Arts

The Midsummer Carnival is in town, and the big top has set up shop at Brisbane Powerhouse. A troupe of pixies and players invite audiences to wander through their carnival, filled with sideshow games, fortune tellers, and death defying stunts. But hidden amongst the crowd are four young lovers, and as the mischievous Puck sets…

Pipe organs are interesting, yet largely under-utilised beasts. Built into the grand expanse of the building, the organ at Sydney Town Hall is not an instrument in itself but rather turns the entire building into one. Ireland-based Australian composer and artist Robert Curgenven utilised this to its full extent in his immersive production: Bronze Lands (Tailte…

Magic is so often about secrets, smoke and mirrors, but James Galea also adds a dash of silliness to the mix. The hip youngster projects a cool and calm exterior that is so charming. He also has an irreverent sense of humour; his tongue is placed firmly in cheek. In Poof! Secrets of a Magician…

An all-star collaboration of sorts, Anthem sees acclaimed writers Christos Tsolkas, Patricia Corneleus, Andrew Bovell and Melissa Reeves reunite with composer Irene Vela following their 90s-era play Who’s Afraid of the Working Class? A series of stories interweave through the backdrop of Melbourne’s train network, with a range of characters thrust together on public transport…

Performance artist Bryony Kimmings is known for work centering on the personal, with prior shows exploring her partner’s depression, a show devised with her tween-aged niece and another sleuthing the source of an STD. In I’m a Phoenix, Bitch, however, things get far more raw. If one uses life experience as a platform for their…

Based on the 1982 novel of the same name by Michael Morpurgo, War Horse returns to Melbourne to dazzle audiences at the newly refurbished Regent Theatre. The play exhibits a deeply moving and emotional story about the bond between a boy and his horse during the outbreak of WWI accompanied by stellar puppetry, captivating lighting…

The wedding comedy is common shorthand through which to explore culture. Those from different traditions are forced to navigate a new frontier, negotiate new sets of terms and decide what parts are most important. Black Ties sees this culture clash cleverly told between an Indigenous and Maori family, highlighting both the similarities and stark differences…

The White Album may have been a seminal record by The Beatles but it’s also a book of essays by Joan Didion. Published in 1979, it is an evocative text where the author made some piercing observations about her world during the late sixties in America. Sydney Festival played host to a clever adaptation of…

Food, glorious food can mean so much. It is nourishing and keeps us alive. It’s something we share with loved ones. It can also be a window to certain cultures- you can be an active participant in a small and perhaps unknown community. This is the scene that Double Delicious operates in: it’s a heart-warming…

Four large-scale artworks are setting off the 2020 arts program at Sydney’s iconic Carriageworks. Presented free to the public, they will remain in the venue for quite some time, highlighting new works by leading Australia artists. These four, described below, all make use of light as a medium by which to explore our basic interconnectivity…

This week, Australians will be able to get their hands on what was originally an exclusive Japan release all the way back in 2002. Perhaps better known for its 2013 reissue, the Nike Dunk Low Pro B Viotech silhouette will be making its triumphant return. The vibrant tonal variation and rich materials used in this…

They might not be bringing the wild landscapes and unparalleled whiskies (although there will be some of that) with them, but the great country of Scotland will be sending some of their best musicians and creatives over to Australia for “The Year of Scotland”. Charmingly abbreviated to (#)YOSA2020, the year-long 2020 program will build a…

While the fanfare over Tim Minchin’s work on Matilda felt deafening, it may surprise some to learn that he’s not the only Aussie who’s setting Broadway alight with his lyrics and music. Enter another composer-actor-comedian, Melbourne born Eddie Perfect – who you’ll remember from performance in Offspring or from penning and starting in the hilarious…

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is one of the most iconic tragedies of all time. If you’re unfamiliar with this tale of woe – plot spoiler – they die in the end. But Giles Gartrell-Mills, the writer behind Mercutio and The Prince of Cats, isn’t interested in the star-crossed lover’s plight. Instead the play focuses on…

