The Woman in Black

The Woman in Black

By Kellie Warner After a thirty-year run in the West End in London, the acclaimed psychological thriller, The Woman in Black graced the stage at QPAC in Brisbane last Thursday for its opening night. The highly acclaimed ghost story is considered scary by some and...

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The Grinning Man

The Grinning Man

Review by David Gardette   Presented by Salty Theatre and Vass Productions and marking its Australian debut, The Grinning Man offers Melbourne audiences a chance to see this very rarely produced show.   With a book by Carl Grose, lyrics by Grose and Tom...

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Things I Know To Be True

Things I Know To Be True

By Nick Pilgrim In an interview with the North American podcaster, Ernie Manouse, the stage and television actress, Valerie Harper, summed up the hectic and unpredictable nature of her career with the following thought. “Life is what happens on the way to your plans.”...

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MICF – Jay Wymarra AmaJayus

MICF – Jay Wymarra AmaJayus

By Jessica Taurins AmaJayus is a harrowing retelling of a life unlived for a long, long time. The titular Jay - comedian and drag performer Jay Wymarra - grew up in northern Australia as a queer, Indigenous, deeply depressed person... well, at least the story is...

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MICF – Demi & David – Comedy Show

MICF – Demi & David – Comedy Show

By Jessica Taurins Demi & David - Comedy Show (Grocery Store) is like the Wario Ware of comedy shows. Every minute, nay, every second is tied together as loosely as a Woolies bag worn as a t-shirt, with scenes lasting anywhere from a few minutes to six seconds....

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The Exact Dimensions of Hell

The Exact Dimensions of Hell

By Natalie Ristovski  CW: This review contains descriptions and discussion of sexual assault and grooming. It is rare in this country to see theatrical works that sidestep the mainstream. Gone are the days when La Fura Dels Baus or Jan Fabre could sneak their way into...

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Almighty Sometimes

Almighty Sometimes

By Adam Rafferty Winner of the 2019 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award Prize for Drama, Kendall Feaver’s excellent Almighty Sometimes feels to have taken too long to reach the Melbourne stage, yet the scheduling of its launch here this week has become eerily timely....

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MICF – Adrian Bliss Inside Everyone

MICF – Adrian Bliss Inside Everyone

By Nick Pilgrim Running for three madcap weeks between March and April, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival grew from modest beginnings almost four decades ago to the world-renowned behemoth it has become today. A mixture of new and established talent, the...

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MICF -She Slayed: A Drag Murder Mystery

MICF -She Slayed: A Drag Murder Mystery

BY David Gardette Drag cabaret legend Dolly Diamond doesn’t miss a beat in her new show for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. She Slayed – A Drag Murder Mystery throws together four Drag Divas in a rough around the edges, very silly but laugh out loud...

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MICF – The Beaks Stickybeak

MICF – The Beaks Stickybeak

By Nick Pilgrim The Beaks - Stickybeak The Tower, Malthouse Theatre Southbank Reviewed on Thursday April 18, 2024 As the Melbourne International Comedy Festival starts winding down for another year, there is still plenty to see and do. Critiquing the 2024 event has...

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A Case For The Existence of God

A Case For The Existence of God

By Darby Turnbull The newest generation of Western plays; where the promises of opportunity, bounty, freedom under a capitalist construct haven’t just been broken but shattered repeatedly; have a very complex relationship with hope. The playwright as both omnipresent...

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MICF – Josh Staley Lie to Me

MICF – Josh Staley Lie to Me

By George Dixon Josh Staley - entertainment that satisfies. Close-up magic is always amazing; close-up magic without a table that takes you on a journey is even more so. With Josh Staley, that journey is peppered with delightful comedy, sometimes a bit corny as if,...

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MICF – Bang On Live with Myf Warhurst & Zan Rowe

MICF – Bang On Live with Myf Warhurst & Zan Rowe

By George Dixon One of the Hottest Melbourne Comedy Festival shows for 2014 is undoubtedly,Bang On Live, presented by Myf Warhurst & Zan Rowe. I had absolutely no idea what Bang On was all about, so I was intrigued by the hundreds of people who had arrived at the...

