It is a shocking tale of displacement (being wrenched away from family), discrimination, institutionalisation, foster homes and police intimidation. As a result, there is acting up, trouble making, drinking, smoking and getting in with the wrong crowd. Then there is the opportunity to turn it all around, to create a lasting legacy and, with it,…
The outrage I felt while watching events unfold here was palpable, just as it should be. Racism, hatred, misogyny, political dirty dealings – it is all there in giant technicolour, so to speak. At the centre of proceedings is a young actor still to make it, a man who would go on to become a…
As a highly successful recording artist and most engaging live performer, Guy Sebastian is quite the revelation. He comes across as a grounded nice guy – a loving family man and good friend – with a stunning vocal range that he seems to be able to produce at will. What a voice – what rich…
Tessa Ensler (Sheridan Harbridge) is a successful criminal defence barrister. She knows the tricks of the trade and defends her clients – many alleged sexual offenders – vehemently. She relishes the game … circling witnesses until she is ready to pounce, having lulled them into a false sense of security. She is good … very…
Bold, brazen and unapologetic comes this interrogation of sex and sex education from the perspective of three naïve Year 12 students. On the cusp of final exams, larger than life Anna (Louisa Cusumano) is writing erotic fiction and publishing it online. It concerns a charged lesbian relationship between a young woman and a monster (read…
Melodic, witty, satiric and joyfully absurd, dramatist W.S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan collaborated on 14 comic operas between 1871 and 1896. Among the best known are H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado. Music from these, I am pleased to say, was prominent in Opera Australia’s glorious celebration. Gilbert and Sullivan pioneered…
Almost a decade after it first appeared in Australia, Cirque du Soleil’s magnificent show KOOZA, an ode to traditional circus, returns with distinction. Cirque du Soleil has rewritten what is possible in the art form. KOOZA combines extraordinary artistry, phenomenal acrobatic performance, captivating clowning and theatrical excellence. Cirque remains cutting edge circus – the best…
Once is a sparkling, witty, lyrical tale about a couple who fall quickly and deeply in love, but whose individual circumstances (read complications) see them hold back. Their connection is music and the title refers to a once in a lifetime encounter, complete with magnetism, vulnerability and healing. Based on the 2006 movie by John…
A beaut way for the young to be introduced to opera in the company of loved ones. That is the key to the success of The Magic Pudding: The Opera, an operatic adaptation of Norman Lindsay’s 1918 children’s classic. The story concerns thievery of a cantankerous magic pudding named Albert. He is a walking, talking…
What a privilege it was to be in the audience at the Regent Theatre to celebrate all that is grand in opera, at Opera Australia’s 70th Anniversary Gala. Indeed, it was a very special occasion, introduced by Opera Australia’s CEO, Alex Budd and hosted by ABC Classics’ Mairi Nicolson, resplendent in green. Her love affair…
