By Sarah Skubala The highly anticipated Round The Twist The Musical opened to an enthusiastic Brisbane audience, presented by Queensland Theatre in conjunction with QPAC. A boisterous new work with book, music and lyrics by Queenslander Paul Hodge, Round The Twist The...

By Nick Pilgrim In my decade or more of writing for Theatre Matters (formerly known as Theatre People), I have had privilege to review many opening nights. Being asked to critique the very last performance of a show is a new first for me. Riding high on the wave of a...

By Jennifer Beasley. 11 minutes and 49 seconds later I’m lifting myself up by my ponytail. 4 minutes and 16 seconds later I’m on the other side. And then 3 seconds after that I’m losing my grip. (Libretto by Holly Childs).  As a reviewer, I go to wherever my editor...

By Jessica Taurins The concept of Eurovision is an interesting one. It started in 1956, with only seven participants. Since then (except for 2020 - the Covid Times) the show has run every year with around forty countries participating for the chance to host the next...

  Written in 1982 by Michael Frayn, Noises Off has been described as "the funniest farce ever written". Frayn was inspired to write Noises Off in 1970, after watching a performance of another farce from the wings. He realised the play was funnier to watch from...

Review by Tim Garratt   Before Phantom of the Opera, Cats and Evita, there was Jesus Christ Superstar. With music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, Superstar began life as a concept album in 1970, landing on Broadway the following year as a rock...

By Nick Pilgrim From Sister Act’s Delores Van Cartier, Henry the VIII’s headstrong (or beheaded) wives in SIX, to Elphaba and Galinda in Wicked, Australia’s musical theatre scene is currently flush with fiery female empowerment. The latest entry to the fold arrives in...

By Jennifer Beasley. The forgotten voice of Eileen Kelly, mother of Ned Kelly, is finally heard. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I drove to DROUIN (it’s in the COUNTRY, the other place aside from Melbourne), about an hour east in Gippsland, to view this play at The...

By Nic Conolly    The evening began with eager fans lining up from as early as 5 pm, sharing memories of past Eurovision experiences and buzzing with anticipation over meeting their favourite stars in a pre-show meet and greet. Although the Tivoli’s small awning...

By Jessica Taurins In this day and age, where the world is undergoing an unbelievable amount of turmoil and heartache, perhaps we need more stories like Peter and the Starcatcher - a 2ish hour tale filled with whimsy, joy, and silliness - to remind us that things...

By Jennifer Beasley. ‘I am beautiful.’ Playwright José Rivera (The Motorcycle Diaries), Oscar nominee and twice Obie award winner with a list of plays as long as my arm, explores relationships in this beautiful and intense 100-minute play showing at the Red Stitch...

Review by Carissa Shale   Gather together your sisters and prepare yourself for a night of pure, joyful fun and flamboyance — Sister Act is back, and it’s here to answer your prayers. Bringing energy, joy, and feel-good fun, the Regent Theatre’s latest production...

By Jennifer Beasley Throw aside your prejudices and enter into a world of full moons and fluttering hearts. www.Witinc.com.au Let me tell you a fable. Once, or now, neither long ago nor far away, in the urban sprawl that eats at rural England, there lives a fox...

By Sarah Skubala When was the last time you experienced a magic show? Outside of kids' parties, magic performances aren’t usually something you find as a standard entertainment offering, except maybe in Vegas. Fortunately for Brisbane, Maho Magic Bar is in town for a...

By Jessica Taurins MARVELous The Show is sexy, sultry, silly fun for anyone looking to have a good time. The concept of a superhero strip show x comedy show is something that's existed for some time in smaller venues, but MARVELous takes the concept and absolutely...

By Sarah Skubala Melt is an annual citywide festival celebrating queer arts and culture staged at 70 venues throughout Brisbane in October and November. DragSpeare: Drag Kings Do Shakespeare is one of the dazzling shows on offer, presented by PIP Theatre in...

