Reviews


A Serene Soundscape: Noonan & Schaupps Southern Skies Volume 2

On the traditional lands of the Dharug people, The Parramatta Riverside Theatre played host to a celestial journey through the works of Australia’s brightest female songwriters and singe...

Welcome to Yiddishland: Reviving A Dying Language

Ros Horin’s Welcome to Yiddishland is a charming and lighthearted exploration of modern art and the Yiddish language. We are introduced to a host of characters who are exploring the Yidd...

Kid Sister Film Review

Kid Sister: What a masterfully funny and refreshing television series. Created and written by Simone Nathan, who also brilliantly portrayed the lead role of ‘Lulu’ in the series; ‘K...

Fuhrer and Seducer Film Review

‘Fake news’ is a term we are all too familiar with. However, it was not invented by one of the candidates in the current USA elections. Joseph Goebbels, the Minister of Propaganda in A...

Family Fun and Wonder: Michael Boyd’s Magical Spectacle

Mystique: where magic meets emotion, and the impossible becomes an unforgettable reality. In a dazzling display of sleight of hand and showmanship, Michael Boyd proves that illusion is not...

All About the Levkoviches

All About the Levkoviches is about love, inclusion, and the need to be accepted especially by your family. It tells the story of a well-meaning but tenacious boxing coach, Tamás, who gets ...

Diane Warren Relentless: Eccentric Honest and Real

“Diane Warren: Relentless” is a documentary that portrays the making of one of the world’s most successful songwriters. A Golden Globe, Oscar and Grammy winner, this film is an hon...

Falling into Place: British Film Festival

Set against the stark backdrop of a bleak Scottish winter, “Falling into Place” invites viewers into a world where two lost souls briefly collide in a bar, igniting a day filled with f...

Hard Truths: British Film Festival

Set among the lush gilded halls of the Palace Cinemas in Como begins this year’s British Film Festival here in Melbourne for 2024! Upon arrival, I was guided towards a table filled with ...

Blur: Live At Wembley Stadium – Timeless

The film “Blur: Live at Wembley Stadium,” directed by Tony L, is a concert film that shows the well-loved alternative/rock band Blur performing their songs to hundreds in Wembley. The ...

Poison: British Film Festival

Poison is a film that examines the relationship between a long-separated couple and their shared grief over the loss of a child. Premiering in Australia as part of the British Film Festiva...

This Time Next Year: British Film Festival

“This Time Next Year” isn’t just your average romantic comedy; it’s a delightful romp that delivers laughs while diving deeper into the messy, complicated nature of love and life. ...

The Stones and Brian Jones: British Film Festival

This is a story about a very unsure, depressed, anxious young man who just happened to form the greatest rock and roll band of all time. I’m a fan. I’ve been a fan of The Rolling Ston...

The Elvis Big Band Tribute Show

The Elvis Big Band Tribute Show is touring Melbourne and regional Victoria, so for all of you Elvis-loving fans out there, head out and enjoy a night of music dedicated to The King. Being...

Your Name Means Dream

Wow. I am going to put this front and centre: if you love seeing high-quality acting and theatre, go and see ‘Your Name Means Dream’ at Red Stitch Actors Theatre. What a phenomenal pla...

Verona Takes Centre Stage in Shakespeare-In-Between: Romeo & Jul

Romeo and Juliet, famously, only had eyes for each other. But what about the rest of poor old Verona? Enter ‘Shakespeare-In-Between: Romeo & Juliet’. In a new play created by Scott Jac...

The Wolves present: Marooned

The lights go up to illuminate a minimalistic stage with clouds floating on a screen behind, as we are introduced to our cast of chara...

Blur: A Home in the Country

Blur: To the End is a documentary that takes fans behind the scenes of Blur’s long-awaited return to the studio to record their firs...

Crimson Gully

12 Powerful and engrossing, Crimson Gully is a brilliantly written play by Sreekanth Gopalakrishnan.Set in the 1990s, the story centres...

Scandalous Cabaret

Scandalous Cabaret is a fusion of Circus, Comedy and Cabaret all rolled into one travelling act in a tent. With a larger cast of twelv...

Grand Horizons

1 The name “Grand Horizons” evokes an image of expansive possibilities, a bright future, and a world of untapped potential....

The Kingdom of Eucalypts: The Enigma of Miles Franklin

Thursday night’s rainy Halloween seemed a fitting time to see a play about the ageing, once-successful Australian writer and activist Miles Franklin, who is haunted by her past. Moira B...

Put Some ‘DO RE MI’ Into Your Life!

8 The Sound of Music at the Melville Theatre Company revisits the famous story of a novice sent to work for a widowed naval captain and...

The 39 Steps – Tugun Theatre

3 The 39 Steps is a comedic and farcical adventure that follows an ordinary man thrown into the throes of a spy action thriller.The uni...

Verona Takes Centre Stage in Shakespeare-In-Between: Romeo & Juliet

1 Romeo and Juliet, famously, only had eyes for each other. But what about the rest of poor old Verona? Enter ‘Shakespeare-In-Between...

Madwoman Monologues

The Butterfly Club has once again been set alight by brilliantly talented performers as part of the final season of Madwoman Monologues. The show is produced by female-oriented theatre ...

Peter And The Starcatcher

Ever wonder how Peter Pan came to be in Neverland? Or how he got his name? Or the exact means by which Captain Hook ‘acquired’ (or...

Madwoman Monologues

1 The Butterfly Club has once again been set alight by brilliantly talented performers as part of the final season of Madwoman Monologu...

MARVELous The Show

If you’re a Marvel fan, you’ll want to get to the National Theatre in St Kilda this week. MARVELous has hit Melbourne for one week only. But you don’t just have to be a Marvel fan...

YENTL

The Kadimah Yiddish Theatre has done something extraordinary with their story of Yentl – now showing at the Playhouse at the Sydney Opera House: they have reclaimed Isaac Bashevis Sing...

Little Theatre Presents: The 39 Steps

Director Mark Wickett with the University of Adelaide Theatre Guild definitely had the audience roaring with laughter. Written as a spy thriller by John Buchanan and later adapted for fi...

Wife – An Exploration

What is the meaning of the word Wife? Australian playwright, Samuel Adamson’s script, explores gender roles and expectations of marriage through four-time chapters and three generation...

Shark Island Presents: The Pool

After making waves at the Sydney Film Festival, Ian Darling’s The Pool will be released this November. The film presents Bondi Icebergs as we know them and as we have never seen them. Da...

Film Review: Weekend In Taipei

From the visionary creator of The Fifth Element, Luc Besson comes the exhilarating action film Weekend in Taipei. You don’t have to wait for long before the first action scene...

The Crying Room: Exhumed

As we walk into a space with furniture covered with material, it feels like visiting an old mansion where memories are preserved from the passage of time under dust cloths. We become, inad...

The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave

‘The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave’ is a dance and movement work that pulses with all the varied energy of an hours-long dance floor. Created in Auckland by queer, indigenous direct...

Brolga: A Queer Koori Wonderland

Saturday, 26 October, saw Bay 17 at Carriageworks Redfern transformed into a psychedelic spectacle, the latest incarnation of multidisciplinary artist and Wiradjuri man Joel Bray’s Brolg...

Food, Wine and Good Times

Brisbane Good Food and Wine Festival Rating Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of attending the Good Food and Wine Show at the Brisbane Convention Centre. Featuring over 300 exhibitors fr...

Film Review: Trust (2024)

Trust emerges as a standout film for this year’s St ALi’s Italian Film Festival, running nationwide at Palace Cinemas from September 18 to October 23. It invites viewers into an intr...

There’s Still Tomorrow Film Review

Let me set the scene for you. Italy, post WWII. We are being introduced to what one assumes to be another black-and-white, a run-of-the-mill black-and-white post-war movie to doze off to ...

Review | SIX the Musical

Step into the royal extravaganza as SIX the Musical arrives in Melbourne, igniting electrifying emotions with its daring and empowering reimagining of history. In the world of SIX the Mus...

Jack And Millie

So, a story about cancer. A topic and illness infamously known as a big damper on pretty much everything. How does one convey a story with a sense of positivity, of movement, of life sti...

Eucalyptus: The Opera

A beautifully fluid and enchanting story is what first comes to my mind in sitting to write this review on the new EUCALYPTUS: THE OPERA I must mention firstly that I am new to ‘opera...

The True Cost of Living at the Melbourne Theatre Company

The phrase “cost of living” has been in the headlines for months, typically evoking the daily grind of bills and inflation. However, Cost of Living, staged by the Melbourne Theatre C...

Global Smash Club: A Full-Throttle Cabaret Spectacle

Exuding colour, light, and all things sublime, Finucane & Smith’s ‘Global Smash Club’ celebrates its 20th anniversary exactly as it came into the world: with a glorious bang. Openin...

