Image provided by Black Swan State Theatre
By Emma Forsyth
If there was any musical that Black Swan State Theatre and Darlinghurst Theatre Company production should’ve put on it was definitely this one. An international hit with eight Tony awards to its name, it’s no wonder that this performance put on at the Regal Theatre in Subiaco was such a success! I tip my hat off to director Richard Carroll, musical director Victoria Falconer, and movement director Amy Campbell. Prepare to have your heart’s strings drawn and soul captivated by this wonderful performance.
From the very beginning the scene was set by acoustic performances greeting the audience upon their arrival as they found their seats. Euphonious Irish melodies set the ambience of the play. From the very beginning, I was captivated by the spell-bounding music of the soaring score set against the tragic, yet very relatable, modern-day romance.
Once is a modern-day urban love story of a disheartened Irish musician on the verge of giving up and a piano-playing Czech immigrant, who remind each other how to dream. A story of a romance, proving that while there is not always the happy ending we all hope for, it doesn’t mean to say that that the magic was wasted.
Spectacular vocals and performance from all of the cast especially to the leading lady and star of the show, Stefanie Caccamo, who was sensational to watch. I believe that the vocal performance of leading man, Toby Francis, definitely made us all wish we had his talent.
The set design by Hugh O’Connor was also spectacular, truly setting the scene of an Irish pub. The theatre is used to maximum advantage for acoustics meaning that even when sitting in the back row, I did not miss a beat (literally).
I do hope that this will not be the last we see of musical performances at Black Swan. Be sure to grab some tickets before closing night tomorrow!