Presented by South Australian Light Opera Society Inc (aka SALOS)
Reviewed 28 April 2017
South Australian Light Opera Society Inc, (SALOS), have once again given us a fantastic production of a well loved show: The Desert Song. We watched two young lovers, Margot and Pierre, fight for their affection while being caught up in a mess of circumstances. Do they find love and walk off into the sunset?
Director Brian Godfrey, who also played Hassi, has made use of the stage and his actors brilliantly. Working with a talented cast like this has made Godfrey’s task easier as this cast was truly outstanding. Musical Direction by Peter Potts was also very effective as it sounded lovely. Conductor Helen Loveday led the small but impressive orchestra well and they sounded great throughout this performance.
The set was very simple but also extremely effective and lit up the stage, so kudos must be given to Paul Tossell and Carolyn Adams for this. Costumes were also of a very high standard, especially the ladies fine dresses; so again mentions to Pam Tucker, Cyndy Trezise and Jenny Francis are well deserved.
Our two leads playing Margot and Pierre were both of a very high standard, and both excelled in these roles. Victoria Coxhill has an outstanding voice that had the audience silenced whenever she sang. Graham Loveday suited the role perfectly, and is also an amazing singer. They also both shared great chemistry on stage together.
Peter Potts was a clear stand-out also as comic relief Benjamin Kidd. He, along with Roslyn Fleming as Susan, always had the audience in stitches and their comic timing was excellent. Shining in smaller roles but making the absolute most of them were Anthony Little as Sid El Kar, whose booming vocals are always a pleasure, and Justine Lewis as Azuri, who brought this seductive character to life.
In this particular performance there were a few stumbles from the cast. David Roberts as General Birabeau fumbled over his lines from time to time, and vocally Vincent Donato did not match the other males. There was also a rather long pause as dialogue was forgotten, but this was recovered well. The ensemble always lit up the stage and were clearly having a wonderful time, with a notable mention for Sandra Fameli who brought a smile to this reviewer throughout.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable night and this talented cast and production team should be very proud of what they have delivered. This is a show well worth making the trip to see.
Reviewed by Daniel Knowles
Season Ended
Disclaimer: Brian Godfrey is Glam Adelaide’s Arts Editor
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