The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular. Morphettville Racecourse. 1 Nov 2026
If you caught the pre-show performances, you would know that nothing here will behave. Before a single act takes the ring, magician Vincent Gwo is working the foyer crowd. He is all dry wit and much quicker hands. A card we nominate turns up in his pocket, before the whole pack vanishes from his hands. Then he lifts a pair of cups, and there, out of nowhere, come five or six mandarins. Elsewhere fortunes are being told, photos are being taken, and the performers are interacting with their audience one-to-one.
Inside the Hippodrome, 1,400 seats rise steeply around the circular ring. Wherever we sit, we are close. The lights drop, the band hits, and Come Alive erupts around us in surround sound. It is genuinely exhilarating, and we barely draw a breath until it’s over.
Our tour guide through this experience is Max, played by Ruby Clark. She has come to meet her boyfriend who is performing in the circus as a trapeeze artist. Des Flanagan plays the silver-tongued Showman. They are supported by a group of amazing singers, each given a character: Olivia Carniato as Eve the Snake Charmer, Jade Delmiguez as Sapphire the Fortune Teller, Harrison Riley as Tex the Cowboy, and Charly Williams as Samson the Strongman. They exist inside and outside of the storyline, like an ethereal presence constantly underscoring the action.
The aerialists are up first. A hoop lifts into the dark and Itzel Salvatierra folds herself through it, spinning higher and faster. When she lets go with everything but her neck and keeps spinning our collective mouths are wide.
Terrini, a five-strong tumbling troupe of Harley Timmermans, Tim Simpson, Ewan Schell, Julia Konieczny and Niña Brown, tear across the floor in a blur of flips and stacked bodies backed by From Now On. Timmermans has worked with Gravity & Other Myths, a nod to Adelaide's own acrobatic powerhouse. The teeterboard troupe Anarkali, including Shaun Gregory and Ben Van Overberghe follow, flyers launched skyward as the singers give a stirring rendition of the “Woah, Woahs” from This Is Me. Following them Shona Morgan, as the enigmatic Shadow of the Showman, carves wide, rolling arcs on the Cyr wheel to Never Enough.
Then there are the clowns. The eight credited dancers double as the show's clown troupe: Maisie Axton, Ally Bircher, Steve Costi, Diego García Rendon, Samantha Goldie, Owen Jones, Liam Papanicolaou and Malena Searles. They are the evening's secret weapon, executing high precision choreography by Jerry Reeve and Lukas McFarlane.
During A Million Dreams aerialist Lucy Ridings spins suspended by her hair while, beneath her, the clowns work through a tightly drilled chair routine. Then Griffin Hooper, playing the trapeze artist Corey, swings out over the ring to Rewrite the Stars. The vocal wavers off pitch in places here, the night's one real wobble, though these singers carry harmonies that are punishingly high, with ease for the rest of the performance. The Showman then sets about luring Max into taking over his role as Showman with The Other Side. The clowns dance around and through them until the lights fall and the mysterious Shadow returns, masked and in black, on a Cyr wheel glowing electric red and blue. It is a striking image to carry into interval.
The second half opens with a reprise of Come Alive and now Max is our new Showman and ringmaster. Andrew Sumner hangs from two straps, contorting and spinning with a control that looks effortless. A reworked mash-up of The Other Side follows, then Solomon Solgit takes to a slack rope and sways to Tightrope, delivering some of the most spectacular balancing seen in recent years, first on foot, then on a unicycle and finally on a ladder! Fire twirlers send heat across the front rows next, before From Now On and This Is Me build the room up again.
And then we are part of the show. A call and response game, played section by section, turns 1,400 strangers into a choir as we sing out the “Woah Woahs” that build to a crescendo before the entire cast break out into The Greatest Show. By the time the cast floods the ring for the all-out finale the entire tent is pumping.
