Lord of the Flies

 

 

Lord of the Flies by William Golding adapted for the stage by Nigel Williams.  Canberra REP July 25 – August 10, 2024.

Reviewed by Frank McKone
July 26

Directed by: Caitlin Baker and Lachlan Houen
Voice and Performance Coach: Sarah Chalmers
Set Designer: Michael Sparks OAM
Lighting Designer: Chris Ellyard; Sound Designer: Neville Pye
Costume Coordinator: Antonia Kitzel

Cast:
Ralph – Joshua James; Jack – Ty McKenzie; Piggy – Winsome Ogilvie
Simon – Lily Willmott; Roger – Robert Kjellgren; Sam – Brandon Goodwin
Eric – Zoë Ross; Maurice – Alex Wilson; Henry – Phoebe Silberman
Perceval – Tara Saxena; Naval Officer – John Stead; Bill – Caitlin Baker

Canberra REP have been brave to take on Lord of the Flies with a young cast who have produced a worthy result.  It is an exercise not only in giving up-and-coming actors an opportunity to gain experience in a substantial work, but in providing us all with a reminder of the possibilities and the weaknesses of human society in the real world.

Golding’s novel is an allegorical fiction – that is, it is a story which parallels real life.  It works well in that form because while reading and turning pages (or screens), our imaginations visualise what is happening, our feelings are engaged in response, and our intellect makes the connections between the fiction and fact.

On stage the designers and actors do the imagining for us.  We see and hear what’s happening.  Our feelings are as much engaged in responding to how effectively the staging and acting is done, as they are in response to the story; while our intellect may catch on to some of the meaning as the action goes on regardless, outside our control.  

Adapting Golding’s story for stage, unfortunately, results in long periods of young people yelling at each other, without enough of the character development and variety of volume and intensity levels which I remember imagining when I first read the novel as a teenager soon after it was published in 1954.

The value in Canberra REP presenting Lord of the Flies is the strength of the allegory and our need to come to terms with the truth that we humans are lost on our Island Earth, and have never learned to manage intransigent ‘leaders’ who tell us to go back to where you came from; who manipulate us into ritual dancing which turns into ritual killings; and who steal the fire from those who would be responsible citizens.

Though I can’t say I exactly ‘enjoyed’ Lord of the Flies, I can say that there were some dramatically strong points, such as the deathly silence as it was realised that Lily Willmott’s Simon was dead; and the anguish expressed in horror by Joshua James’ Ralph at the very end of everything.  

And though there was a laugh at John Stead’s Naval Officer berating the British boys for not behaving well as British boys should, it didn’t take much imagination to realise that there’s no-one out there to come and rescue us on Planet Earth.

So REP’s production of Lord of the Flies is certainly worthwhile going to see.

BOMBSHELLS - Echo Theatre

 

Lainie Hart as Zoe in "Bombshells.

Written by Joanna Murray-Smith – Directed by Jordan Best

Set and props designed by Roz Hall – Costumes designed by Jens Nordstrom

Sound Design by Jordan Best – Lighting design by Jacob Aquilina

Choreography for Zoe by Jenna Roberts and Lainie Hart

 Choreography for Mary by Nathan Rutups and Sally Taylor

Q Theatre, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, 18^th – 27^th July, 2024.

Performance on July 25^th reviewed by BILL STEPHENS

Originally written by Joanna Murray-Smith as a one-woman show to showcase the virtuosity of Australian show-biz legend, Caroline O’Connor, “Bombshells” was performed around the country with great success by O’Connor, whose performance was filmed and broadcast by the ABC. 

A later production, also in the one-woman format, enjoyed a successful season in the Ensemble Theatre in Sydney starring Sharon Millerchip who had previously starred opposite O’Conner in a national tour of the musical “Chicago”. 

Jordan Best’s idea to localise the six monologues that make up the piece and divide them between six local actresses has resulted with a handsomely mounted, delightfully entertaining show, which deserves a wide audience.

Each of the monologues focuses on a different aspect of each woman’s life.

Amy Kowalczuk as Meryl in "Bombshells"

Meryl is a housewife on the point of a nervous breakdown almost overwhelmed trying to meet her own expectations of being the perfect wife and mother.

In a poignant performance by Amy Kowalczuk, Meryl verbalises her thoughts while desperately breast-feeding her infant baby, trying to cope with her demanding, inquisitive daughter, and attempting to get the housework completed and dinner prepared before her perfect husband arrives home from work.  Her situation is almost too sad to laugh at, but because of Murray-Smith’s razor -sharp dialogue, it is impossible not to.

Kate Harris as Tiggy in "Bombshells"

Tiggy, played by Kate Harris, is in the midst of giving a lecture about her hobby, growing cacti. However Tiggy is having marital problems and her thoughts keep returning to those problems while she desperately tries to keep her lecture on track.

Sally Taylor as Mary in "Bombshells"

Mary, played by Sally Taylor, is a student who has dreams of becoming a star of musical theatre. She’s entered a dance competition, convinced that winning the competition will make her a star.

