During the Golden Age of Hollywood, which generally refers to the period from the late 1920s to the early ‘60s, with the peak in the ‘30s and ‘40s, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford were regarded as royalty. Both were nothing if not colourful characters. Davis, whose maxim was “no guts, no glory” was wed four…
The idea for this Broadway musical emerged from an ugly truth. Inclusion is the theme. Comedy is the vehicle. The Prom has its Australian debut at a new home for musical theatre in Sydney’s west, Teatro at the Italian Forum. A high profile, Tony Award-winning actress, Dee Dee Allen (Caroline O’Connor) and leading man Barry…
Superlatives can’t do justice to a magnificent Handa Opera production of The Phantom of the Opera on its 40th anniversary. With the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge as a spectacular backdrop, the leads are glorious, the chorus captivating and the production values mesmerising. As far as the staging goes, only outdoors could you achieve…
Add a series of compelling, up-tempo songs to the darkly comedic gore that has spawned a cult following, stir liberally and you have the makings of a hit musical. As unlikely as that might sound, that – in a nutshell – is Evil Dead: The Musical. We are savage trees, dismemberment and chainsaws, so “yes”,…
A pathological hatred and disdain for women is brought into sharp focus in a searing production from Vixen Theatre Company. Frankly, what is depicted on screen behind the actors disgusted me. And what makes it more appalling is that every word of it is true. Welcome to the domain of incels (involuntary celibates) and “manosphere”…
First up, an admission. My job in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre on 28th April, 1996, in which 35 people were murdered and 20 wounded, was to try to come up with strategies to restore tourism to the area. I had visited the UNESCO world heritage listed site – Australia’s largest and most…
A dystopian future is the setting for BottledSnail’s production of Urinetown. Twenty years of drought has taken its toll. Citizens must pay to use public facilities – operated by a ruthless private organisation known as Urine Good Company – to pee. Anyone who breaks the law is sent to their demise in a mysterious place…
The force of nature that was the late, great Chrissy Amphlett is alive and well in the form of Sheridan Harbridge (who wrote, performs in and co-created this show). No, she isn’t and could never be Amphlett (25th October, 1959 – 21st April, 2013). But she pays her the ultimate tribute in this masterful narrative…
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic 1925 novel is reimagined for the stage in a fusion of ballet, tap and jazz. BIG Live is a welcome new voice in the performing arts – a ballet company where tradition meets innovation. Alongside narration of the tragic Gatsby storyline is a stunning score, bold choreography, striking sets and costuming,…
How to create a compelling world premiere program with life sustaining plants at its epicentre. That was the challenge. Combining the supreme talents of The Australian Ballet and Bangarra Dance Theatre for a fourth time was a masterstroke … for the result is astounding. The creative excellence is next level. The surprises jaw dropping. The…
