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 Kafla'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 Ginguol 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. 

 

 

 

 

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2026

Visual Art Exhibition Review | Brian Rope

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2026 | Various Artists

National Portrait Gallery | 22 August – 11 October 2026

Warwick Art Gallery | 21 November 2026 – 16 January 2027

Glasshouse Port Macquarie | 6 February – 28 March 2027

Unley Museum | 16 April – 17 July 2027

Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts & Culture Centre | 21 August -23 October 2027

Gympie Regional Gallery | 26 November 2027 – 5 February 2028 The National Photographic Portrait Prize was first conducted in 2007. This is the final one. This year’s 30 finalists are in this exhibition. So too are 30 selected finalists from previous years. This review only discusses this year’s artworks.

One might say that 2026 was the year for Naarm/Melbourne photo artists as almost half of the finalists, including all three winners, are based there. The chosen winner is Nathan Beard. The First Time Finalist Award has been given to Phuong Nguyen Le. The Art Handlers’ Award was given to Hussein Abdirahman Mohamud. Their three winning images have, naturally, already been published and written about in numerous other places, so I will only look at some of the other 27 finalists here.

I really enjoyed The Falling, by collaborators Lakie Sideris and Gretel Taylor. Sideris is the artist who took the photograph. Taylor - a dance artist, curator and researcher known for her site-specific performance work – is the subject. The excellent image of a falling movement is a powerful portrayal of sensing and moving with the surrounding environment.

 

The Falling, 2026 - Laki Sideris, Gretel Taylor
- pigment photographic print (frame: 87.0cm x 62.3cm depth 4.0cm)

There is much to look at in Walkabout, by Michael Cook. This portrait places its subject at the heart of Japan’s commercial district, memorialising aspects of Japanese culture. Whilst letting you explore it for yourself, I have to mention one thing that particularly attracted my attention. The subject is holding numerous dogs on leads. Watching them from high above is a cat. Not just any cat, but one who is a symbol of the Metropolitan Police Department. I imagine it pouncing should any dog misbehave.

 

Walkabout, 2025 - Michael Cook
- pigment photographic print (frame: 125.1cm x 164.0cm depth 6.1cm)

Franky Tsang’s artwork, Between us, is a delightful study of his young daughter sitting quietly on her own. Tsang was nearby, watching from a short distance when he took the image, so it includes the nearby surroundings. The colourfully dressed child is beautifully lit seated beneath a streetlamp, whilst the surroundings are monotone. The image is an excellent example of the artist’s portraiture practice which focusses on subtle, often unspoken moments.

 

Between us, 2025 - Franky Tsang
- pigment photographic print (frame: 90.0cm x 120.0cm depth 4.5cm)

Another diptych, by collaborators Briony Galligan and Abbra Kotlarczyk, explores family trees, queerness, toxicity and healing. The artists explain their intention to use a double exposure to counter “the idea that supposedly containable units of one’s family, body, identity and history are sealed in some way”. Regardless of that, both parts of the gentle, colourful diptych are delightful.

 

Arranging by chance (doctored exposure), 2025 - Briony Galligan, Abbra Kotlarczyk
- diptych: pigment photographic prints (various (see individual records for details))

Another finalist is a high-quality monochrome portrait by Dean Saffron of a much-loved indigenous Australian photographer, Mervyn Bishop. He is pictured reflecting quietly just before his 80th birthday. Appropriately, he is accompanied by his own reflection. He is portrayed in the same honest way that his own works over many years have ensured other Aboriginal people have been seen.

 

Uncle Mervyn Bishop - Australia’s first Aboriginal press photographer, 2025 - Dean Saffron
- gelatin silver photograph (image: 94cm x 140cm. frame: 103.3cm x 153.2cm depth 3.5cm)

I was personally most pleased to see a work by Madeline Bishop. I have known her since she was a baby and keenly followed her developing artist career. The image was shot as part of a series exploring how people make homes from the shell’s they’ve been given. The concept is “like spaces, our bodies hold history, memory and evidence of our experiences; the site for our hopes, dreams, anxieties and fears to play out.”

