Theatre Review: Logan St. – Glam Adelaide

Tweet

Breathtaking and eye opening – A thought provoking and moving piece of theatre from State Theatre Company South Australia

Presented by: State Theatre Company South Australia
Reviewed: 28 July, 2026

There is something truly special about being absorbed by a piece of theatre you know very little about. To be engulfed in a production with no preconceived ideas or commentary and to experience it fresh is truly magical. It’s even more special when you are one of the first to witness a brilliant piece of theatre being premiered. Logan St. isexactly this. 

It is hard to find the exact combination of words to describe how beautiful and moving Logan St. is. It follows the story of two unlikely friends who meet in the backyard of an Adelaide mosque: Afghan cameleer and caretaker of the mosque, Goolie, and young First Nations woman, Dulcie, who is trying to work out her place in society.

For eighty minutes we are given an insight into the lives and cultural backgrounds of these two individuals. What is fascinating are the similarities between them, especially their cultures’ historic backgrounds. Alexis West (Dulcie/Munarto) and Ali Ammouchi (Goolie) give captivating performances. With the play spanning a sixteen-year time period ending in 1950, both performers convincingly take you on this journey through changes in their voice pattern and stance. You hang onto every word, every movement and every look. Ammouchi’s performance is gut wrenching. He has an incredible way of allowing certain moments of dialogue to hit you deep in your gut. You feel his pain and you also want to celebrate his joys. West too delivers a memorable performance, and her closing monologue was particularly haunting. 

Kaurna and Narungga theatre-maker and director Jacob Boehme has crafted an extraordinary script. It is an autobiographical work of fiction, inspired by Boehme’s own family history and lived experiences whilst drawing on his own research and many conversations with family and community as well as documented events. This production is honest and authentic. As an audience, you forget you are watching a production, but feel like you are there in the garden or kitchen watching these conversations unfold. With the majority of the show set in the kitchen of the mosque, it highlights how food and food preparation in so many cultures is an activity that brings people together. Reflecting on my own life, so many deep and wonderful conversations between friends have occurred whilst sharing a meal together.

Interspersed between scenes are several powerful filmed montages of a First Nations woman during the 1840s and her child and their treatment during the stolen generation. These videos beautifully tie in to the conclusion of the production in a way that will deeply move you. Accompanying these videos are skilfully composed pieces by Dale Cornelius that meld Middle Eastern musical motifs with songs sung in First Nation dialect. The closing sequence of film, music and live action is a theatrical memory that will remain in the audience’s minds for a long time. 

Adding to this incredible immersive production was the use of scents to spark memories and emotions. Upon entry, you are greeted with the comforting smell of burning native Blue Bush. For this reviewer, it evoked memories of camping as a family, or sitting in the scrub watching a bonfire burn. Later in the play when Goolie reminisces of childhood memories making Shirpera we are engulfed with the sweet smell of rosewater, which only enhances the theatrical experience. 

Logan St. is a breathtaking and eye opening new piece of theatre. It is thought provoking and will move you deep within your soul. Bravo State Theatre for sharing and allowing stories like those in Logan St. be seen. Theatre should be a shared experience and this production is one to share. 

Reviewed by Ben Stefanoff

Photo credit: Matt Byrne