Arts

It’s not often that we give you news about an anonymous art collective, but sometimes, the ideas they present are the most fascinating around in the art world. The Boon Companions are just that, and in fact identify as a “romantic anonymous art collective” which sure does pique the interest a little bit more. The…

Ladies Day takes its audience to the festivities of the Broome races, complete with swishy hemlines, debonair gents and fascinators galore. Amongst the fabulous frocks is a brutal act of violence. It’s a play that is really funny until it’s not. We caught up with Matt Backer, who stars in the world premiere of this…

Perth’s celebrators of the spoken word and music Ships in the Night are heading to the Fringe World festival in Perth for two nights of words and music – and it’s all taking place inside a yurt. Conceived in collaboration with The Blue Room Theatre Summer Nights program and writer SJ Finch, Ships in the…

Let us introduce you to “The Wolf”. He’s vicious but not like that of a mangy dog. It’s a calculated, restrained and more often than not unnoticeable malice that only a trained eye might detect. He’s torn between the possibility of his own impossible freedom and a natural instinct to survive. He’s here in Australia,…

Music and cinema go hand in hand, however do we truly appreciate the power of music in film, and the ability it has to heighten the viewers emotions? We hear foreboding music and we feel fear, a slow forlorn piece concocts sadness, and an upbeat melody ensures elation. Music and film are beautiful in their…

Ahead of the official program launch in mid-March, the Melbourne International Jazz Festival have let slip a few early details, announcing the headline artists for the opening and closing night of this year’s instalment of the festival. The Melbourne International Jazz Festival will present jazz wunderkind Esperanza Spalding in her Australian debut, opening the 2016 Festival with her groundbreaking new…

Even if you haven’t yet seen a production of West Side Story, chances are you a probably familiar with one of its very recognisable tunes or melodies. From “Something’s Coming” to “Tonight” to “Somewhere” to even the very “Overture”, you’ll recognize something (eh). But really, seeing them all together in their original setting is the…

Even though Adelaide’s reputation as The Festival State may have taken a hit in recent years with the loss of two major touring festivals, the city still remains a hub of activity through February and March when the Adelaide Fringe Festival takes over seemingly every nook and cranny of the CBD. Second only to Edinburgh in…

The sound of Anne Edmonds’ dog barks as soon as we start our conversation that – despite being on the telephone – brings a homely touch to our interview. Edmonds herself hasn’t been staying at her home of Melbourne too much. She just arrived from a bunch of stand-up dates in London where she toured…

Based on the classic Robert Louis Stevensen novel and adapted by Ken Ludwig, Treasure Island is a tale of pirates, adventure, treasure and family. Our narrator and protagonist is Jim Hawkins (Jonathon Burt) who, by chance, finds himself in possession of a map and becomes embroiled in a plot to discover hidden treasure. Of course, a…

Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller film North by Northwest has become a stage sensation, and its return season has confirmed just how extraordinary this theatrical reimagining is. Given the technicalities of film it really begged the question: how were they going to put this onto the stage? Well, I’m not going to tell you. This is…

What are labels? They’re the words we use to define ourselves, to define others; and how we are ourselves defined. They are the words that make us categorised, grouped and understood. Of course context is key. These labels can often be quite innocuous, even positive. But there are also those times when they can be…

“To sleep perchance to dream,” said Hamlet. Well not if you’re a “guest” at the Dream Motel, a sleep clinic that forms the backdrop of Ian Sinclair and Renee Newman’s latest work Sleeping Beauty a contemporary re-telling of the classic fairy tale. Sinclair and Newman have stripped back the whimsy, removed all traces of cute…

Dawn French has been alive for approximately thirty million minutes (that’s 58 years) and over the course of her two hour performance she is determined to let the audience in on what she’s learnt – as a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother and a woman. Incorporating an ever changing screen backdrop and a…

From the bizarre mind of Fringe favourite Shane Adamczak (Trampoline, Zack Adams, 3-time Canadian Just For Laughs award nominee and producer of the Award-winning ★★★★★ Fringe hits This Is Not A Love Song and Vicious Circles) comes a brand new comedy about how even the smallest people can do big things. When a scientific accident causes a…

Opening at the Black Eye Gallery in March, as part of Sydney Art Month, BDSM features 16 engaging and intimate portraits of very different BDSM practitioners. Through these portraits, fine art and advertising photographer Simon Bernhardt attempts to dispel the stereotypes that surround BDSM (bondage, discipline, dominance, submission and sadomasochism) and tell the story of…

