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Based on Victor Hugo’s acclaimed 1831 novel and songs from the 1996 Disney film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a dramatic tale of heartache and pain. We are in Paris on 6th January, 1482. Two orphaned brothers – Jehan (Robbie Wilton) and Claude Frollo (Mike Gardiner) – are being looked after inside Notre-Dame Cathedral. The former rejects the church’s strict constraints, while the other sits comfortably within its strictures. Photos by Ben Fon After Jehan tries to gift

In Greek mythology, Orpheus and Eurydice is a tragic love story. Singer, musician and poet Orpheus marries the beautiful Eurydice, whose untimely death sees him seek her out in the underworld. It is there that he does a deal with the devil. Photos by Nick Mick Pics Hades allows Eurydice to rejoin Orpheus in the land of the living on the condition that to get back there Orpheus walks ahead of her and never turns back to look at her. If he does, she will be consigned to th

Magnificent, rich, rounded voices against the backdrop of musical excellence. Clarity of sound, stunning solos, delicious duets and rousing three-part harmonies. But wait. There is more. The six artistes that take to the stage at the Regent Theatre are all leading performers who have fronted the biggest musicals. I speak of The Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, Miss Saigon and Sunset Boulevard, for starters. With personality, energy and versatility to burn, it is not

Newly crafted multi-millionaire Ariel (Tom Stokes) struck up a conversation with the exotic, mysterious, attractive Anna X (Becca Galvin) at a party in New York in 2016. From there, he couldn’t get enough of her. In short, he was smitten from the get go. Photos by Simon Fazio and Chris Parker In her early to mid twenties, Anna proved to be aloof, revealing little, if anything, at the best of times. That only made him hungry to learn more. She was Russian, fashionable and

It is a shocking tale of displacement (being wrenched away from family), discrimination, institutionalisation, foster homes and police intimidation. As a result, there is acting up, trouble making, drinking, smoking and getting in with the wrong crowd. Photos by Steven Mitchell Wright Then there is the opportunity to turn it all around, to create a lasting legacy and, with it, aid the Indigenous cause. This is the extraordinary true story of Taungurung Elder, activist an

The outrage I felt while watching events unfold here was palpable, just as it should be. Racism, hatred, misogyny, political dirty dealings – it is all there in giant technicolour, so to speak. At the centre of proceedings is a young actor still to make it, a man who would go on to become a giant of the screen. I speak of Sidney Poitier (Donné Ngabo), who would, in time, become the first African American to win the Best Actor Oscar (in 1964 for Lilies of the Field). Ph

As a highly successful recording artist and most engaging live performer, Guy Sebastian is quite the revelation. He comes across as a grounded nice guy – a loving family man and good friend – with a stunning vocal range that he seems to be able to produce at will. What a voice – what rich timbre and tone. What a stage presence. Photos by Alex Arcuri and Alex First I, like so many music fans, have watched him grow and mature since he first appeared on, and won, the inaugu

What do Ned Kelly and Squizzy Taylor have in common? The notorious bushranger and gangland figure were two of the infamous inmates of the Old Melbourne Gaol, where 133 were hanged for their crimes. It seems only fitting then that the latest highly charged murder trial, which steps back in time, takes place within its bluestone walls. The gaol doubles as the Old Bailey and the case is the Crown vs Leonard Vole. Photos by Prani West (front page photo by Nicky Neville-Jone

Bold, brazen and unapologetic comes this interrogation of sex and sex education from the perspective of three naïve Year 12 students. On the cusp of final exams, larger than life Anna (Louisa Cusumano) is writing erotic fiction and publishing it online. It concerns a charged lesbian relationship between a young woman and a monster (read into that vampire), who ravages her. Among those reading it are her besties, Immi (Mia Tuco) and Rheya (Miela Anich). Photos by Darren

Melodic, witty, satiric and joyfully absurd, dramatist W.S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan collaborated on 14 comic operas between 1871 and 1896. Among the best known are H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado. Music from these, I am pleased to say, was prominent in Opera Australia’s glorious celebration. Gilbert and Sullivan pioneered and perfected the patter song, highlighted by highly rhythmic, tongue twisting, rapid-fire lyrics. That was on s

