Selected Reviews
Metamorphosis
[US, 2024]
"“You’ve earned a seat at the table; it is the best table there is, and you have the best seat…” So, declares a chipper female voice heard through a headset connected to an MP3 player during the engaging and absorbing immersive performance piece-style production, Metamorphosis. … Sound designer Nate Edmondson’s efforts render the evocative music, effects and recorded spoken word portions, with jolting results. … Metamorphosis playfully, yet thoughtfully captures The Metamorphosis’ core, while creatively evoking Kafka’s perpetual theme of the individual battered by an oppressive craven society."
• Darryl Reilly (Theater Scene)
43 Stages Of
Grieving
[US, 2024]
"43 Stages of Grieving is thoughtful and inspiring. It clips along at a good pace… with a sense of both ease and foreboding as we know where we’re all going, that despite the joys and positiveness about life, it’s not enough without a deep human connection." ★ ★ ★ ★
• David Walters (The Front Row Center)
"The two are later joined by Mary (voiced by Alysia Reiner), an electronic prototype of the “perfect woman.” She’s a more imperfect creation, programmed primarily to just say “yes” to everything. Much of the play’s comedy comes from her over-eagerness to please, like arranging a drone delivery of the perfect outfit for Anne’s final day on Earth."
• Joey Sims (Transitions)
"Alysia Reiner voices a Siri-like device which is a prototype for The Perfect Woman. … A very enjoyable venture that, while maybe not Earth-shattering, is world-embracing."
• Michael Dale (Theater Pizzazz)
Opera Up Late
(World Pride)
[Australia, 2023]
"…making an early claim to be the real highlight of Sydney World Pride’s cultural calendar! Drag comedian Reuben Kaye puts opera’s inherent campiness under the microscope as Opera Australia’s Annie Aitken, Tomas Dalton, Angela Hogan, Benjamin Rasheed, and Cathy-Di Zhango flip arias in queer directions, throwing in some Sondheim, Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga and more along the way. …an evening of sublime fun. Transitions are filled with moments of silliness, the choice of songs and their presentation (keep an eye on the surtitles for additional gags) elevate what could have been a simple night of “drag opera”. An incredible amount of work has gone into this show’s two performances. Rennie and co have taken the proverbial stick out of opera’s ass and replaced it with a vibrating dildo, leaving the full house ecstatic for more." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Chad Armstrong (The Queer Review)
Sesame Street
The Musical
[US, 2022-2024]
"Sesame Street the Musical includes several classics, including ‘C is for Cookie’, ‘Rubber Duckie’ and the Sesame Street theme, but my interest was in the original music added to the show, written by several songwriters including Broadway-composer-of-the-moment Tom Kitt, and up-coming Broadway composers Helen Park and Nate Edmondson. All of the music is entirely toddler-friendly." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Bear Likes Broadway
"In this musical theatre form (arranged by composer Nate Edmondson), Sesame Street: The Musical stars the OGs like Bert and Ernie, Grover, and Cookie Monster, the cantankerous Oscar the Grouch, our numbers-obsessed Count, and the later-era principles like Rosita, Elmo, Gabrielle, and Abby. … Expect the greatest hits like ‘C is for Cookie’, ‘Rubber Duckie’, and ‘Pinball Number’. Expect loving numbers about celebrating differences, as in ‘Fuzzy and Blue (and Orange)’ between Cookie Monster, Grover, and one of the Yip-Yips. Expect ‘But I Like You’ between Bert and Ernie. Expect parents with infants and expect kids with their mouths agape when bubbles pour from the ceilings. Expect some new theatre-related songs penned by Nate Edmondson, Tom Kitt and Helen Park." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Caroline Cao (Slash Film)
"It seems inevitable that Sesame Street would eventually hit the New York stage — the beloved children's show is already musical, and the theme song is as iconic as any classic Broadway overture. The company has once again outdone itself with Sesame Street: The Musical, a clever and utterly joyous show that's truly for all ages. … Among the highlights are Rosita, channeling Maria von Trapp with her ditty ‘Sing After Me’, and Count von Count, whose counting skills make him a perfect dance instructor. Separately, Cookie Monster gets a few showcases, and Elmo makes his one big number count with a high-octane dance break. (Besides some classic Sesame Street tunes, the infectiously catchy songs are by Tom Kitt, Helen Park, and Nate Edmondson.) … Sesame Street: The Musical offers nothing negative to write about. You don't have to be a kid to be a theatre kid, and Sesame Street: The Musical will delight every theatre kid at heart. A fun-loving testament to the power of theatre." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Gillian Russo (New York Theatre Guide)
"A few new songs by Tom Kitt, Helen Park and Nate Edmondson touch on the power of imagination and dressing up as a vehicle for self-affirming play. … Though its rich-hued aesthetics and loose structure are smartly designed to hold the attention of the young and restless, Sesame Street: The Musical rewards adults with the wonders of nostalgia and a few knowing ribs about life behind the footlights. It’s a beguiling place to play pretend — and to learn a thing or two about how to grow up in the real world."
• Naveen Kumar (The New York Times)
"‘I Love Trash’ worked really well here because they made some great updates, but another song stood out to me because it was so faithful to the original. Bert and Ernie sang ‘But I Like You’, and it was delightful. The performers had every beat down pat, and the song really felt like it was written to be performed live like this. I really loved when they adapted songs to have a show tune-like feel, which is what we should be getting with a Sesame Street stage musical. … Another highlight of “things we wouldn’t normally see on stage” was the ‘Pinball Number Count’, replete with puppets of numbers 1 through 12. It’s a simple thing, but it was executed so well! … While we did get so many classic songs, there were two original numbers: ‘We’re in a Musical!’ and ‘You Can Be a Star’. …I found them enjoyable, particularly ‘We’re in a Musical!’"
• Joe Hennes & Matthew Soberman (Tough Pigs)
"The musical, which features new songs by Tony-winner Tom Kitt, K-POP composer-lyricist Helen Park, and Nate Edmondson, offers charm and spectacle for all ages. … The upbeat rhythms, catchy lyrics, and valuable moral lessons that have become hallmarks are there, too." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Dan Meyer (Theaterly)
"…the show bounces along, delighting its core audience. The new songs by Broadway veterans Tom Kitt (Almost Famous), Helen Park (K-POP) and Nate Edmondson, are future classics sure to be on any parent’s playlist. … The production is never less than fully professional, filled with that magic of Sesame Street charm, and engagingly entertaining." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Adam Cohen (Theater Pizzazz)
"The show is chock-full of songs. Many are culled from the Sesame Street song catalog (the iconic ‘Rubber Duckie’ and ‘C Is for Cookie’ proved to be the most popular tunes crossing the footlights)… Memorable tunes were contributed by Tom Kitt, Helen Park, and Nate Edmondson. … Sesame Street: The Musical takes a delightful detour into dance with a lively toe-tapping number called ‘Elmo’s Got the Moves’. And, in its second half, it pulls everybody into the merriment with its sing-alongs." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Deirdre Donovan (Theater Scene)
"…happily introduces kids to the joy of the theater (expressed in the new number ‘We’re in a Musical!’). … There are also performances of such iconic numbers from the TV series as Cookie Monster’s ‘C Is for Cookie’ (which he eats, then dances with a chorus line of chocolate chip treats, before inhaling another trayful), Ernie’s ‘Rubber Duckie’ (sung in a bathtub, with bubbles raining down on the audience), his duet on ‘But I Like You’ with his bestie Bert (in which they realize they don’t have to agree on everything to get along), ‘Elmo’s Got the Moves’ (with different pairs of puppet shoes – ballet, tap, soft shoe, and MJ’s – dancing to a hip-hop beat); Oscar the critic’s ‘I Love Trash’, and more, in addition to new songs… All were performed to a pre-recorded soundtrack, with Nate Edmondson serving as sound designer, musical director, score composer, and orchestrator. …credit to the puppeteers and creative team. They all deserve it, for delivering so much fun and joy."
• Deb Miller (DC Theater Arts)
"...Sesame Street: The Musical brings to life the voices and ideas of a magical street unlike any other. … From the opening number to the big finale, the original work captivates audiences with its imaginative new modes of expression. Centered around a love of learning the highly refined production written and directed by Jonathan Rockefeller brims with live puppetry, mesmerizing stagecraft, and new numbers by Broadway’s brightest songwriters. … Creating a relationship between you and the music, the new compositions by Tom Kitt, Helen Park, and Nate Edmondson are mixed in with classic Sesame Street songs admirers know and love. Having an insistent rhythm, Cookie Monster’s catchy ‘C is for Cookie’ rendition is heartwarming. The piece was the pinnacle of the entertainment-filled morning. …a rhythmic foot-tapping experience. … From the spatial to the visual to the musical components that go into creating harmonies and notes, a sense of wonder prevails." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Alexander Fatouros (The Theatre Times)
"…the show features original songs by Tom Kitt (Next to Normal), Helen Park (K-POP) and Nate Edmondson (Rockefeller's Winnie the Pooh), so we expect them to do right by Elmo, Abby, Grover, Ernie and Bert, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster and the rest of the street-smart crew."
• Time Out New York
"The show includes all the well-known songs from the show’s long history, plus brand new material. Also, the new songs are written by Tom Kitt, Nate Edmondson, and Helen Park, all seasoned Broadway composers." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Gary On Broadway
"Familiar songs such as ‘C is for Cookie’, ‘Rubber Ducky’, and ‘Fuzzy and Blue (and Orange)’ grab our attention in addition to new songs… I especially liked the opening ‘We’re in a Musical!’, as well as ‘Elmo’s Got the Moves’, ‘Believe in Yourself’, and the climactic ‘You Can be a Star’, and ‘Hey Friend’. … This is a colorful and bouncy entertainment, a true delight for the youngest audience (who, on Saturday morning, raised quite a ruckus but were nevertheless enthralled and quite willing to sing along)." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Brad Rudy (Theatre Buzz Atlanta)
"Essentially a 70-minute musical revue, writer-director Jonathan Rockefeller’s quick-moving production shines its spotlight on Bert, Ernie, The Count, Oscar the Grouch, Grover, Elmo and Cookie Monster, letting them perform either classic songs from the show, such as ‘Rubber Ducky’ or ‘C Is for Cookie’, or cheery new tunes penned by Tom Kitt, Helen Park and Nate Edmondson. As expected, they’re all wonderful…"
• Brian Scott Lipton (Citi Tour NY)
"…a variety showcase for some of Sesame Street's greatest hits: Cookie Monster singing ‘C Is for Cookie’, Ernie in the bathtub performing ‘Rubber Duckie’, Rosita doing ‘Sing After Me’, Oscar the Grouch, now a hard-to-please theater critic, on ‘I Love Trash’, and the irresistible ‘Elmo's Got the Moves’. … In addition to the classics, there are also a handful of new songs written by Nate Edmondson, Helen Park, and Tom Kitt. I, of course, couldn't help but sing along to the music of my childhood… Sesame Street: The Musical is an experience like no other."
• David Gordon (Theater Mania)
Edward The Emu
[Australia, 2022-2024]
"Monkey Baa’s work makes kids think as well as feel…" ★ ★ ★ ★
• Jackie French, AM
"The award-winning Monkey Baa’s inventive, loving, and hilarious production of Edward the Emu combines two classic Australian children’s picture books by Sheena Knowles and Rod Clements. …a testimony to the remarkable puppet creation of Bryony Anderson and the storytelling skills of the Monkey Baa team." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Catherine Skipper (The South Sydney Herald)
The End Of
Winter
[Australia, 2022-2024]
"Also pleasing is the sound score composed by Nate Edmondson. He has constructed a gentle, non-invasive, moody accompaniment that perfectly complements and frames the action. … This work is complex but entertaining, emotionally varied but crystal clear, as well as a masterclass in acting and performing."
• Lisa Lanzi (Theatre Travels)
"The emotional turbulence of the work is well supported by Kate Gaul’s direction, Becky Russell’s lighting and especially Nate Edmondson’s score. Some of the strings towards the end of the play were particularly effective, like the mournful yearning of distant animals. … The success of the work depends in a large part on Phegan’s performance, which consistently achieves the right proportion of whimsy and melancholy to suit the mood. Her voice, taken by itself, would give Janaczewska’s words an extra dimension but combined with the set, lighting and music, it becomes something richer and deeper. It is a celebration of winter and cold as well as a warning about climate change. It is also, most movingly, a reflection on the nature of loss itself." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Ned Hirst (Arts Hub)
"At its best it’s an elegy for the romance of cold and for the imminent loss of seasons. … Composer Nate Edmondson guides us gently through the wonder and sorrow of winter." ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Cassie Tongue (Sydney Morning Herald)
"If it’s an essay, my companion concluded, he’d rather stay home and read it, but that would have robbed us of Phegan’s engaging, well-measured travels. And Kate Gaul’s nuanced direction, assisted by the punctuation of Nate Edmondson’s music and sound."
• Martin Portus (Stage Whispers)
"This was a production in which design truly shone. … I was particularly impressed by the sound design and composition of this production. Credit must be given to composer Nate Edmondson for creating an eerie sound design (also seemingly inspired by weather sounds such as rain) that clearly tied the scenes together."
• Miranda Michalowski (Theatre Travels)
"Subtle direction by Kate Gaul, a simple set by Soham Apte and an atmospheric soundscape by composer Nate Edmondson give added texture to the lyrical writing and eloquent performance." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Richard Cotter (Sydney Arts Guide)
"Phegan's at times whimsical and others haunted soliloquy is accompanied by Nate Edmondson's ambient musical compositions, almost like birdsongs…" ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Declan Durrant (The Examiner)
"…accompanied throughout by the empathic presence of a soundtrack by Nate Edmondson. … The End of Winter is often enlightening, often sobering, and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny. Recommended." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Diana Simmonds (Stage Noise)
"…the lighting design (Becky Russell) and sound design with composition by Nate Edmondson were comforting for the warm glow emanating from the house and a soundscape incorporating bird calls, relaxing instrumentals, and a whooping kind of vocal like a call from across a great distance. These elements particularly recreated the sensation of the character’s expedition to cold, isolated locations with their unique atmospheric signatures."
