Back in May, while I was attending the IPW travel industry conference in Florida, we had the privilege to preview a number of Broadway shows. Most of them were recent additions to the Broadway catalogue, like the brilliant Tony winners The Outsiders and Maybe Happy Ending. But the classic Chicago was also amongst them, which…
Australians are once again taking over Edinburgh for the world’s largest Fringe Festival, which officially kicks off on August 7th. But with over 2,000 performances to choose from every day, grinding through the massive lists is a challenge. So we thought we’d lend you a helping hand and choose the six Australian performances we don’t…
“Switch On, Light Up, Come Alive” is the theme of this year’s Brisbane Festival, which runs from 4-26 September. This is Ebony Bott’s first Brisbane Festival as Artistic Director, featuring a range of events, including live music, theatre, opera, dance, talks, and film. We’ve chosen five must-see events that showcase new voices, storytelling, and local…
Walk down the street to Melbourne’s Regent Theatre, where Pretty Woman the Musical has landed for the final leg of its debut Australian tour. Strap on those glossy red heels, tighten that bold red tie and witness the stage adaptation of one of the most beloved 90s romantic comedies, now with an array of songs…
Have you ever been swept up in an argument, so positive in your convictions, so certain of your truth, and then suddenly, you’re not so sure? A seed of doubt is planted, but you’ve passed the point of no return. To back down now would be to admit you’re wrong, so you stand firm, your…
Produced and created by Indian Ink Theatre Company, Balloon Dog at the Sydney Opera House is a contemporary adaptation of Kabuliwala, the 1892 Bengali short story by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. It is the story of a five-year-old girl called Mini who befriends a local service station worker called Kabir (Jehangir Homavazir). They form an…
Meet Bev, or Chiko, who, in his own words, is “not the best truckie, just the best looking.” He’s every stereotype of Australian masculinity you could conjure up, from his impressive mullet to his truck-themed stubbies (translation: shorts). Written and performed by Jonny Hawkins, Truck Driver at the Sydney Opera House, is an insight into…
If you need any evidence that history repeats itself, look no further than this 1960s rock musical, HAIR. Celebrating an age of freedom, rebellion against war, and experimentation, tackling issues of race, sexuality and gender identity. HAIR takes us back to the 1960s/70s counterculture hippie movement whose obstacles are not so dissimilar from those we…
Choreographed, written and performed by Martin del Amo, Scary Piece of Work at the Sydney Opera House is perhaps the most bizarre show I have ever seen. Pitched as a work that explores fear, its universality and our individual responses to it, this one-person production was a cocaine-fuelled fever dream that left audiences wondering what…
Sheltering at the Sydney Opera House is a triple-bill from the acclaimed Bangarra Dance Theatre. Bangarra’s unique style of dance fuses traditional First Nations movement and narratives with contemporary dance to tell stories that resonate and challenge the audience. Sheltering acknowledges and honours the theatre’s history through the work Sheoak, while looking forward to the…
In NSW, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children make up over 56% of those in youth detention, but only around 4% of the youth population. Presented by the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP), Saplings at the Sydney Opera House sheds light on the youth justice system. Written by Yuwaalaray playwright Hannah Belanszky and directed…
Oscar Wilde‘s satiric play, The Importance of Being Earnest, is a “Trivial Comedy for Serious People”. South Australia’s State Theatre Company have sprinkled their own flavours into this delicious mix. The best way to describe the event would be queer and quirky – in the most over-the-top camp way imaginable. The plot begins with Jack…
Death, grief, loneliness, goblin demons, and a “crusty old” bio-exorcist in black-and-white stripes are probably not the ingredients you’d expect for one of musical theatre’s most unexpectedly heartfelt shows. Yet that strange emotional cocktail is exactly why Beetlejuice the Musical has developed such a fiercely devoted following around the world. Beneath the chaos, the absurdity,…
The Other Side of Me at the Sydney Opera House is a heartbreaking story of loss and identity. Based on actual events, the dance duet tells the story of a young Aboriginal man in the Northern Territory who is adopted, along with his brother, by a white English couple in the 1960s. The adoption process…
Got yourself a case of the sweet tooth? Treat yourself to a slice of happiness with the hit Broadway musical, Waitress, where there’s a bun in the oven… and certainly a pie. Picture entering Her Majesty’s Theatre and the room being filled with the intoxicating scent of fresh apple pie. And no, it’s not artificial;…
