BITTERSWEET: Bec Moore’s Bittersweet establishes an eerie, unsettling atmosphere right from the start, utilising an almost bare stage featuring a giant lone tree with white lace foliage, atmospheric lighting, and effective sound design. An underlying sense that something is not quite right draws you into a compelling mystery, heightened by clever staging and sharply delivered dialogue.
Anchored by strong performances from both actors, the narrative explores grief and isolation with great care. Moore frames the piece as a love letter to anyone navigating mental health struggles, drawing deep inspiration from the solitary trees standing in empty Western Australian fields to deliver a story that is ultimately one of hope.
JUANA LA LOCA: Annalisa Cicchini delivers a commanding performance as ‘The Mad Queen’ Juana of Castile in this deeply passionate, all-dance exploration of manipulation and heartbreak. Inspired by her visit to the Museo del Prado in Madrid where she discovered Francisco Pradilla y Ortiz’s painting Doña Juana la Loca, Cicchini reimagines the narrative to challenge how historical women labelled as ‘mad’ were often victims of political control.
Told entirely through powerful flamenco dance and deeply emotional physical storytelling, Cicchini is brilliantly supported by a strong ensemble and team. The evocative music is seamlessly intertwined with the narrative, driving the energy and pacing, while lighting is exceptionally well utilised throughout, especially during the intense sequences where the strobe-lit ensemble advance on Juana with menacing, glitchy horror-film energy, as well as the darkness in Juana’s moments of chilling isolation.
Powerful and exceptionally well performed, it is a striking piece of theatre that feels urgently relevant in today’s world where the fight for women’s autonomy is as pressing as ever.