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Cats Has Opened In Brisbane!

10/02/2026 Breaking News

The 40th Anniversary Australian tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical CATS opened to thunderous applause and a standing ovation last night at its final destination, the Lyric Theatre, QPAC for a short season until 22 February. A limited number of tickets have been released for each performance so get your tickets now before they are gone! The record-breaking, iconic production has received rapturous audience response and rave reviews across the country.

★★★★★ “Fun, energetic and nostalgic – CATS is the purrfect night at the theatre” – GlamAdelaide
“Inexplicably magical” – First Class Magazine
“Bursting with talent” – Stagenoise
“This fresh production is a great way to celebrate 40 years” – AUReview
“An immersive spectacle” – Sydney Morning Herald
“Electrifying. A spectacle of transformation” – Theatre Thoughts

The coveted role of Grizabella, the former “glamour cat”, is played by Gabriyel Thomas (“Gabriyel Thomas’s rendition of Memory is so hauntingly beautiful it sends shivers down the spine” – Theatre Thoughts), while audience favourite Todd McKenney plays the dual roles of Bustopher Jones and Asparagus the Theatre Cat (“Todd McKenney has the audience in his paw thanks to his comic timing” – Adelaide Advertiser), and classical performer Mark Vincent returns to the musical theatre stage as Old Deuteronomy, the patriarch of the Jellicle tribe (“Mark Vincent brought sonorous gravitas” – Sydney Morning Herald).

Recently seen as Roxie Hart in the sold-out national tour of Chicago, Lucy Maunder has taken on the role of Jellylorum, while the rebellious cat Rum Tum Tugger is Des Flanagan. WAPPA graduate Jarrod Draper plays Munkustrap, and returning to CATS after many years is Leigh Archer as the motherly character Jennyanydots, also known among the tribe as the “Gumbie Cat”.

Jarrod Draper, Todd McKenney in CATS (c) Daniel Boud_128.jpg

The remainder of the company includes Amy Berrisford (playing Demeter), Sarah Bourke (Tantomile), Emily Casey (Cassandra), Mia Dabkowski-Chandler (Bombalurina), Tom Davis (Skimbleshanks), Ella Fitzpatrick (Jemima), Charlie Follows (Bill Bailey), Joshua Gordon (Coricopat), Dominique Hamilton (swing), Tim Haskayne (Mr Mistoffelees), Claudia Hastings (Victoria/ White Cat), Aimee Jones (swing), Savannah Lind (Rumpleteazer), Joe Miller (swing), Jake O’Brien (Mungojerrie), Xavier Pellin (swing), Guy Pik (Carbuckety), Rania Potaka-Osborne (Alonzo), Edward Smith (Admetus/ Macavity), Thalia Smith (swing) and Tod Strike (swing).

“I’m thrilled to bring this 40th Anniversary Australian tour of CATS to Melbourne and Brisbane with the most fabulous cast,” said producer John Frost for Crossroads Live. “CATS was revolutionary when it began 40 years ago and Australia has an enduring love for the show. Now it’s time to let the memory live again. Melbourne, queue up to grab your tickets before they sell out as it’s only in town for five weeks!”

Based on T. S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats and set to music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, CATS has been captivating audiences around the globe since it opened at the New London Theatre (now known as the Gillian Lynne) in 1981, where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances, winning both the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical. Since then, CATS has been presented in over 50 countries, translated into 23 languages and has been seen by over 81 million people world-wide. On Broadway, CATS played for 18 years and won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical.

The musical tells the story of the Jellicle cat tribe. On just one special night of the year, all Jellicle cats meet at the Jellicle Ball where Old Deuteronomy, their wise and benevolent leader, makes the Jellicle choice and announces which of them will go up to “The Heaviside Layer” and be reborn into a whole new Jellicle life.

The timeless musical score includes the hit song Memory, which has been recorded by more than 150 artists including Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Nicole Scherzinger, Johnny Mathis, Liberace and Barry Manilow. With “timeless music, spectacular sets and a superb cast” (Daily Mirror), breathtaking choreography and of course the unforgettable Memory, CATS is a magical musical like no other.

Get your tickets now for this iconic musical at catsthemusical.com.au and let the memory live again.

BRISBANE SEASON
Venue: Lyric Theatre, QPAC
Season: To 22 February
Performance Times: Tues-Thurs 7pm, Fri-Sat 7.30pm, Wed 1pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 1pm & 6pm
Bookings: catsthemusical.com.au

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Sex, Drugs & Country Music: God’s Cowboy

10/02/2026 Lola Kate Carlton🥉

God’s Cowboy Rating

★★★★★

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If the Sydney theatre scene’s obsession last year was clowns, this year it seems to be cowboys. But God’s Cowboy isn’t really about the wild west. Instead, this intimate, explosive play takes us much closer to home.

