BOMBSHELLS

 

 Bombshells by Joanna Murray Smith.

Directed by Jordan Best. Stage Manager Owen Davis. Lighting designer Linda Buck. Set/props designer Jordan Best and Roz Hall. Costume designer Jordan Best and Cast.. Sound design Jordan Best. Musical arrangements and recordings and vocal coaching Andrew Hackwill and Leisa Keen. Choreography Nathan Rutups and Sally Taylor. Additional music William Best and Jordan Best. Production photography Photox- Canberra Photography Services. Echo Theatre. The Q Theatre Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre. August 27 – August 29. Bookings: 02 6285 6290.

Reviewed by Peter Wilkins

Joanna Murray-Smith’s Bombshells makes a welcome return to The Q in Echo Theatre’s revival under the direction of Jordan Best. Best has made certain changes. Instead of the six superbly written monologues in the 2024 production, the current version features only five. Yanina Clifton takes over the role played originally by Amy Kowalczuk of a mother struggling to cope with three young children. Clifton’s experience is achingly recognizable as she sinks into the whirlpool of relentless self-doubt. In place of Kate Harris, Louise Bennet plays Tiggy, a middle aged President of the Queanbeyan East Cactus and Succulent club, who digresses into a Harpie of fury and dismay at her husband’s betrayal. Sally Taylor reprises her wonderfully funny role as a St Clare’s schoolgirl entrant in the school’s Talent Quest with an hilarious performance of Mr Mistoffeles from CATS and an interpretative dance performance inspired by SHAFT. Taylor has lost none of her ability to raise a laugh before grasping the futility of her ambitious attempt to secure the prize. She is Murray-Smith’s sad clown and Taylor once again layers her character with comedy and pathos. Ella Buckley also returns with her performance of a bride consumed by doubt and the terror of indecision. A lifetime of marriage can be a high price to pay because you simply want to wear the dress. Buckley gives a humourous and poignant performance as the bride facing the reality of her wedding day. With the absence of Alice Ferguson who played the role in 2024, Lainie Hart takes on the character of Winsome, a widow, trapped in the routine of an elderly single woman seeking fulfilment in her single days with book clubs and bridge until she discovers ecstatic liberation and sexual awakening with a blind lover. Hart charts Winsome’s journey from the sedate to the ecstatic with expertly timed delivery of Murray-Smith’s dialogue. In casting Hart as Winsome, Best has cut the sixth monologue, played originally by Hart of Zoe, a singer who succumbed to addiction but defiantly battled to overcome her addiction and rise to become a Diva. Hart’s change to play Winsome once again demonstrates her versatility as an actor. Best and her cast illuminate Murray-Smith’s perceptive insight into the lives of five very different women, all stereotyped and struggling to break free from expectations that confine and define.

Set designer Roz Hall has provided each woman with their individual settings as an expression of their personality and circumstance and lighting designer Linda Buck isolates each character within Hall’s setting and recalls momentary glimpses of each character through atmospheric fade ups between the monologues.

In 2024 I concluded my review with the following paragraph:

“Director Best has elicited outstanding performances from her actors. Murray-Smith’s Bombshells exposes the fears and dreams, frustrations and disappointments and the individual character of each woman. Moments of hilarity segue to pangs of pathos. Murray-Smith and Best are orchestrators of emotion  and empathy. Women in the audience will identify with each character’s experience. Men in the audience will hopefully understand and recognize their role and responsibility. Bombshells is Echo Theatre’s gift to everyone. It touches the heart and opens the mind. Bombshells is a tale of Everywoman, beautifully told, insightfully  directed, perfectly performed  and creatively staged. It is a highlight of the Q Theatre Season that is not to be missed. “

The same holds true with this revival.

 

 

GREASE - Canberra Philharmonic Society - Erindale Theatre

 

 Book, Music and Lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey

Directed by Bradley Mcdowell – Choreographed by Jordan Kelly

Musical Direction by Ella Ragless – Conducted by Craig Johnson

Set Design by Bradley McDowell – Costumes designed by Ange Fewtral

Lighting Design by Alex Clifford – Sound Design by James McPherson

The Canberra Philharmonic Society – Erindale Theatre – Aug 27^th – Sept 12, 2026.

Opening night performance August 27^th reviewed by BILL STEPHENS

 

Ashleigh Maynard (Sandy) -Georgia Motto (Rizzo) - Emma English (Frenchy) - Kay Liddiard (Jan) 
Erin Hawker (Marty)

The first, and certainly the most popular, in what has become a genre of teenage musicals, Grease has received several Canberra productions over the years.

