A ground breaker in early expressionism, Paula Modersohn-Becker sold only a few paintings in her lifetime. Torn between her home in northern Germany and the vibrant art scene of Paris, her subjects of choice were mothers and children, depicting them in ways that made contemporary critics both uncomfortable and excited in equal measure. The first…
As you enter the Beckett Theatre, ‘Rebel Yell’ by Billy Idol is blasting through the speakers and various Google searches are being projected onto the big screen at the back of the stage. Ever wondered how much a horse costs, or how much a blow job costs, or if you can take a dead squirrel…
Spanning all three floors of the Ian Potter Museum of Art at Melbourne University, is an exhibition that explores music and dance notation from Medieval manuscripts through to graphic notation of the 1960s, alongside artworks and performances. Curated by Jacqueline Dought, The three-month long exhibition The Score features international and Australian artists from the early 20th century…
Prior to the commencement of the Second World War, Britain took in over 10,000 Jewish refugee children from Europe. This was known as Kindertransport, with the majority of the children never seeing their families again. Diane Samuels play, Kindertransport, follows the story of Eva who is sent from Hamburg to England in 1938 when she…
In 1892, Italian painter Girolamo Nerli travels to Samoa to paint famous author Robert Louis Stevenson, known to the locals as Tusitala, ‘the teller of tales’. His goal? To capture something of the Hyde within Stevenson’s Jekyll. Over a century later, art historian Lewis Wakefield makes the same pilgrimage, in search of the story behind…
We all know the story about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the undeniable suffering he endured in his last hours. Well, this musical – Jesus Christ Superstar – chronicles the days leading up to Jesus’ last, and does so through song and dance. With Andrew Lloyd Webber as the almighty creator of this work, it’s understandable…
The 2017 17th annual Helpmann Awards were held last Monday at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney. Lachlan attended the ceremony and reflects on the experience – his first time at the iconic celebration of stage performances in Australia. They’re long… and for good reason Clocking in at 3 hours with no commercial breaks, the ceremony…
From Cabaret to Theatre and Contemporary Dance, August is offering up a delightful assortment of options to get you out of the house all over the country. Here are just arts events we think should not be missed this month! Melbourne: Crazy Horse Paris presents Forever Crazy Celebrating 65 show-stopping years of naked couture and…
You’ll never meet a guy quite like Josh Lefers. There’s something about him that is intimidating, yet somewhat calming in the way his creativity flows. The Melbourne entrepreneur can now add another bow to his belt; a children’s book author with his first titled How to Hypnotise a Droid. Given his complete and utter love for…
In 2015 writer and academic, Mandy Len Catron went viral when an article she wrote was published in The New York Times. It was called, “To Fall in Love With Anyone, Do This” where she described her recent date with a new acquaintance. They had answered 36 questions together from a research study designed to…
Coming up in a couple of weeks is a brand new work by Australian choreographer Stephanie Lake. Pile of Bones is a visceral and eccentric choreographic and audio-visual exploration of the intricacies of our closest relationships. Before we see this work come to life, we had a chat with Lake about the need to self-fund in the…
Hello, Goodbye & Happy Birthday explores the fears and hopes of those looking for direction at the start of their lives and those searching for peace at the end. The cast is made up of three young performers (Aileen Huynh, Izabella Yena and Matthew Connell) and three older performers (Jim Daly, Roger Oakley and Evelyn…
What happens when one of the biggest names in musical theatre and Britain’s most popular tenor come together? They create an album together of course! Quite literally for Michael Ball and Alfie Boe, whose album “Together” quickly became the best-selling album in the UK in 2016. The album features some of the greatest hits of…
The Space Theatre stage setting is sparse; a central console and an outer ring of lights are the only props. The three performers, Black, White and Grey enter the stage to the sound of pulsing music and start to circle around the space, slowly at first then picking up the pace. The effect is one…
Restrung Festival is returning to Brisbane next month for its third season of cross-genre and contemporary classical strings-driven ensembles, bands, soloists, dance and physical theatre. From August 17 to 19, Brisbane Powerhouse will host an all-star line up of international, national and local guests for three huge days of ticketed concerts and free events. More…