The Queen's Nanny

‘The Queen’s Nanny’ opened in Wollongong on the 16th of October at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre. Fresh from their world premiere season at Sydney’s Ensemble Theatre, ‘The...

Maria Montessori Film Review

Léa Todorov’s directorial debut feature film ‘Maria Montessori’ offers a biopic of the Italian doctor’s journey in revolutionising children’s pedagogy. Maria Montessori transf...

The Beautiful Summer

Adapted from Cesare Pavese’s 1949 novel, ‘The Beautiful Summer’ written and directed by Laura Luchetti offers an evocative portrayal of self-discovery, longing, and sensual awakeni...

Green Day’s American Idiot – A Punk Rock Opera

It’s been twenty years this September 2024 since Green Day’s American Idiot album, dubbed a “punk rock opera” by their own band members was released. The title song written by Bi...

Ghostlight: Heartwarming With A Dash Of Shakespeare

Ghostlight is a heartwarming film that blends comedy and drama through its exploration of grief and healing. This film is an excellent look into how a family may come together (or not) a...

The Critic Sydney Film Review: McKellen Wows in British Period T

In Anand Tucker’s The Critic, an impressive British cast leads the audience through an enjoyable, if underwhelming, artistic thriller. Ian McKellen plays the titular role of drama theat...

The Critic Melbourne Film Review: Occasional Beauty

Behind a cloud of cigarette smoke and in a drunken haze appears Sir Ian McKellan (Lord of the Rings), playing the despicable Jimmy Erskine in The Critic (2024). In this film, there is th...

Murder by the Book – A Delightfully Dark Murder Mystery

A well thought out murder has always been the premise for a juicy plot. A traditional whodunnit which has red herrings and hidden clues, complete with an eccentric detective. This is wha...

Iphigenia In Splott: Full of Heart and Swagger

Wow! This award-winning play, written by Gary Owen and directed by Gary Abrahams, was a sharp, funny, and insightful social commentary that had us hooked from the second we filed into our ...

Leather Lungs: Shut Up and Sing – Big Boots, Big Hair, Bigger He

It’s September in Sydney – time for the largest arts festival in NSW The Sydney Fringe Festival, to come alive. Over 400 events are being hosted across multi venues. I visited the Vi...

Veronica’s Room

Who is Veronica? Who is Susan? Is it 1973? Or is it 1935? These and so many other questions are explored and eventually answered in the expertly written psychological thriller by Americ...

Bonnie Lythgoe’s Snow White – A Magical Spectacle for All Ages

Bonnie Lythgoe Productions celebrated its tenth anniversary with a brand-new production of Snow White. The latest pantomime opened over the weekend at Riverside Theatre, delivering enchant...

Sweeney Todd Presented by Victorian Opera

Sweeney Todd has again emerged from the shadows into the Melbourne limelight, with audiences greeting this season’s combined Victorian Opera and New Zealand Opera cast with rapturous app...

Karate Man – A Brilliantly Clever Interactive Live Action Comedy

If you have ever played a video game, you’d feel the excitement of pressing a combination of different buttons on the controller and moving your character around the screen – to figh...

Redcliffe Musical Theatre Presents The Lovely Bones

Redcliffe Musical Theatre’s interpretation of “The Lovely Bones” is a spellbinding, tragic tale of the Salmon family as they navigate the grief and the investigation behind the mur...

Guards At The Taj: Beauty But at What Cost?

This is a tale of deep friendship, loyalty and duty – and beauty. In 1648, two Imperial Guards stand tall, dressed proudly in blue and silver uniforms with their backs to the ornate ga...

The Ransom Letter: A Play Reading Dressed to Impress

With actors and attendees alike dressed in their best 1920s glad rags, Marty MonStar’s “The Ransom Letter” transformed an intimate North Melbourne venue into a night of mystery, intr...

A Horse Named Winx – Gallops To The Cinema!

I’ve taken a jockey’s view seat at the beautifully posh Como Cinema in South Yarra – a perfect place to see the new big screen preview on the life of ‘Winx’, an Australian thor...

Fourteen; A Coming-of-Age Memoir

There are plays which immerse the audience immediately. Fourteen, originally a memoir by Shannon Molloy and adapted by Nelle Lee, Nick Skubij and the author, grabs our attention and takes us...

Jurrungu Ngan-ga – Straight Talk

Jurrungu Ngan-ga [Straight Talk] opened at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre last night with a powerful and soul-gazing performance. The amalgamation of dance, music and drama crea...

Nana’s Naughty Knickers – Naughty Good Fun

Hubby and I rode our scooter to our local theatre, The Arts Theatre on Angas Street, Adelaide, to see Nana’s Naughty Knickers. What happens when Bridget and her lively grandmother b...

King Lear: Presented by The Theatre Guild

The University of Adelaide Theatre Guild have placed their production of King Lear in a post-apocalyptic dystopian setting which is set amidst the madness of a world in ruins more than...

Thinner Than Water

‘Thinner Than Water’ written by Melissa Ross and directed by Tim Williams, offers a nuanced portrayal of a fractured family drawn together during a time of crisis. The play focuses o...

Piper: By Frenzy Theatre

Seeing the opening night performance of PIPER presented by Frenzy Theatre Co and Theatreworks has renewed my faith in live theatre as a place of exuberance and joy. The show takes the ...

Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre – Romeo & Julie

Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre’s Romeo & Julie is a captivating and raw modern tale of young love. Loosely inspired by the star-crossed lovers of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet...

THE TUNDRA WITHIN ME - Scandinavian Film Festival

Sara Margrethe Oskal’s first feature film was anOfficial Selection of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, the 2024 Göteborg Film Festival, and the 2024 Tromsø Internationa...

Review: Sunset Boulevard, Princess Theatre

A Melange of Glamour, Tragedy, and Timeless Resonance! The Princess Theatre was packed to the brim for the grand opening of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard Musical. After nearly th...

La Rondine (The Swallow)

The Victorian Opera’s production of “La Rondine” (“The Swallow”), written by Giacomo Puccini, was an incredible experience. This production featured the remarkable Australian o...

It’s simply MARVELous: A Risque Parody

The big energy opening number to MARVELous: A Risque Parody gave the audience a taste of what was to come. There were showgirls dressed in sexy red, white and blue outfits, high kicking, sin...

It Ends with Us - A Review

It Ends with Us, led by director Justin Baldoni and starring the talented Blake Lively, is a cinematic adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestseller. This movie guides viewers through a rollerco...

Show Review: Melbourne International Elvis Festival 2024

The 2024 Melbourne International Elvis Festival staged at the National Theatre in St Kilda offers a 3-hour-long time capsule, transporting Elvis fans back to the pinnacle era of star-studd...

Sunset Strip: The Bonds of Family and Forgiveness

Award-winning playwright Suzie Miller (Prima Facie, Sold, Cross Sections, Reasonable Doubt) doesn’t shy away from writing about the painful parts of life. Her previous plays have been ab...

Anywhere Festival: Set Me On Fire

Samara Louise’s play, SET ME ON FIRE, is a deeply moving play about the ugly side of family ties, the angst of artistic temperament, and the longing for a better life. Through the e...

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Adam Cooper’s directorial debut Sleeping Dogs tries to reckon with jealousy, power, perception, and memory but never reaches the heights of genre classics like Se7en or Memento, which ...

Spanish Film Festival: Jokes and Cigarettes

Director David Trueba says of his film Jokes and Cigarettes – “This is a film about humour, and survival. Eugenio was one of the most popular comedians of the Transition. Everything ab...

Spanish Film Festival: Artificial Justice

Artificial Justice is an offering from Spanish filmmaker Simon Casal as part of the HBSC Spanish Film Festival. The film poses an important ethical question for our times: AI versus humani...

Spanish Film Festival: Upon Open Sky

Upon Open Sky is a Mexican crime drama set in the 90s, mainly in the Coahuila desert, an arid expanse covering much of the border between Mexico and the US. It is based on a screenplay by ...

Spanish Film Festival: Un Amor

Un Amor is a delirious dive into the torment experienced by a young woman who walked away from the stress of her work interpreting the tragic stories of refugees and moved to La Escapa, a ...

Spanish Film Festival: A Ravaging Wind

‘A Ravaging Wind’ is the story of a young girl, Leni, who travels with her preacher father, Reverend Pearson, around towns in rural Argentina. He is an evangelical preacher spreading ...

Bernie Dieters Club Kabarett

Bernie Dieter is back with a bootylicious BANG and its settings on stun! Dare to enter if you can handle the heat. A sultry fusion of circus, song and sexy burlesque, where the thrill o...

Macbeth (An Undoing)

It seems to be a trend of late to take well-known stories and shift the narrative to one of the other characters in that world or perhaps take fragments unexplained and fill them, usually ...

Sam King – Tricks & Stuff – A Close Up Magic Experience

“I am Bubble.” This single line by Sam King perfectly sums up ‘Tricks & Stuff,’ his funny yet strangely absurd close up magic show. Delivered in a small venue not much larger than...

