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…
Nathan Atkins hit the red carpet at the Sydney Premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Wizard of Oz. On now at the Capitol Theatre until 4th February. [print_gllr id=11132] For tickets and more details head to https://www.wizardofozthemusical.com/ ———- This content has recently been ported from its original home on Arts on the AU and may have…
Jeffrey Eugenides, best known for his novels The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex, has earned a reputation as somewhat of a heavyweight in American literature. His last book was The Marriage Plot, published in 2011, a novel which followed three college students during the year 1982. Many parts of that novel were loosely based on the…
A lot of us have heard of the metaphor involving the carrot and the stick. It describes the idea of reward versus punishment, such that a cart driver can use the former to motivate a reluctant mule or they can hit it with the stick. When we think about self-help books they typically use the…
Get ready to make some noise!! Green Day’s Broadway musical, American Idiot, is coming to Adelaide and the award-winning spectacle promises to be explosive. Following a successful run in Brisbane earlier this year, the Australian production is about to embark on a national tour and will be arriving in Adelaide January 19. Presented by Adelaide…
Seeing is believing. Especially when you are watching a theatre show like, The Unbelievables. This variety show comes from the producers of The Illusionists and Circus 1903 and promises to be the “greatest” one on earth. The finished product is a grand assortment of different treats and tricks, with performers from multiple disciplines and presentations…
When The Four Tops sang about “Standing in the shadows of love” Lily Tuck’s Sisters wasn’t quite what they had in mind. And yet, this novella by a National Book Award recipient feels like it could use that track as an anthem. This story is a tense piece about a second wife who is obsessed…
Each year, Black Inc bring out three volumes which wrap up a selection of the year’s best Australian stories, poems and essays. These collections have been edited by various authors over the years, among them Robert Drewe, Geordie Williamson, Cate Kennedy, Amanda Lohrey, and, most recently, Charlotte Wood. The 2017 collection of short stories was…
Amongst the rubble of the Festival Theatre, buried deep in the Space Theatre, Club Swizzle is a welcome distraction to the outside world. Transformed into a burlesque bar, the atmosphere hits long before the show even begins. Waiters wander and the MC, Reuben Kaye mingles and greets the guests as they take their seats. The…
The Kransky Sisters have set out on a national Christmas tour from their hometown in Esk, Queensland, to share their memories of Christmases past. Before the sisters arrive, the audience is treated to an intriguing slide show of their adventures to date, featuring the big Koala and the big potato amongst other charming places. Eve,…
Carriageworks have revealed a dynamic program for 2018 and its going to be huge with the season spanning contemporary art, dance, performance, music, screen, food and ideas. The Artistic Program will support 690 artists and will present 70 projects, including 10 world premieres, 17 international works and 17 new Australian commissions. From January Carriageworks will…
Love, Actually is one of those Christmas films that had a significant impact on me the first time I saw it. I’ve since seen it more than once, and each time it has elicited a similar set of emotions within me that have confounded many. I absolutely detested the film and felt it was a…
It’s been thirteen years since Feel, music journalist Chris Heath’s first book with singer Robbie Williams. In that time, Williams has married and started a family, rejoined and left Take That, and further cemented his legacy as one of pop’s true superstars by breaking the Guinness World Record for most tour tickets sold in a…
Fringe World Festival has shared its full 2018 program, rolling out the awesome summer vibes from 26 January through to 25 February in Perth. This year is meant to be the biggest yet, with a variety of new and classic showcases kicking off during the Australia Dy Long weekend. We can expect 750 events across 130 venues…
The Depot Theatre and Secret House have once again worked their magic on a classic, this time bringing Anton Chekov’s The Seagull into the modern era. Stripped back to its heart, this is a compelling tale of the frailty of the mind. Cleverly adapted, beautifully designed and expertly cast, there is nothing to fear from…
Look at the dress or shirt that you are wearing right now. Do you ever wonder where it came from? Or who made it? Imagine if that piece of clothing helped put someone through university, or helped alleviate them from living a life of sex-trafficking and poverty. You’d feel good right? Like, you helped the…
Famed Japanese art collective teamLab and their endless, unique and energetic approach to art and technology is currently on full display at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum. Future Park is the largest exhibition from the collective and the largest ever seen in Australia, featuring eight interactive light installations which will be dazzling art lovers of all ages…
A chance encounter in the poverty stricken streets of Myanmar just under two years ago led former High-5 star, Tanika Anderson, to question the Western world’s approach to ‘fast fashion’. Now, Tanika is set to launch the second collection from clothing label, You&Mei, a social enterprise that helps to raise up young women from poverty….
Entertainer. Performance artist. International mischief maker. Internet provocateur. Three descriptions of British artist Harry Clayton-Wright, that are more than fitting. An entertainer unafraid of pushing boundaries of trashy comedy and cabaret, toeing the line of cheeky risqué and the all-out ribald, Clayton-Wright’s work mixes endearing charm with a maniacal confidence that has made him a popular…
A tapestry commemorating the sacrifice and heroism of Australian soldiers on the Western Front is set to be cut from the loom this month in Melbourne. Designed by prominent Australian artists Lyndell Brown and Charles Green, Morning star will be showcased at the opening of the Sir John Monash Centre (SJMC) in France. Morning Star will provide…
Christmas is around the corner and the holidays are so close you can almost touch it! If your mind has already set into festive mode and you’re looking for something to kick start the holiday cheer, then we have you covered. Here are our top picks for Art Events happening around Australia this month! Carriageworks…
Lies, Lies and Propaganda will present Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol, at the Kings Cross Theatre from December 12th to 24th, contrasting the classic Victorian ghost story with the modern Theatre. Join Ebenezer Scrooge this Christmas on a journey through past, present and future as he discovers the kind of person he was, is…
I travelled to Las Vegas to see Cher. You heard me. Cher. I was first introduced to her music as a child in the 1980s and have always wanted to see her perform. Realising the chances of her coming to Australia were slim, when I discovered she was performing in Las Vegas I felt a…
“I wanted to make films from time I saw my first films in the mid-1940’s. Unlike my school friends I had no interest in animated films (I still don’t) but was fascinated by narratives with actors. Somehow I realised while still very young, that the key person in all the films was not the leading…
A question commonly asked in arts circles is where all the new Australian musicals are. Surely, they do exist, but grand-scale, blockbuster song-and-dance shows isn’t something we’re generally known for. Hot Shoe Shuffle – arguably Australia’s first hit musical – premiered only 24 years ago, and since then only Pricilla and Strictly Ballroom have made…
Sydney’s family production of The Wind in the Willows continues its summer tradition returning to the beautiful surrounds of Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney from Friday 5 to Sunday 28 January 2018. This critically acclaimed outdoor theatre production delivers fun for young and old as all are given every opportunity to scream out loud, sing along and…
