Rosie Andrews pulls a slight bait-and-switch in her debut novel The Leviathan. Set in the 17th Century, the first half of The Leviathan concerns itself with a possible witch trial before pivoting into something even darker. The short prologue ends with the ominous words: “She is awake.” But it will be a while before those…
Circus Royale is an artistic triumph. I have seen a great deal of circus, but the calibre of acts in this hour and a half show (plus interval) is top shelf. As breathtaking as many performances are, the best of the best are undoubtedly the Colombian-born Lion Brothers – Saret, Sarius and Samir Leon. Not for…
Around this time of year, a young man’s thoughts (cinematically speaking) will turn to huge, special effects laden blockbusters, as the US “summer” movie season gets into full swing (this year so far we’ve already had Fast & Furious 7 and Avengers: Age of Ultron). While those movies definitely have their place, sometimes it’s good to have a…
When I wrote about Burning earlier this year, I mentioned that East Asian cinema was having something of a “moment”. Well, that “moment” continues with Joon Ho Bong’s Palme d’Or (2019) winner, Parasite. A veteran of Korean cinema, Bong is probably best known here for 2013’s Snowpiercer. Sci-fi has been his forte, so Parasite is…
For those – like me – who haven’t seen the popular Netflix series on which Stranger Sings! is based, Stranger Things is hugely successful. Set in the 1980s, primarily in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, it is an American science fiction horror drama featuring, among others, Winona Ryder. It centres on mysteries and supernatural events…
Do you enjoy being challenged mentally and physically? Do you like playing games and solving puzzles? Are you fit, clear of mind and appreciate the stimulation of a team environment? Then this Australian first, Prison Island, is likely to be in your wheelhouse. With 94 “prisons” and nearly 3,000 “cells” in 18 countries, the immersive,…
What is appropriate and inappropriate behaviour in a relationship between two adults, when one is clearly more powerful and significantly older than the other?That is the question raised and dissected in a crackling new MTC drama, Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes. It is 2014. Jon Macklem (Dan Spielman) is an acclaimed author with tenure at…
The House on the Lake is a 90 minute, one act play. A psychological thriller, where David (Huw Higginson) seemingly suffering from anterograde amnesia, is coaxed back to health through a series of interviews by a forensic psychologist, Alice (Jeanette Cronin). What is gradually remembered, connected, produces a result that neither of the participants anticipate….
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…
Much remains unanswered in the low-budget mystery-horror film, It Comes at Night. Award-winning filmmaker Trey Edward Shults follows his breakout debut Krishna with this psychological thriller. It centres on a teenage boy, Travis (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.), as he grapples with mounting terrors – both external and internal – in the aftermath of an unnamed cataclysm. Seventeen…
