Burn The Floor Partners With Nextsense For Charity Gala At Coliseum Theatre

Feature-Burn The Floor: LUMINOUS

International dance phenomenon Burn The Floor has announced a new charity partnership with NextSense, with a special Charity Gala performance of its spectacular new production LUMINOUS to be held at Coliseum Theatre on Saturday 26 September 2026.

Hosted by beloved television personalities and dancers Tristan MacManus and Kym Johnson, the exclusive gala performance will see $10 from every ticket sold donated to NextSense, supporting children, adults and families impacted by hearing and vision loss. Tickets are available now from www.burnthefloor.com

The partnership brings together two organisations united by a shared belief in the power of human connection, inclusion and the transformative impact of the arts.

Burn The Floor: LUMINOUS is the company’s exhilarating new production, celebrating the artistry, athleticism and passion of dance. Featuring an international cast of world-class dancers, spectacular live music and breathtaking choreography by acclaimed director Jason Gilkison, LUMINOUS blends the elegance of Ballroom and Latin dance with contemporary theatrical storytelling in a production that is bold, exhilarating and emotionally charged.

Having captivated audiences in more than 180 cities across 30 countries, Burn The Floor continues to redefine ballroom dance for a new generation through its signature fusion of precision, passion and world-class entertainment.

The Charity Gala offers audiences the opportunity to experience this internationally acclaimed production while making a meaningful contribution to one of Australia’s leading organisations supporting people with hearing and vision loss.

For more than 160 years, NextSense has empowered people with hearing and vision loss through specialist education, therapy, research and clinical services. As Australia’s largest provider of cochlear implant services, the organisation continues to transform lives through innovation, advocacy and support.

Harley Medcalf, Producer of Burn The Floor, said: “For more than 25 years, Burn The Floor has celebrated the power of dance to connect people across cultures, languages and generations. Partnering with NextSense for this Charity Gala is a natural extension of those values. We’re incredibly proud that this special performance will not only entertain audiences, but also help raise awareness and support the extraordinary work NextSense does every day.”

Trish Charan, General Manager of the Coliseum Theatre said “Coliseum Theatre is proud to support this special Charity Gala performance of Burn The Floor in aid of NextSense. We’re delighted to work with Harley and Burn The Floor to help raise awareness of the invaluable work NextSense does within the community. Bringing audiences together for world-class entertainment while supporting a meaningful cause reflects the power of live performance to create a lasting impact both on and off the stage.”

The Burn The Floor Charity Gala promises to be an unforgettable evening where extraordinary performance meets meaningful philanthropy, demonstrating how the performing arts can inspire audiences while making a lasting difference within the community.

EVENT DETAILS
Venue: Coliseum Theatre, Rooty Hill
Date: Saturday 26 September 2026
Performance Time: 7.30pm
Prices: From $59 (Transaction fees apply) with $10 from every ticket sold will be donated to NextSense
Bookings: www.burnthefloor.com , or email contactus@coliseumtheatre.com.au or phone 02 9625 5500

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Kim Hardwick Directs Dixon And Daughters By Deborah Bruce At The Old Fitz Theatre

Feature-Dixon and Daughters

Tiny Dog Productions presents Dixon and Daughters by Deborah Bruce

“…if this house could speak.” An Australian premiere, Dixon and Daughters by Deborah Bruce comes from an acclaimed run at the National Theatre, co-produced with Clean Break Theatre in 2023. With a tight 90-minute run time and an all-female cast, Dixon and Daughters is a raw, compelling exploration of trauma, survival, and the bonds that tie family and in particular women together. When Mary returns home after serving time in prison, she wants to forget the past – intent on rebuilding her life, she walks into a household filled with hostility where her daughters are grappling with their past. Over a weekend, tensions simmer and truths emerge, exposing a history that has shaped their lives. Each woman must confront their past and what they’ve done to survive.

Balancing heartbreak with moments of surprising humour, this is a story about the courage it takes to confront pain, the complexity of forgiveness, and the possibility of breaking generational cycles. Fierce, moving and unflinchingly honest, Dixon and Daughters is a tribute to the strength of women and the painful path of healing.

