33 VARIATIONS

Fab

Loved every bit of this. Great cast and writing

She was very good. Amazing for her age

Lovely production with excellent performances from a cast led by the luminous Ellen Burstyn

Interesting play but not perfect

she is a great actor

Thoroughly enjoyable, loved the music.

Beethoven's masterpieces have been the star of the play, with the magnificent performance of the pianist and cast. Loved it!

A very thought provoking play with an interesting parallel running between the two main periods in time.

What a treat going to the theatre was :)

We thought we booked this in my husbands account and reviewed it at the time see david50 above. Kind regards Jenny

Fabulous, amazing show. Great seats, great night.

Excellent show.

Didn't know quite what to expect, but loved this play! The cast were superb- William McInnes entering stage standing atop a desk will not easily be forgotten- & I ran the gamut of emotions in those short hours. Thanks for the chance to be there as I would not have honed not for the On the House ticket.

A wonderful; performance.

Superb

Great seats, an enjoyable evening out!

Fantasic play. Loved it

I wanted to love this but did not. The first act was slow and way too long. Cues were missed twice. The cast speaking English in bizarre accents was unnecessary. Lisa McCune, Helen Morse and the pianist were very good, as was the nurse. Ellen Burstyn was excellent but nothing could save the slow and repetitive script.

Excellent acting, however the storyline was not my cup of tea.

One of the most sophisticated and intelligent plays I have led a poised and commanding Ellen Burstyn capably supported by William McGuiness

Acting was excellent, storyline a bit boring.

Breathtaking!

Superb standard show. Excellent acting. Interesting mirroring of the lives of Beethovan and his Researcher. I would have given it a standing ovation like most of the audience but I found tbe first hald a trifle too long.

Great story backed by amazing acting talent

Very enjoyable

Superb production. Ellen Burstyn must be in her 70's but still had that 'star' charisma. Lisa McCune, Helen Morse perfect! beautiful live piano playing by Andrea Keller, but I found William McInnes's portrayal of Beethoven a bit self-indulgent and over the top, making him hard to understand at times. He didn't seem to be as 'connected' as the other performers.

Great acting, great story, a very enjoyable night was had watching this faultless performance. The cast was well chosen, and the piano player Andrea Katz played flawlessly. I would recommend this show.

Interesting concept of old and new blended beautifully. Great bunch of actors, excellent set design and a thoroughly enjoyable night.

First class theatre

Excellent persfomences by all the cast

Outstanding performance by the whole cast!

A great evening, wonderful story and amazing delivery.

Amazing story telling. Weaving the stories together was seamless a true art form. The cast was amazing, faultless. I would highly recommend it.

This was my first foray into serious theatre and I loved it! I was familiar with most of the actors but not the plot. The interweaving of the pianist and characters from both the present and past was seamless. I was expecting a serious play but was pleasantly surprised to find that there were humorous laugh out loud parts as well. Most enjoyable.

Amazing performance, outstanding cast, and touching story.

What a star. Very fortunate to have seen Ellen.

Great story and show. You do not need to know much about Beethoven to love

I loved this production. All cast members were fantastic and the interweaving of the characters stories was wonderful.

Brilliant show, brilliant cast. Highly recommended

great show. All the actors were strong in the roles

Simply stunning use of a historical Musical story, told in an easily understood way, mixed with modern relationship and ailment issues and with an exceptional cast and pianist who brought everything to life. An excellent choice for a night of theatre.

Beautiful music, superb acting and interesting story made it a great show

Loved my first On the House experience. How they combined two stories in tandem was great. I think that our local actors would do well on the world stage.

this is amazing work of art. the viewers are transcended through 2 different time period, 3 different story at the same time. amazing.

enormous depth, complexity and emotion - a particularly moving piece of theatre. outstanding +

Incredibly moving. Ellen Burstyn was superb and the pianist was marvellous.

Well acted by a great cast.

Great opportunity to see Ellen Burstyn, an acting legend. Well supported by the Australian cast.

Well done to all involved in this production. The acting, set design, music and storyline were presented in such an authentic way, I forgot I was at the theatre. The ability to take the audience between snapshots of time, seemed effortless. This show demonstrates a real craft, on all levels of theatre at it's peak.

A very enjoyable night at the theatre. Ellen Burstyn does a terrific job of portraying the progression of her character's disease. Unlike a lot of local works, this is not over-acted, which was a welcome change. A thoughtful consideration of obsession and the difficulties in relating to people who can't share it.

Beautifully crafted and performed play.

Variations. Take an original idea and explore the many possibilities. 33 Variations By Moises Kaufman, takes a look at Diabelli’s waltz and what can you see? What can you hear? What emotions can you feel? What questions can you ask?

As the Comedy Theatre filled with musicians and thespians, the audience was presented with a 2 story box-set and a recording of Beethoven’s works.

Katherine Brandt, Ellen Burstyn, takes you on a journey of her latest thesis in to the private vaults of Ludwig van Beethoven’s sketches with hypothesises and theories to understand what inspired this composer to create 33 variations. Burstyn graces the stage and narrates with great conviction, to the point that you are brought on her journey. 33 Variations also shows the changes and impacts on one’s life, as Burstyn captivates the audience in her deterioration while she actively makes break through advancements in her study.

