Theatre manager Greg Diamantis said he was excited about the eclectic range of shows in the year ahead.
ACCLAIMED pianist David Helfgott, a production of Frankenstein and 37 Shakespearean plays crammed into two hours are among the shows unveiled for Warrnambool’s Lighthouse Theatre this year.
The program for the main theatre and more intimate studio upstairs were announced at last night’s launch.
The first major show on the calendar will be Melbourne Opera’s production of The Merry Widow.
Two members of Melbourne Opera, Roy Best and Lee Abrahmsen, stopped by the Lighthouse Theatre to perform excerpts of The Merry Widow, as well as other operatic treats, as part of last night’s launch.
Theatre manager Greg Diamantis said he was excited about the eclectic range of shows in the year ahead.
“The season has terrific shows that have not only have soul and substance but are also hugely entertaining,” he said.
Among the performances on the program are one-man comedy The Umpire Strikes Back, which will be staged in the Lighthouse Studio as well as touring to Timboon and Mortlake, a dance production of Romeo & Juliet, the drama Sundowners starring acclaimed actress Helen Morse, the National Theatre’s rendition of Frankenstein, the comedic three-hander The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare, and a play based on Alfred Hitchcock’s version of the novel The 39 Steps.
The year will conclude with two big musical events — a performance by Helfgott, whose life inspired the film Shine, and the return of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, which will be accompanied by virtuoso guitarist Slava Grigoryan.
For younger audiences, there will also be the modern circus 360 Allstars and kids’ adventure Emily Eye Finger, plus a production of Possum Magic.
Diamantis said the aim was to ensure some of the program appealed to a young demographic.