Tom Hollowayâs award-winning play, Red Sky Morning, has returned to Melbourne at TheatreWorks, St Kilda, having been developed originally through Red Stitchâs INK program. (The play premiered at Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre in 2008.) Holloway is internationally acclaimed and this iteration certainly shows us why.
We are introduced to a family of three, who, even living together, exist without connection and within the loneliness of the outback. Itâs no accident our characters are nameless because to me, they could be, or could have been, any one of us at any time, floating in limbo in those awful moments where so much is felt and nothing is said.
Over the course of one day, M, W and Gâs stories unfold in a series of poetic, interwoven monologues that reveal love, regret, insecurity, addiction, shame, dependence, doubt, destitution, devotion, hopelessness and then, sometimes humour in the embarrassing little moments.
Performed superbly by Alpha Kargbo as âM, mid 40âs maleâ, Emma Choy as âW, mid 40âs femaleâ and Izabella Day as âG, late teens girlâ, their individual scripts intertwine while rolling seamlessly, despite their charactersâ lack of connection in this story. In fact, the three performed as one entity, each of them having had to learn all three scripts to achieve this and they delivered each of their roles with such precision. A technically challenging feat, brilliant and fascinating to watch. This result can only have been achieved by a trio who truly trust and believe in each other at all times.
Directed by Lyall Brooks, four-time Green Room Award Winner across mainstage, independent and musical theatre and assisted by Seon Williams, this 60-minute play seemed to me to be more like 30-minutes. Izabella Day said Lyall was a wonderful leader in this process, trusting his actors and giving thoughtful, insightful direction that continually strengthened their work. The flyer told us, âDirected by Lyall Brooks, RED SKY MORNING is a hauntingly beautiful Australian story that will stay with you; because it feels like home.â I certainly related to a couple of moments that felt like âhomeâ to me years ago.
Lighting Designer, Sidney Younger; Sound Designer, Jack Burmeister; Set Designer, Harry Gill; and Stage Manager, Jade Hibbert, have also excelled in their field, supporting the actors beautifully in this process.
In 2026, most of us are wiser to issues of mental health or an understanding of self-doubt, so I believe this piece is now easier to digest and even more important than it would have been in 2008.
I liked the ending, albeit a subtle hint well-placed within a couple of words, that left hope for the future of M, W and G. Like the joy of seeing a pink, orange or red sky we know we are lucky to glimpse any rare morning, this play reminds us we must embrace the will to survive and move onwards and upwards â despite any feelings of despair or doubt.
Book tickets via Theatreworks. Playing 6 â 16th May. Then touring Victoria after its Theatreworks season:
Tuesday, 26 May – Portland Arts Centre – https://www.portlandartscentre.com.au/Whats-On/Red-Sky-Morning
Wednesday, 27 May – Hamilton Performing Arts Centre – https://tickets.hamiltonpac.com.au/event/1004:780/1004:982/
Thursday, 28 May – Lighthouse Theatre Warrnambool – https://www.lighthousetheatre.com.au/red-sky-morning
Friday, 29 May – Corangamite Theatre Royal Camperdown – https://www.corangamite.vic.gov.au/Places-and-Events/Events-and-Festivals/Events-Calendar/RedSkyMorning
Saturday, 30 May – Bellarine Arts Centre – https://app.geelongcity.vic.gov.au/bellarineartscentre/calendar/item/8de59cbde2db2f9.aspx
The Bubbles Festival Melbourne: A celebration of all things sparkling!
Natalie Pickett founded The Bubbles Review 10 years ago, when her first blog educated those who thought Moet was spoken like the end of the word, âballetâ, with a silent T, when really, itâs pronounced âMo-wett.â Natalie should know. When working as a tour guide in Europe, on a guided trip to MoĂ«t et Chandon, she confirmed this exact fact.
