By now just about everybody is aware that Lance Armstrong’s historic seven wins in the iconic and gruelling Tour De France were tainted by drugs and the use of elaborate masking agents; especially after his frank and revealing confession in an extended interview with Oprah Winfrey. And anyone who saw Alex Gibney’s detailed and well…
My Dearworthy Darling from feminist theatre mavericks THE RABBLE is an esoteric mix of past and present. In modern day Australia, the marriage of a middle-aged couple is in real trouble. They are being pulled apart by mistrust, paranoia and violence. The woman is left scared and scarred. She’s trapped in a very unhappy situation….
The classic tale of Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw is a crowd-pleaser for all ages. The latest production by the New Theatre is no exception. It’s a story that’s been told in many versions since it was written in 1912, the most loved being My Fair Lady. The play’s title is apt, named after the…
Bridget Jones’s Baby, the third installment of the romantic fantasy about a woman not afraid to reveal her flaws and insecurities is a crowd pleaser. The original director Sharon Maguire returns but they have introduced a couple of new writers, including one of the stars, Emma Thompson. Renee Zellweger and Colin Firth are joined by…
While a largely enjoyable romp, The Mystery of Henri Pick becomes too convoluted for its own good. Henri Pick made pizzas for a living in France’s Brittany region. No one could have guessed was a gifted author (so much so that he could juxtapose Russian novelist Alexander Pushkin with the last throes of a relationship)?…
Kathryn Marquet’s The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek begins in darkness. When the stage is lit, it reveals a ramshackle ranger’s station shack somewhere in the wilds of south-western Tasmania. Centre-stage is Dr George Templeton (Emily Weir), cradling an infant devil in her arms. The environmental scientist is determined, passionate and intelligent enough to know…
Or, Living With Your Self. Netflix’s new dramedy starring Paul Rudd is a small masterpiece about the petty cruelties of everyday life. And while some might expect more from its high-concept premise, the show’s quotidian concerns offer enough to make it worth sticking with. Miles Elliot (Rudd) is stuck in a rut. His job in…
Noises Off has been around for a few decades – it was written by British playwright Michael Frayn in 1982. And unlike The Play That Goes Wrong or Fawlty Towers, it feels like it. The farce appeared dated to me and it was inclined to push the envelope too far at every turn. The first act…
Our selection of the best new music across a range of genres from the week ending 15 January 2021. Pearl Charles has been playing music since she was 5 years old. At 18, she formed country duo The Driftwood Singers with Christian Lee Hutson, singing and playing guitar and autoharp. At 22, she joined garage…
No one is ever going to call singer/songwriter Bill Mallonee an under-achiever. His latest release, a 10 song full-length effort, Forest Full of Wolves is his 78th album by his own count. Mallonee spent the 1990s fronting Vigilantes of Love, shuffling from one label to the next. They drove a van coast-to-coast playing every alternative…