Almost a decade after it first appeared in Australia, Cirque du Soleil’s magnificent show KOOZA, an ode to traditional circus, returns with distinction. Cirque du Soleil has rewritten what is possible in the art form. KOOZA combines extraordinary artistry, phenomenal acrobatic performance, captivating clowning and theatrical excellence. Cirque remains cutting edge circus – the best of the best. I speak of the acts, the staging, the costumes, the make-up and the original

Once is a sparkling, witty, lyrical tale about a couple who fall quickly and deeply in love, but whose individual circumstances (read complications) see them hold back. Their connection is music and the title refers to a once in a lifetime encounter, complete with magnetism, vulnerability and healing. Based on the 2006 movie by John Carney, it concerns a struggling Irish busker on the verge of giving up and an effervescent Czech woman. Photos by Natalie Edge Photography

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. MUST gives us a searing representation thereof with its production of George Orwell’s dystopian drama Animal Farm, adapted for a contemporary audience by Tatty Hennessy. Orwell’s work was first published in 1945 and Hennessy was commissioned to adapt it in 2021, with its first professional production only last year. Photos by Elena Ruefenacht Given the current instability in the world, its saliency certainly isn’t l

A beaut way for the young to be introduced to opera in the company of loved ones. That is the key to the success of The Magic Pudding: The Opera, an operatic adaptation of Norman Lindsay’s 1918 children’s classic. The story concerns thievery of a cantankerous magic pudding named Albert. Photos by Casey Horsfield and Charlie Kinross He is a walking, talking pudding that can seemingly change flavours at will and keeps on keeping on – in other words, he never runs out. The

What a privilege it was to be in the audience at the Regent Theatre to celebrate all that is grand in opera, at Opera Australia’s 70th Anniversary Gala. Indeed, it was a very special occasion, introduced by Opera Australia’s CEO, Alex Budd and hosted by ABC Classics’ Mairi Nicolson, resplendent in green. Her love affair with opera began when her mother did the housework while listening to it. Mairi introduced the acts, backgrounding Opera Australia through the decades (refe

I can’t think of a Saltpillar Theatre endeavour that I have enjoyed more than this delightful production of Beau Jest. Premiering in Chicago in 1989, the romantic comedy written by James Sherman moves along at pace and is simply so much fun. It concerns a nice Jewish girl who dearly loves her parents, but tries to please them by lying to them about her romantic entanglements. Photos by Peter Haskin Sarah Goldman (Coco Martel) is dating non-Jewish ad man Chris Kringle (Jo

What a weapon invective is in Bloomshed’s delightful, fun-filled, hilarious take on Pride and Prejudice. The basic ingredients are there, but the twists are delicious and enormously satisfying in what is a social satire dressed as a period drama. For starters, Mr Bennet is a withering plant (a potted monstera) that Mrs Bennet carries around and fawns over. Photos by Simon Fazio And one of her five daughters, Kitty, is played by a male, who is ignored and sidelined by Mrs

The theatre makers have thrown the veritable kitchen sink at this one. Narrative, poetry, well-choreographed movements, puppetry, crowd interaction and breaking the fourth wall – it is all there. Photos by Mike Ridley So much work has gone into the look and sound of the piece, and the result is spectacular. I refer to the set, props, costuming, make-up, sound composition and lighting. The layout hits you the moment you enter the theatre. Your eyes are drawn to the in

A warm-hearted, comedic drama about overcoming challenges and dealing with adversity to become your best self, Shoelace Chaser readily resonates. Seventeen-year-old Thea (Leigh Lule) is in her last year at a public school and is a very fast runner. Photos by Jacinta Keefe But two years ago, she gave up on a promising athletics future to attend to her ailing mother, Fiona (Zoe Boesen). While we never find out the exact nature of Fiona’s condition, what is clear is that sh

There is disconnect between three members of the one family, a husband, wife and daughter who live in regional Australia and are struggling. It is not as if they want it that way, but that is what they are living with. Photos by Sarah Clarke They speak about their thoughts and feelings. They dare to dream and live out nightmares. The man speaks of his love for his wife and yet doesn’t read her cues. He also plays out his pain and anguish, and is suicidal. The woman i