare Hennessy
Stage Manager: Lauren Tulloh; Asst Stage Manager: Bella Wellstead




I thank Michael Bailey, appropriately writing in the Financial Review, considering the importance of monetary wealth to the characters in this play – and perhaps I may say to the Sydney North Shore audience at The Ensemble – for reminding me that

David Williamson once almost had a play cancelled because the government subsidising it didn’t like its content, and the renowned dramatist says the implosion of Adelaide Festival’s board is a reminder for arts directors to stand firm against attempted censorship.

Despite the crises engulfing boards from Creative Australia to Melbourne Symphony Orchestra since 2023, as their programming or performers were seen to take a side in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, an arts directorship is still the ultimate signifier of status for the characters in Williamson’s new play, The Social Ladder.

https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/arts-and-culture/david-williamson-reveals-his-writers-week-moment-20260122-p5nwbo

Accumulating money is the only purpose in life for Australian Charles Mallory, with no concern even for the subleties of his English wife’s delicacy about her upper middle-class origin.  Of course she married him and migrated to the one-time Workers’ Paradise, but she does wish he would behave better.

It had surprised me when David Williamson left Sydney for Noosa, I suppose now where society is less crass.  He certainly has it in for all classes struggling up the Sydney rungs like Katie Norrie, financial advisor, from Engadine to, I guess, St Ives; and for the ad-film-maker and medical researcher men to make their creativity financially viable.

The worry, I wonder, is should we laugh?  In fact, towards the end of the first act, though I had laughed with everyone else, the situation seemed to be a bit indefinite.  The issues were made apparent – but what on earth would be done about it?

Well!  The shorter second half is an absolute blast!!

Ordinariness is farcically blown up in our faces.  We can’t help but laugh and laugh the more farcical it gets, as Andrew McFarlane exposes the truth in the drunken Charles Mallory.  

David Williamson has done it again.  At 83 he still stands firm.  He shows how central to our society are the cold-hearted high-flyers.  And we have to stop laughing as we have to ask ourselves what can be done about that?

I leave you with this endearing image of his statue in the Ensemble Foyer, contemplating his next play after – as the orb above him reminds us – his “Last Play” in 2020!  May he live (write) for ever.

 

 

 

 

TURANDOT - Opera Australia - Sydney Opera House.

 

Richard Anderson (Timur) -Maria Teresa Leva (Liù)  -Gregory Brown (The Emperor)
 - Rebecca Nash (Turandot) -Young Woo Kim (Calaf) in Opera Australia's production of "TURANDOT"

Composer: Giacomo Puccini – Librettists: Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni

Conductor: Henrik Nanasi – Director and Choreographer: Ann Yee

Associate Choreographer: Charmene Yap – Assistant Director: Danielle Mass

Set Designer: Elizabeth Gadsby – Costumes Designer: David Fleischer

Lighting Designer: Paul Jackson – Video Designer: Andrew Thomas Huang

Opera Australia – Joan Sutherland Theatre – S. O.H - Jan.15^th to Mar. 31, 2026.

Performance on January 28^th reviewed by BILL STEPHENS

Hoyori Maruo (Lou-Lang) - Rebecca Nash (Turandot) in "TURANDOT"

Spectacle has always been one of the attractors associated with grand opera, and Puccini’s “Turandot” is certainly among the grandest of grand operas. When Puccini wrote his opera in the 1920’s he set it in China among an opulent world of imperious royalty.

To assist in capturing an oriental atmosphere, he incorporated Chinese melodies and instruments into his score to tell the story of a Persian prince, Calaf, who had set his sights on marrying a Chinese princess, Turandot, who had set a high price for her hand in marriage.

Turandot had decreed that to marry her a suitor must solve three riddles. A wrong answer would result in the suitor’s execution.

Though many suitors had died before him, Calaf passes the test. When Turandot still refuses to marry him, Calaf offers her a way out. If she can guess his name before dawn the next day, he will accept death.

