THESE PRECIOUS HOURS (CONCERT)

Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas Reimagined

Canberra Qwire

Ellery String Quartet

Llewellyn Hall, June 28

 

Reviewed by Len Power

 

In an unexpected and bold move, the proudly LGBTIQA+ Canberra Qwire joined forces with the Ellery String Quartet and soloists to present Henry Purcell’s 17^th century opera re-imagined in concert.

Inspired by certain lines in the text, the Qwire recast Dido as a male-identifying role, evoking Queer narrative exploration of the love of Dido, now King of Carthage, for Aeneas, Prince of Troy, with the Sorcerer plotting the destruction of Carthage and its king. The reimagination also placed the Sorcerer and his followers as metaphorical symbols of intolerance of the LGBTIQA+ community.

Oscar Balle-Bowness (Dido), Andrew Barrow (Aeneas) and Rachel Mink (Belinda)

Dido was sung by Oscar Balle-Bowness, Aeneas by Andrew Barrow, Belinda by Rachel Mink and the Sorcerer by Alasdair Stretch. The Qwire fulfilled the role of the chorus, providing additional characters and narrative throughout the opera. The music was played very well by the Ellery String Quartet with Hugo Temby, continuo, Lizzy Collier, double bass and Jack Holmes, percussion. The musical director was Callum Tolhurst-Close.

Callum Tolhurst-Close (musical director)

The simple story of the opera played very well in its reimagining. The confident and appealing vocal performances of all the soloists gave the story a passionate and touching conviction. The famous Dido’s Lament in the third act was given a moving performance by Oscar Balle-Bowness.

Canberra Qwire, soloists and musical director, Callum Tolhurst-Close

The highlight of the evening, though, was the powerful and disciplined performance of the choir. Entries were sharp and the parts were clearly and warmly sung. This was a big sing for the choir and their performance was admirable throughout.

As they took their bows at the end of the opera, the company was given ecstatic and much-deserved applause by the large audience.

The opera ran for only an hour and, after an interval, the Qwire returned with a set of six songs including Earth Song by Frank Ticheli, Seasons of Love by Jonathan Larsen and And So It Goes by Billy Joel. Members of the Qwire introduced the songs, explaining why each song had special meaning for them.

The presentation of these modern songs was a change of pace from the opera, but the Qwire gave them the same highly polished standard of performance.

 

Photos by Peter Hislop

 

This review was first published by Canberra CityNews digital edition on 21 June 2025.

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs.

 

  

METEOR SHOWER (PLAY)

Written by Steve Martin

Directed by Chris Baldock

Mockingbird Theatrics

Belconnen Arts Centre to July 5

 

Reviewed by Len Power 26 June 2025

 

How do meteors, homosexuality, the subconscious and eggplants come together with profound meaning in Steve Martin’s absurdist comedy?

While a meteor shower rages overhead, Corky and Norm host a dinner party for another couple, Gerald and Laura, at their home in the valley outside Los Angeles. The evening starts normally enough, but soon there is a suspicion that Gerald and Laura are not what they appear to be. Aggressively sexual and argumentative, their behaviour triggers an evening of increasing insanity.

On a stylish but normal household setting, director, Chris Baldock and his cast of four unleash a frenzied experience that confounds and intrigues while it entertains. Steve Martin’s incisive sense of humour takes the niceties of human social behaviour and turns them upside down in this very funny play.

Jess Beange as Corky and Sachin Nayak as Norm are the unsuspecting couple hosting the dinner party. Playing a normal, unexceptional couple at the beginning, they are put through an extraordinary emotional and behavioural experience in which the speed of their dialogue delivery and comic timing is very impressive.

Sachin Nayak (Norm) and Jess Beange (Corky)

As the strange couple invited to the dinner party, Maxine Eayr as Laura and Anto Hermida as Gerald play their colourful and intimidating characters with confidence, energy and skill, utilizing their body language particularly well.

Maxine Eayr (Laura) and Anto Hermida (Gerald)

Presented cinematically in short scenes where time and reality collide, there are echoes of Alan Resnais’ film, Last Year At Marienbad, Luis Bunuel’s The Exterminating Angel and even Edward Albee’s play, Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?

Meteor Shower takes you on a wild and hilarious rollercoaster ride through human emotions and behaviours with one of the cleverest endings you’re ever likely to see!

 

Photos by Chris Baldock

 

This review was first published by Canberra CityNews digital edition on 27 June 2025.

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs.

 

 

THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE (PLAY)

 

Written by Martin McDonagh

Directed by Cate Clelland

Free Rain Theatre production

ACT HUB Theatre to 5 July

 

Reviewed by Len Power 25 June 2025

 

Probably more recently known for his screenplays of the films, “The Banshees of Inisheren”, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and “In Bruges”, Martin McDonagh got his start with the play, “The Beauty Queen of Leenane” in 1996.

Set in Galway, Ireland, the play focuses on two women – plain, middle-aged Maureen and her ageing, manipulative mother, Mag. Living an isolated existence, Maureen finds a chance for someone to love her, but her mother does everything she can to sabotage the relationship.

This often funny play explores the dark side of human nature. Loneliness, family conflict and a sense of hopelessness lead to violence with devastating results.

McDonagh’s play gives the performers four colourful and richly detailed characters to play. The Irish accents used by all four actors are very convincing.

As the grasping, whining mother, Mag, Alice Ferguson plays her character’s fear of loneliness, her quiet and cunning malevolence as well as her calculated undermining of her daughter’s chance for happiness with a level of reality that is confronting as well as truthful.

Janie Lawson (Maureen) and Alice Ferguson (Mag)

Janie Lawson is superb as the daughter, Maureen. The tediousness of her day-to-day existence caring for an irritating, elderly mother is skilfully portrayed. While reaching out for a chance to love someone, her desperate longing is so well-played, the pain she feels is quite touching.

Pato Dooley is the man Maureen falls in love with. Played with a masculine warmth and confidence by Bruce Hardie, his performance is particularly notable in a scene where he reads out a letter he is sending to Maureen.

Bruce Hardie (Pato), Alice Ferguson (Mag) and Janie Lawson (Maureen)

As the brother of Pato, Robbie Haltiner gives a colourful and very real performance as Ray Dooley, a man who seems accepting of his limited world.

Cate Clelland directs the play with assurance, guiding her actors with skill on an atmospheric and detailed set designed by her and realized by Ron Abrahams.

There is violence in this story that is quite disturbing, but the performances of the actors make this a memorable experience from start to finish.

 

Photos by Olivia Wenholz

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs.