four photographs of an operatic production with fancy clothes and strong graphic backgrounds

two photographs of a decorated theatre safety curtain lit differently for the beginnings of acts one and two

two photographs of an old theatre, one of the underside of the canopy, one of the inside of the new upstairs lounge extension

#PalaisTheatre #VictorianOpera The Pirates of Penzance. Gilberto & Sullivan’s 146-yo comic opera is a joy & this production is utterly delightful: fantastic singing, playing & acting/mugging throughout. Ruddigore’s famous song makes a welcome appearance & the 20-yo #OA sets & costumes are sparkling.

photograph of an opera production showing two women contrasting lily dressed in front of a group of people

photograph of an opera production showing a man at the centre of a group of people

a hall lit up in blues and reds

#HortiHall #VictorianOpera Boojum! Martin & Peter Wesley-Smith’s 1986 music theatre: Lewis Carroll joins The Hunting of the Snark & his young girl friend Alice (eek). Musical/cabaret/opera beautifully performed but sadly veteran David Hobson’s voice is no longer up to it. Well worth experiencing.

photo of a operatic production: a huge live-projected actor’s face looking down at the protagonist, as the actor does the same on stage

photo of a operatic production: a woman stand at the end of a pier, behind her projected on the rear is a huge close-up of her head

photo of a operatic production: huge projected faces loom down on the actual actors below

a view of an old building with a high curving sign ‘Palais Theatre’, and a view of the auditorium proscenium arch

#PalaisTheatre #VictorianOpera Katya Kabanova. Delicious Janacek opera given a powerful live cinematic treatment - and the cast are up to the close scrutiny of the cameras too (operator from Kip Williams’ Dorian Grey/Jekyll & Hyde/Dracula). Amazing playing & singing and a very successful production.

two photos from an operatic performance: a flamboyant man in purple with a red cloak, surrounded by people in purple and red costumes; a jauntily-dressed soldier/cowboy with two red-clad attendants in pillbox hats

four photos from an operatic performance: two women approach a heart-shaped door - they reappear in transformed costumes; two men approach a heart-shaped door - they reappear being surrounded by a strangely clad crowd

#PalaisTheatre #VictorianOpera Abduction. Mozart’s wonderful orientalist opera of kidnapped white women in a Turkish harem, decolonised to an adventure of self-discovery in a mysterious sex-positive club. Absolutely wonderful, even if some charming music was missing & some voices seemed underpowered

#Art Victorian Opera brings smiles with "The Lyrebird’s Voice," a delightful opera for kids. Crafted with love and a brilliant set, it tells a story of fitting in and finding your voice. Catch it at Darebin and Frankston Arts Centres this May. 🎭🐦 #VictorianOpera #FamilyFun

two views of a tall shiny building with a dark textured base, the openable windows in the tower part very visible

Another #DCM project for #Scape student housing, this one next to the #VictorianOpera HQ

‘The most joyous things’: Relaxed performances benefit the entire theatre community - Victorian Opera We exist to reimagine the potential of opera and musical theatre, for everyone.

Here's a little piece I wrote on relaxed performances as judgement-free theatre experiences #VictorianOpera

www.victorianopera.com.au/the-most-joy...

Scene from Victorian Opera’s production of Follies: a grand dance in multicoloured ball gowns, beneath blue gauze drapes

Scene from Victorian Opera’s production of Follies: an aging opera singer and her younger double looked over by ghostly ‘follies girls’ in extravagant silver costumes

Scenes from Victorian Opera’s production of Follies: the 1971 aged ‘follies girls’ on a staircase; the two central couples in 1971; the two central couples in 1941.

Scenes from Victorian Opera’s production of Follies: the 1971 aged ‘follies girls’ dancing with a 1930s corps; the 7 aged ‘follies girls’ finish a dance; a woman in red dances with her younger self in white against bowler-hatted men in red costumes

#PalaisTheatre #VictorianOpera Sondheim’s Follies. Closing night of #VO’s triumph. Marina Prior & Antoinette Halloran were jaw-dropping, the aging stars captivating, the whole thing mesmerising: ghosts of follies girls floated above as two couples and their 30-yr previous selves flirted and fought.

Poster for Follies: the word is surrounded by a marquee of failing lights

Scenes from the Victorian Opera’s production of Follies: a grand ‘Lovelight’ dance with multicoloured gowns; a tall tap dancing redhead with mirror-gowned corps

Scenes from the Victorian Opera’s production of Follies: an aging opera singer and her younger double looked over by ghostly follies girls in extravagant silver costumes; a top-hatted & black suited man dances with a white-costumed corps with walking canes

#PalaisTheatre #VictorianOpera Follies. Opening night of the magnificent #VO staging of Stephen Sondheim’s complex, bittersweet musical, time-skipping between the optimism of 1941 & crumbling 1971. The astonishing cast were in top form & the orchestra played beautifully. Slight sound balance issues.

If you love Sondheim, classic musicals, or just world-class theatre—do NOT miss this. Six performances only, and it deserves to be seen far beyond Melbourne. #Follies #VictorianOpera #Sondheim #TheatreMagic

If you love Sondheim, classic musicals, or just world-class theatre—do NOT miss this. Six performances only, and it deserves to be seen far beyond Melbourne.

#Follies #VictorianOpera #Sondheim #TheatreMagic

#MerlynTheatre #VictorianOpera Parrwang Lifts the Sky. I’d been eagerly to see Deborah Cheetham Fraillon‘s children’s opera, but was disappointed: simplistic (not ‘simple’), awkward, musically conservative, tricked-up staging, pantomime action; a sense of being talked down to. Just fine.

#VictorianOpera #PalaisTheatre Galileo (Richard Mills). A concert performance, the static format did it no service but the performers absolutely shone: Samuel Dundas, Stacey Alleaume, Shanul Sharma, etc, the huge orchestra under the composer magnificent with the very inventive score ~slide whistles🤨

#VictorianOpera #PalaisTheatre Galileo, written and conducted by #VO Artistic Director Richard Mills, who stepped down the same night. A palpable sense of occasion, and much joy/achievement/sadness at the end.

#Playhouse #VictorianOpera The Visitors. Christopher Sainsbury & Jane Harrison’s opera is fascinating to see alongside the superb STC production of Harrison’s play. It is an intrinsically powerful work though I never felt emotionally involved, perhaps too conversational?