The Adelaide Cabaret Festival is upon us for another year – from June 8th through until June 23rd, Ali McGregor‘s latest program is set to bring some revered international names together with some of Australia’s brightest musical and theatrical talent for some truly indulgent, entertaining nights out. If you’ve not been exposed to the delights of the…
In the very near future, a virus dubbed NOBI stalks the population. Those infected with it become something more than human, and designate themselves Gloamings. Attractive, powerful, and exciting, these modern day vampires have thousands clamouring to be like them. But a few see them as they really are, bloodthirsty and dangerous, and as Gloaming…
The idea of a modern-day Atlantis, or large coastal cities flooded by rising sea-levels sounds like the stuff of horror or science fiction films. Instead, The Water Will Come is a frightening, non-fiction book written by Rolling Stone contributing editor, Jeff Goodell. Goodell has written about climate change for over 15 years and is able to distill…
It is hard for some of us to even fathom being an airplane crash victim. But for former Sydney Morning Herald journalist, Cynthia Banham it was reality. In A Certain Light Banham pens a family memoir that describes this irrevocable tragedy, and the fateful day that left her a double amputee with burns to over…
At a prestigious Catholic school, two boys fall in love. In their final school year, Peter and Jason test the limits of their secret relationship, as Peter wants to come out to the world, while Jason, wary of losing his family and friends, wants to live the fantasy a little longer. As rehearsals for the…
I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting walking into Hayes Theatre to see Gypsy, a musical based on the memoirs of famous burlesque star Gypsy Rose Lee. All I know is this wasn’t it. The performance focuses heavily on the early life of Gypsy Rose Lee, growing up in the shadow of her sister…
The Briefs boys are back in Brisbane, returning from a distant glamourous future to spread a message of hope, love, and fabulous good times. Led by their drag queen mistress Shivannah (Fez Fa’anana), the stage is set for a night of stunning aerial acrobatics, powerful lip syncs, and raucous good fun. This is cabaret at…
Peter Carey, Michelle De Kretser, and Kim Scott head up an eleven strong list of contenders for the prestigious Miles Franklin Literary Award. The past winners are up against eight other established authors, contending for a $60,000 prize. One of Australia’s most important literary awards, the Miles Franklin was established with funds from the estate…
In their largest program yet, Melbourne is once again hosting their annual Open House Weekend this coming July, inviting the public to tour and explore various buildings in and around Melbourne City. A total of 224 buildings will open their doors to the public on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 of July, allowing the public…
I read a quote by Nicholas Sparks the other day that went something along the lines of, “The thing that people want most is to be happy. Most young people seem to think that those things lay somewhere in the future, while most older people believe they lay in the past.” As I sat in…
France, 1562. The Languedoc region is on the cusp of religious war. Threatened by the spread of Protestantism, the Catholic powers are pushing back against edicts ordering tolerance, by stock piling weapons and torturing suspected Huguenots. Old friends become bitter enemies, secrets are bought and sold, and the region moves ever closer to bloody conflict….
Beloved Australian author, Zoë Foster Blake has become an authority on dating and relationships. The former Cosmopolitan columnist wrote Textbook Romance with Hamish Blake, the man who would one day become her husband. Now she delivers us Break-up Boss, a rather joyous but realistic pocket guide to break-ups and its companion piece, an eponymous app….
