In 1613 William Shakespeare (played in All is True by Kenneth Branagh) was the most famous writer in England. But then his beloved Globe Theatre burned to the ground during a performance of his final play Henry VIII after a prop misfired. Shakespeare retired following that disaster and returned home to Stratford-upon-Avon. There he pottered…
The Australian premiere of Johan Inger’s comic, romantic dance theatre piece I New Then, set to songs by Van Morrison, is superb. I was delighted to experience it for a second time in a few days when watching DanceX Part II. It opened the program, just as it had DanceX Part I. Inger, a Swedish choreographer, danced with…
For twenty-five years Stephen Page has been the creative director of Sydney’s Bangarra Dance Company, creating some innovative works that often explore complex indigenous themes and culture. He has also choreographed a number of films such as Bran Nue Dae and The Sapphires. He made his film directorial debut with Sand, one of the seventeen…
Have you ever wanted to be an actor or voice over talent? Well, here’s your chance, although Daniel Kitson would hate me for saying so because he makes his view of actors clear in the show (or is it really his view?). The British comedian has written an off the wall script, in which he argues with…
Quite the epic, Little Women – directed by Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) – is a moving adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s award-winning novel. The story unfolds as the author’s alter ego, Jo March (Saoirse Ronan), reflects on her fictional life. It is the tale of four young women – sisters Jo, a writer, Meg…
Inspired by the reflections of a photojournalist who spent four years as a member of the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club, The Bikeriders is about testosterone. It’s based around a fictional biker gang known as the Vandals and its founder, Johnny Davis (Tom Hardy). Married with two children, Johnny is a truck driver, although all we…
Sometimes we forget how we used to get the news. Before social media and before the internet. Even before television and cinema newsreels. There were…newspapers! And the holy grail for a journalist was for their story to dominate the front page. Now playing at the New Theatre, The Front Page is a fast-paced: story. Written…
The Conference is a fictionalised account of what is unquestionably the most horrific conference in history. On 20 January 1942, high ranking Nazi officials met at a mansion southwest of Berlin to plot the Holocaust, referred to as the “Final Solution to the Jewish question”. It involved 90 minutes discussing how to rid Europe of…
I’m in awe of what Academy Award winner (for his short Harvie Krumpet) Adam Elliot can do with adult stop-motion animation. His storytelling is quirky and accessible, as shown in his second feature (after Mary and Max), Memoir of a Snail. This is a heartfelt story drawn from personal experiences. It follows a loner named…
You Cannot Kill David Arquette is the redemptive tale of washed-up Hollywood actor David Arquette and his attempt to reverse the mistakes of his past. In 2002, Arquette decided to cross-promote his comedy film Ready to Rumble about wrestling fans, by entering into the wrestling ring himself. However, the gimmick snowballed into Arquette actually winning…
