Presented by: Blue Violin and Lewis Major
Classical music meets classic rock in a mesmerising piece of theatre. If only the ending didn’t rudely take away the gift it delivers.
Reviewed by Justin Clarke
Main Theatre at Adelaide College of the Arts:
Thu 06 Mar – Fri 07 Mar: 5:00pm
Sat 08 Mar: 7:30pm
Wed 12 Mar – Fri 14 Mar: 3:30pm
Tickets: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/thunderstruck-a-night-of-classic-rock-af2025
Type: Dance, Rock & Roll, Classical Music
If you liked: ACDC, Violin & Fiddle, Interpretive Dance
3 STARS
Rock & roll meets classical music as Australia’s rising star of contemporary dance, Lewis Major, meets the founder and first violinist of the Boston String Quartet, Blue Violin, in a gorgeously crafted hour of music and dance.
With the audience surrounding the space seated behind a cascading circle of candles, the contemporary idea of classical music is redefined in Thunderstruck as Blue Violin melds worlds together from ACDC to Led Zeppelin, Billie Eilish and a surprise Barbie number. The visuals throughout are inspired as slow waves of thick smoke drift over the candles, colliding in waves that melt through the space around the feet of the violinist and the dancers who emphasise the emotions in each piece. When this smoke drifts seamlessly around, it’s utterly mesmerising.
Blue Violin proves why he is a master of his craft, as the changes in tempo and rhythm cascade in each piece, the speed of which he plays lifts the energy as his fiddle arm moves as if connected to some sprinting machine.
Joined by a group of four dancers, the pieces are aided to heighten the rock & roll elements in pieces such as “Thunderstruck”, as they move with a frenetic grace. When the pieces then slow, the darkness of the scenery gives you a chance to breathe and bring your attention to the here and now, your senses in a mindful state of flow.
It’s only until the abrupt ending, where some “compulsory audience participation” eradicates the state of flow, and you’re left with a rather rude awakening from your classic rock slumber. It’s perhaps best to finish your session of classic rock before this section so you’re left with the grace of the visual imagery set up before the harsh fluorescent lights steal it away.
Want more from the Adelaide Fringe Festival? Explore all the shows on offer this year here.
