AUTHOR: Paris Wages

Peter Pan Goes Wrong (gets it right!)

The Mischief Theatre production of Peter Pan Goes Wrong brings all the right moves in a festive romp of fun and mishap.  Don’t let the title fool you, this brilliantly written and directed production has little to do with the iconic character and everything to do with an intricately cohesive ensemble cast delivering unexpected laughs…Read More

Australian Ballet: Spartacus

The world premiere of the Australian Ballet’s new production of Spartacus brought a full house to its feet.  Director and choreographer Lucas Jervies along with his creative team have conjured a beast of a ballet brimming with savage beauty and violent passion.  Dynamic characters intertwine in an intricate plot set amidst a magnificent, sleek set.…Read More

Swan Lake on Ice

In a swirl of snowflakes and fire The Imperial Ice Stars bring an untraditional Swan Lake to spectacular heights.  Swan Lake on Ice is an enormously entertaining program bursting with unexpected delights. To begin with the task of transforming the State Theatre into an ice rink requires a sensational amount of effort.  More than 30 hours…Read More

Australian Ballet: Verve

What a privilege it was to behold the birth of a star at the Australian Ballet’s opening night performance of their modern dance program “Verve”. It is official, “emerging” choreographer and company dancer Alice Topp burst upon the world stage. There is something special about witnessing the blossoming of an artist whose talent has been…Read More

The Merry Widow

The champagne never goes flat in this delightful ode to romance and opulence. The Australian Ballet’s opening night of The Merry Widow, conducted by Simon Thew, showered audience members with a feast for the eyes, festive dancing and an unpretentious storyline. The setting is 1905 in Paris and the fictitious country of Pontevedro, not to…Read More

Australian Ballet: Symphony in C – review

Friday night’s performance of the Symphony in C program glistened with an eclectic mix of classical and contemporary works.    George Balanchine’s 1947 masterpiece Symphony in C premiered in Paris under the title Le Palais de Cristal and is a splendid example of a classical piece holding its own in the modern age. The intricate…Read More

The Sleeping Beauty

Artistic Director David McAllister’s production of The Sleeping Beauty opened like a gilded jewellery box sparkling with the beauty of a Peter Carl Fabergé treasure. With fine art I usually subscribe to the old adage “less is more”. Perhaps on Friday night it was the inner child in me screaming with delight “more is more!”…Read More

Nutcracker: The Story of Clara

An Australian classic continues to ring soundly 25 years on from its debut, but now, Graeme Murphy’s retelling of the most popular classical ballet of all time is uniquely Australian. Historically Nutcracker is set at Christmas time amidst a snowy backdrop of good-cheer and Yule logs burning on a hearth. Murphy’s Nutcracker is designed to…Read More

Australian Ballet: Faster

Last Friday night’s premiere of the Australian Ballet’s contemporary program, entitled “Faster” featured three quick-pulse dances. The opening number was choreographed by British dance maker David Bently. Faster was originally set in 2012 as a tribute to the London Olympics and is set to a composition by Matthew Hindson. The urgent, at times dissonant, score…Read More

Australian Ballet: Nijinsky

Opening night at the ballet has its traditions: champagne, haute couture, and high aesthetics. However exquisite and beautiful last Wednesday night proved to be, it was certainly not traditional. Great praise goes to Australian Ballet Artistic Director David McAllister for ushering in such a bold and ambitious work to Australia. Nijinsky is a daring production…Read More