 

On the chair, 2025 - Madeline Bishop
- pigment photographic print (frame: 59.8cm x 59.8cm depth 4.0cm)

I loved the idea behind A portrait as a parent. Mia M. McDonald began with a candid portrait taken in her kitchen. A print of it was attached to a wall and her kids were invited to hand-colour it as they wished. The end result was this most colourful fun portrait which, to my mind, perfectly portrays the colouring-in activity loved by children. I do have one small wish – I would have liked to see a little more of mum’s face.

 

A portrait as a parent, 2025 - Mia M. McDonald
- lambda photographic print (frame: 120.2cm x 80.2cm depth 4.7cm)

Finally, a comment about a work by Canberra’s Sammy Hawker who continues to explore a diverse range of experimental techniques. The chromatograms are the most intriguing portraits I have ever seen. What do you think of the artwork?

 

Three Siblings Chromatograms of Emmie, Rasmus and Cosmos, 2026 - Sammy Hawker
- pigment photographic print (sight: 50.6cm x 134.0cm. frame: 54.4cm x 137.8cm depth 3.5cm)

If you are not able to visit the exhibition, all the finalists can be seen at https://www.portrait.gov.au/nppp-images.php. You can also vote for the People's Choice Award there - voting closes Wednesday 30 September 2026.

This review is also available on the author's blog. A shorter review has also been published on the Canberra City News website.

SAPLINGS -Australian Theatre for Young People - The Q, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre

 

Actors from Australian Theatre for Young People's production of " Saplings"

Written by Hannah Belasky

Directed by Abbie-Lee Lewis - Associate Director: Ryan Whitworth-Jones

Set and Costume co-designers:  Angela Doherty & Morgan Moroney

Composer & Sound designer: Michael Weir – Fight Director: Tim Dashwood

Stage Managed by Anastasia Mowen – Presented by Australian Theatre for Young People

Performed by: Talijah Blackman-Corowa -Maliyan Blair – Sam Harmon – Danny Howard

The Q, The Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre. August 22^nd, 2026.

Evening performance reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.

Actors from Australian Theatre for Young People's production of "Saplings" 

Written by Hannah Belasky drawing on material gathered from a series of workshops with young people experiencing difficulties through the youth justice system, Saplings sheds light on this problem with an impressively mounted production by Australian Theatre for Young People.

Loud rap-music greeted the audience as it entered the theatre, supporting the gritty setting by Angela Doherty and Morgan Moroney, which consisted of four levels of horizonal cement-appearance steps against at concrete wall suggesting an uninviting inner-city meeting place in which a few plants struggle vainly to make the environment appear more-user friendly.

The pre-publicity for this production suggested that four young actors would take on multiple roles in this production, but regretfully there was no supporting material available at the theatre providing the names of the actors or the roles they would play.

It was only when this writer returned home after the performance and consulted the Australian Theatre for Young People website that it was established that the actors were Talijah Blackman, Corowa-Maliyan Blair, Sam Harmon and Danny Howard.

The problem was exacerbated when the play began, because director, Abbie-Lee Lewis, had her actors performing in a very naturalistic style, more suitable to film or television than for stage where it is necessary to project the dialogue rather than rely on cameras or microphones to pick it up.

Much of the dialogue was unintelligible because it was delivered very quickly, spoken very softly or sometimes by actors with their backs to the audience.  The result was that much of the play was so unintelligible as to render it almost impossible to engage with, or follow what was going on.

This was a real shame, because it was obvious that the actors were talented and acting with commitment. Their handling of props, which included re-arranging set pieces to denote changes in time and place was excellent, as was the production design.  

Director Lewis had included poetic touches which should have been moving, but that possibility evaporated when their purpose lost when not communicated.