CIRQUE BON BON

Cirque Bon Bon made its grand debut at the Atheneum Theatre in Melbourne last night, leaving the audiences delighted by their experience. This extraordinary production is reminiscent of the ...

English Eccentrics: An Opera

Eccentricism is, by definition, “an unusual or odd behaviour on the part of an individual”.Victorian Opera offers a memorable exposé of 19th-century characters of British Society who ...

Sam King presents TA DA: The Ramblings of a Magician

Great magic does not have to be big and extravagant to entertain, and Sam King proves this in his award-winning show, “Sam King Presents TA DA: The Ramblings of a Magician”. Perfectly...

Duck Pond: Acrobatics Meet Avian Antics!

Pirouettes, waddles, and aerial feats – bodies defying gravity and whimsy taking flight. Circa Contemporary Circus presents ‘Duck Pond’, a fusion of fairy tales that redefines the bo...

Unveiling the Untold Story of Wicked!

Melbourne’s Regent Theatre was filled with magic as the spellbinding musical Wicked took the stage. The storytelling unfolds from the moment the show begins, immersing the audience in a wo...

The Exotic Lives of Lola Montez at Chapel Off Chapel

Attending the latest production of “The Exotic Lives of Lola Montez” at Chapel Off Chapel was an exhilarating and unforgettable experience. This show is a kaleidoscopic journey through...

Blood in the Water

Playwright Jorja Bentley has authored a gripping and provocative theatre show with ‘Blood in the Water’. The show comes laden with content warnings: sexual violence, violence against chi...

The Last Train to Madeline

The Last Train to Madeline is an emotive and nostalgic play that follows childhood best friends Maddy and Luke in Wangaratta from the ages of 8, 16, and 23 as their lives collide. Sta...

The Ballad of Maria Marten – Giving Voice to the Victim

“It’s been a year since I died, and still nobody has found me.” A shadow emerges from a barn. It’s a figure in britches, and so begins a tale that captured the mass attention of peo...

Shrapnel

‘Shrapnel’, performed by Natalie Gamsu at Fortyfive Downstairs, is a distinctly charming recital depicting Gamsu’s life from being a young Jewish girl living in Namibia to performing...

Sydney: Good Food & Wine Show

I have three recommendations for attending the Good Food and Wine Show. One is to bring a trolley. It's not a shopping cart trolley, but a stand-up two-wheeled trolley will do just fine. T...

The Promised Land Film Review

The inimitable Mads Mikkelsen heads the cast of this epic drama, set in 18th Century Jutland, Denmark. The main narrative revolves around one Captain Ludvig von Kahlen (Mikkelsen,) a long-...

Sydney Film Festival: Super/Man The Christopher Reeve Story

The directors Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedgui present the documentary Super / Man: The Christopher Reeve Story to the world and by doing so, they bring him to a whole new generation of peop...

Sydney Film Festival – The Outrun

According to Orkney Island folklore, when people drown in the sea they get turned into seals. These creatures, called Selkies, secretly come back to land at night to dance in human form, b...

Sydney Film Festival – Aquarius

If you live in Australia, then it’s likely you’ve heard of Nimbin, famous for peace, love, and hippies. But it wasn’t always that way. In 1973, a group of university students from Sy...

Moonlight and Magnolias

Margaret Mitchell’s Civil War epic, Gone With the Wind, was published in 1936 and became an international bestseller. It was adapted into a movie in 1939, which garnered eight Academy Aw...

Highway of Lost Hearts: Heart, Soul, and the Open Road

‘Highway of Lost Hearts’. What a beautiful title for a beautiful play. A captivating blend of gritty road trip realism and magical storytelling that explores an individual’s search f...

Merrily We Roll Along

According to theatre director Tim Hill, he asked himself how he could get the massive Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim’s “often forgotten masterpiece” Merrily We Roll Along do...

Rootless Cosmopolitan

With the title of “Rootless Cosmopolitans”, I half expected to turn up and see Carrie and the gals from “Sex and the City” sipping cocktails and comparing notes on the past week...

Melbourne: Good Food & Wine Festival

The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, held from 31 May to 2 June 2024 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC), offers an unparalleled opportunity for food and wine enthusi...

Film Review – Io Capitano

The latest film from Matteo Garrone, Io Capitano, is definitely worth a watch! It is a coming-of-age film for two young men, Seydour, played by Seydou Sarr and Moussa, played by Moustsphas F...

Limbo The Return – A Transcendental Glimpse into Another World

The cast of Limbo The Return was extraordinary! Playing to a packed sell-out house at The Grand Electric, their opening Sydney performance transported the audience to a place of colour, musi...

Cirque du Soleil's LUZIA

Last week, Cirque du Soleil opened their magnificent show LUZIA in the heart of the Flemington Racecourse. The sight of the big top triggered memories of Cirque du Soleil's previous visit t...

Behind The Headline Of The Front Page

Picture this. The sound of a typewriter, the keys furiously tapping, while multiple phones sound their distinctive “brrrrring!” under a cloud of cigarette smoke. This is the 1920’s, in...

A Case For The Existence of God

“A Case for the Existence of God”, presented at the Red Stitch Actors Theatre, offers an intimate and thought-provoking theatrical experience propelled by the exciting performances o...

Dear Diary

'Dear Diary’, written by Kay Proudlove and directed by Leland Kean, opened last night at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre. The one-woman show, starring Proudlove, is a balanced mix of ...

Venture Down the Rabbit Hole with Alice in Wonderland

Under a sunny and exceptionally warm Autumn Saturday, families with young children arrive at the Pioneer Gardens expecting to see beloved characters from Alice in Wonderland. They were soon ...

360 ALLSTARS Circle Back For Another Round

The 360 ALLSTARS are celebrating the anniversary of their first performance in 2013 by taking their phenomenal show on the road across a four-continent world tour. Their tour landed at T...

Kaboom! A Cracking Science Show for Kids

Kaboom! Do you like ice cream? What about your air conditioning? I’ll bet you especially enjoy not having Polio, don’t you? If you think science is a boring subject best left to sch...

A Playful Parody – Potted Potter Returns to The Seymour Centre

What began as a skit in 2005 to entertain people lining up to buy Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in a London bookstore has become Potted Potter, a smash hit sell-out show all aroun...

Hannah Gadsby Woof!

Hannah Gadsby brings their new show “Woof” to Melbourne Arts Centre for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Their star has risen well and truly since her show Nanette hit Netf...

Tempo Tumbles into Riverside!

Tempo opens with the Flying Fruit Fly Circus ensemble spilling out of the body of a grand piano and executing a precise and impressive flurry of floor acrobatic athleticism. Each tumble,...

French Film Festival: The Edge Of The Blade

Ooh la la—it’s time for the 35th Annual French Film Festival. This year’s festival runs from 5 March to early to mid-April, depending on where you live. So, stock up on your favo...

French Film Festival – The Book Of Solutions

French Film Festival – The Book Of Solutions 12 March 2024 by Kat Skarbek The Book of Solutions is a quirky, sometimes funny, sometimes confusing comedy-drama from writer-dir...

Atlantis

In the opening scene of Lally Katz’s semi-autobiographical play Atlantis, Lally confides in her boyfriend at the time, Dave, about an important dream she had involving a panther, friends...

Wild Dogs Under My Skirt

Tusiata Avia’s Wild Dogs Under My Skirt has made its way across the ditch from New Zealand to the Illawarra. Adapted from Avia’s poetry collection of the same name, it invites the audi...

A Mid-Autumn Night’s Frenzy Of Laughter And Joy

Often, the idea of seeing a Shakespearian play conjures up similarities to visiting the opera, symphony, or ballet. There’s a stigma of intelligence, stuffiness, sophistication, and class....

Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery

The Adelaide Rep’s first offering for 2024 at their home of the Art’s Theatre is Baskerville -A Sherlock Holmes Mystery. Written by Ken Ludwig, it is based on the story by Sir Arthur...

Circus of Illusion Comes to The State Theatre

The Circus of Illusion show has entertained audiences all around Australia for years. Produced, directed, and featuring acclaimed Australia’s Got Talent finalist illusionist Michael Bo...

RBG: Of Many, One

‘RBG; Of Many, One’, a play by Suzie Miller, has made its way to Wollongong. Originally a Sydney Theatre Company production, ‘RBG’ saw a sold-out opening night at the Illawarra Per...

Murder Village: An Improvised Whodunnit

Enter a world of mystery and intrigue where the classic tales of Agatha Christie come to life in unexpected ways. This thrilling new show is back by popular demand and promises to keep you...

Boeing Boeing – A Fun Ride On An Old Classic

As the lights dimmed and the last few people made their way to their seats, I turned to my friend and said they should play the message tone familiar to anyone who’s hopped on a plane. M...

The Rocky Horror Show is back

The Rocky Horror Show is back, and it is like déjà vu all over again! Last year, in May, this outrageous and outrageously fabulous production took the stage at the Atheneum Theatre in Melb...

