The Midsummer Carnival is in town, and the big top has set up shop at Brisbane Powerhouse. A troupe of pixies and players invite audiences to wander through their carnival, filled with sideshow games, fortune tellers, and death defying stunts. But hidden amongst the crowd are four young lovers, and as the mischievous Puck sets […]
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Magic is so often about secrets, smoke and mirrors, but James Galea also adds a dash of silliness to the mix. The hip youngster projects a cool and calm exterior that is so charming. He also has an irreverent sense of humour; his tongue is placed firmly in cheek. In Poof! Secrets of a Magician […]
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An all-star collaboration of sorts, Anthem sees acclaimed writers Christos Tsolkas, Patricia Corneleus, Andrew Bovell and Melissa Reeves reunite with composer Irene Vela following their 90s-era play Who’s Afraid of the Working Class? A series of stories interweave through the backdrop of Melbourne’s train network, with a range of characters thrust together on public transport […]
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Performance artist Bryony Kimmings is known for work centering on the personal, with prior shows exploring her partner’s depression, a show devised with her tween-aged niece and another sleuthing the source of an STD. In I’m a Phoenix, Bitch, however, things get far more raw. If one uses life experience as a platform for their […]
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Based on the 1982 novel of the same name by Michael Morpurgo, War Horse returns to Melbourne to dazzle audiences at the newly refurbished Regent Theatre. The play exhibits a deeply moving and emotional story about the bond between a boy and his horse during the outbreak of WWI accompanied by stellar puppetry, captivating lighting […]
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The wedding comedy is common shorthand through which to explore culture. Those from different traditions are forced to navigate a new frontier, negotiate new sets of terms and decide what parts are most important. Black Ties sees this culture clash cleverly told between an Indigenous and Maori family, highlighting both the similarities and stark differences […]
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The White Album may have been a seminal record by The Beatles but it’s also a book of essays by Joan Didion. Published in 1979, it is an evocative text where the author made some piercing observations about her world during the late sixties in America. Sydney Festival played host to a clever adaptation of […]
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Food, glorious food can mean so much. It is nourishing and keeps us alive. It’s something we share with loved ones. It can also be a window to certain cultures- you can be an active participant in a small and perhaps unknown community. This is the scene that Double Delicious operates in: it’s a heart-warming […]
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While the fanfare over Tim Minchin’s work on Matilda felt deafening, it may surprise some to learn that he’s not the only Aussie who’s setting Broadway alight with his lyrics and music. Enter another composer-actor-comedian, Melbourne born Eddie Perfect – who you’ll remember from performance in Offspring or from penning and starting in the hilarious […]
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Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is one of the most iconic tragedies of all time. If you’re unfamiliar with this tale of woe – plot spoiler – they die in the end. But Giles Gartrell-Mills, the writer behind Mercutio and The Prince of Cats, isn’t interested in the star-crossed lover’s plight. Instead the play focuses on […]
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I’ve always loved the theatricality of music; that indescribable feeling it can provided when presented with a bit of bombastic flair. But I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a production bring so much life to its soundtrack, as David Byrne has achieved with his American Utopia show – which is currently enjoying a 16 […]
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Celebrities and guests walked the red carpet for the Opening Night of Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s School of Rock the musical playing now at the Capital Theatre, Sydney For more information and tickets click HERE
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David, an American science fiction author with a serious case of writer’s block, needs to get out of the city. A distant relative, in a quiet Polish town, seems like a good bet. But where David sees an opportunity for isolation, cousin Maria sees a chance to reconnect with a family that rarely calls and […]
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One of the longest-running musicals in history, Chicago returns to our shores again, seemingly only a heartbeat since it’s the last production, which was in fact in 2009. As the show-to-end-all-shows, it seems interesting to have it return, in this mounting of the most recent Broadway production. However in our current era of reality and […]
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The Beautiful Game is a lesser known award-winning collaboration between the legendary Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton. On premise, it’s difficult to be excited by a musical based on football (soccer) if you have no interest in the sport, but by the end, you’ll discover that that’s not really what the story is about […]