With music, lyrics and book by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, and set in Chicago in the fictional Rydell High School in 1959, the musical follows a group of students navigating the complexities of sexual exploration, peer pressure, teenage pregnancy, and gang violence.

Major reasons for the continuing popularity of Grease are its catchy rock-infused score, and, of course, the 1978 film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John which plays on high-rotation on streaming channels.

However, for this newest iteration by the Canberra Philharmonic Society the show has been reimagined by director, Bradley McDowell, as a high-energy dance extravaganza, thereby avoiding some of the darker aspects of the script.

The company performing one of Jordan Kelly's high-enegy routines.

Choreographer, Jordan Kelly, has created no fewer than twelve eye-popping full-stage dance numbers, performed with engaging enthusiasm by the entire cast. Kelly is a dab-hand at filling the stage with inventive moves, and his choreography cleverly showcases particular skills of various cast members to spectacular effect.   

A pity therefore that Alex Clifford’s otherwise dazzling lighting design occasionally compromised the routines by having the dancers working in darkness while picking out principal characters with spotlights.  

Subtlety is not a feature of the acting, and McDowell has obviously encouraged his cast to aim for fun rather than depth with their characterisations. Among the large, enthusiastic cast, Ashleigh Maynard sings her songs prettily and is appropriately winsome as Sandy, the girl willing to compromise her standards to get her man.

Ashleigh Maynard (Sandy) and admirers.

Samuel Whiter is engagingly gauche as Danny, the object of Sandy’s affections, and the leader of a dorky gang which includes Joseph Mansell as Kenickie, Hamish Chapman as Sonny, Sterling Notley as Roger and Toby Breach as Doody who offers an hilarious interpretation of his song, “Those Magic Changes”. 

Toby Breach (Doody) with Joseph Mansell (Kenickie) and Hamish Chapman (Sonny)
performing "Those Magic Changes"

 Their compliant girlfriends are played by Georgia Motto as Rizzo, Erin Hawker as Marty, Kay Liddiard as Jan and Emma English as Frenchy.

Among the feature roles, Meaghan Stewart chews up the scenery as Miss Lynch, Dave Collins provides a show-stopping performance as Teen Angel, with some amusingly eccentric characterisations offered by Chloe Archer as the go-getter, Patty, Declan Pigram as club owner, Johnny Casino, Michael Cooper as Vince Fontaine, Stephanie Waldron as Cha-Cha and Edward Murphy as Eugene.

Stephanie Waldron (Cha-Cha) and Samuel Whiter (Danny) winning the dance competition

Craig Johnson conducts the tight seven-piece band led by Ella Ragless on piano, Fergus Mashman and Kirsten Nilsson on saxophones, Ryan Yu on Bass, Thomas Breust, and Zoey Haar on Guitars and Tyler Forbes on Drums. 

McDowell's uncluttered set leaves plenty of room for the spectacular dance numbers, and for Clifford to demonstrate spectacular lighting effects, while Ange Fewtrell’s colourful fifties inspired costumes, with their swirling skirts for the ladies, are perfect for Kelly’s energetic dance routines.

All of which combine in this spectacular production to provide the perfect excuse to revisit this much-loved musical.

                                                             Images by PHOTOX

This is a slightly edited version of the review first published in the digital edition of CITY NEWS on August 28th, 2026. Link here

I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE - Free Rain Theatre - ACT Hub

Deborah O'Toole - Amelia Andersson-Nickson -Sarah Copley - Sam Thomson - Connor McNaught - David Pearson.

 .

Book and Lyrics by Joe Dipietro – Music by Jimmy Roberts

Produced by Anne Somes for Free Rain Theatre - Directed by Jamie Lawson

Assistant Director and Choreography by Amy Campbell

Musical Direction and Keyboard – Leo Amadeus – Set Design by Cate Clelland

Lighting Design by Craig Muller – Sound Design by James McPherson

Costume Design by Louise Newey – Stage Manager: Liz Phillips

ACT Hub from August 19^th to September 5^th, 2026

Performance on August 26^th reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.

Amelia Andersson-Nickson - Connor McNaught - Deborah O'Toole - David Pearson - Sarah Copley - Sam Thomson

Full marks to Janie Lawson for unearthing this little Jem; assembling a cast who know exactly how to perform it, then showcasing those talents with an impressive production that displayed them to perfection.   

