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2025 Show round-up

Year in review: 2025
Cities covered: Sydney, Taipei, Kaohsiung

The year 2025 turned out to be another bumper year in terms of the shows we saw, ie. performing arts attendances, with more than 70 live events attended or participated in. In a year where more elaborate travel plans to Japan and South Korea were curtailed (where we had hoped to see more shows there over a 6-week period and instead limited it to just a week in Taiwan), we still managed to enjoy a varied and significant diet of plays, musicals, operas, concerts, dance and cabaret shows.

Are we too obsessed with theatre? Hardly. 

We’re merely taking advantage of the wonderful offering that we get in Sydney and beyond. There’s so much happening that it’s hard to know what’s worth seeing. We just love the way the performing arts, especially with live shows, takes us out of our insular bubble and allows us to inhabit the lives of others, allowing us into these situations vicariously, be it in a play, a musical, dance or even just listening to a piece of music that’s presented to us. Surely this must enhance our empathy, compassion and understanding for the lives of others, whether is a very different or similar existence to ours.

It sure helps to broaden the mind and connects us with other human beings, albeit in a more visceral and tangible way than, say, reading a book, watching a movie or listening to a recording. And the focus you pay in a live theatre situation ensures the response is more deeply felt, especially if the content is something new or an old piece done in a new relatable way.

Here’s to an even more fulfilling 2026 in terms of shows!

PLAYS

Eureka Day by American playwright Jonatha Spector which we saw at the Seymour Centre was a hoot. Not only was it engaging and contemporary for its very topical themes but also entertaining in the way it portrayed a group of board members of a school managing a health crisis. It provided an insight into how inflamed and unreasonable things could get when navigating the challenges and social ramifications of compulsory vaccination, set at a time just before the COVID pandemic made it a global reality. The production by Outhouse Theatre Co featured a strong ensemble cast led by Jamie Oxenbould and Katrina Retallick.

Shakespeare’s Coriolanus presented by the Bell Shakespeare Company was impressive and finally offered us the opportunity to see the company’s new venue at the Hickson Road wharf known as the Neilson Nutshell. Directed by Peter Evans and featuring an impressive cast, this production which re-contextualised and contemporised the work for a modern audience was simple but effective. We just loved the way a tastefully simple platform on castors could be slid back and forth within the linear performance space with raked audience seating on either side to create different scenes so seamlessly and effortlessly.

Shakespeare’s Henry V, also presented by the Bell Shakespeare Company at the SOH Drama Theare, was not as satisfying, although it was presented in a contemporary setting with interesting sets and costumes which we appreciated, as was the expanded use of French from the original script with use of surtitles. Our main and somewhat minor grouse was the inconsistent use of accents, especially when some French characters switched back to English and had strong French accents while others didn’t. We also thought the lead, JK Kazzi who played Henry was unsatisfactorily commanding physically nor vocally to be King.

Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible is Going to Happen at the SOH Playhouse. We couldn’t resist this show, which was on tour from the UK after a very well-received premiere the Edinburgh Festival. A one-man show written by Marcelo Dos Santos and featuring actor Samuel Barnett whom we loved in the History Boys movie. It was funny and entertaining.

New Theatre productions

The Laramie Project production by New Theatre was excellent and allowed us to finally see a live version of this classic piece about the tragic events that shocked the local community of the town Laramie in Wyoming back in 1998, when young Matthew Shephard was brutally beaten and left for dead hung like a scarecrow on a farm fence, only to survive, be found alive and then spend several days in hospital before succumbing to his fatal injuries. With creative sets and a formidable cast, this play—written by Moises Kaufman and workshopped by the Tectonic Theatre Project—was brought to life again and delivered as a non-judgemental, balanced but nevertheless shocking realisation of how such a heinous act of violence and hate could have rocked and shocked a quiet little town.

King, also at the New Theatre, was part of the of the Sydney Fringe Festival following a run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This was a visiting one-woman show by Singapore’s Jo Tan. It was a refreshing a clever piece that spoke of gender identity, from a straight person’s perspective through the protagonist’s use of male cross-dressing to come out of her shell and to deal with gender stereotypes and bigotry.

The Flea, which we also saw at the New Theatre, was written by James Fritz, and first premiered at The Yard Theatre in Hackney Wick in 2023. It is based on the Cleveland Street Scandal which occurred in 1889 when the police discovered a homosexual brothel. The scandal involved the rumour that Prince Albert Victor (aka Eddie), the eldest son of the Prince of Wales and second-in-line to the British throne, had visited the brothel, though this was never substantiated. It was all very entertaining and totally relatable, especially when seen in the currency of the de-princifying of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor (the other celebrity formerly known as Prince) and his alleged paedophilic predilections and awkward recurring entanglement with the never-to-be-put-to-rest Epstein Files.

Flighpath Theatre productions

There were thankfully more hits than misses at Flightpath Theatre, our other local community theatre venue that’s located close to our home in the Inner West.

Turpentine, a five-hander Gothic piece set in the Victorian period was so unengaging and badly written and performed it was the first show in a very long while which we felt compelled to walk out of at interval. Never mind the inevitable revelation at the end, and enough of the bad accents and overly mannered course acting, we decided a strong drink at home was the better option for a second half!

Lost & Finding, a fantastical and interactive show created and directed by Emma Van Veen was delightful. With an assortment of endearing puppets and lots of audience participation, it was highly entertaining and should have the potential of captivating a wider audience, if it was tightened up and made slightly less adult in its content. For their magical and transformative set designs, Hannah Tayler and Paris Bell deservedly received a Sydney Theatre Awards nomination for an independent production.