Confident she has more talent than Liza Minelli and therefore a shoe-in to win, she demonstrates her competition piece, “Macavity’s Solo” from Cats, only to discover that her arch-rival has chosen the same solo. In desperation she decides to choreograph a new piece to the music of “Shaft”.

Ella Buckley as Theresa in "Bombshells".

Theresa, played by Ella Buckley, is preparing for her wedding. As she dons her wedding gown she confides her joy in finally getting the wear this gown. As her thoughts drift towards her life after her wedding, she begins to panic at the realisation that she knows very little about her groom, as her only reason for getting engaged was to wear the wedding dress.

Alice Ferguson as Winsom in "Bombshells"

Winsome, played by Alice Ferguson, is a well-dressed out-wardly sophisticated widow, who at 65 decides to embark on a new hobby, reading books to blind clients. When one of her clients requests that she reads him extracts from a racy novel, Winsome discovers rather more joys to book-reading than she had anticipated.

The final character in the sextet is a former chanteuse, Zoe, played by Lainie Hart (Image top of page), who is resuming her career singing in nightclubs. Zoe has all the right moves, the glamorous gown and polished microphone technique and the superbly arranged repertoire which hints at darker life experiences behind the glitz, the glamour, and the over-familiar friendliness. However, does Zoe still have that elusive “IT”?

All six monologues are presented in stylish individual, tightly-lit, settings. The performers stay inside these settings for the full duration of the show. The monologues are presented consecutively, connected by short light-shows which hint tantalisingly at how each character has progressed following their revelations.  

“Bombshells” is a lovely production for which careful attention has been paid to every aspect, especially presentation and choreography.

On a personal note I might have enjoyed it even more with an interval in the middle to allow time to savour the individual stories. 

As it is, everyone will have their favourite story. I’d be delighted to share mine with you next time we meet in a foyer.

                          Images by Photox - Canberra Photographic Services.

                    This review also posted in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW.

 

Mary Stuart - adapted by Kate Mulvany

 

Mary Stuart adapted by Kate Mulvany after the verse play by Friedrich Schiller (the play Maria Stuart had its première in Weimar, Germany on 14 June 1800): Currency Press 2020.  

Presented by Chaika Theatre at ACT Hub, Kingston, Canberra July 24 – August 3, 2024.

Reviewed by Frank McKone
July 25

Director: Luke Rogers; Designer: Kathleen Kershaw
Sound Composition: Rachael Dease; Sound Design: Georgia Snudden
Sound Editing and Arrangement: Luke Rogers
Lighting Design: Disa Swifte; Voice and Text Coach: Sarah Chalmers

Cast:
Mary Stuart – Steph Roberts; Paulet – Cameron Thomas
Mortimer – James McMahon; Young Girl – Lily Welling
Burleigh – Richard Manning; Queen Elizabeth I – Karen Vickery
Ambassador Aubespine – Blue Hyslop; Leicester – Jarrad West
Shrewsbury – Neil McLeod; Davison – Lachlan Herring


Chaika Theatre very effectively uses what I call ‘presentational’ style for Kate Mulvany’s modern feminist approach to the historical story of Queen Elizabeth I executing her cousin Mary Stuart in 1587.

Schiller’s fascination with the story was more focussed on political philosophy, perhaps – about the use and misuse of monarchical power – rather than emphasising the women’s relationships.

You don’t need to know the history, but Life and Deathline of Mary, Queen of Scots, is at the National Museums Scotland site:
https://www.nms.ac.uk/explore-our-collections/stories/scottish-history-and-archaeology/mary-queen-of-scots/mary-queen-of-scots/life-and-deathline-of-mary-queen-of-scots

Roger Paulin, in his introduction to the Flora Kimmich 2020 translation, helps explain my term ‘presentational’: the [original] play is written mainly in a blank verse suited to the close confrontations and the interplay of repartee that are conditional on both moral and political argument and the clash of principles. This enables words and notions that are related in sense to be thrown back at each other in rhetorical encounters, such as those to do with right, justice and the law.

So Chaika has taken the right path in this adaptation, not towards what we call ‘naturalism’, but to show characters in a dramatic plot in order to bring out ideas.  And they do that very successfully, except I think for one brief moment.  

The setting, of course, is not strictly 16th Century, though it is suggested by the costumes and the mix of older formal and modern colloquial language.  But the opening of the second half as a social-media dance party scene really seemed inappropriate for a drinking session for Queen Elizabeth and her presumed lover Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.

Otherwise, the accompanying sound composition and design by Rachael Dease and Georgia Snudden (originally for Performing Lines WA) and the sound editing and arrangement by Luke Rogers captured the mood perfectly, drawing us in emotionally to so many scenes where concentrating on the words and their significance was crucial.

And, finally, the performances by Karen Vickery and Steph Roberts in the scene where they met, and then in their solos – Elizabeth’s anguish over her nightmare decision to sign the execution order; Mary’s confession according to her belief – brought out the depth of empathy from us for these women, because they were women, in our world of uncompromising politics, which Kate Mulvany wanted her adaptation to create beyond even Friedrich Schiller’s ending, where Elizabeth has lost her lover, Robert, Earl of Leicester – “His Lordship begs your pardon.  He is at sea and on his way to France”.