By Heather Bosted Delightfully weird and then troubling real, Spinning Plates Co smash the theatre of the absurd out of the park in this timely resurrected and adapted classic. Eugene Ionesco’s original play is about a small provincial French town overrun when ifs...

By Sarah Skubala Love Lies Bleeding, Ad Astra’s final offering for 2024, is a play about assisted death from the pen of Don DeLillo, an American novelist made famous by books such as White Noise, winner of the National Book Award and now a Netflix film directed by...

Review by Tim Garratt   Four years ago, SIX The Musical had its Sydney premiere. The show is the brainchild of Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, two Cambridge University graduates who wrote the book, music and lyrics in 2017 while studying, and staged its first...

By Jennifer Beasley Monologue by MJ Wilson MJ Wilson – Performance artist & community worker Move over Wil Anderson, Type-A Marketing Man is here to show you what the Gruen Transfer is really about! Monologues. They either score a bullseye or result in eye-rolling...

By Adam Rafferty The tale of two orphans toughing it out in the seedy Singaporean underworld isn’t the kind of story that often makes it onto Australian stages, but thanks to the MTC’s NEXT STAGE Writer’s Program (and the Griffin Theatre Company), this excellent...

By Jennifer Beasley ‘Six knights are hired to rob a case of precious jewels from a coach on its way to the King. After their robbery is thwarted, the brigands realize that one of them must secretly be an officer in disguise. But which one? This is Quentin Tarantino's...

By Jennifer Beasley Comedy Showcase featuring: Dave O’Neil, Geraldine Quinn, Brad Oakes and Billy Stiles. This was my first time visiting this cute 167 seat theatre. Supported by the Kingston Council, the Shirley Burke Theatre increases the profile of our creative...

By Jennifer Beasley A little like a Fawlty Towers dinner but without the food. Or chairs. The beginning for All The Things We’ve Done at Theatre Works is promising. The patrons are beguiled by the three ‘air hostesses’, actors bedecked in yellow wigs and bright blue...

 By Natalie Ristovski “The world is far too dangerous for women. Assault and domestic violence numbers are at an all-time high, red pill incels lurk in every corner of the internet and skincare for 5-year-olds has never been more popular.”- A Figure in the Yellow...

By Rebecca Waese A hotpot of queer delights warmed the spirit of an enthusiastic crowd on Friday night at The Wheeler Centre in “Stirring the Pot: A Feast of Erotic Storytelling and Performance.” Steaming up the Spring Fling season, a sextet of writers and artists...

By David Gardette One only has to cruise the streaming services to see that society has an immense fascination with True Crime stories. The genre has become a growth industry. A recent study from the US shows that 84% of the U.S. population age 13+ are True Crime...

  Dear Evan Hansen first opened in 2015 and made its Broadway premiere in 2016 to great critical acclaim. The book was written by Steven Levenson, with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, earning the team numerous awards, including the Tony Award for...

By Jennifer Beasley Did you hear the joke about the reviewer who attended the wrong show? I can’t disclose who that is, but I’ll give you a 4-star review if you guess right. Sometimes happy accidents occur. Entering the cosy Billiard Room of The Mission at Seafarers,...

By Chenoah Eljan Ada, Asmin & The Analytical Engine written by Sarah Kriegler and Deniz Aslan delves into the intertwined lives of two girls more alike than they are different: Ada Lovelace, the 19th-century mathematician often regarded as the first computer...

By Nick Pilgrim If the name Donald O’Connor doesn’t immediately appear on your radar, fear not. It is that very premise which kick starts this delightful tribute into action now showing at the 2024 Melbourne Fringe Festival. Like Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland before...

By Jennifer Beasley What happens when one genetically crosses Mr. Bean with Rik Mayall (The Young Ones, Bottom)? No, not that. Well, maybe. Em Barrett performs as a fly in this one-woman 60-minute show held at The Butterfly Club (the choice of the club in terms of...