Following Tiny Dog Productions’ 5-star co-production of The Children’s Hour at the Old Fitz Theatre in 2025 and their 4.5-star season of Monster by Duncan Macmillan at KXT on Broadway, we are pleased to be bringing this important story to the Old Fitz stage in September.

Cast: Vanessa Downing, Linda Nicholls-Gidley, Romney Hamilton, Sarah Jane Starr, Danette Potgieter, Rylea Eilis

Director: Kim Hardwick

Season and Performance Information:
Venue: The Old Fitz Theatre – 129 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011, Australia
Season: 18 September – 3 October 2026
Performance Times: Tuesday – Saturday 7pm | Saturday Matinee 2pm | Sunday 5pm
Previews: Friday 18 September & Saturday 19 September 2026
Opening Night: Sunday 20 September 2026
Closing Night: Saturday 3 October 2026
Tickets: https://purchase.oldfitztheatre.com.au
Price: $34.50 – $86
Approximate Run Time: 90 minutes
Content Warnings: References to violence against women and girls including child sexual abuse and domestic violence, and depictions of alcohol abuse.

Creative Team highlights: Playwright Deborah Bruce; Assistant Director Jenni Russell; Producers Romney Hamilton & Celine Widjaya; Set & Props Designer Mia MacCormick; Lighting Designer Topaz Marlay-Cole; Composer & Sound Designer Nicky Pardesi; Costume & Props Designer Amelie Brown; Stage Manager Bianca Dreis; Dialect Coach Linda Nicholls-Gidley; Social Content Creator Chloe Callow; Photographer Campbell Parsons.

This production is generously supported by Darlo Drama and donors of our Australian Cultural Fund.

Tiny Dog Productions acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we work. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and acknowledge that sovereignty has never been ceded. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.

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Lead Cast Announced For The Shawshank Redemption

Feature-The Shawshank Redemption

The lead cast for the Australian tour of the stage adaptation of one of the most popular and enduring films of all time, The Shawshank Redemption, was announced today. Direct from its acclaimed UK tour, The Shawshank Redemption will play in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide from January next year, with other venues to be announced. Tickets are on sale from Thursday with presales starting today. Head to ShawshankLive.com.au to buy tickets.

Acclaimed television, film and theatre actor David Berry (Outlander, A Place To Call Home, Home and Away) will play Andy Dufresne, the quiet, smart former banker wrongly sentenced to life for murdering his wife and her lover. Cast as “Red” Redding, a long-term inmate known for smuggling contraband items into the prison who develops a friendship with Andy, is prolific stage and television actor Bert LaBonté (The Book of Mormon, Colin From Accounts, Cloudstreet). Returning to the stage after 20 years as the Warden, the deeply hypocritical, religious and cruel prison boss, will be one of Australia’s most recognised screen actors Rodger Corser (Doctor Doctor, Rush, Channel 9’s The Floor).

David Berry said, “I’m thrilled to be returning to the stage in such a timeless and deeply human story, alongside two extraordinary actors like Bert and Rodger.” Bert LaBonté claimed, “The opportunity to tell this iconic story – and to take on a role as rich and loved as Red was impossible to say no to. I can’t wait to get into the rehearsal room and begin exploring him.” Rodger Corser added, “After 20 years in film and television, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to return to the stage for a story as powerful as The Shawshank Redemption. Its themes of hope, resilience and friendship resonate just as strongly today as they did when the film was released more than 30 years ago.”

The Shawshank Redemption is a powerful stage production that places you just metres from the action. Raw, intimate and deeply moving, this is theatre at its most compelling – where every moment unfolds live before your eyes. Based on Stephen King’s celebrated novella, this gripping adaptation tells an unforgettable story of hope, friendship and the resilience of the human spirit.

Wrongly convicted of the brutal murders of his wife and her lover, Andy Dufresne is sentenced to life imprisonment in the notorious Shawshank prison. As he navigates the harsh realities of incarceration, he forms an unlikely friendship with fellow inmate Red, discovering that even in the darkest of places, hope can endure. But when the corrupt Warden seeks to exploit Andy’s talents for his own gain, a quiet and daring plan begins to emerge, one that will challenge the very walls of Shawshank itself.

