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Come Alive: The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular Opens In Adelaide Tomorrow

28/10/2026 Breaking News

Feature-COME ALIVE! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular

‘COME ALIVE!’ The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular has arrived in Adelaide and will delight audiences from tomorrow at the Morphettville Racecourse. This is the third stop on the production’s Australian tour which has already delighted fans across Sydney and Perth. Following its six week run in Adelaide the spectacular will then move on to Brisbane before farewelling Australia in Melbourne in early 2027.

Performed beneath a purpose-built Hippodrome, this all-ages spectacular reimagines Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s iconic soundtrack from the 20th Century Fox motion picture like never before—live, loud and breathtakingly close, with world-class circus artistry, dazzling visuals and electrifying performances.

Since its Australian premiere in May in Sydney, COME ALIVE! has become a must-see favourite, bringing to life beloved anthems including This Is Me, Rewrite the Stars and A Million Dreams.

Leading the all-Australian cast of actors, singers, dancers and acrobats Des Flanagan (CATS, Moulin Rouge!) as The Showman and Ruby Clark (The Lord of the Rings) as Max have won over audiences along with the local and international circus sensations responsible for bringing this internationally acclaimed production to life.

David Hutchinson, CEO of The Path Entertainment Group said: “After an ongoing sellout run in the UK, we have been thrilled to see Australian audiences so warmly and enthusiastically embrace COME ALIVE! We look forward to performing for Adelaide on the next stop on our national tour after being so warmly welcomed by fans new and old in both Sydney and Perth.”

At the helm of the production is Drama Desk award-winning Creative Director Simon Hammerstein (Masquerade, a bold new immersive production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera; Usher’s sold-out ‘My Way’ Las Vegas Residency; and Queen of the Night). The creative team behind the production and its expansion consists of Music Producer and Olivier Award-nominated Matthew Brind (Paddington 2, Just For One Day, Legally Blonde – West End), Choreographers Jerry Reeve (Taylor Swift, The Queen’s Jubilee Platinum Party At The Palace) and Lukas McFarlane (Strictly Come Dancing, So You Think You Can Dance?, The X Factor), Emmy Award-nominated Lighting Designer Adam Bassett for Woodroffe Bassett Design (The Rolling Stones – ‘SIXTY’ Tour 2022, London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony, Adele – Live), Set Designer Ruby Law (Billie Eilish, Jorja Smith, the Royal Albert Hall, Sadler’s Wells Theatre), Costume Designer Susan Kulkarni (The Peripheral, Silence, Dirty Dancing – Secret Cinema), Co-Musical supervisor Greg Arrowsmith and Technical Consultancy by Gary Beestone Associates.

‘COME ALIVE!’ The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular is inspired by the 20th Century Fox Motion Picture The Greatest Showman story by Jenny Bicks and songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. ‘COME ALIVE!’ The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular in Australia is produced by Showpath Entertainment Ltd by special arrangement with Outside The Box Amusements and TSG Entertainment.

Tickets are on sale now at comealiveshow.com.au

‘COME ALIVE!’ The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular 2026/27 remaining Australian Dates:
Adelaide – From 29 October 2026, at the Morphettville Racecourse
Brisbane – From 23 Dec 2026, at Royal Queensland Golf Course
Melbourne – 25 Feb 2027, at Caulfield Racecourse

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Show Up! And Be Entertained By Surprise Acts

22/10/2026 Linda Lokhee🏆💎🔥🦉🎭

Show Up! Rating

★★★★★

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“Show Up!” is a variety-style of entertainment show, which reminded me of a nostalgic live taping which was then beamed into our living rooms via the television. The act would be filmed, with the camera now and again panning to the audience to see their reactions, and then back to the act. When that finished, an interview with the performer would happen. Then in the next episode, we would see different performers and acts, introduced by the host. “Show Up!” may have been intended to fill the live event space with their format similar to this, and had been billed as having “great performers, great stories, great surprises and a room filled with people willing to embrace the unexpected”. It is a monthly event, with different guests from across music, theatre, comedy, cabaret, circus and dance disciplines.

Created, produced, and hosted by versatile Australian entertainer Nick Hardcastle, this show offers a platform for both established and emerging artists to perform. One of its original features is the element of surprise, as the audience never knows in advance which act they will see. This format is especially appealing to those who enjoy spontaneity and discovering new talent, as well as fans who might be delighted to catch a performance by one of their favourite Australian artists or comedians. An interview with each performer after their acts adds another layer to the show.