Arriving in Sydney’s vibrant inner-east feels like stepping into a city that has learned how to reinvent itself without losing its edge. Just past the iconic Coca-Cola sign at the crossroads of Kings Cross and Potts Point, where neon glow meets leafy side streets and boutique energy, you’ll find a pocket of Sydney perfectly suited…
Co-founders of Erth, Scott Wright (Artistic Director) and Steve Howarth (Head of Design), have brought their large scale, animatronic puppet dinosaurs to life in the world premiere of Erth’s Dinosaurs, now playing at the Sydney Opera House. Geared towards kids (5+) and families, Wright and Howarth really show their commitment to teaching young audiences about…
There are standing ovations… and then there are the kind that feel inevitable. The opening night of MJ the Musical at Brisbane’s QPAC Lyric Theatre didn’t just earn one – it triggered waves of them. The kind that start mid-show, ripple through the crowd, and return again before the final curtain even has a chance…
Few texts are as closely associated with a single era – or as widely mischaracterised – as The Great Gatsby. In truth, the two go hand in hand; the imagined glamour of the Roaring Twenties often serves to obscure just how deeply cynical and pessimistic the novel is. Despite its brevity, abridged adaptations inevitably prioritise…
On the surface, this deeply confrontational play deals with several heavy themes, including (but not limited to) trauma, discrimination and the destructive aftermath of both. But it’s equally concerned with an even more ambitious matter: the nature of truth. The action begins with several figures in hazmat suits sweeping a crime scene as Laurenz Laufenberg's…
This is not the story of Josephine Baker that you know. As the title suggests, it is “for”, rather than “about” the famed singer, dancer and actress. Baker’s story defies neat narratives, and while this performance touches on many elements of her life, from her onstage persona to her Rainbow Tribe of adopted children and…
The most popular prestige television shows of recent years have made it clear that we all love to watch rich people being awful, but Chekhov’s 1904 masterpiece is a reminder that this is nothing new. The action in The Cherry Orchard centres around an aristocratic family in terminal decline, and the coddled individuals who prioritise…
The opening night of Head Over Heels could have been a complete disaster. Days before the season commenced, the air conditioning system broke, the preview was cancelled completely, and one of the main performers was struck down with illness, unable to perform. Having the director announce this before the lights went down makes you wonder…
Nestled amongst the attractions of sideshow alley at the rear of the Garden of Unearthly Delights is an unassuming collection of white ocean containers. They house three of the Darkfield experiences, Seance, Flight and Invisible. The nearby screams of patrons being flung high in the air on the various rides lend a strange contrast to…
Oscar Wilde‘s farce The Importance of Being Earnest is all about two young men about town who lead double lives, avoiding their social obligations. It is normally played in a rather rigid format by rather experienced thespians. It’s a play that explores explores themes of identity, social expectations, and the nature of truth and deception. Which…
The Greek mythological tragedy Orpheus and Eurydice is an epic tale of how the musician Orpheus descends into the Underworld to rescue his wife, Eurydice, after she dies from a snake bite on their wedding day. His music moves Hades, allowing her to return, on the condition that Orpheus walks ahead and does not look…
Holden Street is known as “Home of Theatre” during the Adelaide Fringe. For some 23 years, the artist-run hub has been at the forefront of cutting-edge theatre. Hidden away in Hindmarsh, it’s like a secret gem in the inner west. This reviewer saw a small selection of plays, each of which were world class, thought-provoking…
Three friends, one artwork, three very different perspectives. ART The Play, written by French Playwright Yasmina Reza and directed by Lee Lewis, is the story of three friends – Marc (Richard Roxburgh), Serge (Damon Herriman) and Yvan (Toby Schmitz) – whose 20+ year friendship is thrown into turmoil when Serge decides to spend 160,000 euro…
Meet Nathan Alexander, one of the brilliant minds (alongside Amy Johnson) behind Realscape Productions. These creative producers are all about pushing boundaries and delivering work that’s both mind-bending and emotionally charged. They’ve got a knack for blending different genres, from sci-fi dance in “Future Cargo” to psychological thrillers in “Ghost Stories.” And let’s not forget…
Irrespective of how old you are, the memories of adolescence are never far behind. The awkwardness and insecurity of growing into yourself – both physically and mentally – and the overwhelming sense that your parents will simply never understand. And if they try, well that’s just so embarrassing. Perhaps that is what makes the character…
