Bigger & Blacker begins with Steven Oliver’s iconic line from ABC’s Black Comedy. It is appropriate, given that the Cloncurry-born writer and actor is probably best-known for his sketch performances in the fast-paced, provocative and bold foray into race relations. However, as his autobiographical comedy cabaret shows, there is much more to this self-proclaimed faboriginal…
Triple X is an honest and moving love story that is powerful and entertaining. Scotty (Josh McConville) is living the dream. A successful Wall Street banker, he is about to marry his beautiful and rich girlfriend. On the eve of their wedding, his family descends on his recently purchased multi-million dollar Tribeca loft. There are philosophical…
The audience is excited for opening night of Shaun The Sheep’s Circus Show. It is a collaboration between Brisbane-based Circa Contemporary Circus and Aardman Animations, creators of the multi-award-winning TV series Shaun the Sheep. Devised by Richard Starzak, the show is a spectacle of staging, using the height and depth of QPAC’s Lyric Theatre to…
Opening night of Altitude Theatre’s production of The Producers sees the Brisbane Powerhouse foyer filled with a red carpet, media wall and much excitement in anticipation of failure. Such is the story of fading Broadway producer Max Bialystock (Matt Young), who stumbles upon a seemingly failsafe scheme to profit from a flop. In partnership with…
A steady stream of mum and dad jokes lay the foundations for Then Came You, written and starring Kathie Lee Gifford. Depending upon your perspective, you might find it pleasant or painful. Over a year ago, 60-something Annabelle lost her beloved husband Fred in an accident at their hardware store in Nantucket. The would-be entertainer…
Trust is in short supply in the Disney animated feature Raya and the Last Dragon. That’s because 500 years ago, sinister monsters known as the Druun turned most of the people and the dragons (who until then had lived in harmony) to stone. But the collective energies and special powers of five dragon siblings saved…
Adapted from a 2012 graphic novel by Joff Winterhart, Days of the Bagnold Summer is a gently funny coming-of-age story. Sue Bagnold (Monica Doland) is a 52-year-old English librarian. She’s raising her son Daniel (Earl Cave) alone. Daniel, 15, is on school holidays and looking forward to travelling to the US to spend time with…
Director Cesc Gay adapts his own play in The People Upstairs, a dry comedy whose dialogue-heavy approach sublimely reveals shifting relationship dynamics. The film takes place entirely in a modern, slick apartment occupied by long-time couple Ana (Griselda Siciliani) and Julio (Javier Cámara). After 15 years, their relationship has grown stale which manifests itself with…
Comedy movies are hard work. Time travel movies are even harder. So combining the two is a big ask. But Australian actor turned director Josh Lawson does a good job with the time-travelling rom-com Long Story Short. This agreeable film zips along – literally – to a crowd pleasing conclusion. The film’s clever title tells…
As I see it, Single Ladies is a variant of a shaggy dog story … in more ways than one. This world premiere production marks the return in this COVID-19 era of Red Stitch Theatre. Set in the inner city Melbourne suburb of Collingwood, three disparate women with issues connect over a missing pooch. Lilike (Caroline Lee)…
