Sheltering: bringing Bangarra home at the Sydney Opera House

Bangarra Dance Theatre in Glory Tuohy-Daniell’s Keeping Grounded

Daniel Mateo and Roxie Syron in Glory Tuohy-Daniell’s Keeping Grounded

Bangarra Dance Theatre in Frances Rings’ Sheoak

By Katie Lawrence, 06 June 2026

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“Men wrestle, shove and compete before collapsing into moments of reconciliation and care”

Reviewed at Sydney Opera House: Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney on 3 June 2026

Sheoak (Frances Rings)

Brown Boys (Daniel Mateo)

Keeping Grounded (Glory Tuohy-Daniell)

Bangarra Dance Theatre

Jacob Nash, Set Designer

Jennifer Irwin, Costume Designer

Karen Norris, Lighting Designer

The Australian Ballet does Romeo and Juliet: precision over passion

Katie Lawrence, 24th April

This revival of Romeo and Juliet combines vivid staging and technical leads, but the lover's careful partnership lacks the volatility that makes young love convincing and tragedy believable.

***11

The Australian Ballet and Bangarra Dance Theatre in Flora

Katie Lawrence, 7th April

Flora unites the Australian Ballet with Bangarra Dance Theatre in a glorious collaboration that traces loss, renewal, resilience, cultural continuity and enduring vitality of the body.

****1

Opera Australia’s Eugene Onegin shines musically

Sandra Bowdler, 17th March

Eugene Onegin returns to the Sydney Opera house in Kasper Holten’s slightly awkward production but the singing and orchestral playing are exemplary.

****1

Humperdinck hobbled in Opera Australia revival

Jeremy Eccles, 27th January

Elijah Moshinsky’s 33-year-old production of Hansel and Gretel hasn’t aged well.

***11

A psychological Turandot in Ann Yee's Opera Australia staging

Sandra Bowdler, 15th January

Opera Australia's new Turandot succeeds with musical, dramatic and visual values with a mix of local and imported talent.

****1

Siobhan Stagg leads a strong Marriage of Figaro revival in Sydney

Sandra Bowdler, 31st July

Siobhan Stagg is an outstanding Susanna in a strongly cast and well produced Marriage of Figaro at the Sydney Opera House

****1

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Katie Lawrence

Katie Lawrence has a background in ballet, jazz, and contemporary, and spent much of her adolescence in the dressing room of dance eisteddfods. She is still mildly triggered by the smell of hairspray. She is now a regular in Sydney's dance audience crowd and can often be found at Sydney Dance Company and Tanya Pearson adult classes.