Arts

the AU interview: Comedian Jim Gaffigan (USA) talks about being an oddball, family and… pie!

Jim Gaffigan, family man, food lover, and comedian is heading our way for the first time to perform at Sydney’s Just For Laughs. the AU review’s Perri Cassie caught up with him as he anticipates hsi first visit down under, and the release of his eagerly anticipated second book ‘Food: A Love Affair’ You’re touring…

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Theatre Review: Falling Through Clouds – PICA, Perth (Performances until 11th October 2014)

Falling Through Clouds is the new production from Perth theatre company – The Last Great Hunt. Personally I’d argue that that sentence alone should be enough to make you want to go and watch this work. But then of course you might not know who they are yet. If you don’t Falling Through Clouds will…

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Theatre Review: Wicked The Musical – Capitol Theatre, Sydney (Performances through January 2015)

By the time the hit musical Wicked ended its run on 26th September 2010 at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney it had brought in over $50 million in ticket sales, being seen by over half a million people, before moving on to Brisbane. By the time it ended its tour in Perth, it had been…

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Theatre Review: Letters Home – Blue Room Theatre (Performances through 4th October)

Letters Home is the latest theatrical work from Joe Lui. If you’ve been to a theatre production in Perth over the last few years, it’s likely you will have seen Lui’s name and face in a programme somewhere having worked as a director, writer and designer on a number of productions, including with his own…

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Theatre Review: Kryptonite – Wharf 1, Sydney Theatre Company (Performances Through October 18th)

With her scripts for Mabo and Brides of Christ, Australian writer Sue Smith has never shied away from controversial or important topics. In her new play Kryptonite, which premiered this week in Sydney as a co-production between the Sydney Theatre Company and the State Theatre Company of South Australia, Smith tackles the relationship between Australia…

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the AU interview: Alex Rathgeber and Claire Lyon on "Anything Goes" and "Phantom of the Opera"

We chat to stage actors Alex Rathgeber and Claire Lyon about their roles as Billy Crocker and Hope Harcourt in the new version of Anything Goes – the classic Broadway Musical – hitting Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in Australia in 2015. We also discuss their experiences with Phantom of the Opera, which Claire is currently…

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the AU interview: Cirque du Soleil "Duo Fixed Trapeze" Performer Guilhem Cauchois on "Totem" – touring Australia from October.

As Montreal’s famed company Cirque du Soleil celebrates its 30th Anniversary, they are getting ready to bring their new production TOTEM to Australia. To get our head around what we can expect from the new show, we will be catching up with the performers and creative minds of the show over the coming weeks. First…

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Theatre Review: The Distance From Here – State Theatre Centre of WA, Perth (09.09.14)

The Distance from Here is the latest production from Perth theatre company Endless Theatre Company. Written by American director, screenwriter and playwright Neil LaBute, the play is a dark and at times brutal look at life on the fringes of suburbia, a tale populated by disenchanted youth and their extended families. Though set in suburban…

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the AU interview: Australian stage icon Caroline O'Connor on playing Reno Sweeney in "Anything Goes"

the AU review talks to the star of the stage, Caroline O’Connor, about playing Reno Sweeney, in the new version of Anything Goes – the classic Broadway Musical – hitting Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in Australia in 2015. SEASON DETAILS Princess Theatre, Melbourne Season: From 31 May, 2015 Performance Times: Wed–Sat 7.30pm, Matinees Tues &…

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Theatre Review: Les Miserables – Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne (Performances through December 2014)

When you ask people if they like musicals, one either gets an enthusiastic smile accompanied by a big “YES”! or an unapologetic “NO”, as a look of disdain comes across their face. When you dig a little deeper, it comes out that it’s not so much musicals like Mary Poppins that they’re talking about –…

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Theatre Review: White Rabbit, Red Rabbit – Studio Underground, Perth (Performances through 13th September)

White Rabbit, Red Rabbit, the final instalment in Perth Theatre Company’s 2014 season, is not your average night at the theatre. Written by Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour, White Rabbit, Red Rabbit is more akin to performance art than traditional theatre. Each night a different unsuspecting performer takes up the challenge of acting out Soleimanpour’s script,…