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MICF – Emerson Brophy Saccharine

MICF – Emerson Brophy Saccharine

By Jessica Taurins Emerson Brophy is known for upsetting conservatives the world over with his songs about abortion law and right-wing governments. He also does TikToks! In general, he's a pretty confident guy, so he opens his 2024 Melbourne International Comedy...

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MICF – Adult Entertainers Australiatopia

MICF – Adult Entertainers Australiatopia

BY Bec Johnston It's tough to so much as glance at your phone right now without being inundated with images of climate crises, war and genocide, unthinkable death and suffering. It becomes difficult to envision a better and brighter future when facing down such...

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The Fire Raisers

The Fire Raisers

  The Fire Raisers is a play by Swiss novelist playright Max Frisch. Written in German in 1953, Herr Biedermann und die Brandstifte was initially a radio play before being adapted for television and the stage in 1958 as a play with six scenes. Two years later an...

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MICF – Nina Conti Your Face or Mine?

MICF – Nina Conti Your Face or Mine?

By Jessica Taurins Nina Conti is a ventriloquist, stage performer, comedian, and more recently, actor / director in her upcoming film 'Sunlight', where she is also a monkey. She can, most impressively, do it all, and pulls a lot of it off under not-so-easy conditions...

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MICF – Nick Robertson Leave To Enter

MICF – Nick Robertson Leave To Enter

By Carissa Shale Have you ever felt the dread and panic set in as you’re travelling internationally, venturing through airport security, customs and passport control? I know I don’t have anything nefarious in my bag… but what if by some series of unfortunate events… I...

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MICF – Josh Earl Four Burners

MICF – Josh Earl Four Burners

By Nick Pilgrim Each year prior to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Theatre Matters asks their team of writers to nominate which acts they would like to review. With over 500 choices on offer spanning across three hectic weeks, making the right move is no...

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MICF – Mike McLeish Adult Beginner

MICF – Mike McLeish Adult Beginner

By Nick Pilgrim Familiar to audiences on both the stage and screen, Mike McLeish is a man of many talents. His diverse list of performing credits includes: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Bed of Roses, David Bowie’s Lazarus, Georgy Girl: The Seekers Musical,...

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MICF – Viggo Venn British Comedian

MICF – Viggo Venn British Comedian

By Carissa Shale The first time I saw Viggo Venn was back in 2016 when he was performing in the Prague International Fringe Festival. A lot has changed for him since then. Having won Britain’s Got Talent, he’s certainly much more visible! However, what hasn’t changed...

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MICF – Jacqueline Mifsud The Full Mifsud

MICF – Jacqueline Mifsud The Full Mifsud

By George Dixon The Melbourne 2024 Comedy Festival is in full swing, and I had the wonderful pleasure and privilege to attend one of this year's little gems. Australian-born Jacqueline Mifsud is anything but a regular stand-up presenter. Her latest production “The...

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MICF – Sh!t-faced Shakespeare Macbeth

MICF – Sh!t-faced Shakespeare Macbeth

By Natalie Ristovski “Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot…” Macbeth, William Shakespeare To hear modern historians tell it, Shakespeare was a man for the...

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MICF – Hannah Gadsby Woof!

MICF – Hannah Gadsby Woof!

By Jessica Taurins Before Gadsby even strides onstage (well, they do, but very briefly), we are introduced to Urooj Ashfaq, a Mumbai-based comedian who talks at length about her parents' divorce and the dichotomy between Indian and Australian audiences. She is a ton...

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MICF – Anne Edmonds Why Is My Bag All Wet?

MICF – Anne Edmonds Why Is My Bag All Wet?

By Kristopher Hinz It’s the little moments that count. Anne Edmonds takes the audience on a charming ride through late-in-life motherhood (or LILM, as she calls it). There are of course, a litany of stories filled with the larger-than-life characters and shrill...