I attended the first show at The Darling Quarter Theatre in Sydney on the 19 October. “Show Up!”featured performances from the “Dance Nikki Webster” dance studio, a burlesque act, a comedic musical act, solo songs and a strong and heartfelt 20th Anniversary tribute to one of Australia’s well known and loved musicals, “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”. Plus of course, there were a couple of acts from iconic drag performers.

Being both a comedy and musical enthusiast, it came as no surprise that one act particularly appealed to me.The satirical boy band “Fuccbois” delivered a memorable and comedic performance that perfectly captured the essence of the archetypal “cool guys.” Dressed in oversized shirts, backward caps, and sporting penciled-in moustaches alongside shaded penciled -in stubble, these female artists presented a distinct and exaggerated image. Bursting onto the stage in coordinated track pants emblazoned with their logo, they sang pop songs in harmony while executing deliberately swaggering dance moves. Their confident, cocky demeanour was amplified by playful flirting and winks directed at the audience. Their infectious energy and original songs (most notable one named The Gaslight Shanty) made their performance thoroughly entertaining and hilarious.

Watching Tony Award nominee Tony Sheldon take the stage was a treat. Best known for his iconic role as Bernadette in “Priscilla Queen of the Desert” across Australia, Toronto, Broadway, and the West End, Sheldon delivered an impressive lip sync performance. Though he appeared without the signature drag costume and makeup of Bernadette, the vibrant presence and charisma of this character shone through. Following the performance, Sheldon engaged in an informal and insightful conversation with the host, offering the audience a rare glimpse behind the curtain.

Andrew Broadbent, a seasoned Australian performer with a rich history in musical theatre, captivated me with his rendition of “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face” from the Broadway classic “My Fair Lady”. His flawless English accent and nuanced mannerisms vividly brought to life the character of Professor Henry Higgins, transporting me to England and perfectly conveying Higgins’ deep, sentimental longing for Eliza Doolittle after her departure.

Another standout act was from duo Rhea Robertson and James Vidigal performing a burlesque act. The sexy, sultry undertones of Robertson’s voice, combined with confident and strong exotic dancer Vidigal, melded together to create an incredible multimedia performance.

Before the intermission, Hardcastle invited audience members who felt confident to come forward and showcase their entertainment talents in a “Show Off” segment. If you would like to have ‘a minute in the sun’ go along and register! Well done to audience participants Susan, Alex, Joanne and Patrick – it takes confidence to perform onstage in front of strangers if it’s not your profession, and kudos to Hardcastle for giving them that opportunity.

The dancers from the “Dance Nikki Webster” studio looked to be students of school age. They had bright costumes and danced with high energy and even higher kicks. One dancer incorporated some backflips into their routine, to the audience’s delight. While they danced, a video of their routine played simultaneously in the background. However, the slight mismatch between the live performance and the video, created a somewhat jarring effect.

The show concluded with a tribute to “Priscilla Queen of the Desert”. A video of past performers from all over the world was played on screen, recounting their experiences during their run with the show over the years. Afterward, a few past cast and crew members, some of who were in the audience, were invited onto the stage to sing “We Belong” altogether. It was a touching finale and created an insight into the bonds that form inside the entertainment industry.

If you don’t mind not knowing who will be performing onstage, “Show Up!” at The Darling Quarter Theatre may be for you!

“Show Up!” was 2 hours, with a 20 minute interval.
Tickets: www.showuplive.com.au/tickets
Darling Quarter Theatre, Sydney

To book tickets to Show Up!, please visit https://showuplive.com.au/.

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Thinking Pink: Amelie Peters Is Your ‘Emotionally Unstable Godmother’ at Melbourne Fringe

17/10/2026 Nicole Salinger🥈⚡🎭😂🎪

Sink or Sing! A Sing-Along Cabaret Rating

★★★★★

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Inside the ETU ballroom of the Trades Hall, I come upon the depths of a smoke-filled room, with chairs lined up much like a church choir hall, with a six piece band across the back of the stage, seemingly ready to roll.

A bass player. A female drummer wearing a pink cap. A guitarist. A female keyboard player. Even a keys 2. Finishing off with a horn player.

‘A Woman Song’ by Emmy Meli plays overhead. As does ‘Good luck babe’ by Chappell Roan. Pink stage lights beam above, bouncing off the myriad of sparkly items that sit on a prop table: a glittery notebook, a mobile phone, a pair of pink crocs, a bedazzled hairbrush, a makeup pouch entitled ‘passenger princess’, a hot pink beauty headband, and a matching-coloured facial roller.

