BLACK BOX
Review by Caroline Russo
The world premiere of Black Box had its official opening, and upon entering, we were instructed to put on headphones and enjoy the ride. I must say, myself and the rest of the audience surely did.
BLACK BOX is based on the extraordinary true story of David Warren, the Australian inventor who created the black box flight recorder that is now on every plane around the globe. Paul Hodge has crafted the musical, and what a masterful story it is. Enlisting an army of creative practitioners to bring this project to fruition, with over 30 of them being Queenslanders, including X FACTOR winner and EUROVISION runner-up Dami Im, who has recently recorded a song for this world-first binaural musical, which will also be released as a single.
Dami Im, who was present last night, was delighted with the whole production. “I love the song A New Era and am thrilled to partake in this production, but also to be releasing it as a single.”
The man who steals the show of the night is the internationally renowned singer and actor Michael Cormick, who has had leading roles around the world, including in Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast with Hugh Jackman. He was amazing to watch; it was like a one-man show at times, and he mastered the role with both singing and acting.
I asked Michael how long he had to prepare for the show, and he mentioned only having 3 weeks in Sydney, with rehearsal time dedicated to working out the stage and sound movements in the past 2 weeks. It does have some challenging moments, as my earpiece is much different from what the audience is receiving, and he needs to be on beat with all he is on stage with, including his counterpart who plays his wife Ruth.
Helen Dallimore, again, an amazing singer performer who has been touring extensively throughout the UK and Australia. Playing opposite Michael was perfection to watch. Both gave brilliant performances, aided by the great direction of the very capable David Berthold.
The cast of Queenslanders, led by recent transplant to Queensland and star of WENTWORTH, NEIGHBOURS, and HOME AND AWAY, Bernard Curry, features Hugh Parker, Bryan Probets, Liz Buchanan, and Taylah Johns.
Driven by the death of his father in an unexplained plane crash when he was only eight, BLACK BOX follows David as he fights for an invention that could record the final moments of a flight before it crashes – the black box. His obsession with this invention places his career, marriage, and mind at risk. It’s a show about memory and how we hold onto, and let go of, those we love.
This production is making noise, and so it should. I would love to see this form into a screen story; it is such a great Australian story that has a global reach. It was extra special to see family members there last night to celebrate the opening night, and combined with the space at Cremorne Theatre, this is a good space to showcase it at QPAC.
It has a limited season, and again, it is unique theater. I urge you to catch this show.
Booking Details:
Venue: Cremorne Theatre, QPAC
Season: 10 – 19 May
Tickets: From $69.90
Bookings: qpac.com.au
