One of the great plays of the 20th century retains its vibrancy and bite in a stunning MTC production, headlined by a bravura showing from Nikki Shiels. Written by Tennessee Williams in 1945, A Streetcar Named Desire was first performed on Broadway two years later. Now, here I am, coming up to 80 years on,…
Sharing a house with friends and/or strangers can be anything but straightforward. Sometimes, mighty testing, in fact. So it is in the new Australian musical Share House, which is simply delightful. Former classmates Lucy and Jane are as different as chalk and cheese. Now young adults, they have been living together for what seems like forever. Bossy, at times…
RBG: Of Many, One is distinguished by a virtuoso performance from Heather Mitchell, in which she metamorphosises into Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In fact, it is unquestionably one of the greatest solo theatrical offerings this country has had the good fortune to witness. As Ginsburg, the second woman to be appointed to the US Supreme Court, Mitchell talks…
What is in a word? Everything … for the person around whom the sweeping tale The Dictionary of Lost Words focuses. I speak of Esme Nicoll (Brenna Harding), to whom we are introduced in the year 1886. At the time, she is four years of age and being brought up by her intelligent, decent and caring father,…
Survival is at stake when stunning brunette Rosie (Janet Anderson) finds herself cornered in a bathroom. She is a transwoman who has had to endure a great deal and continues to do so. Above all, she has learnt to be true to herself. Bathrooms are a constant thread running through Overflow. That dates back to when Rosie first…
Electrifying rhythm, dance, drums and more, Argentina’s Malevo is mesmerising machismo. 13 artistes extraordinaire and a four-piece band hold the audience in the palms of their hands for 80 minutes. Created by director, choreographer and dancer Matias Jaime in 2015, the all-male group specialises in what is known as Malambo. That is a traditional Argentinian folk dance…
If you want to see a show full of feel good, life affirming entertainment, you should look no further than The Choir of Man. Straight from London’s West End, it is sensational. Music, revelry and heartfelt exchanges with the audience are the name of the game and the punters get to join it even before the show…
Some of the most extraordinary and outrageous feats performed on stage. Add next level, utterly hilarious, child participation and you have Circus 1903. No Big Top here. Rather, the creature comforts of Arts Centre Melbourne’s premier venue. It goes down a treat thanks to the supreme artistes and the cheeky and cherry patter of ringmaster David Williamson. He is…
Eighteen dynamos of dance and drums dazzle and delight at Arts Centre Melbourne. They are truly mesmerising in an energetic display of artistic brilliance. Let me set the scene. The curtain goes up to reveal two tiers. At ground level are nine dancers seated, ostensibly dressed in white with black highlights and taupe-coloured socks. Behind them, on a higher plane,…
The Tokyo Ballet’s romantic, tragic and haunting Giselle is spectacular. It looks and sounds magnificent. It is the story of a charming and naïve peasant girl with a weak heart, who attracts the attention of a woodsman, Hilarian and a count in disguise, Albrecht. Giselle falls for the latter, but humiliated, the former vows revenge. That comes when…