The King’s Singers

The King’s Singers (KS) is a classical music supergroup with two Grammys and one Emmy that performs over 100 concerts per season all over the world. If you haven’t heard of them, then ...

Sherlock Holmes: The Last Act

I love Fringe time – Adelaide comes alive for Mad-March, which starts in February. There are so many shows, many returning favourites, and hundreds of new favourites, such as Sherlock Ho...

Much Ado About Nothing

The Australian Shakespeare Company has revitalised "Much Ado About Nothing", staged at the enchanting Melbourne Botanical gardens by blending original rock-pop music and ballads into th...

Adelaide Fringe: England & Son

A harsh spotlight and blood-curdling cry jolted me out of any prior expectations with Mark Thomas’ one-man rendition of ‘England & Son,’ written by Ed Edwards and Directed by Cressid...

Adelaide Fringe – Meg in the Magic Toyshop

The Adelaide Fringe’s Meg In The Magic Toyshop is a G-rated children’s production showing in the Atrium at The Warehouse Theatre. Children’s shows are often a hit-and-miss. Espec...

We Have Never Been Modern Film | Europa Film Festival

We Have Never Been Modern is a 2023 Czech-Slovak crime drama directed by Matej Chlupacek and written by Miro Sifra. The film is set in 1937 in a town that is being transformed into a moder...

Cabaret De Paris

2 March 2024 Seven Moulin Rouge trained showgirls in sparkly sequinned skimpy bikini outfits, balanced by feather headdresses and boas and in impossibly high heels accentuating their ve...

The Wharf Review – Pride in Prejudice

Being a Pom, if I had seen this production advertised, I would honestly have said, “No, not for me.” I’m not interested in politics beyond the important issues, and Australian politi...

Send For Nellie

The opening night of ‘Send For Nellie’ is a bright and deeply captivating performance celebrating and commemorating the life of Sydney’s own cross-dressing cabaret queen, Nellie Smal...

The Great Escaper Makes a Clean Getaway

In a poignant blend of humour, adventure, and heartfelt drama, “The Great Escaper” stands as a cinematic tribute to the enduring spirit of love and camaraderie shaped by the crucible o...

The Choir of Man

"The Choir of Man" kicked off their captivating performance last night at the Melbourne Arts Centre, Playhouse Theatre. With an authentic British pub atmosphere, audience members were warmly...

The Hello Girls Answer The Call

The Hello Girls have arrived at Hayes Theatre, and Sydneysiders are in for a treat. Friday night’s audience were enthralled, right from the raucous opening exhortation to “Answer T...

Shaken and Stirred – An Evening With James Bond

When listening to some movie soundtracks, certain iconic notes link that song to a movie and are immediately recognisable, similar to lines recited where you know precisely which Shakespea...

Blurred Lines – A Review of the Film May December

May December is the new comedy-drama (leaning heavily into the drama) from acclaimed director Todd Haynes of Carol and Far From Heaven fame. Haynes has a penchant for stories about comp...

Coup de Chance

The title Coup de Chance means “Stroke of Luck,” and it refers to the theme of luck that snakes its way through the movie. A struggling writer named Alain buys a lottery ticket for his ...

Circus 1903

Imagine stepping back in time to the enchanting world of Circus 1903. This extraordinary show captures the essence of a bygone era, transporting both young and old to a magical place where t...

Alice in Wonderland – A Timeless Classic

Penny Farrows’s production of Alice in Wonderland is a colourful and creative retelling of Lewis Caroll’s classic tale and the marvellous adventures his Alice gets up to. This produ...

A Very Naughty Christmas – Naughty and Nice

Woodward Productions’ A Very Naughty Christmas does exactly what it says on the tin and does it exceedingly well. Both hilarious and heartwarming, this raunchy Christmas cabaret had...

A Night to Remember: Mamma Mia! Takes the Stage

The opening of MAMMA MIA! The Musical at the Princess Theatre was truly exhilarating. The atmosphere in the foyer before the show was filled with anticipation. The crowd was diverse a...

China National Symphony Orchestra

As someone who listens non-stop to ABC Classic on the radio, I can embarrassingly admit the years between attending the Symphony in person are often long and unpredictable. For whatever...

I’ll Be Frank – Memories of Opa

The JFF is upon us for 2023, and depending on where you are located in Australia, it will run sometime in the date range of 23 Oct to 29 Nov, so be sure to check dates for your l...

Jack Warner – The Last Mogul

Depending on your location, the 2023 Jewish International Film Festival (JFF) is fast approaching, from 23rd October to 29th November. This year’s JFF will celebrate the 100th anniversar...

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Merrigong Theatre Company’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ opening night in the Wollongong Botanic Gardens was a huge success. This Shakespearean classic was adapted by Daniel...

Paris Memories: A Survivor’s Journey

Prepare for your latest French Film experience – Paris Memories – soon to be showcased in cinemas throughout Australia. Paris Memories delves into the story of Mia, a survivor of a ...

Adventure Before Dementia – Four Flat Whites in Italy

With a name like Four Flat Whites in Italy, I knew this play would have an international flavour. Directed by Tui Clark and written by Award-Winning playwright Roger Hall, this show p...

Strangeness (La Stranezza) - Italian Film Festival

Strangeness is a film that will draw you in right from the first frames. A word of caution though, if you don’t know who Luigi Pirandello is and his role in revolutionising theatre as we k...

Burning Hearts – Italian Film Festival

The Italian Film Festival is in its 23rd year after its founding at the turn of the millennium in 2000.  Since then, the festival has grown in popularity to become the most ...

The Circle – The World Through Children’s Eyes

The Italian Film Festival is 23 years young and kicking off in your town. And it’s not just films with a dramatic flair but several documentaries will feature this year, includ...

The Visitors(The Opera) – A Reimagining

The Visitors, taking place on the 26th of January, 1788, is a reimagining of the arrival of the First Fleet from the often unexplored Indigenous perspective. Adapted from a play of the sam...

Venus and Adonis – a Play Within a Play of the Sonnet

Venus and Adonis was filled with such strong performances; it came as no surprise to learn that the cast from Sport for Jove Theatre Company had previously been involved in the world ...

Ricordi Di Sanremo – Memories of Sanremo

Last night the Astor Theatre hosted a collage of Italian stars in Ricordi Di Sanremo, a concert covering three generations of memories from Italy’s most popular music fest...

Aza: Stories of Grief in Diaspora

Aza: stories of grief in diaspora, conceptualised by Charaf Tartoussi, is a poignant exploration of grief intricately interwoven with the nuanced experience of diaspora. Currently gra...

The Crime is Mine – French Comedy Murder Mystery Film

The Crime is Mine is the latest from acclaimed director François Ozon and features French stars Isabelle Huppert and Dany Boon, supported by a stellar cast including Fabrice Luchini, Andr...

Roll up! Roll up! The Marvellous Elephant Man

Roll up! Roll up! For this is no ordinary show– The Marvellous Elephant Man The Musical is a colourful feast of sound and flair under the Sydney Spiegeltent at the EQ Moore Park that wil...

Classic Agatha Christie Whodunnit – The Hollow

Mention Agatha Christie to anyone, and you know you’re in for a classic Whodunnit mystery. With such a prolific author and playwright, there’s the usual expectation of interesting char...

Every Brilliant Thing – Impact on a Life

Sometimes, you see a piece of theatre that resonates with you and helps you to see that being part of the action of the piece is not audience participation but letting yourself lean into t...

Something That Happened – A Night of Fun and Laughter

The opening night of ‘Something That Happened’ by The Strangeways Ensemble was one filled with fun and laughter from audience members, young and old alike. The Strangeways...

The Visitors (The Play) – To Welcome or Repel

The Visitors, now at The Riverside Theatre, is a new production from award-winning Muruwari writer Jane Harrison. Her play first transfixed audiences at The Sydney Festival in 2020. Quanda...

Slutnik 2: Planet of the Incels

Flick’s “SLUTNIK 2: Planet of the Incels” was a dazzling space age adventure.  It is the extravagant and anticipated continuation of the SLUTNIK™ franchise, following t...

​ The Hen House – A Storytelling Comedic Rock Concert

When there is an interesting story to be told, why deliver it only in words when you can rock sing it out? The Hen House, directed by Sydney Theatre Award- winner Anthea Williams an...

Eavesdrop At The Vatican – Pope 2 Pope

Hunters Hill Theatre performed the world premiere of award-winning Australian playwright Melvyn Morrow’s latest play, Pope2Pope, on Friday 18 August 2023. It was a play with religio...

Monument – A Play to Remember

Red Stitch’s production of Monument, penned by Emily Sheehan and directed by Ella Caldwell, is a masterful work that intricately balances humour and poignancy.  It’s hard to fi...