Whilst the energy is high and the spectacles keep coming, it is the storyline where the show falls short. A seasoned Showman searching for his successor, and finding her in Max, is a very thin thread to weave. Scenes feel more like links between acts than a narrative that builds. It matters less than it should, though, because the production values are excellent. This is the first replica of the London production, and it shows. Over 30,000 hand-applied crystals glint on the costumes. A tight five-piece band and live singers are blended with studio tracks in 5.1 surround. The lighting reaches out over our seats so the whole tent feels lit from within. The circus talent, drawn from Cirque du Soleil, Circa and Gravity & Other Myths alumni among others, is world class.
Come for the spectacle, the songs you already know by heart, and the gasp when the hoop artist lets go. Forgive the story. You will walk back out into the Morphettville night humming, and probably still wondering where those mandarins came from.
Paul Rodda
When: 1 to 29 Nov
Where: Morphettville Racecourse
Bookings: comealiveshow.com.au
Full Circle Theatre Company. Futures Theatre, Paradise. 5 Nov 2026
Catch Me If You Can is everything one could hope for in an inaugural production for a fledgling professional Musical Theatre company. For years we have watched extraordinary, well-trained, talented artists work in amateur shows. And they, and the shows, have been of the highest standard. But something about the uniformly superb performances of a pro production is simply next level. And Full Circle Theatre Company delivers this in abundance with this show. As Frank Abagnale Snr teaches his son in the show, “People only know what you tell them.” Now Full Circle Theatre Company is telling the world what we have: over a hundred artists registered to audition for the show, reflecting what we have in Adelaide. There is talent in this town!
And Catch Me If You Can,” Mr Malinauskas and Co., is an example of something world-class, sustainable, and worthwhile! But I digress!
While a 2020 investigation found a good deal of the real Frank Abagnale’s memoirs—the story the 2002 Spielberg and DiCaprio hit movie was based on—to be as fabricated as the fabrications Abagnale claimed to have fabricated, this is a ripping yarn.
Apparently, the real Abagnale’s 1980 memoirs are riddled with inconsistencies. But then the guy was, after all, a conman. American playwright Terrance McNally captures the charm of a young rogue, albeit a charming, lovable, and one might say genius, brilliantly in his libretto.
Fellow Americans, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman’s score matches the libretto's dynamic wit with fabulous melodies, mostly with a nod to the 1960s and early 70s. The lyrics of every song are variously charming, witty, and poignant. It’s a heap of fun!
Young Frank Abagnale (Joey Haening) has a propensity for creating great narratives, with himself front and centre, that net him enormous amounts of money! A genius with cheque fraud, he galivants around the world impersonating a pilot, doctor, and lawyer, all the while doggedly pursued by FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Rod Schultz) and his team of disaffected men seeking more action in their careers. Frank Abagnale Snr (Michael Griffith), whose catchphrase, “People only know what you tell them”, strongly influences his son's worldview. Further, young Frank’s French mother’s infidelity shatters his idealised understanding of love, leaving him seeking validation in the arms of women. And he is a young, very young, man when he leaves home for NYC. Prostitutes, air hostesses, and nurses are among his many bedroom excursions. What follows is a romp through flings, relationships and careers for which he is utterly unqualified.
Joey Haenen is disarming as Frank Jnr., his marathon on stage, particularly as far as his wonderful voice is concerned, never missing a beat. From the opening number, Live in Living Colour to his closing duet, Stuck Together with Schultz, Haenen’s voice delights! Schultz has a vocal presence that's at once relaxed and compelling.
The wonderful Michael Griffith and Michaela Burger as Frank's seemingly besotted parents, Frank Snr and Paula, live through the ‘ideal’ marriage going bad and the subsequent fallout with great nuance. These are two mature, consummate performers, and their work is sublime. Later, Griffith plays a man who drowns his dreams and sorrows perfectly. Needless to say, both Griffith and Burger are extremely accomplished singers, and their rendition of Don’t Be A Stranger simply confirms this. However, to my mind, the only moment in the performance that could have used more emotional depth and complexity was the exchange between father and son about the latter's proposed marriage. Young Frank returns home hoping his mentor and hero will support his desire to marry and change his ways. Heanen didn’t quite capture the layered emotional complexity in his reaction to Frank Snr’s outright, bitter rejection of the idea. A small but significant moment.
