Tag Archives: 2025

Review: Ghost Quartet (Hayes Theatre)

Posted in Theatre by

Venue: Hayes Theatre Co (Potts Point NSW), Jan 8 – Feb 1, 2025
Music, Lyrics and Text: Dave Malloy
Director: Brandon Pape
Cast: Cameron Bajraktarevic-Hayward, David Butler, Hany Lee, Willow Sizer
Images by Angel WL

Theatre review
Dave Malloy seems to concede that Ghost Quartet is more a concept album than a work of theatre, with each song being preceded by the announcement of its “track number”. A highly fractured narrative makes it nigh on impossible to closely follow the story, but the eclectic music is undeniably enjoyable.

Direction by Brandon Pape delivers an occasionally haunting experience, but the show is mostly memorable for the warmth with which it showcases the cast of four. Cameron Bajraktarevic-Hayward, David Butler, Hany Lee and Willow Sizer bring exceptional musicianship to the performance, and along with brilliant sound engineering by Em-Jay Dwyer, we discover in Ghost Quartet to be a real treat for the ears. Sumptuous lighting design by Sidney Younger elevates the presentation so that it feels more than a concert, but it is doubtful if the work is truly satisfying for audiences with expectations of a conventional musical.

There are certainly more than a few manoeuvres that can be considered experimental in Ghost Quartet, and that artistic spirit is an admirable quality to encounter at any production. Whenever we talk about ghosts, it is hard to deny that it is ultimately the living that is always the real concern. It is an exercise in examining what has been left behind, just as we pay tribute to every work of art that attempts to push boundaries, and that propels us into new spaces. However much we may or may not enjoy it at the time it occurs, it is the artist’s imagination that offers suggestions for new ways of being, providing inspiration for us to move towards somewhere better than yesterday. 

www.hayestheatre.com.au | www.antipodestheatre.com

Review: Converted! (ATYP)

Posted in Theatre by

Venue: The Rebel Theatre (Sydney NSW), Jan 3 – 25 , 2025
Book: Vic Zerbst
Music & Lyrics: Vic Zerbst, Oliver John Cameron
Director: Hayden Tonazzi
Cast: Helen Dallimore, Paul Leandre Escorrido, Ashley Garner, Cassie Hamilton, Nat Jobe, Melody Kiptoo, Scarlet Lindsay, Teo Persechino, Megan Robinson, Redd Scott, Teo Vergara
Images by Daniel Boud

Theatre review
Teenagers at the “Fix Yourself!” camp are hoping to improve their self-esteem, but like most other places, an overbearing and stifling emphasis on heteronormative values, is instead deteriorating their sense of self worth. Converted! by Vic Zerbst and Oliver John Cameron is an often charming musical about queer youth, and their struggles in a world determined to negate and change their nature. The plot may on occasion be incoherent, but its idiosyncratic style and array of spirited tunes, help to keep us amused and attentive.

Vibrant direction by Hayden Tonazzi ensures that the show is consistently energetic and irrepressibly quirky. A cast brimming with sincerity passionately imparts its story, including performers Helen Dallimore and Nat Jobe who stand out for the comedic nuance they bring to their roles as camp counsellors. Music direction by Mark Chamberlain introduces variation to our experience of songs that could otherwise feel formulaic. Uncomplicated choreography by Jeremy Lloyd ensures a theatricality without compromising the natural movement of characters.

Whimsical set and costume designs by Savanna Wegman set the tone for this cheeky and cheerful presentation. Lights by Brockman give the production its polish, along with a captivating colourfulness that represents perfectly queer culture, and the tradition of defiance against banality that it exemplifies.

Pride is not only about individuals overcoming challenges. It pertains to the continuation of legacies, and the understanding that freedoms that have been won, remain under constant threat. Pride necessitates that we remember the monumental sacrifices that had been made, and that we are prepared to extend victories to all others who still have to fight for justice. Queers are fervent in celebrating our authenticities, if only to demonstrate that truth and integrity are never to be feared. 

www.atyp.com.au