Arts

AUTO-TUNE at the Sydney Opera House is like a fever dream you don’t want to wake up from

If you had the ability to travel back in time and correct your past mistakes, would you? Forming part of the September season of UnWrapped at the Sydney Opera House, AUTO-TUNE examines how life-altering our choices can be. Set in Wagga Wagga in the early 2000s, the performance follows Michael (Mark Rogers), a young Silverchair…

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Science and Art Collide: Beaker Street Festival 2024 Ignites Hobart

In a world grappling with complex political and economic challenges, there’s something that continues to drive progress, hope and helps bring people together… SCIENCE! The Beaker Street Festival in Hobart just wrapped up its eighth year, and it’s clear that the city was buzzing with excitement. This annual celebration isn’t just your average science fair—it’s…

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Why late January is the best time to visit Dubai

Dubai is only 190 years old. Yes, the famously futuristic city really hasn’t been around that long. It started as a humble fishing village in the early 18th Century and has sprouted up to be a symbol of ambition and power, offering an experience unlike anything else in the Middle East. Or the world. It’s…

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Review: MĀUI at the Sydney Opera House is storytelling at its best

Seen as a hero and a trickster, Māui was a demi-god whose adventures have been told and retold for hundreds of years. Steeped in the culture of the Pacific, his acts of bravery and remarkable life form the inspiration behind MĀUI at the Sydney Opera House. Brought to life by the New Zealand dance collective…

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Frankenstein takes live theatre to unforgettable new heights

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, originally published in 1818, has been adapted into movies, TV shows, songs, firmly cementing itself as a staple in popular culture for over two centuries. While the films and original novel are daresay the most iconic, the themes of what it is to be human, still rings true today with identity politics…

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Class Act at the Sydney Opera House attempts to expose the pitfalls of the class system

Part of the September season of UnWrapped at the Sydney Opera House, Class Act is an exploration of class and social standing through the deconstruction of the classic 1964 film My Fair Lady, combined with personal anecdotes. Created by Melbourne-based, experimental art organisation, APHIDS, and staring Mish Grigor in the lead role, the performance opens…

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The 2024 Festival of Dangerous Ideas was both enlightening and sombre

Launching in 2009, the Festival of Dangerous Ideas (FODI) brings together thought leaders, culture creators and radical creatives from across Australia and around the world. Presented by The Ethics Centre, FODI creates a space for exchanging ideas and discussing topics often considered outside the everyday. It aims to cultivate critical thinking and a growth mindset…

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Cirque Bon Bon

Live Review: Cirque Bon Bon dazzles at Canberra Theatre (22.08.24)

Cirque Bon Bon, a 75-minute delightful cabaret-style show packed with exhilarating acrobats, contortionists and dancers, has been a wild success so far. Since its creation in 2021, it has attracted over 14, 000 patrons across Australia. It’s a French-themed yet Aussie-made circus/cabaret act, brought to life by Cirque Du Soleil Assistant Creative Director Ash Jacks…

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Brisbane Powerhouse announces 2024 MELT program: Welcome to Paradise

It’s here and it’s queer – LGBTQIA+ celebration Melt is back for 2024! Running from October 23rd to November 10th at 70+ venues across Brisbane/Magandjin, tickets are already on sale for another stacked salute to community, diversity, inclusivity, and artistic expression. Artist from across the world are set to appear, with the festival lining up…

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Theatre Review: Julia is an insightful glimpse into the life of former Australian P.M. Julia Gillard

Joanna Murray-Smith has crafted a sympathetic and thorough expose of the life of Australia’s first female Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. Justine Clarke plays the part of Julia and takes us from the time of her birth in Wales up to the famous misogyny speech delivered in parliament. Director Sarah Goodes has taken her story and placed…

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Theatre Review: King Lear is a story of love, lust, deceit and murder

The University of Adelaide Theatre Guild have tackled quite a challenge in presenting one of Shakespeare’s last plays, King Lear. Imagining the play set in the future, it challenges the notions of modern civilisation. In fact, Shakespeare’s commentary on power, lust and betrayal is as relevant today as when the play was scribed in the…

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Pride and Prejudice at the Sydney Opera House is a fitting tribute to the brilliance of Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, arguably Jane Austen’s most famous novel, has been the subject of countless adaptations. There is the 2005 film with Keira Knightley, the modern-day retelling in Bridget Jones’ Diary, the cultural reinterpretation with Bride and Prejudice, and who could forget the incredible masterpiece that was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. However, there is…

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Little Murmur at the Sydney Opera House provides a stunning insight into living with dyslexia

Choreographed by Aakash Odedra and Lewis Major, Little Murmur at the Sydney Opera House is a sensory feast of projections, dance and sound. Aimed at younger audiences, the performance reflects on Odedra’s life growing up with dyslexia. Having been diagnosed at a young age, he struggled in school and misspelled his own name until he…

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Theatre Review: The must-see musical SIX opens in Melbourne

Melbourne’s East End Theatre District glowed purple on Wednesday, August 7th, to celebrate the premiere of the smash-hit musical SIX. Since its debut in 2017, SIX has taken the musical theatre world by storm, and this run marks the show’s highly-anticipated second time in Australia (or the third run if you consider the COVID interruption!)….

