An array of cocktails, mocktails and sleight of hand at close quarters, with some hijinks and a party atmosphere to boot. That is what in store for you when you step into the Japanese Magic Bar experience. As you order your drinks, seated at five “stations” – a table and four bars – five magicians…
Intense. Visceral. Passionate. Angry. Confronting. My instant reaction to a remarkable two-man show about art and what it means. It is the late 1950s. A master painter lets loose – doesn’t hold back – in “schooling” his assistant. In short, it is verbal diatribe of biblical proportions. Ken (Jordan Briggs) is like the cat that…
Danish author and poet Hans Christian Anderson based the literary fairy tale The Red Shoes about a peasant girl named Karen on his loathed half-sister of that name. The story, first published in an 1845 collection of his works, is that of a girl being forced to dance continually in red shoes. The peasant girl’s…
Insults, treachery and love are interchangeable in this new, modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, which crackles with absurdity and wit. It centres around the vicissitudes faced by two couples feted to be together, but not before a whole heap of melodrama. I speak of the acerbic Beatrice (Alison Bell) and aristocratic soldier…
Do you believe in ghosts? Noted sceptic and author Professor Adrian Chambers (Peter Houghton) most certainly does not? The 62-year-old has written 14 books on the subject. At a very poorly attended new book reading and signing, he is waylaid by the only person who turns up, librarian Beth Jackson (Emily Trheny). Although their awkward…
The multitalented PJ Lane takes us on a most entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable walk down memory lane, as he pays tribute to his famous father. With special guests Patti Newton and Rhonda Burchmore, PJ Lane sings, dances and delves into the life and times of fellow entertainer, Don. Complete with a striking 12-piece band and…
Passion, obsession, desperation, jealousy and rage make for a fiery combination in composer Georges Bizet’s Carmen, newly interpreted by director Anne-Louise Sarks. The sublime music, with such familiar refrains, also showcases a sassy, not to be messed with soprano in Danielle de Niese. She is irrepressible and oh so potent as the titular character. Carmen…
What a special show: the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at its glorious best and four popular and talented singers in fine voice showcasing the incomparable Billy Joel. The sound is magnificent. The experience unforgettable. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s catalogue is remarkable. Thirty-three top 40 hits in the US. Record sales exceeding 160 million…
First love erupts into a fight for Country in Whitefella Yella Tree. Teen indigenous Australians from different clans meet to exchange information. Ty (Joseph Althouse) of the River mob is tall, wiry, reflective and intelligent. Neddy (Danny Howard) of the Mountain mob is slightly shorter and sturdier, a livewire who darts about. They meet beneath…
It is Melbourne’s newest entertainment precinct (off Lonsdale Street), with a sizzling hot new show, involving seven spirited performers. I speak of Spiegel Haus Melbourne and the adults only, risqué cabaret Blanc de Blanc Encore. It is slick, sexy and in your face – in short, a walk on the wild side – with audience…