After kicking off in Sydney last year, The Festival of Death and Dying is set to arrive in Melbourne for the first time, from the 9 – 10 September 2017, with workshops, performances, talks and ceremonies on a huge range of topics. Highlights who will be headlining the festival include performance maker Allan Schacher with…
In Theatre Works’ latest showing, Frankenstein gets an 180-degree turn in a shadowy and modern portrayal of a horror icon, however, this portrayal felt overly simplistic despite the theatrical reframing. This premier season directed by Phil Rouse tells the gothic story by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley flipping gender and turning to a somewhat contemporary angle by…
The Actors Benevolent Fund is a non-profit, charitable organisation who has been providing financial and practical assistance to professional performers since 1944. They support individuals who are unable to work due to illness, injury or disability. This charity recently held a fundraising night at Dendy Opera Quays where they screened a recording of the 2015…
The new production of Blackrock, a play written by Nick Enright some 20 years ago, opened at La Boite Theatre in Brisbane last night. Its opening coincided with the acquittal of four men found not guilty of the gang rape of a fifteen year old girl in the Blue Mountains; it’s clear this horrifying narrative is as…
A group of teenagers come together for a party on the beach. But come morning, a fifteen year old girl is dead, raped and then beaten to death. The work of late playwright Nick Enright, Blackrock follows the aftermath of this terrible act, as the party-goers explore their guilt, whether as perpetrators or as bystanders,…
From international touring comedians to rising local stars, Bris Funny Fest is back for its second year and it’s bigger and better than ever before! With over 50 shows to choose from, the festival will take place in various locations around Brisbane from the 2nd-20th of August. A Game Of Thrones improvised parody, a pleasure…
If only all world rulers had the same approach to legacy building as the Chiefs from the Wadagadum tribe on Mabuiag Island, who in their role as leaders bring a different creative expansion to their culture through art and story telling. When Jimi Bani’s father Dimple was the chief of Wadagadum tribe he was a singer, dancer…
Have you ever said to yourself, “this weekend I want an uber-cheesy, sparkly glittery, overly accented, pyrotechnic spectacular?” Well then maybe The Bodyguard – which just kicked off its four week run in Brisbane – is for you. Whether or not you’ve seen the movie is not in the criteria to enjoy this show. It’s…
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and its boisterous, ribald and ultimately devastating story of a psychiatric clinic and its inhabitants has long been considered amongst the great pieces of literature, theatre and film. This August Sport for Jove are bringing Cuckoo’s to the stage once more. We caught up with Stephen Madsen (who will play Ruckly,…
Melbourne is hosting a winter arts festival over ten nights in August, bringing lights and colour to the winter darkness of Stonnington. As the sun sets each night from the 10 – 20 August, the iconic venues and public spaces around the city of Stonnington will illuminate for this year’s Glow Winter Arts Festival. Each…
David Sedaris, the best-selling American author and humourist is returning Down Under to host a series of live shows in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane in January 2018. After previous sold out tours, Sedaris is hitting the Aussie road for his fourth sojourn, following the recent release of his latest book the Theft By…
I’ve always felt an affinity with Bridget Jones. I, too, am hopeless in the realms of romance, and struggle daily to balance my desire to look like Margot Robbie with my simultaneous love of all things chocolate coated. But, after viewing Jude Perl’s comedy show Let’s Hang Out, I’ve realised that I am Jude Perl….
Language warning: if the title makes you uneasy you probably won’t enjoy this show. It slaps you across the face with vulgarity, ugliness and brutality. But if you love innovative, challenging theatre, you must see SHIT at the Seymour Centre this July. SHIT is not so much a narrative as it is a profile of…
A lot of us aspire to be well. It’s estimated that the wellness industry, which sells everything from day spas, retreats and yoga classes to supplements and detox diets is a multibillion dollar one that’s rising. Guardian journalist, Brigid Delaney is well-acquainted with this alternative church having been a devotee of various health and wellness…
The 2017 Arts Music Awards have been announced, with some of Australia’s best composers and performers in classical, jazz and contemporary music joining the list of diverse finalists acknowledged across 11 categories. Presented every year by APRA AMCOS and the Australian Music Centre, the Awards recognize achievement in the composition, performance, education and presentation of…
