#non replica

💙 Amy Manford and Jarrod Draper’s Masquerade costumes in the 2026 Sydney Harbour production 💙

(Sillabub is the yellow one and Etcetera is the brown one)

Emma Ogea will also be covering Demeter this coming Friday. Emma Ogea as Sillabub and Sophie Liu David as Etctera.

Having some key scenes from the first act re-enacted - in slow-motion and in reverse from the chandelier crash and up to Hannibal - during the Overture was definitely something I have never seen before! Quite odd, yet cool and fascinating.

For quite a few mirror set designs it is obvious Christine will step through it at one point. Not here. Cause how in the world will she get up there? Ah, of course by stepping at the chair, then the dressing room table, lined up like a staircase... Cool take on it.

Whereas the First Lair was pretty conventional in staging and directing, the set design was out of this world. OK, so "only" a backdrop, but to amazing effect. Very Piranesi "imaginary prisons" look to it - and with that glowing, candle light lit organ in front. Loved it. Loved it a lot.

The Phantom swinging back and forth, like a Tarzan stuntman, during the Il Muto ballet - as a foreshadowing of poor Buquet who will swing across stage in a similar manner in a few seconds. Not my favourite take on it, but A+ for creativity.

The whole of AIAOY taking place on a narrow ledge, which made it both more restrained than usual, and a bit more intimate - with Raoul acting like Christine could really fall down (or jump for that matter) any second. So most of his singing is about trying to get her into safety, while she is utterly despairing:

The Phantom riding the crashing chandelier. Truth be told, a bit less impressive live than in photos. In photos it looks like a giant drop, but live it was more a case of a chandelier moving forward, then pyrowork. Yet... Even if it's been a part of the Phantom repertoire in movies and artwork, and even if Las Vegas had a stunt man appearing hanging from the chandelier, it was cool to actually see it done in a stage production.

Each cast member dancing with a cloaked dummy on wheels in Masquerade. Again - maybe not my favourite thing, I didn't find it super convincing. But original? OH YES.

ENDLESS LOVE FOR ANDRÉ'S FLOUNCED DRESS! And for dressing Meg Giry like a perfect bigger version of the Monkey Musical Box, with a yellow tutu:

The slow motion fighting with chairs and vocal scores in the Don Juan sitzprobe, while Christine walks slowly away with a red rose, starting on the WYWSHA intro? Fascinating.

The Phantom in giant black wings flying away during the Mausoleum scene? What even? (no, it did not make more sense live)

Then a bunch of tricks for the Final Lair, first and foremost Raoul trapped in a magical lasso hoisting him up in the air, supported by the bed frame. Originally topless (Trieste), later (Madrid) wearing a shirt. Ar'right. Then the Phantom disappearing by laying down in the bed and disappearing in the sheets when the mob enters the lair. Rather cool trick because it wasn't obvious how it was done. Alas no photos of that, but at least one of the trapped Raoul:

DANIEL GUTMANN AS JAVERT

(munich production)

Jellicle cats come out tonight!

We open tonight!! So excited!!!!

Here’s some pictures of yours truly playing Gus The Theatre Cat in our non-replica production of Cats!

1: Gus the Theatre Cat

2: Rumpus cat looking out “through the bars of the area”