Once upon a time, Adelaide had the reputation of shutting shop for the winter. However, for the last five years, Illuminate Adelaide has been drawing people out into Adelaide’s chilly mid-winter streets. With a combination of lights, lasers, fires, interactive displays, music, food and dance, the event (or series of events) is a winner in…
The HerStory Arts Festival (23 – 26 April 2025), presented by Lost Voices Australia Inc. aims to celebrate and amplify women’s stories, especially those that have been lost to HIStory. The three-day event, which includes plays, readings of poetry, memoirs, essays, along with musical performances and art displays, is designed to foster creativity and ignite…
Anisa Nandaula is in the midst of her first Australian comedy tour entitled You Can’t Say That. She reflects on her journey from Uganda to Rockhampton, where she expected a multicultural paradise, but instead found cows and cultural confusion. We had an opportunity to chat with her and discuss her comedy experience. Hi Anisa. How…
The comedy festival circuit in Australia is like a right of passage for up and coming and established comedians alike. The circuit takes in all states and each year it’s a chance to check out the latest and greatest in funny acts from around the country and the world. The Brisbane Comedy Festival is fast…
This 65-minute mini musical, playing at the Sydney Opera House, is based on four books in the Dog Man comic book series, including Dog Man (2016), Dog Man Unleashed (2016), Dog Man A Tale of Two Kitties (2017), and Dog Man Lord of the Fleas (2018) by Dav Pilkey. Geared towards readers and fans 8…
Pro Wrestling Australia (PWA) is bringing its most personal and high stakes battle yet to The Factory Theatre with CHEVS VS TROY. This highly anticipated main event will see PWA Heavyweight Champion Jessica Troy defend her title against her former best friend turned bitter rival, Charli Evans, in a Last Wrestler Standing match on Friday,…
Brisbane’s home of the heavy is set to become the home of the heavy hitters, with Crowbar playing host to Red Castle Entertainment‘s Viva BrisVegas next weekend. Viva BrisVegas is the latest show from the Brisbane wrestling promotion, following on from their collaboration with New Japan Pro Wrestling‘s Oceania branch, Tamashii, back in February. This…
Hailing from its original run at Melbourne Theatre Company in 2023, Sydney has been blessed to have a season of Bloom, a new Australian musical, playing at the Sydney Theatre Company. Writer, Tom Gleisner, is hesitant on referring to this production as such, suggesting it, “would be enough to frighten most people off, let alone…
We’ve just had a quick peek at this year’s Dark Mofo offerings, and they’ve managed to jam in as much if not more as past festivals. The program includes free and ticketed events, including the ever popular Winter Feast as well as the Nude Solstice Swim at dawn on June 21st. Other free events include…
Based on the iconic 1992 movie starring Whoopi Goldberg, Sister Act, The Musical launched in Adelaide to an enthusiastic reception. Everything about this production is big, bold, brash and beautiful. The story is as fresh as when the movie was released. Casey Donovan stars as Deloris Van Cartier, a singer in a club managed by…
“Baddest. Cowboy. Texas.” These are a few words that describe the baddest cowboy in Texas. With the help of director Cecily Nash, Minnesota clown Lil Wenker has created a laugh a minute comedy journey, in which a Cowboy meets his Nemesis. Bangtail is basically an unbridled hour of controlled clown chaos. Performed in the intimate Gallery…
Have you ever wanted to rock out with Jesus, Judas and the gang? Join 50 years of raving audiences and bear witness this to reinvention… this revival… this ‘resurrection’ of Jesus Christ Superstar. Guided by the lyrics and music of EGOT winners Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, this mesmerising new production has hit Australian…
Charlie Chaplin has long been recognised as a worldwide silent movie icon and is considered one of the film industry’s most important figures. In the theatre comedy show “Smile”, talented artist Marcel Cole brings to life the story of the Little Tramp and the man who created him. The Courtyard of Curiosities is a small…
To sum up Spyhard, suave English agent Antonio Tranderas (Anthony Tran) and the captivating Russian operative Faytasha Romanov (Fay MacFarlane) are caught up in a world of acrobatics and high-flying stunts. As a tribute to the action spy movies from the 80s and 90s, Spyhard ticks all the boxes. The duo, known as Circus Sorbet,…
There aren’t many culture writers in Australia who are discovering the Adelaide Fringe for the first time. So with 17 years of career under my belt, I’m windswept with a bit of self-shaming as I stroll down Rundle Street. I haven’t seen streets this alive since I was walking around Lower Manhattan last summer. The…