Two Hearts, a three-hander written by Laura Lethlean, was also enjoyable at Flightpath Theatre. It was a simple but well-executed drama about a young couple’s poetic journey into love, connection and the complexities of relationships, handled deftly by director Kirsty Semaan and young acting talents Danette Potgieter, Yarno Rohling and Lisa Hanssens.

The double bill of Run Rabbit / Melon, also at Flightpath Theatre, was interesting. It was our first time seeing two one-woman plays back-to-back and they couldn’t have been more different. Victoria Abbott, from NZ who wrote and acted in Run Rabbit, worked her butt off telling her personal story which covered strong themes of womanhood, feminism and family lineage through multiple characters and a large element of audience interaction. It was entertaining and engaging, even if too over the top. Melon, in sharp contrast, was much darker in tone and subject matter, with Amber Gilmore equally enthralling the audience with her tale of drug addiction and recovery, as she and her best friend Abby tried to extricate themselves from the clutches of their bullying dealer Mitch. It’s nothing less than a jaw-dropping moment when you finally realise why the play is called Melon!

Instructions for Correct Assembly by British playwright Thomas Eccleshare was the other provocative play we attended at Flightpath Theatre. It had its premiere at London’s Royal Court back in 2018 comprising an illustrious cast which included Mark Bonnar, Brian Vernel and Jane Horrocks. This modest Sydney production featured a very competent cast of six who brought out quite effectively the laugh-out-loud humour as well as the emotional aspects of the writing. The interesting premise for the story involved a couple, Hari and Max, who purchase a build-at-home artificially intelligent replacement son for the one who died, and he manages to thrust them into a fascinating world of programming, socialising, essentially reassembling an alternative future they had lost.

Belvoir St Theatre productions

Among the plays we saw at Belvoir this year, Jacky by playwright Declan Furber Gillick was probably the standout for us. As a contemporary piece dealing with the challenges of a young aboriginal man struggling to find his way in the ruthless world of corporate tokenism, cultural authenticity, human honesty and sexual ambiguity, it was engaging, fresh and honest. The small ensemble cast of four were superb, including Guy Simon, Danny Howard, Greg Stone and everyone’s favourite Mandy “Rhonda” McElhinney.  

Grief is The Thing with Features was the other Belvoir production that was very well received. It was a stage adaptation of Max Porter’s bestselling novel about a father and his two young sons coming to grips with the loss of their mother. Dad has the soul of a poet and uses the poetry of Ted Hughes, including one of his characters, the Crow, to find a way a way forward. Directed by Simon Phillips, with Toby Schmitz alternating as both Dad and Crow, it was all rather moving.

Song of First Desire, also at Belvoir was Andrew Bovell’s latest play which is set in 1968 Madrid and the present. Written for an acclaimed theatre collective and premiered in Madrid in 2023, this is its English version transfer to Australia. Having enjoyed Bovell’s screenwriting in notable Australian movies such as Lantana, Head On, Strictly Ballroom, The Book of Revelation and Blessed, we came with expectations and were not disappointed. It was a hard-hitting piece with complex characters, convoluted relationships and timelines, all set against an overriding backdrop of fear and violence in a challenging historical political context. Directed by Neil Armfield, it was gritty and affection. However, it was unsatisfactory and somewhat unsettling in the casting who, although formidable in their choice, resulted in a disturbing and inconsistent use of accents which was an unnecessary distraction to the already complicated storytelling, when the two male actors were imported Spanish actors with very strong “foreign” accents while the two female actors in sharp, awkward contrast were Australian with more familiar sounding accents.

I & You at Belvoir Downstairs was a beautiful little piece presented in the A25 series and the Mad March Hare Theatre Company. American playwright Lauren Gunderson’s 75-minute-long two-hander was performed by a likeable young cast who managed to convey the gamut of emotions, from teenage awkwardness to unencumbered exuberance, youthful ignorance to unexpected soulful wisdom. It was totally believable and the characters smart and charming, which had us smiling, laughing, cringing and crying by the end

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Ensemble Theatre productions

Primary Trust, written by Eboni Booth and directed by Darren Yap was our favourite of the three plays we attended at the Ensemble Theatre this year. Having won the Pulitzer Prize and hailed as The New York Times’ Critic’s Pick, it was a charming and life-affirming piece about recovering from life’s traumas. Kenneth, a 38-year-old bookstore worker who spends his evenings sipping a mai tai (or two) with his best friend Bert. Confronted with an untimely layoff, he’s forced to embark on a life-changing move that requires him to snap out of his comfortable routine. Albert Mwangi’s Kenneth was played with much earnest and to perfection (which got him a deserved Sydney Theatre Awards nomination). We came away thinking that you only need to be surrounded by some good friends who are kind, patient, willing to forgive and offer you some understanding in your moment of need. That’s what DEI is all about; acknowledging that we all do contribute in our own way, even if we are different, have varying levels of setbacks and may need a warm hand of compassion every now and then.

True West, Sam Shepard’s 1980 play which we also saw at the Ensemble Theatre explored the deeper connection between two seemingly contrasting brothers, only to eventually descend into farce and raw savagery where basic civility has departed. Although it had great production values overall, with some tight ensemble acting, we found the content somewhat unsatisfying. The reversal of roles and dramatic tension was often gripping and palpable (especially when sitting in the front row), the story didn’t seem to climax or arrive or resolve, unlike the more recently written Primary Trust. Perhaps this genre, so popular in the 80s may have outlived its appeal in today’s theatre sensibilities.

