A Midsummer Night’s Dream is up there as one of Shakespeare’s most oft performed plays. There have been countless as adaptations and reinterpretations over the years, but I’d imagine there are few as wonderfully strange and eclectic as Russian director Dmitry Krymov’s interpretation A Midsummer Night’s Dream (As You Like It). As clichéd as it…
Heroes and tyrants, Gods and Mortals, and ancient armies all clashed on stage on Sunday night. All of them brought to vivid life by one man, actor and co-writer Denis O’Hare, for the Australian premiere of the An Iliad. A captivating and engaging adaptation and reinterpretation of Homer’s Iliad by US collective Homer’s Coat, that…
Larry Heath sits down with Eamon Flack, the director of Once in Royal David’s City – Michael Gow’s new play which just premiered at the Belvoir Street Theatre in Sydney, Australia. Performances run until 23rd March. We talk about the play, working with the amazing cast and more. More details: http://belvoir.com.au/productions/once-in-royal-davids-city/
Every two years, Melbourne’s much respected Circus Oz pitch their tent in Sydney, and while it might feel like just yesterday that the troupe were last here, that time has arrived once again, with Thursday night holding the opening night premiere of the newest Circus Oz production: Cranked Up. While Sydney Festival offers circus and…
Ahead of the premiere next week of LIMBO as part of Sydney Festival, I spoke to Danik Abishev about his role in the show described as a “dirty and dangerous circus-cabaret”. Danik, meanwhile, is described as an “aggressive hand balancer”. Find out what that means and more about the show in this interview! LIMBO looks…
Meet Bruce. He’s a “hero” cop, turned bestselling author, turned astronaut, turned time traveller. He’s also the titular star of Tim Watts’ and Wyatt Nixon-Lloyd’s new production Bruce. Oh and in case you hadn’t noticed already he’s a giant yellow foam block. Suffice to say this is a show like none other you will see…
Tea is commonly thought of as a sweet and calming beverage. We do not immediately associate it with salt, death, and the political upheaval in Kashmir, because we do not speak about it — but that is exactly what artist Alana Hunt is trying to change. “Cups of nun chai; a memorial” is a work…
‘Boy meets girl…’ – On the face of it, Trampoline is about just that – a boy (Matt) meeting a girl (Kelly) and falling in love. If only it was as simple as that. Matt is a compulsive dreamer, the lines between reality and his dreams are blurred, meaning most of his attempts to have…
Larry Heath sits down with half of Melbourne’s World’s End Press to talk about their debut self-titled album (Out October 4th) and much more…
Larry has a chat to the actress who has been given one of the most iconic roles from the world of murder mysteries and crime fiction, Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple. Judi Farr is the legendary Australian actress who’ll be bringing Miss Marple to life on stage in Sydney and Melbourne in the production A Murder…
The Boat Goes Over The Mountain is the latest theatrical instalment in the current season at Perth’s Blue Room Theatre. Presented by Happy Dagger Theatre, and developed by and starring Andrew Hale; the production is essentially a one-man play, with accompaniment of a miscellany of instruments from Dave Richardson. It is a frantic mediation on…
The Little Mermaid. Many of you are sitting there thinking you know the story; you might even be humming “Under the Sea” to yourself. What you may be unaware that the Disney like with many of its miscellany of movies drew inspiration from fairy tales, predominantly those written by Hans Christen Andersen. However, unlike their…
Hedda, currently being presented at Perth’s The Blue Room Theatre, is a reinterpretation of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s classic play Hedda Gabler; originally written and produced in the 19th century. A multicultural effort of sorts, the production sees Norwegian actress and producer Marthe Snorresdotter Rovik collaborate with actor and director Renato Febratti, a graduate of…
The classic Tom Stoppard play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead has long existed as part of the Hamlet curriculum in the later years of high school, both in Australia and around the world. For me, and many, year 11 was where I first discovered the play, Stoppard and the beauty of the absurd. It’s a…
Burlesque – when you hear the word, what does it conjure up in your mind? Perhaps twirling dancers, lace outfits, stunning costumes? Or maybe nipple tassels, whips and leather? No matter where your mind wanders, tonight’s Miss Burlesque Australia 2013 will cover all areas – and whilst we personally have been getting over the hot…
Stephen K Amos is one of the long running comedians who often swings by Australia for the Melbourne International and Sydney Comedy Festival circuits. He’s been embraced by our audiences thanks to his charming and witty tales and he’s back this time with his show The Spokesman to prove that he’s not worthy of being idolised.
