Steel Magnolias, at Athenaeum Theatre – theatre review
Julia Roberts received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of…
Funeral Flowers, at Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre – theatre review
Life throws up real challenges for the 17-year-old daughter of a split home in the UK who aspires to run her own florist business. The one person play by Emma Dennis Edwards, inspired by the true story of Tottenham community leader Gina Moffatt, is unflinching. It doesn’t hold back. In patterned jeans and striking green…
SIX, at Comedy Theatre and touring – musical theatre review
It has such an energetic heartbeat. The performances, the showmanship, the musicality, the choreography, the set, the costuming, the sound, the lighting – this show has it all. Think pop anthems extraordinaire. Power ballads. Hip-hop. And the audience is up throughout and why wouldn’t they be? SIX is irreverent, slick and sassy, and puts a…
Morgen Wieder Lustik (Tomorrow Will Be Cheerful Again) – theatre review
Heinz Lewin, born in Wiesbaden, Germany on 22nd March 1888, was one of the many artists and composers who lives were tragically cut short by the Holocaust. In his case, the 54-year-old Jew perished in the gas chambers at Auschwitz in September 1942. Assuming a German accent and in costume, writer Zeddy Lawrence unravels his…
Mackenzie (Bell Shakespeare Company), at Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne – theatre review
A delicious, nightmarish hoot, Mackenzie asks what price child fame? This is a dark, camp and satirical reimagining of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, featuring four original songs – bangers all – from creator Yve Blake. She says the idea for the show came to her like a fever dream. It is about the dark side of child…
VISTA (Stephanie Lake Company), at Malthouse Theatre – dance review
A feted choreographer with 25 years’ experience, Stephanie Lake has built an enviable reputation for her creative excellence. And so it is with VISTA, in which the resident choreographer for The Australian Ballet and head of her own company presents two views of the one story. What is consistent is the sharp and then fluid…
Uncle Vanya (MTC) at Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne – theatre review
Set in Russia, and focusing on the bourgeoisie, Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya is one of the great plays about the human condition. The tragicomedy, first published in 1897, continues to resonate. Now it has received a delightful makeover to bring the language into the present day by one of Australia’s finest playwrights, Joanna Murray-Smith. The…
Steel Magnolias, at Athenaeum Theatre – theatre review
Julia Roberts received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Shelby Eatenton in the 1989 film Steel Magnolias. Written by American Robert Harling, the heartfelt story was based on his 1987 stage play, being a tribute to his sister, who tragically died. Now, a highly talented cast has done a…
Reg Livermore’s Ned Kelly: The Musical (Victorian Opera), at Union Theatre, The University of Melbourne – musical theatre review
It has been tucked away for the best part of 50 years, but thankfully Victorian Opera has revived a quintessentially Australian musical about bushranger Ned Kelly. With book and lyrics by Reg Livermore AO, the story in the company’s new production is compelling. It moves from the northern districts of Victoria and the formation of…
Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, at Theatre Works – theatre review
We are confronted by distressing imagery of natural disasters and the aftermath of war, where nothing remains but the grey shell of homes that once were. In contemporary terms, think Gaza, the Ukraine and Russia. This, on a large scale, on a big screen, begins a more intimate portrayal of the impact of devastation. A…
The full Melbourne Skydeck, the Edge, Voyager theatre and Eureka 89’s Altitude dining experience (Journey Beyond) – fine dining, viewing platform and virtual reality review
If you are looking for a sensational night out, look no further than what my wife and I experienced over four hours at Melbourne’s Skydeck and Eureka 89. It was so special. It is situated at Riverside Quay in Southbank. If you are driving in, there is a Wilson carpark literally seconds away (where you…