Clara Brandt, Lisa McCune, highlights the difficulties and the dysfunctional family she lives in, although throughout the play she appreciates, as difficult as it is, the times she shares with her mum. McCune throughout the performance develops a well-crafted relationship with Mike Clark, Toby Truslove. McCune and Truslove worked well with their playful flirty but awkward love chemistry which gave the audience comical moments throughout the seriousness of the whole story.
Anton Diabelli, Francis Greenslade, performs with gusto and a chance for audience members to decide how to portray his character. Ludwig van Beethoven, William McInnes, portrayed the character with strong, bold characteristics. Between Greenslade and McInnes their performances highlighted the words and sketches that Dr Gertrude Ladenburger, Helen Morse, translated and explored throughout the story.
Morse’s thick European accent and little quirks throughout the production allowed the audience to feel like they have travelled with Burstyn deeper in to her research journey.

Anton Schindler, Andre De Vanny, portrays an ever so important part to the story. Despite De Vanny’s rhythm and timing were slightly out in the first act, by the second act this was corrected. The character is what is referenced throughout textbooks and throughout the production creates the twists and turns to evolve the story and how history was portrayed.
This production made great use of the set, designed by Dann Barber, although the various monitors that were used throughout the production to display content, I felt it disturbed the setting. The use of recorded audio was kept to a minimum, although the microphones were following suit.

Overall this production was about music and the structure and the melodic sounds that Andrea Katz captivated the audience with. Without Katz you wouldn’t be able to appreciate what Beethoven had written and what Burstyn was able to analyse and assist the audience in identify in hearing from each variation.
The juxtaposition of the past to the present made the production accessible to all audience members despite their musical knowledge, everyone was able to appreciate and enjoy (some with lots of tears) this master piece of a production.

Excellent performances. Interesting and moving story.

A truly inspiring production with actors all worthy of an Oscar. A riveting experience from start to finish

Brilliant acting from Ellen, William and all the cast. Staging was clever and the music accompanying added another dimension to this multi dimensional fabulous work.

First class production cleverly interlacing themes of history, ageing, illness, death, mother-daughter relationships plus the live music of Beethoven.

Amazing performance both from the actors/actresses & pianist!!

very interesting approach to telling a fascinating story. Great acting

Highly recommended. Superb acting, Ellen Burstyn is as wonderful as expected, and the rest of the cast rises to meet her. The plot is well done, the music was delightful, and overall a wonderful way to spend an evening.

A very interesting and thoughtful play, particularly for anyone who enjoys Beethoven. Ellyn Burston is wonderful.

Wonderful performances by all...unexpected emotions appearing. Highly recommend it.

An excellent show with great performances from a wonderful cast bringing together history, music and personal relationships . Also full marks to the pianist who linked the show with Beethoven's genius

A cleverly structured play, brought to life by an excellent ensemble. The seamless interweaving of Beethoven's variations with the play's action across two time frames made it a pleasure to be in the audience. The cast were given a standing ovation, testament to a wonderful theatrical experience.

A wonderful and very touching play, with amazing cast. A very true representation of what ALS does to person and confronting opinions on how one should spend their remaining time. All the while reminding us of true genius of Beethoven and his legacy.

Not to be missed! A wonderful night of entertainment.

A great night at the theatre.

Amazing performance by all actors. It would be wrong to single out anyone in particular. All were magnificent. The team spirit was apparent especially when the actors pushed and pulled bits of the set off/on stage during the quick scene changes. The two parallel stories of the current time academic with motor neurone disease and of Beethoven are handled carefully and with dexterity. An innovative set and good use of a small stage add to the production. A demanding script perhaps a little too long.

Fabulous acting.

Brilliant performance by amazing cast!

very moving play

Wonderful night of theatre. Story beautifully told in two time zones with very moving issues. Superb acting from all the cast and in addition gorgeous music played live as part of the story. Loved every moment.

Loved this play, the acting, set and the music. The Fugue scene with Andrea Katz playing as William McInnes as Beethoven composed his fugue variation was thrilling.

Was very very good.

Great story, fabulous cast and brilliant staging. Well worth seeing.

Great production ,brilliant acting, loved every minute of it.

Wonderful production
Outstanding cast
Well worthy of the standing ovation

A great cast and story
Well worth seeing

A delightful performance, outstanding cast, and engaging story.

Absolutely wonderful performance by all actors and with a live classical pianist. A very interesting story presented from 3 different perspectives and quite confronting issues in regards to Motor Neurone Disease. Highly recommend, don’t miss it!

An unusual and entertaining play with outstanding actors. Enjoyable

Interesting and entertaining, particularly enjoyed Willaim McInnes's portrayal of Beethoven.

Well written, educational, wonderful juxtapositioned storylines. Sublime acting from a great cast. Theatre at its best.

Powerful, well acted and well written play.

One of the best pieces of theatre I have seen!!

The cast was amazing, the story was fascinating, the music was wonderful and it was all so human emotional and affecting - a wonderful night at the theatre and also an education about Beethoven and musical variations

Exploring complexities of family relationships , beautiful music threads throughout this story tying each scene and character with each other. Clever storyline and touching moments. Definitely one for the Beethoven buffs or lovers of piano music. Brilliant cast and flawless acting.

Fabulous cast in a moving story about connection. Beethoven's variations interweave his life story with Katherine's, drawing us to the common "theme" of their lives, and the "variations" they navigate along the way. Powerful, poignant and truly unique.

Wonderful. I enjoyed this far more than I expected to. Worth seeing. Great theatre!

Both funny and dramatic with brilliant performances by an outstanding cast. Three stories interwoven which explores themes we all have to face.

parallel issues related to music, illness & relationships that span across time ...
a wonderful afternoon ...
Cheers
R.

A wonderful, touching and entertaining play, with a faultless performance by the whole cast.

Amazing cast!!

Acting great

A wonderfully and sympathetically intertwined story of art, passion, frailty and relationships. The faultless acting carries you through on a lovely and often inspiring journey without a moment's hesitation. A rare joy and a rare four star.