Natalieâs âBubbles Reviewersâ Clubâ offers members monthly rewards, tasting technique masterclasses and more discoveries and invitations via www.thebubblesreview.com
I met some of her club members on Saturday, 2nd May, for Bubbles Festival Melbourne, at Riverâs Edge Events in the World Trades Centre â in a room with a stunning view of the Skyline Wheel and Polly Woodside. Holding our complimentary Riedel sparkling glasses (included in our tickets), we were all thirsty to begin when Natalie welcomed our group and spoke about some important terms to remember before sampling the bubbles on offer. She reminded everyone to hold their glass by the stem, as best to view the bubbles in the middle. We were advised to enjoy the experience of each sparkling with each of our five senses; even holding the glass to our ears – as though listening to a seashell on the beach – and to take in the scent with our noses, as far as theyâll go into the glass before tasting.
âBubbles â Just like a hug in a glassâ and âABC = Always Bring Champagneâ slogans called to us from TV screens around the room. After this, we would visit all the Exhibitor tables to indulge in the exquisite selection.
Ian was the friendly host from Clover Hill. He poured my first tasting with CLOVER HILL TASMANIA EXCEPTIONELLE MULTI-VINTAGE, (59% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, 6% Pinot Meunier) – a light straw/green hue in the glass, vibrant citrus and stone fruits on the nose and crisp acidity on the palette.
My second tasting was the CLOVER HILL TASMANIA ROSĂ MULTI-VINTAGE (66% Chardonnay, 29% Pinot Noir, 5% Pinot Meunier) with fresh vibrant strawberry notes upfront on the nose. The palate was layered and creamy with red forest fruits, to a balanced, long finish. This one was sweeter than the first and a little too perfumed for my taste – still a lovely sparkling.
My third taste was the CLOVER HILL BLANC DE BLANCS MULTI-VINTAGE â Tasmania with 100% Chardonnay. This one reminded me a tad of the lovely Billiecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru NV from France. It too, is characterized by aromas of citrus, white peach, and brioche with a creamy texture.
Tasmanian cool-climate sparkling wines are dominating at the moment, having taken out all the trophies at the 2025 Australian Sparkling Wine Show and Clover Hill is no exception, having been recognised by The Real Review as one of the best producers in the country. They are consistently ranked among Australia’s top producers with a 5-star Halliday rating.
Ian had a fourth offer in CLOVER HILL ROSĂ DâASSEMBLAGE MULTI-VINTAGE (63% Chardonnay, 29% Pinot Noir, 8% Pinot Meunier), which I didnât get to sample as I felt drawn to the French table while there was a lull in the crowd.
I met Jean Paul at the Philippe Fourrier table for a quick chat. Since 1847, this family Champagne house located in Baroville, is anchored in an exceptional terroir, the CĂŽte des Bar, in the south of Champagne appellation area.
JPâs second French pour was LOUIS PERDRIER FRENCH BRUT (NV) â Bordeaux â France (100% Chardonnay), an exceptional French Sparkling. Deliciously toasty notes melt into the scent of golden apples. Gentle and harmonious on the palate with some richness tempering the citrus finish. For me, this was the best sparkling of the day.
The third French pour was CHAMPAGNE PHILIPPE FOURRIER â PINOT MEUNIER BRUT (NV) â Champagne, France (100% Pinot Meunier), with a beautiful pale-yellow hue and fine bubbles bright in the glass. The nose offered fresh red fruit aromas of subtle blackberry, hints of peach and plum. This one seemed a tad light to me after the Brut.
I tried the SUTHERLAND ESTATE â 2025 SPARKLING ROSĂ (with 100% hand-picked Pinot Noir). Whole bunches of Pinot are harvested from the vineyard and come into the winery and straight into the press immediately leading to the gorgeous pale salmon colour. The aromas are bright and enticing with rose petal, strawberry and perfume. On the palate were strawberries and cream. A delightful summerâs drink, but for the last glass of the day, I had to return for one last taste of the Sparkling Temperanillo.
Illustrator, Susan Kerian, who some recognised from her work with retailer, âBlue Illusionâ, returned to showcase her original illustrations – perfect for âEmily In Parisâ fans and Francophiles.
All sparkling wines and Susanâs artwork could be purchased on the day so, I happily departed with my order for delivery of four of the LOUIS PERDRIER FRENCH BRUT (NV) from Bordeaux, two of the CHAMPAGNE PHILIPPE FOURRIER â PINOT MEUNIER BRUT (NV) â from Champagne in France and six of the SUTHERLAND ESTATE â 2023 SPARKLING TEMPRANILLO from the Yarra Valley, because according to F. Scott Fitzgerald, “Too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right.” Well, thatâs my excuse and Iâm sticking to it!
