Speechless Premiere Reviews
Speechless premiered at the Perth Festival in a 6 night season in February/March 2019.
Below are some excerpts of reviews from press outlets available on line (without paywall).
You can download the full program here.
"Speechless was overwhelming; an experience so forcefully immersive, it was impossible to ignore. And that’s exactly what Australian society needs to experience."
" inescapably captivating"
"Virtuosic"
Read the full review by Laura Biemmi in Seesaw
"Its avant-garde style, heavy emotional impact, and difficult subject matter challenge audiences to not only observe some heavily topical sequences, but also interpret a great deal of meaning from a wordless vocal score that disrupts conventional expectations of words and melody. "
"Hope’s composition, the use of unusual stylistic devices, and the strong individual performances combine in Speechless to examine the trying existence of those living in detention across the world. The show succeeds in evoking great empathy amongst its audience. "
Read the full review by Tatum Stafford in Gutter Culture
"The 70-minute work challenges the very form of opera, or traditional ideas of how opera should look and sound"
Read the full article by Brigid Delaney in The Guardian
"an absorbing and visceral experience."
"this was an excellent opera-theatre experience, creating a nuanced commentary on an emotive issue without the need to preach to the audience. The visceral quality of the sound and the power of the emotions expressed through voice and instruments amply made a point about children in immigration detention. Speechless allows their plight to be heard. Words were superfluous."
Read the full review by Stephen Chinna in The Conversation
Other reviews in The Australian and The West Australian.
There are also previews in The Saturday Paper, ABC Radio National's 'The Music Show', The Australian, Arts Hub and mentions in festival overviews in The Daily Review and Seesaw.