top-rated-2026 - Whats The Show

A Pride-full Celebration Of Unprecedented Talent! Happy Pride!

03/06/202602/06/2026 Chantal Harrison Writer🥉

Homo Grown Rating

★★★★★

Click if you liked this article

Imagine crossing the rainbow street and walking into Qtopia on the first day of Pride month, only to be greeted by the one and only Kala Gare’s and Kala’s incredibly beautiful, smiling face! Well, I don’t have to imagine, because that’s how this year’s Homo Grown kicked off for me.

Home Grown Australia, are pioneers championing new theatre and musical theatre works in Australia. What started as a backyard pub meeting, now has the backing of MTIA and the Australian Government. Founded by Nick Hedger and Ben Nicholson, Home Grown have nurtured beloved Australian new works such as My Brilliant Career, FANGIRLS and A Trans Woman On The Internet, Crying.

Homo Grown is a Pride-full celebration of queer Aussie new works to be produced, to come and in progress. The queer celebration in the room was electric, not least of all because the multi-talented Kala Gare was guiding the ship.

Kala kicked us off with an original “Hello” that speaks to “Letting freedom flow”, which was a great set up for the night. Kala’s skillful piano along with an incredible voice and sharp, relatable lyrics had us strapped in for “a wild ride, to say the least.”

Next up was Phoebe Rodger with the title song from upcoming “Phoebs, You’re A Lesbian” on June 10th – 12th at QTopia. Described as “a letter to my younger self”, this song was earnest, clever, cute, hilarious and relatable. Much like Phoebe. The second song was from a “yet to come” musical, it took us on a humorous journey of Phoebe’s ideal career discovery through a career’s test.

Cassie Hamilton and Nic Prior then took to the stage for a snippet from Afterglow by Sheanna Parker Russon & Lillian M. Hearne which will be showing at the Belvoir and is described as a “Barbershop rom-com”. Lillian introduced the piece and began to play, while Nic tore us into their deep, tender and sombre beginning. Cassie joined in and the duet echoed the lyrics “With you I fit”. Nic’s tender fragility of emotion is in stark contrast to the power of their voice, while Cassie’s sombre moments are only magnified by the reality of her powerhouse vocals. Cassie took to a solo called “Normal Michael” in which we got more of that voice, and what I can only describe as four seasons in one face, as we join the emotional journey of the character Cassie is embodying.

Matt Hawke then took us into their song from upcoming “Beautiful Lies” on June 11th-14th at the Substation Qtopia. Described as one of the lies unpacked in therapy, we deep dive into Matt’s 20 year old identity exploration wrapped in self-deprecating humour. None of us saw the sharp turn from this jaunty piano-pleaser into an acoustic guitar heartwrenching homage to Matt’s deceased dog. It left the majority of the room in tears, and awe at its beauty.

Robbie Alexander and Alex Gonzales had to wipe away tears and reset for their performance from “Twenty-Something”. Alex played the character, Charlie’s Mum, deadpanning that “I’m wearing a cardigan so you know I’m a mum.” and meeting a lot of laughter. Alex performed “Long Story Short” with power, emotion and a lot of talent. Robbie performed “Delightfully Gay”, showing us the tug of war between Angel and devil on the shoulder and reinforcing the lyrics “There’s no such thing as ‘a little bit much’!”

Lincoln Elliot joined forces with Kala, Natalie Abbott, Gracie Rowland, Nead Cristaudo, Alex Gonzales, and friends for a snippet from the “yet to be announced” emo-rock heist. The performance of “Creativity Is An Island showcased exceptional musicianship and a palpable musical love and collaboration between the group.

Kurt Kansley and Oli Lidert were missing in action, enjoying their time in Moulin Rouge, but Katie Staddon did them proud and then some with “More Than Words On A Page”. Katie’s vocal range is beyond comprehension, the melodies sublime. The swift shift from deep soul to angelic was out of this world.

Meg Rob took us on a solemn and sincere ride with “Step Into Infinity”, showcasing an ability to embody the characteristics of an introvert grappling with personal trauma, while knocking our socks of with some big belts. Those who saw Meg in Jagged Little Pill will be familiar with this ability to take an audience on a wonderful and surprising ride. Catch Meg’s show “Make It Queer” 25th-26th June at Loading Dock, Qtopia.

We finished with the cast and creatives from Nails 25th-27th June at The Eternity Playhouse. Created by Sophie Davis and Laura McDonald, and composer Harry Collins. This netball based comedic musical has a lot of balls (see what I did there?). Nead Cristaudo had us captivated as the coach, mixing brilliant comedic timing with powerful vocals.

Then the large ensemble cast and creatives from Nails finished us off on a high with Natalie’s gorgeous voice and some epic harmonies being the highlights of this final piece. It was an incredible finish to a night of unprecedented talents and not-to-be-missed new works! Make sure you catch these and as many Pridefest shows as you can this month. More than ever, we need to join together and support each other. Happy Pride!

To book tickets to Homo Grown, please visit https://tickets.qtopiasydney.com.au/Events/Homo-Grown.