Lisa- Marie Coad is a standout as Frank Jnr’s wife-to-be, and her rendition of Fly, Fly Away is goosebump-inducingly good! Shanee Osborne and George Torbay, who also happens to be the Vocal Director, deliver delightful cameos as Brenda’s parents; their take on suitor vetting, thinly veiled as Southern hospitality, is a treat!
The ensemble never misses a beat. Zoe Komazec’s choreography has the sharp pizzazz of a seasoned professional who has worked on some of the great touring productions, and the performers clearly love her work. Mark Stefanoff capably leads a visible stage band that is as tight as any you could want to hear! Reilly O’Loughlin’s ingeniously adaptable set allows seamless changes in location and tone, and Brad Pickford’s striking Digital Design and Mark Oakley’s Lighting Design support it beautifully. Seana O’Brien’s costuming was simply superb! Era-accurate, snappily chic, and with just enough sparkle, the costumes enhanced every dance number brilliantly while lending the whole show a sense of zeitgeist. Jo Casson, the Artistic Director of Full Circle, has brought this highly entertaining show to life with clever direction that has clearly inspired her brilliant cast. Casson must be applauded for bringing this ambitious work to an Adelaide stage.
My only misgivings about this classy production are the venue and length of the season.
The Futures Church is, well, it’s a church! A cavernous one at that! And well off the beaten track. Full Circle’s Catch Me If You Can is a mainstage production, ideally framed by a proscenium arch. While I was utterly entranced most of the time by the stunning performances, it was impossible not to notice the vast voids in this space; the fact that the cast filled them is testimony to their calibre. This segues into the next concern. A show of this standard deserves more than a three-performance season and opening night preview! A production of this scale costs money. Full Circle Theatre Company’s generous benefactors and donors have clearly dug deep to stage this magnificent production. As the visionary Jo Casson notes in the program, “South Australia deserves a professional music theatre company it can call it’s own…,” partly because “…no professional pathway existed for talented artists here.” My challenge to the Minister for the Arts, Lucy Hood, and private philanthropists is to get off their complacent butts to find ways to support this courageous and brilliant initiative and others like it in future. But such people seem as elusive as Frank in Catch Me If You Can”!
Massive congratulations to Jo Casson, her Creative Team and Cast for this superb production!
Go, see it! In Paradise!
John Doherty
When: 5 to 7 Nov
Where: Future’s Church
Bookings: events.humanitix.com
by Arthur Wing Pinero. Red Phoenix Theatre. Goodwood Theatre and Studios. 22 Oct 2026
Red Phoenix Theatre is a company dedicated to premiering shows unseen in South Australia, a commendable enterprise. I have friends in the Adelaide Theatre community; I may have more adversaries after this review. Why? Because I am frequently amazed by our propensity for presenting what are effectively “museum pieces, then wondering why the young, novice, and disheartened veteran theatregoers do not flock to the theatre. Arthur Wing Pinero’s 1908 Edwardian satirical drama is a well-crafted play – of its day Red Phoenix has assembled, for the most part, an extremely capable cast and experienced director to present a piece that, while, as the Director’s Notes state, “Has many themes still relevant today,” would be lost on anyone but the theatre world ‘in-crowd.’ Sorry, but I am done with writing sugar-coated reviews.
Pinero does juxtapose the ‘new woman’ who appeared during Edward VII's brief nine-year reign with the traditional woman of the day, whose identity hinged on being a mother, daughter or wife. However, in this, it is as relevant as the State Theatre Company’s dreadful reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, in 2017. Then, Geordie Brookman’s ‘late-19th century, feminist tinderbox’ was billed to shock us all; it shocked us about as much as a gust of wind emptying a birdbath! Similarly, while The Thunderbolt features ‘mean girls’ and issues of “respectability versus morality” as a relevant issue, one only needs to venture into TikTok to see Pinero’s vision of this has morphed into something more insidious, virulent, pervasive, and toxic than he could ever have imagined in Edwardian society. The issues remain, but this play's rendition of them feels, to this reviewer, increasingly quaint.
