An endearing, entertaining, humorous and poignant narrative concert about finding comfort in your own skin, The Local Lesbians are a breath of fresh air. For 70 minutes without interval, they harmonise and drop anecdotes about the pitfalls and pleasures of coming out and being out. These are three talented women of strength and conviction, accompanied by a…
Debauched aliens targeting a burlesque beauty. What could possibly go wrong? Plenty, as you will see if you venture into The MC Showroom to see They Came From Uranus. This is burlesque with a decided difference, insofar as it is adult puppetry in the form of a sci-fi cabaret. The staging is salacious and the costuming is nothing…
Starting in Georgia in 1909 and spanning 38 years, The Color Purple is based around the struggles of African-American woman Celie Harris (Fantasia Barrino). Celie and her sister Nettie (Halle Bailey), are brought up by their abusive father Alfonso (Deon Cole) since their mother died some time ago. Alfonso marries off Celie to an equally…
Set a generation after the height of the AIDS crisis, The Inheritance looks at what it is like to be young and gay in New York. It explores love and legacy and what we owe to those that came before us. At the heart of the work is the decent and caring Eric Glass (Charles Purcell),…
Electrifying rhythm, dance, drums and more, Argentina’s Malevo is mesmerising machismo. 13 artistes extraordinaire and a four-piece band hold the audience in the palms of their hands for 80 minutes. Created by director, choreographer and dancer Matias Jaime in 2015, the all-male group specialises in what is known as Malambo. That is a traditional Argentinian folk dance…
Do you remember what your last day of school was like? You’d just finished your final exams and freedom was there for the taking. The future was uncertain, but it was one of possibilities. Regardless, now was party time. These are the thoughts in the minds of the 17-year-olds at the centre of Matthew Whittet’s heartfelt play. The twist is…
The sensitive fantasy-romance All of Us Strangers concerns two lost souls. Based on a novel by Taichi Yamada, the film is written and directed by Andrew Haigh (Lean on Pete). It’s a reflective, slow-burning and mysterious work. One night a triggered fire alarm sees screenwriter Adam (Andrew Scott) evacuate his apartment building temporarily. Staring up,…
It is an age-old question without a satisfying answer. What constitutes art? That is the starting point for a coming-of-age tale about a 24-year-old artist who is trying to find her voice. To that end, James (Anna Kaleeda) – as she is known – wants to be exhibited. She and an old school friend (Finn McGrath) attend a…
The Iron Claw, which is based on a true story, sees a loving family is torn apart by a father’s “win at any cost” mentality. Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany) was a rising star of the wrestling circuit, but didn’t get the chance to be a world champion. Still, it is what continues to drive…
The ultimate multi legendary artist tribute show – the longest running in Las Vegas history – is celebrating its 40th anniversary, with its sixth visit to Melbourne. Since it debuted in the US in 1983, it has played to more than 40 million people in 15 countries over five continents. I believe what we are privy to…
