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

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 and as CEO of the Port Adelaide Football Club for 13 years and director 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 the Royal Croquet Club 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 aboriginal 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. 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 “

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.”

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. 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

CINDERELLA The Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre until 24th January, 2026.

Charlotte Hunt as Cinderella

Written, Directed and Musical Directed by Leisa Keen. Costumes by Leisa Keen.

Choreographed by Michelle Heine – Settings by Ian Croker

Sound by Eclipse Sound and Lighting – Lighting by Linda Buck

Produced by MEB Productions – The Q, Queanbeyan, 21^st – 24^th January, 2005.

2.30pm Matinee performance on 21^st January reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.

Charlotte Hunt (Cinderella" and ensemble.

Written, Directed and Musically Directed by Leisa Keen, who is also responsible for the spectacular costumes, this delightful production of “Cinderella” has all the elements of the familiar fairytale, but told in the style a traditional British Christmas pantomime.

If you’ve never been to a pantomime, then here is your opportunity to catch up, because Keen has really nailed it, with an effervescent production which is as much fun for the adults in the audience, as it is for the youngsters at which it is aimed.

Riddled with contemporary references, dad jokes and puns, her clever script is peppered with familiar pop songs for which choreographer, Michelle Heine, has devised snappy dance moves for both the adult principals and the sixteen young dancers who make up the enthusiastic ensemble.

In addition to playing the Fairy Godmother, Keen has assembled a topline cast of principals who understand the style and deliver it with flair.

Dave Collins (Ugly Sister 2) - Lainie Hart (Wicked Stepmother) - Joe Dinn (Ugly Sister 1)

The formidable Lainie Hart, obviously taking her cue from “The Devil Wears Prada”, is possibly the best-dressed Wicked Stepmother on the planet. She revels in the enthusiastic boos she attracts but is so darn likeable it’s impossible not to cheer for her when she finally wins over Buttons.

Joe Dinn and Dave Collins are deliciously unattractive as her ugly daughters. Believe me, they don’t come uglier, or funnier, than these two.

Dave Pearson (Buttons) - Lachlan Elderton (Prince Charming_

Keeping everyone informed, Dave Pearson offers a stylish performance as Prince Charming’s incredibly resourceful manservant, Buttons, while Lachlan Elderton and Charlotte Hunt charm as the terminally reticent, Prince Charming, and the object of his affection, the somewhat less reticent, Cinderella.

“Just Kiss Her” screamed the young audience at one point, obviously frustrated by Prince Charming’s inability to seal the deal, when it became obvious that the glass slipper fitted.

An essential element of the traditional pantomime is the call-and-response audience participation. Keen has provided plenty of opportunities for this in her production, and the young audience was quick to recognise the cues, as were the adults, who happily joined in the cacophony during the mad chase scenes as Cinderella fled the ballroom, and the subsequent hunt for the owner of the glass slipper.

Charlotte Hunt (Cinderella) and the ensemble.

As good as the principal players are, they are given a run for their money by the young ensemble, who sing, dance and act with winning enthusiasm, particularly young Wyatt Woods, newly arrived from America, who threatens to hijack the show with his stand-out performance as a young courtier.

It’s all great fun, and a perfect antidote to the doom and gloom of the real world as proofed by the excited buzz around the foyer after the performance.

If you’re looking for a special treat to celebrate the end-of-holidays, then this production of “Cinderella” is highly recommended. But don’t prevaricate because this season is short. The fun ends this Saturday, January 24^th. 

Lainie Hart (Wicked Stepmother) - Dave Pearson (Buttons) - Joe Dinn (Ugly Sister 1)
 Dave Collins (Ugly Sister 2) and ensemble.

                                                                Photos by Janelle McMenamin 

              This review first published in the digital edition of CITY NEWS on 22.01.26
  

  

Mama Does Derby - Sydney Festival

 

 

Mama Does Derby by Clare Watson & Virginia Gay. Windmill Production Company in Sydney Festival at Sydney Town Hall, January 15 – 22 2026

Reviewed by Frank McKone
January 16


Credits

Co-Creator, Director – Clare Watson; Co-Creator, Writer – Virginia Gay

Assistant Director/Choreographer – Larissa McGowan
Designer – Jonathan Oxlade; Lighting Designer – Lucy Birkinshaw
Musical Director – Joe Lui; Sound Designer – Luke Smiles
Story Consultant – Ivy Miller

Performers:
Amber McMahon; Elvy-Lee Quici
Benjamin Hancock; Antoine Jelk; Dylan Miller
Annabel Matheson; Aud Mason-Hyde; Calliope Jackson