Peter (Nathaniel Savy) has been a performer for his entire life, particularly fond of movie musicals and old cowboy films. When he books a part in a show with his sister (Sophia Laurantus as Penny) he quickly finds his cowboy dreams are starting to come true in an entirely new way. Daniel, a very broken and very suave outlaw type has rolled into town to do the show, and although tormented by his sadistic ex boyfriend Demetrius, Peter and Daniel begin to attempt to explore what healing could look like with each other.

This play at its core is about unstable relationships. Queerness can often be trivialised, oversexualised or infantilised, never allowed to be as messy or complicated as heterosexual relationships are. In that respect, the play is refreshingly blunt about what trauma does to your relationships. The design of the show reflects this: black and red costuming, and staging never quite in bright, warm light.

The cast puts in honourable performances across the board. Max Fernandez is a charismatic performer, and although became demonstrative at points, shined in the more uncomfortable tragic parts of the show. Nathaniel Savy brought genuine queer humour into the text, and when he leaned into the absurdism of the world around him, he was a joy to watch. Sophia Laurantus is very likeable on stage, and had the strongest emotional range on stage, although her stage time was tragically short. Tate Wilkinson Alexander shone as the screwed up sleazebag, and although has a habit of leaning into a monotone delivery, when required, was often a scene stealer – especially in moments of stunt work or massive emotional delivery.

The weakest link in this show is unfortunately the text. Although Ella Morris (director) and her cast have put in clear effort across the board to create something interesting, the text dips into cliche often, and is unclear – especially through the first act. The strongest points were when the script fully leaned into how ridiculous it wanted to be, aided by the hopped up performances of the cast, and overall the second act was significantly stronger. Morris’s effective direction has clearly worked hard to soften some of the script’s weaker points, but it has required the cast to in many ways keep the show up by themselves.

God’s Cowboy is an interesting look into the darker side of queer relationships – an optimistic take on the idea that someone doesn’t have to be in your life forever for them to matter. In many ways, this is particularly important as scrutiny on the queer community comes to an all time high in decades, showing the world that even though perhaps not all queer relationships are perfect, they are as human and as important as everyone else’s.

To book tickets to God’s Cowboy, please visit https://www.flightpaththeatre.org/whats-on/gods-cowboy.

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Bush Chook

10/02/2026 Natalie Rees🌟🎭

Bush Chook Rating

★★★★★

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Currently tucked away behind works in Northbridge, Perth’s stalwart venue, The Blue Room is still vibrant as ever and flourishing as a breeding ground for emerging talent. Performing to a sold-out crowd, Bush Chook is a new work that gives a glimpse into the dynamics and relationship of a young man and woman who meet at a roadhouse on the Nullarbor Plain one December evening.

Written and directed by Hayley Perrin, this contemporary play explores what happens when Angus, a 26-year-old male, tries to seduce Mary, a 19-year-old virgin. They chat, flirt and end up together in a motel bedroom. How does it end? What will Angus do when nobody is watching? How does Mary support him (or not) when he vulnerably shares his life’s problems?

I really enjoyed how this play explores the complexity of enculturation and why people act how they should not. How do our flaws appear? Are our men not heard enough? Do women take on too much emotional burden (especially at Christmas)? What needs to change? And how can we all take responsibility for our actions? The thing I enjoyed about this play was that it not only left a lasting memory but also left us with so many questions.

I also enjoyed seeing snippets of such modern life on stage — people scrolling on their phones, FaceTiming and using voice notes. It was also interesting to see how communication has changed — the characters often not looking each other in the eye, distracted by technology and being told to see a shrink instead of any real vulnerable connection.

Lea Šimić, in her role of Mary, was nuanced and the innocence she conveyed was palpable.

Matthew J. Young as Angus was incredibly charismatic on stage and had you guessing if he was to be trusted.

The physicality of the direction was also interesting to watch, and the use of animal play was a great comment on how base and animalistic we all can be.

While the script was overall really great, I think it could do with some development in parts to smooth things out.

Overall, I really enjoyed this production and commend the small professional team behind it. Love seeing young graduates creating their own work instead of waiting for it to come to them!

Bush Chook plays in Perth at The Blue Room Theatre from Tuesday the 3rd of February to Saturday the 7th of February 2026, and in Melbourne on Monday the 30th of March 2026 at the Gasworks Arts Park Studio Theatre.

To book tickets to Bush Chook, please visit https://fringeworld.com.au/whats-on/bush-chook-fw2026.

