Whats The Show – Show Reviews of all kinds from around the nation.
Brolga: A Queer Koori Wonderland
Hangmen
Sweet Charity – Closing Days
The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave
Film Review: Weekend In Taipei
The Crying Room: Exhumed
The FUTURE is disappointing
YENTL
Sir Terry Pratchett’s The Fifth Elephant
Jack And Millie
Maybe He’s Born With It Maybe It’s ADHD
Global Smash Club: A Full-Throttle Cabaret Spectacle
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Aza: Stories of Grief in Diaspora
Ricordi Di Sanremo – Memories of Sanremo
Last night the Astor Theatre hosted a collage of Italian stars in Ricordi Di Sanremo, a concert covering three generations of memories from Italy’s most popular music festival, for one night only. The annual Sanremo Music Festival, which has been running in the coastal city of Sanremo since 1951, was originally established as a pathway to revitalizing its economy and survives to this day. Accordingly, The Sanremo Music Festival also holds the distinction of being the longest-running annual TV music competition in the world and served as the inspiration for the creation of the Eurovision Song Contest. What sets the…
Jack Warner – The Last Mogul
Depending on your location, the 2023 Jewish International Film Festival (JFF) is fast approaching, from 23rd October to 29th November. This year’s JFF will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros by showcasing the documentary Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul. The Last Mogul tells the story of the reigning figure, Jack L. Warner. Emerging from modest beginnings, he and his brothers embarked on a journey that led to the creation of Warner Bros Studios. Remarkably, for over half a century, Jack Warner held the crown of this cinematic empire, leaving a mark on the history of motion pictures. This…
I’ll Be Frank – Memories of Opa
The JFF is upon us for 2023, and depending on where you are located in Australia, it will run sometime in the date range of 23 Oct to 29 Nov, so be sure to check dates for your local area. With many varieties of film genres available, let’s delve into Aaron Lucus’ short documentary film I’ll Be Frank which is a respectful nod to his grandfather, Frank. The film opens with the information that former German citizens between 1933 and 1945 and their descendants who were deprived of their citizenship shall have their citizenship restored upon application. Thus begins an…
The Crime is Mine – French Comedy Murder Mystery Film
The Crime is Mine is the latest from acclaimed director François Ozon and features French stars Isabelle Huppert and Dany Boon, supported by a stellar cast including Fabrice Luchini, André Dussollier, Nadia Tereszkiewicz, and Rebecca Marder. Take a step back to 1930s Paris, as ‘The Crime Is Mine’ follows young and struggling actress Madeline and her loyal friend Pauline. The film begins with Madeleine being accused of murdering a renowned producer. Assisted by her friend Pauline, a jobless young lawyer, Madeleine is acquitted, claiming self-defence. Astonishingly, her life transforms into one of fame and fortune, with secrets lurking beneath the…
The Circle – The World Through Children’s Eyes
The Italian Film Festival is 23 years young and kicking off in your town. And it’s not just films with a dramatic flair but several documentaries will feature this year, including Il Cerchio – The Circle. Directed by Sophie Chiarello, The Circle chronicles the journey of Italian primary school students over a five-year period, capturing their unique outlook on the world. The Circle is the winner of best documentary at the 2023 David di Donatello and screening at this year’s Italian Film Festival. Over five years, students share their thoughts and feelings on a range of topics during circle time.…
Slutnik 2: Planet of the Incels
Flick’s “SLUTNIK 2: Planet of the Incels” was a dazzling space age adventure. It is the extravagant and anticipated continuation of the SLUTNIK™ franchise, following the success of its fabulous predecessor, SLUTNIK™ 1. The enthusiastic opening night audience for SLUTNIK™ 2, comprised of numerous fans of the first installment, is a testament to its popularity and widespread appeal. For those unfamiliar with the backstory, SLUTNIK™ 1 chronicles the journey of a renowned group of lesbian space cannibals, accompanied by their trusty robot MOTHERBOARD, who departed Earth a century ago in search of liberation from patriarchal oppression. The plot centres on…
Grave Issues – An Examination of a Life’s Worth
In 24 Carrot Productions’ outstanding and profound “Grave Issues,” we are immersed in deep examination of a life’s worth. The audience enters the Bluestone Church Arts Space in Footscray to find themselves at a funeral for an unnamed woman. Upon sitting, we learn that a “procedure” will be performed, where an empirical determination of a person’s inner workings will be revealed. The play opened on “Senior” and “Junior” (Kate Ball and Karli Riesen, respectively) performing a sort of autopsy of personal qualities in front of an audience of funerary mourners. The findings were such that “Colleague,” “Friend,” and “Lover” were…