On the left, and hung on a pole railing, sits a sheer mesh, faux fur trim, long sleeved kimono robe, ready for the taking. Ready to be worn by a bold and empowered performer, Amelie Peters, who, as far as I had read, will aim to take us through a whirlwind, topsy-turvy sing-a-long extravaganza – like no other.

An intro is heard overhead. Of Amelie anxiously getting ready to perform. Putting her heart on her sleeve: at setting the show’s tone from the beginning. So we understand completely, without a doubt, that this show will be an in-depth, thought-provoking look at her life. About the trials and tribulations of a single girl in her thirties, and how she navigates her life in a modern, ever-changing world.

And if I thought this show would be straightforward, it couldn’t be further from the truth. This is fringe, and by fringe, I mean it is meant to be an experience that evokes the unexpected. The opposite of what we expect a show to be.

And Amelie, in sassy sista style, knows exactly what she is doing, as she enters through the back of the room and up the aisle – to the stage, dressed in a pink coat with fluffy, faux fur trim, launching into a harried opening number, showing off her operatic diva style, and letting us know that we must think of her as our ‘emotionally unstable godmother’, and that this is going to be the most intimate 60-minutes of our lives.

Next, she tries to warm us up as if we are in a choir, leading us in singing the scale of DO-RE-MI. I get excited, thinking that she will be coaching us in singing songs that we already know, as she is a singing coach. Songs by Britney Spears comes to mind, or the Spice Girls. Something light, fun and karaoke-like. Something safe and light-hearted.

But as we sing and hold a note, something else happens. Amelie throws out questions to the audience about the lows and lows of online dating and being ghosted.

As we wonder where this is going, I gather that Peters is not only a seasoned contemporary musical theatre performer and a standout operatic warbler, but she also writes songs. And not just any songs about the human condition. But songs that speak of the thoughts that consume the minds of a girl in her thirties, trying to bravely navigate her role in the world. A world where women are still fighting for their own truth. For their chance to shine.

About online dating? Peter’s sings a charming bopping ditty, ‘left, right, left’. Keeping up with the challenging of beauty standards? ‘Lotions, potions and circular motions’ to a 70’s beat. The challenges of driving with a man on a date? ‘Passenger princess’, even inviting a male onstage to hold a steering wheel prop. The value of friendship? ‘I choose mates over dates’. From ‘Life is hard’, lamenting when situations go wrong, to ‘living life filter free’, about stopping our own comparison wheels, to a song called ‘Fairybread’, about ‘adding some sprinkle when you are in a pickle’, Peters sings and story-tells through her songs with the utmost conviction, all of which we are invited to sing-a-long to and absorb along with her.

Peters contemporary musical theatre voice is no doubt superb, and I feel she definitely has the scope to write and perform in this hugely popular ‘Girl Era’ genre, similar to the success of ‘Legally Blonde’ or ‘Heathers’.

If I had to be more critical, it would be that I feel the show needs a bit more structure, if an audience is to be included in the singing. As some songs had lyrics on the projector wall, and some didn’t. I also feel that it could do with better pacing. As in, I would have like to have heard more storytelling monologues without music from Peters, as at times, it was difficult to hear her words with the band playing.

But if you are looking for a pop-infused, funky night where you can just bask in your girly-era, enjoy off-the-cuff singing with great amounts of audience interaction – plus the added bonus of ‘thinking pink’ with a glass of bubbly in your hands, then this is indeed the show for you!

To book tickets to Sink or Sing! A Sing-Along Cabaret, please visit https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/whats-on/events/sink-or-sing-a-sing-a-long-cabaret.

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‘Come From Away’ by CLOC Musical Theatre

15/10/202615/10/2026 Debra Campbell🥇🔥🦉🎭🎶

Come From Away Rating

★★★★★

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COME FROM AWAY is of a topic no-one could’ve ever guessed would become that of an upbeat musical when faced with the reality of what was happening when it was happening on September 11, 2001. Everyone who is old enough to remember this day would be able to tell you where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news of the Twin Towers’ attack in New York.

For people on planes around the US at that time on that shocking day something unprecedented would occur. All air traffic would be halted and suspended until further notice, including those in the air re-routed to the nearest safe landing space regardless of whether or not it was near their final destination. They would land. They would wait.