Photographer: Alexander Franklin

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Cast Announced For Australian Premiere Of The Prom

08/02/2026 Breaking News

They’re invited! The cast of the upcoming Tony-nominated Broadway smash-hit production, THE PROM has today been announced. This Drama Desk Award Winner for Best Musical is arriving in Sydney for its Australian Premiere at the newly revitalised Teatro at the Italian Forum from March 2026. Tickets to this musical comedy are on sale now at www.teatroitalianforum.com.au

Broadway and West End star Caroline O’Connor leads this stellar cast as Tony Award Winner Dee Dee Allen. Currently performing in Putting it Together at The Foundry, Caroline has played lead roles on Broadway, the West End, France and across Australia, including Chicago, Anything Goes, 9to5 The Musical, West Side Story and Anastasia, among many others.

At the heart of this joyful musical are its young stars- Sophie Montague (Sister Act) plays Emma, High School Student Banned from The Prom and Paige Fallu (Hairspray) plays Alyssa Greene, Head of Student Council with a Secret. The role of Broadway Chorine, Angie is played by Renae Corser née Berry (Saturday Night Fever) while Brendan Monger (Urinetown) plays Drama Desk Award Winner Barry Glickman. Brad Green (Bootmen) plays Sheldon Saperstein, Broadway Press Agent with a Plan while Thern Reynolds (Evita) plays Esteemed Julliard Graduate/Cater Waiter, Trent. Mrs. Greene, President of the PTA, is played by Erin Bruce (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert – The Musical) with the role of Mr Hawkins, High School Principal (and Theatre Fan) played by Scott Irwin (West Side Story).

Joining this incredible line up are Murray Cunynghame as Nick, Ewan Herdman as Kevin, Abbey McPherson as Shelby and Nina Hurley as Kayley. The ensemble comprises of Isabella Colusso, Rafael Gill, Sophie Gulloch, Kye Hall, Clementine Jenkins, Bella McSporran, Brock Rankmore, Jack Ryan, Sophie Sutton, Jasper Wind with Siena Bucknall and Justin Sacco as swings.

With direction by Teatro Co-Founder Andrew Bevis and co-direction and choreography by Teatro Co-Founder Nathan M. Wright and musical direction by Bev Kennedy, THE PROM features a book by Tony Award winner Bob Martin (Elf, The Drowsy Chaperone) and Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin (Aladdin), music by Tony Award nominee Matthew Sklar (Elf the Musical) and lyrics by Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin.

Co-founders and co-drectors Nathan M Wright and Andrew Bevis said “Choosing The Prom as Teatro’s third musical felt both deliberate and deeply personal. From the outset, Teatro was created to champion work that is joyful, relevant, and unapologetically human, and The Prom embodies all of that. Its infectious energy and its message of love, acceptance, and belonging speak directly to the kind of theatre we believe in and the community we are building. This cast is truly exceptional. What excites us most is the combination of leading artists with emerging voices, performers who are fearless, collaborative, and deeply connected to the story they are telling. It’s a company that reflects the spirit of The Prom itself: bold, inclusive, and full of joy.”

“A smart, big-hearted musical!” New York Magazine

“It’s so full of happiness that you think your heart is about to burst.” Variety

Four eccentric Broadway stars are in desperate need of a new stage. So, when they hear that trouble is brewing around a small-town prom, they know that it’s time to put a spotlight on the issue…and themselves. The town’s parents want to keep the high school dance on the straight and narrow-but when one student just wants to bring her girlfriend to prom, the entire town has a date with destiny. On a mission to transform lives, Broadway’s brassiest join forces with a courageous girl and the town’s citizens and the result is love that brings them all together. Everyone deserves a chance to celebrate!

THE PROM made its world premiere at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia in August 2016 before it moved to Broadway and enjoyed a successful and critically acclaimed run. The musical was nominated for seven Tony Awards in 2019, including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Original Score. It won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical and received multiple Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations as well.

In addition to its Broadway success, a Netflix film adaptation of THE PROM, directed and produced by Ryan Murphy and starring Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, James Corden, Jo Ellen Pellman, and Ariana DeBose, was released in December 2020.

So, grab your tickets and your friends and join the most joyful night of the year at THE PROM.

THE PROM
Season: From 24 March
Venue: Teatro at the Italian Forum, Norton Street, Leichhardt
Performance Times: Wed-Thurs 7pm, Fri-Sat 7.30pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 1pm & 6pm
Prices: $75 for previews Tue 24 – Thu 26 March (a handling fee of $6.95 per transaction applies). From $85 for remaining dates (a handling fee of $6.95 per transaction applies)
Bookings: www.teatroitalianforum.com.au

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