Clever, Creative and Eerie – The Turn of the Screw

The Turn of the Screw, written and directed by Tooth and Sinew’s Richard Hilliar (after Henry James) was a very clever and creative production. An eerie atmosphere was est...

Time Warp your way to the Rocky Horror Show

This iconic cult classic musical is a whirlwind of wild energy from the “Science Fiction” opening strains to the show-stopping finale of “Time Warp”. It promotes self...

Foodie Heaven – The Perth Good Food and Wine Show

The Perth Good Food & Wine Show, presented by Kleenheat, rolls(rolled) into town from 21-23rd July at the Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre this weekend. This particular aut...

Sugar and Stars

Debutant feature director Sebastian Tulard’s delicious culinary film offering Sugar and Stars most definitely should come with a warning – under no circumstances – watch on an empty st...

Greg Mortimer | Spanish Film Festival

From acclaimed documentary filmmaker Federico Lemos, Greg Mortimer is a revealing account of the events on board the Greg Mortimer cruise ship in 2020, which was broadcast live to the world....

Celebrating 25 Years of the Spanish Film Festival

The Spanish Film Festival returns and is celebrating its 25th year! This time, the festival will be heading to Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Byro...

A Singular Crime – Spanish Film Festival

12 June 2023 by India Chariton A Singular Crime / Un Crimen Argentino is a 2022 thriller based on the 2002 Reynaldo Sietecasebook of the same name. It’...

Cork Pops into the Spanish Film Festival

The Spanish Film Festival is back this June and July and celebrating its 25thyear! Presented by Palace, the film festival is accessible online, or in person, in major cities Adela...

Money Money Money – When Dad Married Fury

David Williamson’s When Dad Married Fury is a cheeky comedy that explores the tensions created in the family unit when inheritance is discussed, especially when a new, youn...

Good Food and Wine Show

The Good Food and Wine Show rolls into the International Convention Centre in Sydney this weekend (June 23rd-25th), and it is not one to miss. Hall 2 of the ICC hosts a massi...

The Messy Truth of Reality – Consent

What I was expecting: A courtroom drama about a rape case, and the effect it has on the lawyers who are trying the case. A play that was going to be uncomfortable and confronting, but ...

Driving Madeline

Every now and again a film comes along that just makes you feel a better person after sharing in the character's lives. Driving Madeline is one of those films. It offers a clever story and ...

Eric Stoneheart

Eric Stoneheart is my first taste of Estonian film, and it won’t be my last! It tackles the difficult topics of death and loss, which are uncommon in children’s literature. Doing so, the...

Journey to Yourland

Slovak director Peter Budinsky spent almost a decade preparing his feature-length animated film, Journey to Yourland and it was not time wasted as it carries an important message for both ch...

Glitz, Glamour and Grandeur – Cabaret De Paris

Step into a world of glitz, glamour, and captivating performances as Cabaret De Paris takes you on an extraordinary journey showcasing a dazzling display of talent, energy, a...

DRIFTWOOD

A Heartwarming Journey of Resilience and Hope Driftwood The Musical takes us on an emotive and profound journey of 6 characters, immersed in the shadows of the Holocaust. Inspire...

Anthony Locascio Heart of Darkness

Thought Provoking Journey into the Heart of Darkness The Goodwill Club, nestled in the historic Rechabite Hall, once a symbol of an international temperance movement, served as the ba...

The Improvised Superhero Movie – Review

For those attending the Melbourne Comedy Festival, you have a few more days to see the exciting and enjoyable ‘The Improvised Superhero Movie’ presented by The Improv Pit at th...

Final Cut - 2023 Alliance Française French Film Festival

Final Cut French Film Festival "That’s not it at all! It’s the final scene, I want to see real terror in your eyes. I can tell you’re acting, but to make matters worse, I can t...

Incredible But True - 2023 Alliance Française French Film Festiv

Incredible But True was shot in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and while only featuring a handful of characters and limited sets, it still feels large in vista. Alain Chabat a...

Smoking Cause Coughing - 2023 Alliance Française French Film Fes

Smoking Causes Coughing centres on Tobacco Force, a Power Rangers-looking superhero team with five members, each named after an evil ingredient in a cigarette (Nicotine, Methanol, Ammonia, e...

Not Finished With You Yet

Not Finished With You Yet is an energetic romp through a world where governments have passed a mandatory divorce law meaning all marriages must end after 13 years. Written and Compo...

The Dogs Logs

The Dogs Logs 22 March 2023 by Hannah Laythamm A brightly lit warm stage… Endless greenery… A quaint park bench… Lively music and bubbles… This i...

The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera opened at The State Theatre Melbourne on the 4th of November. Cameron Mackintosh’s reinvention of this 30-year-old musical is an auditory and visual feast that is ...

​A Christmas Carol by Victorian Opera

Ho Ho Ho, reasons to be cheerful, it must be that festive time of the year again! Unlike the UK, where theatres in their entirety have pantomime on this time of the year, complete with panto...

COME FROM AWAY

9/11 was a world-changing event. A tragedy of enormous scale. Workers were trapped by flames high up in the Manhattan sky. 20 years later the sheer human horror and scale of this audacious a...

A Christmas Carol

An Old Vic Production of A Christmas Carol has all the sentiments of “Christmas”. This forever relevant tale, and not just at Christmas time, is presented in a way that transce...

The Therapy - Jewish Film Festival

The Therapy delves into the hidden lives of two Jewish men, although they could be anyone who is restricted by societal or religious pressure. The documentary details conversion therapy for...

Fiddlers’ Journey to the Big Screen - Jewish Film Festival

For any lover of musicals (like me) Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen is a must as it is as much a homage to the filmmakers as it is to the film! Director/Producer Norman Jewison was co...

March 1968 - Jewish Film Festival

March 1968 is a modern Romeo and Juliet story with a twist. It combines romance, history, politics, and antisemitism all set in 1960s communist Poland. Students Hania (Vanessa Aleksander) a...

MY NEIGHBOUR ADOLPH - Jewish Film Festival

Several critics have panned My Neighbour Adolph and I am at a loss to understand why? It is billed rightly as a comedy/drama if such a thing exists. This film is more psychological than sus...

The Auschwitz Report - Jewish Film Festival

The Auschwitz Report is not for the squeamish. It is, however, compulsive viewing. This is a side of the Holocaust that is little explored. It is difficult to watch the brutality of some of ...

SECRET BRIDESMAIDS BUSINESS

Secret Bridesmaids Business pulls back the curtain on the fraught business of friendship and fidelity, as 38-year-old Meg (Anna Desjardins) prepares for the wedding she, and her mother, Coll...

The UNITED UKRAINIAN Ballet, Swan Lake

Swan Lake is a fitting choice for The Uniting Ukrainian Ballet to present in their first Australian tour. The world’s most iconic ballet, Swan Lake is the epic tale of good ...

Titanic The Musical In Concert

The sinking of the luxury, “unsinkable” passenger liner, The RMS Titanic, in the early hours of April 15, 1912, is a famous historical tragedy that captured the world’s attention and b...

THE GREEK BAR JACKET Greek Film Festival

The Bar jacket got its name from a bar in the Plaza Athénée that Monsieur Dior frequented. This thing has become a landmark for the House: only Christian himself created variations for 22 ...

BROADWAY Greek Film Festival

Broadway is billed as a drama, but it is so much more! It is the story of a group of pickpockets who have taken possession of an abandoned theatre, set in the homonymous abandoned entertainm...

SIX The Musical

I had seen Six in its first Australian run at the Sydney Opera House in the more confined cabaret set-up of The Studio, where a mix of tables and angled seating splayed out from a raised sta...

STEPS OF FREEDOM - Irish Film Festival

I was keen to watch Steps of Freedom in hopes of finding the answer to everyone’s burning question about Irish dancing, and that is, why do they dance with their arms stiffly down at their...

LET THE WRONG ONE IN - Irish Film Festival

Too often these days people are afraid of being guilty of just enjoying a movie because it is fun. People look for a hidden message or a lesson to learn from the film and ignore the fact tha...

YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER - Irish Film Festival

“My intention with You Are Not My Mother was to create a frightening film that depicted an authentic coming of age experience while also tapping into the dark folk history we hav...

SWEET ROAD

Sweet Road is a fascinating study of human relationships ‘driven’ to the edge in the outback of Australia. Three stories of love, loss and grief converge and intertwine as characters sea...

Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill - The Musical

The long-awaited return of ‘Jagged Little Pill – The Musical’ to Sydney was a triumph. After sold-out performances of a limited run back in December 2021 for the reopening of the refu...

SIX THE MUSICAL

The opening night for SIX The Musical, 23rd June, at The Comedy Theatre was a visceral experience that aroused the audience into a frenzy. This musical takes us back more than 500 years...

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella

The story of Cinderella is reborn with the triumphant opening night at Regent Theatre Melbourne of the Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Tony ® Award-winning Broadway musical. This ...