• Night Writes
"Unapologetically always moved by Nate Edmondson’s music, I find the discretion of it here really superb. He and Gaul know when to retire into a silence behind a speaker’s voice - there’s some tough ideas at times and the aural background never smothers. Composed mostly of snow-damped sounds there are some moments of recognition. A vaguely child-voiced choir lament? Is that a whale mourning afar or the yip of huskies? Or perhaps an effervescence of lightly chiming tops, shredding lines of sadness and pinpoint twinkles of piano strike. At one point we hear a heap of vocab about a topic and the music speeds up with Phelan’s excitement. … The sound and lighting can turn a page of Janaczewska’s essay. …leads to a mimetic and stringed conclusion which creeps those icy fingers towards the heart. … As crisp and clear as a frosty night, it is a theatrical experience of bone-warming warmth and of hope." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Judith Greenaway (Reviews By Judith)
"With Nate Edmondson’s glacial soundscape drifting in and out on the edges of perception, we alight upon Scott’s hot cocoa and ice cores, Snegurochka the snow maiden, forgotten feminist heroes, and (quite possibly) hundreds more facets of winter, turned like a glittering jewel." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Kate Prendergast (Audrey Journal)
Winnie The Pooh - The New
Musical Stage
Adaptation
[US, UK, Australia, Europe, Japan, Brazil, 2021-2024]
"The new stage musical is a whimsical delight… The score features many of the Sherman Brothers' most beloved songs from Disney's Winnie the Pooh cartoons..." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Maureen Lee Lenker (Entertainment Weekly)
"I was consistently enchanted by the show's low-tech magic… For those who grew up watching the films, the musical numbers… will spark fuzzy nostalgia." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Raven Snook (Time Out New York)
"…I’m thrilled that Disney trusted this production team to do so with gentle care rather than exaggerated flash. … Happily, with Winnie the Pooh, Disney has finally committed itself to theatre for all…" ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Juan Michael Porter II (New York Theatre Guide)
"It's a total sensory experience from the moment one enters the theatre. First, you're engulfed by the sounds of frogs and crickets. … It makes you feel like you've entered an enchanted woodland. And that's before the show begins. … Kids and adults will recognize the songs, storylines and characters from the books and animated films. The main musical numbers are bright, brief, and punchy earworms… New music includes ‘The More It Snows (Tiddley Pom)’ by Carly Simon, ‘Sing-Ho (for the Life of a Bear)’ by Nate Edmondson (who provides the show's score and additional lyrics as well), and Winnie the Pooh's ‘Hums’ by original author A.A. Milne. … One of the most marvelous things about this new adaptation is the production's perfection in its simplicity. There is no sense that the show is trying too hard; its wonder and magic are palpable and as real as toys that speak and have adventures because you believe they can. …magical, sweet as honey, and full of humor. It's a wholesome, delightful, enchanting piece of theatre for the young and young at heart..."
• Cindy Sibilsky (Broadway World)
"This new musical stage adaptation of Pooh and his friends features established songs built into a new adventure… It’s a real treat. … The cast also delivered the eight musical numbers, drawn from the franchise, brightly and cheerfully, just right for sweet world of Pooh. … Original music and orchestrations by Nate Edmondson brought life to the Hundred Acre Wood both in songs and underscoring of dialog." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Marilyn Lester (Theater Pizzazz)
"…featuring the music of the Oscar- and Grammy-winning Sherman Brothers (who worked directly with Walt Disney on the first two Pooh featurettes), along with additional songs by Milne and original music and orchestrations by Nate Edmondson… a thoroughly charming show that will keep children and adults alike happily enthralled for every moment of the hour-long performance." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Deb Miller (DC Theater Arts)
"Indeed, a musical score from The Sherman Brothers and A.A. Milne is familiar enough you'll likely find yourself fighting the urge to turn the outing into a sing-along. … When we filed in, we were greeted with a soothing woodland soundtrack of crickets chirping and birds tweeting as we awaited the show. …a perfect reintroduction to live theater."
• Jody Mercier (Mommy Poppins)
"The handful of songs by The Sherman Brothers are all extracted from the various movies… they’re all pretty charming, and certainly a cut above the average thrown-together bag of tunes in your typical kiddie play." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Andrzej Lukowski (Time Out London)
"This delightful adaptation featuring puppetry, colour and music is a good entry-level musical for very young kids to get them into the theatre. …the show also features musical direction and sound design by Nate Edmondson. … It also features some original songs written by the Sherman brothers for the original Disney productions."
• Beth Keehn (Stage Whispers)
"Credited as a musical, songs performed include all of the fan favorites; ‘Winnie the Pooh’, ‘The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers’, ‘Sing-Ho (For the Life of a Bear)’ and ‘Whoop-De-Dooper Bounce’. … This is a delightful romp. … Whimsical, nostalgic and oh-so-charming, this winning trip to the Hundred Acre Woods will delight." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Stephen Best (Stage And Cinema)
"…it was adorable, fun and left us singing as we left the theater. … It also featured the timeless music of the Sherman Brothers, along with further songs by A.A. Milne. … The theater was filled with families of all ages exposing them to the beauty of these characters and the classic Grammy winning music. … It is nothing short of magical." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Mike Gencarelli (Media Mikes)
"A musical extravaganza… a technically-slick show for little ones. …several songs made an appearance (notably the Tigger song we all know from the original Disney film). … Here, the musical motifs are present with some of the Sherman Brothers songs sitting alongside a new orchestral score. … It’s shiny, colourful, and entertaining." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Louise Penn (Lou Reviews)
"Capturing the charm and whimsy of A. A. Milne’s timeless stories and Disney’s memorable animated adaptations, the show is a mix of familiar hallmarks from the Hundred Acre Wood and fresh and new elements that make this journey feel special. … It’s hard to separate Winnie the Pooh from the Sherman Brothers music, and Nate Edmondson has incorporated as much of it into the story as possible. The show not only brings in most of the songs from the original featurettes, but also The Tigger Movie. ...Carly Simon’s ‘The More It Snows (Tiddley Pom)’ from Piglet’s Big Movie helps set the transition to winter. The score also incorporates Steven Nelson’s theme song from The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh… Probably the most charming and whimsical stage show I’ve ever seen, Winnie the Pooh surpasses every expectation I had for it. …everything about the musical stage adaptation is top quality."
• Alex Reif (Laughing Place)
"The audience is immediately embraced into the world of Winnie the Pooh through the magical set, and the sounds of the Hundred Acre Wood flowing through the theatre. The immersion of this production is very strong, which is ideal, especially to ensure excitement among the children in the audience. … It’s a truly magical experience for all. … The music is basic, as is the plot, making it easy to follow and very much similar to the stories and films. The show features some classics like ‘The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers’ and ‘Winnie the Pooh’ which evoke a childlike joy, whatever your age may be. The show has something for everyone." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Jordan Hayter (Lost In Theatreland)
"There are just a handful of songs, but they’re all engaging for the younger audiences, especially those written by the Sherman Brothers, bringing yet another spoonful of Disney magic to the whole production." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Greg Stewart (Theatre Weekly)
"Accompanying the narrative is an original score by Nate Edmondson, featuring shortened versions of the Grammy award-winning songs written by the Sherman Brothers for the original animated features, including ‘Winnie the Pooh’, ‘Blustery Day’, and ‘The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers’. This adaptation of Winnie the Pooh is a heart warming and wholesome family stage show, and I’m sure there will be many first time theatre-goers who will remember it fondly for the rest of their lives." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• In Common
"…the audio balance is perfect. … The show is enhanced by the wonderful score that features original songs by the Sherman Brothers, stunningly arranged by Nate Edmondson. … This is a show for the young and young at heart. It will leave you feeling warm and full of joy." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Ben Stefanoff (Glam Adelaide)
"It features a selection of songs by the Sherman Brothers, originally from the Disney adaptations of A.A. Milne’s tales. The familiar signature tune ‘Winnie the Pooh’ is here, as is ‘The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers’ and ‘Whoop De Dooper Bounce’... The music nicely enhances the action… it is an enchanting children’s play with music." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Lauren Humphreys (The Reviews Hub)
"Joyfully imaginative and larger than life, this is an authentic treat of a show, with gorgeous design, uplifting music and, above all, wonderful puppetry. …this stage musical is without doubt aesthetically perfect and an absolute joy to watch. … It’s a highly polished production, totally up to the Disney standards it reflects. From the moment you enter the auditorium you are immersed in the beauty of One Hundred Acre Wood. Crickets chirp and birds cheep in a calming, enchanting atmosphere. The design work is gorgeous and comfortingly familiar, from the exquisitely constructed set to the light, sound and terrific music. … It’s a carefully paced, active production that keeps the young audience hooked; breaking up the scenes with some terrific songs that are all familiar from the original movie or adapted from AA Milne’s book, and great for a singalong. This is a treat of a show for the young and the young at heart." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Mary Pollard (Everything Theatre)
"The play features Winnie the Pooh‘s beloved characters, songs from across Pooh’s filmography... Plus, it might be the best live theatre we’ve seen since Hamilton. … The music in this show was enough to make any classic Pooh fan emotional, and enough to make younger Pooh fans practically experts in the silly ol’ bear. Classic Sherman brothers songs made an appearance in the play, like ‘Winnie the Pooh’, ‘The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers’, and ‘A Rather Blustery Day’, and seasoned Pooh fanatics will recognize The ‘Whoop-Dee-Dooper Bounce’ from The Tigger Movie, ‘The More it Snows’ from Piglet’s Big Movie, and even the theme from the television show The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The music is one of the most memorable aspects of classic Pooh films, and this play had memorable tunes as well as hidden gems that are finally getting their chance to shine! … If you couldn’t already tell, we really loved this show. It was everything we loved about Winnie the Pooh: silly, sweet, and heartfelt. It was an amazing piece of children’s theatre…" ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Isabelle Deveaux (All Ears)
"If you have any familiarity with Disney’s Winnie the Pooh, you’re sure to recognize the Hundred Acre Wood as you enter the theatre. ... There’s an innocence to it which also brings a bit of peace as you hear the birds chirping. … Winnie the Pooh wouldn’t feel right without the familiar tunes of the Sherman Brothers, so iconic tunes from Disney legends Richard and Robert Sherman are sung live along with prerecorded instrumentals. … Overall, this kid-friendly show full of lovable, iconic characters will delight children of all ages." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Jeff DePaoli (Attractions Magazine)
"…the familiar songs by the legendary Sherman Brothers are there, too… That would be the star’s valedictory ditty, replete with the immortal lyric “chubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff,” the sensational ‘Whoope-De-Dooper Bounce’ and, bien sur, ‘The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers’."
• Chris Jones (Chicago Tribune)
"Accompanying the magical, modern narrative is an original score from Nate Edmondson, which features some of the songs written for the animated feature from The Sherman Brothers’, including ‘Winnie the Pooh’, ‘The Blustery Day’, ‘The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers’ and ‘Whoop-De-Dooper Bounce’, and A.A. Milne’s ‘The More It Snows’ (featuring music by Carly Simon) and ‘Sing Ho’, a new arrangement. … The music, voices, colors, and stage lighting all created such an amazing sensory experience for the entire family. … Contrary to a typical musical, Winnie the Pooh mixes storytelling and music, which kept the kids entertained and engaged. The hour long performance was a perfect length and my kids are still singing the music afterwards. What a huge hit for our family!" ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Annie Tandy (My Kid List)
"The play features an original score by Nate Edmondson and some songs from the Sherman Brothers, including ‘Winnie The Pooh’, ‘The Blustery Day’, ‘The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers’, ‘Whoop-De-Dooper Bounce’, and A. A. Milne’s ‘The More It Snows’. … We highly recommend it."
• Edward Anthony (The Knockturnal)
"The new stage adaption mixes music, adventure, and lots of love. The wonderful thing about musicals is that musicals are wonderful things. … The music also brings back memories with the Sherman Brothers’ Grammy-Award-winning music and songs from A.A. Milne."
• Nicole Savas (The Toy Insider)
"The score will bring you some of your favourite Pooh songs, such as ‘The Wonderful Thing about Tiggers’ and ‘Rumbly in My Tumbly’, all performed wonderfully by the cast." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Lauren In Leicester
"Youngsters familiar with the folksy stories will delight in watching the gentle antics of Pooh Bear, Piglet, Eeyore, Rabbit, Owl, Tigger, and Kanga and little Roo while listening to familiar songs from the Grammy-winning Sherman Brothers… New songs include Carly Simon’s ‘The More It Snows’ and composer Nate Edmondson’s ‘Sing-Ho’."
• Susan Granger (Susan Granger)
"…a beautifully written stage performance for the whole family. From babies, young children to adults, the audience were captivated through colours, song and dance… While also featuring the Sherman Brothers' classic Grammy Award-winning music… Heart-warmingly fun and nostalgic, the stage adaptation has it all. Definitely one to watch with the whole family." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Natalie Owen (Left Lion)
"…what a joy it is! From the moment we set foot in the auditorium, we are transported deep into the Hundred Acre Wood - with the sounds of birds chirping, and a set that looks like it has been brought to life directly from the pages of a storybook. … The score features snippets of many of the Sherman Brothers' much-loved songs from the Disney cartoons, including ‘Winnie the Pooh’, ‘The Blustery Day’, and ‘The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers’. … It really is a delight of a show the whole family will enjoy!"