How to Plot a Hit in Two Days at the Ensemble Theatre was terribly funny and moving at times. This fictional play by Melanie Tait makes use of a significant plot even from an old Australian prime time TV soap, A Country Practice, as the basis to explore how the writers would plot to kill of a character from the show who has opted to leave the series. All five characters were well fleshed out and portrayed by an able cast which included theatre stalwarts Genevieve Lemon, Sean O’Shea and Georgie Parker, who coincidentally had a part in the TV show, albeit one unrelated to the characters in this play.

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Bits and bobs

Gravity was our second show at the Qtopia’s newish and intimate Loading Dock Theatre. This was a three-hander about a straight man with a wife who suddenly finds himself attracted to another man after 10 years of marriage. And then he desperately tries to find a practical way to continuing enjoying his relationship with both, on the pretext of wanting to be honest. It was  

Whitefella Yella Tree which we saw at Sydney Theatre Company’s Wharf Theatre was an encore production of this debut play by Palawa playwright Dylan Van Den Berg following a celebrated premiere at Griffin Theatre Company. What was meant to be an aboriginal story of gay love somehow seemed caught in the centre (as opposed to a mere backdrop) of a more prominent retelling of the colonial invasion story, where whitefella and his culture appears to be what held them back, never mind their own aboriginal culture would have been equally condemning of same-sex love. So, the mythical tale ends with a depressing cop-out ending, as did the musical Once on This Island (see below) with the star-crossed lovers becoming immortalised as trees. No one is left hopeful or the wiser for how it might have or could be instead. Perhaps if this tale of forbidden aboriginal gay love had been reset in a modern, contemporary setting, and relevant to today’s politics and sensibilities, it might have been more powerful and potent.

IRL at the KXT (Kings Cross Theatre) was fun and thought-provoking. Written by Lewis Trestin, the play centred on a gay 17-year-old cosplayer with a mild Disney Princess obsession, a TV celebrity as their best friend and a first date with a guy they just met online. It was an intriguing exploration of false identity and authenticity in a make-believe world colliding with the real-life experience (hence the title). It was perhaps a little rough on the edges for a third preview that we caught but no one could fault the stellar young cast from giving it their all in a rather physically demanding performance. We should try and see more at the KXT.

Peter and the Starcatcher at Capitol Theatre was generally a disappointment. Having heard about this play in its successful 2009 Broadway premiere, we were keen to see what it was all about. Based on the 2004 novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson and adapted for the stage by Rick Elice, this play provides a backstory for the characters of Peter Pan, Mrs Darling, Tinker Bell and Hook. This version was campy, light-hearted and nonsensical, silly fun, made magical with some “starstuff” and lots of heart. It was almost like a Wild Rice pantomime but minus the Singlish. But it wasn’t quite our cup of tea, so it ended up just being one to smile politely at and tick off the long list of plays to see.

Trophy Boys at Riverside Theatres Parramatta was enjoyable. Written by actor Emmanuelle Mattana at the age of 21, this play debuted in 2022 at Melbourne’s La Mama and has since had sell-out local seasons as well as a twice-extended off-Broadway run directed by Danya Taymor and featuring the writer herself in the cast. This one we saw was a return East Coast victory lap of the original production directed by Marni Mount. It’s about the all-boys debating team from an elite school ready to annihilate their sister school rivals until an awkward news item breaks involving a member of the team. It’s a queer black comedy about power, privilege, toxic masculinity, misogyny and homophobia of Australia’s elite private boys’ schools and, of course, debating with an added role reversal twist of girls playing the boys. Inspired by the real-life situation where former Attorney-General Christian Porter was accused of rape at a high school debating tournament in Sydney in the 1980s. His accuser victim later died by suicide and Porter conveniently faced no lasting consequences apart from, perhaps, a ruined political career.

MUSICALS

Musical adaptations of films & books

Titanique was an outrageous romp, an absurdist and campy riot of a jukebox musical featuring the songs of Celine Dion to parody the 1997 film about the sinking of the famous unsinkable ship. It was lewd, rude, irreverent and had us shrieking and tearing away in uncontrolled fits of laughter.

Back to the Future the Musical at the Lyric Theatre drew us mainly for the special effects and we weren’t disappointed, with clever lighting and projects used to simulate an electric storm and allowing the famous DeLorean car to seemingly travel through space and time. Being familiar with the movie starring Michael J Fox, it was nice to see Axel Duffy who played Marty McFly very convincingly channelling Fox and his unique mannerisms. Roger Bart, while vocally and dramatically competent, didn’t quite exude the same eccentricity as Christopher Lloyd who was the film’s Doc Emmett Brown. The music and lyrics by Alan Silvestri weren’t memorable and the standout hit song from the movie, The Power of Love thankfully anchored the show. 

Pretty Woman the Musical, at Theatre Royal, was the other film to musical adaptation we saw was which was also good fun and a bigger crowd pleaser than some other film-to-musical stage adaptations. However, while slick and elaborate in production values, it wasn’t memorable enough that we’d want to see it again. The story is what it is, and some of the production numbers and scene transitions were outstanding and appeared to be crowd-leasing. But overall slick production values couldn’t quite make up for what might be just an untimely adaption of what was considered then a contemporised version of the Cinderella tale 35 years ago. 