In Schiller, Elizabeth is forced to accept Shrewsbury’s words; “Live, rule content!  Your enemy is dead.  From now on you have nothing more you must fear and nothing you need to respect.”  (She forces herself and stands calm.)  The curtain falls.

In Chaika and Kate Mulvany’s dimming of the lights to black, we felt all that she lost in the awful beheading of her cousin, like her father’s beheading of her mother, Anne Boleyn.  And we felt for all those women who have no choice but to keeping standing calm.

This Mary Stuart is a valuable contribution to Canberra theatre and our culture.


 

 

 

 

 

MARY STUART - Chaika Theatre

Steph Roberts as "Mary Stuart"

Adapted by Kate Mulvany after Friedrich Schiller

Directed by Luke Rogers – Designed by Kathleen Kershaw

Sound designed by Georgia Snudden – Composed by Rachael Dease

ACT Hub. July 24th to August 3rd – Reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.

Cameron Thomas (Paulet) - Lily Welling (young girl) - Steph Roberts (Mary Stuart) - James McMahon (Mortimer) in "Mary Stuart". 

ACT Hub continues to build on its well-earned reputation as the go-to theatre for challenging, well-staged and acted productions. This production of Mary Stuart by Chaika Theatre is a case of point.

Based on a 19th century play by Friedrich Schiller, itself based on real events which occurred in the sixteenth century, Mary Stuart has been given a pithy adaptation by Kate Mulvany in attempt to make it more accessible to 21st century audiences.

The adaptability of the ACT Hub itself encourages thoughtful design choices, so for this production, director Luke Rogers and his designer Kathleen Kershaw have set the action on a bare, raised, cross-shape stage which runs the full length of the theatre, with the audience seated on either side.



                Steph Roberts (Mary Stuart) - Karen Vickery ( Elizabeth 1st) in "Mary Stuart"


The only suggestions of period comes from the striking details on the ambiguous abstract costumes worn by the two female protagonists and some of the male characters. .

The battle between Mary, Queen of Scots, and her cousin, Elizabeth 1st of England provides juicy roles for two strong female actors. With actors of the quality and accomplishment of Karen Vickery and Steph Roberts, and a team of excellent male actors at his disposal, Luke Rogers had everything necessary to produce a memorable evening of high quality theatre.

Therefore his decision to eschew lavish sets and costumes in favour of a pared-back approach, relying on the quality of his actors to carry the weight of portraying the story of two flawed and complicated women engaged in a battle where the stakes couldn’t be higher, was a good one.

Given the title of the play, it might have been expected that the focus would be on Mary Stuart, the Scottish Queen (Steph Roberts), who had been imprisoned for 19 years by her cousin, Elizabeth Tudor (Karen Vickery). 

Steph Roberts offers a compelling performance as Mary Stuart,  the former queen who, despite her long imprisonment, could still summon the strength to challenge her powerful cousin in a last ditch attempt to secure her freedom, even offering to give up her throne if it will result in her seeing the son who had been taken away from her when she was imprisoned.



                                 Karen Vickery as Elizabeth 1st in "Mary Stuart"


However it is Karen Vickery’s extraordinary Trumpian portrayal of Elizabeth as a wild-eyed, foul-mouthed harridan that dominates the production.

Vickery offers a stunning performance that is impossible to tear your eyes away from.

Her timing and line delivery fascinate as she teases, taunts and flirts with those around her.

The verbal battle between Mary and Elizabeth, in which they tear metaphorical strips off each other, is the high point of the play and is brilliantly executed by both actors.

Karen Vickery (Elizabeth 1st) and Steph Roberts (Mary Stuart) in "Mary Stuart"

  
Although Mulvany, towards the end of the play, attempts to garner sympathy for Elizabeth by having her doubt her own motives, it comes too late for Vickery’s Elizabeth to convince the audience that she is deserving of any.

Mulvany has given none of her male characters much to work with. Not one of the men who surround Elizabeth dare challenge her behaviour or authority. That is left to Mary.

The male roles are there simply to support and surround the two central characters.

Within this restriction though, Jarrad West offers a carefully nuanced performance as Elizabeth’s self-serving consort, Leicester. Cameron Thomas successfully wins audience sympathy with his portrayal of Mary’s loyal gaoler, Paulet; while James McMahon establishes a threatening presence as Paulet’s nephew, Mortimer.

Blue Hyslop’s supercilious French Ambassador Aubespine is amusing, but Hyslop’s inability to maintain his accent during the second act rather undermined his believability. Richard Manning as Elizabeth’s ineffectual Prime Minister, Burleigh, and Neil McLeod as her aged adviser, Shrewsbury, invested their roles with as much dignity as the script allowed.

However, it is the performance of Lachlan Herring who comes on late in the play as Elizabeth’s confused young secretary, Davison, that remains in the memory among the male characters, because it is Davison’s predicament that most exposes the real character of Elizabeth.


