Tag Archives: theatre royal

Review: Pretty Woman (Theatre Royal)

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Venue: Theatre Royal (Sydney NSW), Nov 30, 2025 – Mar 1, 2026
Book: Garry Marshall, J.F. Lawton
Music & Lyrics: Bryan Adams, Jim Vallance
Director: Jerry Mitchell
Cast: Michelle Brasier, Ben Hall, Doug Hansell, Samantha Jade, Tim Omaji
Images by Daniel Boud

Theatre review
Vivian is a sex worker hired for a week by Edward, a corporate high-flyer briefly in town for business. The two appear to share almost nothing in common, save for an unspoken desire to abandon the very careers that have come to define them. Yet they spark instantly, and against all expectations, find themselves tumbling into a romance neither had anticipated. The musical adaptation of the 1990 blockbuster Pretty Woman retains all the swooning charm of the original, with a score by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance that lands comfortably within the Broadway tradition—perhaps not as indelibly memorable as the genre’s greatest hits, but melodic and satisfying all the same.

The production, directed by Jerry Mitchell, makes no attempt to reinvent the wheel, yet offers ample pleasures for those drawn to theatrical verve and straightforward sentimentality. Samantha Jade is an endearing Vivian, imbuing the role with a touch of soulfulness that helps counterbalance the show’s unmistakably sanitised veneer. As Edward, Ben Hall may be short on effortless charisma, but he delivers each vocal line with precision and grace. And where the central couple falls short in chemistry, Tim Omaji steps in with exuberance to spare; in his dual turns as Happy Man and Mr Thompson, he injects the evening with irresistible pizazz and a buoyant joie de vivre.

At its heart, Pretty Woman is a story about people who have stopped expecting anything good to come their way, and who suddenly find themselves confronted with the possibility of something better. Both Vivian and Edward begin from places of quiet resignation, navigating lives that feel predetermined and constrained. Their unlikely romance becomes a small but potent reminder that even in moments coloured by hopelessness, human connection can open a path toward renewal. The show’s enduring appeal lies in this simple promise: that love, however improbable, can interrupt despair and, just briefly, allow two lost souls to imagine a different future.

www.prettywomanthemusical.com.au

Review: The Lovers (Theatre Royal)

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Venue: Theatre Royal (Sydney NSW), Oct 31 – Nov 16, 2025
Book, Music & Lyrics: Laura Murphy
Director: Nick Skubu
Cast: Natalie Abbott, Jason Arrow, Jayme-Lee Hanekom, Loren Hunter, Stellar Perry, Mat Verevis
Images by Joel Devereux

Theatre review
Helena loves Demetrius, who only has eyes for Hermia, who happens to fancy Lysander—who, luckily, fancies her back. Into this romantic tangle stumble Oberon and Puck, whose antics send the entire affair spiralling into chaos. In The Lovers, Laura Murphy reimagines Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream as a pop-fuelled rom-com, and it proves a stroke of brilliance. Murphy’s songs are crafted with such wit and precision that an otherwise frivolous love polygon becomes something exuberant and uplifting—a celebration of desire, confusion, and the sheer delight of losing oneself in both.

Nick Skubij’s direction leans into the work’s pop sensibilities, resulting in a production that feels consistently sweet and effervescent. At times, his approach may lack a certain inventiveness or sense of play, yet there is an undeniable momentum that keeps the show engaging throughout. Isabel Hudson’s set and costumes are tasteful but somewhat pared back for a story so gleefully fantastical. Fortunately, Trent Suidgeest’s lavish lighting design and David Bergman’s refined video projections lend the staging a grandeur that transforms it into something visually majestic and memorable.

