It can be a little challenging to find reality TV to group watch that appeals to everyone in the family. Do you need a good sized injection of the feel goods for your crew? Watch The Zoo: San Diego. Seriously – have you ever seen anything as adorable as a Klipspringer calf? No, indeed you…
A transparent, highly predictable script underpins a sweet-natured coming of age tale pitched at younger teens. Fifteen-year-old Jack Hooper (William Lodder) and his widowed mother Christie (Frances O’Connor) move to a small town in Western Australia a few years after the death of his father/her husband. She opens a fruit and vegetable shop and he…
What is always surprising about cults is that they consistently manage to attract seemingly intelligent people who leave their ordered lives to join bizarre communities run by petty tyrants with delusions of grandeur. What is sadly not surprising is that at the centre of cults there are often innocents, the children. There’s a few plot…
An epic and intense tale of bravery in the lead up to and during the First World War, War Horse focuses on the trials and tribulations of a chestnut animal named Joey and on those who come into contact with him. When it was first performed on stage, in London in October 2007, War Horse…
Deeply entrenched racism is at the centre of a drama in which the result is never in doubt and the journey is designed to provoke outrage. First up, there is the political issue of a civilised society condemning felons to death. Regardless of your position on that, it is difficult to feel too much sympathy…
Irish hatred of the British propels a fantastical take on the life and times of bushranger Ned Kelly. Part lyrical, part punk rock, this is a liberal interpretation of a man who became famous in his own lifetime. I tell you, his mother was a real piece of work, according to how she is represented…
It’s party time as some of the greatest artists from the ‘50s to today take to the stage … again. Well, not really … but as reimagined in tribute form. And they are good – very darn good. The history of Legends in Concert dates back close to four decades. It made its Las Vegas debut in…
Shaun the Sheep (2015) was one of the funniest animations – in fact movies per se – that I have seen, so I was mighty keen to see the sequel. It has a lot in it to satisfy children, but not so much adults – as the first one did. Set in the quiet township…
Wolfgang’s Magical Musical Circus is a stunning display of daredevil acrobatic artistry set to the dramatic tunes of Mozart, making it a wonderful way to introduce children to the composer’s music. The family friendly show with an energetic circus twist starts slowly with a lonely birthday girl (Kathryn O’Keeffe) conjuring up Mozart (real-life husband Paul…
Every generation is gifted with its own take on Count Dracula and vampire lore. You may think it near impossible to put a new spin on such an iconic horror tale, so we’re pleased to report that Dracula, the 2020 Netflix version, manages to do just this. The vampire generally receives his or her best…
