Arts

Interview: Andrew Hansen is cheap but incredibly funny

Andrew Hansen is a well-known comedian starring in Australian satirical shows such as The Chaser, CNNNN and The Hampster Wheel. Recently he’s been on the road with his one-man comedy show entitled Andrew Hansen – is Cheap. We caught up with him to chat about the show and some of the inspiration behind his comedy….

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Review: The Other Art Fair brings colour and creativity to Barangaroo in Sydney

Forget everything you think you know about art. The Other Art Fair is a global gathering which brings together some of the most creative thinkers emerging from the Sydney art scene. Priding itself on reframing the way in which people consider art, The Other Art Fair actively attempts to remove the elitist stigma so prevalent…

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Review: Once is a touching story of love, life and music at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre

From the big screen to the stage, the story of Once has struck a chord with audiences all around the world since its inception in 2007, evoking tears of laughter, tears of joy and tears of sadness. Making its long-awaited return to Melbourne, this award-winning production from Darlinghurst Theatre Company is a truly enchanting musical…

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Interview: Comedian Sammy J chats Barry Humphries and the 20 characters in his Good Hustle Tour

As Comedian Sammy J hits the road with his new show Good Hustle, John Goodridge catches up with him to find out about he some 20 characters that will feature in the show, reflect on how he keeps his seemingly hectic schedule together – and they talk about the passing of Barry Humphries. Hey Sammy,…

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Theatre Review: MATADOR is a fiery fusion of dance and burlesque

MATADOR is a Spanish dance extravaganza tale of forbidden love, desires and pain. First presented in 2022, MATADOR is back in Adelaide’s first theatre, the Queen’s Theatre. With 14 performers on a stage that extends out into the cafe-style VIP seating area, it is a credit to the production team that they managed to present…

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A man and a woman sit on opposite side of a lift, actively ignoring each other.

Theatre Review: Expiration Date tackles abortion rights and we need to be talking about this

Trigger warning: this review/play covers the topic of abortion, if that’s triggering for you please give it a miss. For many, the idea of being trapped in an elevator is the stuff of nightmares. Throw in an ex-partner and it suddenly becomes the last place you want to be in the world. Unfortunately for the…

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Sydney Comedy Festival Gala Review: International comedy is back and it’s frenetic

The Sydney Comedy Festival has finally rolled around and it’s time for four weeks of comedy to take over a multitude of venues in the city, but first, the fabulous Sydney Opera House gets to host one of the opening week galas that showcase a selection of artists to be found on the programme. A…

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Interview: Driftwood The Musical is the new high calibre Australian production set for the world stage

Having already enjoyed a sold-out world premiere Melbourne season in 2022, Driftwood The Musical is set to return to Melbourne on 3rd May before debuting in Sydney across a run of three venues from 24th May. Ahead of this run of shows, and off the back of the news that the show will be heading to…

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Anthony Locascio compares Melbourne and Sydney residents ahead of his Heart of Darkness tour

Sydney-based comedian Anthony Locascio is about to head out on his Heart of Darkness tour for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Sydney and Perth Comedy Festivals. Kicking off today at Belgian Beer Café in Melbourne, the tour will stay until 22 April before moving to Factory Theatre Fusebox in Sydney from 3-7 May and…

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Theatre Review: Come From Away is a delightfully heartwarming story (Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide)

Come From Away is a hit musical based on the true story events of the September 11 WTC tragedy. It tells the incredible story of how 38 planes were diverted from North American airspace to a remote town in Newfoundland, Canada. The locals opened their hearts and homes to almost 7000 scared and confused passengers….

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Adelaide Fringe Review: Starwheels – Full Dome Immersive Experience at Adelaide Planetarium

The Adelaide Planetarium is a thirty seat dome in the Mawson Lakes campus of the Adelaide University. Normally used for demonstrating the movements of our celestial system, tonight the idea is to be fully immersed in a sound and light experience. The team behind the show, Sacred Resonance have been presenting sound and light experiences…

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Theatre Review: American Idiot – Can you hear the sound of hysteria?

Debuting on Broadway in 2010, American Idiot (based on the Green Day album of the same name that defined a generation) has become a beloved production that went on to win two Tony awards. It was developed by bandmates Michael Mayer and Billie Joe Armstrong and has finally come to Melbourne’s Chapel off Chapel thanks…

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Close up view of a woman applying makeup into the lens of a camera. Her face is illuminated by a spotlight.

Theatre Review: COLLAPSIBLE is for anyone who has ever felt like a stranger in their own skin

Described as a “coming-of-age comedy-drama”, COLLAPSIBLE, at the Old Fitz Theatre in Sydney’s Woolloomooloo, explores identity and that all too familiar feeling of being completely lost. Written by Margaret Perry and directed By Zoë Hollyoak and Morgan Moroney, this one woman play centres on Essie (Janet Anderson). She’s lost her job, her girlfriend and, as…

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Adelaide Fringe Review: Michael Shafar is definitely well worth the chemo

Michael Shafar is a testicular cancer survivor, hence the chemo joke. It was what his oncologist told him after he had seen the show; “You were well worth the chemo, Michael.” Which is a pretty good recommendation. On a Tuesday night after a long weekend, the house is full. Even if the stage is an…

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Adelaide Fringe Review: Ari Arari is a spectacular Korean folk musical

Ari Arari is a musical based on a 600-year-old Korean folk song. “Arirang” is surmised to mean “my beautiful one,” and the story is set in the Gangwon Province of Korea. Symbolic of the enduring bond between North and South Korea, it is a sweeping epic story of a daughter’s search for her carpenter father…

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Adelaide Fringe Review: Black and White Tea Room – Counsellor is a carefully crafted psychological drama

A man sits reading in a room, surrounded by artefacts of a past era; a record player, an unfinished abstract oil painting; a rotary telephone. He’s a counsellor (Cha Hyun-suk, who also wrote and directed the play) and he is expecting a patient. His patient (Taesik Shim) is to be his last before he retires…

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Close up of three women holding All About Women tote bags. The bags are black with bright graphics.

