With Christmas just around the corner, an evening at the theatre is one of those quintessential traditions that many people venture on in order to elevate their festive spirits. Arguably, one tale in particular that seems reminiscent of the Christmas period is that of Peter Pan. Set in hibernal London during the winter, with messages…
The opening night of Evita was met with praise and applause as Tina Arena took to the stage in her starring role as Eva Perón. Adapting her wonderful pop vocals to such an iconic role would of been a challenge for the most seasoned performer, however Arena carried herself with poise and grace and pulled…
In a thrilling announcement, The Production Company have spilled that they are bringing David Bowie’s Lazarus musical to life on stage in Melbourne, May 2019. Lazarus was David Bowie’s final project, first seen on stage in New York in late 2015 and London in 2016, before his tragic passing. Premiering for the first time in Australia, it will be…
Melbournian actor, Stephen Lopez played Usnavi De La Vega in the debut Australian production of In The Heights in Melbourne in 2015. The show, a quadruple Tony award-winning work, written by Hamilton creator and Moana composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, is a modern summer musical boasting hot, Latino rhythms. A return staging of the show will be hitting the Sydney…
Paul Capsis is one of Australia’s most versatile performers and is equally at home in the world’s of theatre, film & television, and of course cabaret. He’s a gifted interpreter of song, and has sung with a diverse and varied group of musicians and singers, including the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Russell Crowe, the Soweto Gospel…
Most people wouldn’t know how to take a newspaper out on the road. But Clancy Overell and Errol Parker aren’t like most. These two, true blue Aussie blokes are the brainchild behind Australia’s favourite satirical newspaper, The Betoota Advocate. It’s one that shares a few things in common with The Chaser, The Shovel and The…
An interactive exhibition titled, Star Wars Identities has opened at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum. Designed for fans of all ages, the exhibition allows visitors to build their own unique and personal Star Wars character as they move through each interactive station. At the end of the exhibition, visitors will get to meet their unique creation.
When you’re a teenager you often feel like the world is against you. You’re too mature to be a child but not yet independent enough to be an adult. This is often a period associated with angst and growing pains. The Climbing Tree examines these existential problems while framing them around a nation’s past and…
Ten comedians walk into the Opera House. They deliver some cracking jokes. Hilarity ensues. Rinse and repeat. This is how you could sum up the 8th Just for Laughs All-Star Gala. Local and international comics came together to deliver some wonderful observational and improvisational comedy. Our nation’s very own Dave Hughes was MC for the…
It’s remarkable to think that a TV series about improv could last for 30 years. But indeed, Whose Line is it Anyway? (or Whose Line? as it’s often known, and will be referred to as henceforth), has always beaten the odds. Starting as a radio programme on the BBC starting Clive Anderson, Stephen Fry and…
Exhibitionism: The Rolling Stones Exhibit just arrived in Australia at the International Convention Centre (ICC), and earlier this week they threw a bit of a party to celebrate. Nathan Atkins was there to capture the guests as the walked the red carpet. For more details about the exhibition, which runs until 3rd February 2019, head…
The Betoota Advocate are currently touring their roadshow Australia, and Clancy Overell and Errol Parker treat audiences to a no holds barred live show in true Betoota-style, filled with their trademark wit and humour. We caught up with the pair as they approached the end of their national run. Can you please start by introducing yourself?…
It’s been a century since Bertolt Brecht first wrote Baal, but there remains an undeniable timeliness to this tale of artistry, alcohol, and just how much of each excuses the fact that you’re an outrageous asshole. As a character, Baal embodies the romantic, tortured artist, trying vainly to remain frustratingly aloof from the consequences of…
Bill Murray and Jan Vogler walk into an airport. The comedian and cellist bond over music and decide to tour together. The result is New Worlds, where these two men are joined by some other friends. The AU Review’s Natalie Salvo caught up with Vogler to learn more about the show, swimming, West Side Story…
Bill Murray and Jan Vogler could be the odd couple except that that name was already taken. Okay, “odd” is probably too strong a word. An unlikely pairing seems more appropriate because Murray is a Hollywood actor, comedian and occasional bartender, and Vogler a world-renown cellist. New Worlds saw both men making their Sydney Opera…