Burning Hearts – Italian Film Festival
The Italian Film Festival is in its 23rd year after its founding at the turn of the millennium in 2000. Since then, the festival has grown in popularity to become the most significant public celebration of Italian cinema outside Italy. A feature of this year’s festival is a special presentation of New Italian Cinema’s – Burning Hearts – which takes place in the picturesque region of Puglia. This gripping crime tale reignited an age-old feud between two rival families as a forbidden love story unfolds. Burning Hearts is directed by Pippo Mezzapesa and was the Best Cinematography winner at the…
Monument – A Play to Remember
Red Stitch’s production of Monument, penned by Emily Sheehan and directed by Ella Caldwell, is a masterful work that intricately balances humour and poignancy. It’s hard to find any fault in this production, especially in Sheehan’s writing; as soon as the show ended, I was lining up at the box office to purchase a copy of this hilarious yet profound script. The story of Monument takes place in real time over ninety minutes. It focuses on the dynamic relationship between two very different women: Edith Aldridge, the youngest woman ever to be elected leader of her country, and Rosie, a…
A Singular Crime – Spanish Film Festival
A Singular Crime / Un Crimen Argentino is a 2022 thriller based on the 2002 Reynaldo Sietecasebook of the same name. It’s inspired by a true story occurring in 1980 Rosario, Argentina during the “Dirty War” military dictatorship. The book was a best seller, and now the film leaves audiences just as intrigued as they try to solve the crime alongside the protagonists. It is airing at the 2023 Spanish Film Festival and is a must-watch for any who love a mystery. Unlike the book, A Singular Crime primarily follows around two court clerks, Antonio González Rivas (Nicolás Francella) and Carlos Torres (Matías Mayer), alongside the judge’s secretary, Maria Bussato (Malena Sanchez), as…
Cork Pops into the Spanish Film Festival
The Spanish Film Festival is back this June and July and celebrating it’s 25th year! Presented by Palace, the film festival is accessible online, or in person, in major cities Adelaide, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. There are plentiful films to choose from with helpful category groupings such as ‘New Spanish Cinema’, ‘Spotlight on Argentina’, ‘Focus on Female Filmmakers’ and more. I had the pleasure of viewing ‘Cork’ (‘Suro’), a Drama/Thriller feature film debut from Director Mikel Gurrea, that is creating a lot of excitement in its New Spanish Cinema category. It has already won a slew…
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Meet The Actor – The Secrets of Carmichael Manor
Venus and Adonis – a Play Within a Play of the Sonnet
Venus and Adonis was filled with such strong performances; it came as no surprise to learn that the cast from Sport for Jove Theatre Company had previously been involved in the world of Shakespeare’s plays. Their delivery of various sonnets scattered throughout Venus and Adonis showcased their skills of navigating and steering the linguistics in a way that enthralled the audience. I was particularly impressed with Anthony Gooley’s portrayal of William Shakespeare and how he coincided with the creation of sonnets in his mind by performing them aloud as the words appeared on the wall behind him as he spoke.…
A Generational Voyage – Waru: Journey of the Small Turtle
Bangarra Dance Theatre’s Waru: Journey of the Small Turtle follows the generational journey of a turtle coming out of its egg, finding its way to the sea, growing up big and strong, and returning to lay eggs of their own. The audience walks in to see a beautifully set stage with fairy lights and magical dot lighting on the walls, like millions of fireflies in the night sky. The ambient music and beach sounds complete the scene and allow the young audience to ponder what they will see when the performance begins. The first words the audience hears are in…
The Crime is Mine – French Comedy Murder Mystery Film
The Crime is Mine is the latest from acclaimed director François Ozon and features French stars Isabelle Huppert and Dany Boon, supported by a stellar cast including Fabrice Luchini, André Dussollier, Nadia Tereszkiewicz, and Rebecca Marder. Take a step back to 1930s Paris, as ‘The Crime Is Mine’ follows young and struggling actress Madeline and her loyal friend Pauline. The film begins with Madeleine being accused of murdering a renowned producer. Assisted by her friend Pauline, a jobless young lawyer, Madeleine is acquitted, claiming self-defence. Astonishingly, her life transforms into one of fame and fortune, with secrets lurking beneath the…
Something That Happened – A Night of Fun and Laughter