However, don’t wait for tickets to see what happened next: https://nationaltheatre.org.au/come-from-away/

In the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, the once largest airport in the world remained. Though no longer the major re-fueling hub it was since long-range aircraft took to the skies, on 9/11 this runway would become the landing designated for 38 commercial planes holding 7000 passengers from 92 countries (and some animals including a pregnant bonobo chimpanzee).

These passengers would land on “The Rock”, so called because it is a lump of stone in the middle of the North Atlantic. The locals of Gander hurry to find supplies and a way to host thousands of unexpected guests. They work voluntarily around the clock. The passengers would be let off the planes with only their carry-on luggage, having no idea where they were or why they were there. A scary situation on both sides (and someone must take care of the animals).

As the entertaining locals at Gander take turns to introduce themselves to us in the audience, we are made to feel as welcome as those on the planes would have been. The team at CLOC and those they cast in such important roles have a natural ability to draw in everyone sitting in front of them.

A stellar cast is testament to “there are no amateurs here”. True! All roles are filled by extremely talented individuals deep breathing life into their characters so well that you wish you had been privy to their stories long before now. No-one holds anything back in the honour of telling this story. I am sure that many of the sadder moments are felt internally and not just by excellent acting. Come From Away sums up the fact that humans are mostly good. Good people doing good things, because they believe “you would’ve done the same”.

Terrorist tragedy is what we think of when we recall 9/11 and I expect this show therefore to be full of crying and yelling, but it isn’t. It is more, full of joy and humanity at its best. The world watched on in horror that day, but on ‘the rock’ something incredible was evolving – people in a dire situation pulling together, dealing with each challenge as best they could.

Will they have enough food, enough clothes, enough nappies, enough tampons and will they be able to get the toilets cleaned to a sanitary level approved by the group of sexy cardiologists on board?

I cannot single out a particular cast member from the 12 in this show practically on stage the whole time through both tears and smiles. They are all just as outstanding in their role as the next person and not only play their main character, but others also whilst moving chairs, changing costumes and layering accent upon accent.

When you read the program you learn all about cast members and what this lot have done in “other shows” is extensive to say the least. So, when you put that much talent and experience together you get a very well executed undeniable WOW right down to the finer details mentioned in the script and the body language that goes with those words.

Set design is simple with a revolving stage circle in the centre working perfectly and adds that little bit extra with well-timed lighting and an orchestra that makes the whole thing come alive for 100 minutes, no interval.

My favourite number was the bar scene, amp up the fun and include some fish kissing and the audience is in total awe. No wonder CLOC is restaging the show for the second time in two years and still selling out seats to commemorate the 25th anniversary of 9/11. I had heard of the hype around Come From Away before, but until you actually go and see it yourself you cannot possibly imagine just how fantastic it is. Patrons I know are returning to see Come From Away a second and third time.

9/11 changed the world. COME FROM AWAY changed what can be put into a musical.

Book, Music and Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein.

CONGRATULATIONS to everyone who pulled this off the runway and ran with it!

Directors: Rob Robson and Tailem Tynan
Musical Director: Malcom Huddle
Creative Team: Sally Martin (set), Jason Lord (lighting), Marcello Lo Ricco (sound), Samantha Gore (costume), David Clausen-Wisken (hair & make-up), Bek McLaughlin (stage), Grant Alley OAM (technical), Paul Belli (stage), Alannah Woods (production), Lisa Nightingale (company), Taylor Prokopiou (costume), Pam Christie Birkett (props).

CAST:
Natasha Bassett as Beulah, Elyse Batson as Bonnie, Ric Birkett as Claude, Shaun Kingma as Oz, Jacqui McCallum as Diane, Rosa McCarty as Beverley/Annette, Hayley Nissen as Janice, Jayson Paul as Bob, Richard Perdriau as Nick/Doug, Shane Pritchardas Kevin J/Ali, Nic Russ as Kevin T, Sharon Wills as Hannah.
Note: All cast members play other (multiple) roles.

ORCHESTRA:
Malcolm Huddle (Conductor), Greg Leibel, Thomas English, Eugenie Lyons, Charlie Wood, Marty King, Adrian Close, Sophie Barker, James Ward, Ali Soebardi, Nathan Firmin.

VENUE:
National Theatre, 20 Carlisle St., St Kilda, Melbourne. I always cover park at paid-parking a short walk away at Acland Court Shopping Centre, but there is street and outside car parks around the area and a number of close restaurants.

More information: www.cloc.org.au
COME FROM AWAY is playing until 24 October 2026.

To book tickets to Come From Away, please visit https://www.cloc.org.au/comefromaway2026.html.

Photographer: Ben Fon

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