Frank Woodley and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Festival Theatre. 11 Jun 2016
Maybe you weren't up at noon the day after the Cabaret Festival's opening night, but a heck of a lot of families and yours truly were, to be entertained in this oncer by one of Australia's most get-about comedians, Frank Woodley, in this Australian premiere show. Using a text by Lemony Snicket (I had to look up this bizarre appellation - it's the pen name for contemporary American novelist, Daniel Handler), "Detective" Woodley's mission was to find who murdered the composer, who was de-composing as he spoke. And Woodley had on stage with him no less than 55 musicians of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra plus conductor Brett Kelly - all suspects, and looking mighty suspicious, I might add.
Woodley questioned each section of the orchestra - first strings, second strings, violas, bass, wind, reeds, percussion, etc - and gave them each a hilarious voice and persona to answer his questions. There was a thing going on between the tuba and the harp. He weaved amongst the musos, incidentally making the kids aware of where the various parts of the orchestra are located and what they do. Brett Kelly led the ASO in fine and often rousing classical pieces relevant to and intertwined with the detective's investigations. The score has been created and assembled by contemporary American composer, Nathanial Stookey - the whole thing originally commissioned by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra in 2006.
This was an absolutely brilliant way to get the kids and other orchestral newbees to learn how an orchestra works, and for many it was the first time to even hear one live. Of course, the joke was that the conductor has been murdering composers for years - wherever you find a conductor, you will find a dead composer! A very funny and entertaining hour. Bravo!
David Grybowski
When: 11 June
Where: Festival Theatre, Festival Centre
Bookings: Closed