HAUTE COUTURE

Haute Couture bears a resemblance to Devil Wears Prada, but only in they are both feature the fashion industry and based on real people. While the Meryl Streep classic focusse...

HAUTE COUTURE

Haute Couture is a simple tale, beautifully told. Esther, a lead seamstress approaching the end of her career at the Dior Avenue Montaigne fashion house in Paris, has her handbag stole...

Jagged Little Pill

A contemporary and challenging production, Jagged Little Pill is perfectly at home in the newly refurbished Theatre Royal. Inspired by the seminal rock album of the same name by Alanis Morri...

BENEDICTION

Five stars are just not enough for this film!Benedictions chronicles the life of Siegfried Sassoon,  one of England’s great poets, who survived the horrors of the First...

Childrens’ Film Festival - Bellysaurus

Bellysaurus, written, directed, and animated by Philip Watts is a clever, adorable story about a tiny dinosaur who dreams she is big and scary. When danger strikes, she learns it is what’s...

Children's International Film Festival - Trash

Trash, is an animated film that reminds us to recycle, not dump. Directed by Francesco Dafano and Luca Della Grotta, it teaches the viewer about environmental sustainability in an innovative...

Children's International Film Festival - Laura’s Star

Laura’s Star is a delight in every way! Based on the children's book Lauras Stern by Klaus Baumgart, produced and directed by Thilo Rothkirch. It is a film about accept...

THE SUMMER WE FOUND OUR SUPERPOWERS - Children's International F

The Summer We Found Our Superpowers is a 2020 Norwegian live action children’s film adventure with a lot of heart. Directed by Silje Salomonsen and Arild Østin Ommundsen, who are a marri...

Girl From North Country

At the Comedy Theatre, on a chilly wet Thursday night in post-lockdown Melbourne, there was a subdued feeling outdoors. This was in stark contrast to the last time I was there pre-...

Don't Call Me A Wog! - Perth Comedy Festival

Anthony Locascio wowed an unsuspecting audience last weekend at the Regal Chorus room in Subiaco, Perth. From the moment Anthony stepped onto the stage, his connection with the audience...

An American in Paris

What a joy it was to enter the State Theatre again after a two-year hiatus! Crowds of excited people (many in masks) all eagerly awaiting the pleasure of a live performance. And not just any...

Circa’s Peepshow

Presented by Circa, GWB Entertainment and Trafalgar Entertainment Perhaps the most accomplished of the sixteen shows produced by Brisbane-based contemporary circus Circa since it was establ...

North by Northwest

Funny Meets Fast Paced Action   Directed by Simon Phillips and adapted by Carolyn Burns, North by Northwest brings the glamour of a classic Hollywood set to Sydney’s Lyric Theat...

Girl from the North Country

Debuting in 2018, this new musical has been experiencing significant success globally. Providing an unusual pairing of Bob Dylan’s 1960’s folk rock with 1930’s depression era Minnesota...

Sumodo – The Successors of Samurai | Japanese Film Festival

To those of us in the West, Sumo wrestling seems to be nothing more than large men in modified nappies trying to push each other out of a ring. Thanks to the documentary Sumodo – The succe...

Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes - Japanese Film Festival

Since H.G. Wells penned his famous classic ‘The Time Machine’ in 1895 there have been many film adaptions, notably the 1960 iconic production starring Rod Taylor, Alan Young and Yvette M...

84 Charring Cross Road

A beautiful performance in a fantastic new location Review written by Cassie Cheeseman Directed by Maggie Scott, 84 Charring Cross Road offers the audience everything to love about a H...

Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience

Cross-generational family fun at its finestReview written by Cassie Cheeseman   Written and created by Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner, mainstays in the British children’s en...

CRANSTON ACADEMY: MONSTER ZONE

Cranston Academy:Monster Zone emanates from the Mexican cartoon studio Anima Estudios. Only a small proportion of animation is created in this South American country compared with the USA an...

Significant Other

Significant Other, written by American playwright Josh Harmon has made its debut to Australian shores at New Town Theatre, Sydney. This wonderfully funny and compassionately hard-hittin...

A Passage to India

Review written by Cassie Cheeseman Directed by Mark Nagle Haddon with Emma Whitehead as Assistant Director, this classical story transports the audience to 1920’s India, at a time when th...

Influence | South African Film Festival

“An influencer is simply someone who has influence over others' buying decisions. In other words, it's someone who has the influence, the authority over or trust of, a certain group of peo...

Toorbos | South African Film Festival

Toorbos is a unique film experience that combines spirituality, the effects of deforestation and culture change and does it brilliantly! Set in Kenya in the 1930s, Toorbos traces the journe...

Finding You

‘When no one wants to hear, it’s better to hide. Hide and be angry!” Cathleen Sweeney’s rage against the world and one of the central themes of the film Finding You. Finding You is ...

Magic Mike Live!

Review written by Cassie Cheeseman Touring nationally with dates available in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth An empowering and sex-positive night out  Famously known for h...

A Thief’s Daughter

A Thief’s Daughter gives us a glimpse into the lower socio-economic end of Spanish society and features a tour de force performance by Greta Fernandez as Sara, a mother struggling to keep ...

Coral Browne: This F**king Lady

It’s the 1984 BAFTAs, and nominees for best television actress include English stars Judi Dench and Maggie Smith. The announced winner (for An Englishman Abroad) was unknown to m...

The Wedding Singer

I must confess to being nervous sitting in a 100% sold house with no masks at Her Majesty’s Theatre for the opening night of The Wedding Singer. It has been over a year since this was poss...

Alliance Film French Festival 2021| Miss

“What do I want? I want to be someone!”. A tall order for a boy who wants to become Miss France when he grows up. This is the premise for Miss, an extraordinary film starring androgynous...

Moonlight Cinema |Top Dog Festival 2021

For those people who have four legged friends as part of their families and others who just love animals, the Top Dog Festival is a must see. The festival is a celebration of friendship, loy...

The Theory of Relativity

Review written by Cassie Cheeseman A hilarious and emotional production within a unique format A rising star in the musical world, The Theory of Relativity is a fantastic musical by Neil B...

Vespers by Monteverdi, presented by Pinchgut Opera

Written by Irena Begelfor  Pinchgut Opera, Australia’s premier Baroque opera company, presented Vespers by Monteverdi at The Melbourne Recital Centre on Thursday 25th March...

That Boy : Adelaide Fringe Festival 2021

What do you do when your child does not fit the label, ‘normal’? That Boy is one mother’s story of her eight year old from birth to a hospital visit for a broken arm after a difficult ...

DIRT

Adelaide Fringe Festival 2021DIRT is a world premiere thriller with more twists and turns than a roller coaster! Set in Russia during the anti-Gay purges in Chechnya an Australian ...

The Twins

Adelaide Fringe Festival 2021  “Fie, brother, how the world is changed with you!” (The Comedy of Errors - Act 2 Scene 2)  A fitting summation of Shark Island Institu...

The Secret of Chimneys

Fantastic Entertainment in a Delightful Setting Review written by Cassie Cheeseman Directed by Molly Haddon with Sandra Bass as Assistant Director, this murder mystery is a great fun fil...

COME FROM AWAY

Come from Away is a powerful and energetic musical that takes us back to the unimaginable sorrow that rippled across the globe as a result of September 11, 2001 terror attacks. The show tell...

The City

During these unprecedented times it can feel we are all going it alone. So, what better to restore your faith in humanity than a performance that seeks to demonstrate the interconnectedness ...

Van Gogh Alive

Review written by Cassie Cheeseman Having been experienced by more than 6 million people in over 50 cities, Van Gogh Alive stands tall in its endeavour to bring unique and immersive art to ...

Children's International Film Festival | Lassie Come Home

Review by Cassie Cheeseman  This year marks the 3rd year for the Children’s International Film Festival (CHIFF). Bringing global films to the Australian children’s market...

Children's International Film Festival: The Prince's Voyage

Reviewed by Igor VasilevitskyIn this day and age where kids films are heavily computer animated with hyper stimulated effects, thinly veiled cultural stereotypes, cheap laughs and questionab...

THE MAN WHO WROTE SHAKESPEARE

Back2Back Short Play Festival Star Theatres, Hilton.  October 23 - 25, 29 – 31 & Nov 1 ‘To be a well-favoured man is the gift of fortune, but to write and read comes by nature’ ...

My Wife’s Family

During the lockdown period of Covid -19 we all baked, crafted, gardened and of course, spent time watching Stan, Netflix and binging on Binge. For a long while our theatre exposure was restr...

The Mystic Dr. Drake Radio Plays! A three-part series.

The Adelaide Repertory Theatre Playing for a month from 29th August on You Tube Before television started in Australia in 1956 there was radio! Families would sit in their lounge rooms, ...

THE MAN WHO DREAMED

The Man Who Dreamed continues the run of The Adelaide Repertory Theatre’s series of virtual plays, each a different genre and playwright Ciaran McConville’s unpublished early script firs...