Richard Anderson (Timur) - Maria Teresa Leva ( Liù) - Hoyori Maruo (Lou-Ling)
  Rebecca Nash (Turandot) in Opera Australia's "TURANDOT" 

For her new production for Opera Australia and the Opera Conference, Director, Ann Yee has eschewed lavish oriental trappings in favour of a stark dystopian world. To explain Turandot’s marital reluctance, Yee focusses on Turandot’s Act 2 story of her ancestress, Lou-Ling, who was raped and murdered.

Yee begins her production by introducing Lou-Ling, a character normally not seen, but in this production portrayed by dancer, Hoyori Maruo, costumed in vivid peacock blue, who silently throws herself around the stage, in an unsettling depiction of Lou-Ling’s fate.

When Lou-Ling’s dance ends, a black substance flows from her mouth. Turandot comforts her and they both exit the stage as the overture begins.

The significance of the colour of Lou-Ling’s costume is important in this production, because although it re-occurs in the children’s chorus costumes, in the costumes of some of the courtiers and those of eight masked Yeti who for some reason surround Turandot at one point, it is the only other colour, featured in David Fleischer’s costumes.

Apart from Turandot who wears all-over black relieved by some sparkles scattered around the hem, the rest of the characters, including Calaf, are costumed in variations of drab earthen colours, relying on texture for interest, with almost all costumes dipped in black, perhaps suggesting creeping decay.

Luke Gabbedy (P1-Ping) - John Longmuir (P2-Pong) - Michael Petruccelli (P3-Pang) in "TURANDOT"

Most surprisingly, P1 -Ping, P2 -Pong, and P3 -Pang are dressed in contemporary clothing and inhabit what appears to be individual modern shop fronts.

Elizabeth Gadsby’s blocky setting is similarly colourless, with the same creeping decay treatment as the costumes. A huge video depiction of Turandot enlivens some of the scenes, but it eventually overstays its welcome mainly because its wandering eyes become a distraction.

The Opera Australia Children's Chorus and Opera Australia Chorus in "TURANDOT". 

Despite the drabness of the costuming, there are moments of spectacle. Yee’s resourceful use of a large revolve to create visual interest with the huge ensemble, her embrace of the lighting skills of Paul Jackson to embellish her beautiful tableaus with colour washes, and the utilisation of her choreographic skills to create memorable moments such as when the children’s chorus gently manipulate white globes.

The real glory of this production is the music and the singing, which is sensational. Yee’s use of stillness wisely focussed the attention on these aspects.

Rebecca Nash (Turandot) - Young Woo Kim (Calaf) in TURANDOT. 

Both Rebecca Nash, wonderfully imperious as Turandot, and Young Woo Kim, every inch a dashing Prince Calaf, are simply stunning. Both possess sensational voices which effortlessly cut through the Opera Australia orchestra and chorus to fill the Joan Sutherland Theatre with thrilling sound.

Neither are great actors. They don’t need to be. Puccini has provided them with everything they need to deliver sensational performances, without any need to resort to histrionics. For the most part, both singers simply stand and deliver, with very little indication of any real emotional connection between their characters.

As both showed so little emotion at the suicide of the faithful handmaiden Liù, gorgeously portrayed by Maria Teresa Leva, luminous despite her extraordinarily dowdy costume, it was difficult to believe that Turandot would so easily submit to Calaf. Both sing about love, but the impression given was that they were really arguing power.

Young Woo King prepares to sing "Nessun Dorma" in "TURANDOT"

Given that the printed program urged the audience to listen out for the big hit “Nessun Dorma” described as probably the most famous aria ever written, it seemed a pity that conductor, Henrik Nanasi, chose to revert to Puccini’s original markings, rather than the popular sustained “Vincero !” made famous by Pavarotti and now favoured by most tenors.

The opportunity to hear this aria sung by a tenor as accomplished as Young Woo Kim would certainly have been an attractor for many of the audience. As it was, Nanasi cut the applause and moved quickly on to the entrance of P1-Ping, P2-Pong and P3-Pang, leaving many in the audience confused and disappointed.

