The Gigli Concert

(Darlinghurst Theatre Company)

In 'The Gigli Concert' currently being staged by the Darlinghurst Theatre Company a wealthy Irish building developer seeks out a faddish therapist for assistance ostensibly because he wants to be able to sing like the famed Italian tenor Beniamino Gigli (1890-1957) even if only for an hour. The fact that the therapist is a drunken wastrel of sorts seems to matter nought to the 'patient' and in the manners of these things the therapist in the end undergoes a treatment of his own.

This is quite a nicely acted piece but I found it overlong. I'm sure the play could have delivered an impact at half the length. There is a lot of the real Gigli's singing during the play which is fine for opera buffs but the recorded works were mostly dour and morose in tone and by the end I was sick of the sound of the arias.

In addition to the generally good acting I have to compliment the performers on their timing - dialogue and movement to the music - which was precise and really skillful.

★★1/2