• Southern Daily Echo
"Billed as a musical, the show would be better described as a play with songs. From the minute you step into the studio, you are surrounded by the sounds of the Hundred Acre Wood and this soundscape continues through the use of music. Classic songs such as 'Winnie the Pooh' and 'The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers' feature, and these ditties are enjoyable… One particular highlight is when Tigger sings ‘Whoop-De-Dooper Bounce’ whilst teaching a bouncing lesson. … A nostalgic, warming and brilliant introduction to live theatre for children... it is definitely worth a watch." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Sophie Luck (West End Best Friend)
"No worries: the catchy songs of the Sherman Brothers are still in the show, including ‘Winnie the Pooh’, ‘The Blustery Day’, ‘The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers’, and ‘The More It Snows’. But there’s also a quite nice original score from composer Nate Edmondson filling in the soundscape." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Jan Farrington (Onstage NTX)
"The production features Sherman Brothers ditties including ‘The Blustery Day’, ‘The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers’, and ‘Whoop-De-Dooper Bounce’. … Some of its stand-out moments are also its quietest. The selection of Pooh’s famous ‘hums’ (scored by Nate Edmondson), Eeyore stopping to admire a butterfly, or Christopher Robin – when he finally gets back from school – embracing his imaginary creation." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Theo Bosanquet (What’s On Stage)
"The Sherman Brothers' songs from the popular film series feature throughout, including the titular ‘Winnie the Pooh’ and the bouncy, fun ‘Whoop De-Dooper Bounce’, in which Tigger shares his exuberance with others. … This new stage show is full of of heartwarming and wholesome joy." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Alice Cope (Broadway World)
"At the center of the story features a score that draws primarily on the light-hearted songs composed for the 1966 animated film by the fabled Sherman Brothers, along with a few additional tunes by Carly Simon, Steve Nelson and the show’s fine sound designer, Nate Edmondson."
• Hedy Weiss (WTTW)
"Everyone’s favourite songs are there including ‘Winnie the Pooh’, ‘The Whoop De Dooper Bounce, and ‘The Blustery Day’, all written by Richard and Robert Sherman, with an A A Milne original ‘The More It Snows’, with music by Carly Simon, and an all-new score composed by Nate Edmondson." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Stephen Stoke (In Newcastle)
"With the Grammy Award-winning musical numbers we all know and love, including the classic theme song and ‘The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers’, by the Sherman brothers, as well as additional songs by A.A. Milne, this stage adaptation is perfect for fans of all ages… Entering the theater, the audience was enchanted by birds chirping and bees buzzing as they were transported to the Hundred Acre Wood."
• Blaise Buckley (Frequent Business Traveler)
"Nate Edmondson created the soundtrack. It includes some of the familiar Sherman Brothers’ singalong songs, like ‘Winnie the Pooh’, ‘Sing-Ho (For the Life of a Bear)’, and ‘The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers’, to which this talented cast lend their voices. … This glorious, vibrantly colorful and magically mesmerizing spectacular production combines live actors, music and exciting puppetry in a show for the young and the young-at-heart. … This production will leave audiences filled with the enchantment of Milne’s imaginative characters and charming stories in an extravaganza designed for the whole family. It’s a show that should not be missed. Highly recommended." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Colin Douglas (Chicago Theatre Review)
"The music in the show is from the original works that Disney has produced, using the wonderful songs of the Sherman Brothers. … Alastair loved the singing and said it brought a smile to his face. Henry was into the jumping, in particular Tigger’s ‘The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers’ number, and the ‘Whoop-de-Dooper Bounce’. I also felt that these high-energy numbers were terrific."
• Alan Bresloff (Around The Town Chicago)
"…a beautifully-crafted production. With a talented creative team at the helm, including composer Nate Edmondson... this musical offers a delightful experience for both young and old. … The original songs composed by Nate Edmondson are a true highlight of the musical. They strike a perfect balance between nostalgia and newness, seamlessly blending the Grammy award-winning songs by the Sherman Brothers from the original animated features with Edmondson’s fresh compositions. The music creates a sense of enchantment, evoking fond memories and stirring emotions within the audience. …a beautiful and enjoyable production that successfully brings the beloved characters to life on stage. With its nostalgic songs, lovable performances, breathtaking puppetry, and enchanting atmosphere, this musical offers an experience that will warm the hearts of audiences of all ages." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Tom H (What’s Good To Do)
"The story is embossed with songs by the Sherman Brothers, which are bright and cheerful, and showcase the characters in a great way. These aren’t big razzle-dazzle songs; these are cleverly weaved character-driven numbers. The stand-out song coming from Tigger's 'The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers' that anyone familiar with the Disney cartoon will know… You leave the theatre feeling all warm inside." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Mark Johnson (Beyond The Curtain)
"Much like Pooh himself, this production has a very big heart… This production also makes sure to hold onto the magical musical musings that have helped made Winnie the Pooh such a staple in the Disney community, bringing forward a brand new score for fans to experience. Composed by Nate Edmondson, the new score features iconic elements of songs written by the legendary Sherman Brothers, including ‘Winnie the Pooh’, ‘The Blustery Day’, ‘The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers’, ‘Whoop-De-Dooper Bounce’, and A.A. Milne’s ‘The More It Snows’. …the perfect introduction into musical theater for even the smallest of children. It’s an incredibly fun and memorable experience, staying true to the core of what has made Pooh and all the creatures of the wood so special for over 95 years."
• Maverick Bohn (SoCal Thrills)
"It worked really well on stage. The sounds of crickets chirping and birds cheeping in the theatre added to the atmosphere. The voices were spectacular and just like the characters from Disney. It was such a nostalgic show and one that we both enjoyed." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Bella (Dear Mummy Blog)
Hibernation
[Australia, 2021]
"This is a ground-breaking and unique presentation of what our future may look like… It is a play that should be a part of the Australian curriculum for our children, and a ‘must see’ for us, as adults who are caretakers for their future."
• Jude Hines (Stage Whispers)
"…a profound score and effects which seamlessly blend into the progression of the narrative. …the creative team thrived alongside Butel’s leadership to produce a spare yet visually stunning environment to complement the story-telling. … Hibernation is an important and landmark work on the contemporary Australian theatre scene and a triumph for our State Theatre. Bravo!"
• Lisa Lanzi (Theatre Travels)
"The music evokes thoughts of French composer Jean-Michel Jarre and there is an unmistakable feeling of 1982’s Koyaanisqatsi in the video sequences of life rushing by. Futuristic narratives are a popular cultural phenomena and this is a worthy addition to the canon. …the lighting and sound design both add layers of meaning. It all looks and feels very slick and modern." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Dr Diana Carroll (Arts Hub)
"The sound design and composition is fine work… From the spirited opening fanfare of bass, drums and synths, to the string and woodwind and solo piano interludes between scenes, his melodic and winsome sounds enhance the action without being cloying. …a highlight of this terrific new play." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Murray Bramwell (In Review)
"…the lighting, sound and video cohesively support our immersive connection to each location. These integrated design elements direct our gaze across the stage, inviting the audiences’ imagination to fill the spaces between the pops of colour, light and rhythm."
• The Conversation
"From the moment the curtain rises to the majestic theme of the opening music to reveal Jonathon Oxlade’s pristine white set we know we are in for an evening to remember. …an elegant and effective realisation and staging of this exciting new piece of writing. … There is so much to contemplate from this extraordinary piece of work…" ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Adrian Barnes (Glam Adelaide)
"Hibernation is bold and brilliant, and the State Theatre Company have tapped into a story that could not be more pressing."
• Helen Karakulak (Adelaide Theatre Guide)
"…to my mind the hero of this production is the stirring composition. It is demanding and intrusive, but not overwhelming. It is contemporary and fresh, but quite recognizable in homage to a composer such as Copland. … Hibernation
is a powerful new piece of work which is timely and very much of its time, and presented in grand style by State Theatre." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Alex Wheaton (The Barefoot Review)
"…utilizes a soundscape that enhances the immersive experience of the production. …integral to creating the atmosphere of isolation and connection explored in the play. …contributes to the emotional depth of the performances and the overall thematic resonance of the production." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Gordon Forester (Limelight Magazine)
Betty Is A Butcher
[Australia, 2021 & 2023]
"Lit wonderfully by Victor Kalka, and buoyed by Nate Edmondson’s sound design and composition, PACT looks and sounds terrific."
• Paul Gilchrist (Theatre Red)
Honour
[Australia, 2021]
"…the whole production engages from start to finish. …Champion and her crew have made Honour a must-see."
• Carrie Kablean (Megaphone Oz)
"Music by Nate Edmondson adds a sense of flamboyance to the story’s inherent dramatics, effective at turning every seemingly mundane circumstance into something unequivocally theatrical."
• Suzy Wrong (Suzy Goes See)
"With a bright, contemporary set (Simone Romaniuk in responsible) backed up by appropriate lighting (Damien Cooper) and sound (Nate Edmondson), the production enabled the audience to digest the unfolding drama without distraction. I highly recommend Honour. Its content will resonate with many who have suffered or inflicted the pain of betrayal." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Paul Kiely (The Blurb)
"The rest of the team is headed by Nate Edmondson: his composition and sound design are integral to the action and also nuanced and never overbearing. … Honour is as fresh, funny, and sad as it was in 1995 and you would be well advised to visit or re-visit. Recommended without hesitation." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Diana Simmonds (Stage Noise)
"…the composition of the music and structure of the sound design by Nate Edmondson is sensitive and resonant."
• Kevin Jackson (Kevin Jackson’s Theatre Diary)
The City
[Australia, 2021]
"The City utilises soundscape and pre-recorded voiceovers to convey the stories of various characters that inhabit the city, from separated lovers to scientists to arsonists daylighting as firefighters. The audio is of an excellent quality and invokes vivid emotions enabling the viewer to easily transport themselves to the world that character inhibits. Actors are utilised to give visual life to the audio in a way that is inoffensive and ensures the audio remains the predominant sensory impact for the viewer. …with the audio taking centre stage it is possible in these instances to simply listen. … The careful selection of visuals to accompany emotive and powerful voiceover and soundscape creates a production that offers an excellent backdrop for the viewer to reflect on the city they inhabit and their connection to those around them." ★ ★ ★ ★
• On The House!
"The clever use of voiceovers in the pre-recorded soundscape meant that the actors could really throw themselves into this very physical piece without having to worry about stamina or breath control. The narration featured both male and female voices of differing ages and accents. There were very few moments of silence or empty stage which meant that the audience was engaged from start to finish. … A polished performance from all involved."
• Fiona Kelly (Stage Whispers)
"…the performance is rich in soundscape and voiceover." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Jenny Hatton Mahon (Weekend Notes)
"A cast of seven actors, all superbly talented, each depict a multitude of characters, as they mime to the voiceover/narrator’s story telling, against the backdrop of composer Nate Edmondson’s beautiful soundscape. … Beautifully written, with the physicality and soundscapes mesmerizing, this show connects. Testament to this was the full house with numerous loud appreciative applause."
• Georgia Cassimatis (What’s On Sydney)
Kenny
[Australia, 2021]
"…what a delightful, life-affirming show it is. … Kenny runs 80 minutes without interval, and a very joyous, entertaining, uplifting – and at times touching – 80 minutes they are too." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Jo Litson (Limelight Magazine)
"This production brings the Ensemble and its company out of the dark days of the past few months with a bright and entertaining ‘bang’. Steve Rodgers, Mark Kilmurry, the designers, Ben Wood himself – and the team that are keeping the cast and audience safe – thoroughly deserve the standing ovation it received on opening night."
• Carol Wimmer (Stage Whispers)
"So this production of Kenny is both highly entertaining… but even more engaging because of our personal interaction with Kenny’s very-Aussie character full of positive humour and because we become committed to humanitarian ideals… When I say “not to be missed”, I really mean it."
• Frank McKone (Canberra Critics Circle)
"In my view, this production works like a treat."
• David Kary (Sydney Arts Guide)
"…Kenny the stage show feels not so much like theatre or stand-up, as group therapy. It’s not just the restorative joy of a good belly laugh. Ben Wood’s Kenny is a timely love letter to all those people out there cleaning up and getting their hands dirty on behalf of others." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Harriet Cunningham (Sydney Morning Herald)
"…a gloriously funny and endearing success. … The design team has created a simple and effective set that seems ideal for the widespread touring the show deserves. … Kenny, as hopeless on the guitar as he is at so many things other than portable toilets and loving his family, is given a cute song at the end that might be straight out of Play School except that it is all about poo." ★ ★ ★ ★
• John McCallum (The Australian)
"Kenny is one hell of an outstanding ride …80 minutes of sheer relief and pushing though without intermission is definitely no strain. You’ve got to go see it. You’ve just gotta go!" ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Wendy Kay (Manly Observer)
"If you yearn to laugh out loud with another hundred souls, then high tail it to the Ensemble Theatre to witness their brilliantly funny adaptation of the much-loved Australian film, Kenny. …so cleverly adapted for the stage, this is the feel-good outing you’ve been waiting for. Book a ticket; you will not regret it."
• Only The Good News
Best Trick Ever
[Australia, 2021]
"The show was charming, baffling, entertaining, mind-bending, heart-warming, and incredibly clever. …really set up a bubbling and exciting atmosphere for a show. And this one delivers. … This show is wonderful and an incredibly enjoyable evening. Date night, family night, solo night, weeknight, girls’ night, it doesn’t matter what the night is, you should start it at this show."