All of which added to the disappointment because Saplings was obviously meant to deliver an important message which was lost at this performance.

                                                      Photos by Clare Hawley

 

LA STUPENDA: A Joan Sutherland Celebration - Joan Sutherland Theatre -Sydney Opera House

 

Conducted by Speranza Scappucci – Directed by Stuart Maunder AM

Hosted by Laura Tingle – Lighting Design by Alex Lynn

Joan Sutherland Theatre – Sydney Opera House – August 20^th & 22^nd, 2026

Performance on 20^th August reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.

Jessica Pratt in an excerpt from "Lucrezia Borgia"

It was a happy decision for Opera Australia to close its 70th winter season with two gala concerts celebrating Dame Joan Sutherland in the centenary year of her birth. One of opera’s greatest voices, Sutherland inspired generations of Australian singers and remains central to the company’s history.

Equally apt was the choice of Jessica Pratt as principal artist. Internationally acclaimed in the demanding bel canto repertoire that made Sutherland famous, Pratt is regarded as a natural successor. Directed by Stuart Maunder and hosted by ABC presenter Laura Tingle, the program drew thoughtfully on operas closely associated with Sutherland’s career.

Rossini’s sparkling overture to Semiramide recalled Sutherland’s celebrated 1983 performance and introduced conductor Speranza Scappucci in an impressive Opera Australia debut. Her crisp, confident direction drew responsive playing from the orchestra and vital singing from the cast.

Jane Ede -Luke Gabbedy - John Longmuir - Jennifer Black - Sidna Nissen - Jake Lyle in excerpt from "Don Giovanni"

A stirring scene from Mozart’s Don Giovanni opened the vocal program, with John Longmuir, Luke Gabbedy, Shane Lawrencev, Jane Ede, Jennifer Black, Sidra Nissen and Jake Lyle combining effectively. Caitlin Hulcup and Black offered an exquisite Flower Duet from Delibes’ Lakmé, followed by the Ghost Trio from Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann, engagingly sung by Ede, David Parkin and Hulcup. The Opera Australia Chorus then brought warmth and serenity to Mozart’s Idomeneo.

Jessica Pratt in excerpt from "Norma"

However, Pratt’s extended appearances in Norma, Lucia di Lammermoor and Lucrezia Borgia made the evening memorable. Mindful of Sutherland’s cherished interpretations, Pratt’s performances were thrilling in their own right. Her dazzling technique dispatched bel canto’s intricacies with apparent ease, while her instinctive theatricality made each scene far more than a vocal display.

For Norma, Pratt swept onstage in black silk lavishly trimmed with gold. Her poised “Casta Diva” contrasted tellingly with Norma’s fury when the young priestess confessed her love for Norma’s unfaithful lover. No less arresting was Pratt’s entrance in a blood-soaked gown for Lucia di Lammermoor, or her anguish as Lucrezia Borgia realised she had poisoned her son.

Jessica Pratt in excerpt from "Lucia di Lammermoor"

Her use of costume, meticulous response to the text and ability to sustain a final pose through tumultuous applause made her riveting. Tenor Kang Wang supported her admirably as Pollione in Norma and Gennaro in Lucrezia Borgia. Hulcup was a touching Adalgisa, while Parkin as Raimondo and Dalibor Jenis as Enrico added drama to Lucia di Lammermoor.

Maunder wisely reserved the final word for Sutherland. A montage of her performances accompanied concertmaster Matthieu Arama’s lustrous “Méditation” from Thaïs, before footage of Sutherland’s 1990 Sydney Opera House farewell filled the theatre with her image and unmistakable voice singing “Home Sweet Home”.

It was a moving conclusion to a beautifully judged celebration that honoured an incomparable Australian artist while confirming Pratt as a compelling custodian of the bel canto tradition.

                                                     Photos by Keith Saunders

             This review first published in the digital edition of CITY NEWS Link

 

I LOVE YOU. YOU'RE PERFECT. NOW CHANGE

 

I Love You. You’re Perfect. Now Change. Music by Jimmy Roberts. Book and Lyrics by Joe Dipietro.

