Are You Lonesome Tonight, The Q and Opera Queensland, The B, 15 Apr (and subsequent performances in Griffith, Gouburn, Bathurst, Cessnock, Wagga Wagga, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Casino, Tamworth, Roma, Winton, Longreach, Balcardine, Blackall, Gympie, Gold Coast til May 31st)

 Opera Queensland's touring show is a melding of Opera and Country music, treating both with respect while delivering a potted history lesson and samplings of several of the hits. A talented trio of performers, both on voice and playing guitar, Cello and violin, accompanied by Trevor Jones (fresh from his accompanist/major-general duties on "Pirates of Penzance") present exeprts from "Corronation of Poppea", "Marriage of Figaro", "La Boheme", "Carmen", "La Traviata" and "The Rabbits", alternating with Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, Troy Casser-Daley and Slim Dusty, exploring the commanalities and differences of the two forms. 

In some ways this is an "opera for beginners" walk through, a way of presenting work to an audience that may not be familiar with the forms in a comfortable environment - but there's some strong staging in here, from Penny Challen's design and Wesley Bluff's subtle lighting scheme, to director Laura Hansford's variation of presentation from plain concert delivery to creative stage pictures in the "Figaro", "Boheme" and the closing delivery of the title song. All three performers are in fine voice for both - Gabriella Diaz on her cello and in her mixed-opera-country outfits, Jonathan Hickey on Violin and Marcus Corowa on guitar. It's a charming, fun evening, even if it never goes as deep into either genre as aficionados may want, it's a gentle skim across the highlights of the artforms, and a fine, charming evening. 

The Moors, Lexi Sekuless Productions, Mill Theatre at Dairy Road, 26 Mar-12 Apr

 Evoking the 19th century gothic novels of the Bronte sisters (and elements of the lives of them as well), with the dour and moody Yorkshire moors reflecting the inner passions of two sisters, their maid, the recently arrived governess (despite there not being any child to tutor), a mastiff and a moorhen, "The Moors" is a delightfully odd play full of grim corners, surprise twists, rage, literary conciets and lust and plays wonderfully in the intimate Mill Theatre, on Aloma Barnes' set which serves both for indoor scenes and outdoors with a painting scheme that lets the characters blend into nature while their outfits stand out boldly. 

Joel Horwood's production perfectly captures the mood, with each performance attuned to build the atmosphere and tension, as we start to learn who's the predator and who the prey. Andrea Close anchors the play as the foreboding, grim Agatha, grandly imposing in her wide-framed dress. Rachael Hudley as the wannabe-writer, Hudley, is suitably scatterbrained, self-absorbed and easily over-ridden by Agatha. Sarah Nathan-Truesdale as the newly arrived Governess is a bold-but-bewhildered entryway into the narrative, easily steered by the various influences upon her. Steph Roberts as Margery, the maid, does powerful looming and incipient portents of doom to perfection, building a sense of delight in her slow-bulilding vengeance. Chris Zuber and Petronella van Tienen as the Mastiff and the Moorhen provide a somewhat poetic accompaniment to the human plot,  with a sweet romance that turns sour as their natures betray them.

Damien Ashcroft's sound and Stefan Wronski's lighting add to the mood, the tension and the delight of the piece. All in all it's a strangely delightful evening, a play that simultaneously takes the feelings seriously and makes the results of those feelings hilarious in a way that lands between spoof-and-seriousness that means you both enjoy the delights of the Bronte's gothic moods and appreciate the light mocking that it gets.