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Duruflé’s Requiem And Poulenc’s Gloria

17/05/202617/05/2026 Anastassia Gerakas🥈

Duruflé’s Requiem And Poulenc’s Gloria Rating

★★★★★

Click if you liked this article

Today, on a glorious Saturday, the audience at the Sydney Opera House was treated to a magnificent concert featuring Maurice Duruflé’s ‘Requiem’ — first performed in Paris in 1947 — alongside Francis Poulenc’s ‘Gloria’. Representing a bridge across time, the concert offered extraordinary choral performances filled with beauty, spirituality, and emotional depth.

Completing the program was the world premiere of ‘Time’s Fell Hand’ by Carl Vine choral piece, which injected a distinctly Australian flavour into the French compositions of Duruflé and Poulenc. Together, the works took the audience on a remarkable journey of colour and harmony, calm reflection, and contemplation.

We were dazzled by the unexpectedly large choir — close to 500 performers — whose extraordinary vocal blend created an astonishing combination of tones and textures. The sheer scale of the ensemble was breathtaking, yet its sound remained balanced, nuanced, and deeply moving.

The opening carried an elegant stillness, overlaid with worshipful and spiritual sounds. It evoked a beautiful mix of church-like hymns and reverent chants, immediately creating an atmosphere of reflection. Duruflé’s Requiem, supported by orchestral textures within the sound design, felt both intimate and expansive. The entry of the Opera House organ added further depth, creating a rich soundscape of extraordinary resonance.

The five vocal sections — bass, baritone, alto, mezzo-soprano, and soprano — worked collaboratively, creating a beautifully unified and layered performance. A particular delight was the harp, played exquisitely, its sound like delicate stitches woven into an intricate musical tapestry.

The soloists, each brought distinctive voices, perfectly matched to the score. Samuel Dale Johnson opened a new door to musical expression with his beautifully delivered performance. Already recognized as one of today’s leading young baritones, with extensive performances across Europe, he brought depth and refinement to the role.

Award-winning mezzo-soprano Helen Sherman infused the music with richly textured mid-range warmth, delivering a performance of rare beauty and sensitivity.

Puerto Rican-born, Sydney-based soprano Meechot Marrero dazzled the audience with finely controlled tonality, never overpowering the composition but always enhancing both choir and orchestra. Her international career has taken her across Europe, the United States, the United Kingdom, and South America, performing in productions including ‘The Magic Flute’, ‘Turandot’, and ‘Candide’. Her final delivery of “Amen” was utterly mesmerizing.

Conductor Elizabeth Scott demonstrated remarkable skill in leading the orchestra, organ, choir, and soloists with precision, grace, and sensitivity.

The finale of Poulenc’s ‘Gloria’ left the audience with a profound sense of spiritual inspiration and emotional uplift.
An unforgettable performance indeed.

To book tickets to Duruflé’s Requiem And Poulenc’s Gloria, please visit https://www.sydneyphilharmonia.com.au/events/durufles-requiem-poulencs-gloria/.

Photographer: Keith Saunders

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

A Ghost To Believe In

08/05/202608/05/2026 Linda Nathaniel

Beethoven’s Ghost Rating

★★★★★

Click if you liked this article

Musica Viva always assemble world-class musicians. The Beethoven’s Ghost concert at City Recital Hall, on May 6, saw a sublime collaboration. Aura Go on piano, plays with boundless passion and innovation. Kristian Winther on violin, creates wondrous, coherent performances. Timo-Veikko Valve, caresses the cello, in expressive fashion.

In many ways, this is an eclectic program with Beethoven and Ravel, accompanied by Australian composer Evotvos and French composer, Boulanger. Yet, it all blends magnificently in the gorgeous artistic space of the City Recital Hall. Valve and Go have collaborated over several years as a duo. Winther has also played with Go. The prospect of forming a trio, proved irresistible and Musica Viva have launched a national tour.

Beethoven’s Piano Trio in D major, Op 70 No.1 Ghost 1808, opens the program. The Ghost has Shakespearean influences, which of course adds to the drama. The first movement, Allegro vivace e con brio, is fast-paced and lively. We sense a ghostly spirit. The second movement Largo assai ed espressivo, is slow and effectively eerie. The third movement, Presto, is quick, demanding technical intensity from the trio. Ghosts move in mysterious ways! This Beethoven trio is one of his most performed chamber works and its appeal is obvious.

The second composer is Melody Eotvos,(yes, the perfect name for a composer). Regnare, Piano Trio No 3 2026, is powerful. Eotvos, introduces her work on-stage. We learn that her inspiration for this piece comes from the Tasmanian Ash (Eucalyptus regnare). Being the world’s tallest flowering plant, there’s a sense that various climatic changes must be overcome in order to survive. The trio capture the atmospherics here so beautifully. Eotvos embraces the artists to rapturous applause from the audience. It’s a joyous way to glide to an interval.

The third composer is Lili Boulanger’s piece, D’un soir triste 1918, which translates to Of a sad Evening. There’s an enveloping sensation of despair, grief and indeed, deep sadness. The trio again achieve shivering harmonies. Life is fragile. The piece has an urgent intensity. We feel brave for having witnessed it. Sadness is the most lasting of all human emotions.