We meet a superbly cohesive cast of six, each performer brimming with talent and conviction. Natalie Abbott’s Helena and Stellar Perry’s Oberon prove especially magnetic—both returning from the 2022 production with a mastery that infuses every scene with confidence and flair. The vocal work throughout is first-rate, and under Heidi Maguire’s deft musical direction, the show achieves a gleam of polish that ensures it is the songs, above all, that continue to echo long after the curtain falls.

www.theloversmusical.com.au

Review: Shirley Valentine (Theatre Royal)

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Venue: Theatre Royal (Sydney NSW), Oct 22 – 26, 2025
Playwright: Willy Russell
Director: Lee Lewis
Cast: Natalie Bassingthwaighte
Images by Brett Boardman

Theatre review
Shirley is at home, drinking too much wine and talking to the walls. Once the devoted wife and mother to an ungrateful family, she now finds herself, at 42, confronting the emptiness that domestic duty has left behind. Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine (1986) still beats with the pulse of liberation, but its rhythm has softened. What was once piercingly funny and quietly radical now feels more quaint than provocative. The world has moved on, and so has the conversation about women’s liberation — though the play’s plea for self-possession remains universal, a reminder that the longing for selfhood, for the courage to live beyond the roles we are assigned, is timeless.

Lee Lewis’s direction proves almost too faithful to the original’s stylistic and philosophical blueprints, resulting in a production that feels somewhat restrained by contemporary standards. Still, it is a respectable staging — elegant, measured, and clear in its moral throughline. Simone Romaniuk’s set and costume design offer little in the way of reinvention, yet they convincingly evoke the dual worlds Shirley inhabits, from domestic confinement to sunlit escape. Paul Jackson’s lighting, unembellished but effective, complements Brady Watkins’s music and Marcello Lo Ricco’s sound design, both of which are finely judged in modulating the audience’s emotional terrain.

Natalie Bassingthwaighte’s natural charisma positions her perfectly for the role of Shirley. With impeccable timing and clear command of the material, she lends the one-woman show a sense of substance and confidence throughout. While she doesn’t entirely bridge the gap between the play’s dated sensibilities and a modern audience, her performance radiates authenticity, grounding the work with a valuable sense of integrity and emotional truth.

Shirley Valentine reflects not only the lives our mothers and grandmothers once led, but the continuum of feminist struggle that binds their stories to ours. It makes clear the extent of our progress, and the fragility of it — how readily it can unravel the moment we presume the fight has been won. Freedom, as ever, survives only in motion — and Shirley, we hope, is still forging ahead, still living out the promise of a brighter future.

www.shirleyvalentine.com.au

Review: Here You Come Again (Theatre Royal)

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Venue: Theatre Royal (Sydney NSW), Sep 12 – Oct 18, 2025
Creators: Bruce Vilanch, Gabriel Barre, Tricia Paoluccio
Director: Gabriel Barre
Cast: Laura Joy Bunting, Bailey Dunnage, Dash Kruck, Tricia Paoluccio, Kellie Rode, Andrew Worboys
Images by Cameron Grant

Theatre review
Kevin is down in the dumps—a middle-aged man stuck in his parents’ attic during the Covid lockdown, broke, and reeling from a breakup as his boyfriend calls it quits. Just when things couldn’t feel bleaker, his lifelong idol Dolly Parton materializes like a rhinestoned fairy godmother, offering comfort and counsel. Here You Come Again strings together Parton’s beloved hits—including classics like Jolene and 9 to 5—but while the music delights, the thinness of the narrative leaves us on the outside looking in, never quite drawing us into Kevin’s emotional journey.

Tricia Paoluccio proves herself a first-rate Dolly impersonator, embodying both the sound and sparkle of the country icon with uncanny precision. Even when the narrative drifts, she remains magnetic, a joy to behold as she brings Dolly to life before our eyes. Dash Kruck throws himself into Kevin with admirable energy and commitment, and although the role offers little to draw us in, his performance never lacks sincerity.

The production benefits from Paul Willis’s colourful sets and costumes, which provide a welcome visual lift, while Jason Bovaird’s lighting works earnestly to energise the stage. James Maxfield’s choreography, though conventional, maintains an appropriate sense of levity in keeping with Dolly’s signature style. Andrew Worboys’s musical direction too colours inside the lines, but in this case predictability proves a strength, allowing the songs’ familiarity to carry much of the show’s appeal.