• Jerome Studdy (Theatre Travels)
"…by the end of the show you are just enjoying the night for what it is – magic. … This isn’t a glossy, over produced show. It is personable, entertaining and fun." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Lynden Jones (Theatre Now)
"There is also a considered use of music which gives each turn an individuality of tension and surprise in a subtle specificity of that particular art. ...the use of video is gratefully limited to the finer sleights of hand." ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Judith Greenaway (Arts Hub)
"…Best Trick Ever is a wondrous night of entertainment for all ages. … The particular style of the design provides Best Trick Ever with a cosy welcoming atmosphere, instead of a large setting that purely relies on all the magic being shown via screens. Galea does however provide us with a roaming cameraman for the close-up card magic, just so we do not miss out on any of the slight of hand tricks that occur… Best Trick Ever proved to be a delightful night of illusions and magical mastery for magic lovers young, old and young at heart." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Justin Clarke (Theatre People)
The Wharf Revue:
Good Night
And Good Luck
[Australia, 2020-2021]
"As we’ve come to expect from The Wharf Revue, the production values are first rate. Brilliant writing supported by clever direction, excellent costumes and props, exceptional video content, lighting and sound... are reasons why The Wharf Revue has flourished for more than 20 years. Hopefully, under its new arrangement, we can now look forward to many more annual visits from The Wharf Revue."
• Bill Stephens (Australian Arts Review)
"…throughout the whole show, the technical quality, originality of content, as well as satirical precision in the actors’ performances in the video designs and presentations, though a continuation of this developing heritage from previous years, was a leap forward this year… I just wish The Wharf Revue could go on forever."
• Frank McKone (Canberra Critics Circle)
"…that indefatigable and hilariously sharp-witted Wharf Revue team just keep getting better and better. … As a mirror held up to this extraordinary year, the Wharf Revue's Goodnight And Good Luck arouses side splitting laughter and cathartic tears and the hope of a brighter future. Don't miss it." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Peter Wilkins (The Canberra Times)
"Well, it might have been a year we want to forget, but The Wharf Revue was back in town to cheer us up with one of their best ever shows. …every item was finely polished and presented with great skill and professionalism. There are times where the words and lyrics were coming at you at high speed but you could hear every word clearly. …a seamless, fast-moving show that never faltered."
• Len Power (Canberra Critics Circle)
"…the Revue’s musical adaptations too have only increased in sophistication over the years, their four-part harmonies increasingly outstanding, and this year’s Revue rested squarely on musical parodies of impeccable production and stunning cleverness. The satisfactory balance between voices, the great balance of stage lighting and background graphics, the cast’s beautiful echoes of its characters’ real-life mannerisms, and the fact that every word — muttered, shouted, or sung — came across with perfect clarity made this production, ingenious in its planning, flawless in its execution."
• John P. Harvey (Stage Whispers)
"Scott provides most of the live music with additional accompaniment from Biggins, either on piano or guitar plus additional prerecorded music used to fill out sound. As always, the text of the performance, either spoken or sung, is incredibly clever and the cast all ensure that the words are heard clearly…"
• Jade Kops (Broadway World)
Wicked Sisters
[Australia, 2020]
"In Nadia Tass' new Griffin Theatre Company production… we see what's happening on Alec's computer via video screens built into Tobhiyah Stone Feller's set. These videos, created by sound designer Nate Edmondson, show tiny digital creatures zipping around a beehive-like environment. Were it a computer game, the point would be to kill them. Instead Alec has it set up so they exterminate each other. … It's these touches that make the play so taut." ★ ★ ★ ☆
• John Shand (Sydney Morning Herald)
"As the double-crossings and deceits emerge, Hobbes’ “critters” wage their own ceaseless war above, projected in an eerie display on the glass walls… The effect is degrading, savage and cold." ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Kate Prendergast (Limelight Magazine)
"A modern, subtle and knotted production… …how timeless a play written with prescience, wit and tangled narrative can be in skilled creative hands." ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Judith Greenaway (Reviews By Judith)
"…we watch his active algorithm on the screens surrounding the set design of Alec's study/studio destroy many 'lives' / screen blips in his visually multiplying algorithmic community!"
• Kevin Jackson (Kevin Jackson’s Theatre Diary)
"Alec Hobbes, social Darwinist and artificial intelligence researcher, is dead. But his reach lives on though the artificial intelligence algorithm he designed, one which rumbles on in the background in a flurry of blips and fluorescently lit 'critters' which act out the infinite possibilities of the universe… Every now and then, due to a mislaid hand or a tap of the keys, the 'experiment' goes haywire, blasting alarm signals which summon Meridee from another room, or out of a reverie. It's all done with panache by sound designer Nate Edmondson, such that the sound gaps give distinct structure to the plot otherwise based mostly in dialogue." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Divya Venkataraman (Time Out Sydney)
"Alec’s troubling computer experiment is impressively brought to life in a large Nate Edmondson-designed video installation whose crawling “critters” often draw the eye from this worthy revival." ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Jason Blake (Audrey Journal)
"Wicked Sisters is an excellent piece of theatrical entertainment. … A huge overhead visual surround with sound effects representing Alec’s research into artificial lifeforms evolved from random computer programs in the process of inventing strategies to survive or else dying out, could have been distracting, but was not. … Congratulations to Nadia Tass for her strong directorial vision…brought so compellingly to the stage." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Catherine Skipper (South Sydney Herald)
Our Blood Runs
In The Street
[Australia, 2020 & 2022]
"This powerful work of theatre reminds us that the past is never over. … Blending the direct address, journalistic techniques we’ve come to expect from the verbatim genre with a movement score of commensurate expressive weight, this performance is as moving as it is informative. … Thoughtful set design (Veronique Benett), music (Damien Lane), sound design (Nate Edmondson) and lighting (Richard Whitehouse) cement word and action into an affecting experience, one that lingers with you long after its 70 minutes are over." ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Jason Blake (Audrey Journal)
"A powerful production… an evocative and blunt statement of queer anguish. ... Damien Lane’s compositions wind around the ensemble and propel them forward..." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Cassie Tongue (Time Out)
"The work is immensely powerful… Sound by Nate Edmondson during movement sequences was a fantastic addition to the show. Our Blood Runs In The Street is such an important work, and really must be seen by everyone in Sydney, which I know I've said before but seriously, go and see it. It really does hit you hard, but is so pleasing, with flawless work from the entire ensemble and creative team. … Work as important as this really can't be missed, and it's just so fantastic that you'll have to witness it for yourself."
• Adam Stepfner (Theatre Travels)
"Auditory capacities are attended by composer Damien Lane and sound designer Nate Edmondson, who move us seamless from scene to scene, as they maintain an uncompromising gravity for these harrowing tales."
• Suzy Wrong (Suzy Goes See)
"…the stories are layered over contemporary dance that ranges from subtle movement punctuating speech to expressions of the unifying force of music and dance to more powerful expressions of stylized violence and rage."
• Jade Kops (Broadway World)
"The spoken word is variously enhanced by or juxtaposed with solo or group movement sequences. The effect is remarkable as unbearable descriptions are accompanied by physical beauty and music at one moment, or telegraphed by choreographed bodies when words fail. … Set designer Veronique Benett, sound designer Nate Edmondson, composer Damien Lane, and lighting designer Richard Whitehouse are vital elements in the success of the piece. And it’s a tribute to the creativity and ability of the actors that the 70 minutes are utterly riveting theatre. …one has to wish it gets seen by a wider audience than Mardi Gras – high school performances should be mandatory." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Diana Simmonds (Stage Noise)
"Anthony’s attention to detail across the production and the consistently strong performances elevate this production from a sentimental piece of documentary to an artistically affective experience."
• Night Writes
"...Our Blood Runs In The Street is a lest we forget recognition of past injustice- a litany of the lost, a list that is throat catching and heartbreakingly long reminds us of this shocking legacy presented in finely drilled alliance of speech, dance, music and lighting – a coalition of arts that goes straight to the heart."
• Richard Cotter (Sydney Arts Guide)
"...Red Line Productions’ season opener is a visceral and heartbreaking achievement not just for queer theatre, but theatre overall. …eye-catching movement of Andrew Fraser, the ensemble, and the pulsating Nate Edmondson sound design / Damien Lane composition. …the cast’s interaction with Edmondson’s and Lane’s sound, Veronique Benett’s deceptive set, and Richard Whitehouse’s lighting gives this work the justice it deserves. …a technical design that never stops being brilliant, and putting together a production that successfully makes a passionate (and incredibly well-researched) plea for attention... this production is second to none. … Without reservation, it is the best queer-focused production playing during the 2020 Mardi Gras season." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Manan Luthra (State Of The Art)
"…backed by long low notes of music from Nate Edmondson and composer Damien Lane…"
• Martin Portus (Stage Whispers)
"From a technical perspective, this production is very well made."
• Tristan Niemi (Nothing Ever Happens In Brisbane)
Pomona
[Australia, 2020]
"…Pomona becomes a thriller that keeps you bolted to the edge of your seat. … Actors delve headfirst into the darkest material, Veronique Bennett’s lighting creates the perfect sense of unease, and Nate Edmondson’s sound design both ramps up the tension and amplifies the play’s sense of mourning; for all that these characters have lost and all they were never allowed in the first place." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Ben Neutze (Time Out)
"Music by Nate Edmondson, commanding and tenacious, keeps tensions unrelenting for this foreboding representation of our dangerous lives. The production is an engaging one, with powerful concepts and a cleverly fractured plot, conspiring to hold our attention."
• Suzy Wrong (Suzy Goes See)
"Staged in close-up traverse and directed by Anthony Skuse, this Secret House production does a good job establishing a threatening mood (thanks in no small measure to Nate Edmondson’s constant soundtrack) and sustaining it for 110 minutes or thereabouts." ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Jason Blake (Audrey Journal)
"Direction from Anthony Skuse capitalises on the unstable narrative with an amped-up dis-ease and tension. … Lighting design by Veronique Benett and sound design from Nate Edmondson evoke sci-fi elements with multi-colour beams and an atmospheric score incorporating drones and electronic beeping."
• Night Writes
"...this production by Secret House is a compelling thriller that keeps you hooked until the very last moment. ...a tense and captivating play, shrouded in an atmosphere of all kinds of darkness. … Skuse has successfully conveyed the essence of this play making technically and artistically interesting choices… Nate Edmondson and Veronique Benett’s work on sound and lighting design, respectively, further complements the sinister setting of this play and works well in extending the tension and aura of suspense."
• Jessie Trompp
"…Pomona certainly keeps the creep. Not just the lightly hazed acting area or the dull reflections in the morgue-black tiles or the screech of a single string… …the immersion is in a complex, immediate, theatrical experience. … There’s a stringed screech on the audio plot which gives way to hollow echoes and distant rumbles under. Brilliantly operated for levels so that a water bottle cap unscrewed in the audience feels like part of the plan, perhaps it is below the sea or sewer pipes or traffic in tunnels. However, the wail of classic instrument eventually rises to consciousness as full and rich music. Heavens, I love Nate Edmondson’s work. …Pomona is a gripping, engrossing night in an intimate performance space with lingering questions that will have you texting your friend on a different train all the way home." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Judith Greenaway (Reviews By Judith)
"Underpinned by a characteristically subtle yet all-pervasive soundtrack from Nate Edmondson, Pomona reveals itself in multiple ways. … The excellent Secret House introduces us to a hitherto unknown Brit talent in a short, sharp season: Pomona is not to be missed." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Diana Simmonds (Stage Noise)
"Engaging as well are the lighting and sound design of Pomona, expertly crafted by Veronique Bennett and Nate Edmondson. Bennett’s lights cut through the darkness and create harrowing images of partial truths, while Edmondson’s soundtrack subtly builds a creeping sense of dread."
• Rosie Niven (Theatre Travels)
"As always with Secret House productions, much attention is given to production quality, and Pomona is no exception. With exceptional lighting design from Veronique Benett, cinematic sounds from Nate Edmondson understated yet thrilling set design by Anthony Skuse and James Smithers all tied together nicely by SM Clare Sheridan, Pomona successfully reaches and traverses its ambitions and intentions and provides for an exciting night of theatre."
• Lisa Thatcher
"It is a genre defying, post-apocalyptic, sci-fi vision of our now and our future. Director Anthony Skuse’s production taps into all this. And he is mostly ably assisted by a haunting lighting design (Veronique Benett) and sinister soundscape (Nate Edmondson)." ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Kate Stratford (Theatre Now)
"…gripping, thought-provoking and unexpectedly funny. …a classy creative team (including sound by Nate Edmondson and lighting by Veronique Benett) skilfully draw out the threads of the puzzle. The slick, thrilling pace, cutting from scene to scene, both acknowledges the work’s cinematic references and builds on them, using theatre’s own superpowers of immediacy and imagination." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Harriet Cunningham (Sydney Morning Herald)
"No doubt this contemporary work is framed by a script of excellence. Yet within this, what the cast and crew of Secret House carry to the bAKEHOUSE stage is a truly outstanding moment in theatre." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Rebecca Varidel (Sydney Scoop)
"Pomona is captivating and intriguing, if not somewhat unsettling as an expression of a world no one really wants to live in but in reality could easily happen if people don't stand up and prevent it. Artfully presented with more twists and turns than an Escher staircase in a grown up form of the circle of life."
• Jade Kops (Broadway World)
"All this time there is an effects track, pinpoint lighting and enough smoke and mist to cover the scenes as they descend into utter darkness. There’s no doubting that this is a brilliant production by Anthony Skuse, with set design by Skuse and James Smithers, excellent lighting design by Veronique Benett and superb sound design by Nate Edmondson. …this play is undeniably gripping."
