Comedy - Whats The Show

Rising From The Ashes Of Bazball: Cricket The Musical To Tour Australia This Summer

29/10/2025 Breaking News

By overwhelming demand, the wickedly funny singer, songwriter and satirist Denis Carnahan is making a triumphant return to the stage this summer with his hilarious one-man cult hit musical comedy show, Cricket The Musical. Playing in Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney from November 2025 through to January 2026, Cricket The Musical will follow the English Cricket Team’s tour of Australia. “The 2025/26 cricket season is destined to be filled with controversy and pantomime, from the World Test Championship to the West Indies series, followed by the always hilarious touring English Cricketers. They’re still smarting from the Farce of the Wandering Bairstow, and sure to bring the slapstick of Bazball,” said Carnahan. “Add to that the drama of last season’s Indian shoulder charges and send offs and the burlesque of the Big Bash, and you have more comic narratives than any music theatre librettist could ever dream of! So I can’t think of a better time to tour Cricket The Musical and bring people together around their shared love of the game than while the energy is high and the crowds are buzzing around the country this summer.”

“Cricket The Musical is a delight” – The Age
“Great show… really enjoyed it” – Ian Chappell (if you don’t know who he is, this might not be the show for you)
“Hilarious. My favourite musical – even better than The Lion King” – Ryan, aged 14
“…takes you through the eras with song, laughter and characters. Great fun performed by a mad genius” – Andrew Moore – ABC Sport commentator

Australia’s hardest working musical sports satirist will use his unique satirical spin to review all the standout moments of the summer’s cricket, along with the game’s history of treachery, villainy, facial hair, and illegal abrasives. For almost two decades, Carnahan has been producing songs and parodies about the many colourful characters and controversies Australian sport produces. They go to air weekly on the ABC, and have previously featured on The Footy Show, Fox Sports, Triple M and many more. His songs about Stuart Broad’s sportsmanship, MCC selection policies, Mitchell Johnson’s moustache and other sports have had millions of hits on YouTube. So prepare yourself to boo the villains and cheer the heroes as Cricket The Musical brings songs to life on stage, with videos, sketches and caricatures celebrating the many controversies of this summer’s matches. Tickets are now on sale available at cricketthemusical.com.au

CRICKET THE MUSICAL:
Perth – Nov 19, 20, Studio Underground, State Theatre
Brisbane – Dec 2, The Old Museum, Bowen Hills
Adelaide – Dec 14, Lion Arts Factory, CBD
Melbourne – Dec 27, 28, The Show Room, Arts Centre Melbourne
Sydney – Jan 3, 4, 9 & 10 – The Bridge Hotel, Rozelle
TICKETS: cricketthemusical.com.au.

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Blanc de Blanc Encore

26/10/2025 Amanda Harrison🥉

Blanc de Blanc Encore (World Champagne Day) Rating

★★★★★

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Blanc De Blanc Encore is a cheeky cabaret-cirque fusion that contains more fizz than the champagne it’s themed around. Masterfully weaving elements of comedy, cirque, dance, cabaret and singing; it’s a titillating time. Furthermore, the West End Electrique feels like the perfect venue allowing for action in, on, amongst and over the audience proving to never allow a dull moment. The interactivity between the performers and audience provides an experience that will be ever changing with each show, making it feel fresh and unpredictable. An all-star cast also elevates this performance to be a next-level experience.

Dylan Ingwersen and Eric Allen enthrall the audience, be it through their comedy or the anxiety of knowing no-one is safe from their crowd work. Ingwersen does a great job embodying his outrageous French character, and has an almost sweet chemistry with Allen. Allen is no-joke, flexing his muscles in skillful work on a static pole as well as for some fun bits that play with physicality and sound recordings. The entire cast show great skill in group dance numbers, most with a fun champagne flair or mischievous twist. Abi Wells uses her talent to mesmerise us with great fluidity and control throughout her dance numbers, showcasing her temptress abilities. Brett Rosengreen is equally as established, showcasing a diverse dance skillset from thigh-high heels to isolations to feather fans. Rosengreen had great on-stage presence, constantly flirting with the audience.

Ruby McQueen makes a great addition to the dance team, but really proves herself in her aerial number. McQueen shows confidence and makes her technical movements through the air look effortless, all while remaining connected to the audience. Similarly, Maria Moncheva does expert work on the aerial chains, captivating attention skyward. Moncheva interestingly doesn’t emphasise the ‘danger’ or metallic clanking of the chains during her performance, which assists it to feel gentler and more high-class. Finally, Lily Bourne offers some vocal talent to the mix, with sassy powerful vocals that feel stylistically perfect for the show. She teases and at times bullies the audience all through song, showcasing her vocal range and character capabilities.

All the great talent on display really shines through thanks to adventurous and creative staging. Performers are often situated right amongst the audience, or doing numbers that include interaction such as a giant parachute being sent out over everyone. These interactive additions elevate this from a show to an experience that really includes everyone present. The choreography felt well suited, combining elements and style from more classical jazz with a contemporary flare. The lighting design created a heightened atmosphere, with fantastic use of backlighting to provide silhouettes at times, or spots to highlight performers situated throughout the venue. The content of the show was unique and didn’t feel contrived or dated; bringing an exciting modern feel to the classic tropes of cabaret. With the exception of two numbers, the pacing felt perfect throughout the show with well placed transitions driving us forward. Blanc De Blanc Encore is an exceptional, classy and playful experience that ensures every member of the audience will leave with a smile. Be sure to catch this one before February, when the fizz runs out and they leave the West End Electrique.

To book tickets to Blanc de Blanc Encore (World Champagne Day), please visit https://strutnfret.com/shows/blanc-de-blanc-west-end-electric/.

