Tag Archives: joshua robson productions

Review: The Addams Family: The Musical (Hayes Theatre)

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Venue: Hayes Theatre Co (Potts Point NSW), Jul 11 – Aug 9, 2026
Book: Marshall Brickman, Rick Elice
Music and Lyrics: Andrew Lippa
Director: Julia Robertson
Cast: Elliot Aitken, Deborah Galanos, Jenny Guigayoma, Erika Heynatz, Evan Lever, Rory O’Keeffe, Georgia Oom, Marcus Rivera, Alexander Tye, Teagan Wouters
Images by James Reiser

Theatre review
Wednesday Addams has invited a young man and his parents to dinner with her famously macabre clan. The Beinekes are devoutly conventional, so Wednesday has extracted solemn promises from everyone to behave, just for one evening. The Addams Family: The Musical does not succeed on the strength of its plotting; rather, it endures through the brilliance of characters first conceived by Charles Addams in 1938 for his single-panel cartoons, and subsequently immortalised through television and film. The book, in truth, frequently falls conspicuously flat, yet the sheer likeability of these iconic figures—combined with Andrew Lippa’s genuinely accomplished songwriting—renders the production a worthwhile entertainment. Director Julia Robertson shapes the material with astute precision, delivering a show that may not provoke uproarious laughter but sustains a steady, pleasurable amusement throughout.

Robertson’s direction is a thorough delight, marrying keen narrative instinct with an impeccable visual sensibility. Dann Barber’s production design is nothing short of spectacular, drawing inspiration from the classic television series to conjure a monochromatic palette that is at once ravishing and mischievous, its whimsy perfectly attuned to the world we are invited to inhabit. Barber’s sets and costumes do not merely trade in nostalgia; they have been thoughtfully modernised, achieving a contemporary inventiveness that proves deeply satisfying. Jasmine Rizk’s lighting maintains the spectral pallor for which the Addamses are renowned, yet remains endlessly dynamic—frequently, and quite unexpectedly, beautiful. Zander Gaal’s musical direction captures the extravagant spirit of these characters with richness and verve, though it is occasionally undermined by sound engineering whose technical execution proves inconsistent.

Among the sixteen-strong cast, several performances distinguish themselves. Erika Heynatz is every inch the vamp we remember Morticia to be, her physicality endlessly idiosyncratic whether centre stage or in the shadows, and she supplies precisely the quotient of camp without which no Addams Family production can survive. Evan Lever’s Uncle Fester is an undeniable scene-stealer; granted the evening’s finest material, he excavates every nuance to leave an indelible impression. Jenny Guigayoma’s Wednesday brings the house down with formidable vocal power, as does Marcus Rivera’s Gomez. Both are technically commanding, yet neither can quite transcend the pedestrian dialogue they are required to navigate.

In 1938, as fascism gathered its dreadful momentum and autocratic ideologies seduced the compliant masses, The Addams Family stood defiantly apart. They remain emblematic of resistance to rigid, polite codes of behaviour founded upon little more than nonsensical logic. The Addamses may revel in the peculiar, but at its heart this is a reach for authenticity—a conviction that we ought to regard convention with suspicion, interrogating what so rarely is, and recognising that it ultimately serves only the privileged few.

www.hayestheatre.com.au | www.jrpaustralia.com

Review: In The Heights (Sydney Opera House)

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Venue: Sydney Opera House (Sydney NSW), 20 Jul – 25 Aug, 2024
Music & Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Book: Quiara Alegria Hudes
Director: Luke Joslin
Cast: Barry Conrad, Steve Costi, Lena Cruz, Janet Dacal, Olivia Dacal, Tamara Foglia Castañeda, Ryan Gonzalez, Jervis Livelo, Alexander Palacio, Angela Rosero, Olivia Vásquez,  Richard Valdez
Images by Daniel Boud

Theatre review
Washington Heights in Upper Manhattan, is home to a Latin American community full of stories that speak specifically to the migrant experience of diasporas everywhere. In The Heights by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegria Hudes is approaching twenty years old, but the musical remains resonant with potent accuracy, in its depictions of our struggles and aspirations, as people trying to thrive in places that may not be completely accepting or hospitable.

Miranda’s music is an unequivocal pleasure, laden with Latinx rhythms that have us engrossed and uplifted. With exuberant musical direction by Victoria Falconer, each number grabs us with its scintillating percussion and sensual bassline, to deliver sensations that are celebratory and life-affirming.

Singing is of an excellent standard across the board, but characters are not always charismatic or indeed convincing. Memorable performers who save the show include Ryan Gonzalez, Janet Dacal and Richard Valdez who impress with their vocals as well as their acting, in addition to the magnetism they seem to wield so naturally.

Direction by Luke Joslin keeps proceedings at a stirring pace, and along with dazzling choreography by Amy Campbell, the audience is kept attentive and fascinated, but this iteration of In The Heights unfortunately lacks an emotional intensity, that can leave us feeling empty in moments where we expect poignancy.

The production is however visually appealing, with a colourful set design by Mason Browne creating dimensionality and depth that help us effortlessly imagine the different locations at which action takes place. Costumes by Keerthi Subramanyam convey authenticity, along with being flattering, to draw us into these personal tales of resilience and triumph. Lights by Jasmine Rizk are not always sufficiently energetic, but are remarkable for bringing surprising variety to the imagery being presented.