• Frank Hatherley (Stage Whispers)
POOF! Secrets
Of A Magician
[Australia, 2020-2021]
"…a heady mix of comedy and music…an eye-popping cabaret of wizardry. … This show has some high production values. … Poof! was an energetic and entertaining show… This was a night that ultimately offered up a nice mix of tricks and treats for us all." ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Natalie Salvo (The AU Review)
"Extremely funny, extremely charming, extremely clever. …will have you laughing – possibly laughing-crying – and singing too. Singing the c-word no less. In the Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre! … It’s a terrific show." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Caroline Foreman (Theatre Now)
"…a cabaret night of past experiences, original tunes, superb magic and personal revelations. …a top notch night of variety entertainment rather than a evening of pure magic. …the audience experiences laughter, opinions, heart felt warmth with some superb magic."
• Jade Kops (Broadway World)
"The stage is set with a grand piano, several magic props, mysterious lighting... and a giant screen displaying the word ‘poof’, complete with two testicular looking ‘O’s in the middle. This perfectly sets the scene for magician James Galea’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival show, Poof! Secrets Of A Magician. … an hour long cabaret combining Galea’s well rehearsed and presented magic, songs and humour." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Ben Stefanoff (Glam Adelaide)
"Poof!: Secrets of a Magician is an hour of song and hilarity (all with a liberal sprinkling of glitter and confetti), but most of all, some amazing magic performed by an accomplished magician and entertainer!"
• Barry Hill (Stage Whispers)
Paddington
Gets In A Jam
[United States, Asia &
Canada, 2019-2023]
"Critic’s Pick. For those under 8, the action is hilarious, and members of that demographic at the performance I attended were squealing, giggling and bouncing in their seats." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Laurel Graeber (The New York Times)
"…a funny, exquisitely beautiful production aimed at young children and featuring the impossibly adorable Paddington Bear. … The show is indeed very funny and the kids in the audience laughed often (I myself may have chuckled several times)… Overall, the show was sweet but not overly cutesy, and it’s perfect for young kids… And I can guarantee my kids and I left the theater with a smile…"
• Maytal Wichman (The Mama Maven)
"…Paddington Gets In A Jam is sure to delight any child-at-heart." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Lexi Orphanos (Theatre Is Easy)
"However many ways there are to say "wildly adorable" is exactly how many reasons you have to see this show. …the creative genius of theater professionals who know best just how to capture these little ones' attention. And that is exactly what is proven as the show begins and a hush settles over the audience. … And what an impression this show has already made! This production brings together a cast and creative team that know exactly what they're doing to make this show as delightful and fun as possible for children of all ages, without losing its great professional quality. …this show has that something special that captures our attention so easily. … Sound Designer and Composer Nate Edmondson does excellent work behind the scenes. The hottest family show in town!"
• Kristen Morale (Broadway World)
"…engaging storytelling that effortlessly captivates the wildest imaginations. … A really special part of this show is that the team of impressive creatives manage to make the performance a lot of fun to watch regardless of how old or young at heart you are." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Dellah’s Jubilation
"…a delightful show that’s aimed at ages three to eight, but is utterly irresistible to the child in all of us. …hilarious slapstick scenes that are perfectly executed by the cast and keep the audiences of all ages gleefully giggling."
• Deb Miller (DC Metro Theatre Arts)
"…a heartwarming, family-friendly show full of laughs, love, and marmalade. … Paddington Gets In A Jam is truly a sweet show that kids of all ages will love." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Celebrity Parents Magazine
"…I can say with certainty that it’s fun for the entire family, no matter the age. The laughs and giggles filling the theater made for a feel-good experience from start to finish."
• Eliana Arian (The Knockturnal)
"…sweet and well meaning, funny, but never scary. … The kids were having way too much fun… Makes kids laugh out loud." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• A Child Grows In Brooklyn
"Witness the most adorable show of the new year!"
• Union Square Partnership
"…where the magic of the holidays and the wonder of theater production collide. ...the play successfully captures the curiosity of countless adolescent minds. Exiting the auditorium, a sea of youthful faces could be seen gleaming with awe after seeing their imaginations brought to life before their very eyes — that’s real magic." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• TeenTix Blog
Coram Boy
[Australia, 2019]
"In England and America, Coram Boy has been played on vast stages with large casts, lush costumes, a chorus and an orchestra. It’s an epic tale, set in eighteenth-century England, with Dickensian themes and characters – a perfect vehicle for a main stage extravaganza! Yet its Sydney premiere, on the small transept stage of the Kings Cross theatre, loses none of the dark drama or redeeming love of this beautiful adaptation. In fact, the proximity of the performers spreads like a cloak that wraps around the audience, gathering them into this poignant tale of greed, betrayal, love and music… It is a ‘spell-binding, heart-breakingly beautiful tale’ told by a company that has the courage to do big things in small but clever ways. Doing so takes guts, time, innovative ideas and a production team that knows how to realise them. Directors John Harrison and Michael Dean, producer Suzanne Miller, composer Nate Edmondson and lighting designer Benjamin Brockman are such a team. …almost gothic themes are lightened by hope and redemption - and the music of Handel, that inspires the two young musicians about whom the plot revolves. ... Encompassed by Edmondson’s sound design, this action creates an atmosphere that is eerily isolated at times, frighteningly congested at others. …it is the ‘whole’ that impresses most about this production."
• Carol Wimmer (Stage Whispers)
"The size of the story and loftiness of the themes might seem to best fit a traditional stage, audience banks in stalls and a dress-circle, but the intimacy of KXT creates a new magic. The simple, close stage images sing. A child throws apples to his new friends on an estate. Birds held by long sticks float through a dim yellow sky in London. A boy struggles to breathe, rising and falling against waves outside of the docks. The directors conjure these unforgettable and personable images that burn into our skulls, and provide us with visual footholds as the plot races. There is real meat in the unfolding of an epic in close-quarters, and it's one that does credit to the live performance." ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Sean Maroney (The Music)
"The epic features unfeeling landowners, ruthless criminals, desperate mothers, music prodigies and George Frideric Handel, all woven into a very big play with narratives that all concern themselves with the welfare of children. Wonderfully imaginative and often very touching, Coram Boy is written almost like a screenplay, with short scenes taking place in a myriad different places. Directors Michael Dean and John Harrison orchestrate the action marvellously, adventurous in their efforts to help us suspend disbelief inside a small black auditorium, allowing us to see in our mind’s eye, old streets, stately homes and the deep blue ocean. Lighting design by Benjamin Brockman is instrumental in manufacturing these impossible visions, extravagant and evocative with everything he presents. Similarly rhapsodic is Nate Edmondson’s sound design, an unbelievably rich aspect of the show, thoroughly assembled to cover all bases for a luscious rendering of this period drama. … The greatest inspiration one would take from Coram Boy relates to the immense ambition on display. A grander project could not be envisioned for a smaller space, yet all three hours of the experience is entrancing, satisfying and fruitful. …it is clear that on this occasion, necessity has become the mother of invention. Endless shows have been put on costing more, but have delivered far less. … When a lot is done with very little, is when we know that something truly great has been achieved."
• Suzy Wrong (Suzy Goes See)
"Helen Edmundson’s script structures the action through short, staccato scenes around which directors John Harrison and Michael Dean construct movement sequences to convey bustling city streets, racing carriages, and more joyful scenes of dancing. … The melodrama is understandable in an epic inter-generational tale written for children adapted with a clear admiration of the larger than life quality of the narrative …in combination with Nate Edmondson’s grand composition and sound design. In a production that features George Frideric Handel as a character, classical strings and symphonies …are used extensively to generate sentimentality in Alexander’s sensational quest for his son late in the second half… This is an ambitious production taken on by bAKEHOUSE with gusto and a clear enthusiasm for the size of the undertaking. …there are moments of beauty and prized theatre magic."
• Night Writes
"Nate Edmondson’s sound design swings ambitiously from the tension of clattering contemporary beats to a gaudy choral arrangement of Handel’s Messiah, and is coupled with live harpsichord, violin, and vocal melodies performed by the actors. While the contribution of live music is a pleasant addition to a story around which the love of music ribbons, it is certainly a risk …which ultimately pays off when the bright voice of musical prodigy Aaron (Petronella van Tienen) flutters across the stage. …Coram Boy remains a captivating, emotionally complex piece, beautifully designed to sling its audience into the throes of the love, loss, and reclamation that glimmer through relentless grime and greed."
• Lady Lemoncholy
"Sound designer/composer Nate Edmondson’s synthetic-orchestral score imparts a filmic gallop... …you can’t help but root for something resulting from such a giant collective effort." ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Jason Blake (Audrey Journal)
"Epic in scope, staging and soaring humanity, Coram Boy is a must see. ...audiences are taken back in time to a spectacle of charging carriages, duels on the high seas, and eerie bush burials. Such is the pure, crystalline theatrical magic of bAKEHOUSE Theatre Company’s production… Production values match the high pitch of the performances, with a brilliant lighting design by Benjamin Brockman, and composition and sound design by Nate Edmondson."
• Richard Cotter (Australian Stage)
"...a time-bending foray into the realms of choral music, family relationships, and racial oppression, prides itself on its self-labeled ‘epic’ nature. A smorgasbord of sweet sounds and larger-than-life sights, it is easy to get lost in the world created before you. … If two words were to describe this production, they would be size and synchronisation. … Coram Boy features numerous dance sequences, transitionary movements, and moments of collective action… It is nothing short of sublime. …bAKEHOUSE’s Coram Boy is a success." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Manan Luthra (State Of The Art)
"…the production is a riveting experience that is focused despite its ambitious canvas. … The narrative moves along at a swift pace, and scene transitions are artfully choreographed. … Helping to give the piece fluidity, despite the frequent scene changes, is Nate Edmondson’s excellent cinematic soundscape. Handel’s Messiah oratorio appears alongside original instrumental music, and each piece has been carefully matched to a sequence, be it to underscore a scene or accompany a transition. Even a couple of contemporary tracks have made their way into the mix. Edmondson’s sound design is a vital aspect of this production. … In one standout sequence, performers are used to suggest Meshak’s efforts underwater to rescue two drowning children. Paired with Benjamin Brockman’s evocative lighting, it makes for a beautiful, transfixing moment in the piece, and Edmondson’s music is again another crucial contributor. … Staging Coram Boy in the 80-seat Kings Cross Theatre is an ambitious undertaking, but bAKEHOUSE Theatre Company’s efforts here have shown that an epic tale doesn’t necessarily require an epic space. Owing to the hard work of Harrison and Dean and their creative team, this is a heartrending and wholly absorbing production…" ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Tim Garratt (Theatre People)
"Coram Boy is a well-crafted, brave, bold and entertaining production. Its direction, acting, lighting and staging are all at an exceptional level. … In previous English and American productions of Coram Boy there was a full choir even orchestra on stage – in the Bakehouse production the performers sing… The singing was pleasing, including Petronella Van Tienen as Edward Ashbrook. Children in the Hospital can perform in the choir, and in Handel’s work, and Petronella acquits the eight year old role in buoyant acting and polished singing. … The show has many deserving features, none the least of which were composition and sound design by Nate Edmondson… and the collective complex efforts of 31 on the published team. The production is not only brave – it is audacious and successful. It deserves to be seen and supported – it is finally satisfying, for all kinds of reasons."
• Geoffrey Sykes (Sydney Arts Guide)
"An action-packed musical historical tragical thriller spanning three generations? With a cast of 15? In an 80-seat micro-theatre up six flights of stairs? Seriously? When it comes to attempting the impossible, bAKEHOUSE Theatre Company has form, so it is no surprise that they have, once again, achieved what really shouldn’t be possible: a coherent, gripping show far bigger than the physical space it inhabits. … Coram Boy is a Dickensian swoop across 19th-century England that…achieves an emotional punch located on just the right side of authenticity. Nate Edmondson’s superb underscore helps here, resisting the lure of costume drama picturesque with shafts of attitude. As for the ending, it does not disappoint… As the cast breaks into a stirring chorus, it almost feels like Christmas." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Harriet Cunningham (Sydney Morning Herald)
"The presentation of this work just felt so right thanks to a vision that was incredibly clear and flawlessly executed through the work of the cast and creative team. … Original composition by Nate Edmondson was impressive, and created a great sensory experience as an audience member. With various classical style pieces paired together with choir harmonies the sound design has a massive pay-off, and its contribution to the piece is completely necessary. Coram Boy is phenomenal. It's more than just a show, it's a theatrical experience, and it cannot be missed."
• Adam Stepfner (Theatre Travels)
"…the most stunning elements of the work come from the inventive stage direction, the sound design and composition (Nate Edmondson)… The entire cast weave across the stage with an incredibly choreographed frenzy and horse rides are executed with clarity and humour. … Nate Edmondson's music, interwoven with moments of Handel…is wonderfully varied allowing the cheerful moments of the cathedral choir with recorded voices bolstering the live singing, and darker, ominous tones along with aural expressions of things like the perpetual motion of the emerging industrial revolution. Coram Boy is an amazing feat of theatre…"
• Jade Kops (Broadway World)
"Coram Boy is a must-see... A visual spectacle, and emotional journey, a performance triumph. …a patchwork of music, tableaus, scenes, and time. …a highly ambitious work that embraces storytelling in all its glory. When you have a stage, a cast, a play, and the undivided attention of an audience… it truly is a gift. This production is not wasteful of that gift. … It’s important in such a small space that movement is melded by a hand of precision, which was my main worry about the show, yet the cast and creatives were able to deal with that requirement strongly. … If you’ve been yearning for a show that embraces the possibility of a play...look no further than this…" ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Felicity Anderson (Theatre Now)
"What an achievement this bAKEHOUSE Theatre and KXT production is. …gripping and totally believable. There’s barely a prop in sight but there is an awesome combination of sound, lighting and choreography that turns the tiny KXT stage into the drawing rooms, the cathedrals, the slums and woods of 18th Century England. Oh, and if that isn’t enough, Handel and his Messiah are integral to the story."
