REVIEWED BY ALEX LAWRY
EDITED BY CHARLOTTE FRASER
Ormond College’s production of Anything Goes took to the Union Theatre from the 20th to the 22nd of August 2026. The 1934 musical comedy created by Cole Porter follows the passengers of an ocean liner as love triangles, public enemies and chaos reign supreme. The powerful vocals of Zoe Cowlishaw as Reno Sweeny, Nick Sharr as Billy Crocker and Amelia Evanglidakis as Hope Harcourt brought the ship to life as we set sail from New York to London.
Directed by Scarlett Bardelli James, Trieste Doumani and Jermaine Ferguson this hilarious production ran for a lengthy (but never dull) 2 hours and 30 minutes, including a brief intermission. As the audience was being seated, we were greeted with Cowlishaw, Lloyd Freckleton and Eloise Escott miming a scene at the ship’s bar, setting the mood for an ensemble of elegant characters. As Reno was turned away from the audience, I was able to appreciate her intricate updohairstyle by Georgia Hildenbrand and Georgia Spring and found it to be indicative of the character’s glamorous nature.
As the show began, the front curtain was drawn, dramatically revealing Hannah Yates’ impressive set which provided a backdrop for the remainder of the performance; a large nautical backdrop with porthole windows and double doors located centrally for actors to easily enter and exit the stage, delivering seamless transitions between scenes. To either side of the stage there were also captions, which were accurate and timely, making the show more inclusive and coherent for the audience, as hysterical one-liners flew rapidly.
Reno and Hope were effectively portrayed as distinctively different in demeanor, with Cowlishaw depicting a confident and fabulous star and Evanglidakis a gentler and romantic lady. This contrast was partly aided by their contrasting costumes designed by Emily Joyce and Lucy Reid, with Cowlishaw in tight fitting reds and Evanglidakis in flowing pastel greens.
Both Freckleton and Hannah Appaneal were playing older characters (Elisha Whitney and Mrs Harcourt, respectively) and were able to portray this maturity convincingly without aging makeup or vocal fry. A large ensemble produced mighty vocals, with a distinct balance of female and male voices in the chorus. Classic numbers such as ‘I Get a Kick Out of You’, ‘You’re The Top’ and ‘Anything Goes’ were delivered to a high caliber. With Sharr delivering some particularly powerful notes during these songs, demonstrating why he was a perfect fit for this role.
Crowd favourites Lachlan Ramsay as Martin Moonface and his sidekick Erma, played by Victoria Clapoudis, stood out whenever they were present. With heavy New York accents, they rocked the boat and its aristocratic passengers. Both had an air of confidence and comfort about them when on stage, leaning into the easygoing nature of a criminal.
Another highlight for me was Oliver Baitch’s performance as Lord Evelyn Oakley. Baitch was fabulously funny with his expressive body movements and tear away pants during ‘The Gypsy In Me’. This was an especially surprising reveal because Evelyn had previously been a polite and proper stereotype of British aristocracy. Humour was frequent and well delivered with standout moments such as Billy dressing up as an old lady and Daniel O’Reagan’s striking cartwheel.
Choreographed by Lily Grace De Zwart and Chilli Rivalland, small group female ensemble dancers performed visually striking ballet and tap style dances during the instrumental sections of several songs. With the addition of an impressive live band, Anything Goes was largely immersive, although I found the band drowned out the actor’s singing at times.
Although the performance was 2 hours and 30 minutes, the finale felt slightly rushed as ‘Finale (It’s De-Lovely)’ was not the grandest and dazzling of the songs. Perhaps the presentation of this number could have incorporated more visual effects as the number leading into intermission did so well.
Overall, Anything Goes was a standout production with spectacular musical numbers and hilarious dialogue; a must see.
Ormond College’s Anything Goes played at the Union Theatre 20 – 22 August, 2026.
ALEX LAWRY is a Bachelor of Arts student based in Naarm/Melbourne. Alex has a passion for anything creative, especially visual media.
CHARLOTTE FRASER (she/her) is a writer, performer and editor based in Melbourne. She holds a BA in English and Theatre Studies and is currently completing her Masters degree at the University of Melbourne. Charlotte is also the 2026 Dialog Editor.
The Dialog is supported by Union House Theatre
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