Belvoir St Theatre in Sydney has unleashed a theatrical tour de force, breathing exhilarating new life into Virginia Woolf's timelessly radical novel, Orlando. This is not a mere adaptation; it is a vibrant, witty, and profoundly intelligent conversation across the centuries, proving the novel's exploration of identity, gender, and time is more resonant than ever.
Directed with visionary flair by Eamon Flack, the production masterfully condenses Woolf's sprawling, centuries-spanning saga into a sharp and utterly captivating two-hour performance. The stage becomes a dynamic playground where history, literature, and performance collide, challenging the very constraints of time and bodily form.
A Star-Making Performance
At the heart of this triumph is Taylor Ferguson, who delivers a career-defining performance in the titular role. With magnetic charisma and astonishing emotional range, Ferguson guides the audience on Orlando's journey from a lovesick Elizabethan boy to a confident 1920s woman. The transformation is seamless, a testament to both the actor's skill and the production's nuanced handling of Woolf's gender-fluid protagonist.
A Feast for the Senses
The production is a masterclass in theatrical design. The set, a clever and mutable construction, evokes everything from the opulent halls of a great house to the vast, icy fields of the Great Frost. Costuming is used with particular brilliance, becoming a central tool in exploring identity and period. The lighting and sound design work in perfect harmony to create an immersive, dreamlike atmosphere that pulls the audience deep into Orlando's world.
More Relevant Than Ever
What makes this Orlando so powerful is its palpable urgency. Flack and the company deftly highlight the novel's prescient themes—the performativity of gender, the fluidity of the self, and the search for artistic freedom—making them feel urgently contemporary without ever resorting to heavy-handedness. The play possesses a joyous, rebellious spirit that is both thought-provoking and wildly entertaining.
This is landmark theatre. Belvoir's Orlando is a bold, celebratory, and stunningly executed production that confirms Virginia Woolf's work as forever ahead of its time. It is an unmissable event that will linger in the mind long after the curtain falls.