In The Heights can be thought of as a work about the American Dream, or simply about survival, of those who have had to overcome unusual hardship. The circumstances around people having to leave their homelands, are almost always difficult, and what they encounter at their various destinations, is certain to never be an easy ride. The intentional fostering of community then becomes a necessary part of life as migrants, if only for the benefit of those who come later.

www.hayestheatre.com.au | www.jrpaustralia.com

Review: Little Women (Hayes Theatre)

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Venue: Hayes Theatre Co (Potts Point NSW), Jul 12 – Aug 11, 2024
Book: Allan Knee
Music: Jason Howland
Lyrics: Mindi Dickstein
Director: Amy Campbell
Cast: Cameron Bajraktarevic-Hayward, Maddy Betts, Molly Bugeja, Peter Carroll, Emily Cascarino, Lawrence Hawkins, Vitoria Hronopoulos, Tisha Kelemen,  Kaori Maeda-Judge, Shannen Alyce Quan, Kurt Russo, Tyran Stig
Images by Grant Leslie

Theatre review
Jo is an aspiring writer in 1868 Massachussets, facing challenges due to her gender and class. It is decades before women obtain the right to vote, so to have career ambitions, and indeed to imagine herself as anything more than a wife and mother, is quite remarkable. Family, however, remains central to Jo’s concerns, as we see in this musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott much-loved novel, Little Women. Her mother and sisters form important threads in the narrative, of a young woman who has no qualms about deserving it all.

In a book by Allan Knee, we discover a slightly lacklustre plot assembled from a condensation of key events from Alcott’s story. Songs by Jason Howland and Mindi Dickstein are generic in style, although theatrically effective, and on occasion capable of being deeply moving. Direction by Amy Campbell excels at creating believable characters, and at making every scene engaging, for a show that many will find enjoyable. Visual aspects are less accomplished. Set design by Tanwee Shresta demonstrates admirable creativity, but struggles to evoke relevant time and place. Costumes by Lily Matelian too are imaginatively rendered, although not always flattering. Lights by Peter Rubie are mostly pragmatic in approach, only taking the opportunity to be conspicuous at the right moments.

In the lead role is the sensational Shannen Alyce Quan, powerful not only with their vocal abilities, but also with their depictions of Jo’s emotional dimensions, making a gregarious personality feel wonderfully vibrant and spirited, whilst remaining convincing as a woman from a bygone era. It is a strong cast that delivers Little Women, each performer dedicated and considered in their respective parts, and harmonious as an ensemble. The strong quality of singing is a highlight of the show, and along with music direction by Gianna Cheung, Little Women is a work of theatre that proves enjoyable, if not sufficiently poignant.

We love telling children, that they can be anything they wish when they grow up, but subliminal messages often convey something different. Girls especially, are indoctrinated all manner of restrictions that pertain especially to how we conceive of gender as a defining element in a person’s being. Not only do we continue to believe that men and women have different capacities, we insist on perpetuating the subjugation of one beneath the other. Even if Jo is able in her own mind to escape all that conditioning, there is only so much she can achieve, in 19th century USA where the sustenance of prevailing systems require that very imbalance of power. Jo would certainly have gone further in today’s improved circumstances, but disparities persist and many of her sisters will continue to not be able to shine.

www.hayestheatre.com.au | www.jrpaustralia.com

Review: Bonnie & Clyde (Hayes Theatre)

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Venue: Hayes Theatre Co (Potts Point NSW), 17 Jun – 17 Jul, 2022
Book: Ivan Menchall
Lyrics: Don Black
Music: Frank Wildhorn
Director: Sam Hooper
Cast: Teagan Wouters, Blake Appelqvist, Carlo Boumouglbay, Jonathan Chan, Darcy Fisher, Lewis Francis, Deborah Galanos, Milo Hartill, Kieran McGrath, Lucy Miller, William Motunuu, Sarah Murr, Caity Plummer, Sam Richardson, Luisa Scrofani, Jim Williams
Images by Grant Leslie

Theatre review

Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow lived a century ago in the United States of America, where they had become notorious robbers who killed a total of thirteen people through their exploits. Their names continue to hold cultural meaning today, thanks mainly to the 1967 Hollywood film Bonnie and Clyde, remembered for glamourising that historical entanglement, of crime and romance. This musical version first appeared in 2009, and ran for just 69 performances on Broadway in 2011.

On stage, the scandalous couple’s story seems to lose all its lustre. Their personalities become too nice, and their lawlessness is portrayed too innocently. The book by Ivan Menchall feels uninspired, demonstrating that little about the legendary narrative remains captivating. Directed by Sam Hooper, who brings along an unmistakeable earnestness to this revival, but struggles to make the show deliver enough thrills and spills, even with the presence of firearms throughout the piece.

The general look of the production is accomplished with a minimalist approach, that can feel somewhat unimaginative, and sparse. The songs in Bonnie and Clyde however, are enjoyable. Music direction by Zara Stanton keeps things classic and tight, with neat but lively instrumentations that help to sustain our attention. Vocals by lead performers Teagan Wouters and Blake Appelqvist are powerful ; both offering technical brilliance that successfully elevate these lesser known tunes. Characters in the show, however, never feel convincing, and the audience is never really able to invest meaningfully into any relationship or narrative.

It may seem that we have finally lost interest in old criminals like Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, but the truth is that we have simply shifted our admiration for the outlaw, to a different kind. In 2022, it is the billionaire maverick that has captured our attention. He does not have to wield guns or get his boots dirty. He simply fires off irresponsible tweets, and watch legions of fanboys fawn over his reckless behaviour. He uses his wealth and influence, to manipulate markets, bringing untold volatility to our economies. All because of his insatiable need, to look important and to feel virile.

www.hayestheatre.com.au