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VIP guests walk the red carpet for the opening night of West Side Story. The original Broadway classic is playing now until October 6th at the Joan Sutherland Theatre Sydney Opera House You can find more information and tickets HERE
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Sydney Festival has announced it’s first show of 2020 with Black Cockatoo, a bold new collaboration between screenwriter Geoffrey Atherden and festival artistic director Wesley Enoch. Premiereing at the festival, Black Cockatoo tells the story of legendary cricketer Johnny Mullagh, bringing together Sydney Festival and Ensemble Theatre to explore the tale of Australia’s first ever […]
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Our first look at the rehearsals for Chicago the musical playing at the Capitol Theatre this August and starring Natalie Bassingthwaighte as Roxie Hart, Alinta Chidzey as Velma Kelly and Casey Donovan as Matron ‘Mama’ Morton’
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Following a successful run earlier this year, Let’s Get It On: The Life and Music of Marvin Gaye is returning to Melbourne next week for a brief but anticipated encore run. Playing the main man in the production, Lillian Altman caught up with Bert LaBonte to talk about playing the iconic musician. Marvin Gaye lived […]
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This Canadian musical kicked off in Ontario back in 2013 before finally making its way to Broadway in 2017. Now, in 2019, the town of Gander has landed in Melbourne for its Australian premiere at the Comedy Theatre. Come From Away takes place in the week following the 9/11 attacks, where 38 planes and almost […]
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From the moment the Flesh Coloured Panties crew (consisting of Samantha Andrew, Erin Pattison, Annabel Larcombe and a Portable Closet) take to the stage with a rendition of “Salad with the Girls, But in a Gay Way”, the scene is set for an hour of deliciously crude and wildly inventive cabaret. With a focus on bisexuality, a […]
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One day, while shopping for school supplies, a little girl is kidnapped by a troll. She spends the next thirty years trapped in the troll’s house, gradually assimilating to his lifestyle. She cooks, cleans, and is careful to never look outside at the world beyond. Isolated and convinced of her own brokenness, only a giantess […]
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Brisbane’s The Sui Ensemble have brought immersive theatre to MELT, with the cabaret club inspired La Silhouette. Bringing tales from Brisbane’s queer history to life, audience members participate as club patrons, with (almost) entirely free reign to move and interact as they like throughout the show’s two hour running time. Will you accept owner George’s invitation […]
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Commander Ruby Slippers and her band of queer warriors are here and they’re ready to slay! Featuring acts from across Australia, I LOVE GAY is a cabaret style celebration of all the colours of the LGBTQ+ rainbow, and it’s damn near impossible not to get swept away in the fun. Produced by Slippers and Brisbane’s […]
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Tender Napalm is a dynamic play by English storyteller Philip Ridley bought to life in the Holden Street Theatre by Scuti Productions. Under the razor-sharp direction of Rachael Williams, Man and Woman (played brilliantly by Mark Healy and Carol Lawton) act out a veritable storybook of fantastic tales. The set is simple, stark and effective. […]
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A word of advice about Things I Know to be True – do not read any reviews about this play. Just see it. Immediately, if not sooner. Do not risk any twist, turn or roundabout being ruined for you. Having said that, here’s my thoughts. I went into this play with no expectations, having heard […]
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An impending wedding often brings out the worst in people. Familial and societal expectations collide with capitalism at the extreme of feminine expression. The wedding industrial complex magnifies every insecurity and extracts large sums from its subjects. Where women on the larger end of the body spectrum deal with constant reminders and callouts regarding their […]
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Anywhere Festival is in full swing in the River City and while theatre fans are hopping from one curious venue to another, Jane from H.R. is hosting her first orgy at the Metropolitan Motor Inn in Brisbane’s Spring Hill. Presented by Lady Beard & Co., Gumtree Orgy is both wickedly funny and heart-achingly timely, as […]
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After thirty seven years, Barnum: The Circus Musical – which debuted on Broadway in 1980 – has returned to Australia for a strictly limited season. This astounding blend of musical theatre and circus acts lights up Melbourne’s iconic Comedy Theatre and fills it with laughs, awe, and magic for a night of pure fun. Set […]
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Widely regarded as one of the greatest musicals of all time, the original 1957 production of West Side Story stunned audiences and changed the game for American musical theatre going forward. Since then there have been a multitude of productions focused on retelling this timeless story to new audiences. In 1961 it received a film […]
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