• Carrie Kablean (Megaphone Oz)
"bAKEHOUSE Theatre Company has done it again, delivering a stellar production that kept the audience captivated from the get-go. … It is set in a backdrop of extreme wealth and poverty, the rich and powerful, and the soaring sounds of Handel's Messiah. … The production delivers in graphic details stories of infanticide, child abuse and slavery, and is genuinely confronting. … The narrative moved along at a swift pace, and the scene transitions artfully choreographed. … The production achieved an emotional punch with authenticity. Each frequent scene change, cinematic soundscape and lighting was mastered. … The production was heartrending… From acting, lighting, sound, to staging, it was all exceptional level, making this well-crafted, brave, bold, and entertaining play one you do not want to miss out on."
• Gypsy Rose (Weekend Notes)
"Handel himself is also featured, as choirs at the cathedral and the Coram Foundling Hospital rehearse his music. … The direction makes ingenious use of choreography, inventive physicality and simple stage effects to create bustling streets, graves, statues and a garden at the orphanage among many other settings. …the terrific ensemble brings each character to vivid life, helped by the costume design (Suzanne Miller and Sonia McAlpine with Cleary O’Brien-Boots), the dramatic lighting by Benjamin Brockman, and the sound design by Nate Edmondson, which combines original music with music by Handel." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Jo Litson (Limelight Magazine)
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H.M.S. Pinafore
[Australia, 2019 & 2020]
"The show opens with a deliriously rackety overture reminiscent of earnest amateur efforts the world over. … It’s a crafty way to draw in the audience because actually, the show is bursting with talent and expertise and basically it’s all joy and effervescence for the rest of the voyage. … It’s a glorious production made memorable by Nate Edmondson’s sound design of creaking timbers and whooshing waves… Just the ticket for a summer or Christmas outing: all aboard for the cruise of the season. Recommended without reservation." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Diana Simmonds (Stage Noise)
"In a bright, high camp, adeptly performed presentation of the Gilbert & Sullivan classic, Gaul has accentuated the timeless music and text, while emphasising the incongruity of arbitrary class, gender and status-based hurdles in a contemporary context. None of the humour is sacrificed, nor the music subordinated, but rather coloured with funny local references in tightly harmonised numbers that can soar. … Unusually for productions staged at the Hayes, the music and vocals in H.M.S. Pinafore are un-amplified. Piano player and music director, Zara Stanton, leads a small group of players, who meld seamlessly into onstage activities and provide ample backing to the talented vocalists. Moments of harmonisation across the two-hours are consistently highlights. …H.M.S. Pinafore is a sharp and vibrant reinvention of a work from the canon that is both entertaining and consequential in a contemporary world. Recommended." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Tim Garratt (Theatre People)
"Purely radiant in its entirety… The music direction (Zara Stanton) is imaginatively innovative: in particular, the splendid overture that immediately immerses us in this nautical world as the multi-talented ensemble play a string of seafaring ditties, adeptly supported by the exquisite sound design (Nate Edmondson). … The theme of acceptance runs deep throughout as each element attempts (and succeeds beautifully) to subvert every aspect of perceived normalcy so we recognise that we need to open our minds and our hearts in order to embrace our truest selves and find a harmonious state in which every one of us deserves to live."
• Jessie Trompp (A Millennial With An Opinion)
"Nate Edmondson’s sound design delivers some of the biggest and most unexpected laughs of the production."
• Suzy Wrong (Suzy Goes See)
"Unusually for this venue of late, all of the music and singing is un-amplified, which lends the event a pleasing sense of immediacy and intimacy." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Jason Blake (Audrey Journal)
"…H.M.S. Pinafore is dazzling and oozing with personality, a smaller cast allowing for a delicious assortment of captivating talents. Cast and music director Zara Stanton alike picking up different instruments throughout the wonderfully un-supplemented soundscape of the show. It truly feels like a party, with so much attention to detail. … Nate Edmondson’s sound and Fausto Brusamolino’s lighting add to the unapologetically camp production, tight and bright. It’s as if the well-known and well-loved tunes and tongue twisters of the Gilbert and Sullivan classic were taken and thrown onto a Mardi Gras float."
• Felicity Anderson (Flick Flick City)
"This production - a killer vision from director Kate Gaul - is an exuberantly gender-bending, stripped-down but highly musical reimagining of this classic tale. … The accompaniment is provided by two creative multi-instrumentalists, with incidental touches (acoustic guitar, harmonica) supplied by various members of the well-voiced cast." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Bill Wyman (City Hub)
"Gaul is faithful to the text, the music is gorgeously sung and the production unerringly shines a light on G&S’s evergreen targets of unearned influence, the class structure and unthinking. … Music director Zara Stanton creates wonders with an upright piano, a few strings, some touches of brass and the occasional tambourine and mouth organ, all played onstage by the cast."
• Deborah Jones (The Australian)
"…in a real treat, the music and singing is un-amplified. …the lighting by Fausto Brusamolino and sound by Nate Edmondson complement the exuberantly camp production." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Jo Litson (Limelight Magazine)
"The music is un-amplified and the songs feel, deceptively, casual. We ease our way into them. … Cast members play additional instruments, and there’s a sense of community onstage that feels believable and right for a production playing with queer signifiers. Nate Edmondson’s sound design is supportive and sharp (keep an ear out for a little RuPaul amongst the soothing hint of waves – because why not?)… Why stage H.M.S. Pinafore at the end of 2019? Because it can be a celebration of living outside your expected social role. It can be a queer party. It can be funny and sweet, and clever." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Cassie Tongue (Time Out)
"Supported by Zara Stanton's musical direction from the stage, presented at times with the assistance of various members of the ensemble on instruments that range from violin, cello, trumpet and trombone, the un-amplified cast give beautiful renditions of Gilbert and Sullivan's songs. … An easy bit of summer fun entertainment."
• Jade Kops (Broadway World)
"Oh give three cheers and one cheer more for the cast and crew of this H.M.S. Pinafore. This wonderful, exuberant gender-bending production, directed by Kate Gaul, is not a ‘traditional’ version of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic operetta but joyously updated with a twist. … The magnificent cast of 11 performers and a fluid onstage band (including trombone, clarinet, guitar, cello, violins and harmonica) led by pianist and singer Zara Stanton perform with gusto and panache. … At times the show is witty and hilarious, at others extremely moving. … Sound design by Nate Edmondson encompasses the sound of lapping waves. … Overall it’s a joyous, witty romp." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Lynne Lancaster (Arts Hub)
"Fun. Cute. Cheeky. Camp. Nostalgic. Worth a visit."
• Kevin Jackson (Kevin Jackson’s Theatre Diary)
"It is the Hayes at its creative best – bringing together musicians and opera singers who exude talent as musicians swap between the piano to the clarinet and piano accordion, and the ensemble switches from singing and dancing to playing the cello, violin and guitar. …H.M.S. Pinafore starts the overture and the ensemble singing, playing instruments and setting the standard of the show to come. To set the scene, the action begins with a large sheet featuring a model sailing ship atop the waves featuring the sounds of the ocean that fills the room. Next, a ship is crashing on the waves."
• Nora Charles (Hunter And Bligh)
"As camp as a row of tent pegs, awash with sequins and glitter make-up, this gender-bending, hyper-theatrical, kinky re-imagining of one Gilbert and Sullivan’s best loved operettas, surprises and delights from the clever overture until the final notes of the riotous finale."
• Bill Stephens (City News)
"With wit, style and thrill, this Hayes Theatre production is relentlessly entertaining. ‘Love can level ranks’ - and this revel ranks high." ★ ★ ★ ★
• John Lombard (The Rock City Jester)
"Oh joy! Oh Rapture. What a glorious romp. What a magical invention. Siren Theatre Company’s psychedelic production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s satirical comic opera, H.M.S Pinafore billows with colour, rollicks with action and buffets its way through the gales of laughter. … Siren Theatre Company’s production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s highly popular comic opera is proof enough that you can teach an old dog new tricks."
• Peter Wilkins (Canberra Critics Circle)
"Thank you, Kate Gaul, Zara Stanton, Ash Bee, Melanie Liertz, Fausto Brusamolino, Nate Edmondson and all the cast and crew of Hayes Theatre Co. for bringing me back to my senses. We all need a good dose of Gilbert & Sullivan every now and then – and this is a good one indeed."
• Frank McKone (Canberra Critics Circle)
"What is especially notable with this production is the respect for the music. It’s beautifully and clearly sung by the cast, all of whom can handle the operatic demands of the score. The cast also play the musical instruments on stage as part of the action. The musical arrangements for the smaller number of instruments give the show a pleasant and unique sound. The playing of the overture by the cast was a delight, setting the tone for the rest of the show. … This is a show that everyone will enjoy. On the surface it’s just crazy, silly fun expertly done but the quality of the music and singing shows why this show is still being performed over a century later."
• Len Power (Canberra Critics Circle)
"...musically the evening is a treat, capably accompanied by music director Antonio Fernandez on piano, complemented by various cast members. ... The small ensemble delivers intimate and delightful takes on familiar harmonies. …in Kate Gaul’s delicious production, love has the power to level barriers well beyond mere social rank. It’s a marvellous, uplifting interpretation."
• Neil Litchfield (Stage Whispers)
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Haunted
[Australia, 2019]
"Making imaginative use of the heritage-listed Petersham Town Hall, Haunted asks the audience to follow our instincts and indulge our curiosity as we explore the labyrinthine architecture of the building in order to discover and construct this story. As an audience on foot, lingering in the eerie vastness of this historical hall, our senses are heightened as our spines are chilled and our hairs are stood on end by the anticipation created by things that go bump in the night. … The sound design by Nate Edmondson is nothing short of amazing as it works surreptitiously in the background to keep us on the edge. We explore the building, fearful and terrified, as the chilling, frightening noise surrounds us on our journey. Ben Brockman’s lighting design ominously complements the aural aesthetic and works to solidify our jaunts between the natural and the supernatural. … I felt like I was a character in a horror movie as I tip-toed throughout the halls and peered cautiously around every corner, just in case something jumped out and scared me – as inevitably ended up happening! I love going to see a piece of theatre that is different; something that surprises me, is unpredictable and takes a unique (even if risky) approach. I strongly believe that theatre (even art as whole) is supposed to be bold, provocative and disturbs the air in some way. For me, Haunted is a piece that travels down this particular road. It is bold and unpredictable from the creative concept right through to its execution."
• Jessie Trompp (A Millennial With An Opinion)
"…the work is fresh and playful, impressive in its exhaustive and imaginative use of space. There is pleasure not only in investigating the many curious satellite occurrences, but also in the very experience of exploring a forgotten building. Sensational work on sound by Nate Edmondson heightens all our senses, to have us feeling as though immersed within a world of horror cinema."
• Suzy Wrong (Suzy Goes See)
Baby Doll
[Australia, 2019]
"It is a first-class production of Baby Doll. Under the direction of Shaun Rennie, the fine cast is supported by a magnificent creative team. … Full marks to lighting designer Verity Hampson, set and costume designer Anna Tregloan and composer and sound designer Nate Edmondson. Baby Doll is a theatrical experience to thoroughly enjoy. The audience is fully immersed and involved for the full 90 minutes. A must see!"
• Paul Kiely (The Blurb)
"Directed by Shaun Rennie, the scintillating production grips us, not only with the exciting paradigm shifts deliberately introduced to the old story, but also with its exhaustive efforts at imbuing every theatrical moment with a rich sensuality, able to have us captivated on levels beyond character and narrative. … Sound and music by Nate Edmondson moves effortlessly from episodes of rhapsodic extravagance, to sequences filled with hushed precarity. We always know what the people on stage are thinking and feeling, even if their words are designed to disguise the truth."
• Suzy Wrong (Suzy Goes See)
"Nate Edmondson's sound design draws on Deep South gospel and foreboding heavy tones to heighten the mystery of this comedy thriller. This primal bold background is contrasted with Aunt Rose's carefree mindless singing of a folk song as she potters around the home apparently deaf to most of the abuse Archie Lee hurls at her. … With Baby Doll, Shaun Rennie has created another well-crafted captivating piece of intimate theatre as the audience, seated in Ensemble’s steep raked theatre, get a 'fly on the wall' experience of the tale of revenge, deceit, betrayal, lust and sexual frustration all presented with Tennessee Williams' trademark Deep South dialogue. Well worth catching."
• Jade Kops (Broadway World)
"Sometimes, just as you think you've failed to light a fire, it suddenly flares up. This production is like that. It flickers and hisses and fizzes for a while, and then the key kindling, desire and arousal, catch alight, and the play begins to burn. … Constrained by space …Rennie has cleverly solved staging conundrums by choreographing some scenes with voice-overs... Nate Edmondson's score, meanwhile, is brilliantly evocative." ★ ★ ★ ☆
• John Shand (Sydney Morning Herald)
"The production has a heartbeat pulse and motif recurring, but used in moderation and there are a few still, silent, almost mimetic scenes…" ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Judith Greenaway (Reviews By Judith)
"This production is an uncommonly stylish and stylised one for the Ensemble Theatre, under the confident hand of director Shaun Rennie. Utilising an atypical degree of scenic lighting effects, theatrical haze and immersive soundscapes, this is a richly realised production which largely compensates for some of the lulls in the drama, despite the short runtime. Dramatic tension, sexual tension, the tension born from impending discoveries or even violence are clearly at the heart of this text. Baby Doll is an effective, if imperfect, re-adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ lesser-renowned material, via an intermediate film version. It is an atmospheric one-act play with some excellent actors and stylish direction, concerning some inherently uncomfortable subject matter. This show…is well worth a watch."