Although described as a musical, “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” is essentially a collection of short individual vignettes, rather in the style of the famed Phillip Street revues, with no connection to each other than, in this case, commenting on changes in dating practices and relationships over a lifetime.

Originally written in 2018, this version of “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” has been updated to comment on same-sex relationships, dating apps, speed dating and dating in later life.

 The challenge for the actors is to immerse themselves in quickly creating, with broad strokes, rather like a cartoonist, believable characters who are immediately engaging, interesting, hopefully funny, or all three.

David Pearson - Deborah O'Toole - Amelia Andersson-Nickson - Sam Thomson

According to the publicity, Amelia Anderson-Nickson, Sarah Copley, Deborah O’Toole, David Pearson, Connor McNaught and Sam Thomson, between them, create 58 such character’s during 19 separate sketches. However, don’t distract yourself trying to verify these statistics because what those characters do is much too entertaining.

Favourite moments for this writer were David Pearson’s brilliantly scary, hysterically funny mass murderer, which he contrasted as a gentle, late-life husband poignantly wondering “Should I be Less in Love With You?”, and again as a cheeky senior chatting up a prospect at a funeral deciding “I Can Live With That”.

For both these items Pearson was teamed with Deborah O’Toole, who revealed, not only charming range and presence, but also a gorgeous contralto, with her rendition of the bitter-sweet, “I Will be Loved Tonight”.

Sarah Copley fascinated with her funny/sad widow struggling with posting “The Very First Dating Video of Rose Ritz”, while Sam Thomson charmed as the new father alarmed by his personality changes brought on by the arrival of a new baby.

Amelia Anderson-Nickson scored with “Always a Bridesmaid Never a Bride”, and her snappy “Marriage Tango” with Connor McNaught, for which Amy Campbell had provided inventive choreography.

Campbell’s clever choreography is an outstanding feature throughout the show, while McNaught’s comedic gifts were on full display, together with those of O’Toole, Anderson-Nickson and Thomson, in a cheeky sketch entitled “When a Man Texts a Woman – A Picture of a Penis”.

Cate Clelland’s uncluttered chess-inspired setting, along with Louise Newey’s attractive costume designs, realised in various shades of red, black or white, added a professional gloss to the production, as did Craig Muller’s evocative lighting, and James McPherson’s sound.

Special mention also of the contribution of keyboard player, Leo Amadeus, who together with Laura Lay on violin, provided charming accompaniment for the many clever songs which make up this score.

19-year-old Amadeus impressed with his theatrical savvy and alertness with intros and play off music. No doubt, during the run of the show, he’ll work on his inclination to play too loudly on those occasions when a little more sensitivity is required to avoid drowning the all-important lyrics, but as this is also his first musical directing assignment, he is already very impressive.  

Lawson’s thoughtful solutions to details such as inventive entrances and exits, smart directorial decisions like eliminating unnecessary props and weaving the placing of any necessary furniture by the cast, into the action, not only kept the show flowing seamlessly, but marked her directorial debut as very impressive, and boding well for her future ventures as a director.

Amelia Andersson-Nickson - Sarah Copley - Deborah O'Toole - David Pearson - Sam Thomson - Connor McNaught.

                                                    Photos by Janelle McMenamin

                  This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. Link here

BLUEBEARD'S CASTLE AND K

Matthew Lutton OAM. Artistic Director Adelaide Festival 2027

Bela Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle and Barrie Kosky's K based on Franz Kafka's The Trial

Adelaide Festival. February 26 - March 14 2027. Bookings at 1300 393 404.

Preview Feature by Peter Wilkins

Romeo Castelluci's BLUE BEARD'S CASTLE

Adelaide Festival has just announced two excellent reasons for travelling to the Festival State in March next year. Renowned for staging visiting international productions of the most outstanding quality, Adelaide Festival Artistic Director is excited to tell me of his two lighthouse attractions to be presented at the 2027 festival. Audiences will be treated to a rare opportunity to see Italian opera director Romeo Castelluci’s breathtaking production of Bela Bartok’s operatic masterpiece, Bluebeard’s Castle and Barrie Kosky’s K, a reimagining of Franz Kafka’s The Trial.

