“The harmonies. The belting. The passion. The tears. I honestly lost track of how many times I got goosebumps watching this show.”
Alana Kaye
4 Stars
Chateau Apollo
10 Mar – 13 Mar
Adelaide Fringe Festival
Come for the Adele songs, stay for the tear-jerking performances.
Love is a Game: An Adele Song Cycle is a brand new show from the creative mind of music director, producer and performer Oliver John. He has brought together some local powerhouse vocalists to bring iconic Adele songs to life.
For those who aren’t familiar, a song cycle is a series of standalone songs performed in sequence. Typically, they have some kind of theme or throughline, or are written by the same person.
In this case, the theme is Adele – the queen of love songs.
Joining John as leads are Mackenzie Garcia and Sammi Keough, plus a 3-piece band and five ensemble members. Together, these skilled performers breathe life into Adele’s songs in beautiful and interesting ways.
Highlights include a moving duet of ‘All I Ask’ with Garcia and John depicting a couple regretfully ending their relationship, and pretty much anything Keough does. Her voice is exquisite, and she tackles Adele’s vocal gymnastics faultlessly. Her ‘Crazy For You’ solo is a stunner, telling the story of a gigging singer who’s secretly crazy for her accompanying guitarist.
It’s a testament to the stories in Adele’s lyrics that these vignettes exist, but it takes a wildly creative mind to pull them out and make them fully realised. And it wasn’t just couples breaking up or getting together. Platonic love is real too – the scene with three tipsy people at a wedding enjoying the last of the bar tab with ‘I Drink Wine’ was a nice surprise. I also have to say that the representation of queer love was on point.
As charming as the Chateau Apollo is, the space felt too small for this show, not just for the big voices but also for the choreography. The movement sequences felt a bit cramped – I’d love to see this show when it has the physical space to reach its full capacity. A few tech issues on the night pulled me out of my reverie – crackling and delayed mics, flickering lights and performers bumping into things (see earlier comment about being cramped). The performance felt restrained by its surroundings, which is a real shame.
As much as Adele writes about love and heartbreak, this whole show is a love letter right back at her. The cast perform her songs with integrity and respect, while adding their own creative flair and making them their own.
The harmonies. The belting. The passion. The tears. I honestly lost track of how many times I got goosebumps watching this show. If you haven’t managed to score a ticket, you might be out of luck. Keep your fingers crossed that Love is a Game: An Adele Song Cycle returns to the Fringe Festival next year.
Tickets: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/love-is-a-game-an-adele-song-cycle-af2025
Alana Kaye, Theatre Now