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MICF – Diana Nguyen Sunny Side Up

MICF – Diana Nguyen Sunny Side Up

BY Carissa Shale After a breakup, some people lash out and get a questionable haircut or cry on the couch into a tub of ice cream. Diana Nguyen instead chose to cry all the way to Spain to trek 300 kilometres of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. To heal her broken...

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MICF – Tom Gleeson Gear

MICF – Tom Gleeson Gear

By Chenoah Eljan Tom Gleeson is a grumpy middle aged white man, and he does not care who knows it. In fact, if you park your van outside his house, ask him to contribute to your ‘Go Fund Me’ for a new electric Volvo, or you happen to be a fellow comedian who has ever...

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MICF – Reuben Kaye Apocalipstik

MICF – Reuben Kaye Apocalipstik

By Natalie Ristovski One question danced through my mind this evening as I sat in the second row of the Malthouse Theatre, awaiting the arrival of anarch-artistic auteur and bane of Bible-bashers everywhere… Is Reuben Kaye the Anti-Christ? Some would certainly have us...

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Duck, Duck Goose

Duck, Duck Goose

By Darby Turnbull I am in awe of the select few playwrights who have the ability to dramatically chronicle a moment in time and culture in ways that are compelling as a piece of art but also capture a feeling so innate, so specific that it offers a record so that that...

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MICF – Mina vs the Martians by Innes Lloyd

MICF – Mina vs the Martians by Innes Lloyd

By Sarah Davies If you happen to have missed Innes Lloyd’s previous two Mina Harker adventures, never fear, gentle viewer; the audience is quickly initiated into the world of our central character, and what a rich, zany world it is... channeling the manic energy of a...

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MICF – Necrophilia

MICF – Necrophilia

By Anna Hayes  After a very successful Melbourne Fringe run in October of last year, Lincoln Vickery’s dark comedy gets its chance to tread the boards at The Motley Bauhaus until April 10, and it’s well worth a look for those who aren’t squeamish. Yes, yes, there’s...

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MICF: Murder Village: An Improvised Whodunnit

MICF: Murder Village: An Improvised Whodunnit

By Anna Hayes A full house packed into The Butterfly Club to see who the latest victim of ‘Murder Village’ was going to be. The show, running as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, has been treading the boards across Australia for the last few months...

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MICF: Lucy Henderson Comedy Cluedo

MICF: Lucy Henderson Comedy Cluedo

By Chenoah Eljan Lucy Henderson has been killed and her audience tasked with figuring out her murderer, the location of her death, and the murder weapon – all within a single hour. It is a big ask, but Lucy’s ghost comes prepared with a small TV monitor and powerpoint...

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MICF: Daniel Connell Little Aussie Battler

MICF: Daniel Connell Little Aussie Battler

By Carissa Shale Australian comedian Daniel Connell could be described as the epitome of typical Aussie bloke; carefree, laid-back and loves to tell a good story. As a comedian who has frequented the Melbourne International Comedy Festival since 2011, Connell is an...

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MICF: Mish Wittrup Act Like I’m Not Here

MICF: Mish Wittrup Act Like I’m Not Here

By Jessica Taurins Reason number one to see 'Act Like I'm Not Here': Mish Wittrup is a stellar storyteller (and a noted lover of alliteration, from what I understand) and uses her skills to bring you under her wordy, delightful spell. Reason number two: as befitting...

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MICF: Ashley Apap Restless

MICF: Ashley Apap Restless

By Jessica Taurins Ashley Apap is restless, but we didn't need the title of her show to figure that out. Half-energetic and half-exhausted, Apap is a comedy powerhouse running on adrenaline and good vibes from the crowd. Her show at the 2024 Melbourne International...

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MICF: Gillian Cosgriff Actually, Good

MICF: Gillian Cosgriff Actually, Good

BY Carissa Shale With an array of awards to her name, it’s no surprise that Gillian Cosgriff’s one-hour musical comedy ‘Actually, Good’, is in fact, actually very good. Not only funny, entertaining, and lighthearted, ‘Actually, Good’ also acts as a large-scale...