Although the purpose of the mysterious servant girl (Lily Welling) who wanders through the play dispensing drinks and gathering discarded props is never explained other than as a handy prop distributing device; Luke Rogers has successfully guided his cast through a lucid and fascinating production, especially notable for the performances of its two leading ladies. 

Its a production which will take its place among the ever-growing list of must-see productions for which the ACT Hub has become celebrated.

                                                 

                                                     Images by Jane Duong

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

Emotional Landscapes I

Exhibition Review: Photography | Brian Rope

Emotional Landscapes I | Jenny Adams, Julie Delves, Eva van Gorsel & Delene White

ANCA Gallery, Dickson | 17 July - 4 August 2024 

This art exhibition at the ANCA Gallery with the Tinshed Art Group examines the emotional connections that humans have with the natural world. It makes observations about the nuanced and intricate interaction between the natural world and humankind. It looks at how humans affect the climate and the earth, but it also maintains optimism that appreciating nature's marvels makes us feel a part of it and inspires us to take constructive action. Through this investigation, the show hopes to spark reflection, foster empathy, and motivate viewers to dedicate themselves to the pursuit of a peaceful and long-lasting cohabitation with the natural world.

The participating artists work with various mediums. Jenny Adams and Julie Delves paint with acrylic on canvas. Delene White uses oils on canvas, found objects, and fibreglass & silicone. I enjoyed all their works very much, particularly White’s installation The bigger picture, with its lightweight wall marching ants. 

However, I will concentrate here on the photography of Eva van Gorsel - since it is the art form in which I work myself and, so, am best qualified to discuss. This artist’s seventeen pieces are archival pigment prints. The seventeen works form a series created by van Gorsel for this exhibition. They are all of a high standard and I was most pleased to see several of them had already been purchased when I visited.

Watching Out explores the fact that human development and the pursuit of food security have been intertwined throughout history. The artist notes that deforestation for cultivation disrupts ecosystems, leading to biodiversity loss and climate change. She reminds us that humanity needs to watch over the landscapes and ecosystems we depend on for survival, making concerted efforts toward environmentally friendly and socially responsible land use practices.

In that piece, two or more images have been combined into a beautifully blended composite showing something of the interactions between humans and a rural landscape. So there is a human looking out over the landscape, plus a section of fencing and parts of a building constructed by humans.

Watching Out © Eva van Gorsel

The same approach has been taken with most of the artist’s other works, but the messages are diverse. For example, Morning Flight includes birds and van Gorsel’s artist statement speaks about how engaging with natural environments has been linked to improved mental health, increased creativity, and heightened feelings of belonging fostering a deeper connection with the natural world.

Morning Flight © Eva van Gorsel

I particularly appreciated Encroachment. It incorporates a drawing of Canberra’s central national capital area and two examples of the native animals seen in the city’s urban areas. This is all about the need for urban planning that achieves sustainable developments.

Encroachment © Eva van Gorsel

There are also works about foxes, weeds and habitats. One artwork is titled Endemophilia. That word may not be familiar to you. If that is the case, let me tell you that it is about the particular love manifest in the people of a place that is special to them. It is what gives people a particular sense of belonging as opposed to a global sense of place. This image shows us an example of the type of water and forest environment where the artist feels a deep sense of belonging.

Endemophilia © Eva van Gorsel

Other works tell us to stop messing with the environment, speak about the unpredictability of nature, discuss the history of climate extremes, reference the fact that water is essential for life and note that global carbon emissions have surged to record levels.

This exhibition most successfully does what it set out to do. I commend it to you and applaud all the artists.

This review is also available on the author's blog here.

MARY STUART

 

Mary Stuart. Adapted by Kate Mulvany after Friedrich Schiller.

Directed by Luke Rogers. Designer Kathleen Kershaw. Sound composition: Rachel Dease. Sound design: Georgia Snudden. Sound editing and arrangement: Luke Rogers. Lighting design: Disa Swifte. Voice and text coach Sarah Chalmers. Chaika Theatre. ACT HUB. July 24 – August 4 2024. Bookings: Phone: 0402 809 762 Box Office

Cast: Steph Roberts, Cameron Thomas, James McMahon, Lily Welling, Richard Manning, Karen Vickery, Blue Hyslop, Jarrad West, Neil McLeod, Lachlan Herring.

Reviewed by Peter Wilkins

Karen Vickery as Elizabeth lst. Steph Roberts as MaryStuart

 

 Chaika Theatre’s production of Mary Stuart is must see theatre at its best. This is not only because of playwright Kate Mulvany’s riveting adaptation of Friedrich Schiller’s  nineteenth century play, Nor is is it just because of the remarkable performances of Steph Roberts and Karen Vickery in the roles of Mary Stuart and Elizabeth 1^st. Nor is it only because of Kathleen Kershaw’s imaginative design of a crucifix-stage in the intimate ACT HUB Theatre. Luke Rogers’ carefully orchestrated direction creates a seamless production that will have audiences on the edge of their seats, engrossed in the historical events of Mary Stuart’s incarceration and  the imagined meeting between two strong women.