The opening night of ‘Something That Happened’ by The Strangeways Ensemble was one filled with fun and laughter from audience members, young and old alike. The Strangeways Ensemble, made up of professional neurodiverse actors, put on an inspiring and entertaining performance filled with pop culture and classic references that fit wonderfully within the play’s plot and the base reference to John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. It was an immersive experience as the audience was able to feel as though they were a fly on the wall during the company’s rehearsals, as well as being part of the conversation about…
The Circle – The World Through Children’s Eyes
The Italian Film Festival is 23 years young and kicking off in your town. And it’s not just films with a dramatic flair but several documentaries will feature this year, including Il Cerchio – The Circle. Directed by Sophie Chiarello, The Circle chronicles the journey of Italian primary school students over a five-year period, capturing their unique outlook on the world. The Circle is the winner of best documentary at the 2023 David di Donatello and screening at this year’s Italian Film Festival. Over five years, students share their thoughts and feelings on a range of topics during circle time.…
The Hen House – A Storytelling Comedic Rock Concert
When there is an interesting story to be told, why deliver it only in words when you can rock sing it out? The Hen House, directed by Sydney Theatre Award- winner Anthea Williams and presented by PYT Fairfield and Wild Company, had their world premiere performance on Thursday, 7 September 2023, at the Riverside Theatre. This is a story of friendship between migrant women working in a chicken processing factory. It is not presented as a traditional stage play or a theatre musical but more as a storytelling comedic rock concert – and it works! Four musicians kept the audience…
Burning Hearts – Italian Film Festival
The Italian Film Festival is in its 23rd year after its founding at the turn of the millennium in 2000. Since then, the festival has grown in popularity to become the most significant public celebration of Italian cinema outside Italy. A feature of this year’s festival is a special presentation of New Italian Cinema’s – Burning Hearts – which takes place in the picturesque region of Puglia. This gripping crime tale reignited an age-old feud between two rival families as a forbidden love story unfolds. Burning Hearts is directed by Pippo Mezzapesa and was the Best Cinematography winner at the…
Roll up! Roll up! The Marvellous Elephant Man
Roll up! Roll up! For this is no ordinary show– The Marvellous Elephant Man The Musical is a colourful feast of sound and flair under the Sydney Spiegeltent at the EQ Moore Park that will keep you entranced. The talented trio of writers and composers of this musical took additional roles onstage to showcase their versatility. Musical Director Sarah Nandagopan performed on the piano, Marc Lucchesi and Jayan Nandagopan acted and brought their instruments into the story via their characters. The Marvellous Elephant Man brings us the story of John Merrick, a man who, in real life in the late…
Classic Agatha Christie Whodunnit – The Hollow
Mention Agatha Christie to anyone, and you know you’re in for a classic Whodunnit mystery. With such a prolific author and playwright, there’s the usual expectation of interesting characters, intrigue, murder and the pointing of fingers. The Genesian Theatre Company presents The Hollow, a play that debuted in 1951 and ran for 11 months in London. The director Molly Haddon, herself a very experienced Agatha Christie actor, has assembled a dynamic cast inside a historic Sydney building, The Genesian Theatre. Built in 1945, the theatre lent itself aptly to this time period with its grand wood ceilings and plush, heavy…
Eavesdrop At The Vatican – Pope 2 Pope
Hunters Hill Theatre performed the world premiere of award winning Australian playwright Melvyn Morrow’s latest play, Pope2Pope, on Friday 18 August 2023. It was a play with religious themes that treads the fine line between comedy and some difficult truths. The director Elaine Hudson and the company did so with finesse and steady balance, cleverly staying on this line. Pope2Pope, as the name suggests, was set inside the Mother of the Church Monastery, in the Vatican Gardens. The set design was simple but effective, with a traditional large red sofa on a red luxurious carpet taking centre stage. This repetition…
Clever, Creative and Eerie – The Turn of the Screw
The Turn of the Screw, written and directed by Tooth and Sinew’s Richard Hilliar (after Henry James) was a very clever and creative production. An eerie atmosphere was established, from the moment the audience walked into the theatre through the mist to their seats. The preshow orchestral interlude, composed by sound designer Chrysoulla Markoulli purposefully used amplification and dynamics to capture my attention and left me with an unsettled feeling. Whilst waiting for the show to begin, I got a subtle hint of what was to come by seeing the addition of something strange growing down from the ceiling onto…
