Theatregoing Year in Review - 2024 (Part One - Productions)

One of the perks of having your own theatre reviews blog is that you can set your own rules. Or break a few as the case may be. Normally I would despise ties, for example. Or Top Tens that aren't. I saw 49 productions this year, formally reviewing 28 of them. Not enough to have separate top ten lists for plays and musicals; too many to only feature ten shows. Therefore, I've decided to untether myself from self-imposed rigid guidelines and highlight productions that met one of two categories: Exceptional in some way; and Excellent. There were also plenty of very good shows hovering outside this list which made for some difficult decisions. 

But enough with the preamble. Here are the productions that I thought were exceptional:

She Loves Me: The Classic Broadway Musical In Concert - Western Sky Projects

Sheer class from top to bottom in only three performances at the Liberty Theatre. Will not soon be forgotten by those people who were privileged to see it.

"This was an exceptional afternoon. If the final show hadn't already been sold out I would have been sorely tempted to buy a ticket and go right back in to watch it again."

Come From Away - Koorliny Arts Centre

Community theatre at its finest. I went on opening night to review the production. Bought a ticket to watch it again at the closing day matinee. Superb. 

"Directors Katherine Freind and Allen Blachford have crafted a marvellous production in all facets. It's the best community theatre musical I've seen since 2015's A Man of No Importance. A must see."

The World Goes Round/Head Over Heels/Legally Blonde - WAAPA 

This year's graduating music theatre cohort delivered on all the promise of last year's Godspell and then some in a stellar year. They devoured each challenge with a cohesion and flair that was irresistible.  

"You sense (Crispin) Taylor knew he'd been handed the keys to the Ferrari and he's let it rip in a fabulous show that is enormous fun and a great way for this graduating class to end their year." (Legally Blonde)

Same Time Next Week - Presented by Nick Pages-Oliver & Scott McArdle

A confluence of all of multi-talented Scott McArdle's interests and abilities with an exceptional cast and team of creatives highlighting the high regard he is held in. An ambitious and outrageously inventive show.

"A DND puppet musical no less about friendship and facing adversity which sees McArdle at the height of his powers."

Nora: A Doll's House - WAAPA 

The graduating acting cohort closed out their year with a show of such thematic potency and intricacy of movement that it demanded my attention from the get-go. 

"Thematic potency. A powerful force when a production has something on its mind and every aspect is crafted to support that vision with crystal clear intent."

The Murmuration of Lost Birds - WAAPA 

The show that made me cry. Beautifully conceived and executed by the graduating performance makers, this is the second production to feature puppets on this list. 

"The Up-style sequence gutted me. The expert use of so many elements - puppetry, movement, music, surtitles, shadow work, to name a few - to serve such thematically cohesive storytelling floored me." 

Which brings us to the shows that were Excellent: 

Hairspray - HAMA Productions

Big cast, big wigs, big energy, and lots of fun in one of my favourite musicals. 

The Drowsy Chaperone - Stirling Players

Going in I desperately needed a laugh and this delivered in spades. 

(Also the best aftershow conversation I had all year when the fearlessness of youth came at me like a freight train over a disagreement about ALW of all people!)

Top Girls - GRADS 

Flat out my favourite moment in a theatre all year when my brain clicked into gear after the reveal which comes deep into the play and instantly the meaning of the much lauded and obtuse opening scene became crystal clear. 

Pinocchio: A Traditional Christmas Pantomime - Zealous Productions

Silliness of this magnitude only comes with a commitment to excellence in all aspects. Oh yes it does!

Girl Asleep/Beautiful Burnout - WAAPA

A double bill by the graduating actors that showcased a fantastical element in the opener that I immediately adored; and a physicality in the second production that was visceral in the tight confines of the black box space. 

Carrie: The Musical - WAAPA

If anyone was going to convince me this could even remotely work as a musical it was director Tyler Jacob Jones who brought the atmosphere and the tragedy to the second year MT's appropriately unsettling production.

Young Frankenstein The Musical - Darlington Theatre Players

"It's fair to say that the Darlington Theatre Players have pulled out all the stops with this impressive production of Mel Brooks' musical adaptation of his movie Young Frankenstein... This will undoubtedly feature heavily at the Finley Awards nomination night at the end of the year across multiple categories."

Looks like I was spot on with that call!

God of Carnage - Melville Theatre Company

This one really tickled my fancy as the actors rose to a quality of writing that was deliciously sly and mischievous.  

Special Mention:

Femoid - WAAPA

This short piece within the TILT 2 program at the Blue Room about the impact of Incel culture on young women was very well written and performed. I'm looking forward to the hourlong version at Summer Nights 2025. 

Up next, Part Two (Practitioners), right after this short nap from our sponsors... 

Legally Blonde: The Musical - WAAPA (6 September 2024)

In his program notes, director Crispin Taylor mentions that for this production "Over 100 students and staff are involved from 10 different departments." This is perhaps WAAPA's greatest strength as a training academy - the breadth of disciplines that are offered. The yearly "major musical" is a fine example of how all these departments work together to present as close to a professional experience as possible, not only for the students but for the audience as well. 

There's no doubt Legally Blonde is a big, crowd-pleasing musical with catchy songs, a riot of colour and movement, with comic flourishes and heart. It also imparts key messages around the power of self-belief and being true to yourself... plus the importance of good hair maintenance, taking care of your pets, and the mystic allure of all things Irish. 