  As they celebrate their 60th year, CLOC's final production for the year is the Australian non-professional premiere of Come From Away.   Written by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, Come From Away made its Australian professional debut at Melbourne's Comedy...

By Nick Pilgrim  The Melbourne Fringe Festival runs each year for three dynamic and jam-packed weeks. Covering a multitude of live entertainment and social event options, this season has already proven it is bigger and stronger than ever. With hundreds of acts on...

By Darby Turnbull Over the last few years in Naarm Dax Carnay and her company Tayo Tayo collective have established themselves as a forceful independent theatre practitioner known for her eye-catching titles and her heartfelt, witty queering of genre Trans woman kills...

By Jennifer Beasley SKINSHIP (Japan, South Korea): Bonding through physical (touch, skin-to-skin) contact; particularly between family members, relatives and loved ones. (Wikipedia). Presented by Ensoul Entertainment, and produced by Samantha Daly, who is also one of...

  In October 1998 Matthew Wayne Shepard was brutally attacked on the outskirts of his home town of Laramie in Wyoming, USA. Left for dead, and tied to a fence to ensure he was not able to escape, Mathew was miraculously discovered but succumbed to his horrific...

By Jennifer Beasley BUILDING TRIANGLES Created by Unspooled Theatre Collective, I Love You, Faustus is a sixty-minute two-hander held at the oh-so-cute Explosives Factory for the Melbourne Fringe Festival. Written by Laura Charlton and Sabina Donato, I Love You,...

By Chenoah Eljan The Melbourne Fringe Festival has long been a hub for innovation, creativity, and cultural dialogue, and this year’s TOD Talks are no exception. Bringing together an eclectic mix of speakers and ideas, TOD Talks offers a unique platform for praxeology...

By Nick Pilgrim When Theatre Matters recently asked its team of writers to cover the Melbourne Fringe Festival, this event is always a firm favourite in my yearly calendar. Jammed into three hectic yet dynamic weeks, there are hundreds of listings to consider. The...

By Sarah Skubala Queensland Ballet has a triumph on its hands with the Australian premiere of Coco Chanel: the Life of a Fashion Icon selling out its entire season ahead of opening night. A new, full-length narrative ballet, Coco Chanel: the Life of a Fashion Icon is...

By George Dixon Walking into the reception area at the Meat Market Stables, you will find scattered about on the walls and on display stands with assorted items (not artefacts) of nostalgic Australiana that bring back memories of the fifties and sixties, which sets up...

By Nick Pilgrim The legendary screen actress, Bette Davis, is quoted as saying that once somebody does you in drag, you know you have made it as a legitimate star. Until the likes of RuPaul came along with his global reality series phenomenon, this cheeky subset of...

Review by Lynn Jackson   Adelaide - Her Majesty's Theatre   Grease the Musical is one of those shows that every musical theatre fan has either performed, either in full or by performing one of the many many bangers in the soundtrack. It's also one of those...

By Jennifer Beasley Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright In the forest of the night  (William Blake)  I Hope This Means Something is the quest that Writer/Performer/Producer Patrick Livesey’s character, Corinthian, sets out to answer. A brilliantly written one-act play, this...

By Anna Hayes The concept of the ‘tortured artist’ takes on a very contemporary twist in Claire Frost’s debut play ‘Instructions Not Included’, a nifty two-hander that explores the connections between creativity and consumerism. Parker (Sarah Clarke) is a struggling...

By David Gardette Establishing itself as one of the greatest romance novels ever written, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice continues to captivate readers and audiences. Published in 1813, its popularity continues to grow, selling over 20 million copies, never going...

By Chenoah Eljan  Silvers Circus has set up its big top in the parking lot of Burvale Hotel, Nunawading. Billed as a modern circus with a ‘twist’, it’s a safe bet the modern part means that the animal cruelty has been replaced by acrobatics and the twist means… more...

By Karyn Hodgkinson There has been a long history of gender violence in Australia. For much of the 19th century, men far outnumbered women (in) the Australian colonies. This produced a culture that prized hyper masculinity as a national ideal. (The Conversation, July...

