Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s Little Eyolf (1894) is a searing portrait of angst. Rita (Elisa Armstrong) is deeply in love with Alfred (Damien Harrison). He’s a writer and they have been married for a decade, but she fears his feelings for her have shifted. He’s just returned from a fortnight walking in the mountains, a trip he has…
As children, what do we fear the most? That the boogie man will get us. It is from that dark place that Monsters comes. It is all about the fear of the dark and the perception of visions in the blackness. It is a scary tale writ large. Monsters starts with acclaimed actor Alison Whyte wandering out in front…
The stakes are high from the outset of Queensland Theatre’s blockbuster season closer First Casualty. This is not just because of the play’s grounding in reality as the debut work from serving soldier and Afghanistan veteran Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Johnston CSC, but also because of its initial action. That sees Sapper “Thommo” Ken (Reagan Mannix)…
Vulnerability and how to make it as an actor. That is what The Mentor is all about. Amanda Redfern (Amanda Muggleton) is noted for one feature film, but of late parts have been few and far between for the ageing starlet. She spent time in Los Angeles, but has no desire to return. Now she spends her days…
The sense of touch is put under the microscope in the Victorian premiere of Suzie Miller’s searing drama Caress/Ache. Five actors play out a series of scenarios, all but one filling multiple roles. Mark (Sorab Kaikobad) is a skilled surgeon operating on an infant girl when things go horribly wrong. There is no way for him…
With silky vocals and a big sound, this Fleetwood Mac tribute band is pure gold. There is a lot of love in the room for breathing new life into the hits of the British-American pop rock band that has sold more than 120 million records. Although over the years Fleetwood Mac line-up changes have been plentiful, five…
The great sleuth Sherlock Holmes is at it again. Is there no case he cannot solve? Can his adversary, Professor Moriarty, finally chalk up a win against Holmes and Watson? And will Sherlock let his affections for a client cloud his judgment for once? These and other issues make Sherlock Holmes and the Case of…
The story of Scrooge who was “helped” to discover the true meaning of Christmas by ghosts may be familiar to most, but Old Vic’s production is both delightful and surprising. Conceived and directed by Matthew Warchus, Jack Thorne has reimagined the Charles Dickens’ classic tale to mesmerising effect. As we are led to our seats at…
It is a play unlike any other. In fact, it is a 50-minute interrogation. There is tension in the air and we – the audience – are flies on the wall … listening in and watching intently. Murder is afoot and a woman known to police, Dolly (Kellie Tori), is being grilled by Detective Rowlinson…
Straight from the West End, the new, reimagined production of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat is a delightful, fun, engaging and dynamic family musical. Wonderfully directed by Laurence Connor, it is based on the biblical character Joseph. Seen as his father Jacob’s favourite son, he is gifted a beautiful technicolor coat by his dad. That enrages his…