Can=meron Thomas, Lily Welling, Steph Roberts and James McMahon

Mulvany tells of an experience in a supermarket when she noticed a magazine emblazoned with Royals in Turmoil. Kate versus Meaghan. Years before it had been Fergie versus Diana and even further back Elizabeth versus Margaret during the Peter Townshend scandal.  In the imagined meeting between Elizabeth l and Mary Stuart the battle rages , sister versus sister, woman versus woman, queen versus queen in a patriarchal society, where there is simply not enough room for one  woman of power, let alone two. Times have changed but we do not have to look far to see the injustice and the inequality meted out to women. There is an anger that ricochets through Mulvany’s adaptation. Mary voices it to her jailer Paulet ( a sympathetic and thoroughly convincing performance by Cameron Thomas). Elizabeth rages against her powerlessness before Lord Burleigh’s sinister wile. Richard Manning gives a chilling performance as Elizabeth’s manipulative and controlling Secretary of State. 

Karen Vickery as Elizabeth 1st.

Schiller’s play and Mulvany’s adaptation reflect the dominance of the patriarchal court. Whether that be Burleigh’s power as chief adviser or the sexual power of Elizabeth’s lover Robert Cecil (Jarrad West) or the wisdom of the aged Shrewsbury (Neil McLeod) it is the men to whom Elizabeth turns. Even in the opening scene she must consider marrying the French Duke of Anjou, whose emissary Aubespine (Blue Hyslop) awaits an answer.

And yet the real power of Mulvany’s adaptation  and the triumph of Chaika’s production lies in the scene between Elizabeth and Mary. Here they are equals, warriors and icons, cousins trapped in historical inevitability. Vickery and Roberts are brilliant as the powerful Gloriana and the imprisoned captive Queen of Scotland. During the nineteen years of captivity, Mary and Elizabeth never met. Schiller has imagined the meeting that they might have had and Mulvany uses their own words in the dialogue between them. Neither is a shrinking violet. They are equals - intellectual jousters, forces to be reckoned with, doomed by their time but uttering a cry for all women to understand: that there is enough room for two powerful women. Vickery runs the gamut from defiant survivor of an assassination attempt to sensual lover to conflicted monarch and tortured queen forced to choose, yet powerless to instruct her private secretary William Davison ( effectively played with awestruck nervousness by Lachlan Herring).To watch Vickery and Roberts play out the emotional rollercoaster of their characters is to witness two of Canberra’s finest actors. These are performances of high professional stature, ably supported by a fine cast under the perceptive direction of Luke Rogers.

Steph Roberts as Mary Stuart

Choice and consequence define the actions of Schiller’s characters. Mulvany’s powerfully resonant adaptation for our time is both an admonition and a cry for action and change. Ultimately that will rest as the play teaches us with the choices one makes and the consequences serve as a warning call to empowerment and emancipation

Although conceived in anger, Mulvany’s adaptation gives voice to all women. It asserts their power and recognizes their frailties. Mary’s final confession is as much a railing against injustice as it is an admission of the truths that give rise to the anger. Elizabeth’s outpouring of grief at the consequence of her prevarication is an assault on a society that still diminishes the power of the female population. This is especially timely as we witness the recent development in American politics.

Chaika’s production speaks profoundly to our time, four centuries after the historical events that inspired Schiller’s play and only a few years after Mulvany’s first female adaptation.  In ACT HUB’s intimate setting Chaika Theatre’s Mary Stuart is an explosive theatrical experience that will hold a mirror up to our age and provoke reflection on gender equality and the societal consequence of patriarchy. More than that, this production is a theatrical tour de force that will remain in your memory long after you have left the theatre. Don’t miss it.

 

MARY STUART

An adaptation by Kate Mulvaney after Friedrich Schiller

Directed by Luke Rogers

Chaika Theatre at the ACT Hub Theatre, Kingston to 3 August

 

Reviewed by Len Power 24 July 2024

 

The story of Mary, Queen Of Scots has been the subject of many books, films, plays and opera over the years. This version has been adapted by Kate Mulvaney from the 1800 play by the German author, Friedrich Schiller. Her version was staged in 2019 in Sydney.

The play starts towards the end of Mary Stuart’s long imprisonment in England. In the legendary rivalry between Elizabeth I and Mary Stuart, great forces are at play, with nations at stake and citizens ready to fight for the just cause. Mulvaney’s adaptation with its modern sensibility focusses on their personal conflict, finding a clever way to bring them dramatically together, even though they never actually met.

The large cast of ten bring this story vividly to life in director, Luke Rogers’ production. The production design by Kathleen Kershaw has the acting space in the form of a cross with the audience seated on both sides. This creates an intimacy between cast and onlookers, drawing us deeply into the play.

Performances by the cast members playing courtiers and others are effective, with especially fine work from Richard Manning as Burleigh, James McMahon as Mortimer, Cameron Thomas as Paulet and Jarrad West as Leicester.

Steph Roberts as Mary Stuart

In the leading roles of Queen Elizabeth and Mary Stuart, Karen Vickery and Steph Roberts are a great match for each other, giving their very different characters nobility, strength and colour as opposing queens while still appealing to us as troubled and real women.