Review: All About Women at the Sydney Opera House will make you believe that change is possible so don’t stop fighting

All About Women at the Sydney Opera House has been running for 11 years. In recognition of International Women’s Day (March 8), it showcases some of the most inspiring voices in this ongoing fight for equality and opens up dialogue in the hope for change. 11 years. Some things have changed for women over that…

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Theatre Review: & Juliet is a complicated remix of a complicated relationship

You know the classic ‘boy meets girl’ tale – now witness the remix that flips the script on the conventional and gives Juliet the opportunity to be the leading lady of her own life’s story. What if Romeo & Juliet didn’t end with Juliet taking her own life? What if she embarked on a journey…

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Festival Review: Mona Foma in Launceston finds its quirky, inclusive footing for its 2023 edition

After debuting its Launceston component in 2019, it’s a shame that Mona Foma – so often associated with its decade+ engagement in Hobart – had to momentarily stall its grind (as did the rest of the art scene) when a certain pandemic gloomed over the globe. In 2023, it’s more than making up for lost…

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Adelaide Fringe Review: Hello, The Hell: Othello is a darkly funny Korean play

Adelaide Arts Theatre is hosting the first ever Korean season for the Adelaide Fringe. AtoBiz and Global Cultural Exchange Committee have hand picked a small selection of physical theatre and music shows. The story Hello the Hell: Othello is a play by Creative Jakhwa, a young team that started with the meaning of “flowering a…

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WrestleBrainia is coming to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival

If you love your quiz shows, and are up for a spot of comedy, then WrestleBrainia at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival will be right up your alley. And if you happen to be a fan of wrestling, then this should be nirvana. But fear not, if wrestling isn’t your jive, then this still promises…

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Interview: Lin-Manuel Miranda on witnessing the Australian production of Hamilton

In his first trip to Australia to meet the local company of Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda delighted the Brisbane cast and surprised the city’s audience when he made a special appearance during the curtain call of a performance this past weekend. Speaking honestly, openly and humorously about the show, its creation, and the Australian production, Miranda…

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Adelaide Fringe Review: Rouge goes Rogue is saucy fun and entertaining

The late night performance of Rouge is a little bit more saucy and raucous than the earlier evening shows, but with all the passion and fun that one expects. There’s a feeling of rawness and spontaneity that begins soon after the audience fills the Moa tent in Gluttony. In tight black pants, high heels and…

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Adelaide Fringe Review: Celestial Gardens: The Secret Sounds of Plants where plants come to life

One of the more unusual Fringe events this year is the Celestial Gardens: The Secret Sounds of Plants. Set in the Adelaide Botanical Garden Bicentennial Conservatory, plants are wired with bio-sensors to create sounds. Visitors are invited to stroke and interact with the plants to create music. The whole conservatory is lit up and artworks…

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James Roque

James Roque to bring his Badong show to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is just around the corner, and one of the acts we are particularly looking forward to is the Filipino-New Zealander comedian James Roque. James is bringing his much-revered Badong show to the festival, and will be performing it from the 28th March until the 9th April. ‘Badong’ is a light-hearted…

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Adelaide Fringe Review: The Marvellous Elephant Man: The Musical is an absolute riot

As the crowd filled the smokey Wonderland Spiegeltent in the Wonderland Festival Hub, the excitement in the air was palpable. And it was no surprise, considering that The Marvellous Elephant Man: The Musical had been described as The Book Of Mormon meets Beauty and the Beast. Just how on Earth were they going to pull…

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Ben Hart

Adelaide Fringe Review: Ben Hart’s magic is delightful and enchanting

Ben Hart is no stranger to the Adelaide Fringe, but this year he is surrounded by walls rather than being in a tent. He comes on stage, dressed in a black suit and tells us about his love for magic. His story is enchanting and soothing as he explains that the magic exists in us…

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Theatre Review: Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap is still a must-solve mystery 70 years later

Calling all budding detectives! There’s been a murder in London and we need your expertise to find the killer before they claim their next victim. Put your wits to the test and feast your eyes on the world’s longest-running play, The Mousetrap. Born from the incredible mind of Agatha Christie, this genre-defining murder-mystery has astonished…

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Adelaide Fringe Review: i am root is a playful yet poignant reflection of the meaning of Mother Earth

i am root begins with a traditional Acknowledgement of Country, before Canadian-born Olenka Toroshenko calls upon her own ancestors to join her performance. From fleeing war and settling in Canada, to following love to Australia, what follows is a personal and eclectic mix of Ukrainian poetry, storytelling, dance, comedy and even cooking. There are tragic…

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Theatre Review: Rocky Horror Show’s 50th Anniversary Production does the time warp – again!

If you can believe it, it’s been 50 glorious years of Rocky Horror, across stage and screen. It all started in a small 63-seater in London on the evening of 19 June 1973. Since, it has been performed worldwide in over thirty countries and has been translated into more than twenty languages. Of course, there…

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