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…
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…
How to Make a Killing (M) – 105 minutes
Four hours before he is due for execution, Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell) is visited by a priest (Adrian Lukas). In this black comedy, Becket proceeds to calmly relay his sordid story to Father Morris. Becket’s mother, Mary (Nell Williams), was heir to a family fortune worth US$18 billion – $19 billion. But when she fell…
Now, at Theatre Works’ Explosives Factory – theatre review
With technology continuing to advance at a rapid rate, Now deals with a new take on reality post COVID-19. A middle-aged mother, X, played by Helene Tardif, is environmentally responsible, aware of her carbon footprint and climate change. Her husband, Y (Marc Opitz), who has spent 25 years in advertising, is frustrated that he can’t…
I Thought You Said (Tip Toe Theatre), at Theatre Works’ Explosives Factory – theatre review
Stars are falling from the sky, but why? Clearly, it is a portent of things to come. The end of the world is nigh. When? No-one can say, but it is happening. Nevertheless, it is just another nightshift for former schoolmates Sam (Ally Taueki-Gatt) and Frankie (Finn Corr). The pair works casually in a grocery…
POKÉLESQUE (GEEK OUT! Nerdlesque), at Theatre Works – theatre review
Zany and deliberately over-the-top, the burlesque, drag play POKÉLESQUE, featuring improvisation and audience participation, makes for a fun night out. Written and directed by Rosie Roulette, the starting point is a love of Pokémon, originally released on the Game Boy handheld game console in 1996. Thereafter, the Japanese media franchise responsible for it released trading…
Ed Sheeran Loop Tour, at Marvel Stadium and Adelaide Oval – concert review
Why is Ed Sheeran one of the most beloved (and, unquestionably, highly talented) musical artists on the planet? Having arrived by train from Sydney, he answered that emphatically on the opening night of a three-night stadium concert series in Melbourne, part of his Loop Tour. Marvel Stadium was metaphorically heaving under the collective anticipation of…
The Doll Trilogy, at Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre – theatre review
What an experience! I speak of a searing, at times humorous trilogy covering 16 years and lasting seven hours, in which, on several occasions, the characters eviscerate one another. And “yes”, I approached it with fear, simply because even for an unashamed theatre enthusiast like me 420 minutes in a small, black box theatre seemed…
Do Not Pass Go (MTC), at Southbank Theatre, The Lawler – theatre review
What makes life meaningful? Why do we do what we do? These large existential questions are dealt with humorously and poignantly in Jean Tong’s Do Not Pass Go. Flux (Ella Prince) walks into a new job needing the money for surgery, as they are not comfortable in their own skin. There they meet the strait-laced,…