Karen Vickery as Queen Elizabeth I

Mulvaney brings them together in a troubled, drunken dream by Elizabeth after a party. The dialogue in this long scene crackles with electricity and it’s the highlight of the play. Both actors give extraordinary performances in this key scene with never a false moment, making these women deeply human, not just dusty characters from history.

Costuming is a mix of modern day with a suggestion of the period and is quite effective. The sound design by Georgia Snudden provides a subtle soundscape with surprising, but apt, modern music for the party scene at the start of the second act.

Director, Luke Rogers, has brought all the elements of this handsome production together very well. It’s a great production like this that we always hope for when we go to the theatre.

Photos by Jane Duong 

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/.

 

Horizon

Bangarra Dance Theatre
Canberra Theatre Centre, season closed
Reviewed by Samara Purnell 

Photo by Vishal Pandey

“Kulka”, choreographed by Sami Townson, opened Bangarra’s Horizon. In a different format from previous shows, Horizon had an interval with separate dance acts. Beautiful, delicate and intricate costumes by Clair Parker had dancers clad in dark unitards, sheer in parts with what looked like shimmery scales. It kept them blended against a darkened backdrop and highlighted the sky-blue ruched dress of the feature dancer as they lifted her, often inverted, towards the sky and stars. Amy Flannery’s composition of melodic violins and singing accompanied the dancers. 

A tilted mirror hung at the back of the stage and running the full length of it reflected angular lines, bloodlines, being projected onto the stage, and a strikingly realistic effect of reflections and dancing in shimmering water. This drew the eye to and from the dancers with some things only visible in the mirror. The trio dancing Crocodile God was especially effective with the mirror and the beautiful unitards. Thumping beats and a contemporary style in Adrenaline closed the first act. 

“Kulka” is thematically centered around the Universal Mother, the wind, the stars and constellations and totems, primarily the crocodile, from the clans of the Saibai island in the Torres Strait. The dancing is presented with angular arms, a lot of lifts and carrying. The details of the dance vocabulary, shapes, gestures and personal references will only be known by the creatives, dancers and those who are told, but upon hearing about these post-show, the details and stories imbued in these dances becomes even richer.

“The Light Inside” was split into “Saltwater”, choreographed by Bangarra alumnus Deborah Brown whose inspiration was her mother’s stories and the sea. And “Fresh Water” choreographed by the CEO and AD of the New Zealand Dance Company, Moss Te Uruangi Patterson.

“Salt Water” depicted pearl-divers, with females in Jennifer Irwin’s sparkly soft-pink dresses and incredible, detailed costumes to include the jagged edges on sleeves of reefs, sails or breaking surf. A sparkling blue star danced against the night sky and the intriguing backdrop was revealed to be a stunning canvas that slowly rose from absolutely real-looking rocks along a beach, into a rock wall and mountains, even appearing wet, as Steve Francis and Brendon Boney’s soundscape of bells and waves gave way to rainfall. Emotional music in the final piece, with the dancers in soft, long, green and blue skirts and using palm fronds, segued perfectly into the New Zealand Wai Maori “Fresh Water” part of the performance.  

The arrival by sea to Aotearoa was depicted by whirlpools and The Lake of One Hundred Winds/Taupo Hau Rau. The glistening peaks around the lakes of Aotearoa’s central north island were the backdrop to these dances. 

Softer arms and rounded shapes were used in the choreography, surprisingly, as the haka calling on government to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi was depicted, in a highlight of the show. The sharp exhalations, the vocalisations and the stances were performed by both men and women with their bodies smeared with handprints like blood. Whilst the music was strong and rhythmic, the movements were actually quite graceful and less aggressive than often seen.

Photo by Vishal Pandey

Birth and death cycles tied in choreographically with earlier dances as a “new-born” is lifted and unfurled. Continuing with gender integration in most of the dances, a traditional story of Sacred Hair/Makawe Tapu was performed by a trio entwining their long hair to give Maui knowledge, strength and courage.  A meeting house frame formed in the ghostly mist and the dancers, in flowing, soft, ombre lilac skirts gently invoked the feminine deity, to connect, rest and be at peace, with the meeting of two waters.

Horizon is a mammoth task for the dancers, many of whom are new to the company. As well as being on stage for most of this production, they had to learn a myriad of dance languages and cultural references, working with three choreographers. Horizon is starkly different from previous shows, with a distinct shift to more contemporary choreography, integration of genders in the dances, a slightly different soundscape and the inclusion of the Maori stories.  

Thematically the production is tied together with a focus on the feminine, stars, sea, migration and homecomings. And in Moss’s words, “To hold onto the grace, wisdom and beauty…of the matriarchy.” The detailed, delicate and beautiful costumes were a real highlight. Horizons is richly melodic, visually sumptuous, textural and mesmerizing. Look across the horizon, where the sea meets sky and the heart meets home.

Image of curtain call by Samara Purnell

ECHOED VOICES - Siobhan Stagg & Nico de Villiers.