“Electrifying – it truly is a must see show” – The Observer
“This production has nailed it … Gripping live theatre” – Broadway World

Adapted for the stage by Owen O’Neill and Dave Johns, and directed by David Esbjornson who directed Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones in the Australian tour of Driving Miss Daisy, this acclaimed production captures the emotional power and humanity that have made The Shawshank Redemption one of the world’s most enduring stories.

The 1994 film adaptation, nominated for seven Academy Awards, has become one of cinema’s most beloved classics. Now, experience a story of hope, friendship and redemption brought vividly to life in an unforgettable live theatrical event.

THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
Adapted for the stage by Owen O’Neill and Dave Johns, based on the novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King
Directed by David Esbjornson
Produced by Impresario Productions, by arrangement with Bill Kenwright Limited
By arrangement with Knight Hall Agency Ltd in association with Paradigm Talent Agency

SEASON DETAILS

SYDNEY
Venue: Theatre Royal Sydney
Season: From 2 January 2027
Performance Times: Tues-Thurs 7pm, Fri-Sat 7.30pm, Wed 1pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 1pm
Prices: From $89.90 (Transaction fees apply)
Bookings: ShawshankLive.com.au or 1300 163 808

MELBOURNE
Venue: Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne
Season: From 3 February 2027
Performance Times: Tues-Thurs 7pm, Fri-Sat 7.30pm, Wed 2pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 1pm & 6pm (schedule varies weekly)
Prices: From $89.90 (Transaction fees apply)
Bookings: ShawshankLive.com.au or call 1300 182 183

PERTH
Venue: Regal Theatre
Season: From 12 March 2027
Performance Times: Tues-Thurs 7pm, Fri-Sat 7.30pm, Wed 1pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 1pm & 6pm (schedule varies weekly)
Prices: From $89.90 (Transaction fees apply)
Bookings: ShawshankLive.com.au or 08 9381 9943

ADELAIDE
Venue: Her Majesty’s Theatre
Season: From 1 April 2027
Performance Times: Wed-Thurs 7pm, Fri-Sat 7.30pm, Thurs 1pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 1pm & 6pm (schedule varies weekly)
Prices: From $89.90 (Transaction fees apply)
Bookings: ShawshankLive.com.au or phone 131 246

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Raise A Glass At The Choir Of Man This Summer

Feature-The Choir of Man

The Sydney Opera House honours our First Nations by fostering a shared sense of belonging for all Australians, and we acknowledge the Gadigal, traditional custodians of Tubowgule, the land on which the Opera House stands.

The Choir of Man opens at the Sydney Opera House this summer. The international smash hit returns to Australia after sold-out US and European tours and direct from a four-year West End run that welcomed more than 280,000 people across a thousand performances.

Set in an on-stage pub, an ensemble of nine multitalented instrumentalists combine foot-stomping singalongs and rollicking entertainment in this uplifting and celebratory production. Featuring classic rock, pub anthems and pop hits from artists such as Queen, Adele, Guns & Roses, Paul Simon, Avicii and Sia, this riotous night out is the greatest trip to “the local” you’ll ever have.

Cast highlights: Mark Loveday (Barman), Ifan Gwilym-Jones (Maestro), Cal T King (Beast), Conor Mellor (Joker), George Knapper (Handyman), Paul McArthur (Poet), Kristian Morse (The Hard Man), Tyler Orphe-Baker (Bore), Tristan Whincup (Romantic). Resident Director and Swing Norton James, with Alex Mallalieu and Bradley Walwyn as Swings.

Creator and Director Nic Doodson: “The Choir of Man is about individuality, generosity, humour and the joy of making music together. It’s a celebration of connection and belonging, brought to life by extraordinary voices and a soundtrack you already know and love.”

Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Performance Harry Prouse: “Brimming with joy, The Choir of Man is an incredible success story… It’s pure entertainment – equal parts pub night and live gig, all in an ode to friendship.”

KEY INFORMATION
WHAT: The Choir of Man
WHEN: From 11 December 2026
WHERE: Studio, Sydney Opera House
PRICES: From $69.90 + $8.95 booking fee
INSIDERS PRE SALE: 9am, Tuesday 11 August
WHAT’S ON: 9am, Wednesday 12 August
GENERAL PUBLIC ON SALE: 9am, Friday 14 August

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