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Chicago is a fabulous story that truly rocks

The true story behind Chicago is so fascinating that it still resonates a hundred years after the action. In 1924, Chicago was overrun by gangsters, with prohibition-era criminality infused with a smoky jazz background. On “murderess row” in Cook County, over a dozen women were waiting sentencing. One woman, Kitty Malm, dubbed by the newspapers…

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The “shoey” has been immortalised at The Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas, along with these Australian artists

It’s always wonderful to see Australian artists getting the recognition they deserve overseas. But rarely do you expect to see Australian musicians featured in a museum in the USA. However, when The Punk Rock Museum opened in Las Vegas last April, three Australian punk bands saw themselves featured alongside the legends of the genre. Founded…

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In the Heights at the Sydney Opera House will have you dancing in your seat

As the sun rises on what is set to be another blistering summers day in Washington Heights, bodega owner Usnavi (Ryan Gonzalez -they/them) is getting ready to start work. Chasing away petty vandal Graffiti Pete (Jervis Livelo – he/him), he begins to talk about his life, his world and this little corner of Manhattan he…

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Jon and Jero’s The Forgotten Tales review

Melbourne comedy duo Jon and Jero are back with their latest kids’ show The Forgotten Tales. At the start of this year, the pair performed their previous show, STUFF! at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, getting a five star review from yours truly (read it HERE). The Forgotten Tales was highly anticipated by my kids, with the…

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Dan and Phil are going to heal your inner child with their Terrible Influence tour, headed to Aus this December!

Ah, 2012. The Year of the YouTuber. If you’re in your mid-late twenties and anything like me, this was your prime. Not much compares to the feeling of getting home from school, raiding the pantry for snacks, and catching up on the latest vlogs and videos from Zoella, Tyler Oakley, and of course, Dan and…

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Interview: Barry Conrad on joining the Australian production of In The Heights, career lessons and aspirations, and the importance of authenticity in his work

Barry Conrad’s multifaceted career spans screen, stage and music. After breaking out on the reality series The X Factor, both local and international tours followed, including openings for such R&B icon acts as Brian McKnight, Craig David and Eric Benet. Landing a role on FOX’s Power Rangers: Ninja Storm, his first feature film was the…

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The final days of Love: Reflections on the show that changed Cirque du Soleil

This week marks the end of a 18 year legacy, as the groundbreaking Cirque du Soleil production Love, celebrating the catalogue of The Beatles, closes this Saturday at The Mirage in Las Vegas. Debuting on 2nd June 2006, the show was Cirque’s first using existing IP, setting up a dream opportunity for publishers to engage…

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Melbourne comedy duo Jon & Jero are back with their latest kids’ show The Forgotten Tales!

Melbourne comedy duo Jon Walpole and Jeromaia Detto, better known as Jon & Jero, are back with a brand-new kid-friendly show, set to kick off on July 4th. Specializing in physical comedy, Jon & Jero’s performances are family friendly – with anyone aged 5 and up encouraged to attend. If you caught them at the…

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From The Who to Alicia Keys and Katy Perry: The chart-topping artists taking over Broadway

Right now New York’s iconic theatre district – Broadway – may have the most amount of chart-topping artists represented in its catalogue than ever. And this was well recognised at this weekend’s Tony Awards, with the two most nominated productions being Hell’s Kitchen, featuring the catalogue of Alicia Keys, and Stereophonic, with original music from…

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Theatre Review: The Woman in Black is a spine-chilling retelling of a gothic horror classic

Prepare for the most spine-chilling ghost encounter of the year. Susan Hill’s acclaimed gothic horror tale hasn’t gone dull with age, surviving through Stephen Mallatratt’s remarkable adaptation, which has lived on London’s West End for over 30 years. Bringing its ghostly horrors to Melbourne, The Woman in Black is a thrilling exploration of terror that…

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Review: International Crime fiction takes center stage at the 2024 Brisbane Writers Festival

This past week, Brisbane hosted its annual Brisbane Writers Festival, drawing thousands of eager bookworms to Southbank for four days of literary celebration. With 150 events packed over four days, there was certainly plenty on offer. Featuring author panels, speeches, and performances showcasing both international and domestic talents from blockbuster bestsellers to literary luminaries, BWF…

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Romeo and Juliet Suite

The Australian premiere of L.A. Dance Project’s Romeo and Juliet Suite at the Sydney Opera House is flawless

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, an ill-fated tale of star-crossed lovers, has been re-imagined time and time again. I honestly thought there was no ground left to cover when it came to adaptations of the beloved classic. I have never been more delighted to be wrong. Set to Prokofiev’s iconic score, Romeo and Juliet Suite at…

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Korea’s “Eternal Nature” gallery comes to Las Vegas: A look inside America’s first ARTE MUSEUM

At the end of November last year, Korea’s large scale digital art gallery – ARTE MUSEUM – opened their first (and still only) location in North America, on the Las Vegas Strip. It’s part of a burgeoning trend of immersive experiences in the city, and sits amongst seven locations for the gallery around the world….

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Bad Friends

‘Bad Friends’ Andrew Santino and Bobby Lee announce Australian and New Zealand tour.

Brace yourselves, comedy fans. US comedy stars Andrew Santino and Bobby Lee, the co-hosts of wildly popular podcast Bad Friends, have announced they will be trekking down under for their ‘Bad Friends Tour‘ this November! Establishing themselves first within the elite ranks of the US comedy scene, Santino and Lee’s podcast venture has amassed a…

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Sunset Boulevard brings Hollywood to Melbourne

Melbourne’s oldest and grandest venue, the Princess Theatre was transformed into Hollywood Glamour on Wednesday night as the city welcomed the return of the Australian production of Sunset Boulevard presented by Opera Australia & GWB Entertainment by arrangement with The Really Useful Group. With a dazzling red carpet, free-flowing champagne on a glamorous bar that…

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Film Review: The Garfield Movie hates its audience as much as its lead feline hates Mondays

Similar to the disdain many had when it was announced that Chris Pratt would be voicing Mario for last year’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the actor’s involvement as Garfield hasn’t assisted in warming him to the masses that have seriously turned on him in a manner many never saw coming after his winning work…

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