More than ever, in 2023 the theme has an ick factor. It made my skin crawl. Today, cyberbullying is unfortunately rife, with physical appearance being a common reason why. Dogfight, in the context of this musical, refers to the practice among Marines of placing bets on ugly women. This is the story of Eddie Birdlace, who is…
At certain times of year or at a certain age we have perhaps all felt a little like the Ebenezer Scrooge of Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. As shake and stir theatre company’s adaptation reminds us, however, the cold-hearted elderly miser that we meet at the outset of the story is still capable…
Mad bugger. That was my first thought when I saw one of the opening shots in this picturesque documentary, completed with the accompaniment of the Australian Chamber Orchestra. There was this bloke scaling a sheer cliff face, seemingly without any form of aid, staring death in the face. His hands and feet were searching for…
The psychedelic rock train is really hard to slow down right now as West Coasters Froth have just delivered a sophomore album in Bleak that is another shining moment for the genre. There is only so much you can do with the fuzzy pop delivery but Froth hit the right groove and like clouds lifting…
Director John Madden is a bit of an enigma. The Englishman is of course best known as the director of Shakespeare in Love. He’s also done some fine work in films like Proof (2005), The Debt (2010) and Miss Sloane (2016). But he also has Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and Killshot on his resume. His new…
Jonathan Larson wrote the smash hit Broadway musical Rent. How he got there involved pain and persistence. That’s the subject of tick, tick … Boom! Living in New York, Jon (Hugh Sheridan) dreams of being a Broadway musical writer. His creativity is recognised by his close and loyal friends, but he is on the cusp of 30…
The term “fan service” is getting a lot of play right now. The idea is that filmmakers and movie studios owe it to “core” fans to give them what they want. In politics, they call it “playing to the base”. Of course, in this age of social media, just who are the “core” fans often…
Life throws up curve balls. You just never know when one will be pitched your way. So it is when thirty-something and balding Vincent Machot (Kyan Khojandi) – who has inherited his father’s hairdressing salon – goes out of his way to satisfy his mother’s food cravings. Machot cycles to the grocery store owned by…
Lisa Ellery takes a risk in her debut crime novel Private Prosecution. That is to have a main character who, while his heart is sometimes in the right place, is not particularly likeable. Another is that the story that he is dropped into the middle of can be a little far-fetched. But as long as…
