Arts

There has never been a better time for a show like RIOT!. With politics trending towards the bizarre, North Korea constantly making headlines, and  the #Metoo movement exposing years of endemic abuse,  It seems as if  the world could do with a bit of unadulterated joy. RIOT! does just that, acting as a celebration of…

The prestigious China National Opera and Dance Drama Theatre make their Australian return with Treasures of a Nation visiting Auckland, Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane and Melbourne from Tuesday 27 February to Wednesday 7 March to celebrate the Chinese New Year 2018. Treasures of a Nation merges traditional Chinese music with contemporary classical tunes, taking audiences on…

In what is another standout dramatic piece of writing from playwright Tommy Murphy, Strangers in Between is a heartwarming tale of friendship and self-discovery. As part of this year’s Midsumma Festival theatregoers were treated to an extraordinary piece of work led by three of Australia’s greatest male actors; Simon Burke, Guy Simon and Wil King. Directed by Daniel Lammin, is…

The Sydney Theatre Company is kicking off their 2018 season with the Caryl Churchill classic Top Girls, and will be hitting the stage from 12 February to 24 March. The production is directed by STC Resident Director Imara Savage with an extraordinary all-female ensemble including Helen Thomson, Kate Box, Michelle Lim Davidson, Paula Arundell and…

The Other Art Fair is returning to Sydney during Art Month, and will showcase over one hundred emerging Australian and international artists at the Australian Technology park from 22 – 25 March. Saatchi Art, the world’s leading online art gallery will be presenting the fourth Sydney edition of The Other Art Fair (TOAF), promising an…

Ever wondered what it would be like to gallivant around the Melbourne Museum at night? To frolic among the bones of dinosaurs, dance alongside ancient artefacts and learn about organisms while sipping on a nice glass of wine? Well, you can now make this day dream a reality. The Melbourne Museum is opening its doors…

Kate Brennan is no stranger to the stage. The acclaimed Irish actress has performed in everything from a production of The White Devil at Shakespeare’s Globe, to appearing on the small screen on HBO’s The Tudors. Now, she is performing alongside a stellar ensemble of Irish performers in a one-of-a-kind show, RIOT! This celebration of…

Omg its February already, HOW DID THIS HAPPEN! Never fear, the new year may be well and truly under way, but this month theres a treasure trove of events happening across the country to soothe your anxiety levels. From the Adelaide Fringe Festival, to award winning musaicals like MAMMA MIA! and even an opera filled…

Wild Bore is everything that’s wrong with the business of theatre. Or, to be less ambiguous, it is a piece of theatre about everything that is wrong with the business of theatre, wrapped up creatively into an hour of bodily humour. It’s timely, pointed and it’s a lot of fun. Part of the 2018 Sydney…

Celebrate Lunar New Year 2018 with a stunning gala concert combining classical and contemporary songs from east and west when superb Chinese and Australian singers perform together with talented musicians from the China National Opera & Dance Drama Theatre and Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on Thursday 15 February 2018….

If anyone knows the definition of the word “tough” then it’s Warren Mundine. This businessman and advisor to five Australian Prime Minsters grew up in poverty in Grafton. He faced racism and discrimination but he was also buoyed by the success of boxer, Lionel Rose. Mundine managed to rise above all of this and become…

The Miniaturist became a worldwide bestseller upon its release in 2014. It tells the story of 18 year old Nella Oortman, who comes to Amsterdam as the wife of Johannes Brandt, a wealthy merchant in the employ of the Dutch East India Company. But as Johannes seems increasingly disinterested in being a husband, and his…

From 15th to 17th February, FORM Dance Projects and Riverside Theatres will present two exciting works, Wildebeest and Valley, by Israeli choreographer Omer Backley Astrachan. A world premiere, Wildebeest examines the artifice of social and gender behaviour through a distillation of human interactions. The piece has been choreographed to an original score by sound composer…

From the very first riff at the beginning of the title track, American Idiot sounded different. Even in 2004 – when baggy jeans were still cool and I was still using a CD Walkman (because iPods were too expensive) – I knew this was going to be huge. Not being old enough to have experienced…