I’ve always loved the theatricality of music; that indescribable feeling it can provided when presented with a bit of bombastic flair. But I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a production bring so much life to its soundtrack, as David Byrne has achieved  with his American Utopia show – which is currently enjoying a 16…

Australia’s premier queer arts experience Midsumma Festival have tonight launched their 2020 program and is set to be bigger than ever, with the festival taking over ninety eight venues across Melbourne’s CBD and outer suburbs.  Running from January 19th to February 9th 2020, the festival will showcase a spectacular array of performances, exhibitions, talks and…

Celebrities and guests walked the red carpet for the Opening Night of Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s School of Rock the musical playing now at the Capital Theatre, Sydney For more information and tickets click HERE

David, an American science fiction author with a serious case of writer’s block, needs to get out of the city. A distant relative, in a quiet Polish town, seems like a good bet. But where David sees an opportunity for isolation, cousin Maria sees a chance to reconnect with a family that rarely calls and…

Running from February 7th to March 1st, more than 250 events will take over the WA capital for next year’s Perth Festival, all under the guidance of incoming Artistic Director Iain Grandage. And, in an Aussie arts festival first, the 2020 run will kick off with an opening week dedicated to First Nations artists and…

Northern Territory singer-songwriter Stevie Jean is back with her guitar and a new EP! Blame Game drops this weekend, and we’re super excited to be bringing you a sneak peek of single “December Song” ahead of the big day! Stevie spent the last year making her name for herself on the Aussie hip-hop scene, collaborating…

New York City’s iconic 1,454 foot Empire State Building has undergone an enormous change, revealing the second phase of its completely reimagined “Observatory Experience”, which now includes the city’s only museum open seven days a week from 8am to 2am. A 10,000 square foot series of galleries now occupies the second floor of the mammoth…

Last night, comedian Eric Andre hit the stage at the Meridian Hall in Toronto as one of the headliners of the annual Just For Laughs comedy festival. Part of his Legalize Everything Tour, the hilarious hour and a half show was something of a tamer affair than what you might have seen on his popular…

Shout hallelujah c’mon get happy because Renee Zellweger is coming to Australia! Universal Pictures has announced that the Academy Award winning actress will visit Melbourne and Sydney this October to celebrate the highly anticipated release of Judy, the Judy Garland biopic from Rupert Goold. Zellweger’s portrayal of the legendary star has been widely predicted by…

Recently opening at the Museum of Brisbane, High Rotation celebrates three decades of local music, from Keith Urban to Violent Soho, Sheppard to Powderfinger, and The Veronicas to WAAX. A celebration of Brisbane artists thirty years in the making, visitors will be able to explore a vast catalogue of film clips, photographs, instruments, and ephemera,…

One of the longest-running musicals in history, Chicago returns to our shores again, seemingly only a heartbeat since it’s the last production, which was in fact in 2009. As the show-to-end-all-shows, it seems interesting to have it return, in this mounting of the most recent Broadway production. However in our current era of reality and…

Running from 7th – 9th of November, ideas festival UNTHINKABLE is a joint venture from Sydney’s Carriageworks and The UNSW Centre for Ideas. Featuring speakers from around the world, the three day event will explore the questions we haven’t asked, the futures we can avoid, and the inevitability of unexpected realities. UNTHINKABLE Curator and Director of…

The Beautiful Game is a lesser known award-winning collaboration between the legendary Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton. On premise, it’s difficult to be excited by a musical based on football (soccer) if you have no interest in the sport, but by the end, you’ll discover that that’s not really what the story is about…

Making a podcast should be simple, and it is for the most part. The increasingly popular artform has outstripped many other forms of media thanks to its sturdy platform of self-expression and creativity. It helps that there are some truly creative people out there starting their own podcast series and putting it out to the…

Over the weekend Disney held its sixth D23 Expo, an event where the company gets to showcase all its forthcoming news and announcements to both the media and the general public. In a surprising turn after dropping the official launch announcement less than a week ago for Disney+ the company has come charging out of…

VIP guests walk the red carpet for the opening night of West Side Story. The original Broadway classic is playing now until October 6th at the Joan Sutherland Theatre Sydney Opera House You can find more information and tickets HERE