Author Archive: Peter Jakobsen
Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
(By Robert Louis Stevenson; Sydney Theatre Company adaption and direction by Kip Williams: Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide, 5 March 2023) Stevenson‘s 1885 fable of the dangers of suppressing the id “is for ever being recalled, throughout the English-speaking world, to signify man’s divided nature.”* Filmed, staged and broadcast hundreds of times, the story is superior to the telling, and in this adaptation (by the team that presented The Picture of Dorian Gray) we are treated to a Gothic glory, vivified for the stage by dark demonic videographers, swarming hornet-like about the players. So it is not quite a two-hander. Stevenson’s…
Continue Reading →Escolania De Montserrat
(AF, Adelaide Town Hall, 4 March 2023) Founded in the 13th century, this ensemble is the oldest extant boys’ choir in the world and its rigorous training and selection criteria ensure its standards never slip. The choirboys of Escolania are taught the Benedictine sacred repertoire at the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey in Catalonia (established in 1,025AD). Their core duty is to enliven pilgrims who come to Montserrat, so to see them on tour – 36 of the full complement of 50 – is quite special. Llorenç Castelló (see below) conducted the choir, who entered the Hall from the back,…
Continue Reading →Grey Masts
Beach House, 36-38 Smillie Street, Robe, South Australia (February 2023) South to Robe, a 337 kilometre drive from Adelaide, for a weekend conference, TVC stayed at Grey Masts, a 3 bedroom beach house in the heart of town. Described as a “Charming Drinking Village with a Fishing Problem,” Robe was founded in the 1840s and now survives less as a port than a tourist attraction. Grey Masts is 3 minutes walk from Robe’s beautiful beach, where the Robe Motel sits; 1 minute from the Caledonian Inn, an 1850s English-style pub, which is over the road (you get to hear the…
Continue Reading →The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?
(By Edward Albee: Directed by Mitchell Butel – State Theatre Company SA, 21 February 2023) Albee wrote some killer lines in his time. He had a flair for haute psychomania. He also was very clever at combining comedy with drama. Alas, he fell short with The Goat, that descends to farce, and exchanges drama for histrionic displays of temper. Feydeau he wasn’t. It was perfectly watchable the other night. Claudia Karvan, as Stevie, Nathan Page as Martin, and Mark Saturno as Ross, all deliver their overheated lines in an overheated (American) way. Newcomer Yazeed Daher, as son Billy, throws flamboyant tantrums….
Continue Reading →Burt Bacharach – the Look of Love
(Burt Bacharach, 12 May 1928 – 8 February 2023) Musical polymath Burt created perfect classic pop-tunes, interwoven with Hal David’s intricate lyrics. He’ll be missed!! His Best Songs IMHO: “Please Stay” “(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance” “I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself” “Anyone Who Had a Heart” “Walk On By” “(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me” “What the World Needs Now Is Love” “I Say a Little Prayer” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” “I Still Have That Other Girl” “What’s Her Name Today?” “God Give Me…
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