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MICF: Callum Straford Mozart-182

MICF: Callum Straford Mozart-182

By Karyn Hodgkinson  I wanted to see this show because of my fascination with Mozart. Mozart is famous for mainly the quality but also the quantity of his music, and for being a musical genius. He apparently enjoyed all kinds of humour, especially pranks and...

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Chicago The Musical

Chicago The Musical

Review by Bronwyn Cook Chicago. The 1920s. The Jazz Age. The dawn of the “celebrity criminal” - where the crime (and justice) itself is overshadowed by glitz, glamour and a good story.   Sound familiar?   A century later, the key themes of “Chicago: The...

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MICF – Brave and Bold with Douglas Rintoul

MICF – Brave and Bold with Douglas Rintoul

By Karyn Hodgkinson  I love the bravery, insanity and sheer skill of this show. As the title of the show suggests, this work is ‘brave and bold’ indeed because one of the most ego bruising experiences is to graduate from an ‘elite’ performing arts institution, as...

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MICF – Lauren Bok Boklesque

MICF – Lauren Bok Boklesque

By Jessica Taurins Lauren Bok describes herself as a "burlesque jester" in the blurb for her Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2024 show 'Boklesque', which is a staggeringly apt title for this extraordinary performer. Opening with (semi-)custom music and a...

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Ruthless! The Musical

Will this review lead to a death? Let’s find out! By Annie Zeleznikow   Ruthless follows young and talented Tina Denmark (a shared role between Chloe Halley and Luisa Oro) and her talentless mother Judy (Britni Leslie) in Tina’s quest to lead her school’s...

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Car Crash

Car Crash

By Karyn Hodgkinson In November 2019, the BBC’s Newsnight arranged an interview with presenter Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew - third child and second son to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Recalling his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, the Duke said that he...

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The 39 Steps

The 39 Steps

By Jessica Taurins An adaptation of a play, based on a movie, based on a book, sounds like a bit of a messy evening. Luckily for The 39 Steps, the intention is to be messy! Based on Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 spy thriller, which is loosely based on John Buchan's 1915...

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Gaslight

Gaslight

By David Gardette Premiering in 1938, Patrick Hamilton’s psychological thriller has enjoyed many iterations across stage, TV and film — most notably George Cuckor’s 1944 film noir starring Angela Lansbury in her film debut and garnering a Best Actress Oscar for Ingrid...

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& Juliet – The Musical

& Juliet – The Musical

  Review by Jody Hooker A Modern Twist on a Timeless Tale - What if Romeo’s ending, was Juliet’s beginning?   The Emmy®-winning writer from Schitt’s Creek flips the script on Shakespeare in this hilarious and poignant story of self-discovery and second...

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WICKED

WICKED

Review by Bronwyn Cook “Who runs the world? GIRLS” There is nothing more so evident in 2024 than the current surge of girl power we are seeing globally. From Beyonce to Barbie to Taylor Swift to the incredible Australian female sporting achievements, the world is...

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Yentl

Yentl

By Ash Cottrell When I think about it, it’s been forever since I saw a superb, couldn’t-fault-it, piece of art. I’m pleased to report that last Saturday night, Malthouse Theatre delivered that kind of an evening. In short, Yentl was flawless, and I haven’t stopped...

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The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music

Review by Kelly-Louise Austin   The Sound of Music is a firm favourite among generations of theatre goers, and that ongoing love was confirmed looking at the range of young and old in attendance for Theatrical’s red carpet opening night on Saturday. The Sound of...

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Every Lovely Terrible Thing

Every Lovely Terrible Thing

By Anna Hayes The ghosts of the past loom large in Adam Fawcett’s ‘Every Lovely Terrible Thing’ which is running at Theatre Works in St Kilda until March 16. Produced by Lab Kelpie, a Daylesford-based champion for new Australian writing, the play explores...

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Milked

Milked

By Karyn Hodgkinson  Milked, by British playwright, Simon Longman, is set in Herefordshire in the West country of England. It revolves around two young men in their early 20s, each trying to find meaning and purpose in their lives. Paul has returned from university in...

