World-class arts set for South West as Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre announces 2023 Classic Quartet

Bunbury will be given a taste of fine arts next year when four different performances rarely seen in the regions are showcased in the city. The Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre has unveiled its season opener, which will see four shows hit the city between March and August, comprising a world-first Noongar opera, Shakespeare play, ballet gala and symphony orchestra. Fittingly dubbed the Classic Quartet, BREC will welcome the high-class acts through its doors in the hope of exposing the community to art forms not readily accessible in the region. First to make curtain call will be WA Symphony Orchestra with its rendition of Antonin Dvorak’s New World symphony on March 4. One of the most popular symphonies of all time, Dvorak’s brilliant Ninth Symphony has been played in concert halls worldwide to great acclaim. Its Largo theme captures the composer’s intense longing for home before the symphony climaxes to the most breath-taking and profound finale. WA Ballet will take the stage on March 31, bringing a wide variety of performances from classical and contemporary ballets to the South West. For one night only, guests will experience the energy and beauty of dance with the gala evening also set to showcase excerpts of the State ballet company’s highly-anticipated production of Swan Lake set to take over His Majesty’s Theatre on November 18. Other variations to be featured on the night include the ethereal and emotional Goldberg Variations, the intriguing duet of Galatea and Pygmalion and selected favourites from West Australian Ballet’s most loved works. A uniquely South West performance from WA Opera will play on August 4, the renowned company bringing its world-first Noongar Opera Koolbardi wer Wardong to the region for one night only. Award-winning songwriters and storytellers, Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse, have come together to share the insightful story of Koolbardi (the magpie) and Wardong (the crow), here on Noongar land. The show will take audiences back to the Nyittiny, the time of creation, where love, loyalty, betrayal and jealousy are all stretched to their limits — because pride always comes before the fall. BREC executive director Fiona De Garis said the production would also feature a cameo of local faces. “We’ve got a whole chorus of kids from Bunbury in (the show) who will rehearse for 10 weeks and get up there with the rest of the team,” she said. “It makes it really incredible for them to be in but also for people to come and be there to see them. “It will give them an incredible experience of creative process, teamwork, commitment and discipline, and potentially will open a pathway for them if they see a possibility.” Rounding out the high-class display is nationally recognised Shakespeare Company, Bell Shakespeare which is set to bring the bard’s romantic-comedy Twelfth Night to the BREC main stage. The performance on August 24 will mark the company’s first return to the region since COVID, sharing a powerful story of gender and sexuality, in a collusion of hidden identities and unrequited love. Directed by Heather Fairbairn, the retelling of the classic will feature all-new music by Australian singer-songwriter Sarah Blasko, encouraging audiences to find the light in the darkness. Ms De Garis said “the stars have aligned” to be able to bring all four notable acts to the region. “We’re really excited that we’re were able to have four such lustrous companies grace us with their presence,” she said. “We really exist at BREC to bring people together to share experiences and this is a really special experience so it was a no brainer to me that you should be able to do that here without having to get in the car and drive two hours to experience it.” To give audiences a chance to attend the entire suite of performances, BREC is offering a Classic Quartet ticket package to see all four performances at a discounted price. Ticket holders will receive the same reserve seating for each performance, with bookings for the deal available until March 4, 2023 unless sold prior. The Classic Quartet program will also form part of BREC’s 2023 Creative Learning Program for Primary and Secondary schools in the region, which seeks to introduce aspiring artists to the unique artforms. Tickets for all performances, along with the package deal are available via the BREC website.