Presented by: Gilbert & Sullivan Society of South Australia
Reviewed: 30 May, 2026
Many classic musicals are clear products of their time: topical at the time of writing but have not aged well. Then there are some gems that in the right hands are given a fresh lease of life for the next generation to fall in love with. This is exactly what the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of South Australia has done with Funny Girl.
Funny Girl loosely follows the life and career of Fanny Brice—a comedian, vaudeville and Broadway star—as well as her rocky relationship with gambler and entrepreneur Nick Arnstein. The musical first opened on Broadway in 1964 and was then adapted for the silver screen in 1968, both starring the legendary Barbra Streisand.
Director Amanda Rowe and choreographer Kerry-Lynne Hauber have once again united to bring their magical touch to this production. They are joined by the incredible Karen Sheldon as assistant director and up-and-coming musical director Dylan Rufus to bring to the Arts Theatre a carefully considered, fresh take on Funny Girl. It is always pleasing to see a production where the production team has a united vision across each of their areas and works as a team, not just as individuals.
The role of Fanny Brice is huge for any one performer. It spans her life from a teenager through to later in life and is demanding vocally, with some of theatre’s most recognisable songs. Rowe’s vision to cast three exceptional performers in the role to showcase the three clear chapters of Fanny’s life has paid off. Olivia Sutton, Sarah Hamilton and Sophie Stokes work seamlessly to bring Rowe’s vision to life. They are consistent in every way; their accent work is brilliant, mannerisms match and even speech patterns are almost identical. It’s hard to find enough adjectives to describe these three powerhouse performances. Sutton brings the youthful and playful nature needed for Brice’s younger years, Hamilton brings her trademark comedic timing and ballsy vocal qualities and Stokes pours the emotional elements needed for the later part of Brice’s life. It is a joy to watch these three fine performers at work, and their act one finale, Don’t Rain On My Parade was a highlight of the show.
The dashing Daniel Hamilton ticks all the right boxes in his portrayal of Nick Arnstein. His smooth, charismatic voice is perfectly suited to the role and he shapes his performance magnificently so we love to hate him at just the right moments.
Thomas Sheldon plays Eddie Ryan with great energy and once again showcases his stunning voice and brilliant tap skills. It is always a delight watching Carolyn Adams perform. She plays Fanny’s mother, Rosie Brice, with just the right levels of opinionated versus caring. Sheldon and Adams’ act one duet, Who Taught Her Everything, was fun, playful and together they captured the comedic nature of the song.
Kerry-Lynne Hauber has produced excellent choreography that suits all cast members well. All routines are well drilled and executed and the tap numbers are both effective and synchronized perfectly.
Dylan Rufus led a mostly tight orchestra that tackled this complex score with great musicality. There were a few stray intonation issues that were especially noticeable during the overture and ballads. Often tucked away in the pit or behind the stage, it was a welcome surprise to have the orchestra so prominent in the set design. Rufus’s vocal work with the cast is excellent, which is particularly evident in the blend during the larger ensemble numbers.
It is unfortunate that some of the technical aspects of the show let the production quality down. Several follow spots cast shadows across faces or failed to keep up with the performer they were focused on. The biggest letdown was the low audio quality. Being the third performance that this reviewer attended, you would think that such tech issues would be resolved, but this was not the case. Many mics were not on for lines or were turned off midway through a song or scene. The orchestra started the entr’acte with their faders off until they were suddenly turned on partway through. Also the overall blend was inconsistent with mic levels clearly being fiddled with as the show went on.
Costume design by Rosie Ferguson was excellent, as too was props by Shari Harkness-Mills. Michael Bentley’s lighting design was effective (operated by Anthea Harold Browne), although there were some shadow areas in the design that sometimes masked cast members. It is always noticeable when David Lampard has designed the set, with how effectively and creatively it all fits together and moves between scenes.
Funny Girl is playing until June 6th at the Arts Theatre. Don’t let anything rain on your parade and stop you from seeing another fine example of what the Adelaide community theatre scene has on offer. Our fair city contains some of the finest, local performers and they deserve full houses. The Gilbert & Sullivan Society took a gamble with this fresh, new approach to a classic and it paid off. Get out and support innovative, fresh takes on brilliant theatre.
Reviewed by Ben Stefanoff
Photo credit: Daniel Salmond
Venue: The Arts Theatre
Season: Until 6th June 2026
Duration: 2 hours and 50 minutes (including a 20 minute intermission)
Tickets: $24.00 – $43.00 (plus booking fee)
Bookings: https://www.gandssa.com.au/funny-girl
Amanda Rowe, Anthea Harold Browne, ARTS Theatre, Carolyn Adams, Daniel Hamilton, David Lampard, Dylan Rufus, Gilbert & Sullivan Society of South Australia, Karen Sheldon, Kerry-Lynne Hauber, Michael Bentley, Olivia Sutton, Rosie Ferguson, Sarah Hamilton, Shari Harkness-Mills, Sophie Stokes, Thomas Sheldon