Always offering up the best devilish treats, MONA has once again made us want to flock to Tasmania ASAP, adding an extra flare to its already flourishing summer festival MOFO by announcing a sweeeet line up for it’s official after party- Faux Mo. Occupying MAC2 on Hobart’s waterfront, Faux Mo is the place to be once the…

Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki, or Dr. Karl as we all know him, really needs no introduction. He is an Australian institution. Karl, The Universe and Everything is his 43rd book! That is a lot of books, and a lot of knowledge, but he is still keen to share his knowledge, and make it fun. There are no boring…

There is something about magic that brings out the inner-child in us all. From a rogue coin behind the ear, to an ace up the sleeve, there is something still so satisfying in witnessing the seemingly impossible. But, you won’t find any rabbits or hats in Lawson Reeves’ hour long magic show, Genuinely Impossible. Reeve’s…

Edith Piaf remains one of the world’s best known performers, bringing French music further into the contemporary music world, while Piaf herself has become a icon portrayed on film, on stage and in studio thanks to countless tributes. At the Adelaide French Festival coming up this month, Piaf’s music comes to life with Exposing Edith, the brainchild of two…

Strut & Fret have reimagined the wickedly entertaining Limbo production Sydneysiders have come to know and love into Limbo Unhinged, a new show that has toured the country to critical acclaim and constant sell-outs before landing at the Sydney Opera House, where it will sit for the next three months. It is vastly different to…

Drawing on lectures delivered in 2014 and 2017, Women & Power: A Manifesto is a small, yet powerful exploration of the historical silencing of women in the public sphere. The Ancient Roman and Greek cultures we so often hold up as the basis for our democracies today were never particularly kind to the loud woman…

Paul and Michael Buchanan are in hiding. Moving from highland village to highland village, the brothers are trying to avoid the press and police surrounding their home after Michael’s release from prison. Convicted of the murder of a little girl when he was a teenager, Michael relies heavily on Paul to source them food and…

Sarah Knight, anti-guru and author of best sellers The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving A Fuck and Get Your Shit Together, is back with another empowering message for her readers. Only this time they can actually print the book’s full title in The New York Times. Score! Are you difficult or do you just…

The original “Town Hall” debate was no ordinary affair. So it should come as no surprise that the one-act play based on this historic event is no ordinary piece of theatre. The show comes courtesy of New York’s The Wooster Group and rather than a straight, re-telling of an already chaotic feminist discussion, they inject…

Having led one of the country’s most beloved rock bands for over 20 years now, Grinspoon‘s Phil Jamieson is well used to stepping out on to stage with thousands of faces looking back at him. Which is why it might seem like a natural fit for a performer such as he to join the cast of American Idiot,…

We all know the story of when Azaria Chamberlain went missing in 1980. The case was one of the most documented murder trials in our nation’s history. So there is should be no need for me to recap the baying for blood by many that surrounded the coverage. in 2013 critically acclaimed playwright Alana Valentine secured a…

A dance-theatre piece presented using virtual reality technology in which the audience subconsciously chooses their own performance is a fantastic concept, but with Whist the end-result is confusing and even a little disturbing. For those interested in psychology and, in particular, the work of Sigmund Freud, this is an immersive treat. But if you’re looking…

Danish group Between Music’s Aquasonic was one of the more intriguing inclusions in this year’s Sydney Festival program. Billed as the ‘world’s first underwater band’, the group performs with purpose-built instruments while completely submerged. The team apparently developed the show for over a decade, generating optimal conditions for water acoustics and creating the soundscapes. The…

For decades Oliver Sacks was lauded as a gifted scientist and storyteller. He penned several books, the most famous being Awakenings and The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat. Prior to his death from cancer in 2015 Sacks had been busy working on two final books. The first, Gratitude, was published posthumously in late 2015. The latest…

One of the world’s most loved musicals, Grease, will hit the stage at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on the 19th and 20th of January in the largest production ever staged for the iconic musical. With over 500 performers, Grease: The Arena Spectacular is big in every sense of the word with an all-star cast….

Graeme Murphy’s divine production of The Merry Widow finally makes its way to the Sydney Opera House and it’s a cracking way for Opera Australia to kick off 2018. The combination of stunning Art Deco design, a witty new English translation and two extremely charismatic leads make this an extremely accessible introduction to opera for…