 By Mama Natalia For almost as long as burlesque and drag revival artists have graced stages in Australia and beyond, there has been Briefs. Whispered about in awe within backstage dressing rooms for almost two decades, casually mentioned as the ‘who’s who’ of fringe...

By Jennifer Beasley Mayhem. Murder. Madness. These are the tenets of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Presented by MUST (Monash University Student Theatre) at The Alexander Theatre located at Monash University, this bold production snaps open with a silent slow-motion fight...

By Sarah Skubala The Brisbane leg of The Cat Empire’s national tour was a one-night-only, sold-out affair at the Fortitude Music Hall which saw the band perform alongside the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Playing as part of the Brisbane Festival, the two-hour concert...

Review by George Dixon Twenty Twenty-Four marks the 100th anniversary of Puccini's death. There would be no better way to celebrate this occasion than to present what is uncountably one of Opera's most loved works, La Bohème. Reading Puccini’s biography is like...

Review by David Gardette   Quasimodo – The Musical (The Untold Story of the Hunchback of Notre Dame) Considered a classic of French literature, Victor Hugo’s 1831 Gothic novel, Notre-Dame de Paris 1482 (Our Lady of Paris), not only captures the imagination with...

By Adam Rafferty In a season full of Pulitzer Prize winning plays, Martyna Majok’s Cost of Living is by far the most emotionally affecting of those produced by the Melbourne Theatre Company this year. Providing a window into the world of those who live with a...

By Jennifer Beasley The beauty of theatre is the discovery of art forms that challenge your perceptions. Dredge, an electrifying performance piece, delves into the natural world and segways into a physical and emotional discourse on consumerism and patriarchy....

By David Gardette Having first worked together in 2012 on MTC’s The Heretic, Director Matt Scholten and Actor Noni Hazlehurst cemented both a personal and professional bond. With a determination to again work together, Scholten positioned the question ’If you could do...

By Sarah Skubala When Jean Paul Gaultier was four years old, he asked his parents for a doll, and they gave him a bear instead. Several years later, he watched a televised revue at Paris’ iconic Folies Bergère with his grandmother Marie. The next day he took the...

By Jennifer Beasley Stories of domestic violence are difficult to tell. Done well, they can be a lighthouse igniting the quest for change, as we continue to see with Rosie Batty, a staunch campaigner against family violence, after her son was murdered by her husband...

Review by David Gardette   Adapted from the Hungarian work Liliom by Ferenc Molnar, Carousel marked the 2nd collaboration between Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein (book & Lyrics). Following their smash hit Oklahoma!, the duo, eager to collaborate...

By Jessica Taurins A reviewer's dilemma: how to critique a performance of Hamlet without the written musicality of the bard himself? How can anyone really put to words what it means to see a Shakespearean production in movement and life? Here, I must try. The venue...

  Coherence is a stage adaptation of the 2013 science fiction film of the same name. Written by James Ward Byrkit, the original film version of Coherence was made on a shoestring budget over just five nights in the director's home, but went on to receive critical...

By Nick Pilgrim As a writer for Theatre Matters (formerly known as Theatre People) for more than a decade, I have had the privilege to review a solid handful of productions which focus on regional stories, characters and themes. Supporting such content not only...

 By Natalie Ristovski The Theatreworks Early Career Artists Program serves as a supportive bridge for young creatives as they transition between tertiary art education and independent theatrical development. It stands out as one of Theatreworks’ “artist-first” led...

By Nick Pilgrim For more than a decade writing for Theatre Matters (formerly known as Theatre People), in this time I have had the privilege to review dance in its many shapes and forms. From Ballroom to Broadway, the possibilities to entertain and enthrall audiences...

By Adam Rafferty Another show at the Melbourne Theatre Company and another Pulitzer Prize winner graces the stage, this time around the 2002 honouree by Suzan-Lori Parks, Topdog/Underdog, a visceral two-hander about two African American brothers scraping together life...