Derby Athletes – Members of the Sydney Roller Derby League
Sydney Derby Team Leader – Nicole “Ziggy” Eyles
Skate Consultant  – Jude ‘Vaderella’ Gaffney 

Hero image photography – Claudio Raschella and Bri Hammond



“A single mum, a teenage daughter, and a new life in a regional town where neither quite fits. Billie is 16 and restless, trying to navigate the chaos of adolescence. Mum, meanwhile, is spinning into a rebellion of her own – in the sweaty, rough and radical world of roller derby.”
https://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/events/mama-does-derby 

I have to call the form of this surprising show a theatrical cartoon Rock’n’Roll Derby, full of symbolism.  What’s surprising is that it succeeds in celebrating women’s overcoming their demons.

When a girl is born resulting from a failed, perhaps abusive relationship, how is her mother to raise her?  Mama Does Derby says go out and achieve in your own right, because your daughter needs you to be the model she needs to overcome her fears.  

So instead of a gloomy view in response to the issue of family breakdown, the show is a rock’n’roll entertainment which has all the women in the audience,  and I suspect some men, whooping and cheering as daughter and mother finally hug and understand each other – and the rock band strikes up for the curtain calls.

There is no curtain, of course, as my photo of the set as the show opens, shows: just the roller derby track, onto which set pieces are rolled on and off by the women rollers scene by scene, of rooms in the house, and a complete rock band.

A throughline in the plot shows the rather satirical episodes with the professional – woman – psychological counsellor working on the assumption that the daughter has mental health problems, and then starts to think the mother has some too. But Mama's success in winning the derby competition puts the counsellor in her place as they hug each other at last.

Of course in cartoon style there’s not much subtlety in the treatment of their demons, though the daughter has nightmares which become an amazing glittery figure played by someone who is, as daughter exclaims, very flexible. A tremendously attractive looking demon indeed.  Unfortunately the cast list supplied doesn’t name each performer’s role.

Though early on I wonder how things would go, in the end Mama Does Derby is drama with a happy ending, and I’m glad it is, for it offers women the encouragement they need to be strong and self-determined.

Opera for the Dead - Sydney Festival

 

Opera for the Dead by Mindy Meng Wang & Monica Lim in the Sydney Festival at Bell Shakespeare, the Neilson Nutshell, January 15-18 2026

Reviewed by Frank McKone
January 15

Credits

Creative Concept and Composition – Monica Lim and Mindy Meng Wang
Dramaturg – Ophelia Huang; Animation – Rel Pham
Set and Lighting Design – Jenny Hector; Choreography – Carol Brown
Costume – Leonas Panjaitan; Sound and Video System Design – Nick Roux

Guzheng – Mindy Meng Wang; Electronics – Monica Lim
Vocals – Yu-Tien Lin; Percussion – Alexander Meagher
Cello – Nils Hobiger

Production Manager – Justin Heaton
Producer – Penelope Leishman & Seb Calabretto, Insite Arts
Sound Engineer – Sascha Budimsk
Hero image photography – Michael Pham



“Inspired by Chinese mourning rituals but speaking to universal truths of grief and remembrance, Mindy Meng Wang and Monica Lim’s multi-sensory journey surrounds you with sound, movement and light.” 
https://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/events/opera-for-the-dead 

As the crowd moves into the performance space  where there are no seats, and people begin to move around and among elements of the set within which are the musicians, singers and electronic keyboard, they find themselves surrounded by devices quite unknown to traditional Chinese opera.

All around them hang 12-inch loudspeakers, facing upwards, with up to four ‘oranges’ on them, made from light-weight plastic, which are vibrating, even jumping up and down, because the speakers, hanging from above, are wired in to the sound of the percussion.

As I saw it, these represented the constant vibrations of the universe.  As the music and singing worked up towards a crescendo approaching the end of the 50 minutes, the oranges bounced more and more until many jumped right out of their concave loudspeaker homes.  Then I understood the concept expressed in the music about death.

Though an individual’s death is an end-point for them, the universe doesn’t die – it continues to vibrate with perhaps extra depth of feeling as each person dies.

So, though I have had only fleeting experiences of Chinese opera and have no understanding of the words being sung, in this very modern abstract presentation in visual effects as well as in sound, instrumental and voice, I found a peace of mind in knowing the universe continues on, while experiencing the feelings, often of despair, at the time of a loved one’s death.  

As a presentation in a cultural festival this is quite remarkable – an original work invoking an ancient culture in the histories of many Australians of Chinese origin, while passing on to others such as myself and other audience members I spoke to, a more philosophical way of thinking about death.

This Opera for the Dead is for the Living, too.