Which raises the question: why this play?
Pinero’s construction of a theatrical moral quandary is sharp, witty and elegant. A wealthy brewer dies, apparently leaving no will. Greedy relatives circle, but an illegitimate daughter arrives from France, where she has been living. Secrets emerge. Documents disappear. Consciences falter. Lawyers argue. I enjoy intricacies of the well-crafted play. But admiration is not the same thing as engagement.
What struck me was not the production's quality but the dissonance between the material and contemporary life. This is not a criticism of the company.
Director Libby Drake makes interesting use of twentieth-century greed-themed songs pre-show and during the interval, presumably to emphasise the material's perceived modern significance. Drake trusts the text and her cast to tell the story clearly, honestly, and efficiently in the style it was written, so I had to wonder about this inclusion of contemporary music.
At the centre of the production, Michael Eustice delivers the evening's strongest performance as James Mortimore. Possessing natural authority and excellent stagecraft, Eustice consistently elevates the scenes around him. His ability to navigate Pinero's lengthy speeches without ever seeming laborious is particularly impressive. Steve Marvenek's comic timing as Stephen Mortimore opposite Eustice is exceptional, and whenever the pair share the stage, the production is enlivened. These two are pillars of the local temperance movement, but that doesn't temper their desire to share in a fortune made from beer!
Anne Doherty brings a nicely heightened hypocritical propriety to Ann Mortimore, while Katie Packer skilfully navigates Louisa Mortimore's social anxieties and handles what is effectively a Commedia dell'arte lazzi brilliantly. Together, they are entertaining in the play's Edwardian context. Annie Matsoulis’s, Rose Ponting conveys the vitriol of a shallow London socialite very effectively, keeping the character from becoming merely another member of an inheritance-hungry clan.
As always, Joshua Coldwell is a formidable presence. Some actors occupy a space on stage; Coldwell commands it. His Colonel Ponting has exactly what the role requires; he carries himself with self-importance, social status, authority, and moral indignation, all of which are superficial.
One of the evening's most accomplished performances is Elisha Johnson as Helen. The play's emotional centre rests on Helen’s moral fortitude, and Johnson largely succeeds in bringing intelligence, restraint, and the closest approximation of a convincing period accent to what could be a very sappy role. Accents presented an issue for me, particularly as the piece is set in Midlands England.
Jessica Corrie capably captures the pathos of Phyllis Mortimore, her Edwardian helplessness well balanced by Leighton Vogt’s terribly weak husband, Thaddeus Mortimor. While the actors play this relationship well, this dynamic is, in 2026, uncomfortably reminiscent of Nora and Torvald Helmer in Ibsen’s work.
Jai Pearce lends the young solicitor, Vallance, an understated authority that helps anchor the legal proceedings, while Tim Williams provides a refreshingly energetic cameo as Denyer, a local property agent. While clearly committed to his role, Malcolm Walton as Elkin periodically stumbled over his lines, disrupting the flow and timing of key exchanges; the role needs a strong presence to maintain tension in important scenes.
The design elements were appropriately suited to the period, but gentlemen always wore their waistcoats with the bottom button undone! However, as must be clear by now, the cast is not the problem. The direction is not the problem, costumes are not the problem, nor is the production itself.
No amount of theatrical polish can entirely disguise the fact that The Thunderbolt feels less like a living piece of theatre and more like an exhibit for analysis.
I did enjoy aspects of the evening, and I admired the direction and performances. Would I recommend it to lovers of academia and the history of theatre? Sure. If we genuinely want to develop new audiences in our theatres, why do we keep asking them to visit the museum?
If you love a period piece with some showcase performances, GO! See it!
John Doherty
When: 22 to 31 Oct
Where: Goodwood Theatres
Bookings: Closed
State Opera South Australia. Her Majesty’s Theatre. 17 Oct 2026
Few operas have the popular appeal of Georges Bizet’s Carmen. Its instantly recognisable melodies, larger-than-life characters and story of desire, jealousy and fatal obsession have captivated audiences since its premiere in 1875. For State Opera South Australia, presenting this perennial favourite in its fiftieth anniversary year is an opportunity to celebrate both the enduring appeal of opera and the company’s place in the state’s cultural life.
