Bombshells, Broads and Ballet.

I am looking forward to a weekend of Bombshells, Broads and Ballet in the most anticipated three-day entertainment bonanza of my theatre-going year thus far.

Originally, I was going to call Bombshells, Dickens’ Women and the Australian Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet a trifecta, but after dipping into the Good Book (dictionary) discovered that meant nominating a first, second and third.

Impossible and maybe ultimately unfair.

I won’t know if Joanna Murray-Smith’s celebration of Australian women, Miriam Margoyles’ insight into the Victorian Bard’s magnificent characters or Graeme Murphy’s much acclaimed new working of the star-crossed lovers is the best until we know who runs Queensland.

All I can predict is that theatrical three-way contest is bound to be much closer than any political dramas being played out on Saturday (with the possible exception of the race for Ashgrove).

Bombshells, featuring a singing, dancing and acting Christen O’Leary, comes hot-on-the-heels of Murray-Smith’s Songs for Nobodies, which blew audiences away at the Powerhouse last year.

Indeed Bernadette Robinson, who presented some of the 20^th century’s great divas from Garland to Callas in that show, is returning with Nobodies to the Cremorne Theatre in May.

And that’s where O’Leary, under the direction of the Queensland Theatre Company’s Artistic Director Wesley Enoch, will be presenting characters from a housewife running on empty to a yearning sexagenarian will be playing until April 21.

In the meantime, the commanding English actress Miriam Margoyles will be introducing Dickens’ Women to a wider audience at the Playhouse, but sadly only until Saturday (March 24).

I heard Miss Margoyles say in an interview recently that Dickens was the last great talent to appeal across the whole class spectrum, until The Beatles came along in the 1960s.

She has also been reported as saying that the Dickens show allows her be  Over the Top (OTT), which is often frowned upon in her mainstream performing life. There’s plenty to read about Ms Margoyles, but I particularly liked an interview on-line with Andrew Denton.  http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s2045234.htm

Last, but certainly not least, is Graeme Murphy’s return to Brisbane with the new Australian Ballet outing of Romeo and Juliet. This time, I’ll shut up and let this wonderful picture at the top of the story speak for itself. Romeo and Juliet continue at the Lyric Theatre until Wednesday (March 28).

It seems whatever happens elsewhere, the Queensland Performing Centre (QPAC) will be the big winner this weekend.