John Shand Posts

July 28, 2024 / Theatre Reviews - Archive

Wharf 1 Theatre, July 19 9/10 Our lives are many-stranded, Martyna Majok’s play seems to tell us: so many lengths of rope, with infinite subtleties in our interdependence. Individual strands can snap or fray so easily when stressed, the wonder is that any of our relationships ever pass the test…

July 20, 2024 / Features - Archive

Joanna Murray-Smith is torn. On the one hand the acclaimed playwright is an in-demand adaptor of classic works not written in English. On the other hand she’s suspicious of the need for such adaptations (as opposed to existing translations) in the first place. It’s a demand stemming from the burning…

July 19, 2024 / Concert Reviews - Archive

Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, July 7 9/10 Zakir Hussain’s hands don’t play the heads of his tabla, they dance upon them. The emergent rhythms, melodies and textures are as deep and mysterious as the music of the ancients, as sophisticated as the most complex composed music, and as innovative…