He’s rude, crude, remarkably observant and lightning quick with one liners. In short, a force of nature. I speak of the indomitable Reuben Kaye, who wears his heart on his sleeve and totally owns his audience like few others I have come across. His stage presence is remarkable. He walks, talks and warbles like an…
What a mess – a script that lurches one way, then the other, around and around, that simply ends up feeling tortuous. It is also oh so obvious. It feels forced – all the way. Sure, I can find praise for the choreographed dance numbers and the musicality, although I could also argue that the…
Bullying, teenage angst, toxic relationships and murder hardly seem material conducive to a cult following, but if you think that, you don’t know Heathers. First came the original 1988 film starring Winona Ryder and then the musical that debuted in 2009, hitting off Broadway in 2014 and the West End in 2018. It has developed…
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 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…