All of the exhibitors offered great deals for purchasing on the day. Iâve never understood why tastings sometimes donât allow that, but at Bubbles Festival, you could take the wine with you on the day, or get it delivered later, which was ideal. $5 from each ticket went to the Sacred Heart Mission, St Kilda. Natalie chooses a different charity to donate to in each of her stateâs events.
It was a sunny 25degree day in Melbourne and I tasted some new and exciting Sparklings and Champagnes, met like-minded and vivacious souls, feeling the fresh bubble of life, therefore, I thoroughly recommend attending the Bubbles Festival.
Here are the other statesâ Bubbles Festivals, coming soon:
Brisbane â 9 May 2026 – Get your tickets here! Sydney â 22 & 23 May 2026 – Get your tickets here! Adelaide â 6 June 2026 – Get your tickets here! Perth – 20 June 2026 (TBC) – Join waitlist here!
VIVA Vicious by VIVA Melbourne is the adults-only experience you need to book for your next date night.
Secretly housed in a beautiful Cabaret room at the top of a warehouse at 64 Sutton Street, North Melbourne, VIVA Vicious and its troupe of amazing singers, dancers and, acrobats, creatively and tastefully capture âThe art of suggestionâ or, âThe art of almost.â
While Marketing âMandateâ Male Revue on King Street in the 90âs, I was safe to visit friends in the adult clubs next door. I noticed the gentlemen who came to see the female strippers were much more well-behaved than the Henâs night ladies who came to see the males. It was a fun and bawdy time, and absolutely everything was on show.
This is not that.
Viva is the kind of nightclub show couples enjoyed in the 1950âs â dinner, drinks, dancing and, a floor show â only more naughty for the naughties.
Professionally and stylishly choreographed by Karlee Porritt, with a beautifully lit stage and interesting projections, Viva Vicious is both suggestive and sensational.
The show includes aerial acrobatics, popular music, beautiful costumes and humorous skits – males dressed as Nurses and French maids – dappling in virtual reality.
True to the mid-1800âs Burlesque shows, the VIVA men were often the comic relief between the provocative female performers. In this show, they also dance, play the saxophone and, assist in the aerial acrobatics.
Just like with âMoulin Rougeâ or âCrazy Horseâ in Paris, every performer is extremely fit and stunningly beautiful. Crazy Horse boasts of their show, âan ode to feminine beauty, combining eroticism and sophistication.â Viva in Melbourne certainly lives up to this boast.
The female body is a beautiful thing.
While enjoying VIVA Vicious, I remembered an old life-drawing teacher once told me, âWhatâs suggested is often more attractive than what is obvious.â
Unlike Moulin Rouge, where youâre practically sitting on the lap of the person next to you, the Viva Cabaret room is plush and comfortable. Couples and friends are seated in pairs at club tables on different levels, so every view is intimate, stimulating and, energetic. Even the opulent rest-rooms were exquisite!
Each Cabaret table is big enough to place two side plates and two sumptuous cocktails the Viva wait staff bring to you shortly after youâve ordered. We tried the Chicken Karaage and the Salmon Sashimi. Both were visually pleasing, fresh and delicious.
The first performer on stage set the scene in a long sequined evening dress singing a Whitney Houston ballad, with precision. Now we find weâre in for Cabaret and, Burlesque.
She was followed by a Britney Spears number with many dancers in full-body tiger print outfits, topless.
A songstress mixes things up, singing a 50âs number sporting her Marilyn Monroe style dress.
There’s a Western number backed by the classic Ennio Morricone soundtrack, and plenty of âHoney Birdetteâ designed lingerie.
Michael Jacksonâs âDirty Dianaâ and Annie Lennoxâs Sweet dreams perfectly back a sensual bed scene.
Things are spicy but never confronting.
Throughout, there were a few aerial acrobat spots, one with a spiral from the ceiling, another with silks, always with such skill. Loved the sexy Medusa track.