Dolly Parton remains one of the most inspiring figures of our time, a beacon of kindness and generosity whose philanthropy has touched countless lives. For decades she has shone with unshakable dignity, never wavering in her integrity, always choosing to stand with the right causes, from the defence of queer rights to the battle against vaccine scepticism. More than anything, she has embodied the spirit of female emancipation, refusing to surrender the glamour and sensuality for which she was once mocked, and transforming them instead into instruments of power. Through talent as vast as her ambition, she has built a career of astonishing scope and wealth, yet still radiates the brilliance that first made her unforgettable.

www.hereyoucomeagain.com.au

Review: Cats (Theatre Royal)

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Venue: Theatre Royal (Sydney NSW), Jun 17 – Sep 6, 2025
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics: T.S. Eliot, Trevor Nunn, Richard Stilgoe
Director: Trevor Nunn
Cast: Leigh Archer, Jarrod Draper, Des Flanagan, Lucy Maunder, Todd McKenney, Gabriyel Thomas, Mark Vincent
Images by Daniel Boud

Theatre review
It’s time again for a Jellicle Ball, but no prizes for guessing who gets chosen to ascend to the Heaviside Layer. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats is now into its 45th year, and it may seem that what was for a long time passé and even embarrassing, is now once again au courant. Early synth music arrangements, and lyrical jazz choreography had become indicators of bad taste for perhaps more than two decades, but trends have evolved to a state where Cats seems to have firmly established itself today, as a true classic of the genre.

Dancers in the current Sydney production give the work an amazing sense of elevation; their agility and athletic capacities take our collective breath away. Axel Alvarez as Mr Mistoffelees, Chaska Halliday as Cassandra, and Claudia Hastings as Victoria, impress with incredible physical discipline, along with the fascinating characterisations they bring to their various feline manifestations.

The truly iconic Grizabella is played by a mesmerising Gabriyel Thomas, who brings much-needed gravity to her rendition of “Memory”. Jarrod Draper’s regal handsomeness as Munkustrap has us charmed and captivated, while effortlessly conveying authority as de facto leader of the pack. Mark Vincent’s commanding voice makes Old Deuteronomy a persuasive patriarch, and Todd McKenney’s whimsical turn as Asparagus proves a delight.

A work like Cats can easily feel a relic, but on this occasion there is more than nostalgia that it delivers. Performers are often charged with the responsibility of breathing life into something old, and when they succeed, the wonder inspired can be even greater than ever before.

www.catsthemusical.com.au

Review: And Then There Were None (Theatre Royal)

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Venue: Theatre Royal (Sydney NSW), May 3 – Jun 1, 2025
Playwright: Agatha Christie
Director: Robyn Nevin
Cast: Jack Bannister, Eden Falk, Jennifer Flowers, Nicholas Hammond, Mia Morrissey, Peter O’Brien, Christen O’Leary, Chris Parker, Anthony Phelan, Grant Piro, Tom Stokes
Images by Jeff Busby

Theatre review
Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None was, believe it or not, originally titled Ten Little N****rs at its time of publication in wartime 1939, but it is ten ostensibly white people who we witness to have descended upon an isolated island off the Devon coast, in South West England. The mysterious gathering proceeds to see its guests and staff killed off one by one, after the last boat has left.

The classic whodunit is given the most traditional of treatments by director Robyn Nevin, who brings polish to a tried-and-tested style of theatre presentation. Nothing is being reinvented, but the formula works well to have us involved in the crime-solving pleasure, that is characteristic of Christie’s oeuvre.

A lavish production design by Dale Ferguson transports us somewhere fabulously rich, with lights by Trudy Dalgleish adding to the glamorous imagery. Paul Charlier’s sound design helps to escalate tension, as the story moves along. The ensemble is cohesive and equally matched, although it may seem that performers are more effective rendering dramatic rather than comical aspects, of this Golden Age detective story.

