Courtney Barnett’s Melbourne return and Opera Australia’s new production of La Bohème have both earned four-star reviews, with the singer bringing the Palais Theatre crowd to its feet and a young creative team giving Puccini’s classic a fresh visual identity at the Regent Theatre.
Courtney Barnett returns to the Palais
Barnett’s first appearance at the Palais since 2017 quickly found its rhythm. By the third song, the audience was standing, as she moved between songs from her new album Creature of Habit and established favourites including “Avant Gardener”, “History Eraser” and “Canned Tomatoes (Whole)”.
The new record continues Barnett’s long-running examination of indecision, procrastination and rumination. She opened with “Stay In Your Lane”, singing, “Feels like I’m going backwards, each day I preach my practice”. Yet the performance suggested a musician moving forward with increasing assurance.
Her three-piece band, featuring bassist Bones Sloane and drummer Stella Mozgawa, supplied a familiar grunge-driven sound while leaving room for Barnett’s guitar to shift between ragged intensity and quieter passages.
She allowed the music to breathe during the slowed coda of “City Looks Pretty” and other improvised breakdowns. The harder-edged material was balanced by the singalong appeal of “Depreston”, while her solo performance of “Mostly Patient” brought the beer-hoisting crowd to a standstill.
Barnett’s songs remain rooted in restless self-examination, even as they circle the possibility of accepting what cannot be changed. “Reborn every morning, still somehow getting older,” she sings in “Another Beautiful Day”. For her audience, the appeal lies in that continuity: growing older without becoming less recognisable to oneself.
The concert at the Palais Theatre was reviewed by Michael Dwyer, who awarded it four stars.
A new La Bohème for Opera Australia
At the Regent Theatre, Opera Australia has replaced the Gale Edwards production of La Bohème, which had returned regularly over the past 15 years, with a new staging by Australian director Constantine Costi.
Costi has worked with designers Dann Barber and Sabina Myers on a production marked by scale and visual spectacle. Rodolfo and Mimi sing while suspended in mid-air, while the Café Momus scenes provide another striking display of the production’s ambition.
The sound was less successful in the Regent’s unforgiving acoustics, where the orchestra sits in front of the stage rather than in a pit. Conductor Finnegan Downie Dear led with precision and passion, and Orchestra Victoria responded when he called for a reduction in volume.
The cast was led by Galina Cheplakova as Mimi and Kang Wang as Rodolfo. Cheplakova’s performance was described as heartbreaking, with a broad range of vocal colours, while Wang was praised for his long-established strength in the role.
Alexandra Flood made her hometown Opera Australia debut as Musetta, combining strong stage presence with shimmering vocals and finely controlled high notes. Luke Gabbedy, David Parkin and Shane Lowrencev brought an easy chemistry to the roles of Marcello, Colline and Schaunard.
The production, reviewed by Bridget Davies, was awarded four stars and runs at the Regent Theatre until November 18. It was praised as an example of a national arts company allowing young Australian creatives to renew a classic without severing its enduring appeal.