By George Dixon 24 Carrot Productions is a vibrant emerging production company that prides itself on bringing inclusive and devised productions. With its first production in 2018, 21 Carrot is already developing a strong supporting fan base. Around the World in 80...

By Jessica Taurins With smoke billowing across the stage and 'Clair de Lune' playing gently, it could almost be imagined that Shake & Stir Theatre's reprisal of Frankenstein will be a soft, calm reproduction. Not to spoil anything, but it isn't too long before...

By Ash Cottrell Last Friday night reminded me that after all these years, I still feel very passionately that fortyfive downstairs is a hell of a place to see theatre in Melbourne. The steep staircase, while lined with distracting festive strip lighting doesn’t do...

By Bronwyn Cook Scene - a house in New England. Guests gather for a surprise birthday party. There are decorations. There is cake. There are drinks. There is a MURDER. Who killed renowned local author Arthur Whitney? Can Officer Marcus Moscowicz and his assistant Lou...

By Natalie Ristovski  Frenzy Theatre Co. is no stranger to overdoing themselves. Their dedication to creating and presenting opportunities for early career artists through a maximalist, ensemble heavy and highly physical lens has led to such previous works as The Roof...

Review by Tim Garratt   It’s hard to believe it’s been over 30 years since Sister Act first appeared on cinema screens. The Whoopi Goldberg-led musical comedy was one of the highest grossing films of 1992, earning US$231.6 million (A$351.2 million) at the box...

By Carissa Shale Nicola Gunn’s Apologia is an ambitious and multifaceted production that delves into themes of identity, grief, and personal history. The production explores Gunn’s fantasy of becoming a French actress—despite not being French or even speaking French,...

By Jennifer Munday Friday night, August 9th, was the opening night of Jennie, a theatre piece written by Bruce Shearer about a woman who could easily have been forgotten in the history of Melbourne in the early decades of the twentieth century. The performance was at...

Review by Tim Garratt There’s not a single theatrical work of the 21st century that has enjoyed more global success than Hamilton. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking retelling of the life of US Founding Father Alexander Hamilton has garnered critical and audience...

Review by Bronwyn Cook 5 stars (although I wish it could be six for SIX)   Stop me if you’ve heard it…Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived.   Whilst it may be a simple rhyme many of us learned in school to remember the six wives of Henry...

By Adam Rafferty The winner of last year’s Pulitzer Prize for Drama, it doesn’t take long to understand why the Melbourne Theatre Company snapped up English, a very fresh play by Iranian-American playwright, Sanaz Toossi. Set in an adult-learning English language...

Review by Tim Garratt   With Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda became a globally recognised Broadway wunderkind. Since its New York premiere in 2015, this chronicle of the life of one of the US’s Founding Fathers has become one of the most successful and culturally...

By Darby Turnbull Whenever I consume a piece of culture or media, I often find myself grumbling at the ways the material has the characters engage with money, or rather not engage with money. Rarely do I see a play that shows some insight or integrity into the...

Review by Tim Garratt Little Women is the most seminal work by 19th century American author Louisa May Alcott. First published in 1868, the novel continues to be popular and has inspired several screen and stage adaptations. Among these is a musical theatre iteration...

By Ash Cottrell It was quite the razzle-dazzle gala at the historic, Melbourne Athenaeum Theatre at the Paris end of Collins Street last Thursday night as we all rolled up, rolled up, to see what this contemporary circus act had in store for its wearied-by-the-cold,...

By Carissa Shale Tennessee Williams’ ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ is a production that has captivated theatregoers and cinephiles around the world, gracing stage and screen countless times. Its momentous reputation has been carved by the performances of Vivien Leigh,...

By Nick Pilgrim More than any other live space in Melbourne, The Malthouse is known for showcasing bold, experimental, and convention-smashing material. Located in Southbank’s entertainment district, powerful examples from the venue’s eclectic back catalogue include:...