Richard Anderson (Timur) - Maria Teresa Leva (Liù)- Young Woo Kim (Calaf) in "TURANDOT"

It will be interesting to experience the audience reaction when Diego Torre assumes the role of Calaf later this month, following his magnificent rendition of the Pavarotti version of “Nessun Dorma” which thrilled millions during the recent televised Australia Day concert.

At this performance Simon Meadows replaced Luke Gabbedy in the role P1-Ping, with John Longmuir as P2-Pong and Michael Petrucceli asP3-Pang. Richard Anderson portrayed Timur, Shane Lowrencev was The Speaker and Gregory Brown was the emperor. All fulfilled these roles with distinction.

Yee’s dystopian vision for this opera certainly challenges its audiences to consider a different view. Opera devotees will no doubt relish this challenge. But for those for whom visual lavishness as an important element of an opera experience is a treat to be savoured, this version may prove daunting.




                                                                 Photos by Keith Saunders




    This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. www.artsreview.com.au

 

 

 

 

    

ADELAIDE FRINGE FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 22. 2026

 

Adelaide Fringe 2026. Adelaide and Touring regional South Australia. February 20 - March 22

Bookings: www.adelaidefringe.com.au Phone: 1300 621 255

Previewed by Peter Wilkins 

Tara MacLeod  Acting Director and CEO of 
Adelaide Fringe 2026

Exciting is Tara MacLeod’s favourite word. And with good reason. The former Executive Director of Operations  and Finance at the Adelaide Fringe has been appointed Acting Director and CEO of the 2026 Adelaide Fringe following the departure of long term CEO Heather Croall AM. “It’s a dream come true.” says MacLeod. After an illustrious career in events holding roles such as General Manager - Game Day & Events and General Manager- Strategic Projects  at the Port Adelaide Football Club for 13 years and Head of Development, Events and Operations of the Adelaide Film Festival, MacLeod jumped at the chance to work at the second largest Fringe Festival in the world. As a former Australian Girls Choir member MacLeod has long held a passion for the arts and as Head of Operations at the Fringe she has been passionate about the Fringe’s role to embrace all members of the community, both nationally and internationally. “We are ready to welcome you to a more inclusive and diverse Adelaide Fringe than ever before” MacLeod writes in her introduction in the 173 page Adelaide Fringe guide. This includes a greater number of shows that enable people with disabilities and special needs to participate fully in what the Fringe has to offer.

Garden of Unearthly Delights

 I browse in amazement at what the Fringe does have to offer. Just when you might think that the Fringe could not get any bigger, the statistics surprise. In 2026, audiences will be able to choose from over 1600 shows held in almost 600 venues.  Each year the guide makes it possible to choose shows by dividing the events into colour coded genres.  These are Cabaret, Circus, Comedy, Community Events, Dance, Eat and Drink, Film and Digital, Interactive, Kids and Family, Magic, Music, Theatre and physical Theatre, Variety, Visual Arts and Design and Workshops and Talks. Festivalgoers will also be able to visit the usual Hubs, including the Garden of Unearthly Delights and Gluttony in the East Parklands and Fools Paradise in Victoria Square. Stand up comedy is at the Rhino Room and high quality theatre from Australia and overseas is on show at Holden Street Theatres in suburban Hindmarsh. After being closed for renovations for some years Adelaide’s First Nations Hub, Tandanya will reopen with performances, exhibitions, workshops and talks. There will also be First Nations culture tours in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. MacLeod cannot contain her excitement in her account of the ambition and vast outreach of the festival. Venues, libraries and city spaces will also erupt with the vast array of activities and events in the 2026 Fringe. And it is not reserved for the city of Adelaide as MacLeod explains. “One of our priorities is to expand our programmes in the regions. Our programme extends well beyond the CBD.”

With so much on offer, I wonder how the Fringe could take on any more initiatives. However, I am used to new administrative and artistic initiatives being introduced to make the Fringe more accessible, inclusive and audience and artist friendly. MacLeod is eager to tell me of the latest introduction to the already enormous programme with its tentacles reaching out as far as Whyalla in the North, Eyre Peninsula in the West, Mount Gambier in the South and a host of country sites throughout the state.