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Mother and Son

Mother and Son

  Written by Geoffrey Atherden, Mother and Son was a popular television series which aired from 1984 to 1994. The original series starred Ruth Cracknell, Garry McDonald, Henri Szeps and Judy Morris. An updated version aired on tv in 2023 starring Matt Okine and...

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7 Captiva Road

7 Captiva Road

By Chenoah Eljan Walking into the theatre Avril Lavigne’s “My Happy Ending” plays, welcoming the audience to 2004 but also alluding quite adroitly to what is about to unfold. Olivia (Helen Doig) sits on stage, muttering along to a television. Four unique spaces of a...

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The Dictionary of Lost Words

The Dictionary of Lost Words

By David Gardette Words have power. Words shape people, culture, and beliefs. The power of words and language not only create the world around us but have the authority to influence society and change. After reading ‘The Surgeon of Crowthorne,' about the making of the...

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Adventures in Neverland

Adventures in Neverland

By Melanie Thomas On a beautiful sunny day at Central Park in Malvern I was fortunate to attend the first day of Melbourne Shakespeare Company’s children's show ‘Adventures in Neverland’. Directed by Carl Whiteside, who is strongly experienced in children's theatre,...

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The Duchess of Malfi

The Duchess of Malfi

 By George Dixon The Duchess of Malfi, written by John Webster in around 1612, is based on actual events in Italy.  Giovanna d'Aragona was the real-life Duchess of Amalfi who was widowed at the age of 19, in 1498. To bring the characters into context, Giovanna...

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Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing

By Calysta Morgan Nestled amidst the lush greenery of Central Park Malvern, Melbourne Shakespeare Company's adaptation of "Much Ado About Nothing" transports audiences on a delightful journey through time and tradition. With a unique blend of Shakespearean wit and 60s...

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The Wharf Revue

The Wharf Revue

   By Ellis Koch  The Wharf Revue has a solid history. Twenty-four years running in fact and, one hopes, many more years to come.  With such a long history it is no wonder that The Wharf Revue can deliver such a polished and slick product - political satire that...

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Meet Me At Dawn

Meet Me At Dawn

By Adam Rafferty On a coarse blue sand shore, studded with the wreckage of a house, reminiscent of the bow of a tall ship, two women wash up with a thud. So begins Scottish playwright Zinnie Harris’ tale of love and loss that poetically explores the way we humans like...

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Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast

  Review by Nic Conolly   Disney’s latest stage adaptation of Beauty and the Beast premiered on Saturday, February 17th, captivating audiences in Brisbane with its fresh take on the timeless tale. Shubshri Kandiah's portrayal of Belle was a highlight of the...

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The Rocky Horror Show

The Rocky Horror Show

Review by Suzanne Tate   The talented cast of The Rocky Horror Show are once more delighting audiences in Melbourne with the return of the 50th Anniversary production. It is less than 9 months since this production last opened in Melbourne, but the audience are...

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Groundhog Day: The Musical

Groundhog Day: The Musical

Review by Suzanne Tate   Opening Night of Groundhog Day: The Musical was a highly anticipated event for me. I am a huge Tim Minchin fan and was excited to see how his satirical comedic wit and mind-blowing musical ability would transform the popular 1990s movie...

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Vespertilio

Vespertilio

By Darby Turnbull I must confess I struggled with Barry McStay’s Vespertilio, again directed by Gavin Roach. Bat aficionado Alan (Alec Gilbert), an older gentleman with inherited wealth encounters Josh (Ozzy Breen- Carr) a man in his late teens sleeping rough in a...

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Stuck

Stuck

By Darby Turnbull I’m running out of superlatives for Kikki Temple. She’s asserting herself as one of the most exciting, and highly respected theatre makers here in Naarm, especially within the queer creative community. Her new play Stuck which she’s written and...

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One of Them Ones

One of Them Ones

By Darby Turnbull One of them ones by UK playwright and actor Charlie Josephine is a piece about how to have a hard conversation and how high the stakes are when through the conversation your perception of the person will irrecoverably change and how that’s necessary...