By Nick Pilgrim Born in the United States of America, Maria Bamford is a beloved performer, best-selling author, and voiceover artist. With a career spanning thirty years, she is known for a diverse body of work including television roles on Arrested Development,...

By Darby Turnbull Confession, whenever I need a good heavy cry I listen to William Finn, proper full body shakes, hot tears, nose full of snot crying. Most of his shows have at least 2 or 3 that do it for me Falsettos (Unlikely lovers, What would I do? Holding to the...

  Review by George Dixon   English Eccentrics premiered in 1964 as an adaption of the book “The English Eccentrics” penned by Dame Edith Sitwell in 1933.   The opera was quite ahead of its time and, in some circles, would have been considered to be an...

By Darby Turnbull As the kids say, George and Martha match one another's freak. Edward Albee’s 1962 treatise on marriage, America and the toxic rot beneath them has been entrancing audiences for over 60 years, through countless revivals and the iconic film adaption....

By Tim Garratt The late Neil Simon was one of the 20th century’s most celebrated playwrights. Several of his works continue to be staged to wide acclaim in the 21st century, including The Odd Couple, which first played in 1965. The Odd Couple plays out in a New York...

By Ellis Koch Before I begin, I must acknowledge that the opening lines of any review are probably the most important when it comes to reader impact and as such, I must preface this entire piece by saying that MSC Studio have done an excellent job of their production...

By Natalie Ristovski Circus Arts are alive – if not overly well – in Australia in a post pandemic world. Like many in the arts, the circus set has been through the wringer these few years past, the Great Moscow Circus itself being grounded in 2021 while the country...

Review by Suzanne Tate The opening night of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast: The Musical in Melbourne was a resounding success! On top of the standing ovation at the conclusion of the performance, the audience also paused proceedings on several occasions for extended...

By Natalie Ristovski It is rare, outside of the fringe arts scene and a recent saturation of “immersive” horror experiences, to see dark tales of terror presented on the Australian stage. The horror genre itself, while enduring with a cult following since theatre...

By Darby Turnbull Upon entering Meatmarket Stables for Last train to Madeline I was absolutely stunned by one of the most enchanting set designs I’ve seen in Indie theatre and certainly one of the best uses of the space I’ve seen. Rising star Savanna Wegman, already...

Review by Jake Goodall   Enter into the 1960s, a world of glitz, glamour and of course Elvis Presley! With a lack of main stage productions on the Gold Coast, Elvis: A Musical Revolution is a welcome addition! This production is sure to wow audiences young and...

By Darby Turnbull In a growing cannon of innovative trans theatre comes Henry Kelly’s Girl at the bottom of a well now playing at La Mama’s courthouse. In his writers note Kelly talks about his vision for other performers to take on his material but it’s to our great...

Review by Tim Garratt It’s almost 50 years since Chicago’s first production on Broadway. Directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, and inspired by a 1926 play by Maurine Dallas Watkins, the original production opened in 1975, but it received mixed reviews and failed to...

By Darby Turnbull My experience of Red Stitch’s production of Joe White’s Blackout Songs was a marvellous example of content dictating form. A relatively stark, vivid depiction of two people linked by the toxic bonds of addiction that’s enhanced by a sly, incisive...

By Chenoah Eljan Joanne Murray-Smith’s Julia is captivating storytelling. Better yet, as much as you think it’s a story you already know: it is not. Yes, you know the sound bites and the haircuts and the oft repeated party lines. But this play is the energy, the...

By Nick Pilgrim Last September I had the chance to review Club Vegas – The Spectacle at the iconic Athenaeum Theatre. As luck would have it, I made a successful bid to review their newest iteration for 2024. My prime motivation for putting myself forward again being,...

By Ash Cottrell True to form, I had arrived at my favourite playhouse on Wednesday night without so much as the knowledge of a synopsis under my belt. This is how I choose to receive theatre or any art for that matter. In my experience, it is considerably more...