& JULIET (MUSICAL)

Book by David West Read

Music and Lyrics by Max Martin and friends

Directors, Choreographers and Set Designers: Charlotte Morphett, James Tolhurst-Close

Musical Director: Callum Tolhurst-Close

A Free-Rain Theatre Company production

The Q Theatre, Queanbeyan to 26 April

 

Reviewed by Len Power 2 April 2026

 

What if Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway, talked her husband into changing his play ‘Romeo & Juliet’ so that Juliet did not die at the end? With its mid-2000s sensibility and characters and with changes continuing to be made by the couple as the play progresses, ‘& Juliet’ is a show that exists mainly for enjoyment. Some modern political or social issues arise along the way, but it really is just crazy and tuneful fun.

All eight of the principal cast give committed performances. They sing the many songs in the show with charm, skill and confidence. The characters they play are not written with a lot of depth, but it really doesn’t matter. The rest of the cast, totalling 23, sing very well and dance the energetic choreography with precision.

Chloe Stevenson (Juliet) and the company

At the centre of the story, Chloe Stevenson as Juliet gives a touching performance of a young woman wanting to make her own choices. Jackson Gibbs and Vanessa Valois give highly amusing performances as the bickering couple, Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway. Katie Lis scores with a humorous performance as Angelique, Juliet’s nurse, and Joshua Kirk and Tate Sissian are very effective as the sexually troubled May and Francois. David Santolin is a strong presence as May’s father, Lance, and Mackinley Brown impresses as an arrogant, yet charming Romeo.

Jackson Gibbs (Shakespeare) and Vanessa Valois (Anne Hathaway)

The lighting for this show is complex and spectacular. Jacob Aquilina has done a superb job with the design. Telia Jansen’s sound design ensures that Max Martin’s songs have the right production sound and the balance between cast members and the band works very well.

Chloe Stevenson (Juliet) and Mackinley Brown (Romeo)

Fiona Leach’s clever costumes suggest the Shakespearian period while managing to be modern at the same time. Musical director, Callum Tolhurst-Close, has obtained a fine sound in the singing and the band is hot!

This is a show designed to appeal especially to a younger audience. The directors, Charlotte Morphett and James Tolhurst-Close, have provided a colourful, enjoyable  show with fine singing and dancing. It’s quite an achievement.

 

Photos by Janelle McMenamin

 

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

 

 

 

ROMANCE SUBLIME! - ART SONG CANBERRA (CONCERT)

Lorina Gore, soprano

Anthony Smith, piano

Wesley Music Centre, Forrest, March 29

 

Reviewed by Len Power

 

It’s a great experience to see an artist performing at the top of their game. It’s even more thrilling when she’s one of ours.

Soprano, Lorina Gore, completed her postgraduate voice studies at the Australian National University in Canberra and at the National Opera Studio in London. After winning numerous competitions nationally and internationally, she joined Opera Australia as a principal artist in 2008 and has since performed many roles for the company. She also enjoys a busy recording career as well.

Her accompanist on piano, Anthony Smith, is also a graduate of the ANU School of Music. He is a Canberra-based pianist, composer and musicologist. He has performed nationally as well as internationally and is currently repetiteur for three major Canberra choirs. This was his tenth appearance for Art Song Canberra.

The program commenced with 8 Gedichte aus Blätter (8 Poems From Last Leaves) by Richard Strauss. Set to the poems by Hermann von Gilm zu Rosenegg, Strauss composed the songs when he was only 21 years old. Three of the songs have become classics in the Lied repertoire. It was a great opportunity to hear all 8 songs performed together.

Anthony Smith (piano) and Lorina Gore (soprano)

Gore gave fine performances of each of the songs. From the hymn-like melody of the first song, Dedication, through the haunting and ethereal, The Night, Gore impressed with her emotional readings of the songs. Other highlights included The Dahlia with its enchanting vocal melody, Autumn Crocus, with its undertones of death, and the beautiful All Souls Day, the final song.

