I love seeing a brand new work. There’s always something exciting about experiencing a piece of theatre for the first time. There is, however, always that feeling of trepidation; will it work, will I like it? This was certainly not the case with Love Is A Game: An Adele Song Cycle. This new work is simply stunning. 

Conceptualised by Adelaide-based vocalist, performer and creative Oliver John, Love Is A Game is a song cycle that tells an array of short stories told through the emotive music of Adele. Like a theatrical song cycle or a series of music videos, each song tells its own narrative, with a new story starting with each song. Adele is known for her storytelling ability through her music, with a huge portion of her catalogue being poignant and narrative-driven. Oliver John has curated a brilliant selection of Adele’s music that tells stories of love, all from different viewpoints and relationships.

Directors Oliver John and Sienna Bertram and choreographer Jay Scott have done a remarkable job analysing the lyrics to the songs featured in Love Is A Gameto draw out the stories in each piece and present them in such a moving and powerful way. Jay’s choreography is simply stunning and Oliver and Sienna have delicately handled each love story with the utmost care.

This is a true ensemble piece. The entire cast work as a whole to bring to the audience fourteen stories about love. When not leading the song as a featured soloist, they are working as one with backing vocals, moving set pieces or choreography. Love Is A Game features three lead vocalists, Mackenzie Garcia, Sammi Keough and Oliver John, who all bring their own unique vocal styles to this show. They are supported by equally impressive vocalists, Maddie Nunn, Leticia Lee, Issy Coomber, Jay Scott and Matt Hawke. 

You could easily say each piece in Love Is A Game was a standout, but personal favourites included Oliver and Sammi’s duet Daydreamer, Oliver’s When We Were Young(supported by the full cast), and Mackenzie’s Don’t You Remember.

The production is musically supported by Euan Safey on keyboard, Matt Hawke on guitar and bass and Kodi Jackson on percussion. These three work well together to lay down a solid foundation for the cast to work with. 

Love Is A Game is an excellent example of new home-grown works coming out of Adelaide. Whilst their Fringe season is sold out, I’m hopeful we will get to experience this show again in the not too distant future.