Raw, romantic and intimate are three words we would use to describe Overture - a fusion of cabaret and contemporary dance, at The Queen’s Theatre this Adelaide Fringe. Overture is the perfect title for this production, as the entire story unfolds before the curtain rises on a glamourous Hollywood show.

From the moment the lights dim, the audience is thrown into a world where boundaries blur between tragic reality and the razzle dazzle of the stage life. What’s unique about this show is the audience doesn’t just sit throughout it; instead we were ushered through a theatre setting, from a foyer bar, backstage, dressing rooms, and into the stalls, complete with a mock audience of dancers to further immerse viewers in the magic of this production.

The Queen’s theatre is an amazing venue for this piece, as its architecture and nostalgic ambience helps the audience step back to a time of velvet, lace, sequins, and feathers. 

The costumes were brilliant, the production was immaculate, and the dance performances by the entire cast were flawless. The cleaner, the bartender, the showgirl and the theatre manager together invoked a depth of raw emotion, romance, sorrow, and joy. The creator of Overture, Tegan Jeffrey-Ruston, has created an outstanding, engrossing contemporary dance production.

It is a performance that doesn’t just entertain, it challenges, provokes and lingers long after the curtain call. As the final moments unfold, the show leaves us in a paradox: an overture where the first note is also the last.