Over coffee in a cafe below the Adelaide Festival Office, Lutton is eager to describe these two remarkable and innovative works. Bluebeard’s Castle is based on an old French fairy tale about Bluebeard’s new bride Judith and the curiosity that prompts her to want to discover what lies behind the many doors of the castle’s rooms. Although forbidden to open them, she disobeys and discovers in one a torture chamber, in another golden opulence and wealth, in another a beautiful ocean scene until she finally reaches the last room where Bluebeard has kept his dead wives. Fortunately her brother arrives in time to save her from her dreadful fate and Bluebeard is destroyed. 

 Bartok’s opera does not mention the dead wives and there is no rescue. The opera is rather a psychic journey through the bits that are hidden in our lives. Imagery reveals the rooms and Castelluci presents an elemental staging of a space filled with water. Each time Judith opens a door the room erupts with fire in a spectacular accompaniment to the awesome orchestration and the vocal power of the writing. “ The music is amazing.” Lutton tells me” And the sound impact from the orchestra is incredible. That’s our big opening opera.”

Former Artistic Director of the Adelaide Festival and director of previous Adelaide Festival opera performances, Barrie Kosky returns to his earlier influences with his interpretation of Kafka’s The Trial. Often done in a very sombre and dark way, Kafka’s play in Kosky’s production is heavily imbued with his earlier Melbourne influences of Guignol and the Yiddish world of vaudeville. K is text based theatre with songs performed by the extraordinary actors of the Berliner Ensemble. “It is exhilarating.” Lutton says.”Barrie really digs his way into the comedy.”

Kathrin Wehlisch is K

“There is a great line I love,”Lutton continues laughing,”when the actress playing Joseph K yells out ‘Is it all going to end badly, but I’m not guilty!’. It’s very funny. There’s lots of slapstick but it also goes into investigating the law, and Judaism and its complexities. What Kafka does and what Barrie does is of course, you never say what K is guilty of but what shines out is that he is guilty because he’s Jewish. It’s not expressed in words, but it is obvious to anyone from that cultural background. Barrie does it with so much mischief and playfulness, with a band playing and dancing rabbis.” Lutton is struck with awe by leading actress, Kathrin Wehlisch’s portrayal of K. She is an amazing comedic performer “who seems like plastic on stage but can break your heart with her vulnerability.”

Photo by Joerg  Brueggeman

No longer the Enfant Terrible, Kosky has become the mature imaginer of world theatre. He talks about filling himself with ideas all his life and now he is like a sponge wringing them out and his theatre works are inspired by decades of theatre imagining. Audiences will have a new and exciting opportunity to see the infusion of all that creativity and inspiration in the Adelaide Festival’s inclusion of Barrie Kosky and Franz Kafka’s K performed by one of the greatest ensembles in the world.

Kathrin Wehlisch in  Barrie Kosky's K

I ask Lutton if there is a theme emerging in the presentation of these very diverse works. “Well, actually, there is a theme of rethinking older works, whether it’s tales or novels and asking what is a different way to see them on stage. As you can see in Bluebeard’s Castle and K a lot of the shows are about lying. What is a lie and can there be contradictions?” Lutton points out that seeking more truth can be very destructive, and sometimes lying is very healing. “Can we confirm what truth is? I like that throughout the festival there are those discussions. We are looking at those themes, rather than any didactic politics. It’s never about discussing left wing or right wing. I’d much rather be caught up by the fantasy and then think about all these underlying issues afterwards. Adelaide Festival offers large scale productions for large scale ideas. That is what the festival is famous for. It keeps pushing against art becoming smaller and smaller.” Lutton bemoans the fact that we appear to be seeing economy at the forefront rather than creativity. In Germany every little town has its own ballet company or opera company, and often towns may only be an hour apart. It is an acknowledgement of the importance of opera and ballet in people’s lives that we in Australia can only view with envy.

As if one needed to I ask Lutton why festival goers should choose to go to Bluebeard’s Castle and K?  “They have never seen it staged in Australia before” Lutton says of Castelluci’s spectacular production. Bluebeard’s Castle premiered at the Salzburg Festival in 2022 and this will be an exclusive premiere at the Adelaide Festival. “It is about bold staging. It is what opera offers most – an emotional cathartic experience. It will also cause your hair to stand up on the back of your neck, because of the singing. Judith’s singing is so powerful. It is also far more chilling to see live than any recording. It is about story, live music and singing that we in a very domesticated world don’t have often enough.