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Fasten Your Seat-Belts, This One Soars!

23/10/202523/10/2025 Chantal Harrison Writer🥉

Fly Girl Rating

★★★★★

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I’ll take the chicken, but I have ZERO beef with Fly Girl!

Inspired by the true story of Deborah Lawrie, Australia’s first female commercial airline pilot, Fly Girl hits new heights as a clever, heartfelt and joyously funny but important retelling of one woman’s fight to get off the ground in an era when airlines thought “the fairer sex” should serve the nuts, not fly the planes.

The Ensemble Theatre’s intimate setting is the perfect launchpad. The set bursts with 70s orange, jet-age charm and a black flight tracker hanging centre stage. We’re greeted by flight attendants in high-waisted orange trousers, pinstriped shirts and iconic caps who usher us to our seats with perfect period poise and playful improvisation. The energy before take-off is pure fun; bright, bustling, and buzzing with anticipation.

Writers and performers Genevieve Hegney and Catherine Moore open the evening by announcing we can expect 40 characters, 5 actors and “not one stage crew.” They aren’t kidding. The entire cast (including Cleo Meinck as Deb, Emma Palmer, Alex Kirwan, and the writers themselves) morph seamlessly between roles, each transformation part of the fabric of the storytelling. Props shift and scenes change in full view, yet it never breaks the rhythm. If anything, it adds to the show’s theatrical charm, blending quick wit and creative ingenuity into narrative flow.

We meet Deb as a determined teen, inspired by her dad’s love of flying. By her early twenties, she’s applying to Ansett, only to discover that no amount of skill will outweigh a hiring policy drenched in sexism. Reg Ansett, rendered here with delicious absurdity, dismisses women as “unsuitable” for flying due to supposedly unpredictable “female issues.” Deb persists, taking on Ansett with a David and Goliath style battle, helped along by the sisterhood collectively engaging in the “Girlcott” of 1979.

The jokes hit hard and fast, weaponising humour to expose the absurdity of systemic discrimination. Real headlines are seen on the prop newspapers including “Pregnancy! Is it a disease?”, echoing the playground logic of the airline’s defence. Amid the laughter, the truth stings. For all its sparkle and comic verve, Fly Girl packs emotional punch.

The cast’s chemistry is electric, their comic timing impeccable, and their energy infectious. The audience was audibly along for the ride, laughter giving way to silent tears as history reasserted its gravity. I overheard someone in the bathroom talking about remembering the whole situation as it was happening and what an amazing experience it was to now watch the show. The hardest emotional landing comes when Lawrie herself joins the cast onstage for curtain call with her solicitor from the landmark anti-discrimination case; a moment that reduced already standing ovation to more applause and greater sobs.

Director Janine Watson keeps the tone perfectly balanced; funny yet furious, heartfelt and powerful. Fly Girl is theatre that entertains first, then quietly takes flight as something greater: a tribute to resilience, equality, and one woman’s fight that changed the course of Australian history.

Fasten your seat-belts… this one soars.

To book tickets to Fly Girl, please visit https://www.ensemble.com.au/shows/fly-girl/.

Photographer: Prudence Upton

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Ethnically Ambiguous

19/10/2025 Annie Zeleznikow🥉

Ethnically Ambiguous Rating

★★★★★

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Ethnically Ambiguous is a silly and heartfelt comedy that explores three actors disappointing experiences as culturally diverse individuals in a shallow industry. Max Nunes-Cesar, Jo Malta and Zac Rose created and performed Ethnically Ambiguous as an exploration and presentation of their upsetting experiences as actors. This show contained a skit like format, moving between storytelling, faux game shows, musical numbers, and heartfelt monologues. This show also broke the fourth wall in frequently funny ways.

Ethnically Ambiguous contained a plethora of clever self-referential jokes and audience participation. The most powerful audience participation is the game of ‘guess the ethnicity’ with a wheel of origin as a practical gag. This worked well in combination with the actors and creators, it had an immediate and powerful impact on the audience. This skit was a clear and powerful moment of the actors creating tension, and using themselves and their experiences to cut the tension and connect with the audience.

The actors felt authentic, which makes sense given their roles as creators of the show, sharing their own experiences of the world. In particular, Zac Rose stood out as a powerful story teller, conveying his experiences and personal narrative in a touching and meaningful way. Rose was able to explore his ongoing feelings of shame and guilt, accepting that his ancestors were discriminated against because of the colour of their skin, and acknowledging that he carries the trauma of those experience, with the understanding that no one can see it, and he doesn’t experience it himself (due to his white passing presentation). Rose is told by his friends that “you choose what defines you,” as he decides to reclaim his sense of self, and falls into a space of acceptance.

The show’s theme of disconnection of perception and sense of self was well established and maintained. However, the show at times lacked direction and focus, with skits between the characters stagnating the pacing of the show. There were moments of the show that felt non-sensical. A sharp and clear perspective was missing at times, which meant the impetus of the show fell flat. As a result, the long-lasting impact of the show might not be as clear as the creators intended.

Acting is a visual and audible job, how you look and sound impacts how you are perceived, and although Nunes-Cesar, Malta and Rose don’t state it, to me it felt that it important to recognise and accept that there are things you cannot change, like the colour of your skin. This show reminded me that one’s sense of self, confidence, and acceptance of self should be tied to who you are, rather than the success you find in your career.

Ultimately, I came out of this show with the knowledge that pursuing a career in acting is risky, idealistic and irrational, and I’m glad Nunes-Cesar, Malta, and Rose are doing it.

To book tickets to Ethnically Ambiguous, please visit https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/whats-on/events/ethnically-ambiguous.

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