Love. Oil. Economic freedom. We come full circle from when oil was first discovered until it runs out in this drama with dystopian elements, appropriately named Oil. We move through five-time frames, from Cornwall in 1889 and Tehran in 1908 to Hampstead in 1970 in the first act, then Baghdad in 2021 and back to…
In Midnight Family, the audience become front seat passengers riding along with the Ochoa family in Mexico City after dark. Underground private ambulances compete for patients, beg for money and pay police bribes. The government operates fewer than 45 emergency ambulances in Mexico City for a population of nine million. The documentary explores urgent questions…
Neil Jordan was a big name in the 1990s. Movies like The Crying Game and Interview with the Vampire made him a household name. Since then his output has been a little patchy, but now he’s back with Greta, a film with a crafty premise and a great cast. The problem is that Jordan’s direction…
Rear Window meets The Girl on the Train in thriller The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn. A chilling psychological thriller about an agoraphobic woman convinced she’s seen a crime take place, the twisty-turny story brims with red herrings and doubts as it draws readers to a disturbing conclusion. Here’s the blurb: What did she see? It’s been ten…
I walked into Peter Rabbit with low expectations about what Beatrix Potter’s beloved tales would look like on the big screen. But I left elated; and proud to be an Australian because so much Aussie talent was involved in this production. Old Mr McGregor (Sam Neill) can’t stand the thought of pesky rodents invading his precious…
Zodiac mythology binds together 12 acts that are a fusion of circus, burlesque and dance in Oracle. It is the work of the team behind the award-winning Matador. Pulsating, toe-tapping, beats are the order of the day, along with a cavalcade of colourful and risqué costuming and athletic and acrobatic feats on and above the stage. Among…
The atmosphere was charged for a reunion that was meant to be. The four original Australian-based Jersey Boys, handpicked at the time from 800 hopefuls, have taken to the stage again to recreate the magic from 17 years ago. Jersey Boys kicked off at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre in July 2009. I speak of Irish-born Bobby…
Sicario is a Spanish word used to describe the hitmen associated with Mexican drug cartels. Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario (2015) was a gripping action crime drama set on the border between the US and Mexico. The sequel, Day of the Soldado, doesn’t disappoint. The film is propelled by two antihero protagonists who venture deep into the…
To state the bleedin’ obvious, COVID-19 has had a massive impact on the world … and comedian and songstress Tash York throws many well-chosen barbs regarding coronavirus into a powerhouse show. She’s sassy and saucy and altogether supreme as she and her two flaming red-haired drag artist sidekicks Matthew Hadgraft and Vivian Fonteyn – one on piano and the…
Featuring Sacred Harp, otherwise known as shape-note or fasola, singing, The Hall is a moving and superbly executed offering. It involves a community choir delivering a capella in four-part harmony. The story concerns three members of a family. Tup (Natasha Herbert) has been diagnosed with Stage 4 frontotemporal dementia. She is incontinent and prone to…