Samatha Jade as Julia Roberts playing Vivian Ward wasn’t entirely convincing in terms of the charisma originally portrayed by Roberts which defined the film. And Ben Hall as Richard Gere playing Edward Lewis had it easier, helped by and rooted by his more pleasant singing voice. New songs by Bryan Adams and Jim Vance were suitably evocative and the familiar Roy Obison song Pretty Woman only made an almost after-thought appearance in the curtain call. Perhaps the sentiments conveyed in song and dance may not reflect or be quite in sync with current social sensibilities. Are we allowed to be naïve enough to believe that a hooker’s fairy tale ending come true by simply being pretty, good hearted and emotionally vulnerable? Let’s see if enough Australian audiences think so.

Established musicals

Our third time watching the hit show Hamilton was just as enjoyable. This was the Australian production’s return run to the Lyric Theatre after a successful tour. We were lucky to win the lottery yet again and we enjoyed watching the action in detail from up front, near the stage. The added experience was seeing our friend Vanessa playing violin in the orchestral pit from these seats. Although the lead playing Hamilton was the same as the previous time, it was interesting to see the cover for Aaron Burr (Winston Hillyer) step into the role for the first time and a different actress (Vidya Makan) play Eliza; both performing exceedingly well to more than meet the triple-threat demands of these major roles.

Once on an Island at the Hayes Theatre was a musical we were motivated to see, mainly because it was one of prominent musical writing duo Ahrens and Flaherty’s (Ragtime, Seussical) earlier works. The songs showed promise but were unmemorable. While there were many things to like about the elaborate small-scale production, there were a few disappointing aspects. Perhaps through the production and direction choices made, this show came across as a bad case of cultural appropriation; the familiar Little Mermaid tale landing in a most unsatisfactory ending while the four bumbling and shrieking gods couldn’t get their act together (as expected) to help steer a more endearing or meaningful outcome from the two star-crossed lovers. Ensemble acting was good but some of the leads (including main character Ti Moune) came across as shouting from the get-go, possibly due to poor sound engineering in a confined space. Inexcusable, given this was three weeks into the show’s run. Costumes (by Rita Naidu) were all over the place; stylistically uncoordinated and painfully inconsistent. While the setting of the story may not have been a specific island location, it still needed to be placed in a particular location, culture and time, especially with a defined French colonial background established in the script.    

Supporting youth & student productions

Converted!, the musical comedy by Australia Theatre for Young People (ATYP) which was part of the Sydney Festival was a hilarious and uplifting and affirming show about a conversion therapy camp disguised as a “Fix Yourself!” camp for low-self-esteem-teens. Not just about LGBTI issues, this show written by Vic Zerbst and Oliver John Cameron was a powerful (and entertaining) way of exploring a sense of identity, belonging and the complexities of growing up n a world insistent on judging and fitting everyone into boxes and labels.  

The student production of Maury Yeston’s Nine at NIDA was interesting. It used the trendy but relevant live cine-theatre technique to reinforce the filmmaker context of main character Contini’s tormented grapple with his art, love and life. Unfortunately, it was let down by some limiting casting choices among the acting student cohort in the leads who weren’t up to the triple threat singing-acting-dancing requirements of the roles.

Flora the Red Menace, one of Kander and Ebb’s early works, was the other more successful student production we saq. It was presented by musical theatre students from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Despite the limited staging resources and only a piano accompaniment it was enjoyable and well-performed. It was also easy to see why the communist content of the story—which gave Liza Minelli her first break along with a Tony Award on Broadway—is hardly ever revived anymore.

Other musicals

Wuthering Heights at the Roslyn Packer Theatre was an impressive musical adaptation of the classic Gothic novel by Emily Bronte. Written by Emma Rice, this was an imported National Theatre production on tour following a successful run in the UK. It was well-written, directed and presented by an excellent ensemble cast of singer-actor-dancers and musicians who worked very hard on stage to convincingly portray the well-known drama of passionate and destructive love between Catherine Earnshaw and the brooding Heathcliff, and orphan brought to her family’s Yorkshire in 19th century England.   

Bloom was a charming musical presented jointly by Sydney Theatre Company and Melbourne Theatre Company. Directed by Dean Bryant with music by Katie Weston (in her debut musical writing) and book by Tom Gleisner. Set in an aged care home, it centred around the relationship between the quirky residents, a youthful intern (lured into part-time work with the seniors by management for cheap lodging) and the care staff and management. All very well-intentioned and endearing, but it lacked punch and was especially let down by the music which often did not enhance the storytelling.

The Frogs, at New Theatre, was entertaining. With a subtitle like “In Hell They Sing Showtunes”, you knew you were going to be in for a whacky time of song, dance and farce. Originally penned in 405 BCE by Aristophanes, The Frogs is a political satire that has survived over two millennia; no small feat for a comedy about the afterlife which has been adapted and revived many times, most famously by Stephen Sondheim in his 1974 musical version. This version, directed and adapted by Alex Kendall Robson was commendable. It was entertaining, felt appropriately improvised with the entire able cast totally committed with their course acting a\\nd over-the-top vaudeville humour and execution.

Menopause the Musical at the State Theatre was also entertaining and good fun but less satisfying. Amusing as it was, the show came across as a non-stop string of cliches and predictable jokes. It has probably outlived its time, having premiered in 2001, and while we did chuckle here and there, it left us unmoved. The audience comprised mostly women on a hen’s night out, many of whom continued to text throughout the show and insisted on downing their prosecco and noisy packs of crisps at the quietest moments!