“Immersive Worlds is our new signature project.” MacLeod says. “It’s a new thing for us. It means that our signature project gets out to the regions and people can consume that from Mount Gambier to Whyalla and then back to the CBD. It really does allow us to be more accessible. It’s really exciting that people who have access needs can access Fringe more than they have ever done before. “Immersive Worlds will take place in the Fringe’s newest venue, Olympic Hall, and will take audiences “From Deep Sea to Deep Space  and all the Natural Wonders in between”

Marcel Cole as Charlie Chaplin in
Smile - The Story of Charlie Chaplin

Passion exudes from MacLeod as she describes her commitment to accessibility. “One of my passions and what I’m excited about is the roll out of our action plans for disability access. We have a goal to make the Adelaide Fringe one of the most accessible festivals in the world.” To this end, MacLeod has initiated collaboration with Working with Autism SA and partnership with SA Care. The autism Bus will also provide audience members with the disability to relax during what can be an overwhelming experience.

As well as access, MacLeod believes that the Fringe has a huge responsibility to the artists and carries on Croall’s initiatives to give box office back to the artists and promote the work of artists from all over the world through the Fringe’s Honey Pot marketplace. And so the Fringe really does become a cultural event for a global and local, national community.

So, how does one navigate such a vast event and make the choices to see shows from as far afield as Europe and Asia or as close as homegrown performances? MacLeod offers some very pragmatic advice. “Grab your favourite beverage, whether that be a glass of pinot noir or a nice cup of tea and a hot coffee and sit and work your way through it. If that isn’t the thing you want to do, we’ve really developed our website so that you can jump on and use all the filters that we have. We have the most amazing filters and you can really pinpoint the things that you want to see. It’s very easy to do it that way. Our didgital My Fringe Planner and the ability to search your favourite shows is an excellent tool to plan your month of Fringe. It’s also a good way to take a risk on a few things. It’s a big guide. It can be overwhelming; that is why it may be easier to go through the filters on the website: www.adelaidefringe.com.au. You can filter by time, date, price type, accessibility provisions, genre or even what mood you're in."

Sarah Stewart presents Wedding Ring, SuffeRing

Executive Assistant Lauren Finch sends me the list of ACT participants. An impressive list of over 20 performances include ACT performers. Two notable shows are Sarah Stewart’s knockout comedy Wedding Ring,SuffeRing and Marcel Cole’s multi award winning show Smile- The Story of Charlie Chaplin. Other shows listed cover the genres of comedy, cabaret and theatre and physical theatre.

MacLeod would like to see artists getting more people along to their shows and for people to buy tickets to the shows that they want to see and then one more for a show that they may not know or had not planned to see. “Take the risk because that is what Fringe is so magical for. You can really experience some wonderful shows and some amazing artists that you might not have met before had you just gone back to the same people you had seen before.

That’s where an open access Fringe comes into its own. There are so many things to see and we just say to people. Buy that one more ticket. Take a risk. There really is something for everyone.”

And for the future? What is shaping the vision for the Fringe Festivals of tomorrow? “The younger generation is really forging the path in technology and we ask what is feeding these young people in the coming years?” MacLeod says. “Immersive Worlds becomes really important with 360 Dome, VR and immersive experiences.. How do we facilitate the art for a group of people who have grown up with screens and phones? And want to be totally immersed in what they see. Moving forward is great but we cannot deny that people love escapism and they love to get away from what is happening in the world. It can be really overwhelming sometimes what’s happening in the big wide world and what Fringe allows is for you to come in and escape all that. I think there’s a huge part to play for the arts in the way that the world is evolving now.

We have an opportunity to develop the wonder and the joy in life every day that maybe we’re losing a bit of the sight of. So I think I don’t see it going backwards. I think people will need and want this so much more in their lives. That is a really important and wonderful thing that we can do!!

Adelaide Fringe

February 20 – March 22 2026

Adelaide and country South Australia

Bookings: www.adelaidefringe.com.au Phone: 1300 621 255

HANSEL & GRETEL - Opera Australia - Sydney Opera House.

