Few, if any, would question how revolutionary the preschool educational television program Sesame Street has been since it first aired in 1969. It has, of course, bred familiarity with the characters, leading to merchandising and campaign leadership. And then there is the acclaimed Sesame Street parody with adult themes, Avenue Q, which received gongs for…
It’s 250 years since Jane Austen was born and her witty, insightful works still endure. Pride & Prejudice remains one of the evergreen favourites for Austen fans, with several film, TV and stage adaptations having been produced over the years. It’s Queensland Theatre’s turn with this joyous production that features an all-Queensland cast. Adapted by…
Accountability is behind the twisted Agatha Christie tale And Then There Were None. Eight people are invited to a luxurious island retreat off the coast of Devon, but when they arrive their supposed hosts are not there to greet them. Attending to them are a butler, Rogers (Grant Piro), and his wife, a cook, Mrs…
So much raucous fun, POTUS pushes all the right buttons when it comes to political incorrectness and scandal. In short, the President’s nearest and dearest are barely hanging on by their fingertips, as it is mayhem in the White House. I speak of his Chief of Staff Harriet (Carolyn Bock), Press Secretary Jean (Tilly Legge…
Spectacular. Creative (in short, it is visionary). Compelling. Nijinksy showcases the very best of The Australian Ballet. As the title suggests, it charts the rise and fall of acclaimed Russian dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky (12th March, 1889 – 8th April, 1950). Considered to be the greatest male dancer of the early 20th century, he…
With selective taste appeal, A Nightime Travesty is a walk on the wild side. It is a parody, an extreme First Nations’ cabaret with music. Earth is a smouldering mess. The crew of a plane is on the last flight out of there, heading for the afterlife. Angel is buckled in, alongside Alexa, while a…
Is he a hero or a villain, a revolutionary or a zealot? Fair questions to pose about a man who spent seven years in exile and a further five in prison. Of course, I speak of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the subject of a powerhouse new play from Patricia Cornelius, directed by Susie Dee. In…
Families – you can’t live with them and you can’t live without them. In short, that is what playwright David Williamson is playing with here … and it gets mighty hot in the kitchen. Well-to-do, widowed family matriarch Monique (Tracy Mann) is looking forward to celebrating her three sons’ birthdays, all of which happen to…
The hero in Hadestown goes to hell and back in his quest to rescue the love of his life. This is a modern retelling of an ancient Greek myth, with the original character names retained. It is a tale of good versus evil, delivered with sass. With confidence and attitude, it is the narrator Hermes…
Life is about sliding door moments. The decisions we make … the directions we choose have consequences. And so it is with matters of the heart. British playwright Nick Payne’s two hander Constellations, which premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 2012, tackles this conceit. It starts with a decidedly left of centre…