The second half of the program consisted of songs in various genres that have been part of Gore’s life and career, starting with songs discovered in her student days. She began with the wistful Stephen Foster’s No-one to Love and followed it with Kashmiri Song by Amy Woodforde-Finden. This beautiful song full of longing was given a superb performance.

The program continued chronologically and included songs by Liza Lehmann, Roger Quilter, Lerner and Loewe, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. The distinctive styles of these songs were all given excellent performances. So Pretty, a song for Peace by Bernstein was movingly sung as was Before I Gaze At You Again from the musical Camelot by Lerner and Loewe.

Anthony Smith (piano) and Lorina Gore (soprano)

Gore also impressed with her down-to-earth and disarming commentaries about the songs. Her story about obtaining an audition for ‘My Fair Lady’ in Sydney just so she could meet the director, Julie Andrews, was particularly amusing.

Her final song on the program, Sondheim’s Could I Leave You? was brilliantly sung and showed Gore’s skill as an actress. Throughout the program, Anthony Smith played the various music styles with consummate skill.

For an encore, Gore performed the Habanera from Bizet’s Carmen, inviting the audience to sing the repeated chorus response in the song. It was an exhilarating end to a memorable concert.

 

Photos by Len Power

This review was first published by Canberra CityNews digital edition on 30 March 2026.

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

  

3 ON 3 - APEIRON BAROQUE (CONCERT)

3 On 3 – Apeiron Baroque

John Ma (violin), Marie Searles (harpsichord),

Guest artists: Jared Adams (violin), Isaiah Bondfield (violin), Anton Baba (cello/gamba) and George Wills (theorbo/guitar)

Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest, March 22

 

Reviewed by Len Power

 

Apeiron Baroque can always be relied upon to provide something different in their concerts and this one was no exception. With three violinists and a continuo section of three more players, this ensemble certainly made beautiful music together.

John Ma (violin) and Marie Searles (harpsichord) were joined by guest artists Jared Adams (violin), Isaiah Bondfield (violin), Anton Baba (cello/gamba) and George Wills (theorbo/guitar). All artists had a formidable list of credits nationally and internationally.

From left: John Ma (violin), Jared Adams (violin), Isaiah Bondfield (violin), Marie Searles (harpsichord), Anton Baba (cello/gamba) and George Wills (theorbo)

Another of the delights of an Apeiron Baroque concert is to hear the music of less familiar composers. In this case, they played short works by eleven composers from the Baroque period including Vierdanck, Krieger, Roncalli, Balbestre, Finger, d’Hervelois, Schmeltzer and Dornel as well as the more well-known Telemann and Pachelbel.

They commenced with all six artists playing the lively Capriccio No. 26 by Johann Vierdanck. The melodic Sonata No. 5 by Johann Krieger was next with John Ma the solo violinist with the continuo. George Wills on guitar played a beautifully reflective Preludio and Passacaglia by Ludovico Roncalli and Marie Searles, harpsichord, played another quietly reflective work by Claude Balbestre.

The concert continued with a variety of works that each demonstrated the richness of the music from this period. Each member of the ensemble was featured in certain works. Highlights included a jaunty gavotte by Telemann, which the ensemble clearly enjoyed playing, as well as exquisite works by Marais, Schmeltzer and Dornel.

Violinists John Ma, Jared Adams and Isaiah Bondfield

John Ma provided lively and often amusing anecdotes about many of the composers. Claude Balbestre, for example, was one of the most famous organists of his time. His fame was so great that he was eventually forbidden to play as the churches were always too crowded when he performed.

The full ensemble concluded this excellent concert with a fine performance of Johann Pachelbel’s possibly now too well-known Canon. Ma explained, humorously, that in the life of every Baroque ensemble there comes a time when it’s inevitable that this work be played.

Photos by Peter Hislop

This review was first published by Canberra CityNews digital edition on 23 March 2026.

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