• Jack Teiwes (Australian Stage)
"The ever-reliable Verity Hampson (lighting) and Nate Edmondson (composition and sound design) contribute to the sultry mood." ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Veronia Hannon (Theatre Now)
"The lighting (Verity Hampson) and Sound (Nate Edmondson) evoke the heat and atmosphere of the Deep South. Baby Doll starts somewhat languidly but builds into a steamy little inferno of seduction, betrayal and revenge. …there is a hint that this Baby Doll isn’t finished yet – and that’s worth seeing. As is this production."
• Carrie Kablean (Megaphone Oz)
"…Williams’ usually brooding subtext is played strongly out front on the small Ensemble stage. … Via film to stage, we now happily have another Williams play, not a masterpiece, but certainly a new fantastical set of his seething and entwined characters. They’re worth meeting."
• Martin Portus (Stage Whispers)
"Director Shaun Rennie has brought vigour and passion to the stage. The contagious energy fills the room. … Verity Hampson has done great lighting and likewise, Nate Edmondson’s music and sound design is powerful and haunting. His voice-overs work well. Baby Doll is a rich and enjoyable play. Definitely worth seeing."
• Bronwyn Fullerton (Sydney Arts Guide)
"My, oh, my, I do declare that this play was hotter’n blue blazes. … Well done to the amazing cast and production team for putting together such a mesmerising piece of theatre." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Matt Lighton (State Of The Art)
"…I saw the Ensemble Theatre production of Baby Doll as an interesting exercise, performed and designed very well…"
• Frank McKone (Canberra Critics Circle)
"Director Shaun Rennie leaves no stone unturned in this powerhouse production. … Special mention of the sound design - award winner Nate Edmondson’s sound works a treat, enhancing the unfolding story before our eyes and ears. How on earth do you find out what a 1950s cotton gin sounds like? Nate knew!" ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• David Wicks (Sounds Of Musical Theatre)
Fully Committed
[Australia, 2019]
"Champion, with long roots in dance and physical theatre, has choreographed a frenetic pattern of ringing handsets for Treffone to answer." ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Cassie Tongue (Time Out)
"In the basement of one of Sydney’s most exclusive restaurants is an office more closely resembling a call centre, lined with at least a score of telephones that never seem to stop ringing. … With a far more elaborate set than previous stagings … the choice here to festoon the performance space with innumerable functioning prop telephones that ring and light up on cue may perhaps not be strictly realistic, but the effect certainly ups the ante."
• Jack Teiwes (Australian Stage)
"…Fully Committed is felicitous comedy, fiery characters, and formidable craft in 90 minutes. … Everything from Anna Tregloan’s set, to Verity Hampson’s lighting, and Nate Edmondson’s sound design have allowed a quick-footed performance the similarly impressive playground it needed to flourish." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Felicity Anderson (Theatre Now)
"…there are stairs leading to a huge bank of phones and a special red one for the temperamental chef, as well as an intercom. Casually dressed, Sam dashes madly between each phone as well as personal calls coming through on her mobile. … Recommended." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Lynne Lancaster (Arts Hub)
"Whilst other productions represent the calls as coming into a single phone, set and costume designer Anna Tregloan reinforces the madness of the incoming calls with benches filled with phones surrounding the staircase up to the restaurant floor above… Red lights illuminate on the affected phones with lights remaining blinking when Sam has put them on hold, helping to highlight the chaos."
• Jade Kops (Broadway World)
"…sound design by Nate Edmondson is superb and beautifully timed to create a tight, frantic conversation that runs the full length of the show. Packed from top to bottom with laughs, Fully Committed is an exceptional piece of theatre that you must see before the season closes. Highly recommended." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Annabelle Drumm (State Of The Art)
"...the Broadway production saw Sam manning a single switchboard running hot. In Champion’s production a large number of phones line the stage area and we see Sam jump from one phone to the next. Champion’s decision to have multiple phones on stage works well and cleverly magnifies the level of chaos. The phones run hot including Sam’s own mobile phone packed away somewhere in her bag."
• David Kary (Sydney Arts Guide)
Table
[Australia, 2019]
"When thinking about how to begin this review …does he go left-of-centre by talking about the impressive lighting design and composition before anything else? … Musical director, composer and sound designer Nate Edmondson has compiled a wonderful list of songs, hymns and audio elements that richly complement the on stage action. The inclusion of such elements, which are sung by the cast, played artificially, or otherwise incorporated naturally, are a fun addition to the show that the audience easily takes to. … Ultimately, Table is on the whole a great show." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Manan Luthra (State Of The Art)
"With plenty of singing interspersed with family business, they all have their moments… This production at the Seymour Centre is excellent… they pull off some marvellous moments of pure theatre."
• Frank Hatherley (Stage Whispers)
"The production is exceedingly elegant… Nate Edmondson contributes two hours of music and sound, intricately magnifying every sensory peak and trough, highly effective in helping us find focus for all of Table‘s deliberately abrupt plot shifts. …makes for a staging that sings with authenticity from beginning to end."
• Suzy Wrong (Suzy Goes See)
"Nate Edmondson’s sound design and composition are beautiful in their own right… The audience is…always won back by the acting and design elements working together. … Table is a magical text, and there are real moments of greatness in this production. … Its themes, and their exploration, have edge, and make it a night at the theatre that you’ll need to talk and talk about." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Sean Maroney (The Music)
"‘I hate this table,’ is the first line uttered in Tanya Ronder’s Table. It is repeated again at the end of the play, but by then the beautiful crafting of the writing and the exquisitely precise staging of this production defies anyone to mimic the line. On the contrary, audiences are most likely to enthuse ‘I love this Table!’ … Director Kim Hardwick’s simply elegant production not only boasts very high performance proficiency in the playing but also superbly realised technical expertise. …Nate Edmondson’s music composition and sound design, especially the mixing Swahili song with the Christian chant of Kyrie Eleison, is simultaneously poignant, powerful and playful. Tempestuous and boisterous, a seat at this Table is an invitation to a feast."
• Richard Cotter (Sydney Arts Guide)
"The audio is remarkable for this production. From a hummed 'He Who Would Valiant Be' to the choices of mood underscore, the music holds the production in its gentle hands. The seduction, for example, is light and bold. The recurrence of a wood-block feel in the score is conceptually beyond wonderful and the drum heartbeat combined with ecclesiastical choral out of interval an exciting entr’acte. The singing done by the cast, in English and Swahili, is delightful to listen to also. … This a production which begins in the head before slowly taking pride of place in a hopeful heart." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Judith Greenaway (Reviews By Judith)
"…the play remained polished and solid from the beginning to the very end. Table is an imaginative, deeply felt production filled with old hymns, intense confrontations, quirky humour, and sudden surprises. … It was truly a must-watch. A spectacular theatre production."
• Gypsy Rose (Weekend Notes)
"…Table moves with easy fluency. Passages of high drama and gentle comedy seamlessly dovetail. The live singing and pre-recorded music composed by Nate Edmondson, likewise." ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Jason Blake (Audrey Journal)
"With a clarity and detail that feels like a true story… A precocious child in pink tutu and headphones sings Cantonese songs… With such sparse visual clues Nate Edmondson's sound design and musical composition helps set the scenes whilst also creating a family theme of sorts. A traditional English folk tune transports the story to Litchfield whilst a percussive military rolls sends Finley Best (Mathew Lee) off to the First World War. Tribal beats signal Sarah's position as a Novice sent to the Tanganyika mission and Cantonese pop songs welcome in Anthony Best (Mathew Lee) and Ben Hillier's child born with the help of a Chinese surrogate. Table is a beautifully woven story with a strong cast capturing the highs and lows of the family."
• Jade Kops (Broadway World)
"With a sparsely set stage, sound takes a prominent role particularly in the use of reverberation and echos. Musical director, composer, and sound designer Nate Edmondson weaves music into moments of collective joy in Sarah’s (Duckworth) mission and Su-Lin’s playing which severely alter the impact of silence and shouting in moments of disagreement or trauma. This sound design is potently affective in reflecting the shared emotions of the characters on stage."
• Night Writes
"There is nothing about this production that isn’t scrupulously planned and meticulously rehearsed. … Ronder has added English hymns and African songs to the play, eerily punctuating some scenes, raising the pace of others. Moments of suspense punctuate the tension that builds steadily… Designers Isabel Hudson (set and costume), Martin Kinnane (lighting), and Nate Edmondson (music and sound) have made the maximum of minimalism, providing a background on which the cast can take five generations of the Best family cunningly through over a hundred years of historical events and social change."
• Carol Wimmer
"Mystical lighting effects from Martin Kinnane and a haunting, wistful composition from Nate Edmondson created the appropriate mood. The simulation of a lion encounter was quite breathtaking. … Table is an experience well worth enjoying."
• Paul Kiely (Absolute Theatre)
"I was riveted throughout by the faultless performances, the clarity in the direction and the economy in its design. … I advise to trust in the writing and the nuances in the acting and the clear presentation by Hardwick and her production creatives. … What can be reviewed here is the exquisite soundscape by Nate Edmondson credited as sound designer, composer and musical director. … As stated rarely do I sit in the front and moreover infrequently do I return to see a play in the same season. I will make an exception this time as this wonderful theatre piece deserves a second viewing as it is so rich in its story-telling. Not to be missed under any circumstances." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Mark Nagle (Theatre Now)
"The tone is very much ethereal, emotionally driven and tragic. … In Table, I felt the input of raw emotions and hard work. This show is memorable for its unique perspective, dazzling performances and generosity with feeling and ardour."
• Brianna McCarthy (The Buzz From Sydney)
"…it is a terrific production… Musically, Nate Edmondson’s sound design, including the Christian chant of Kyrie Eleison blended with Swahili song, is boisterous, vigorous and passionate. … A vibrant, at times very intense and turbulent play that celebrates life and love."
• Lynne Lancaster (Lynne’s Theatre Notes)
"The musical design of the show was also a key point of joy for me. Nate Edmondson curated songs and composed some moving pieces of score that breathed a some mighty colour into the centuries spanning narrative. Score and soundtracks are not common in the Sydney theatre scene today, so Edmondson’s work here brings forth. While at times the variety of instrumentation used was eclectic (shifting from woodwind pieces to orchestras to piano segments and roaring choirs), Table has crafted an audio experience that is among the strongest I’ve seen in recent times."
• James Ong (Theatre Travels)
"There is a robust composition and sound design from Nate Edmondson that places with aural mood and detail the history of the table and its locations."
• Kevin Jackson (Kevin Jackson’s Theatre Diary)
Possum Magic
[Australia, 2019 - 2024]
"The gentleness of Grandma Poss and her journey around Australia with her invisible grandchild, Hush, is ‘magically’ recreated in this imaginative adaptation. …Sandra Eldridge brings together a cast of creative theatre makers to breathe life into the characters, and the illusion that weaves through the story. … Backed by the creative sounds of composer Nate Edmondson… It may sound trite to say ‘Monkey Baa has done it again’, but it’s true. …they have taken characters from the page and made them live graphically for young audiences in eclectically theatrical productions that are creative and carefully polished."
• Carol Wimmer (Stage Whispers)
"The clever artistic team, including production design (Emma Vine), composer and sound designer (Nate Edmondson), and magic and illusion designer (Adam Mada), successfully translated the whimsical world of the story to the stage and captivated the young audience. It’s sure to be another dazzling success for Sandra Eldridge and Eva di Cesare."
• Catherine Skipper (South Sydney Herald)
"The highlight of the production is Nate Edmondson’s sound design that clearly evokes the book: the distinctive sounds of birds and wildlife immediately transported us to that imaginative Australian bush place where all of our favourite characters reside. … This production of Possum Magic elegantly adapted by Eva Di Cesare and Sandra Eldridge certainly contains enough magic to enable the production to have a long, long life."
• Fiona Hallenan-Barker (Theatre Now)
"We're instantly transported to a magical forest with gnarled tree trunks and a giant moon listening to the buzzing sounds of wildlife. … Joined by an extraordinary creative team, Monkey Baa brings to life the characters, journey and love that has made Possum Magic the most-loved and best-selling Australian picture book of all time. I found it fabulous to see a production that gets children engaged at a young age in theatre and develop an appreciation of the production and artists. The production was seamless from the acting, puppetry and illusion of travel and music and entertaining actors Alex Packard and Michael Yore."
• Weekend Notes
"Bake Monkey Baa Theatre Company’s international reputation, sprinkle it with some marvellous acting, mix through music, dance, screen animations, add half a lamington and you have 'people food' for the soul. Junior or senior. …the newer elements thrill too. The glorious audio track which gives the animals a motif. Pluck and percussion for the emu and the strings that keep Hush invisible. … This production is an experience to treasure and take with you to bedtime. Young or old, Possum Magic brings the paper and ink to life in a glorious way that children obviously adore and carers remember with genuine love and affection." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Judith Greenaway (Arts Hub)
"…this attractive production garnishes the story with low-key stage magic, elements of puppetry and projected animation." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Jason Blake (Audrey Journal)
"The show captured the story wonderfully, starting with a bang in the scene where Hush is made invisible, turning her brown possum costume into a glistening invisible cloak. Lights, music and the large projection at the centre of the stage were cleverly used to make this moment memorable."
