Here we have a new Australian musical that I wanted to embrace, but I struggled with. Most of it is set in a traditional Irish/American bar, called Flannigan’s, in Fresno, California. It is operated by Sam (Douglas Rintoul), who took it over from his dad. His only employee appears to be his best mate, JJ…
Poignant and compelling, the Australian premiere of six-time Tony Award winner Dear Evan Hansen – about a socially anxious 17-year-old – is a theatrical triumph. Steven Levenson (who received the gong for Best Book) has injected warmth and humour into the slice of life drama that makes for an enthralling narrative. Powerful and resounding music…
As the countdown to Christmas fast approaches, Queensland Ballet’s stunning presentation of The Nutcracker has arrived to unwrap the festive season in style. Queensland Ballet has been dazzling audiences with this iconic festive staple by Ben Stevenson OBE since 2013, featuring all the beloved characters alongside Tchaikovsky’s timeless score. Set on Christmas Eve, The Nutcracker…
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…
“This is the way the world ends; this is the way the world ends.” The final line in August: Osage County, taken from a poem by T S Eliot, is an apt conclusion to this damning portrayal of American culture and history. Considered one of the great 21st Century American plays, August: Osage County bares…
If not from its 7pm start-time, the family-friendliness of Queensland Theatre’s highly anticipated Round The Twist The Musical is quite apparent from its first song’s farty final punctuation. Soon after, young Bronson (Luca Sero in a role shared with Edison Al and Sebastian Sero) is enjoying the fortress of solitude that is the iconic outhouse…
Fans of the ‘bard of Avon’ will be delighted by the New Theatre’s latest offering, Shakespeare In Love. This stage version of the 1998 motion picture is written by Lee Hall, based on the original screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard. The story begins with Will Shakespeare suffering writers block as he tries to…
La Boite Theatre’s final mainstage offering for 2024, Yoga Play, examines the superficial side of the wellness industry through a sharp, satirical lens. Presented in collaboration with Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta, Yoga Play is a comedy by Dipika Guha that explores themes of identity, authenticity, and consumer culture. Yoga Play centres on Joan, portrayed…
Like many of William Shakespeare’s history plays, Julius Caesar is more talk than action. That’s despite the violence at core of its exploration of power, warfare and human nature. In Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble’s production, the angry words of its politics are captured from the outset. Its players charge in line across the stage towards the…
Perhaps the most anticipated opening of Queensland Ballet’s 2024 season, Coco Chanel: the Life of a Fashion Icon was sold out before the curtain even went up. It is fantastic news for the arts in Brisbane, and well-deserved, as this production delivered everything a theatre-going fashionista could dream of. The ballet is a co-production between…