The Lovers was a second production of Laura Murphy’s musical based on Shakespear’s A Misdummer Night’s Dream, which had its premiere in by the Bell Shakespeare Company back in 2022. Re-conceived by director Nick Skibij for Shake & Stir Theatre Company and the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) for this year’s Brisbane Festival, it returned to Sydney for a brief run at Theatre Royal. It was fun and uplifting on the whole, with the cast of thousands in the play distilled into a small cast of 6. Along with 4 musicians, they worked their asses off delivering an updated and simplified version of the story. Visual design, including sets, lighting, and projection design were brilliant, ie. eye-catching and captivating. Sound design was efficacious. Complementing the sophistication of the visuals. The double stage-revolve worked well. The contemporary writing ensured it appealed to a wide audience, both young and old. It was reminiscent of & Juliet, which similarly recontextualised a classic tale from the Bard.

We Aren’t Kids Anymore at Qtopia’s Loading Dock Theatre was a charming intimate musical based on Drew Gasparini’s theatrical song cycle which explores the deeply human experience of never truly feeling grown up. It was promising, having heard the album of songs before attending the show. However, we weren’t particularly bowled over by the production which was low key and came across as somewhat amateur. Staging, costumes and singing were uneven and competent at best. Perhaps it was the writing itself, which didn’t have enough of a narrative and direction (or lack of it) which didn’t satisfactorily play up the drama of each of the 5 characters telling us their stories. Balance between the pre-recorded band accompaniment and singers wasn’t great and diction wasn’t clear when the singing was at the lower register such that much of the test was eaten up. 

No Love Songs at the Foundry Theatre was a show which delivered an emotional punch with its heartfelt songs by Kyle Flaconer which took you on a difficult and challenging love story. Lucy Maunder (whose proud mother we chatted with briefly before the show) and Keegan Joyce were brilliant, as was the lone keyboardist on stage. Our main criticism was technical; that it needed better coordination with sound and use of handheld microphones which meant the sound levels wavered whenever they were acting and dropped off the mics. Also, even with an emotionally charged and daring storyline featuring challenging subject-matter, it became predictable at some point and could have done with some cleverness in presenting the alternative outcome had Lana stopped Jessie going off on tour and abandoning her and the little one at a most vulnerable time.

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Four OA musicals

The financially embattled Opera Australia (OA), having chalked up huge losses and lost both their CEO and artistic director and then Board Chairman in quick succession, decided to present four hopefully money-spinning musicals as part of their 2025 season and we got to attend them all.

Candide, Leonard Bernstein’s operetta based on Voltaire’s1758 novella was an enjoyable romp. Directed by Dean Bryant (for both Victorian Opera and Opera Australia) and conducted by our beloved Brett Weymark (who previously conducted it for Sydney Philharmonia’s own unstaged production in 2019), it was well-staged and well-sung by an able cast. Annie Aitken sparkled as Cunegonde, especially in her rendition of that fiendishly difficult “Glitter and Be Gay” and Eddie Perfect was, uh, perfect as Pangloss with Lyndon Watt (whom we previously saw playing Aaron Burr in Hamilton) was a splendid Candide. 

OA’s Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour (HOSH) offering this year was an outdoor revival of Kander and Ebb’s, Guys and Dolls. Having seen an exceptional immersive production directed by Nicholas Hytner at the London’s Bridge Theatre last year, we were at first hesitant to attend yet another production of this old classic. Directed by Shaun Rennie in a larger-than-life setting for the massive outdoor stage, it featured an oversized car and giant dice which worked a treat. Despite having bad luck with the weather and sitting though parts of the show in rather heavy rain, we managed to enjoy it.

Rent by Jonathan Larson, also directed by Shaun Rennie at the SOH Joan Sutherland Theatre, was Opera Australia’s main stage musical offering. I missed out on this one when Ban-Foo attended opening night as an ex-colleague’s plus one. I didn’t mind as we’d already seen an earlier version at the Hayes Theatre in 2015 also directed by Rennie and this was probably a dialled up version with a bigger budget.

Here’s what Ban-Foo wrote after the show: Rent is one of my favourite musicals. 27 years ago when I fest saw it in London, after it had just transferred from Broadway with most the original cast. The production was raw, edge and relevant. Tonight, sadly, while watching the show, it stuck me that that painful period in LGBT history may not be totally relatable for the young audience in the theatre. This was corroborated by the couple I spoke to on the train home, who also attended tonight’s show. They said they couldn’t bring themselves to watch the first Australian production of Rent back in 1998, because everything was still raw for them; they were attending a funeral every two weeks at the worst point of the epidemic in Australia.

The cast for Hadestown in songwriter Anais Mitchel’s contemporary retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, which we saw at Theatre Royal, were outstanding. Set and inspired by early-20th-century New Orleans-style jazz bars and an underground factory world, the cast included Christine Anu as Hermes, operatic baritone Adrian Tamburini as Hades, young talents Afua Adjei as Euridice and Noah Mullins as Orpheus. The production was tight and featured great singing from other well-known local musical names we’ve seen in many other shows, such as Elenoa Rokobaro as Persephone, Sarah Murr, Jennifer Trijo and Imani Williams as the three Fates.

OPERA

Contemporary opera

It was a drought of a year for us where opera was concerned, managing a single opera and it was a stunning production. Aphrodite, by American composer Nico Muhly was premiered by Sydney Chamber Opera at Carriageworks. Directed by Alexander Berlage with Jack Symonds conducting the Omega Ensemble, and so well performed by Jessica O’Donoghue and Meechot Marrero, it was beautifully executed with elements of cine theatre which merged live and prerecorded footage to create an unexpected visualisation of the drama that unfolded.