The Australian Platypus is an unusual animal, seemingly made from disjointed parts that somehow come together to make a creature that is both unique and adorable. The Platypus is a play that uses that creature as its motif and is also an unusual creature that is loveable. Playwright and director Francis Greenslade has compiled a witty…
Sixteen years after her passing, Pina Bausch remains the most famous contemporary choreographer in the world, and the fate of the company she founded is still inextricably tied to her. For Tanztheater Wuppertal, this is a double-edged sword. It grants a level of publicity that few other dance troupes could dream of, especially those based…
The Bearded Lady – Beardo to her friends – is a West End institution. It’s cozy 120 capacity space has played host to acts from across Australia and beyond, from live music to poetry slams, and life drawing classes to burlesque. But, like so many other small venues across the country, The Bearded Lady is…
A few days before International Women’s Day I found myself having dinner with a male friend. Seemingly out of nowhere he mentions that ‘Women’s Day’ is coming up and because the bar is in hell when it comes to my expectations of men, I was surprised and impressed that he actually knew the date. He…
It was revealed today at SXSW that the creators of some of the world’s best immersive art experiences, Meow Wolf, are readying their seventh permanent location in the USA – New York City. The news comes less than a year after they revealed that a Los Angeles location would open in a movie theatre in…
Arthur Art Bar is a gritty Fringe venue in the west end of Adelaide that has evolved over the last few years. Formerly a furniture store, it is known for its presentation of alternative and queer performances. This year for the Fringe, the upstairs rooms, each barely larger than a bedroom have been converted for…
South by Southwest Sydney (SXSW Sydney) began in 2023, as an extension of the well known SXSW that originated in Austin Texas in 1987. The desire of bringing the annual program to Sydney was to reach creatives in the Asia-Pacific region, and to provide creatives with avenues to help reach their aspirations. Whether that be…
As the audience files into The Flamingo Tent at Gluttony, a Deadpool like voice is making wisecracking commentary. We soon discover that there is indeed a Deadpool character seated amongst the unwitting patrons, and he is just as irreverent as the Marvel movie character. What ensues is essentially Deadpool reading us a naughty bedtime story,…
A voice cries out in the darkness. “You do a lot of crazy things when you’re eighteen. I killed Sharon Tate.” The spotlight shines on the grinning face of Susan Atkins (Helen O’Connor), one of the central protagonists in the infamous Manson murders. “How did we get here?”, she muses and launches immediately into a…
Tom Weil is a magician and mind reader with 20 years of experience. This makes for a satisfying series of gasps and applause from the Adelaide Fringe audience packed into the Kingfisher tent in Gluttony. His particular speciality of mentalism leaves many wondering if, indeed, he can read minds. How did he predict where people…
Strut and Fret company have two shows in the Spiegeltent in Garden of Unearthly Delights this year, Limbo the Return and La Ronde. Both are extravagant ventures into circus, trapeze and aerial performances. Under director Scott Maidment’s keen eye for detail, La Ronde is a spectacular and captivating performance that keeps the energy levels high…
This is the third year for the successful MAHO Magic Bar in the Garden of Unearthly Delights. The room is set up like the magic bars in alleyways in Tokyo. Many of the show’s performers work or even own one of these magic bars, which is what makes the experience so authentic. While waiting for…
Adelaide Fringe has kicked off with its typical swagger, taking over the psyche of this historic small city and filling Adelaide’s streets, venues and gardens with just under a month of fun, experimentation and exceptional food. Festival veteran Alexis Buxton-Collins lets you know how to make the most of your time at Adelaide Fringe, whether…
“Ten little soldier boys went out to dine; one choked on his little self, and then there were nine.” Guided by the words of a grim and ominous poem, And Then There Were None is yet another genre-defining murder mystery from the mind of Agatha Christie. Aussie icon Robyn Nevin, fresh off her direction of…
In just a few short weeks, Brisbane’s La Boite Theatre will bring an exciting reimagining of Shakespeare‘s Macbeth to life, putting the three Witches at the centre of it all. Co-directed by La Boite Theatre’s Artistic Director Courtney Stewart and Lisa Fa’alafi (Co-Artistic Director Polytoxic, Hot Brown Honey), with Sue Rider (former Artistic Director of La Boite) as dramaturg, this…
