New York-bound Circus Oz bring daring feats of athleticism and strength, as well as laughter to Melbourne Town Hall. They enjoy clowning around to entertain an appreciative audience, but these artistes – short and tall – are seriously good at the circus arts. As someone who has been fortunate to see many circus shows, there…
With a powerful and pulsating music base, inspired by Berlin in the 1920s, Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett is slick and sizzling, ribald and rambunctious. It presents the finest of cabaret, circus acts and gender bending bravado, which gives the middle finger to convention with a cheeky grin. It is hip and happening and the crowd…
The concept is a game show-based pop quiz with a musical focus, overlaid with a manufactured relationship breakdown by the host, Uma Dobie. Of the former, think Britney and Bizet, Madonna and Mozart, Beyonce and Bellini. Of the latter, when calling for her assistant, being her lover, Trevor, he appears on video, brutally dumping her,…
Scotsman Danny Bhoy is a brilliant, easy-going, personable, eminently relatable comedian who has been plying his trade full-time around the world for 25 years. He is a beloved figure and his patter and banter are just so natural. I have witnessed none better. To see him in action is akin to getting into the cockpit…
Drag star Trevor Ashley et al slay it in a riotously funny show that derives its conceit from Baz Luhrmann’s jukebox musical Moulin Rouge! The setting has moved from the Parisian cabaret club to the Moulin Beige in Kings Cross, run by Astrid Zeneca (with legendary Carlotta in the role). Here, the star is not…
Mel Bracewell is comic gold. She is a delightful yarn spinner, who turns the ordinary into the special. Appropriately, she has the audience in fits of laughter as a result. Well named, A Little Treat is exactly that, a memorable hour of mirth and merriment, although the title is also drawn from her final salvo….
Harry Potter is a global cultural phenomenon. It started with what became the most successful book series in history (more than 600 million sold). Then, it transformed into one of the highest grossing film franchises (with a take of upwards of 12.75 billion Australian dollars for the eight movies). Further, the theatrical production Harry Potter…
Frequently politically incorrect, Jordan Barr revels in pushing the boundaries in a show that stirs the pot. Many are in the firing line of this quick-witted comedian, who maintains a fast tempo, with plenty of asides (quick quips). Complete with PowerPoint, a couple of jazz stings and a musical in memoriam with a decided twist,…
Lightscape (Friday, 20th June – Sunday, 10th August, 2025) has become an annual, must-see cavalcade of illuminated wonder at Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. Now, for the first time, the concept has been extended to Melbourne’s outer southeast, specifically to Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne. It is titled Lightfall: Nature After Dark and is an April school…
It has the look and feel of a silly student production. It marks the first fully written play and directorial debut of Oscar O’Brien. The concept – pinch the brilliance of Lin Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton and make it about ants. I kid you not. And the vast majority of the protagonists in the work…