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Overflow

Overflow

By Darby Turnbull So much is made in our society about ‘safety’ and ‘comfort’; often as vague, symbolic things ‘I’m feeling unsafe/uncomfortable/threatened ’ is an extremely effective tool for shutting someone down; safe spaces and boundaries as essential as they tend...

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RENT

RENT

  By Nic Conolly     As the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) Playhouse plunged into darkness, the strumming guitar chords transported the audience from contemporary Brisbane to New York's East Village in December 1989. Amidst global events, one...

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Malevo

Malevo

  Created by director, choreographer, and dancer Matías Jaime, Malevo is a high-energy and passionate performance with a contemporary take on the traditional Argentinian folk dance, the Malambo. The show opens with an energetic drumming performance executed with...

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Seventeen

Seventeen

 By Adam Rafferty The last day of secondary school is a seminal moment that marks the point at which, for many, pivotal decisions are made that will have a heavy influence on the rest of our lives. Yet, at an age of seventeen, the proto-adults most of us are at that...

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Tempo

Tempo

By Karyn Hodgkinson  It’s been over 30 years since I have seen the Flying Fruit Fly Circus. It began in 1979 as a local project for school kids. Now, 45 years later, it is a member of the Arts8 group of elite performing arts training organisations, which include the...

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Grease The Musical

Grease The Musical

  Review by George Dixon     The stage show Grease the Musical is in Melbourne town, and the whole city is buzzing with delight.   Grease was created by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey in 1971. It premiered on Broadway on Valentine's Day 1972. The film...

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The Choir of Man

The Choir of Man

By Bronwyn Cook Anyone who is from the UK or has visited will tell you that the local pub can often be the heartbeat of a town (or village). For me, it was Bartons Mill in Basingstoke, a charming place by a stream which I walked to through a country field. For the...

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Circus 1903

Circus 1903

By Jessica Taurins Harkening back to the carnivals and big tops of a hundred years ago, Circus 1903 is an absolute feast for the senses (including taste, if the ringmaster happens to toss some popcorn your way) and a delight for all ages. Aside from the acrobats,...

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

By Chenoah Eljan The Australian Shakespeare Company’s 2023 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is perhaps their best and most polished production yet. Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens provides a stunning backdrop; cleverly, the paired-back, simple set does not...

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A Very Naughty Christmas

A Very Naughty Christmas

By David Gardette Following a highly successful sold-out Brisbane season A Very Naughty Christmas (AVNC) makes its way to Melbourne for a limited festive season. Creatives Alex Woodward and Dan Venz have devised and developed over the past 7 years this raunchy crowd...

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Kinky Boots

Kinky Boots

  Review by Suzanne Tate   Kinky Boots was an absolute powerhouse of a show!   Unlike most theatre folks, I have never seen the show or film, and as I don’t list to the soundtrack until I’ve seen a show, I’ve also never heard any of the music. I came to...

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Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

By Nick Pilgrim Written by the late Edward Albee (1928-2016), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is considered a modern theatrical classic. Sixty years ago since its Broadway debut and set on a university campus, the story is a gripping character study of two marriages...

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A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol

By Chenoah Eljan A Christmas Carol is a timeless classic that reminds us there are many things more valuable than money, including love, human connection, charity and generosity. This adaptation written by Jack Thorne does so with wit, music, and a contemporary...

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Vampire Lesbians of Sodom

Vampire Lesbians of Sodom

By Nick Pilgrim In the vast and varied landscape of Australia’s independent live entertainment scene, for more than a decade Little Ones Theatre has carved itself an impressive niche. Known for their commitment to showcasing queer comedy and drama at capital city...

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A Very Jewish Christmas Carol

A Very Jewish Christmas Carol

By Carissa Shale Whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah or Chrismukkah, ‘A Very Jewish Christmas Carol’ is a heart-warming, must-see production, just in time for the holiday season. Produced by Melbourne Theatre Company, this original festive comedy is a fresh and...

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Prisoner at The World’s End

Prisoner at The World’s End

By Anna Hayes The story of Julian Assange is one that dots in and out of our media consumption these days. After seven years in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, he was arrested in April 2019 and transferred to Belmarsh Prison where he remains while fighting against a...