Although approaching a century old, it is possible to perceive in And Then There Were None the perverse phenomenon of grievance by the wealthy, that is today so prominent a feature of our social ills. Like the victims invited to the Owens’ murderous mansion, we find ourselves subject to the absolutely unjustifiable vengeful actions of the wealthy, who very weirdly and perplexingly believe,  that their misery can be mended by inflicting all manner of punishment on us.

www.andthentherewerenone.com.au

Review: Hadestown (Theatre Royal)

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Venue: Theatre Royal (Sydney NSW), 12 Feb – 26 Apr, 2025
Music, Lyrics & Book: Anaïs Mitchell
Director: Rachel Chavkin
Cast: Abigail Adriano, Christine Anu, Noah Mullins, Sarah Murr, Elenoa Rokobaro, Adrian Tamburini, Jennifer Trijo, Imain Williams
Images by Lisa Tomasetti

Theatre review
In Hadestown, the musical retelling by Anaïs Mitchell of an ancient tale, Eurydice makes a deal with Hades for food and shelter. Even though she remains alive, Orpheus’ journey is no safer, as he ventures into the underworld trying to rescue his love. Having the spectacular Greek legend as a basis, means that this 2019 Broadway production contains all the ingredients for something not only fantastical but also sentimental, especially with Mitchell’s excellent song writing offering vivid access to the emotional dimensions of this complex story.

Director Rachel Chavkin’s staging is often mesmerising, delivering magical imagery that helps our consciousness traverse the bridge between reality and fantasy, to meaningfully encounter the supernatural aspects of Hadestown. Musical direction by Laura Tipoki bears a valuable idiosyncrasy that encourages us to respond with a commensurate sense of whimsy, but some of its execution can feel slightly restrained and sterile.

Playing the lovebirds are Abigail Adriano and Noah Mullins, both commendable for their visibly rigorous investment in the central romance. They bring a believability to the show, derived from their realistic portrayals of sheer humanity. Hades and Persephone are less compelling, as performed by Adrian Tamburini and Elenoa Rokobaro who exhibit technical proficiency, but whose portrayals of larger than life personas, feel somewhat superficial.

As Hermes, Christine Anu impresses with her unmitigated soulfulness, carried through voice, face and body, to make the truth resonate, in the midst of distracting frivolity. Fate is represented by the exceptional trio of Sarah Murr, Jennifer Trijo and Imani Williams, who demonstrate astonishing artistry and cohesiveness, in their embodiment of what is certainly one of the production’s most memorable elements.

In Hadestown we observe a love story, as well as a story about power. Hades could easily have orchestrated the union of Eurydice and Orpheus, but he chose not to. We are capable of cruelty as much as we are in need of tenderness. Humans are a myriad of shifting things, but a constant seems to be that we are contradictory. We have all seen the face of peace and love, yet the part of us that insists on jeopardising all that is good, seems always to be rearing its ugly head.

www.hadestown.com.au

Review: Six (Theatre Royal)

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Venue: Theatre Royal (Sydney NSW), 25 Oct – 28 Dec, 2024
Creators: Toby Marlow, Lucy Moss
Directors: Jamie Armitage, Lucy Moss
Cast: Chelsea Dawson, Kimberley Hodgson, Loren Hunter, Giorgia Kennedy, Deirdre Khoo, Zelia Rose Kitoko
Images by James D. Morgan

Theatre review
Henry VIII’s wives compete to determine who had suffered the most. Turning them into queens of pop, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’s 2017 musical Six configures these historical women into a contemporary girl group, to tell their tragic stories from the 16th century. A thoroughly exuberant work, with a particular youthful appeal, Six may not be able to say as much about feminism as it wishes, but Marlow and Moss’ proficiency at crafting pop perfection is undeniable.

Casting on this occasion is nothing short of exquisite, with each performer bringing colourful idiosyncrasy to the piece, yet introducing flawless chemistry to their efforts as a collective. Chelsea Dawson, Kimberley Hodgson, Loren Hunter, Giorgia Kennedy, Deirdre Khoo, and Zelia Rose Kitoko, are powerful as a team and individually endearing, all effortless at having us mesmerised with each of their moments at centre stage. The choice to deliver their lines in Australian accents proves a charming and memorable feature, for this revival of an enduring crowd-pleaser.

The musicians for this remount are similarly impeccable. Danielle Colligan, Claire Healy, Heidi Maguire, Ann Metry, and Kathryn Stammers are a formidable backup band, bringing unrelenting excitement, to a show determined to make us feel as though immersed in the setting of an arena concert. 