And K? I ask. “You want to see Barrie’s work” Lutton says. “You want to see the actors from the Berliner Ensemble. You want to see Kafka. You want to see this very Jewish version of Kafka. And I think it’s fair to say that I couldn’t identify anyone in Australia who could make this version of K. It’s rare.”

There is also nowhere else in Australia that audiences will have the rare opportunity to see these ground-breaking works by two of the world’s most innovative directors of opera and theatre. Tickets are already on sale for Bluebeard’s Castle and K, and if Castelluci’s production of Mozart’s Requiem at the 2023 festival and Kosky’s productions of The Magic Flute, The Golden Cockerel and The Threepenny Opera at previous festivals are anything to go by,  Bluebeard’s Castle and K are both destined for sell-out seasons.

The full Adelaide Festival Programme will be launched on October 27 2026.

Adelaide Festival 2027: February 26 – March14 2027

Bluebeard’s Castle will be performed at the Festival Theatre from February 26 – March 2 2027

K will be performed at Her Majesty’s Theatre from March 4-7 2027

Bookings: 1300 393 404, www.adelaidefestival.com.au

GREASE

 

Book, Music and Lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey

Directed by Bradley McDowell

Musical Director: Ella Ragless

Choreographer: Jordan Kelly

Canberra Philharmonic Society production

Erindale Theatre to 12 September

 

Reviewed by Len Power 27 August 2026

 

These days, audiences want Grease’ on stage to remind them of the popular 1978 film version of the show. Although the original stage show opened in 1971 and was a huge success on Broadway, the current stage version is less gritty and even includes the most-loved songs that were written especially for the film.

Director of this Philo production, Bradley McDowell, notes in the program that his concept is more of a rock show. Traditionalists might not be happy about this, but, as the show is now a hybrid and most people in the audience probably know all the songs and characters anyway, why not do something different with it? An entertaining, high energy, colourful (and loud) production with a wildly enthusiastic cast is the result.

While the set design is black-and-white with colourful mobile props (including a groovy Greased Lightning car), the clever and complex lighting design by Alex Clifford gives a colourful rock show atmosphere that is a highlight of the show.

Ashleigh Maynard (Sandy) and the girls

There are some standout performances from the large cast. Ashleigh Maynard does ‘sweet’ Sandy very well and her transformation to the ‘new’ Sandy at the end of the show remains a valid and fun character. Her singing of ‘Hopelessly Devoted To You’ was especially appealing. Samuel Whiter achieves the roughness of Danny who is really a nice-boy-underneath and the emotion he brings to his singing of ‘Sandy’ is a standout in the show.

Samuel Whiter (Danny)

There are also colourful performances from Georgia Motto (Rizzo), Joseph Mansell (Kenickie), Erin Hawker (Marty), Meaghan Stewart (Miss Lynch), Michael Cooper (Vince Fontaine) and Declan Pigram (Johnny Casino). Dave Collins sings Teen Angel well, but his makeup looks like he escaped from a zombie movie.

Chorus members of 'Grease'

Choreography by Jordan Kelly doesn’t have much to do with the 1950s but works fine with the rock show concept. His ability to make a cast look good with simple steps and gestures works very well here.

Musical director, Ella Ragless, has achieved a high standard with the singing of the cast and production of the music. Conductor, Craig Johnson, achieves a fine sound from the orchestra. Dialogue, though, is difficult to understand because of the amplification.

This production should please everybody who loves this show. If, by chance, you’re from another planet and have never seen it, you’ll have a great time.

 

Photos by Photox

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/.

 

 

Bombshells - at The Q

 

Bombshells by Joanna Murray-Smith.  Echo Theatre at The Q, Queanbeyan, Thurs – Sat August 27-29, 2026

Reviewed by Frank McKone
Aug 27

Cast
Louise Bennet as Tiggy Entwhistle (a prickly cactus lover)
Ella Buckley as Theresa McTerry (an anxious bride-to-be)
Yanina Clifton as Meryl Davenport (a young mother of three)
Lainie Hart as Winsome Webster (a widow longing for the unexpected)
Sally Taylor as Mary O'Donnell (a high school student entering a talent quest)

Creative & Production Team
Playwright: Joanna Murray-Smith
Director: Jordan Best
Production Design: Roz Hall and Jordan Best
Lighting Design: Linda Buck
Sound Design & Music: Jordan Best and William Best
Stage Manager: Roni Wilkinson


Joanna Murray-Smith’s play Bombshells and its presentation by Jordan Best is a tragi-comic view of women as wives.  The central theme is, don’t make assumptions, expect the unexpected – and enjoy, especially in the extraordinary final scene as Lainie Hart plays the widow, Winsome Webster, reading a novel to a blind man.