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ART

ART

  Review by Josiah Hilbig   First premiered in France in 1994, Art is an award-winning play that tells a simple story inspired by a personal experience of the playwright Yasmina Reza: Serge buys a particularly expensive painting—no more than white lines on a...

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La Cage Aux Folles

La Cage Aux Folles

By David Gardette Based on the 1973 French farce of the same name, La Cage Aux Folles (The Cage of Mad Women), premiered on Broadway in 1983 and enjoyed a hit four-year run, culminating in 6 Tony Awards. With numerous revivals, International stagings, more awards and...

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Dogfight

Dogfight

By Annie Zeleznikow Dogfight is a soulful musical about a rag tag team of young marines heading for Vietnam in the 1960’s. Before they are deployed they spend their last few hours of freedom in San Francisco, conforming to the tradition of marine’s past by hosting a...

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Orlando

Orlando

By Rebecca Waese  Orlando, the first musical production by Antipodes Theatre Company, adapts Virginia Woolf’s novel of the same name, portraying a young, privileged artist who writes and loves, changes from a man to a woman, and lives almost 300 years. The production...

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Miss Saigon

Miss Saigon

Alain Boubil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's epic musical Miss Saigon was originally inspired by a single photograph. A distressed young child in Saigon was being taken away from her mother to join her ex-GI father in America. The pain is evident, as the mother gives up...

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Shakespeare Ghostbusters

By Jessica Taurins Entering to the sounds of bardcore - parody music where modern songs are performed with flutes and lyres - the Motley Bauhaus stage is well-set for the audience to enjoy another mash-up in Shakespeare Ghostbusters. On the spookiest of October...

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Message In A Bottle

Message In A Bottle

Reviewed by Tim Garratt   With a music career spanning six decades, Sting has achieved astonishing global success. He has 17 Grammy Awards to his name and over 100 million record sales, and his critically acclaimed Australian tour earlier this year played to...

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Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill

By Adam Rafferty Great American jazz singer Billie Holiday, nicknamed ‘Lady Day’ and famous for her unique vocal style, is about as intimidating a historical character one can choose to portray. Yet Zahra Newman, in a virtuosic performance, captures the diva so...

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Hour of the Wolf

Hour of the Wolf

By Ash Cottrell It was Friday night at, Malthouse Theatre and the weather could only be characterised as, European-esque. There was a stillness to the evening and a frivolity in the air. One of COVID’s lasting benefits, the extended outdoor area, adjacent to ACCA, was...

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Latchkey

Latchkey

By Chenoah Eljan Latchkey is a sketch comedy show from the brilliant minds of The Improv Conspiracy alums Taylor Griffiths and Matt Jenner. This show has precious little in the way of set design, costumes, props and sound cues. Instead, it is 68% Griffiths’ hilarious...

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Quirky Best Friend

Quirky Best Friend

By Chenoah Eljan Nicole Gulasekharam has adapted her 2021 short film The Quirky Best Friend for the stage in this year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival. It is a one-woman rom com-esque tale that relies heavily on the tropes it parodies, to great comedic effect....

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For Love Nor Money

For Love Nor Money

By Chenoah Eljan Every seat is filled for Victorian Theatre Company’s production of Angus Cameron’s For Love Nor Money. Word has got out, this is, quite literally, one to watch. It is a story about an aspiring poet, Liam (Alexander Lloyd), and an aspiring filmmaker,...

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Triple Butter Popcorn

Triple Butter Popcorn

By Chenoah Eljan Alex Lowes has always wanted to be the most famous person in the world and so he made a show about it. This is Lowes’s first Fringe festival show, which is surprising given his comfort on stage and the ease with which he rolls with technical...

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Flake

Flake

By Nick Pilgrim Situated in Melbourne’s inner south, Red Stitch / The Actors’ Theatre is known for producing exciting and diverse local and international content. Thanks to the company’s compact black box space, viewers are treated to an experience never far away from...

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