Directed by Janie Lawson. Assistant Director and Choreographer Amy Campbell. Musical Direcor and keyboard. Leo Amadeus. Violin Laura Lay. Set Design Cate Clelland. Concept sSet Design Janie Lawson. Lighting Design Craig Muller. Sound Design James McPherson. Costume Design Louise Newey. Stage Manager and Lighting Operator Liz Phillis. Sound Operator and Mic Technician Logan Steed. Producer Anne Somes. Free Rain Theatre. ACT HUB 19 August- 5 September 2026. Bookings: enquiries@acthub.com.au

Reviewed by Peter Wilkins

 

The cast of I Love You. You're Perfect. Now Change

Director Janie Lawson makes an impressive directorial debut with her Free Rain production of Jimmy Roberts’ and Joe Dipietro’s I Love You. You’re Perfect. Now Change. Lawson herself is an acclaimed musical theatre performer and she has turned out a treat.  This is an absolutely delightful show, jam packed with hilarious comedy, catchy tunes and familiar insights into the power and fickle frailty of Love over we mere mortals.  

Amelia Andersson-Nickson and Sarah Copley in
I Love You. You're Perfect. Now Change

On entering the ACT HUB theatre I am instantly struck by Janie Lawson’s concept and Cate Clelland’s simple design of a chess board with a variety of identifiable chess pieces spread about the floor. The irony is inescapable; the statement black and white. The female Queen is the most powerful piece upon the board, able to attack or defend at will. The male King is the most defenseless, forced to retreat under attack until cornered and checkmated to end the game.

David Pearson and Sam Thomson in I Love You. You're Perfect. Now Change

Lyricist and writer Joe Dipietro takes an affectionate and slightly satirical swipe at the sexes and their love dilemmas in a series of short vignettes from dating to meeting the parents to sexting, the marriage, gay love, sex in marriage and love in old age. A company Prologue and harmonious Epilogue bring this wild and wonderful journey to an end at which monastic expectation is shed for a new beginning. Composer Jimmy Roberts suits the music to the scene from pop to Country and Western to Hip Hop and Tango all underpinning the singer’s struggle within the situation, all embraced by the full cast cantata to lead you through the stories.

The Wedding Scene from I Love You. You're Perfect. Now Change

Lawson has gathered an excellent cast of six talented performers, each with their moment to shine, solo or in duet. Deborah O’Toole and Amelia Andersson-Nickson bemoan the lack of male prospects in Single Man Drought. Connor McNaught shows a sensitive side to the man in Tear Jerk with Sarah Copley who lends a touch of pathos in her monologue The Very First Dating Video of Rose Ritz, a cry for help by all divorced single mothers. Sam Thomson lets out the loss of identity in a gay relationship, saddled with the responsibility of raising a child in The Baby Song. It’s a dilemma shared by McNaught and Andersson-Nickson in Marriage Tango  in Sex and the Married Couple. While the younger members of the company reveal the pain of Love through early relationships, marriage and family, DiPietro includes the older couple, played with authentic perception by O’Toole and Pearson. Too many magic moments to mention, this 30 year old Off Broadway musical has stood the test of time with book, lyricS and music that prove thoat Love’s game of chess has not changed. There will be someone in the audience who, like an audience member in 1996 will think, if not cry out “That’s my life.”

David Pearson. Deborah O'Toole, Amelia Andersson-Nickson and Sam 
Thomson in I Love You. You're Perfect. Now Change

It is a pity that from my seat in the front row I could not see Musical Director on keyboard Leo Amadeus and violinist Laura Lay behind a couch. It is to their credit that keyboard and violin were sufficient to accompany the singers and at the same time capture the spirit of Roberts’ music and Dipietro’s lyrics. Off Broadway has come to ACT HUB with a wonderful cast of local performers and this is an opportunity not to miss. Audiences will laugh, Some may shed a tear. All will see a bit of their lives performed by a cast that make every moment shine.

