DIE SIEBEN TODSÜNDEN/ SEVEN DEADLY SINS

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Die Sieben Todsünden/Seven Deadly Sins 

Brecht/Weill - Anna I and II

Opera Victoria, Orchestra Victoria
Hamer Hall Melbourne, 2015

Director: Cameron Menzies
Conductor: Tahu Matheson
Costume Design: Linda Britten
Lighting Design: Joe Mercurio 

United Ensemble 
Berlin Konzerthaus 2019
Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski 

"Weill and Brecht's eternal parable of the sinning sisters, Anna 1 and Anna 2, was invested with smouldering earnestness by the extraordinary Meow Meow, who sang (in fine, idiomatic German) and danced both roles.” - The Age

“Meow Meow lands all of these emotions and more, singing the German text with breathy wonder. A balletic clown, the petite actress moves from physical comedy to pathos, vulnerability to resilience, sensuality to brawn, sorrow to glee, elegance to ungainly contortion, all in the flick of an eyelash.” - Simon Parris: Man In Chair

“Meow Meow proved an emotive, intensely physical heroine: pain, weariness and resignation in voice and gesture, dishevelled couture by Linda Britten squeezing and objectifying a fallen woman, and a handful of props and set elements — suitcases and piles of shoes — serving as symbols of futile ­drudgery. Joseph Mercurio’s lighting added sinister tones. Angular beams created shadowy pockets and Anna’s family were grotesquely uplit within an upstage frame — an Orwellian sleight of hand by director Cameron Menzies that enabled fascistic scrutiny of Anna’s every move.” – The Australian

“The impact of Meow Meow'sperformance derives from her highly charged personal charisma and her ability to use her body and voice to present a finely honed characterisation. In the dual personalities of singer/dancer Anna 1 and Anna 2 of Die Sieben Todsünden, she could be heard before she could be seen as labored breathing heralded her torturous climb onto the stage from the front of the stalls. A picture of exhausted fragile beauty she nevertheless lugged suitcases up onto the platforms set on either side of the stage and gave a spectacular display of athletic dancing during a couple of the orchestral passages. Sometimes weak and breathy, at other times strong and earthy, Meow Meow’s vocal nuance was as subtle as her body language when even the direction of a gaze spoke volumes. This was such a mesmerising display of inspired theatricality that it was well nigh impossible to focus on much else.” - Classic Melbourne

Photography: Charlie Kinross