In the Green Room: Love is a Game: An Adele Song Cycle
Selling out its inaugural run at the Fringe last year, the Adele-themed musical theatre show Love Is A Game returns. Producer Oliver John chats all things Adele and what to expect.
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Congratulations on your second season of Love is a Game at the Adelaide Fringe. After an award-winning, sold-out debut in 2025, how are you feeling about bringing it back?
We are absolutely stoked to be bringing Love is a Game: An Adele Song Cycle back to the Fringe! We were blown away by the audience and critical reception to our debut season, and it was that reaction that has given us the courage to run a 12-show season this time around. My co-director Sienna Bertram and I have had a blast developing the show to be bigger and better than ever, whilst maintaining the beating heart at the core of the work that audiences fell in love with last season.
The show shares the stories of three characters and their plights of love in its many forms. How did this concept come to life?
The concept for Love is a Game came about in 2022, when I was singing backing vocals in an Adele tribute show. I had also just started my Bachelor of Music Theatre at the Elder Conservatorium, and the third year at the time were performing a music theatre song cycle called In Pieces. It was watching this show that made me think about how the storytelling in Adele's lyrics could really lend itself to the artistic medium of a song cycle. And thus, Love is a Game was born!
In the show initially, the stories depicted in each song were all completely separate - vignettes into the lives of a different world of characters in each piece. This year, we have connected those short stories into the three intertwined love stories of our three leading players, making for quite the step up dramaturgically. The result is an epic performance with the drama of a play, the scale of a musical, the visceral thrill of a concert, and the superfan satisfaction of a tribute show.
What made Adele the perfect soundtrack to craft this show to?
I have loved Adele since I was ten years old, with her album 21 playing on repeat in the family computer room. The way she blends her vocal artistry with such beautiful, poignant lyricism provides a musical storytelling experience to the listener that is unique and special. There are other artists with excellent storytelling in their music, but Adele manages to blend poetic lines with a sense of realism and conversation that lends itself to staged storytelling. It was the song ‘When We Were Young’ that I saw a fully realised staging of in my mind that made me think “there's something in this...”. I went home and pressed play on Adele's entire discography, and the rest happened very easily.
The show isn’t just a three-piece performance. You have a cast of eight and a band accompanying the three pivotal characters. How do the ensemble and live band add to the experience?
I knew from the beginning that the show would need an ensemble. Coming from a music theatre background, I have always loved the sound of an ensemble singing in harmony; there is something about the sound that evokes emotion in a way that nothing else can. I am blessed to be friends with a lot of brilliantly talented performers and musicians, so curating the cast and band was a fairly easy feat. Each of our vocalists hails from different backgrounds; pop, musical theatre, jazz, rock, soul, folk and more - creating a truly epic sound that encapsulates the broad stylings of Adele. This is showcased beautifully within the show in an acapella arrangement of a lesser-known Adele song called ‘Sweetest Devotion’. It is such a stunning vocal moment in the show, and arranging harmonies for this set of voices has been an honour.
The band supports the cast brilliantly, and differentiates the performance from something you could watch on TV at home. Not only is the sound of a live band unmatched, but as they are supporting vocalists who are within a dramatic story as they perform, the band must follow along in real time, ready for any musical changes that the drama of the scene could create.
What is your favourite track that features in this performance and why?
We have added two new songs to the show since last year, one being an unreleased Adele song called ‘Why Do You Love Me’. It is upbeat and full of joy, which anyone would know is quite different for Adele! It is an absolutely gorgeous moment in the show and has made for the perfect addition. Otherwise, the scenes we pair with the song ‘One And Only’ remain Sienna and my greatest dramatic feat - the song depicts two rom-com style scenes happening side-by-side on a split stage, each with grand emotional arcs that make for an epic moment of live theatre (if I say so myself!).
What creatives are performing in this season of Love is a Game?
Our creative team has remained the same from the conception of the show, with myself as co-director, music director and producer, my creative confidant Sienna Bertram as co-director, Jay Scott as choreographer, Sammi Bew as lighting designer, and Josh Brazier as sound designer. Returning to the cast from last year are myself, Mackenzie Garcia, Sammi Keough, Madeleine Nunn, Leticia Lee, Issy Coomber, and Matt Hawke. We also have some brand-new members to the team in Kurt Benton and Amelia Beveridge joining the cast, and Raff Raschella and Ben Waller joining the band. All together, these names also represent some of the brilliant emerging musical talent coming out of South Australia. It is an honour to showcase this talent in a work of my creation, and I hope that this season helps share this talent further.
This season sees the show move to The Studio at Holden Street Theatres. What does this new atmosphere bring to the show?
Being in a theatrical space has opened up many opportunities for the show, particularly in a technical aspect. The evolution of the lighting and sound in our new space has helped elevate the way in which we are able to tell these stories to our audiences. While the technical advancements have helped to enhance the production, the show is still very grounded and real. Set pieces and props used throughout the show remain on the sides of the wingless stage, on show throughout the performance and through transitions. Audiences are pulled into the world of the show and welcomed to watch as that world is built before them. It truly makes for an awe-inspiring, sensational experience for the eyes, ears and soul.
If you could describe Love is a Game in 3 words, what would they be?
Heartfelt, captivating, and real.
Why should audiences decide to grab a ticket to this show?
Audiences should grab a ticket to see ten of South Australia's premier emerging artists doing what they do best. If you love live music, captivating, relatable storytelling, exceptional ensemble vocals, or new artistic experiences - Love is a Game: An Adele Song Cycle is for you.
Catch Love Is A Game: An Adele Song Cycle at Holden Street Theatres at the Adelaide Fringe. The season runs from Feb 19 to Mar 8. Tickets on sale at adelaidefringe.com.au.
