Regular readers will know how I long to visit Italy one day. For now, I have to content myself by travelling vicariously through books like Only in Naples by Katherine Wilson. Here’s the blurb: Katherine is fresh out of college when she arrives in Naples to intern at the US Consulate. There she meets handsome,…
The title is quite a mouthful, but The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a delightful British crowd-pleaser that combines the impact of war with true love. Based on the bestselling novel of the same name, the film tells the story of Juliet Ashton (Lily James), a free-spirited, successful writer living in post-WWII…
The Nest Ensemble’s Wanderings is immediately reassuring. The intimacy of Queensland Theatre’s Diane Cilento Studio is elevated by the staging of its initial cozy home setting of throw rugs, garden greenery in which to enjoy a cup of tea and a whole heap of post-it note reminders. The stationery, we soon learn is for the…
Merce Lemon is a Pittsburgh-based artist whose musical journey has been shaped by the community and culture of her hometown. Growing up in a creative family and surrounded by a supportive music scene, Merce has been part of local shows for years, often performing with her parents’ friends and, at times, alongside her father and…
A well-meaning but slight portrait of war-time suffering, Summerland felt manufactured to me. Despite its subject matter, I thought it lacked gravitas and authenticity. We’re in Kent in south-eastern England during the Blitz of 1940-41. Alice Lamb (Gemma Arterton) is an avid researcher and writer. She analyses folklore. Her small community regards her as harsh…
After nearly a decade as a band, three albums and countless tours across Australia, the US and UK, beloved Brisbane band The John Steel Singers have announced that they will be going on hiatus following their national tour this month. In a letter to fans, the band wrote: Now that it sounds like we’re breaking up I…
The Whale is the film that has excited me more than any other since lockdown. While the story itself is remarkable, the acting has me champing at the bit to recommend it. It’s all set in a rundown apartment in Idaho. Charlie (Brendan Fraser) is morbidly obese. His blood pressure is off the charts and…
A new play by a debut writer is always something worth seeing and Single, Asian, Female is no exception. Michelle Law’s opus contains some brilliant dialogue and characters you come to love, even with their flaws. They are truly people many of us can say “I know her – and her mum!” It is however…
Francois Marsault (Andre Dussollier) is a former military man. Now aged 75, he lives life on his terms. Married to Annie (Sabine Azema) since she was 19, they have three grown up children. The eldest, Amaury (Gael Giraudeau), has followed his father into the armed forces. At a family gathering to mark his mother’s birthday,…
Tickets are now on sale for Queensland Theatre’s 2024 Season, so theatre lovers can secure now their spot to any of the seven plays taking centre stage next year, including the world premiere of Round The Twist The Musical. Artistic Director Lee Lewis says the 2024 line-up has some of the greatest theatrical experiences imaginable…