The king’s wives may have been dispensable and objectified, but we can try to remember them in new ways, with their agency intact. Much as conditions all those centuries ago had unquestionably deprived many of their freedoms, we can see in Six that it is possible to find alternate interpretations to narratives, if only to inspire defiance, for a culture that persists with its need to keep women down.

www.sixthemusical.com.au

Review: Frankenstein (Theatre Royal)

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Venue: Theatre Royal (Sydney NSW), 28 Sep – 13 Oct, 2024
Playwright: Nelle Lee (from the novel by Mary Shelley)
Director: Nick Skubij
Cast: Darcy Brown, Tony Cogin, Nick James, Anna Lise Phillips, Jeremiah Wray, Chloé Zuel
Images by Joel Devereux

Theatre review
It is with the most obsessive passion, that the scientist sets out to build his creature. It seems Mary Shelley had intuited that technology would simply march forward, whether the consequences are good or bad. Nelle Lee’s adaptation of Frankenstein provides a rich narrative, for an eventful piece of theatre. Unlike the original, it tends not to inspire much philosophical rumination, but there is certainly a lot of room for drama and spectacle.

Dynamic direction by Nick Skubij’s aims to provide a thrilling experience, and the production is indeed impressive with its unrelenting kineticism. It however neglects our need for emotional involvement until late in the piece, and when we begin to feel for the story,  it may be too little, too late.

Ambitious set design by Josh McIntosh keeps our senses enthralled, with Craig Wilkinson’s intensive video projections sometimes adding to the extravagance, but at other times making things look less than elegant. McIntosh’s work on costumes proves accomplished, and along with makeup by Steven Boyle, especially memorable for their combined rendering of the notorious Frankensteinian creature. Lights by Trent Suidgeest are striking, with a consistent flamboyance that really dazzles. Sounds and music by Guy Webster are wonderfully grand, always imbued with a sense of opulence that greatly enhances the show.

Actor Darcy Brown plays a very eccentric Victor Frankenstein, perhaps slightly too unrestrained on occasion, but nonetheless marvellous with the intensity being delivered. Jeremiah Wray is remarkable as the creature, astonishing with the physicality he brings to the role, and disarming with the sentimentality he delivers quite unsuspectingly, just when we begin to tire of the inexorable theatrical hullabaloo.

There is a karmic lesson fundamental to the meanings of Frankenstein; it appears that monsters can only be created by other monsters. It may also seem that monstrous behaviour can be unintentional, although it is infinitely more human, to cling to the belief that it is our resolve that means everything, that we must endeavour to do good, and that our vigilance is key to thwarting destructive aspects of our nature. 

www.frankensteinlive.com.au

Review: The Woman In Black (Theatre Royal)

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Venue: Theatre Royal (Sydney NSW), 30 Jul – 17 Aug, 2024
Playwright: Stephen Mallatratt (from the novel by Susan Hill)
Director: Robin Herford
Cast: Daniel MacPherson, John Waters
Images by Justin Nicholas

Theatre review
Junior solicitor Arthur Kipps has been summoned to a small town in the northeast of England, where he is to attend the funeral of a Mrs. Alice Drablow and settle her estate. There are very strange goings-on, and even though Arthur turns certain that a ghost haunts the mansion, he is drawn deep into its enigma, instead of choosing to leave at the first instance. Like Susan Hill’s novel The Woman in Black on which it is based, Stephen Mallatratt’s stage version of the same name, involves elements of horror to have us seduced and gripped.

Clever direction by Robin Herford has ensured the production’s longevity, having played continuously at venues around the world since its inception in 1987. Lights by Kevin Sleep and sounds by Sebastian Frost are masterfully designed, to manufacture  thrills and intrigue, in a staging memorable for the frights it so successfully delivers. Performances by John Waters and Daniel MacPherson are highly compelling, both actors innovative and adventurous, with a charming humour that keeps us simultaneously enthralled and revulsed.

Arthur is not the only person to be drawn to danger. As we see him brave the terrifying corridors of Eel Marsh House, we are initially confounded by his voluntary decision to send himself into jeopardy, but we also understand the nature of curiosity, and how our instincts can be easily lured by the promise of high stakes, precarious as it might be. Arthur really should have called it quits the moment he sensed that something was wrong, but his nature simply could not resist testing fate.

www.thewomaninblack.com.au