• Teri Mortimer (Artsplorers)
"The team’s use of lights and music adds drama and suspense to various scenes and also aids in the use of magic by Grandma Poss. … Possum Magic is a must-see… It’s a captivating experience that celebrates the power of imagination, family, and the joy of storytelling." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Lucy Budzynska (Kiddo Mag)
"…expertly adapted for the stage… At the heart of the play lies the essence of magic, conjuring the whimsical charm of Fox’s story through original music, dramatic lighting design, and the clever use of props and illusions. … Monkey Baa Theatre has set the bar for children’s theatre exceptionally high with its interpretation of this Australian classic, bringing Mem Fox’s beloved tale to the stage in a way that was both faithful to the original story and uniquely theatrical. Intertwining magic, physical theatre, humour and innovative stagecraft created an enchanting and heart-warming experience that left audiences spellbound long after curtains close…" ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Mia-Francesca Jones (Arts Hub)
"With a fun soundtrack to move us forward chronologically and geographically, thanks to Nate Edmondson’s composition, and with Emma Vine’s clever production design that includes puppetry and projected animation, there’s a strong sense of adventure that kids will love. While the crossing of the Bass Strait scene is visually stunning, it’s also full of tension." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Heather Taylor-Johnson (Glam Adelaide)
"…it’s quite a clever production. …an action packed adventure with plenty of laughs along the way. …beautifully presented… Brilliant!" ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Andrew Bistak (Impulse Gamer)
"Amongst the beautiful Australian bushland trees, the crickets are chirping and there’s a full moon glowing through the branches. The stage at the Alexander Theatre is set! …the use of lighting and music, smoke and wind creates a special atmosphere for each scene. It’s mystical but not scary, and quirky with enough excitement for everyone to enjoy. … This production is a fabulous first theatre experience that young ones will remember for years to come." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Wendy Samantha (The Theatre)
"It is a magical first impression walking into the theatre, greeted by a set with gnarled trees, a giant moon and the soft sounds of the outback. … The whole thing is very clever and charming… There was original music, some singing, and lots of laughs, all bundled up into 45 minutes, complete with imagery and elements of the book that all tied into perfection."
• Nicole Smith (Stage Whispers)
"My favourite part was when Hush had the birthday party and the disco light was turned on, I saw lots of kids dancing to the music that was played. … It was by far the best play I have seen at the Glasshouse." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Glasshouse Port Macquarie
"…a terrific performance that engaged the audience with beautiful backdrops, props, lighting, costumes and soft music true to the theme of the book."
• Ella Kennedy (The Tawny Frogmouth)
"Filled with vibrant puppetry, toe-tapping music, and enough magic to make your whiskers twitch, Possum Magic is a delightful treat for the whole family." ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Chamelle Photo
"With a simple but effective production vision, Monkey Baa authentically captures the story of Possum Magic for our youngsters. … Possum Magic employs puppetry, shadow play, projector animation, and mystical sound design. Production designer Emma Vine, Composer and Sound Designer Nate Edmondson, and Magic and Illusion Designer Adam Mada were able to remain faithful to the source material."
• Claudia Butjerevic (The Post)
Dead Cat Bounce
[Australia, 2019]
"…the work of the crew is worth commending. … Sound designer Nate Edmondson has an unusually pumping soundtrack for a play like this, making transition points ironically welcome with an absolutely banging library (which, if I could get a copy of, would be much appreciated)."
• Manan Luthra (Scenestr)
"All credit, too, to the design team, set (Genevieve Blanchett), lighting (Alexander Berlage) and sound (Nate Edmondson), for providing a stage that is white, usually bright and walled in."
• Carrie Kablean (Megaphone Oz)
"…the engineered snap from scene changes is meticulously clever. … Audio is equally subtle with effects such as bushscape, operated to be effectively under, and smooth jazz belying the turmoil inside and exemplifying the search for peace." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Judith Greenaway (Arts Hub)
"…this work is presented with artful simplicity in the intimate space of SBW Stables Theatre."
• Jade Kops (Broadway World)
"It is a well-structured play; well-acted and well-directed (Mitchell Butel) and well-designed for Griffin’s challenging space."
• Kate Stratford (Theatre Now)
"The production is fortunately, a fairly polished one, with Alexander Berlage’s lights and Nate Edmondson’s music providing a great deal of elevation…"
• Suzy Wrong (Suzy Goes See)
"…some deft touches from the design team…"
• John Shand (Sydney Morning Herald)
"Nate Edmondson’s score is appropriately woven in and out of the production and makes particular impact during scene transitions." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Tim Garratt (Theatre People)
"Mitchell Butel’s production serves the play well… Nate Edmondson’s moody, dark soundscape hovers over the play, ‘commentating’ on the action."
• David Kary (Sydney Arts Guide)
"There is an effective set by Genevieve Blanchett, an open stage with brightly illuminated edges; a rich and subtle lighting design by Alexander Berlage; and a very good score and sound design by Nate Edmondson that guides us through the story."
• John McCallum (The Australian)
The Moors
[Australia, 2019]
"A final deserving hat tip now to Nate Edmondson, the award-winning composer and sound designer behind this intriguing production, who jangled audience nerves at all the right moments and swelled the self-reflexive melodrama with apropos musical pomp. He also aided Daly in her terrific genre-bending final ballad. For the audience on opening night: a highlight." ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Kate Prendergast (Audrey Journal)
"It is a deliciously detailed production which, despite being non-sequitur free, is alarmingly disorienting and it’s ferociously feminist and with some remarkably troubling hits over the head with a Bronte. … It beings with a ‘nunnunnunnah’. And from there on Nate Edmondson’s audio design leaves no clichéd audio cue unreferenced. It takes the horrible from horror with a score which interlaces plunks and a distant pipe strike and swirls of strings and a contrapuntal discordancy in places. It never overwhelms and even has a bell motif that rings distant from a hillock through the fog! Nothing about this production goes too far… or not far enough."
• Judith Greenaway (Sydney Arts Guide)
"Kate Gaul's production and design astutely uses a slow-motion revolve to let us scrutinise moments of intra-scene stasis from different angles. ...with Nate Edmondson's music she has maximised the inherent Gothic melodrama…" ★ ★ ★ ☆
• John Shand (Sydney Morning Herald)
"The cast and crew, under the masterful direction of Kate Gaul are very good. … The musical theme by Nate Edmondson was especially apt and haunting. Strong and loud, I was reminded of eerie feelings from old Vincent Price horror movies. The Moors is an entirely enthralling theatrical experience which I can thoroughly recommend."
• Paul Kiely (Absolute Theatre)
"Directed by Kate Gaul, it is a fabulously moody atmosphere that supports the play’s dark humour. … Composer Nate Edmondson surpasses all expectations with the astonishing detail in the sounds that he provides. We are spooked and tickled at the same time, thoroughly entertained by the purposefully arty approach to his portion of the storytelling."
• Suzy Wrong (Suzy Goes See)
"…highlighted by a climactic, high-energy song and dance that absolutely brings the house down, revelling in its own weirdness and audacity to become the show’s highlight. For anyone remotely intrigued by Brontë-ish period pieces and dark, subversive comedy (or if you caught The Favourite in theatres and loved it), The Moors is a must-see."
• Fred Pryce (Theatre Travels)
"The director has also made fine choices in having Nate Edmondson compose the soundtrack/soundscape: from the opening morning birdsong through lushly-orchestrated Korngold-esque fragments, the music-sound is virtually another character. … That there were going to be tears before bedtime is never in any doubt: how they happen is by turns comical and tragic. If the Brontës had lived longer than their painfully short lives, they might have come up with some of these ideas to amuse each other. Recommended." ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Diana Simmonds (Stage Noise)
"Part parody and part black comedy, The Moors is a tightly crafted 80-minute piece that has laugh-out loud moments. … A doom-ridden score opens the proceedings, which take place on a circular stage with plenty of black, grey and silver to put us (briefly) in a sombre mood (courtesy of sound designer Nate Edmondson and lighting designer Fausto Brusamolino) and there are plenty of musical clichés throughout to up the quirky ante. … Without tight direction and great performances, The Moors could easily be lame. This production at the Reginald Theatre is anything but. Under Kate Gaul’s direction everything works a treat and the cast is uniformly excellent… Horror has never been so horribly funny."
• Carrie Kablean (Megaphone Oz)
"Kate Gaul has designed and directed this fascinating, macabre, quirky little show. It’s moody and grotesquely compelling, with a clever revolve utilised fabulously by all. … It’s a slick production… Composer Nate Edmondson puts his signature grandiose style to the sound, with epic orchestral compositions thwarting us throughout."
• Alana Kaye (Theatre Now)
"Gaul has added two rows of bleacher seats on either side of the stage to heighten the intimacy between the audience and the world of the play, while Nate Edmondson’s sound and Fausto Brusamolino’s lighting underpin the action with an unsettling, haunting quality." ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Jo Litson (Limelight Magazine)
"The Moors is a thrilling production, brought to vibrant and exciting life by Kate Gaul and her energetic, intelligent group of creatives. … One gets a sense of potent collaboration inside the production… There are so many wonderful productions on the independent theatre scene in Sydney, so much vitality, so much to feed the mind, that for a production to stand out it must conform to something extra special. The Moors achieves this in so many ways. Turn your television off, pay your $50 and let it touch your life."
• Lisa Thatcher (Lisa Thatcher)
"Not often do Sydney audiences have the opportunity to see theatre that takes you by surprise with its colourful well poised theatrics, but also offers moments that are quietly moving, somber, unexpectedly feeling. … Director Kate Gaul has created an all surrounding and brilliant theatrical experience of The Moors – and like the play itself, we are caught off guard from the moment we enter the Reginald with a staging that is simple yet totally alive and ever moving. Highly recommended."
• Sylvia Keays (The Buzz From Sydney)
"A curtain, held high above the stage, symbolises the grey desolation of the moors, shimmering and reflecting Fausto Brusamolino’s lighting, the gloomy mood emphasised by the eerie suggestions of Nate Edmondson’s score."
• Carol Wimmer
Love
[Australia, 2018]
"Director Rachel Chant's simple but tight production puts the women's visceral relationship front and centre. … Nate Edmondson's sound design injects moments of portentous yet lyrical beauty. And concluding with an arrangement of REM's hauntingly dark 'The One I Love' strikes a perfect note." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Joyce Morgan (Sydney Morning Herald)
"This production strikes and grasps at the audience, gouging presumption to open the heart. … The suddenness of the emotional energy change between each is exquisitely wrought by the director and the tech of this production is subtle and setting for each new context. … The lighting and audio often tell their own story without speech. Just as often, the dialogue is rapid fire yet when the music makes its way gently through the dialogue it is unobtrusively emotional. Especially as the metallic treble whine of ringing metal gives way to the greater recognisability of strings. And there’s a superb sequence during a speech about love that is as ethereal, undefinable and big as the word itself. … Make no mistake, this production will bite you, hard, then gnaw at your world view. Love is a breath-held journey into other lives and an arse kick to dispassion and rationality." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Judith Greenaway (Arts Hub)
"Love is a striking work, both entertaining and compelling. Worth a look."
• Geraldine Worthington (Molong Online)
"Under the careful eye of director Rachel Chant, the poetic moments of Cornelius’ script soar: her lyrical, colloquial monologues are the hero of the production, bathed in glory by lighting designer Sian James-Holland and composer and sound designer Nate Edmondson. … This isn’t an easy production, but it’s an admirable one." ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Cassie Tongue (Time Out Sydney)
"Magnificent direction by Rachel Chant turns this desolate tale into incredibly compelling theatre; even if the personalities feel far removed from our middle class realities, Chant’s exhilarating rigour from beginning to end, insists on our engagement. Design elements are cleverly imagined, by the wonderfully concordant trio of Ella Butler (set), Nate Edmondson (sound) and Sian James-Holland (lights), for a production rich and sophisticated in its impact."
• Suzy Wrong (Suzy Goes See)
"Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s production lets the play speak for itself… An electronic score/sound design (Nate Edmondson) smoothly marks scene transitions." ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Debbie Zhou (Audrey Journal)
"Director Rachel Chant has come up with a forceful production which immerses us in the lives of these three battlers. … Nate Edmondson continues to impress (he gets a lot of work) with another edgy, atmospheric soundscape. … There were no false notes, the scenes felt authentic and were well played. Recommended…"
• David Kary (Sydney Arts Guide)
"Do not hesitate to take yourself to the Eternity Playhouse to catch this fine production. …Love is depicted in all its complexity. It’s all rounded out by sound designer Nate Edmondson’s composed and found aural fragments. … The result is 75 minutes of astonishing theatre. Recommended without reservation." ★ ★ ★ ★
• Diana Simmonds (Stage Noise)
"Love is confronting, unforgiving and very powerful. … It’s a voice that’s rightfully cherished and it’s wonderful to hear it here, staged with such compassion in a fine production. It’s not a fun night at the theatre but a powerful one that’ll make you think twice about the way we treat each other."
• Peter Gotting (Stage Whispers)
Evie May -
A Tivoli Story
[Australia, 2018]
"…Evie May is a meticulously constructed production. …creative aspects carry subtle intricacy and theatricality. From the 60s swatch of green eyeshadow to the exciting animation early in the show, the design and tech gently travel the character and the narrative. With text responsive lighting, look for the black and white of early television, and a splendidly designed audio mix, the production has the seamless finesse which allows uninhibited absorption in the music… This is an entertaining, crafted, timely and relevant work." ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Judith Greenaway (Arts Hub)
"There are a lot of clichés you could toss at Evie May – A Tivoli Story, but this show rises above them to deliver an entertaining and moving show that embraces its inherent melodrama and theatricality, and is all the better for it. … With simple production values and an abundance of talent under the reliable direction of Kate Champion, Evie May – A Tivoli Story is a promising debut of a new Australian musical."
• Jack Teiwes (Australian Stage)
"This show is a must see: float back in time and let the songs wash over you until the present day melts away. The writers note that the musical is about a time when ‘there were greater opportunities for us to come together, connect, and share a communal experience.’ This production offers just such an opportunity."
• Oliver Wakelin (Australian Arts Review)