The subject matter might be stomach churning, but its entertainment and engagement value certainly is not. Soundworks Productions’ Sweeney Todd is triumphant thanks to strong performances, astute direction and compelling staging. If you have never seen Sweeney Todd before, I dare say that having done so you will never look at meat pies quite the…
This guy – Fabio Motta – is absolutely brilliant. In the first instance, he has drawn on fact and upended it to craft an immersive, engaging and thoroughly entertaining story. More to the point, he and he alone (with a little help from the lighting and sound designers) manages to hold us in the palms…
It is an immersive gastronomic experience unlike any other. It is deliciously flavoursome, while very showy and a whole heap of fun. Everything from the Four Seasons’ 10-course degustation kosher menu with accompanying beverages to the entertainment and music is the brainchild of master chef Rony Parienty. He was born in France and raised in…
I fell big time for the two leads in James Terry Collective’s production of Disney’s High School Musical On Stage! Their chemistry is unmistakable. Individually and collectively Sophia Kouknas and Gabriel Tiller’s vocalisation is pure, strong, melodic and engaging. They harmonise magnificently. They play Gabriella Montez and Troy Bolton, who meet on New Year’s Eve…
In terms of holding up a mirror to bad behaviour by men, there is nothing quite as illuminating as women playing men acting appallingly. So it is in the cut through Savages, written with bite by Patricia Cornelius and directed by Kitan Petkovski, who is all in. Four old mates are taking the cruise of…
Change of life never looked as good as it does on stage in the hilarious musical Menopause. It mashes four strong artistes, delivering power packed vocals on familiar, up-tempo tunes, cleverly reworded, with slick choreography. Add in colourful lighting, striking sound, easy to navigate staging with smooth transitions between scenes and evocative costuming and you…
In 1843, German philosopher Karl Marx famously wrote that “religion is the opium of the people”. So, does religion exist to assuage the tough times? But so much about it can’t be explained. It just is. Think of a virgin birth for starters. And then how do you deal with the untold misery in the…
While growing up, I was captivated by subversive stories in a classic cartoon segment known as Fractured Fairy Tales. That aired as part of the TV series The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends. It turned familiar yarns about the likes of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel and many others on their head. All these…
Did you know that the first recorded women’s cricket match in Australia took place at the Bendigo Easter Fair on 7th April, 1874? It was a charity event organised between two teams of 11 players – labelled the Blues and the Reds – by 19-year-old schoolteacher Barbara Rae. Her father, John, was headmaster of Rae’s…
A superb showcase of future musical talent, Patrick School of the Arts’ presentation of Carrie: The Musical is a beauty. There are so many talented performers in the 18 strong cast, all drawn from third year musical theatre students at the school. Based on Stephen King’s debut novel, integrating elements of the 1976 supernatural horror…