The world famous Cirque du Soleil is coming to Australia in February to conduct auditions; on the search for something “completely different”. And for the first time ever, the company has decided to extend their reach with a nationwide Auditions Roadshow on the hunt for Australia’s most unique performing talent. Do you have a weird but wonderful routine,…

The 2015 Glugs Theatre Awards were announced last night at a ceremony at Sydney’s Castlereagh Boutique Hotel. The evening also marked the 50th Anniversary of the group, formed in 1966 from a collection of theatre-lovers including critics, journalists, actors and theatre-goers. The group continues strong to this day and meets on the first Monday of every…

It horrified London, petrified Sydney and now this haunting thriller is coming for you. Seen by over half a million people worldwide, Ghost Stories is a truly terrifying theatrical experience that will make you laugh and scream in equal measures. Not for the faint hearted (seriously, read the disclaimer), Ghost Stories will tour Geelong, Adelaide,…

For all you avid triple j Breakfast listeners you’re already very familiar with Matt Okine and the antics he brings. Well, now is your chance to not only hear him but to see him as well, as he embarks on a national comedy festival tour. The music-loving comedian talked about some very serious topics and…

Strut & Fret Production House’s first show of 2016 lands inside the Sydney Opera House Studio, peppered with flesh, flips, spins and a ridiculous amount of champagne. Vintage white and gold is the theme, a little bit of flair if you wish – no biggie. You enter and you’re immersed in a world of Moët…

Some fun facts about The Barber of Seville that I didn’t know going in is that it is based on a novel and is actually the prequel for The Marriage of Figaro, despite Seville being the work of Rossini and Figaro of Mozart. Having of course seen Opera Australia’s The Marriage of Figaro last year…

The Fairfax-run Spectrum Now Festival has announced a bombastic line-up of music and arts-related events that’ll embrace Sydney in the early days of March. On the artistic side of things, Robert Bose will display his work Balloon Chain for the first time in Australia. The installation has found a home at both the Coachella and Burning…

Following a sold-out, critically acclaimed engagement in Sydney, Australia last August, The Present, Andrew Upton’s new adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s first play, Platonov, will be presented on Broadway for a limited engagement in the early Winter of 2016. The Present, directed by John Crowley, will see Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh make their Broadway debuts,…

Acclaimed Ghanaian artist El Anatsui’s first major exhibition in Australia has opened at Sydney’s Carriageworks as part of Sydney Festival, marking the first Schwartz Carriageworks project. Running until 6th March 2016, the exhibition showcases more than 30 works from Anatsui dating all the way back to the 1970s, bringing in a range on ceramics, drawings,…

Melbourne Opera, following a highly successful debut tour of China, have returned to Melbourne to stage their first opera of 2016; the rarely performed The Abduction from Seraglio. So rarely performed, this is Melbourne’s first professional staging of the work in over twenty years.   When the glamorous Konstanze and her English PA Blonde have been kidnapped, Belmonte…

Inspired by a quote from renowned sleep scientist Allan Rechtschaffen: “If sleep and dreaming does not serve some vital function, it is the biggest mistake evolution ever made,” Perth performance makers Ian Sinclair and Dr. Renee Newman have reimagined Sleeping Beauty for a contemporary audience. Sleeping Beauty follows Tahlia (Renee Newman), haunted by reoccurring nightmares…

Fresh from touring the UK, the maestro of feel-good comedy returns to Australia next month. Stephen’s show The Laughter Master will bring hilarious tales and stories of finding laughter in this crazy world we inhabit. Is it all just doom and gloom in the headlines? Establishing himself as a household name in Australia over the last…

Sydney’s Carriageworks 2016 program is currently underway, presenting contemporary multi-arts performances. It is Carriageworks most ambitious program showcasing a diverse range of projects spanning visual arts, dance, performance, film, talks and music. With over 740 artists on show, we’ve done the hard work for you and scoured the program for acts not to miss. K-Pop Party…

Art Month Sydney 2016, headed for the first by time by Artistic Director Barry Keldoulis, have announced their full program presented from 1st until 20th March. In addition to the popular Collectors’ Space and Art At Night events, this year will feature Green Eyed Monster Eating its Own Tail, a new exhibition curated specifically for…