Three shows in Sydney in 26 hours

This isn’t a review, it’s more of a collection of thoughts about the three shows I saw in Sydney over the long weekend.

ANNIE – The Capitol Theatre

25 March – 21 June 2025

Costumes and set 20/10. The muted palette was beautifully refined
Digital screen and footage, a solid 10/10
Annie (Stephanie McNamara) an absolute all singing (what a belt), all dancing, all acting powerhouse
Molly (Ellie Lang) A star in the making
Daddy Warbucks (Anthony Warlow) What a privilege to see this living legend
Sandy – A fluffy delight!
The audience adored the talented and scene stealing orphans. I feel like the orphans had had the 1982 movie on high rotation for inspiration
Ensemble – hats off to them for their numerous roles and costume changes
The video of the Easy Street choreo shared on Facebook a couple of months ago was what I was looking forward to seeing the most. The understudy didn’t perform that barrel roll which was disappointing
In Act 2, there was a scream from the wings SR that distracted the actors on stage momentarily
For those who haven’t been to the Capitol, it’s similar to Auckland’s Civic Theatre

19 June – 3 August 2025

New Zealand and Australian tour 2025
The audience was howling with laughter before the show even began
Hamilton Operatic alumni Jono Martin stole the show as Chris Bean, director of, and actor in the haphazard play which stumbles from one shambolic occurrence to the next. I was completely enamoured with his proficient performance. Bravo!
In order to make everything appear as though it’s gone wrong is a massive feat in timing and trust. The entire cast were exceptional
The set had so many tricks up its sleeve! Wow.
The interior of the Opera House remains true to its 1970s brutalist aesthetic and there’s a little gift shop with a range of beautifully curated items
My stomach still hurt from laughing three hours after the show finished

17 June – 6 September 2025

Australia’s 40th anniversary production, touring 2025-2026
The set was true to the original rubbish dump location with lots of entry and exit points
The lighting designer had rolled out some clever tricks that were unexpected
Munkustrap (Jarrod Draper) was gorgeous, my favourite cat of the night. He would've nailed any of the roles
Victoria’s (Claudia Hastings) technique was impeccable
Grizabella’s (Gabriyel Thomas) “TOUCH ME” in the final verse was so spine tingling that I had goosebumps down to the ends of my toes. The auditorium was spellbound during this masterclass
The choreography was precise in the ensemble numbers. There wasn’t a paw out of place, the dancing was meticulous across the stage
Astonishingly, I was in the sweet spot for the sound of the drums. The mix was excellent, but the tone of the bass and toms was phenomenal
Unfortunately, the programme didn’t include photos of the cast in their cat makeup. Boo
The hospitality of the Theatre Royal staff was first rate
There are heaps of merch options, and the merch stand remains open after the performance