BWW Reviews: ADELAIDE FRINGE 2014: SALLY WHITWELL AND MARIE ANGEL Presented a Highly Theatrical Performance of Stunning Works

Reviewed by Blake Parham, Friday 21st February 2014

From the moment that you entered Elder Hall it was obvious that Sally Whitwell and Marie Angel was not going to be your typical classical recital. The stage was adorned with lamps, crates, several pianos, and a large silk cloth hanging from the celling which acted as a projection screen for a number of wonderful lighting effects. Sally Whitwell began the concert with improvisations on the melodica, a small keyboard which one must blow into as well as play the keys on. While this instrument is often considered a children's toy, Whitwell's playing proved otherwise.

The first half of the concert consisted of a number of works for solo piano by Philip Glass, Elena Kats-Chernin, Michael Nyman, and Yann Tiersen. These compositions were interspersed with short improvisations by Whitwell on the melodica and the toy piano, and poetry by Alison Croggon, read by Marie Angel from the opposite end of the concert hall. This combination created a wonderfully mesmerizing and ethereal atmosphere and enabled Whitwell to show her theatrical abilities, as well as her control and mastery of the piano. Additionally, her ability to produce a very clear sound throughout the performance, even during some very fast and dexterous phrases, showed why she is considered one of Australia's best pianists.

When the audience re-entered the hall following the interval, it was found that the stage had once again been modified. Now there was all manner of clothing thrown upon the lamps, including some rather racy underwear, and a table with wine and assorted food could be seen on the stage. It was this setting, along with the very suitable costuming of the two ladies, which created a wonderful atmosphere for Nymen's 8 Lust Songs: I Sonetti Lussuriosi. Marie Angel was not only suitably dressed, however, she also adopted a number of wonderful and appropriate movements and characters for each of the songs, portraying both men and women very well. Her smooth and well-rounded sound, coupled with her fantastic acting, created a very theatrical and believable performance.

During this performance both artists made a concerted effort to use more theatrical performance styles in a concert setting. Overall, this was very successful, although at times these endeavours did not read as clearly as one might wish. Furthermore, the emotionalism and theatrically which Angel so superbly worked into this performance does occasionally seem to impede the clarity of her voice to a small extent, although this is a minor criticism of an otherwise wonderful performance.

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