Three of America’s best improv actors are heading down under for one of the best comedy events of the year and if you’re like me and religiously watch Whose Line Is it Anyway? reruns, you had better get excited. Colin Mochrie, Brad Sherwood and Greg Proops are about to join on stage in Australia for the…
Earlier today, I stood on the steps of the Sydney Opera House with one of the most iconic names in entertainment, Bill Murray, and acclaimed classical cellist Jan Vogler. The pair are performing tonight and tomorrow night with “Friends”, including cellist Mira Wang, and violinist Vanessa Perez. This marks the first time Vogler has made it to…
With summer just down the track, why not prepare yourself for one of the best Arts festivals to hit WA shores. Running from the February 8th to March 3rd, Perth Festival has cultivated the growth and exploration of some of the greatest Australian and International acts and is one of Australia’s premier Arts events. Here…
Established in 2016, the Feminist Writer’s Festival aims to support and promote feminist writers in Australia. For the first time this biennial festival came to Sydney, and over the course of two and a half days this writer attended a total of ten talks. Topics of the talks ranged from Writing and Speaking Indigenous Lives…
When you’re at a cracking live gig it’s not hard to be consumed by the performance of a frontman, and even more so when the frontman – or men, in this instance – are Tom Meighan and Serge Pizzorno of Kasabian. It’s worth taking a moment, however, to focus on the other performers on the…
History is a complex beast and this is certainly apparent in Madiba. This musical weaves together the late Nelson Mandela’s story and the history of South Africa’s apartheid. The show is ambitious and tries to cover a lot in its two-hour runtime. This is a celebration of the long road to freedom for Mandela and…
Summer is closing in, and you know exactly what that means. Australia is home to some of the biggest and brightest selections of entertainment and there is no doubt that coming up there will be something for everybody. From Jazz Festivals to Comedy shows, November is jam-packed with ah-mazing events and we aren’t going to…
The team behind Mona Foma are celebrating the infamous summer festival’s new home in Launceston by launching an airline, Air Mofo, to fly mainlanders to the event for free. Festival curator and Violent Femmes rocker Brian Ritchie is giving away airline seats in rows of six via a competition that’s now live and will also…
Every January, Sydney Festival helps kick off the new year with a massive cultural celebration, and 2019 is looking to be no different. The 2019 instalment of the festival includes eighteen world premieres, five Australian premieres, and eight Australian exclusives, and features a programme which runs the gamut of cutting edge contemporary theatre, visual arts and…
In the world of art, sculptures are fascinating works that can be viewed and placed as wonderful masterpieces. This year, that was proved by Victorian artist James Parrett, who was the recipient of the $70,000 Aqualand Sculpture Land award or M-fortysix at the 22nd annual Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi. This is a series of exhibitions…
In the Mood is a revue show celebrating the music, fashion and dance from the 1940s. Younger audiences may be unfamiliar with the big band tunes and jazz era songs. But for the older crowd, this music is a part of the fabric of their childhoods and the stuff their parents used to listen to….
Her very first performance brought the house down and now Melanie Mununggurr-Williams has been crowned Australian Poetry Slam Champion. Dropping an absolutely stunning slam about aboriginal identity, Melanie won crowds over with her complex piece about breaking free of inner demons, and “being caught between a western white mans world, and ancient aboriginal antiquity”. Her…
I have a single word for you. Wow! Walking into Malthouse Theatre, I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. The audience was split in two, both facing each other on opposite sides of the black lacquered stage, which is set up minimally with Eastern Asian instruments. We are told to mirror the women who sit…
A legend across contemporary classical, electronica and experimental music, Ryuichi Sakamoto has had a long an illustrious career. Spanning a number of collaborations, it’s his sixteen year partnership with German composer Alva Noto that has stuck, garnering five albums, along with the soundtrack to the movie The Revenant. A largely improvised affair, the duo meshed sparse…
Australia’s beloved Art Series Hotels have just introduced a slick new concept for hotel guests looking for a little participatory art project for dabble in. From now until December 30th, Melbourne gems The Blackman and The Olsen, and Brisbane’s The Johnson, will offer a “Colour Your Stay” package where guests can grab a spray can,…
