Blue Roo Theatre Company, working with Opera Queensland, will be taking on the classic ‘Orpheus And Eurydice’ this December at The Judith Wright Centre Of Contemporary Arts.
Now in the inclusive theatre company’s eighth year, artistic director Clark Crystal is proud of the achievements the team have made. “It takes a long journey,” Clark says. “The company has grown and grown. Last year we created the first Australian inclusive opera called 'The Bulimba Opera' set during the second world war.”
The production was a huge success for Clark and the company.
“We sold out, so we had capacity audience,” Clark says. “People really liked it. I took classic Australian folk tunes in the public domain such as 'Waltzing Matilda' and changed them to write a libretto about Bulimba in the second world war. Everyone was familiar with the tunes, but the libretto was sung as a story. The response was really good.”
After this response, the team felt they were ready to challenge themselves with a classic opera piece. “We've got a three-year collaboration with Opera Queensland, so 'Orpheus And Eurydice' is in the classic repertoire,” Clark says. “It's a classic Opera played many times around the world, but it's only a one-act opera which works perfectly for us.”
Performing for Blue Roo Theatre Company has been a wonderful experience for Daniel Tomlinson, one of the many cast members for the production. “It's a lot of fun, and it's been a big group to work with. There’s 28 of us. I'm really excited and a little bit nervous but It means a lot to be part of the team.”
(L-R) The late Jamie Carrigan and Clark Crystal.Lyndal DeVantier, one of the musicians that will be part of the live orchestra in ‘Orpheus And Eurydice’, shares the same excitement, and appreciation for what Clark and the company does. “I've really enjoyed working with the whole company,” Lyndal says. “I’ve been playing xylophone, flute, and keyboard for about two years. It's really fun, and I enjoy playing in front of people.”
The cast and crew of Blue Roo Theatre Company will be joined by some of the finest opera singers Queensland has to offer. “There'll be five professional opera singers on stage too,” Clark says. “Three of these singers will take on the roles of Orpheus, Eurydice, and Cupid. Our guys will embody the emotion and the expression of those singers. You'll see Orpheus going through horrible grieving at the top of the show when his wife dies, and one of our guys will show that melancholic grief with his facial expressions.”
“Singing and acting is my favourite thing to do on stage,” Daniel says. “So I’ve really enjoyed being able to work with them.”
The cast and crew are now firmly in the rehearsal process, with the performances fast approaching. “It's inclusive theatre, but it's high-achieving inclusive theatre,” Clark says. “There's a wide range of abilities in the company and that's what you'll see. The singing has just evolved over the years working with some of the best singers in Queensland, so you can really see a development there. It’s a new way of community engagement for the work.”