Nico de Villiers and Siobhan Stagg in "Echoed Voices"

Presented by NATIONAL OPERA – Albert Hall, Canberra July 19^th, 2024

Reviewed by BILL STEPHENS

A masterclass in recital presentation, this fascinating concert by Siobhan Stagg and Nico de Villiers at the beginning of their National tour offered  not only an evening of ravishing singing from Australian soprano, Siobhan Stagg, but also for many,  an absorbing introduction to the music of little-known composer, Richard Hageman.

Hageman was a Dutch-American conductor and Oscar-winning composer who commenced his career as a conductor of the Netherlands Opera before moving to Paris to work in the studio of renowned mezzo-soprano, Mathilde Marchesi, the teacher of many famous singers including Nellie Melba.

Eventually moving to New York to commence a 13-year engagement as conductor and coach at the Metropolitan Opera, before moving to Hollywood where he quickly established himself as an A-List composer, scoring films for directors of the ilk of John Ford and Frank Lloyd.

Of the six of his film scores nominated for Academy Awards, his score for the John Ford western Stagecoach in 1939 won him the Oscar. He actually appeared in several films, among them The Great Caruso with Mario Lanza (1951), New Orleans with Billie Holliday (1947) and Rhapsody with Elizabeth Taylor (1954).

These days his music is largely forgotten. A situation Stagg and de Villiers are intending to rectify with this tour.

Siobhan Stagg in "Echoed Voices".

After carving out an enviable International reputation for her vivacious performances in leading roles including Pamina in Die Zauberflote, Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier, Tytania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Gilda in Rigoletto, Musetta in La Boheme and Adele in Die Fledermaus for Deutsche Oper Berlin, Siobhan Stagg has gone on to appear in prestigious concert halls and opera houses around the world.

Among her many accolades is a Green Room Award for Best Female lead in an Opera for her performance as Melisande in Victorian Opera’s production of Pelleas et Melisand, and her break-out success originating the role of Cinderella in a lavish production of Cendrillon for the  Lyric Opera of Chicago.  Interestingly this very production of Cendrillon has just been announced by Opera Australia as it first production for its 2025, but with Emily Edwards playing the title role originated by Stagg. 

Siobhan Stagg as Cinderella at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.  Image by Todd Rosenberg.

All of this experience was evident in Stagg’s luminous performance in this recital entitled “Echoed Voices”, dedicated to the music of Richard Hageman, for which she was accompanied by Nico de Villiers, an accomplished South African pianist, coach and author, whose also one of the world’s foremost authorities on Hageman’s music.

Cleverly curated by Stagg and de Villiers, and narrated mainly by de Villiers, the program traced Hageman’s career through his songs.

Nico de Villiers and Siobhan Stagg in "Echoed Voices". 

Throughout the performance de Villiers would display his considerable gifts as a charming raconteur and teacher, by comparing Hageman’s compositions with composers Hageman admired, demonstrating with extracts from compositions to illustrate his point.  

The program was presented in six sections, some devoted entirely to the songs of Hageman and others including songs by Richard Strauss and Henri Duparc, two of the composers who had influenced Hageman.  

It proved a fascinating and rewarding concept adding significantly to the enjoyment and understanding of the work of all three composers.

Stagg proved as fascinating and accomplished as her publicity had promised.  Gifted with the ability to lose herself completely in the mood of each song, she would also maintain the moment long after the song had ended.

Following the enthusiastic applause which rewarded her vivacious rendition of Hageman’s “Miranda” and then the pensive “Die Stadt”, Stagg requested that the audience hold its applause until the end of each the section.

While this proved a little difficult for those aching to express their appreciation at the end of each exquisite rendition, the wisdom of her request was borne out with the realisation that, far from being an affectation, how this restraint contributed to the appreciation of relationship between each carefully chosen selection of songs.

The wide ranging repertoire allowed Stagg to demonstrate her flawless vocal range and technique, ranging effortlessly through limpid coloratura to warm lower register. It also showcased her charming stage presence and impressive acting ability, equally at home being the dazzling soubrette, the serene and pensive lover, or just plain silly as demonstrated in her delightful encore rendition of Hageman’s playful “Owl and the Pussycat”.

Nico de Villiers in "Echoed Voices". 

And of course it almost goes without saying that throughout all the above pleasures were provided with attentive, virtuoso accompaniment by her associate artist, Nico de Villiers.

Bravo to National Opera for its coup in attracting this glittering pair to the National Capital.

                                 Unless otherwise marked, all images by Peter Hislop

                        This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW.

HAMLET - Opera Australia

Allan Clayton (Hamlet) and the cast of  Opera Australia's production of "Hamlet"

Composed by Brett Dean – Libretto by Matthew Jocelyn

Conducted by Tim Anderson – Directed by Neil Armfield AO

Set Design by Ralph Myers – Costumes designed by Alice Babidge

Movement directed by Denni Sayers – Fight Director Nigel Poulton

Lighting designed by Jon Clark –Sound Designed by Bob Scott.

Joan Sutherland Theatre – Sydney Opera House July 20^th - to August 9^th, 2024

Opening night performance on 20^th July reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.

Allan Clayton (Hamlet) - Rod Gilfry (Claudius) - Kanen Breen (Polonius) - Catherine Carby (Gertrude) - and the cast of "Hamlet".

