ASQ 'Abundance'

1st September 2015

Qld Conservatorium Theatre

https://www.griffith.edu.au/music/queensland-conservatorium/venues/conservatorium-theatre

http://www.asq.com.au/

https://www.facebook.com/AustralianStringQuartet?fref=ts

 Last night's 'Abundance' concert by the Australian String Quartet had one really outstanding piece for me. Matthes Hindson's String Quartet no.3 Ngeringa. Viola player the wonderful Stephen Page gave a little explanation of the music which was written especially for the ASQ. He mentioned that the first of four parts was Landscape and silly me had visions pastoral, completely forgetting we are in Australia. When it began with intensity and harsh visions I realized I was on a different and more suitable track. It explored parts of my mind that awoke then and there. Brilliant playing and a huge response from the audience who loved it. That is Mount Barker below which is referred to in the first movement.

Another part of the programme that moved me was the lush Webern Langsamer Satz in which I could see Garbo in front of a country estate, head thrown back as in a 1930's black and white soft focus romantic melodrama. I could hear Mahler and Alpine horns of he and Strauss. You can imagine how pleased with myself I was when I saw so many references to Mahler and Strauss in the programme notes.

Smetana at the end had some chillingly beautiful individual playing by all four string players as they shone in turn and together. This was a real equal opportunity quartet. After the show I was so pleased to at last have the opportunity to briefly meet violinist Brendan Joyce whom I have seen so many times of late and each time with a different collection of players. Stephen King also was kind enough to shake my hand. I have met him at previous concerts and he such a lovely soul.

A lovely message I received from them a while back

Also I ran into Oliver Samson from the Queensland Conservatorium - Musical Theatre. I have seen and heard and been so impressed by his performance a few times already this year. I however took a while to recognise him as he was doing a Clark Kent and it was not until he took off his glasses that I recalled that first outstanding song he sang back in April just a few feet in front of me and with such intensity I was quite overwhelmed. We had a great chat as I sipped my first red of the evening.

Matthew Hindson AM is one of the most-performed and most-commissioned composers of his generation. His works have been performed by ensembles and orchestras throughout Australia and internationally by the London, the Royal, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestras. He has been the featured composer at national and international festivals, with orchestras and Musica Viva. Matthew’s music has been used for dance including by the Birmingham Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Ballett Schindowski and the Sydney Dance Company.

ASQ Tour 2 Abundance from Australian String Quartet on Vimeo.

Pirates of Penzance

19th March 2015

Concert Hall QPAC

Harvest Rain

Photography by Nick Morrissey

Tonight I was lucky enough to get a ticket to The Pirates of Penzance and what a show it was. All I can say is that it was sensational and as a bonus it was full of friends I have made this year.

First I want to congratulate my astoundingly talented Pirate and Policemen friends the very becoming and sexy as hell Dan Venz, Tom Oliver, Chris Kel Lett, Zachary Denman and Ethan Jones. These all singing all dancing guys are just brilliant and I have become to know their hard work of late and it is to be followed. I have seen them so often since meeting many of the in Boy & Girl at the beginning of the year. Directed by Simon Gallaher who must know it backwards as he was the star 30 years ago, and it shows in the joy and non stop inventiveness served up. 

Nancye Hayes has several decades of experience that just shines on stage with comfort, precision and a knowledge known only to a real trooper and main stay of Australian theatre and television. 

What made my jaw drop was sensational Billy Bourchier as Frederic and Georgina Hopson as Mabel. Both ridiculously beautiful, assured and with voices to die for. Their stage presence belied the fact that they are mere recent ( a few months) graduates from The Queensland Conservatorium of Music. Decades ago I used to watch international opera stars emerge from this amazing school and today their musical theatre course is producing young artists of truly exceptional talent. Booking late we just managed to get tickets a long way back in the almost full house of 2000. Every night is the same. The audience cheered, laughed, clapped and screamed for the entire show and when it ended I managed to stand and clap for the entire 8 minute Pirate Megamix bows. I am so glad I went. Last week at the Matilda Awards, Harvest Rain producer Tim O.Connor was up on stage receiving honours for this company and his personal work. They really have emerged over the last few years from a small theatre group to a major musical theatre company of the highest standards. We walked out determined to subscribe in future. I want to get my favoured front and centre seats in years to come. Great Musical Theatre.

This is the sensational voice and stage presence and beauty of Billy Bouchier whom I have seen in concert and in Candide this year and will see again in Les Mis at the end of the year

I will also be seeing the absolutely amazing soprano Georgina in 'Into The Woods' later this year.

The introduction of Frederick and Mabel

Brisbane

30th April 2015

Playhouse

Queensland Theater Company

'Brisbane' the new play by Matthew Ryan is brilliant. It is also the second locally written and created play I have seen this week. For two hours and 15 minutes I cried, mostly with laughter, but also with emotion. This is a huge and epic play about War in 1942 and how it affects a 14 year old boy who has a grand imagination, so much inexperience and a profound love of his big brother which he redirects towards an American soldier when 150,000 of them come to Brisbane along with General MacArthur. 

There are shootings and stabbings and scandal in Brisbane, riots, lots of silk stockings and a heavy dose of jealousy from the Australian soldiers who were paid less and still rough around the edges. There is a big story and a family in mourning, local brats teasing the gentler Danny played so perfectly and charismatically by the wonderful Dash Kruck whom I have seen and really grown to love in several plays and a cabaret. Beautiful and compelling Veronica Neave is his grief stricken mother and the tough and angry father is played by Hayden Spencer. The nine superb cast members apart from Dash play several roles each with brilliant and regular changes. It must have been busy back stage.

 The audience loved this work, responded enthusiastically throughout and as mentioned by others they even anticipated dialogue as you could hear murmured place names occasionally. This uniting in a spirit of familiarity and unity came to the fore when the entire audience sang happy birthday to cast member and newly 30 year old Matthew Backer during the curtain calls. Often you just had to nod or smile at the person sitting beside you. Music and sound by Guy Webster was a subtle, but so evocative blend with every action and word. A true score to boost the play. Nostalgia for some and just emotional for others.

During the Q&A that followed last night's performance there was a quite some discussion about could or would this play travel and continue. Yes it has special meaning to locals, but we must not forget that we are a big city of 3 million people. We have had many major events and we are known throughout the world. Always we are made familiar with the stories of other places in this world. Take for example the strife in Baltimore at the moment. We know about that place and it is a small town of 600,000. John Waters, Mink Stole and Divine hail from there. Do not think that our grand stories are not of interest to others. There were a huge group of students there and these stories from the past would have been as unfamiliar to them initially as to a non local. We must not underestimate the power of a well written and brilliantly performed piece of theatre to grab any audience by the mind and heart. Finishes Saturday so you still have a chance to see QTC at its best.. Thank you everyone.

I had gone to the play briefing on the 7th April for a preview discussion of what was to come :- "Tonight I went to a briefing for what is destined to be an epic new play, 'Brisbane' written by Matthew Ryan and starring the huge talent of the charismatic and endearing Dash Kruck. I managed to say hello to Dash again and get a sneak preview of the huge set. The lights are mounted 14 metres high which is a record for the Playhouse. The audience is going to identify with this image of Brisbane of 1942 when 96,000 Yanks came to town with General McArthur and ended up rioting against the put out Australian soldiers in what was known as the Battle Of Brisbane. This is part of the coming of age of young 14 year old Danny and of Brisbane itself. A classic at its birth. BTW that huge poster is of Dash Kruck flying the plane."