Rattling the Keys

written by Barry Hill Reviewing a virtual play is a unique experience. On the plus side you can replay the sections you enjoy plus have the comforts of home while watching. On the negative ...

The Illusionaire

Review by Warren WillsOn the face of it, as promoted by both the title, Illusionaire, and the smoggy Jack the Ripper style Victorian era poster, the evening of wondrous intrigue and a tempti...

The Angel Intrudes

A Virtual Play Filmed at the Arts Theatre, Adelaide  The Adelaide Repertory present their second ‘virtual’ play, a 14-minute comedy, The Angel Intrudes featuring 4 well-known amat...

KURIOS by Cirque Du Soleil

Reviewed by Irena Begelfor Having watched most of the Cirque Du Soleil shows, I have an internal "knowing" that no matter which show I see, it will be inspirational; hypnotic and ...

The Wolf’s Call (Le Chant Du Loup) French Film Festival

Review by Barry HillInitially it is difficult to link this title to a film about war and submarines. I can only assume The Wolf’s Call is the sonar signal emitted by enemy submarines, but ...

AZNAVOUR BY CHARLES - French Film Festival

Review by Lizzy Caillaux-Bowles Intrigue and mystery are sparked from the very beginning of this documentary biographical movie about our much-loved and celebrated French-Armenian singer, l...

French Film Festival 2020

written by Barry HillThis year marks the 31st season (and 50th anniversary) of the celebrated Alliance French Film Festival. A new decade heralds yet another exciting festival of cinema that...

La Belle Epoque French Film Festival

Written by Barry HillShakespeare once famously said, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his tim...

SHERLOCK HOLMES & THE DEATH ON THOR BRIDGE

written by David HislopPerhaps the best-known fictional detective of all time, Sherlock Holmes is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s greatest creation; a much-loved, though deeply flawed, protagonis...

Angry Fags

Review written by Cassie Cheeseman Filled with humour, action and drama, Angry Fags is now playing at New Theatre. Featuring an ensemble cast that fills the stage, Angry Fags is a fantast...

Samsara (Asia TOPA)

Reviewed by Warren Wills There aren’t many shows you can say you felt honoured to have witnessed. But so it was, watching the performance of Samsara, at the Arts Centre, Playhouse Theatre...

Salome | Victorian Opera

Written by Warren Wills When fact,fiction, mystery and intrigue merge with breathtaking innovation, we are indeed lucky recipients. The New Testament. is sketchy at best when dealing with ...

The Professor and the Madman

Written by Sharon Hursthurstosfiveminutefilms.blogspot.com.auProf James Murray (Mel Gibson) takes on the daunting task of compiling the most comprehensive dictionary ever. He co-opts volunte...

Shrek The Musical

Review by Irena Begelfor Shrek The Musical hit Her Majesty’s Theatre this Wednesday night, opening the stage with an oversized, digital storybook. As the characters leapt from within the ...

EMMA

Reviewed by Sharon Hursthttp://hurstosfiveminutefilms.blogspot.com In England in the 1800s, Emma Woodhouse (Anya Taylor-Joy) lives with her morose father (Bill Nighy) in the village of High...

The Addams Family

Review by Achileves Verginis  Get ready to add a spooky vibe to your Christmas spirit this holiday season because the Addams Family are back in an all new and beautifully animated movi...

‘A Babe is Born’ - Graduate Singers

Review written by Barry Hill A Babe is Born is the Graduate Singers 4th and last offering for the year. Set in the grand edifice of St Pete’s Cathedral, it is their Christmas tribute.&nbs...

Our Town

Review written by Cassie Cheeseman Offering an escape to a simpler time, Our Town is now playing at Hunters Hill Theatre. Featuring an ensemble cast that fills the stage, Our Town is a fant...

A Christmas Carol

Review written by Martin Barbary Christmas has arrived in Adelaide! Last week, the Christmas Pageant brought Santa to Adelaide, and this week The Rep brought A Christmas Carol to th...

Adelaide Baroque Orchestra presents Cathedral Bach

Review written by Barry Hill Cathedral Bach brings together the talents of the Adelaide Baroque Orchestra, the Adelaide Chamber Singers and Perth born soprano Bonnie de la Hunty all under t...

Connections

Review written by Christine Sears In the warm surrounds of Elder Hall, the Adelaide Wind Orchestra and the Graduate Singers joined together to present “Connections”, an exciting and w...

Andreas Brantelid and Konstantin Shamray in concert

Review written by Barry Hill If the violin is the King of stringed instruments then the cello is surely the Queen (even though she has a deeper voice). In the hands of Andreas Brantelid, t...

Adults Only Magic Show

Review written by Cassie Cheeseman For a limited season The Showmen are performing Adults Only Magic Show as part of Sydney Fringe Festival. Playing to a full house, this show is part comed...

Bring It On The Musical

Review written by Cassie Cheeseman Sydney has come alive with cheer spirit as Bring it On the Musical sets up a limited run at State Theatre. With songs, dancing, and of course cheerleading...

Goodbye Mrs Blore

Review written by Cassie Cheeseman The intimate and wonderful Goodbye Mrs Blore is now playing at Hunters Hill Theatre. Goodbye Mrs Blore clocks in with a cast of just two as the audience i...

The Blues Brothers Boat Party

The Blues Brothers boat cruises is nothing short of high quality entertainment. The Lady Cutler Showboat takes us on a trip around the bay from Docklands to Williamstown, Port Melbourne thro...

FourPlay

Review written by Cassie Cheeseman Packed full of drama, FourPlay is now playing at Factory Space Theatre. Featuring four different plays which investigates social interaction in a modern a...

Play On

Review written by Cassie Cheeseman Photography by Dan Ferris   A play within a play, Play On! is now showing at Hunters Hill Theatre until 16th June. This unique modern prod...

Opera Australia | Rigoletto

Giuseppe Verdi’s tireless opera, Rigoletto, opened Saturday 11th May at the State Theatre in Melbourne. Opera Australia hit the jackpot by bringing together a stellar cast of artists at th...

Escher X nendo | Between Two Worlds

by Irena Begelfor Between Two Worlds is an unforgettable exhibition that showcases the extraordinary works of graphic artist M. C. Escher which are displayed in thought-provoking instal...

West Side Story | Arts Centre Melbourne 2019

It is broad daylight as I make my way to Arts Centre Melbourne, State Theatre for the staging of West Side Story. I wait for the curtain to go up. The stage is framed by scaffolding, reminis...

Keating's Republic

Review by Melinda Scaringi  Pop, politics and French republican clocks When Madonna (Mia Romero) waltzed on stage in black tulle singing Holiday, I wasn’t sure what I was in for.&nb...

IMPROV ATTACKS HUMANITY

Melbourne is gifted and blessed by cultural events, and certainly the Comedy Festival claims serious bragging rights on the Aussie cultural landscape.In recent years the Edinburgh Festival i...

The Greatest Love of All – A Tribute

Review written by Cassie Cheeseman More than just a concert, The Greatest Love of All offers an immersive experience for those dreaming of a return to years gone by With a powerful voice a...

Tang Xianzu the Playwright in Concert

Review written by Cassie Cheeseman A unique and powerful production steeped in history Affectionately known as the Shakespeare of the East, Tang Xianzu is considered a literary genius. ...

Tang Xianzu the Playwright in Concert

Review By Warren Wills Some fifteen years ago, I lectured in music theatre at the prestigious beacon of progressive thought and action, the HKAPA. Many of local demonstrations and resistanc...

Confessions of a Mormon Boy

A Story that Needs to be Told... Inspiring and comedic, Confessions of a Mormon Boy is running a strictly limited season in Sydney and Melbourne until 9th March. This autobiographical ...

Twelve Girls Band Chinese New Year Concert

Twelve Girls Band performed a one night only show at Sydney Opera House on 3/2/18. A Phenomenal Fusion of Modern and Traditional Chinese Folk Sounds Renowned for their artful blendi...

Old Stock: An Immigrant Love Story

by Irena Begelfor Old Stock: An Immigrant Love Story is a story that comes to life within a shipping container. As the doors of the container are flung open, we meet our storyteller, ...

Nigel Kennedy in Recital

Be taken on a journey through music with Nigel Kennedy Blending the modern with the classical, virtuoso violinist Nigel Kennedy is currently touring Australia with Nigel Kennedy in Recital....

Calendar Girls

Offering a comedic escape to the British Isles, Calendar Girls is now playing at Hunters Hill Theatre until 25th November. Written as a tribute to the true story of The Calendar Girls, thi...

La Bohème | Opera Australia

by Irena Begelfor Puccini's undying Opera, La Bohème, makes a grand entrance at The State Theatre, Melbourne for the opening night performance.  Simply put, the opera tells us ab...

Russian Resurrection Film Festival

Review by Sharon Hurst  It's the 15th year for RRFF, and this year 16 new films will screen, as well as a retrospective featuring a selection of award-winning Soviet films. ...

