I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE (MUSICAL)

Book& Lyrics by Joe Di Pietro

Music by Jimmy Roberts

Directed by Janie Lawson

Free Rain Theatre at the ACT Hub Theatre, Kingston to 5 September

 

Reviewed by Len Power 21 August 2026

 

In ‘I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change’, a chessboard full of strategies, wins and loses is peopled with colourful characters trying to get through the rocky road of relationships and life in general. The show is composed of separate and unconnected vignettes with titles like ‘Men Who Talk and Women Who Pretend They are Listening’, ‘And Now the Parents’ and ‘Sex and the Married Couple’. The ensemble cast of six play all of the various characters.

Written in 1996, this musical has the distinction of being the second longest-running Off-Broadway show ever with over 5,000 performances. It’s bright, funny and perceptive.

There were some standout moments by Amelia Andersson-Nickson in ‘Always a Bridesmaid Never a Bride’, Deborah O’Toole with ‘I Will Be Loved Tonight’, Sam Thomson in ‘The Baby Song’, David Pearson with ‘Shouldn’t I be Less in Love With You’ and Sarah Copley in ‘The Very First Dating Video of Rose Ritz’. These were particularly strong because the performers made these people very real.

From left: Deborah O'Toole, Amelia Andersson-Nickson, Sarah Copley, Sam Thomson, Connor McNaught and David Pearson

Unfortunately, some scenes were overplayed like TV sitcoms with exaggerated characters. The over-amplified sound, particularly in the first half of the show, added to the problem.

The striking chessboard-themed set design by Cate Clelland worked very well and Leo Amadeus and Laura Kay provided an appealing musical accompaniment on keyboard and violin respectively.

Janie Lawson, the director, solved the potential problem of many scene changes with her set design concept. While stronger control was needed on some of the scenes, the successful ones showed her ability to obtain fine, realistic performances from her cast.

 

Photos by Janelle McMenamin

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

 

  

ANU - LUNCHTIME FACULTY RECITAL (CONCERT)

Edward Neeman, piano

Larry Sitsky Recital Room August 11

 

Reviewed by Len Power

 

It was a lunchtime recital with a bit of everything – melody, drama, emotion and a hint of greatness.

The centrepiece of the recital was the Sonata in F minor by Australian composer, Frederick Septimus Kelly. Incomplete, it was his last work before his death in the Battle of the Somme in 1916 in World War I. Pianist, Edward Neeman, played two complete movements and the fragment of a third movement which had been sketched out prior to Kelly’s final return to the war.

The first movement was highly dramatic, even heroic. Hints of war and other colourful moments were quite breathtaking in their complexity. The second movement was beautifully, almost painfully melodic and the fragment of the third movement showed the potential so cruelly interrupted. Neeman gave it a sensitive and highly satisfying performance, leaving us wondering about the work Kelly might have done had he lived.

Edward Neeman

Also on the program was the Piano Piece No. 6 in F sharp minor by Elisabeth von Herzogenberg. A student and close friend of Johannes Brahms, a small amount of her work was only published by her husband after her untimely death at age 45. This richly melodic work again showed the composer’s potential, especially at a time where women had little opportunity to have their work acknowledged.

Two works by Brahms followed - the Capriccio in F sharp minor, Op. 76, No. 1 and the Intermezzo in A minor, Op. 76, No. 6. Neeman brought out the sublime melodies and emotion of these works, and it was interesting to compare them with Herzogenberg’s work.

Also played was Robert Schumann’s Variations on the name “ABEGG”, Op. 1 which was based on the musical notes spelled out by the name Abegg. Keeping track of the ingenious variations was fun and Neeman gave it a performance of great clarity.

The recital finished with Etude No. 12 in D minor by FS Kelly. This highly dramatic work full of tumbling emotions was well played by Neeman and reminded us yet again of the untimely loss of this composer.

 

Photo by Stephanie Neeman

This review was first published by Canberra CityNews digital edition on 12 August 2026.

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

Len Power also presents the weekly Concert Hall program on Artsound FM, playing recordings of some of the best concerts from in and around Canberra. Concert Hall can be heard on Sundays at 8pm and is repeated on Wednesdays at 2pm.

  

THE JUNGLE AND THE SEA (PLAY)

Written and directed by Shakthidharan and

Eamon Flack

A Belvoir St Theatre Production

Co-Produced with Kurinji and Lingalayam Dance Company

The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre to 9 August

 

Reviewed by Len Power 7 August.

 

We’re so used to seeing images of war nightly on the TV news that we easily become de-sensitized. The Jungle and the Sea brings home the human impact and horror of war in a way that is impossible to ignore.

Focussing on one family’s epic journey to survive Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil war, a woman, Gowrie, takes a vow of defiance. She blindfolds herself and refuses to see the world again until her loved ones are reunited. As the war progresses, the family try to retain their dignity and safety amid the devastation around them.

This deeply human work is grand in scale and honours those people who endured unimaginable loss. Love and pride in family shines through despite horrific events that occur.

 The epic production plays out over three acts. A starkly simple setting makes effective use of a constantly turning revolve and the onstage musicians Hari Sivanesan and Aswin Selvanathan provide a constant and atmospheric underscore to the action with Carnatic music.

Anandavalli

Bharathanatyam dancer, Anandavalli, leads the ensemble cast of Prakash Belawadi, Emma Harvie, Nadie Kammallaweera, Shiv Palekar, Dushan Philips, Kalieaswari Srinivasan and Rajan Velu. Several play multiple roles and all give heart-felt and moving performances, making these people and their culture come vividly alive.

Cast members of The Jungle and the Sea

The directors and writers, Shakthidharan and Eamon Flack, have produced a highly imaginative and very busy production that is built out of real-life testimonies from the war. It clarifies the issues of this war while keeping the focus on the impact on the family.

Our attention is so cleverly invested in the events this family experiences that this long play seems much shorter than it is. The final scene is intensely moving and memorably demonstrates the power of love and family.

Photos by Brett Boardman

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