Reviews

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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….

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

The 1994 motion picture Muriel’s Wedding, written and directed by PJ Hogan, thrust stars Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths to International stardom and instantly became an Australian cult classic. Grossing an equivalent of AU$117 million, today, even those unfamiliar with its origins know its iconic quotes. Now adapted into a humorous, smart and colourful stage…

It was Wet Side Story at Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour on Friday night. Leonard Bernstein’s Broadway classic was an emotionally-charged and important affair. It may have been over 60 years since this musical first premiered in the States, but its themes and feel remain as fresh and resonant as ever. This production is the…

One of the more obscure installations at this year’s Adelaide Fringe was the pop-up store, Self – Human Soap. Nestled away in King William Street in the CBD, it looks as inviting as any other high-end beauty store, but this store has a marked difference to the others. Schuldfabrik is a German word, where ‘schuld’…

It’s always worth paying close attention when a Las Vegas production signs on for a substantial extension, even years after it has already been playing in the same spot. It means the show has become its own sizable piece in the endless jigsaw of culture, class and crass that is a typical night on the…

Israeli-born, London-based choreographer, Hofesh Shechter has had an impressive CV since 2007, when he released his critically acclaimed work “In your rooms”. Grand Finale is the first of his full-length works to be presented in Australia as part of the Adelaide Festival. The Hofesh Schechter Company is a diverse group of international dancers from eight…

It would be a mistake to describe Foehn as a puppet show. Not because that is wrong, but because it is much more than that. French performance artist Phia Ménard became a juggler, performance artist and director of the Compagnie Non Nova in the 1990’s. She describes the movement of air as being present at…

Note: this play includes references to self-harm and suicide. The topic of youth suicide, particularly within Indigenous communities has been part of recent conversations. Josh Bond and Ursula Yovich, the co-director and playwright of “Man with the Iron Neck” have this to say about the play: “We are overwhelmed everyday and it’s not because of…

I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Jersey Boys, the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons has returned to Melbourne for 8 weeks and you don’t want to miss out on this breathtaking musical. It follows the journey of four blue-collar boys as they rose through the ranks to become one of the…

The top floor of the now defunct Adelaide Uni Bar complex has been repurposed as a Fringe Venue. The Attic is an appropriate venue to present three of the original members of Pussy Riot in a reflection of their imprisonment in Russian jails. With six members of the collective, a type of punk rock opera…

The universe of Harry Potter is one that has been enamoured internationally amongst all generations for over twenty years now. With the first book of the series being released in 1997, many of us grew up alongside the franchise and the story seems to bind a deep, personal connection with those who read it. Despite reaching the…

The Caretaker focuses on three men in their natural habitat. The renowned, Harold Pinter play is a character-driven one that explores the relationship between a homeless man and two brothers. The story is a dense, dialogue-driven piece that unfolds within the confines of a West London flat. Some viewers may enjoy its clever lines, but…

Adelaide born Matt Tarrant has made magic his career and it has served him well as the highest selling solo act of the 2018 Adelaide Fringe after many years of awards and a 2017 stint on Australian Survivor. This year Matt returns to the Fringe with a show called More Unsolved. The show opens with…

The walrus was Paul, Clapton was God and Lennon is Legend. John Waters knows this because he’s had a lot of practice. Playing the tribute show, Lennon: Glass Onion since 1992, he sure knows how to live and breathe John Lennon. Oh, and that’s along with a little help from a friend called, Stewart D’Arrietta….

The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society have returned to Sydney, which may be a surprise to some considering the rather disastrous turn of events in their last production, The Murder at Haversham Manor. Now, they’re back thanks to a sizeable donation from the Uncle of one of the cast members, Max, and here to present their…

A weather report can be a clichéd way to open a review. But when it’s opening night of Jesus Christ Superstar and it has rained to biblical proportions, what do you do? You can sing, “Christ you know it ain’t easy” or tell people that Parramatta has been turned into a scene from Noah’s ark,…

Counting and Cracking was Belvoir and Sydney Festival’s lead production for 2019, launching with much fervour and excited rumour. A stadium worthy theatre piece purpose-built into Sydney Town Hall. A global casting call for 17 performers playing over 50 characters. Five languages on stage. A Sri Lankan meal awaiting each audience member as they arrive….

It should come as no shock that a theatre show about one of our nation’s greatest artists looks fabulous. The world premiere of Brett & Wendy…A Love Story Bound By Art is one vivid and lyrical look at two creative tour de forces. This production is an ambitious one that covers a lot in its…

They say you should write about what you know. You get the sense that Lin-Manuel Miranda did just that with In The Heights. This musical is the first one that the Hamilton creator ever wrote. It’s also a love letter to his loud and proud Puerto Rican heritage and the colourful people from his neighbourhood,…