Premiered at the Glyndebourne Festival in 2017, with an all-Australian production team led by Neil Armfield, this production has since been performed at the Adelaide Festival in 2018, at the Metropolitan Opera in 2022, and most recently at the Munich Opera Festival in 2023.

Finally it is Sydney’s turn to experience what has been acclaimed as the most successful opera ever composed by an Australian.

Anyone who experiences this production is unlikely to dispute that claim. It has certainly been worth the wait, particularly with this cast of outstanding singers led by Allan Clayton as Hamlet and Rod Gilfry as Claudius in the roles they originated in that 2017 Glyndebourne premiere, and Lorina Gore repeating her Helpmann Award winning performance as Ophelia.

Catherine Carby (Gertrude) - Lorina Gore (Ophelia) in "Hamlet".

Although Matthew Jocelyn’s libretto utilises only about twenty percent of the text of Shakespeare’s play, the story-telling and character motivations are clear throughout. All the famous quotes from the play are there but not always sung by the characters for which Shakespeare wrote them, and while the opera is sung in English, surtitles are used to ensure that none of the lyrics are lost.

Neil Armfield’s production looks spectacular with an ingenious setting by Ralph Myers which becomes part of the story. Similarly Alice Babidge’s stylish costumes have a timeless elegance about them which supports the action without drawing attention away from the characters.

Armfield’s direction is deservedly admired, not only for the compelling characterisations he has encouraged from his singer, but for his  imaginative scene changes and the way he manages to maintain focus on the main protagonists while  moving the large chorus around the stage so efficiently that it is often a shock to realise that the chorus has left the stage.

Having the nobles wear white makeup gave them a slightly butoh-like appearance which removed them from the constraints of reality into a heightened theatrical world where their emotional excesses felt completely relatable especially in a world driven by the sounds of Brett Dean’s idiosyncratic and compelling  orchestral inventions.

This is not an opera that sends you off into the night humming the melodies. Brett Dean’s extraordinary score, brilliantly rendered by the Opera Australia Orchestra under Tim Anderson’s guidance, is so powerful and inventive that it becomes a sonic experience in its’s own right.

In addition to the large onstage chorus, eight additional singers performing as part of the orchestra but  situated high in the auditorium balconies, along with percussion and other instruments, contribute otherworldly noises in what is known as ‘extended vocal technique’.

Christopher Lowrey (Guildenstern) - Russell Harcourt (Rosencrantz) -  Allan Clayton (Hamlet) - Catherine Carby (Gertrude) - Rod Gilfrey (Claudius) - Kanen Breen (Polonius) - Lorina Gore (Ophelia) - Iain Hendersion (Player 3) - Jud Arthur (Player 1) and the cast of "Hamlet".

Following the only interval, the entire chorus sings from around the auditorium walls, creating an extraordinary surround-sound impression of being inside Hamlet’s head, while an onstage piano-accordionist helps create a heightened sense of chaos to Claudius’ reaction to the performance arranged by Hamlet to embarrass him in front of his guests.

Nor is the role’s creator, British tenor, Allan Clayton’s Hamlet a fey young man tugging at his forelock. This Hamlet is a maddeningly self-centred young man so occupied with his own grief as to be oblivious of the effect of his reckless actions on those around him.

Clayton’s towering performance is matched by that of Rod Gilfrey, returning to the role of Hamlet’s scheming stepfather, Claudius, which he also originated at Glyndebourne.

Lorina Gore (Ophelia) - Russell Harcourt (Rosencrantz) - Christopher Lowrey (Guildenstern) 

Watching Lorina Gore repeat her Helpmann Award-winning performance as Ophelia is an unnerving experience. Her superbly nuanced interpretation of Ophelia’s disintegration into madness at Hamlet’s rejection, especially in the second act when wrapped in her dead father’s jacket she writhes around the floor, is a performance to cherish for its bravery and commitment.

Similarly memorable was Catherine Carby as Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude.  Carby’s  beautifully burnished soprano and elegant bearing made her perfect casting in a role original performed in Adelaide by Cheryl Baker, then scheduled to be played this season by the late Jacqueline Dark, the memory of whom this season is dedicated.

Nicholas Jones (Laertes) - Catherine Carby (Gertrude)

Nicholas Jones is excellent as Ophelia’s brother, Laertes, as is Kanen Breen as the supercilious Polonius. Counter tenors, Russell Harcourt and Christopher Lowrey, delighted as the twittering duo, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, while Samuel Dundas offered a strongly sung, Horatio and Jud Arthur made the blood run cold with his haunting performances in dual roles as the Ghost of Old Hamlet, as well as the Grave digger.

Brett Dean’s “Hamlet” is a masterpiece of contemporary operatic composition, as is Neil Armfield’s conception and direction. This current production, featuring so many of the original cast and creatives offers a rare opportunity to experience the original, brilliant, well-honed production which has  not only been lauded around the world, but is also extraordinarily entertaining and compelling. For anyone with even a passing interest in the history of Opera in Australia, this season offers an opportunity that should not be missed.

                                                     Images by Keith Saunders.

                    This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW