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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

The Great American Songbook – being the most influential popular songs and jazz standards, primarily from the 1920s to 1960s – is ripe for the picking. And so it is that Rhys Tolhurst – a most mellifluous crooner and songwriter, who was a finalist on Australia’s Got Talent in 2012 – let loose for the first time at Hamer Hall. He was joined by guest vocalist Nina Ferro, an internationally acclaimed vocalist, songwriter and performer, whose golden tonsils are equally intoxica

Set against the backdrop of The Troubles* in Northern Ireland, this searing debut play for Australian writer Grace Chapple tells of the personal fallout for a group of friends. With explosions heard at close quarters, events take place in Belfast, near the border, over three time frames. Besties Dierdre (Enya Daly) and Niamh (Ella Ferris) are about to be separated because Niamh is moving to London. They are together at Dierdre’s place the night before Niamh is due to lea

I entered the theatre really wanting to like the new Australian comedy The Last Parma Night, but I am afraid I didn’t even get close to doing so. In fact, I struggled greatly with it. It suffered from a slow start and, in my eyes, it never gained a foothold. The storyline concerns a bloke, Tommy Gibson (Max Meaden) and his mates who, from their school days, used to frequent a pub known as The Unruly Maiden. Now, all these years later, he is back there, trying to reliv

Megan Wilding is a force of nature in a serious contender for play of the year. Game. Set. Match. is a dark comedy with a confronting sting in its tail and Wilding is both the writer (her first time for the main stage) and one of two outstanding performers. Photos by Gianna Rizzo She plays 27-year-old Yarrai, while Rick Davies is cast as Joshua, 38. We are introduced to the pair as Joshua surprises Yarrai when he enters a space filled with tennis memorabilia. He is ther

The full glory and emotional heft of Giuseppe Verdi’s fraught and dramatic love story La Traviata is magnificently captured by Opera Australia. I am in awe of the spine-tingling efforts of Australian/Mauritian soprano Stacey Alleaume, who is utterly captivating in the lead role. Her rich and rounded vocal tone reaches remarkable heights in a bravura showing that must be seen and heard. It is no exaggeration to suggest this is one of the truly great operatic performances

One has been there and done that, knows which way is up and is stuck in her ways. The other has the world at her feet. She has plans to forge ahead with life and make the most of it. They are known as Old One (Caroline Lee) and Young One (Eva Seymour). Photos by Darren Gill Young One takes a job on the deli counter at a supermarket, intending to stay no longer than six months, but Old One is sceptical. Addressed by Old One as “good for nothin’” and “freshman”, she is im

The desire to break free of an abusive relationship is at the heart of Waitress, which is based on a 2007 independent film of that name, which starred Keri Russell. Jenna Hunterson works as a waitress and prolific baker at Joe's Pie Diner in a small town in America’s South. Photos by Jeff Busby She is trapped in an unhappy marriage to Earl, who treats her shamefully and expects her to hand over all her earnings, when she falls pregnant to him. Jenna goes to the doctor,

With strong autobiographical elements, this classic American play, which premiered in Chicago in 1944, is a piece of memory theatre. We are in St Louis in 1937 and Tom Wingfield (Tim Draxl) is both narrator and a central character. Photos by Pia Johnson He is giving us his own nostalgic, emotional and subjective recollections of what went down. Inspired by Tennessee Williams’ turbulent life, this portrait of a shattered family announced Williams as a major literary figur

Twenty tracks, some deliberately discordant, others melodic, written to one of history’s greatest literary figures – that is the inventiveness of The Juliet Letters. The changes in tempo reflect significant mood shifts – from bitterness, disillusion and despair to vulnerability, cynicism and obsession. It is the work of an unlikely pairing, English rock singer/songwriter Elvis Costello and classical, contemporary chamber ensemble The Brodsky Quartet. Costello first saw T

Mozart’s delicious tale of skulduggery from inveterate womaniser Don Giovanni is given life anew by Melbourne Opera. This is a man who can’t help himself when it comes to the fairer sex. Large or small, pretty or plain, attached or single, from noble stock or otherwise, with the help of his hapless servant Leporello he readily collects notches on his belt. In his mind, all women are fair game. Photos by Robin Halls His conquests in Europe literally read like a report ca

Bringing a story to life with poise, polish, precision and pizzazz is a fine art that few can master to the extent that they figuratively hold a room in the palm of their hand. But such is the craftsmanship of writer and performer Ralph McCubbin Howell, who has more than the odd trick up his sleeve. With stacked bookshelves as a backdrop, a man is slumped over a wooden desk in the foreground, on which a printed sign reads “Apprentice Sought”. Such is the sight that greet

Four clean cut young lads who met at school in South Australia and were influenced by their music teacher, cabaret performer Michael Griffiths, have come a long way. Eleven years on, The 60 Four, as they are known, now tour Australia regularly and appear on cruise ships, playing hits of the ‘60s and ‘70s to appreciative audiences. And in August 2026, they will be entertaining at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the first time. I speak of 26-year-old Ben Francis, Jack C