The only other opera-related event I attended was the album launch of Undead at The Church (a venue run by Phoenix Central Park). This was the solo album of contemporary operative arias recorded by soprano Jessica O’Donoghue, with piano accompaniment by Jack Symonds. The two performers took turns to introduce the pieces and were very candid (especially Jessica O’Donoghue) about how the artform and local opera industry still had a lot of catching up to do in terms of telling relevant and current human stories. Especially prominent in the album playlist were works written by women for women and addressing other elements of social diversity which the mainstream companies fail to do in reviving works caught in outdated times and social values.  

CONCERTS

Contemporary music

We attended several great concerts and Jacob Collier’s Djesse Vol.4 World Tour was one of the highlights of the year. Having attended his previous concert in Sydney (at the Enmore Theatre), this was even better, with an audience of 7,000 at the Sydney ICC (now renamed the TikTok Entertainment Centre). He enthralled the large and mixed crowd of musical nerds with a varied selection from his final album of his Djesse series and engaged the enthusiastic crowd conducting them in his signature mass choir sequence, evoking magical, heavenly sounds that filled the auditorium.

Ruel & Ensemble Apex at the Sydney Town Hall was part of the Red Bull Symphonic series, where he got to perform his repertoire with a full 30-piece orchestral backing. Having become familiar with this young Australian talent during the recent pandemic, we couldn’t resist attending this one and were delighted to witness this fabulous concert sitting on the upper gallery amongst a much younger audience of adoring teenage fans who sang along to all his hit songs. It was a nigh to remember, especially with the spectacular lighting effects and the ecstatic response the young singer received.

Evening with Jimmy Webb at the State Theatre was an enjoyable night of musical reminiscing with such a talented man who had great stories to tell about his songwriting journey. With a stunning catalogue of songs which included hits such as MacArthur Park, Wichita Lineman, Up, Up and Away, By the Time I Get to Pheonix and Galveston, it was a treat hearing this coming directly from the source, along with lots of backstory. Clearly not a great singer (with a voice probably worse in his old age) he occasionally solicited help from the admiring audience when he couldn’t hit the top notes, often employing a strange wobbly vibrato to home in on this final note of songs. What a characterful personality and great prowess at the piano.

Classical music

A highlight for the year was hearing Daniel Lozakovich play Sibelius with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the SOH Concert Hall. We couldn’t resist the opportunity to hear this young talented musician again after having had the privilege of witnessing him performing the Brahms double concerto for violin and cello together with cellist/conductor Klaus Markela and the Oslo Philharmonic at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam the previous year. This time he was playing the fiendishly difficult Violin Concerto by Sibelius, conducted by Tomas Netopil. Young Lozakovich was most impressive, and sublime in the way he expressed the beauty, especially in pained and anguished bits of the piece. His virtuosity was undeniable in the technically and physically demanding sections of Sibelius’ writing for violin.

While on holiday in Taiwan in October we were lucky to have been able to hear the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan play Mahler’s Symphony No.3, conducted by Jun Markl with soloist Jennifer Johnston and the Taipei Philharmonic Chorus. The concert was at the National Concert Hall and we enjoyed exploring the ornate foyers designed in grand formal traditional Chinese architectural style. The impressive deliver of Mahler, with mezzo soloist’s warm but prominent voice soaring above everything else in the movement in the piece she sang. The concert opened with a new work by young woman Taiwanese composer Chen Chung-Tzu titled Loom She used unusual textures and rhythms inspired by the traditional look to weave a tapestry of contemporary sounds to complement the mighty opus by Mahler that followed.

Heritage Cello Ensemble at the National Kaohsiung Centre for Arts was an thoroughly interesting experience. From a musical perspective, it was unusual for us to attend a concert with a program strictly comprising arrangements for various combinations of cellos. There were 4, 8, 12 celli and solo cello and solo soprano with cello ensemble. But the added treat for us was the opportunity to check out the amazing new performance arts venue ahead of the show. Also known as Weiwuying, referring to the name of the area and park the arts centre is located, the massive facility completed in 2018 comprises a 2,236-seat lyric opera theatre, a 1,981-seat concert hall, a 1,209-seat playhouse and a 434-seat recital hall. It was designed by Dutch architect Francine Houben of the renowned firm Mecanoo, and visiting this complex was reason enough for us to make the 1.5-hour trip on the High-Speed Rail from Taipei. Music and architecture aside the thing that surprised us most was the lack of a bar at the concert hall foyer during the 15-minute interval. Coming from Australia, where an alcoholic drink during interval was de rigueur, it was fascinating to see audience members get their soft drinks or bubble tea from a vending machine or even head to their lockers in one corner of the foyer to take a sip from their tea flasks! 

Max Richter’s World Tour featured music from his two albums: In A Landscape and The Blue Notebooks. Performed by him and the American Contemporary Music Ensemble at the SOH Concert Hall, it was not quite impressive as the previous two shows we saw of his with his more familiar repertoire. It was nevertheless enjoyable and always a delight to see and hear him live on stage.

Elevator Music presented by Omega Ensemble at the City Recital Hall was a massive musical treat we were so glad we didn’t miss. It featured a program headlined by renowned UK clarinettist Michael Collins and featured the premiere of a new piece for two clarinets by Graeme Koehne with David Rowden from the Omega Ensemble pairing with him. I have a personal soft spot for the clarinet, having grown up with the familiar warm, sultry, even melancholic or comical timbre of the instrument in my home. My mother made her living playing the clarinet in the Teacher’s Military Band while instructing high school bands to play all instruments. I wish my mother could have been there to hear such virtuosic playing of the clarinet.

