West Gate (MTC), at Southbank Theatre, The Sumner – theatre review
It happened more than 55 years ago – on 15th October, 1970 – and was…
amplified: The Exquisite Rock and Rage of Chrissy Amphlett, at the Comedy Theatre and Seymour Centre – narrative concert review
The force of nature that was the late, great Chrissy Amphlett is alive and well in the form of Sheridan Harbridge (who wrote, performs in and co-created this show). No, she isn’t and could never be Amphlett (25th October, 1959 – 21st April, 2013). But she pays her the ultimate tribute in this masterful narrative…
The Great Gatsby: A Jazz Ballet Odyssey (BIG Live), at Her Majesty’s Theatre and touring – ballet/dance review
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic 1925 novel is reimagined for the stage in a fusion of ballet, tap and jazz. BIG Live is a welcome new voice in the performing arts – a ballet company where tradition meets innovation. Alongside narration of the tragic Gatsby storyline is a stunning score, bold choreography, striking sets and costuming,…
FLORA (The Australian Ballet x Bangarra Dance Theatre), at Regent Theatre – ballet/dance review
How to create a compelling world premiere program with life sustaining plants at its epicentre. That was the challenge. Combining the supreme talents of The Australian Ballet and Bangarra Dance Theatre for a fourth time was a masterstroke … for the result is astounding. The creative excellence is next level. The surprises jaw dropping. The…
ART, at Playhouse, QPAC and touring – theatre review
ART is just the sort of theatre work that we need right now. It’s funny; it makes you laugh; it cheers you up if you’re feeling down – all those good things. And even if that’s all it does, then that’s perfectly okay. Luckily, it does a little more than that because it also raises…
West Gate (MTC), at Southbank Theatre, The Sumner – theatre review
It happened more than 55 years ago – on 15th October, 1970 – and was Australia’s worst industrial accident. I speak of the West Gate Bridge collapse. Thirty-five workers died and 18 were injured. In fact, due to several issues before the bridge fell – identified in the findings of the subsequent Royal Commission –…
Project Hail Mary (M) – 156 minutes – movie review
The expression Hail Mary refers to a last-ditch attempt at an unlikely outcome. And so it is that Project Hail Mary is about a desperate effort to save planet Earth from a destructive force. The sun is dying and with it half the world’s population is expected to be wiped out within 30 years. The…
Colours of Time (part of the French Film Festival) – movie review
A comedic drama romance, Colours of Time is intriguing tale about the past and how it can help inform the future. A developer is expanding a shopping centre and a countryside home in Normandy –abandoned for decades and suspended in time – stands in the way. A meeting is called of 30 ancestors of the…
REBEL, at The MC Showroom – musical theatre review
REBEL is a musical that delves into one man’s journey to discover his true self. It is an exploration of family, community, music and being queer in the USA in the 1940s to 1960s. The story is set in a New York bar in 1969, where cowboy Davey (Maxwell Simon) narrates his life as a…
Year of the Rooster (Spinning Plates Co.), at fortyfivedownstairs – theatre review
Bold and bodacious, why wouldn’t I start crowing about Year of the Rooster (the third part of what has become known as The Beast Trilogy by Spinning Plates Co.)? The others were The Crocodile (2023) and Rhinoceros (2024). Year of the Rooster is theatre of the absurd on steroids, with larger-than-life characters that bring attitude….
The Diary of Anne Frank, at the Athenaeum Theatre (Melbourne) and State Theatre (Sydney) – theatre review
Anne Frank’s story is a tragic but inspiring one and it is played out in dramatic fashion on stage. As Jews, when her Dutch family was forced to go into hiding during the Holocaust, she was gifted a diary, which she wrote in religiously. It contained her innermost thoughts about those she was with and…