I have wondered if this play should be presented to teenage boys and girls, but remembering back ten years before my 60 years of marriage, at age 15 it would probably have frightened me.  I see that Murray-Smith was nearly 40 when she wrote the script – as a series of monologues by a single actress – and I suggest one needs at least that much experience to fully appreciate both the humour and the truths in the play.

Jordan Best’s stage design, with Linda Buck’s lighting, taking us to each location – and briefly showing us each of the characters as time goes on between each scene – makes the presentation of the five monologues a lively visual experience, (watch out particularly for the cactus plants!), in a different way from the single actress design – with quick changes between scenes  – though I know other productions of this kind have been very successful, such as at Ensemble Theatre in 2013, ( see Sandra Bates speaking at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5vE5ETNRqs&themeRefresh=1 )

I think the variety of physiques, choreography and voices in The Q’s production opens up the play theatrically – showing us five equally stunning performers, emphasising the unexpected.

With only two more performances tonight and tomorrow at The Q, when such a quality production obviously should have an extensive run, I’m pleased to find that AI tells me:

“The production will embark on a month-long tour visiting 11 locations across New South Wales. This extensive route includes stops at the Cowra Civic Centre, Blue Mountains Theatre in Springwood, Wollondilly Performing Arts Centre in Picton, Jetty Memorial Theatre in Coffs Harbour, Glasshouse in Port Macquarie, Dubbo Regional Theatre & Convention Centre, Bathurst, Byron Bay, and Sydney.”

If you can’t get to Queanbeyan, just make sure you take a trip – whatever the petrol costs if you can't afford electric yet – since “Bombshells is featured as part of a dedicated Green Program. Artistic Director Jordan Best purposefully designed the production from its inception to minimize its carbon footprint. The entire set, props, and costumes are 100% second-hand and carefully configured to fit inside a single transport van, completely bypassing the need for heavy freight trucks.”

I can promise you can expect the unexpected will be brilliant.  Not to be missed. 

 

 

 

 

ANU - CELLO AND PERIOD INSTRUMENTS RECITAL

Zoltán Szabo, cello

Nicholas Kennedy, piano

Larry Sitsky Recital Room August 26

 

Reviewed by Len Power

 

Zoltán Szabo, cello, and Nicholas Kennedy, piano, presented a recital featuring rare instruments from the ANU Historical Keyboard Collection. This opportunity to experience a historically informed performance on period instruments was not to be missed.

Both performers are on the faculty of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and provided down-to-earth, humorous and fascinating explanations about the instruments they were playing, as well as a description of the differences in sound we would hear.

Zoltán Szabó is a cellist and musicologist, educated in Budapest (Hungary) and Cincinnati (USA). He has also performed extensively at festivals and recitals in Europe, America and throughout Australia.

Nicholas Kennedy has performed throughout Australia and internationally as a concerto soloist, recitalist, and collaborative artist. He is also an active researcher specialising in nineteenth-century piano music and the relationship between analysis and performance.

The program commenced with Beethoven's G minor cello sonata Op. 5 No. 2, using a period cello with gut strings and the University's replica of an 1819 Graf fortepiano by Paul McNulty. The difference in tone of both instruments was immediately apparent and added a highly pleasing dimension to their fine performance of this dramatic sonata.

Nicholas Kennedy and Zoltán Szabó

The performers explained that expressive devices informed by past writings and old recordings were also employed during their playing, bringing the performance as close as possible to the sound of the period in which it was written.

The Sonata in G minor for cello and piano Op. 19 by Rachmaninoff was the second work on the program. It was played using a modern cello and a 1911 Blüthner piano, an instrument very similar to the Blüthner owned by Rachmaninoff himself. Their performance brought out all the emotion in the work and the sublime melodies in the third movement were a particular highlight of this excellent performance.

 

Photo by Peter Hislop

 

This review was first published by Canberra CityNews digital edition on 27 August 2026.

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/.

Len Power also presents the weekly Concert Hall program on Artsound FM, playing recordings of some of the best concerts from in and around Canberra. Concert Hall can be heard on Sundays at 8pm and is repeated on Wednesdays at 2pm.