A Child of Our Time by Michael Tippett presented by Sydney Philharmonia Choir’s Festival Chorus at the SOH Concert Hall was a timely revisit of the piece which I’d sung with the SPC back in 2005. This was Michael Tippett’s secular oratorio premiered in 1944 and inspired by the events that profoundly affect the composer: the assassination of a German diplomat by a young Jewish refugee in 1938 which then resulted in the Nazi government’s violent pogrom against the Jewish population known as Kristallnacht. It was timely to be hearing this piece, not just because of the on-going and still-unresolved tensions in the Middle East but the coincidental brutal public assassination of controversial conservative personality Charlie Kirk in the USA, potentially inflaming tensions. It was a moving performance, especially hearing the wall of sound from the massive chorus that hit you in the spirituals that punctuated the piece.

Eternity in an Hour, an experimental piece devised by American choral composer Eric Whitacre was an extraordinary experience. Performed by Sydney Philharmonia Choir’s youth choir, Vox and conducted by Whitacre himself, the main piece in the program involved unusual choral soundscapes enhanced with electronically synthesised sounds that had us suspended in time. Vox was in their element; amplified page turns and all.

My own choral involvement

I took part in several events, the most memorable and favourite one of which was Lost Birds, performed in a new venue which was the restored and adaptively reused White Bay Power Station. In addition to the immense enjoyment singing Joe Twist’s brilliant Timeless Land: An Australian Song Cycle, with a newly commissioned orchestral accompaniment to replace the original piano one, it was Christopher Tin’s achingly beautiful and the sweeping, melancholic melodies in his “extinction elegy” song cycle heard in the nostalgic cavernous surrounds which made the experience most special and uplifting.

Having deliberately steered clear of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony for at least 10 years, I seized the opportunity to return to singing the piece again with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s programming of this piece, conducted by Simone Young for her first time in Sydney. As my tenth time revisiting the work, it was my first time singing as a bass. This version was also special because of its interpretation and clear direction from someone who has a most sympathetic understanding of the voice and how best to bring out the German language text which she speaks fluently. After five memorable sold-out performances, it was time to put aside the piece again, probably for at least another ten years. 

Bach’s St Matthew Passion at SOH Concert Hall presented by Sydney Philharmonia Choirs’ combined vocal forces of Vox and Chamber Singers. This was my third time performing this piece. It was conducted by Elizabeth Scott with the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra (ARCO) providing the accompaniment.

Bach’s Christmas Oratorio ended the year for me with the second half of this work, ie. the parts 4-6 in the set being presented by Sydney Philharmonia Choirs’ Chamber Singers, after the first three had been done in 2023. It was presented at the SOH Concert Hall, conducted by Elizabeth Scott and the program also included two new contemporary works by two emerging composers inserted to complement Bach’s work.

Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden was a unique outdoor musical project that was part of the Sydney Festival. It was the first time in a while that I was able to participate in the Sydney Festival, thanks to a short but intense rehearsal schedule which I could fit in, around our usual end-of- year travel plans. This was an immersive experience for audiences wandering through the public gardens in Lavendar Bay which has been tended by Wendy Whiteley, ex-wife of Australian artist Brett Whiteley, whose house overlooked these gardens.

The concept and unifying theme for the eclectic collection of musicians and music performed was Brett Whiteley’s extensive record collection which inspired stories and memories planted in the gardens. A small mixed choir from Sydney Philharmonia Choirs presented a set of a cappella pieces which included Clausen, Pearsall and Paul Kelly’s Meet me in the Middle of the Air, alongside other items by Mahesh Raval on table, Joseph and James Tawadros on Egyptian oud, the NoSax NoClar duo from France on saxophone and clarinet and Wiliam Barton and Veronique Serret on didgeridoo and violin. To be performed as 6 sets over two days, the first day’s events were washed out and cancelled due to rain but thankfully the second day proceeded and ended up being a special experience for both audience and performers, especially when done in the presence of Wendy Whiteley herself.  

I was also fortunate enough to participate in two very satisfying choral workshops/ master classes conducted by two fine proponents of the English choral tradition; namely Eamonn Dougan, assistant artistic director of The Sixteen and Peter Phillips, founder and artistic director of the Tallis Scholars. After being introduced to the English choral music tradition in my teens, attending some of the two groups’ concerts and listening to many of their recordings, it was quite the privilege to work with these choral luminaries in interpreting a selection of their usual repertoire.,

 

DANCE

The most impressive dance performance of the year for us (not that we attended many) was All Ears presented by Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan. It was also an opportunity for us to visit the National Theatre in Taipei. The latest work by this internationally renowned contemporary dance company was choreographed by Cheng Tsung-lung. It ran for just an hour without an interval and was beautifully executed by an impressive corps of nine skilful dancers in consecutive sequences that featured solo, duet and ensemble work. By the time we got to the final scene with the athletic ensemble moving in a frenzied unison to tribal beats (composed by Esteban Fernandez) while drenched by what looked like fine rain falling on them, your eyes were totally glued to the mesmerising sight. It was unsurprising that the audience would collectively leap to its feet as soon as the lights went to black!

We approached MJ The Musical cautiously given the questionable nature of the MJ brand and the unsavoury child-abuse allegations associated with the subject-matter. However, it was the dancing and award-winning choreography by Christopher Wheeldon, whose body of work we have admired and seen in other shows, which was the main appeal for us. The dance elements did not disappoint, as did the performances of the leads playing MJ at different ages of his life. We enjoyed it overall, despite the disruption and public nuisance created by drunken birthday-celebrants sitting behind us who were determined to have a good time and singalong at the expense of everyone else around them!