I can't possibly mention all 100 people involved so let's cut to the chase - the opening night performance was sensational in all aspects. I'd tell you to run and buy a ticket, however, it's been sold out for weeks and on the evidence of opening night, deservedly so. Instead, I'll go through the highlights...

Music students take a bow. The 16 piece orchestra under Musical Director Glenn Hogue played superbly. I love that the musicians came onstage for the curtain call and were met with thunderous applause. I couldn't work out where they'd been though with no pit and the full stage space in use. I found out after the show but we'll come to that shortly as... 

The sound design by Michael Fletcher and his team is excellent. There are some big voices in the cast and with the orchestra in full swing getting the balance this spot on would have been tricky. I loved the speakers under the top of the proscenium arch that gave such oomph to the score and the bigger numbers. I'm told the musicians were playing in a room some 100 metres away from the stage. If so, it's almost miraculous how good the overall sound was. All the dialogue and lyrics were crisp with only one mic pack failure in one number which will be quickly remedied.  

Then there's the work of the Production and Design students and staff. The show looks fantastic and moves like a well oiled machine. Set Designer Bryan Woltjen, who excelled last year with Footloose, has crafted a set that is built for slick transitions with elements flying in with precision. Woltjen utilises the full depth of the Geoff Gibbs stage and embraces the clash between the colourful aesthetic of Elle's persona versus the more 'serious' nature of the Harvard setting.  

A key element to the look of the show is the work of Costumer Designer, student Elisa Von Perger and her team including Wardrobe Supervisor Lauren Wroth and Dressing Supervisor Liana Karkar. From the explosion of pink to the Delta Nu cheerleader vibe over to the more sombre lawyer attire, there is a vast array of costumes which dazzle, especially when the full company is onstage. Wigs play an important part with brunettes turned into blondes and vice versa amongst the cast along with a couple of impressive 'perms' that are crucial to second act plot shenanigans.

Lighting Designer Jay Covich, another student, adds vibrancy and colour but also atmosphere to quieter moments such as the beautifully lit and staged title number. Shout out to the Props department and especially puppet makers Maisy Williams (Props Supervisor) and Joshua Horgan who created two charming surprises that were an immediate hit with the audience. 

To the performances and this graduating cohort has a cohesiveness that's been apparent from their very first public show, Godspell, last year. It's palpable in every production and Legally Blonde caps off a stellar year. Choreographer Jayne Smeulders taps into this special alchemy with a cheekiness to the big dance numbers that the cast attacks with real joy. Opening number Omigod You Guys and, shortly thereafter, What You Want set the tone and the production hits the ground not so much running as sprinting and never lets up. 

Within that group chemistry there are terrific individual performances starting with Emma Caporaso as Elle Woods. Caporaso's Elle is smart, capable, and determined right from the get go. I never doubted the character would triumph - there's no ditzy blonde here. She sings wonderfully, looks amazing in a series of spectacular outfits, and handles the comedy beats well. It's her work with Ben Goldsbrough (Emmett) that is particularly affecting and is the emotional heartbeat of the story.

Goldsbrough brings real empathy and a genuineness to Emmett that I found charming and quietly compelling. It's an impressive performance and, as mentioned, the duet Legally Blonde is an emotional highpoint.  

Jake Binns is like a 90s boy band idol as Warner breaks Elle's heart in Serious. The open shirt look, the smooth vocals, the effortless glide around the stage. Katie Green is bitch perfect as Warner's new love interest Vivienne until the character undergoes a change of heart and becomes an unexpected ally of Elle's deep into the second act. Which is when Green unleashes one of those powerful voices that is a feature of this class.  

Kathryn Desmier, Christina Anastasiadis (understudy for Jayda D'Agostino), and Asha Kerr play the Delta Nu trio of Margot, Serena, and Pilar who later become the Greek chorus in Elle's head. Always a fun and energetic presence, they ratchet it up a notch with the cheeky Bend and Snap, such a fun sequence. 

Adam Pavis makes an immediate impression as Professor Callaghan in an authoritative Blood in the Water. He later tackles the unsavoury side of the character with equal authority making Callaghan's abuse of his status somehow even more shocking. 

Ellen Ebbs commands the stage as Paulette with Ireland a standout. Ebbs showcases not only her superb vocals but an expressiveness that is riveting to watch. Her Paulette is a convincing voice of reason to Elle while also devouring the comic potential of the interactions with Samuel Austin's strutting delivery man, Kyle. They both play up to the mischief of it all with Austin a hoot as the seemingly oblivious object of desire. 

Tabitha Galluccio is another who has excellent stage presence as Enid Hoops. Galluccio brings the rap within The Harvard Variations and it's her facial expressions and deft comic timing that makes a mark as she subtly crafts a quirky counterpoint to the other interns. 

Geena Hutton slays Whipped Into Shape as Brooke Wyndham, the full on skipping assault whilst belting out the song. Harrison Ion and Blake Douglas lap up the theatricality of There! Right There! as Nikos and Carlos while Madison Randl brings the big hair and duplicity as Chutney Wyndham. 

You sense Taylor knew he'd been handed the keys to the Ferrari and he's let it rip in a fabulous show that is enormous fun and a great way for this graduating class to end their year. 

Photos by Stephen Heath Photography