Photos by Janelle McMenamin

Promotional Photography by Andrew Sikorski

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

I Love You. You’re Perfect. Now Change. Music by Jimmy Roberts. Book and Lyrics by Joe Dipietro.

Directed by Janie Lawson. Assistant Director and Choreographer Amy Campbell. Musical Direcor and keyboard. Leo Amadeus. Violin Laura Lay. Set Design Cate Clelland. Concept sSet Design Janie Lawson. Lighting Design Craig Muller. Sound Design James McPherson. Costume Design Louise Newey. Stage Manager and Lighting Operator Liz Phillis. Sound Operator and Mic Technician Logan Steed. Producer Anne Somes. Free Rain Theatre. ACT HUB 19 August- 5 September 2026. Bookings: enquiries@acthub.com.au

Reviewed by Peter Wilkins

 

Director Janie Lawson makes an impressive directorial debut with her Free Rain production of Jimmy Roberts’ and Joe Dipietro’s I Love You. You’re Perfect. Now Change. Lawson herself is an acclaimed musical theatre performer and she has turned out a treat.  This is an absolutely delightful show, jam packed with hilarious comedy, catchy tunes and familiar insights into the power and fickle frailty of Love over we mere mortals.  

On entering the ACT HUB theatre I am instantly struck by Janie Lawson’s concept and Cate Clelland’s simple design of a chess board with a variety of identifiable chess pieces spread about the floor. The irony is inescapable; the statement black and white. The female Queen is the most powerful piece upon the board, able to attack or defend at will. The male King is the most defenseless, forced to retreat under attack until cornered and checkmated to end the game.

Lyricist and writer Joe Dipietro takes an affectionate and slightly satirical swipe at the sexes and their love dilemmas in a series of short vignettes from dating to meeting the parents to sexting, the marriage, gay love, sex in marriage and love in old age. A company Prologue and harmonious Epilogue bring this wild and wonderful journey to an end at which monastic expectation is shed for a new beginning. Composer Jimmy Roberts suits the music to the scene from pop to Country and Western to Hip Hop and Tango all underpinning the singer’s struggle within the situation, all embraced by the full cast cantata to lead you through the stories.

Lawson has gathered an excellent cast of six talented performers, each with their moment to shine, solo or in duet. Deborah O’Toole and Amelia Andersson-Nickson bemoan the lack of male prospects in Single Man Drought. Connor McNaught shows a sensitive side to the man in Tear Jerk with Sarah Copley who lends a touch of pathos in her monologue The Very First Dating Video of Rose Ritz, a cry for help by all divorced single mothers. Sam Thomson lets out the loss of identity in a gay relationship, saddled with the responsibility of raising a child in The Baby Song. It’s a dilemma shared by McNaught and Copley in Marriage Tango  in Sex and the Married Couple. While the younger members of the company reveal the pain of Love through early relationships, marriage and family, DiPietro includes the older couple, played with authentic perception by O’Toole and Pearson. Too many magic moments to mention, this 30 year old Off Broadway musical has stood the test of time with book, lyricS and music that prove that Love’s game of chess has not changed. There will be someone in the audience who, like an audience member in 1996 will think, if not cry out “That’s my life.”

It is a pity that from my seat in the front row I could not see Musical Director on keyboard Leo Amadeus and violinist Laura Lay behind a couch. It is to their credit that keyboard and violin were sufficient to accompany the singers and at the same time capture the spirit of Roberts’ music and Dipietro’s lyrics. Off Broadway has come to ACT HUB with a wonderful cast of local performers and this is an opportunity not to miss. Audiences will laugh, Some may shed a tear. All will see a bit of their lives performed by a cast that make every moment shine.

Photos by Janelle McMenamin

Promotional Photography by Andrew Sikorski