Sometimes it’s the little shows that can take you by surprise with their quirkiness and ability to combine the things we love all into a neat little package. Cameron James brings us Nite Zoo a stand up comedy performance that twists the tv chat show format into an interactive live action extravaganza with music and games and deep probing…
Bowengabbie. A small town, once the jewel in the crown of the Australian preserve industry, has faded into obscurity. The town’s youth departing in their droves for the city in search of better prospects and more money. Leaving behind an increasingly aging population. Add to that an eclectic and eccentric cast of characters, and the…
The Kransky Sisters are back in Australia after an eccentric tour of the European continent, on which the unbalanced spinsters managed some rest and recuperation before launching into their brand new show Piece of Cake back in their homeland. That’s the fictional back-story at least. Sorry, I didn’t mean to break the forth wall. Poor…
The Sydney Theatre Company’s production of Fury is the latest play from Melbourne playwright Joanna Murray-Smith whose past works including The Female of the Species and Honour have scored her a myriad of awards and acclaim, both at home and abroad. Fury has been garnering a similar level of critical success since it premiered at…
English playwright Caryl Churchill’s play A Number is the latest production to be presented by Perth Theatre Company, the first of their new season. Directed by Artistic Director Melissa Cantwell, the production is subtle and thought provoking, leaving the audience with lingering questions and plenty to think about. Though ostensibly the play could be described…
Turning the 1930’s cartoon strip and 60’s sitcom The Addams Family into a musical was never going to be an easy sell. They are, after all, a family who enjoy the darker side of life; finding general pleasure in pain, death and misery. They’re not exactly the type to sing and dance. Nor is the…
Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most famous and oft performed plays. It is a play that has become deeply engrained in popular culture and most can quote a line from the play. The main character is an iconic role, one which many actors strive towards. Though it is a tough act to follow, with the…
As many of you are undoubtedly aware, in 2011 there was an uprising of the Egyptian people against President Hosni Mubarak, the leader at the time. An uprising that successfully saw Mubarak removed from power, and became the catalyst for other uprisings in what became dubbed the “Arab Spring”. Since then media coverage has dropped…
Ringleader of the dark realms Travjamjar returns with his second and last exhibition in Australia, as he gears up to pursue a career in the U.S. On display at Wedge Gallery in Kinokuniya (The Galleries, Sydney) and finishing up at the Foresight Gallery in Newcastle, the macabrely titled “Infanticide”, is the latest batch of creations…
As we speak, there are three Spiegeltents doing the rounds (pun intended) in and around Sydney. Two are for Sydney Festival – The Famous Spiegeltent in Hyde Park you’re probably already familiar with, and the newer addition, The Idolize Spiegeltent, sits in Parramatta (and was also part of the Darwin Festival last year). The third…
Following a sold-out European tour and shows in Russia and Japan, global sensation, Red Bull Flying Bach is set to land in Australia for the first time next March. In the ultimate clash of cultures, Red Bull Flying Bach fuses breakdance crew, Flying Steps and their unrestricted and explosive dance style with the elegant music…
The short film that won the 2012 Bondi Short Film Festival “The Maker”. The 12th annual Bondi Film Festival took place at Bondi Pavilion on Saturday. The brainchild of Francis Coady, It is an annual event in which documentary makers from around the country are invited to submit their works to the panel to win…
Over the weekend I found myself in the simple yet elegant Galerie pompom, gazing upon Rochelle Haley’s mesmerising exhibition ‘Dead Precious’, on the final day of its showing. Comprised of thirteen water colours on paper, the collection captures an intriguing combination of sparkling precious gems, nestled amongst crisp clean skeletal remains. Rochelle’s inspiration stems from…
What started as bored doodling on public transport to pass time turned into a full blown obsession for Newcastle artist Travjamjar, the fruits of which have now been realised in the launch of his first solo exhibition ‘Language of the Mad’. Hosted at The Wedge Gallery located in Kinokuniya (The Galleries, Sydney CBD) concluding Monday,…