Despite being penned by arguably the world’s greatest playwright, the convoluted storyline of Troilus & Cressida can prove a significant challenge for even the best theatre practitioners. Secret House have tackled this problem play with their usual gusto, gaining many ticks from this reviewer, but unfortunately the source material proves a difficult sell and, as…
Narelle (Sheridan Harbridge) skirts across a converted factory floor, all brushed concrete and industrial chic, flanked by an eager estate agent (Nikki Shiels). It’s an all too common scene as Sydney’s working class havens make way for heritage apartment conversions, hip cafes and pet-owning professionals. Narelle however stalks the space with a touch of melancholy,…
Oz Comic-Con is back in Melbourne June 9-10, at the Convention & Exhibition Centre, providing one of Victoria’s yearly celebrations of pop-culture. Oz Comic-Con Melbourne is a culmination of multi-genre content, from across the spectrum, with a lot of everything, for everyone – appearances by film and television stars, comic book artists and voice actors;…
It’s been over a decade since Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert made its theatrical debut. And the film itself doesn’t look a day over 24. This feel-good story about three drag queens leaving Sydney’s big smoke to go west to Alice Springs is still one fun, glittery and rollicking bus ride. The latest production brings…
Beyoncé may have sung about girls running the world but Jennifer Palmieri considered this a certainty until it was wrenched away in 2016. Palmieri was the communications director and advisor to Hillary Rodham Clinton in the presidential campaign that saw the advent of President Trump. Dear Madam President is a short book that chronicles this…
The quiet suffering of grief can be as soft as gravel crunching underfoot to some and as loud as a car crash to others. No matter how it feels it is always heard. Perhaps that is the intended message of Lot Vekeman’s Poison? Catarina Hebbard, the director of this production, interestingly enough compares the characters…
George Harrison always knew there was something special about muse, fashion model and photographer, Pattie Boyd. She was married to the Quiet Beatle from 1966-77 and then to his best mate and guitar God, Eric Clapton from 1979-89. She was the inspiration for many great love songs, including Harrison’s “Something” and Clapton’s “Layla” and “Wonderful…
Inspired by Lea’s experiences with endometriosis, Red is an elusive and fabulous interdisciplinary performance featuring dance, film, spoken word and song. Lea was the recipient of the 2017 ACT Artist of the Year Award and a 2017 Australian Dance Award. Red is presented by FORM Dance Projects and will take place at Riverside Theatres in…
Queer arts festival MELT returns to the Brisbane Powerhouse this year, extending an open invitation to one and all to come and celebrate works inspired and created by Brisbane’s vibrant LGBTI+ community. The festival runs from the 17th to the 27th of May, and is jam packed with theatre, dance, improv, and art. To get you…
1906, Saratoga Springs. A man named James Blake enters The Retreat hotel and asks to see Varina Davis. In his hands he holds a blue book, a book that offers a glimpse into his past. He barely remembers Mrs Davis – V – but he wonders if she remembers him, a small black boy rescued…
Celebrating the authors, editors, publishers, and retailers that bring readers and books together, the ABIA Awards are now in their eighteenth year. It was another huge night for Jessica Townsend’s Nevermoor, as the children’s book snatched up three awards, including the night’s major prize, the Gold ABIA. Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow also took…
A comedian, robobiologist, YouTube celebrity and Anglican priest walk into a convention centre… Okay, it’s not the best opening line for a joke but it is a great start to the line-up for this year’s TEDxSydney, hitting the ICC Sydney stage on Friday 15th June. The theme for this year’s event is HumanKind, which according…
Vivid Sydney is coming to town and this means our city will be adorned with colourful light displays. This festival also comes with a host of wonderful shows, especially those talks and events that fall under the Vivid Ideas banner. The AU Review have put together our top 5 must see Vivid Ideas events. 1….
Having just wrapped up its four city Australian tour, Planet Earth II: Live in Concert brought together Symphony Orchestras from around the country to present, live, the music from the acclaimed nature series of the same name. Accompanied by images from the series, and live narration from Australian actor Eric Bana, the night sounds like…
Anywhere Festival returns to Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast for a jam-packed seventh year, boldly breaking shows out of the confines of the theatre and putting them on just about anywhere. From local shops and bars to train stations and burnt out skate arenas, no location is off limits for Anywhere’s collection of emerging artists…
Padraic’s long been away from his home of Inishmore, fighting with the Irish National Liberation Army. Too mad even for the IRA, he’s built an epic thirst for murder and torture, picking small-time pot dealers and bombing chip shops in his spare time. His father Donny calls to inform him his beloved cat is ill,…
Eager Australian lawyer Kerry Maxwell arrives in South Africa, ready and raring to help veterinarian Graham Baird in his fight against poachers in the country’s national parks. But Baird is not what she expects – he’s drunk, jaded, and, worst of all, he’s behind bars in Mozambique. Baird is responsible for the death of the brother…
After his novel Black Rock, White City won the 2016 Miles Franklin Literary Award, all eyes were on A.S. Patric. His win was something of a coup for small presses in Australia, and a first Miles Franklin win for publishing house Transit Lounge. Patric had been up against four extremely powerful novels, all written by…
