Superlatives hardly do justice to the magnificent staging of one of Disney’s all-time favourites, Beauty and the Beast, which has been revised and enhanced. The striking sets and glorious costuming set the scene for a joyful celebration of song and dance … and the Hollywood ending that everyone wants to see play out. Fast-moving advances in technology…
The magic is top shelf. So too the – at times frightening – rola bola routine (that is where an artist balances precariously on objects that move). There is also an impressive hula hoop act. The rest I could have done without. As good as it is, Circus of Illusion feels like an unnecessarily stretched out…
Justin Williams makes the impossible possible with a big smile on his face. He is an illusionist and balloon artist who recently won the Australian reality TV series Blow Up. That saw 10 people competing to create the best balloon artworks. He has parlayed that success into the world premiere of Justin’s BIG Balloon Show, in which he…
Rhonda Burchmore sizzles in Cabaret De Paris. With those golden tonsils of hers, she sings up a storm. It is great to see and hear her in such fine form. She looks like she hasn’t aged at all. How does she do it? She’s cheeky, cheery, sexy and seductive. It is her showcase and she delivers in spades,…
The story and staging remain just as utterly absorbing and intoxicating in the new, one part Harry Potter and The Cursed Child as when it was divided into two. All the key “magic” components – and I assure you they are extraordinary – have been retained. The stage show moves along at a cracking pace as Harry’s…
Scintillating, fast paced, brilliantly choreographed Irish tap dancing. A strong, rhythmic, ear-pleasing score. Maestros on the fiddle and flute. Elegant and evocative costumes. Mesmersing magic. That is Celtic Illusion Reimagined. This dynamic, spicy and intoxicating hour and a half stage show (excluding interval) is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Celtic Illusion, the vision of creator, director,…
Call me a muggle but I was left cold by Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, the bloated third instalment in the Fantastic Beasts series created by Harry Potter author J K Rowling as part of the extended Potterverse. The series serves as a kind of prequel to the Harry Potter series, and explores the…
Harry Potter is casting a spell over Melbourne anew, as well it deserves to. How fitting, as speculation mounts about expanding the eight film Potter series, the last of which was released in 2011. As the saying goes, there is a lot of love in the room for this production at the Princess Theatre. You can readily…
Harry Potter on stage rocks. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child re-writes the rule book when it comes to what’s possible in a play and is set for a long run in Melbourne. Two years is guaranteed. Beyond that, we shall see. This is the eighth story in Harry Potter the series and the first official…
I’m theatre traditionalist at heart; I don’t like puppets, audience participation…. or magic. So needless to say, The Illusionists: Direct from Broadway is my first (somewhat reluctant) show of its sort. And what a spectacular show I must admit it is. From the moment it begins with The Trickster (Paul Dabek) cheekily pitting two young…