Director Laura Hansford makes a point of presenting the opera as written, in 1820s Seville, without attempting to impose a contemporary setting on a story firmly rooted in its own time and place. Modernisations can be illuminating, but they can also fall foul of the libretto, producing anachronisms and cringe-worthy moments when words and actions no longer make sense in their new surroundings. Happily, there is none of that here. Nevertheless, Charlotte Kelso’s Carmen has a distinctly modern sensibility: a woman determined to control her own destiny rather than submit to the authority of men.
The production’s physical environment is a more mixed success. In his customary words of welcome from the stage, Artistic Director Dan Lam drew attention to the use of materials and items recycled from previous productions. The commitment to sustainability is admirable, but the resulting set is less evocative of Seville than the story requires. High walls and narrow alleyways dominate the stage, creating a somewhat static environment that restricts movement and occasionally limits the development of character through physical interaction.
A large red-petalled bloom dominates the set. Seville is famous for its white-blossomed bitter orange trees, while violet jacarandas are also familiar features of the city. Fiery crimson blossoms are less characteristic. Perhaps the image suggests a pomegranate tree, whose sensuous fruit would be an apt symbol for an opera preoccupied with desire and temptation. Whatever its identity, the red effectively evokes the passion that should simmer beneath the surface of Carmen.
Movement is another area in which the staging could have achieved more. The fight coach deserves considerable credit: the fight scenes are superbly executed, convincing and sharply timed. Dance, however, is integral to Carmen, helping establish atmosphere and reveal character. The dance sequences here are comparatively lacklustre. They remain acceptable, but lack the infectious energy and sensual excitement that might have made them memorable.
Fortunately, the vocal performances provide a consistently strong foundation. The principal singers are excellent without exception, bringing the vocal resources and acting skills needed to sustain Bizet’s demanding music. Kelso’s fine soprano voice ‘bottomed-out’ in one of Carmen’s more fiery passages, but her dramatic conviction remains intact. Her interpretation emphasises independence and defiance, although the sexual tension and romantic chemistry in Carmen’s relationships are sometimes cooler and more reserved than the drama suggests.
Kelso makes a strong impression in the famous Habanera, “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle”, where the playful rhythms and seductive melody demand both vocal control and an effortless sense of character. Gerard Schneider’s Don José provides a compelling contrast. His performance captures the soldier’s transformation into a man consumed by obsession, particularly in the lyrical Flower Song, “La fleur que tu m’avais jetée”, which requires sustained phrasing and genuine emotional vulnerability.
As Escamillo, Samuel Dale Johnson brings authority and theatrical confidence to the celebrated Toreador Song. He was superb, as was Désirée Frahn who offers welcome sincerity as Micaëla, while Cathy-Di Zhang never fails to please as Frasquita, particularly in the ensemble passages. Across these roles, the singers demonstrate the vocal technique, expressive range and dramatic understanding required to make their characters convincing.
One of the production’s outstanding strengths is the clarity of the French diction. The principal singers and chorus articulate the libretto superbly. For audience members with some knowledge of French, the words are readily intelligible without slavishly following the surtitles. This is particularly valuable in an opera where teasing exchanges, declarations of love and confrontations are central to the drama.
The State Opera Chorus is once again superb. The harmonies are cleanly balanced, the diction precise, and the acting consistently engaging. The chorus functions as far more than a musical backdrop: throughout the crowd scenes, individual performers react convincingly to the action around them. Wherever one looks, there is a gesture, glance or moment of curiosity that brings the stage to life. The familiar choruses and ensembles benefit greatly from this collective energy.