CABARET

Meow Meow’s The Red Shoes at Belvoir was another whacky whimsical delight. Created and performed by the inimitable artist known as Meow Meow, this was a masterclass in her distinct kamikaze style cabaret delivery. Based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, it was hardly the story that mattered as the unique delivery style punctuated with hilarious bits of audience participation. Operatic tenor Kanen Breen contributed strongly as “an embryo of an idea”, faun and muse, crooner and simultaneous Spanish translator to complement the lead. But the unsung heroes of the cast were the three versatile musicians who, between them, played three upright pianos, drums, double bass, harmonium, guitar, glockenspiel, etc. to give the show a musical depth and sophistication that was both spontaneous and seemingly improvised.

At the Hayes Theatre, we enjoyed Mama Alto performing her show cabaret show titled Transcendent. What it may have lacked in visual excitement was made up for by the craft the performance displayed in the art of torch song singing, with unique soaring vocals and a authenticity in telling a story with each song.

Starfish Club featuring Dannielle De Andre was part of this year’s Sydney Festival offering. We were given the tickets by a choir friend unable to attend. Performed at the intimate The Neilson (ACO’s venue at Pier 2/3 at Walsh Bay) it turned out to be a great night of jazz music with the lead singer’s polished delivery of some familiar covers, a few jazz standards and her original compositions.

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PLAYS

Production trailers

Eureka Day @ Seymour Centre

Coriolanus by Bell Shakespeare

Henry V by Bell Shakespeare

Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible is Going to Happen @ SOH Playhouse

Play reviews

New Theatre trailers

The Laramie Project – Theater That Lasts

King by Jo Tan – Singapore T:>Works trailer

The Flea @ New Theatre

New Theatre reviews

Flightpath trailers

Instructions for Correct Assembly – Royal Court trailer

Flightpath reviews

Belvoir trailers

Jacky @ Belvoir – Interview with Guy Simon

Grief is The Thing with Feathers @ Belvoir – Interview with director Simon Phillips

Song of First Desire @ Belvoir

Belvoir reviews

Ensemble trailers

Primary Trust @ Ensemble Theatre

True West @ Ensemble Theatre

How to Plot a Hit in Two Days @ Ensemble Theatre

Ensemble reviews

Play trailers

Whitefella Yella Tree by STC @ Wharf Theatre

IRL @ KXT

Peter and the Starcatcher @ Capitol Theatre

Trophy Boys @ Riverside Theatres Parramatta

Play reviews

MUSICALS

Titanique @ The Grand Electric

Back to the Future @ Lyric Theatre Sydney

Pretty Woman the Musical @ Theatre Royal

Musical reviews

Musical trailers

Hamilton @ Lyric Theatre Sydney

Once on This Island @ Hayes Theatre

Musical reviews

Youth musicals

Converted! by ATYP

Nine by NIDA Students  @ Parade Theatres

Youth-sical reviews

Musical trailers

‘Heathcliff will never know how I love him’ from Wuthering Heights

Bloom by Sydney Theatre Co and Melbourne Theatre Co at Roslyn Packer Theatre

Menopause the Musical at State Theatre

The Lovers @ Theatre Royal (trailer from QPAC)

“When I Go” from We Aren’t Kids Anymore

No Love Songs @ Foundry Theatre

Musical reviews

OA musical trailers

Bernstein’s Candide by OA @ Sydney Opera House

Guys & Dolls by OA (Handa Opera Sydney Harbour)

RENT by OA @ Sydney Opera House

Hadestown @ Theatre Royal

OA musical reviews

OPERA

In the Studio: Nico Muhly – on Aphrodite with Sydney Chamber Opera & Omega Ensemble

Gilgamesh: The Flood – a track from the album Undead. by Jessiga O’Donoghue and Jack Symonds

Opera reviews

CONCERTS

Music trailers

Jacob Collier – The Audience Choir Sydney 2025 (Djesse Vol.4 World Tour)

Ruel – Live at Red Bull Symphonic (Full Orchestra Show)

An Interview with Jimmy Webb

Music reviews

Classical trailers

Daniel Lozakovish plays Sibelius with SSO @ Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

Tour of National Concert Hall in Taipei

National Kaohsiung Centre for the Arts

Interview with Max Richter on The Blue Notebooks (2018)

Michael Collins: A Master at Work with Omega Ensemble @ City Recital Hall

A Child of Our Time (Tippett) by Sydney Philharmonia Choirs

Eternity in an Hour (Eric Whitacre) by Sydney Philharmonic Choirs

Classical reviews

Choral trailers

Lost Birds by Sydney Philharmonia Choirs (Chamber Singers) at White Bay Power Station

Simone Young on Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony

Bach’s St Matthew Passion by Sydney Philharmonia Choirs

Bach’s Christmas Oratorio by Sydney Philharmonia Choirs

Wendy Whiteley’s Garden – Sydney’s Most Beautiful Secret 

Paul Kelly’s Meet Me in the Middle of the Air (a cappella arrangement by Naomi Crellin for The Idea of North)

Choral reviews

DANCE

All Ears by Cloud Gate Dance Theatre @ National Theatre Taipei

MJ the Musical @ Lyric Theatre Sydney

Dance reviews

CABARET

Meow Meow’s The Red Shoes @ Belvoir

Mama Alto – Autumn Leaves

Danielle de Andre sings “Chapel Road” @ The Starfish Club

Danielle de Andre – There’s No Business Like Show Business

Cabaret reviews