Big-ticket commercial musicals dominate Melbourne’s East End theatre district. They’re easy to find. For musical theatre connoisseurs, however, there are often hidden gems on the indie scene and Elegies: A Song Cycle is one. The debut from new company Clovelly Fox, formed by artistic director Tyran Parke, offers a moving and memorable production of a song cycle written by William Finn, the Broadway composer behind Falsettos and The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee… Elegant set design, uplifting choric interludes, restrained movement that never resorts to stage business, the seamless way each performer shares the role of narrator/composer – everything seems to click under Parke’s direction. It’s easy to imagine Elegies performed concert-style for the songs or being reduced to sentimentality in an undisciplined production. This new company delivers a fully realised theatrical experience that should gladden the hearts of more discerning musical theatre fans. The Age four stars

Director Tyran Parke deftly balances joy and grief, maintaining a buoyant tone that avoids a descent into melodrama… his direction is considered and ever-moving, guiding the performers through sadness, enthusiasm and even anger throughout the span of the musical… Director Tyran Parke clearly understands the source material and honours it with intention and passion. Limelight

Director Tyran Parke handles Finn’s song cycle with humour and impressive skill. On the tin, Elegies appears to be a large number of songs that flow into one another with no dialogue between characters or to the audience. The cycle could easily be performed like a classical music recital, performers behind music stands stock still for 90 minutes…

Parke thankfully doesn’t go down this route. He creates dense worlds with each song, as if they’ve been plucked from a musical with fully formed characters and relationships. The blocking is delightful in the way it allows the cast to interact with one another and the audience. It’s remarkable how Parke finds new ways to utilise the set, lighting and projections through 20 different songs, bolstering the energy on stage and adding layer upon layer of visual intrigue.

With Elegies: A Song Cycle, Clovelly Fox Productions positions itself as a company that provides polished and unique work to Australian audiences. And in this case, a space to process loss through theatre. Arts Hub Four Stars

It’s a stellar debut production for Clovelly Fox productions and Director, Tyran Parke, beloved veteran of the musical stage. His reverence and insight for the form has generated an absolutely stunning testament to the power of musical storytelling…The bonds of friendship, family community and shared experiences are strong, and Parke and his team ensures that it feels like a genuinely communal experience…Let us hope that under Tyran Parke’s sensitive, skilful eye Clovelly Fox productions will continue to provide local audiences with the kind of stark, characterful musical theatre that we don’t see nearly enough of. Theatre matters Five Stars

Bitingly bittersweet and timelessly tender, Elegies: A Song Cycle enthrals with a top flight cast and lovingly inventive staging…

Heralding the auspicious arrival of brand new company Clovelly Fox Productions, Elegies: A Song Cyclebenefits from the creatively insightful, emotionally intelligent direction of company founder, Tyran Parke… Parke’s direction produces an organic, comfortable vibe, as though the songs are unfolding spontaneously and naturally. The warm support shared by the ensemble cast of five serves to invite the audience to embrace the shared recollections…Boasting luxurious casting and affecting performances, Elegies: A Song Cycle is highly recommended for lovers of more serious musical theatre. Simon Parris (Man in Chair)

Elegies: a song cycle is a show for a very specific theatre goer. It is for the ones who don’t need showiness, rather, those who appreciate the simplicity of engrossing vocalisation and lyricism… It takes a confident director to take on such a complex piece of work – moving from a touching song about the loss of his mother Barbara Finn to a hilarious romp about his pet dogs. It’s a fine piece of theatre from celebrated director (as well as award-winning singer, actor, producer and teacher) Tyran Parke’s newly formed Clovelly Fox Productions. Parke has created an intelligent, heartfelt, funny and reflective piece of theatre. It’s a heavy subject matter for theatre but it’s perfectly balanced with humour sprinkled throughout its 18-song soundtrack… put simply, Elegies: a song cycle is a brilliant debut for Clovelly Fox Productions. Tinsel and Tapshoes