Fringe show The Cloak and Dagger has had to quickly make some changes after one of their leading performers had to bow out of the production due to injury.

The two part show starts off with ‘Dagger’  a world-premiere cabaret celebrating the 80s. Then a second short show takes audiences on a journey into the seedy underbelly of Puccini’s The Cloak. 

Tenor Tom Buckmaster was playing the demanding role of Louis, but when an old back injury flared up he had to bow out of the production at the last minute. The creative solution was to mix things up and recast the role as a woman, Louis is now Louise.

Performer Jessica Taylor (pictured), who plays the character of Georgette in the mini-opera, said after weighing up their options the team decided to cast soprano Chelsea Burns in the part. Speaking to The West Australian Taylor explained how they came up with the innovative solution.

“After speaking to the other tenors in WA capable of taking on this hefty Puccini role, we’ve decided to totally flip the concept, and now the role of Louis is being changed to Louise, and will be quickly learnt by soprano Chelsea Burns,” Taylor said.

Burns, who is engaged to Lachlann Lawton another member of the cast, was available and able to quickly learn the part.

For Taylor, who is a queer, she was thrilled to suddenly find herself in a version of the much loved work that unexpectedly had a different dynamic. Rather than playing a woman in the middle of a love triangle between her husband and her male lover, she now has a female lover.

“Being queer myself, I’m very excited to play out this modernised, more diverse love story with another woman.” Taylor told The West Australian. 

The production returned to the stage on Wednesday night and runs through to Sunday.

Tickets to the show can be obtained from Fringe World. 

OIP Staff

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