 

Stacey Alleaume (Gretel) - Margaret Plummer (Hansel) in Opera Australia's "Hansel & Gretel"

Composed by Engelbert Humperdinck – Libretto by Adelheid Wette

Conducted by Tahu Matheson – Directed by Elijah Moshinsky

Revival Director: Claudia Osborne – Assistant Director: Bec Moret

 Set & Costumes designed by Mark Thompson - Lighting Designed by Nigel Levings

Movement Co-ordinator: Chloe Dallimore – English translation by David Pountney

Presented by Opera Australia – Sydney Opera House until 28^th February 2026.

Opening night performance on 27^th January reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.

Margaret Plummer (Hansel) - Jane Ede (Witch) - Stacey Alleaume (Gretel) in "Hansel & Gretel"

The sight of Mark Thompson’s imposing setting brought back memories of my introduction to this opera and this production. It was a performance in the Sydney Opera House on 2^nd September 2005 which I fancy everyone connected would rather forget.

At this performance not only were the scheduled Hansel (Sarah Castle) and Gretel (Tiffany Speight) indisposed, but also the mother (Elizabeth Campbell).

Elisa Wilson was called on to sing the role of Gretel while the rehearsal director, Julie Edwardson, walked it on stage.  Sian Pendry, who had just joined the full-time OA chorus, but who had sung the role previously with another company, sang Hansel, and Roxane Hislop performed the mother. It was doubtless a stressful night for all concerned, but particularly for conductor Richard Hickox.

No such dramas on this opening night, apart from some overlong scene changes, and a lighting glitch spoiling a critical effect in the final scene, betraying first night nerves.

Conscientiously re-staged by Claudia Osborne, undertaking her first mainstage opera assignment as the inaugural director of Opera Australia’s Young Artist Program, this welcome revival of that same Moshinsky production, remains a captivatingly surreal experience for both adults and children alike.

Margaret Plummer (Hansel) - Shane Lowrencev (Father) - Stacey Alleaume (Gretel) and Opera Australia actors in a moving moment in Opera Australia's "Hansel & Gretel"

Originally written as a series of songs to amuse his sister’s children at Christmas, Humperdinck expanded this idea into a full-scale opera at the suggestion of his sister, Adelheid Wette, who also wrote the libretto for the opera.

Although he went on to write other operas, “Hansel and Gretel” was by far his most successful. Moshinsky’s still stunning production is a perfect example of why this is so.

A close associate of Wagner, Humperdinck’s score draws on German folksong for its melodies with lush Wagnerian inspired orchestrations adding weight to the score, given a luminous rendition by the Opera Australia Orchestra under the sympathetic baton of Tahu Matheson.

Matheson is on record as declaring Abendsegen (Evening Prayer) “one of the most beautiful and powerful things ever written”.

Few who experienced the exquisite rendition offered by Margaret Plummer (Hansel) and Stacey Alleaume (Gretel) on opening night are likely to argue his assessment. 

Stacey Alleaume (Gretel) - Margaret Plummer (Hansel) and Children in "Hansel & Gretel"

 For his production, Moshinsky has embraced the darkness inherent in the Grimm fairytale, but also included fun touches along the way, for which Mark Thompson has designed delightfully spooky larger-than-life settings, including a witch’s cottage that resembles a scrumptious cake, surrounded by sugar children who magically transform into real children towards the end of the opera.

Thompson also provided laugh-out-loud costumes for the story-book characters who inhabit the opera, including the Dew Fairy (Kathryn Williams) and the Sandman (Shikara Ringdahl).

Kathryn Williams (Dew Fairy) and Opera Australia actors in "Hansel & Gretel)

Adults playing children is often difficult to make convincing and although Margaret Plummer and Stacey Alleaume sing exquisitely and offer well-observed performances as Hansel and Gretel, occasional overly broad playing threatened the sincerity of their characterisations.