To close the program, there’s Ravel’s Piano Trio 1914. Movement 1, Modere is played at moderate speed. It has a folk music-like feel with subtle irregularities to waft over us. The second movement, Pantoum Assez vif, is lively and poetic. Victor Hugo’s words being influential in its formation. Passacaille, the third instalment, is a hymn to the piece. Each instrument has its moments to absolutely shine, as a climax is achieved. The final movement has a divine, rhythmic Basque texture. A glorious conclusion to a beguiling evening.

Post Show there is a Q&A on-stage with the ever-charming, director, Paul Kildea, composer Melody Eotvos, accompanied by Aura Go, Kristian Winther and Timo-Veikko-Valve. Musica Viva pride themselves on being accessible. There’s no intellectual snobbery. The mutual admiration between, director, composer and artists is gloriously on-show. Concerts like this happen through collaboration and an ambitious drive for excellence. Beethoven’s Ghost has thrilled audiences in Newcastle, Sydney, and Canberra. Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth, are next on the tour. Not to be missed!

To book tickets to Beethoven’s Ghost, please visit https://musicaviva.com.au/concert-season/2026/beethovens-ghost/.

Photographer: Peter Stoop

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

One Man, Two Guvnors

08/04/202607/04/2026 Oscar Bray🥉

One Man, Two Guvnors Rating

★★★★★

Click if you liked this article

Melbourne is no stranger to unusual, intimate show venues, but it takes a lot of creativity, planning and passion to make full use of unconventional stages. This is especially true for a play like 1 Man 2 Guvnors by Richard Bean, which opened at London’s National Theatre and was a major career stepping-stone for James Cordon. As a company, J&L Presents clearly rises to challenges like this, explaining that “each production [of theirs] is carefully tailored to its surroundings, with the venue itself becoming a character that informs and enhances the narrative”.

For this show, their chosen ‘character’ is Piano On Swan in Richmond, and an otherwise unassuming bar space is converted into a traverse stage. The small audience takes up half the walkway in front of the bar and a little nook close to the entrance, the tech operator looms above the bar and needs a ladder to get down, and the only exits are out the front door and up a small flight of stairs to the toilets. In short, there’s not a lot of space and plenty of obstacles for the actors to navigate – and they do so beautifully.

The play itself is set in Brighton in 1963, and follows the unemployed working-class Francis Henshall (played by Daragh Wills). The character quickly becomes a dogsbody to two employers: gangster Roscoe Crabb (Zoe Rose), and white-collar criminal Stanley Stubbers (Johno White). As Francis struggles to meet the demands of two masters, other subplots pile onto the whirlwind hilarity, including a twin sister posing as her dead brother; a ‘love triangle’ between Crabb, aspiring actor Alan (Dylan Mazurek) and dimwitted socialite Pauline (Emilie); and Francis falling for the feminist bookkeeper Dolly (Sharon Wills). Trust me – it’s much easier to follow when you watch it unfold over two hours, with plenty of slapstick, wordplay and melodrama in between.

The script itself was popular fifteen years ago for a reason. It was inspired by an Italian commedia dell’arte play from 1743 and takes a lot of inspiration from classic British period comedies from the likes of P. G. Wodehouse. However, the writing sprinkles in modernisms that add to the comedy instead of distracting from it. The swearing, gender swap shenanigans, fourth wall breaking and audience participation keep the gags constant, fresh and fun. The ensemble cast’s perfect sense of timing augments every joke; they aren’t afraid to let awkward silences sit because they make the moments of chaos even more uproarious.

J&L Presents’ love of performance space shows to the fullest, as every inch of the small barroom is used. Actors stand on the bar, fall behind it, rush out onto the street and back in, haul heavy trunks and trolleys every which way – everything is frenetic and chaotic in the best way possible. The blocking was also impressive because aside from a scant few times when some people’s faces weren’t visible, nothing was missed and every visual joke was clear to see. Wills is a fantastic lead getting laughs from the minute of walking onstage and had us in the palm of their hand. The other cast members fantastically embody their characters, understanding that ‘more is more’ and pushing their mannerisms and their voices to the maximum. The comedy was tight and well-planned, but also had a fluidity which made so many moments feel improvisational and any gaffes like additions to the fun. Everyone was enjoying themselves so much that they could do no wrong.

After this show, I can’t imagine 1 Man, 2 Guvnors being performed on a larger, traditional stage. The closeness cultivated between the audience and the characters feels integral to the show working as well as it does. There was a constant sense of excitement, not knowing which character was going to pop out of where, or how things could possibly get worse for our comic heroes. When I went, the audience ranged from very young kids to older people, and from the conversations I heard in the interval and afterwards, everyone seemed to have a fantastic time. This production is intimate, clever, packed with laugh-out-loud moments, and a perfect theater experience for most if not all audiences.

To book tickets to One Man, Two Guvnors, please visit https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/one-man-two-guvnors/.

Photographer: Darcy K Scales

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Spread the word on your favourite platform!

Connect Online