The Old Man and the Gun

Review by Sharon Hurst  © Entertainment One -  Redford is as charming as ever in this film based upon the criminal career of an audacious oldie Yet another film b...

Jewish International Film Festival

by Irena Begelfor The Jewish International Film Festival (JIFF) is an exciting annual event that returns to Australia again this November. It is one of the oldest film festivals in Aust...

Croatian Rhapsody: Maksim Mrvica Australian Tour 2018

by Irena Begelfor Maksim Mrvica walks onto the stage like a meteorite. A myriad of notes fill The Palais Theatre, each note perfectly positioned in sequence to the next. Power a...

Scaramouche Jones

by Irena Begelfor Scaramouche Jones was originally performed by the iconic British character actor Pete Postlethwaite in 2001 when it toured internationally. This new production ...

Leap of Faith: The Musical

Love and miracles are put to the test in this Play  The North Shore Theatre Company tests love and miracles with the Tony Award Nominated Leap of Faith production. The musical is based...

The Legend of Dunhuang

An experience like no other Produced by China Arts and Entertainment Group and performed by Gansu Dance Troupe, The Legend of Dunhuang’s is  spectacular show that left the audience m...

The Secret Singer

With powerful themes and superb characterisation, The Secret Singer offers a phenomenal theatre experience. Written and directed by Joanna Weinberg, this new musical based on a true story ha...

Nell Gwynn

Offering a comedic escape to the 1600’s Nell Gwynn is now playing at New Theatre until 8th September. Written in 2015 by Jessica Swale, this modern play set in historic times has been beau...

Death Knell

Directed by Community Theatre regular Jennifer Willison, this unique mystery thriller play will have you on the edge of your seat until the final big reveal. It is playing at Hunters Hill To...

Constellations

Having received global critical acclaim, Constellations is an experimental production which defies almost every known theatre norm. Written by Nick Payne and produced by Victor Kalka, Conste...

Torch Song Trilogy

Torch Song Trilogy has returned to Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s line-up with a bang, almost 5 years after the company last produced this inciteful mammoth play. Written by Harvey Fierste...

Next to Normal

With a powerful storyline and songs that stay with you long after the show ends, Next to Normal is a musical that everyone should experience at least once in their life. And what better way ...

Days Like These

An incredible mix of movement, light, visual imagery & emotion Days Like These is a beautiful and evocative play directed by Sarah-Vyne Vassallo. It is an exploration of the varied ways tha...

Legally Blonde: The Musical

Broadway Quality Theatre in Western Sydney The modern girl power ‘Legally Blonde’ brings Broadway quality production to Western Sydney in a family friendly (though sometimes naughty!) m...

Swan Lake on Ice - Imperial Ice Stars

by Irena Begelfor The Imperial Ice Stars return to Australia with a breathtaking production of Swan Lake.  World-class ice dancers showcase athletic feats that one would see at th...

Tash York: Adulting

A Hilarious and Wonderful Experience Adulting is a refreshingly honest comedy cabaret written by and starring Tash York which is currently running a National Tour across Australia. I had th...

Dirty People

I had the pleasure of experiencing the original theatre production Dirty People by playwright Charlie Falkner on July 27th during its run at the fringe festival ‘Bondi Feast’. The play s...

Sleeping Beauty - A Knight Avenger's Tale

by Irena Begelfor Last night was a spectacular opening night of Bonnie Lythgoe's Sleeping Beauty. This is the old tale of Sleeping Beauty, but not like you've ever seen it befor...

Australian Opera | Tosca

by Irena Begelfor Under the direction of the acclaimed John Bell, the action is transposed from 1800s Rome, which was under the threat of Napoleon's invasion of Italy, to 1940s Nazi-occup...

Australian Opera | La Traviata

by Irena Begelfor Verdi's beautiful music, complex characters and a story plucked from real life events are the foundations that make La Traviata so thrilling even today, and Opera Aust...

Mirusia - From The Heart Tour

by Irena Begelfor Those who have witnessed Mirusia in her recent concert, MIRUSIA – From the Heart, will agree that Mirusia can hold her own on the worldwide stage. The Australian-Dutch ...

Grease - The Arena Experience

by Irena Begelfor Grease The Arena Experience opened last night at Hisense Arena. This 1971 rock musical is set in a fictitious school in America and is the story of a challenging p...

Richard Clapton at The Palms at Crown

by Irena Begelfor Saturday 10th March, the legendary Australian icon, Richard Clapton took to the stage at The Palms at Crown.  Clapton, who was once the producer for INXS, has writ...

A Simple Space

by Irena Begelfor A Simple Space is anything but simple. You discover this as soon as the show starts.  These are seven acrobatic performers, dressed in basic t-shirts, pants a...

Masterclass - Melbourne Theatre Company

by Irena Begelfor In her usual style, Amanda Muggleton engages the audience as soon as she walks on the stage. This time, she takes on the challenging role of morphing into Maria Callas i...

Russian Resurrection Film Festival 2017

by Irena Begelfor People may not realise it, but we are very fortunate in Australia to be running the largest and oldest Russian Film Festival outside Russia. This festival is run annuall...

BABI YAR 75th Anniversary Commemoration Concert

by Irena Begelfor On September 17th, The BABI YAR 75th Anniversary Commemorative Concert was held at Arts Centre's Hamer Hall. The purpose of this concert was to commemorate and remember ...

Madame - Film Review

by Irena Begelfor Madame is the story of a lonely yet wealthy socialite, Anne (Toni Colette), who is married to her art-dealer husband, Bob (Harvey Keitel). Through chance, Maria (Ro...

The Adventures of Peter Pan and Tinker Bell

by Irena Begelfor I generally get a 'feeling' about a show even before it starts. The feeling this time was that of excitement. I felt just as excited as my six year old daughter, who was...

Summer 1993 at Spanish Film Festival 2017

by Irena Begelfor Summer 1993 is a deeply moving film. It is about a 6 year old girl, Frida (Laia Artigas), who loses her parents to AIDS. Frida is adopted by her mother's brother, Estev...

39 Forever - A Musical Comedy

by Irena Begelfor Amity Dry must be my age. I was watching her for 60 minutes as she sang and told stories of herself growing up. Well, those were my stories, I thought. I remember mysel...

The Play That Goes Wrong - Comedy Theatre

by Irena Begelfor The Play That Goes Wrong reminds me of the absurdity of life. It is inherently human. This play brings memories of when I walked down the street; saw a STOP sign (that ...

Circus 1903 - The Golden Age of Circus

by Irena Begelfor Circus 1903 takes you to the days of Barnum & Bailey with acts that take you beyond your imagination � The Greatest Show on Earth - only modernised.  Contortioni...

Ladyboy Superstars Cabaret

by Irena BegelforThe Thailand Ladyboy Superstars Cabaret show has arrived to the Big Top on the St Kilda foreshore. Once you walk in, you are immediately welcomed by the extravagantly dre...

The Book Club

by Irena Begelfor In Roger Hall's The Book Club we witness the all too common conundrum of mid-life boredom. The scene is almost typical. Deborah has the 50 something blues. She is a wel...

Tango Fire at Arts Centre Melbourne

by Irena Begelfor Tango Fire - dance like no one is watching The Argentinian Company, Tango Fire presents a kaleidoscope of new answers to what is tango. These zesty dancers know all the...

Andre Rieu's 2016 Maastricht Concert - Cinemas Screening

by Irena Begelfor Each year, maestro Andre Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra, visits his homeland Maastricht in Netherlands for a grand concert spectacular.  Right throughout Au...

Cirque de la Symphonie

by Irena Begelfor Cirque de la Symphonie is an unexpected auditory and visual feast.  This show opens with Dvorak's Carnival Overture - a fitting beginning for things to come. The a...

Circus Oz | TWENTYSIXTEEN

by Irena Begelfor There is something quite romantic to walk along the Yarra River on a crisp winter day.  This day just came alive when we saw part of the river bank transform into ...

Melbourne International Jazz Festival 2016

by Irena Begelfor Jazz lovers gather round for the long awaited Melbourne International Jazz Festival (MIJF) that comes around this time of year. This festival is nicely placed...

The Spectacular, The Great Moscow Circus

by Irena Begelfor It'd been some time since I last went to the circus and my idea of what they're about today was completely off target. The Edgley's tradition of staying relevant and mee...

Ghost the Musical

by Irena Begelfor When love is the answer The Australian production of ‪Ghost‬ | The Musical is a striking visual and auditory delight.  The impressive use of technology a...

Pennsylvania Avenue

by Irena Begelfor Hop on a ride of emotions for a story of the human condition Simply brilliant! Bernadette Robinson is a name that should be widely known. Her talent is extraordinary.&n...

Lior Suchard - Master Mentalist

by Irena Begelfor Now that I have seen ‪Lior Suchard, I say - Astonishing! It is especially important for the skeptic reading this to see Lior's show - because it is you who will be mo...

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