Similarly, the moment during Shane Lowrecev’s entrance through the audience, when he stepped out of character as the drunken father, to greet surprised audience members, spoiled an otherwise excellent performance, while Helen Sherman’s harassed rather than horrible stepmother, and Jane Ede’s turn chewing up the scenery as the deliciously wicked witch who fully deserved her horrible comeuppance, were both firmly on target.

Helen Sherman (Stepmother) - Shane Lowrencev (Father) in "Hansel and Gretel"

A special mention for the Opera Australia Children’s Chorus whose accurate singing and natural exuberance provided a delightful lift as the production reached its climax.

It also highlighted the appeal of this opera as an ideal introduction to the art. A fact recognised by those parents who accompanied an unusual number of youngsters to this performance.

  

                                                            Images by Carlita Sari

   This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. www.artsreview.com.au

 

CIRQUE ALICE - Canberra Theatre, 22nd - 31st January 2026.

Layla Schillert (Alice) and the Flamingoes in "Cirque Alice"

 

Produced by Simon Painter and Tim Lawson

Directed by Ash Jacks McCready and Kirsty White

Choreographed by Dane Bates – Costume designed by Angela Aaron

Lighting designed by Hugo Mercier Bosseny – Audio by Israel Leslie

The Canberra Theatre 22^nd – 31^st January 31, 2026

Opening night performance on 23^rd January 2026 reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.

Layla Schillert (Alice) and the Chess Pieces in "Cirque Alice)

Taking their inspiration from the Lewis Carroll classic, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, producers Simon Painter and Tim Carroll have created this extraordinary visual fantasy crammed with sensational acrobatic acts gathered from around the world.

The stunning design for the show has the Canberra Theatre transformed into a huge tent-like environment with strings of coloured lights reaching from high up in the fly tower out into the auditorium.  Some audience members are seated onstage around a circular thrust stage, on which the succession of jaw-dropping circus acts take place.

Directed by Ash Jacks McCready and Kirsty White, the show flows seamlessly, with the   acts performed without introduction, with each representing a character or event from the Alice story. 

Spectacularly costumed dancers, together with soprano, Layla Schillert, as Alice, and violinist Darious Thompson as The White Rabbit, with a recorded soundtrack of popular classical works, create a hauntingly beautiful visual environment for each presentation.

 Raymond Crowe as The Mad Hatter is the only artist who actually speaks during the performance, but even he relies mostly on his mastery of ventriloquism and shadow puppetry for his delightful audience participation segments.

The Contortion Quartet as The Caterpillar in "Cirque Alice"

Outstanding among an extraordinary cast, Mongolian contortionists, Contortion Quartet, representing The Caterpillar, fascinated as they conjured up visions of the multi-legged creature with their mesmerising contortion skills. 

The Ramadhani Brothers as The Knights in "Cirque Alice"

Tanzanian acrobatic duo, the Ramadhani Brothers, as The Knights in the Chess sequence, drew cheers from the audience with for their astonishing head-balancing feats on a precarious ladder, while the Ethiopian duo TT Boys, Tamrata Kuka and Tomas Teka Alemu delighted with their flip expertise as The Tweedles.

The TT Boys, Tamrata Kuka and Tomas Teka Alemu as Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee in "Cirque Alice"

   

Proving much more active than his sleepy Dormouse namesake, Peruvian rolla bolla expert, Estuart Mena Gonzales had everyone on the edge of their seats as he manipulated his rolla bollas atop a tall table.

Estuart Mena Gonzales as The Dormouse in "Cirque Alice" 

French Duo Emyo, Emeline Goavec and Yoann Benhamou, captured the beauty and grace of the pink flamingos with their dazzling, aerialist skills, while Italian Duo M.G. Rollerskaters, Daniel Monni and Marina Sabetta, upped the excitement level as The White King and White Queen.

This is a superbly mounted and executed concept that lifts “Cirque Alice” into a level of its own as an exceptional showcase for the skills of many of the world’s best circus performers.

Duo Emyo (Emeline Goavec and Yoann Benhamou) as the Flamingos in "Cirque Alice"

                                                                    Images supplied 

                  This review first published in the digital of CITY NEWS on 24.01.26