The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra performs well under Lam’s baton. Bizet’s score is rich in colour, rhythm and memorable melody, and the orchestra provides a responsive partner for the singers. Lam draws an interesting distinction between the men’s music, often grounded in measured rhythms, and the women’s arias, with their driving momentum and more exotic harmonic colours. This contrast reflects the opera’s sharply drawn gender roles: the men seek order and possession, while Carmen’s musical world suggests movement, unpredictability and freedom.
The audience clearly revels in Bizet’s familiar tunes. Indeed, several patrons in the front row become so caught up in the proceedings that their enthusiasm suggests a rock-concert mosh pit rather than a night at the opera. There is something heartening about this. Opera need not be a solemn ritual enjoyed only by the initiated. If familiar music can draw audiences into the theatre and inspire such uninhibited responses, the art form is doing something right. Keeping audiences engaged and returning to live performance matters enormously.
There is a further reason to welcome this production. It is largely a South Australian undertaking, with most of the creative team and cast having strong local connections. This demonstrates that opera here exists within a vital artistic ecosystem, supported by performers, musicians and production personnel capable of working together at a high level. As the fifth production of State Opera’s fiftieth anniversary year, Carmen is a remarkable achievement and a testament to the strength of the company’s current leadership and artistic team.
Ultimately, this Carmen has much to commend it, even if it doesn’t quite ‘pop’. The singing is consistently strong, the chorus is a delight, the orchestra brings colour and vitality to the score, and the decision to respect the original setting avoids the pitfalls of unnecessary modernisation. Kelso offers an interesting interpretation of Carmen as a woman determined to remain master of her own fate, while the clarity of the French and the quality of the ensemble work deserve particular praise.
Kym Clayton
When: 17 to 24 Oct
Where: Her Majesty's Theatre
Bookings: premier.ticketek.com.au
Famous Last Words. Slingsby’s Hall of Possibility. 18 Sep 2026
Henrik Ibsen was a 19th Century theatre rebel who introduced realism into European theatre and mightily shattered norms and expectations in a fashion thoroughly pissing off the establishment.
Social, relationship moral and political norms where challenged.
Enemy of The People is remarkably relevant to 21st Century era of truth bending, self interest wealth building, populism threatening the environment, community safety, among many things. In Adelaide right now, it’s hugely relevant as people wonder is it safe to swim in the sea.
Director/Playwright James Watson has taken the central plot structure of the play, working to bend it into something where the audience has an involvement. A town has an expensive Spa operating. An economic boon. But local Doctor Thomas Stockman’s (James Starbuck) been doing qualitative testing and discovered not all looks very healthy.
To expose it or not?
When your sister Martha (Kate Owen) is Mayor and politically invested in it, with property developer Alice Aslaksen (Bonet Fimeri) hovering nervously about looking for an in angle favouring her?
What ensues is a battle royal between family members, media friends. Moral certainty is pressured by amoral financial interest and shifting priorities as Thomas produces a damaging report, engages Journalist Hannah Hovstad (Virginia Blackwell) to get it to the public.
It’s a snappy, fast moving, vicious little production. Watson stages it in the round, with cast taking seats at stage corners when not on, ensuring the drama really flares both on entrance and exit.
At times, it seems the level each scene plays at is static. That improves later in the work.
Yet each character’s psychological journey towards amoral compliance, self interest alongside impending martyrdom for Thomas, is deftly and despairingly developed. Most sad of all, is Thomas’ wife Kate (Emelia Williams.) Most shocking, Kate’s brother Morten Keel (Eliza Barnes.)
Steven Durey’s Lighting is raw and powerful, utilising light banks at all corners of the stage. Even house lights have their dramatic place.
Audience involvement in this space and as it’s done is somewhat problematic. The democracy in action, community hall intent is clear. In a small audience space, it doesn’t have the impact it could have, needing some more consideration of how it’s built into its ultimate purpose, crucifying Thomas personally and professionally as an enemy of the people.
Nonetheless, Enemy of The People does its job of successfully engaging and stimulating thinking about how the modern world is functioning for the worst, one in which the community is not really invited to offer solutions.
David O’Brien
Where: Slingsby’s Hall of Possibility
When: 17 - 26 September
Bookings: events.humanitix.com