During a most enjoyable two-hour show, there are two Intermissions where you can go to the bar or, partake in a caviar bump and a vodka shot with a passing sexy server, to prepare you for the next show.
The troupe encourage you to hit the dance floor after the show.
Viva means âLong Liveâ in Italian and Spanish. I think weâll return.
Inspired by the words; âItâs time to lay your old self to rest â and be reborn as the ultimate version of yourself, as you were always meant to be. This is your ending. This is your beginning. This is FUNERALâ, I ventured over to Howler in Brunswick on 29/1/26 to see âFuneralâ, a âlive music performance from dark, electronic, alt-pop phenomenon, KING IV.â (Pronounced I-V-Y.)
âFuneralâ is the live performance of KING IVâs dance-pop album, âPsychopomp: the other side.â Melbourne artist, Cheyenne Harper, is professionally known as King IV, who imagines herself as a conduit between two worlds, which provides her â and in turn, us – with a feeling of freedom and power.
The MIDSUMMA festival program is made up of diverse art forms and genres, so I knew âFuneralâ by King IV would be far from vanilla. I certainly got more than I expected – as Iâm sure crowds discovered from King IVâs past gigs at Beyond the Valley, Melbourne Music Week and previous live and large events.
All songs are originals, written and composed by Harper and backed by a visual feast of cinematic projections and dark choreography, to live and synth-ed music. Donât fear or judge the synthesizer. These songs are truthful and from the soul. There is a rawness and honesty thrown artistically and boldly in-your-face, and each track leaves you wanting more.
Beginning with a video wall as wide as the stage and evocative words conveying her âred beingâ crossing to the other side, we meet a sensual King IV with her 2023 single, âSee you laterâ, a song about seeking pleasure and letting the light of passion free one from darkness.
King IV told Australian Music Scene in 2022 the song ââŠpoured out of her after a night out clubbing and being love-bombed by the person she was out with.â When writing âSee you laterâ, she was also influenced by psychotherapist, Carl Jung, and his quotes on passion, including, ââŠthey must be on fire even if they make a fool of themselvesâŠâ
âSee you laterâ, is both erotic and clubby so, everyone at Howler moved towards the stage where we could be closer to even more surreal imagery from this extraordinary artist and her voice-over, asking;
âDid you become the forest? Or the space between the stars? The wind crossed through the valley, or the harsh and ancient jars? I reach for you in the windâŠ. in earth, in flame, in sea. Whatever form youâve taken, please leave a space for me. Tell me if youâre alright, even if youâre not. Even if youâre gone now. Is your soul forever lost? Welcome to the cosmos and floating on the stars. A break inside the universe. Youâre always in my heart.â
She has taken us to the Afterlife. Itâs something weâve all considered, especially after profound loss.
King IV, as her âred beingâ, then returns with a plethora of pumping poetry.
A funky kick-beat of a song, âWickedâ, was one of my favourites. – âWe can cross the seasons. We can reach the stars.â I resonated with her âwicked witchy womanâ story.
Next, âNight and Dayâ with IV singing inside a red-lit coffin, standing centre stage. Loved the electric guitar riff on this one. – âI like it when you taste it. I do. I do. I like it when weâre naked. I do. I do.â
âMurderâ mixed ethereal vocals and electronic layers.
âPsychopompâ was a stand-out. – âIâm a fire-breathing dragon. Always ready for some action.â
Ultra-talented Pat Gabriel, composer and musical director – @pattyboomba – plays the keyboard, the strings and other recorded pieces throughout the whole show and, it’s obvious to everyone he loves what heâs doing. Heavy on the bass, he interprets his talents within King IVâs compositions.
The Funeral dancers are fit and fast with dynamic and demonic moves, framing King IV fabulously along this unique journey sheâs created for us.
âPsychopomp; the other sideâ is an excellent electronic, dance compilation, moody and theatrical, exploring hedonistic lifestyle, personal transformation and pushing each of us to claim our own unique identity. – âTo truly transform, you must let the old self die â and trust that something greater is waiting to be born.â
Words of wisdom to live by as we venture into 2026.
Purchase King IVâs âPsychopomp: the other sideâ album from Bandcamp, an online site that directly support the artists who make music.