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Principal Cast for 2015 Opera Australia Production of "Anything Goes" Announced

Anything Goes has captivated millions of people over decades with its delightful story of madcap antics aboard the S.S. American. The winner of three Tony Awards, Anything Goes is a nautical favorite and is returning to Australia in 2015 with a brand new production that reunites Opera Australia with producer John Frost, as their production…

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the AU interview: Australia's Les Misérables cast Simon Gleeson (Jean Valjean) and Kerrie Anne Greenland (Éponine)

the AU review sits down with Australian Les Misérables cast members, Simon Gleeson (Jean Valjean) and Kerrie Anne Greenland (Éponine), to talk about the new multi-million dollar production, the run in Melbourne so far and we look ahead to their arrival in Sydney in March 2015. Les Misérables is currently in Melbourne and will move…

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Theatre Review: The Last Confession – His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth (Performances through August 16th)

On Wednesday night Perth’s His Majesty’s Theatre stage was transformed into the ornate halls of the Vatican for the opening night of The Last Confession, presented here for the first time in Australia, with venerated British actor David Suchet (Poirot to so many) making his Australian stage debut as Cardinal Benelli. Set in 1978, The…

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Opera Review: Philip Glass Trilogy – Part Three "Satyagraha" – Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide (09.08.14)

Satyagraha is the third opera of the Philip Glass Trilogy that the State Opera of South Australia has presented this week. Telling the story of Gandhi, it draws inspiration and fragments from the first two Operas. It has the repetitive melody of Einstein on the Beach but is more story based like Akhnaten. The play…

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the AU [audio] interview: Axis of Awesome (Australia) at YouTube Fan Fest!

Larry Heath sat down with two-thirds of Australian comedian trio Axis of Awesome just before they hit the stage back in May 2014 at the YouTube Fan Fest. You can now listen to our full conversation here:

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A look at the newly reopened Imperial War Museum in London.

The Imperial War Museums (IWM) flagship location in London has spent the last year undergoing a transformation in anticipation of the centenary of the First World War (WWI). This past weekend, the transformed museum reopened to the public for the first time, featuring a major redevelopment of their Atrium, designed by Foster + Partners, two…

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Comedy Review: Monty Python LIVE (Mostly) – O2 Arena, London (Performances to July 20th – Screens in Cinemas August 6th)

This week, the surviving members of iconic British Comedy troupe Monty Python bring their run of “reunion” shows in London to an end. Their first performances under the Python banner since 1980’s infamous Hollywood Bowl gig, their return to the stage was met with as much anticipation as it was trepidation – aren’t they too…

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Theatre Review: Eight Gigabytes of Hardcore Pornography – Studio Underground, Perth (Performances through July 12)

We all have our slight addictions, many of them relatively benign like coffee. For others like the protagonists of Eight Gigabytes of Hardcore Pornography, the most recent production in Perth Theatre Company’s 2014 season, they are more extreme and not without their consequences – whether it be his addiction to hardcore pornography on the Internet…

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Vivid Sydney 2014 Breaks Attendance Records Again!

Vivid Sydney has once again proven that the arts are en vogue, with more than 1.43 million people – that’s more than the population of Adelaide – attending the 18 day light, music and ideas festival. The number breaks the record set in 2013 by 79 percent. On this news, NSW Deputy Premier and Minister…

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Theatre Review: RabbitHead – The Blue Room Theatre, Perth (Performances through June 14th)

RabbitHead is the latest production from Little y Theatre Co and Whatshesaid. Directed by Ian Sinclair RabbitHead is a darkly absurd Australian comedy and performative response to Barbara Baynton’s gothic novel The Chosen Vessel. It’s a strange work – full of oddities and quirks, and even now, a day or so later, I’m still not…

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Theatre Review: Werewolf Priest! The Lamentable Ballad of Father Hank Grimby – The Blue Room Theatre (22.05.14)

The paranormal has long captured the interests of writers, directors and actors alike. You can even go into bookshops and find whole shelves devoted to the genre. Werewolf Priest!: The Lamentable Ballad of Father Hank Grimby, the latest production from writer, director and producer Levon J Polinelli both continues this burgeoning genre, and successfully parodies…

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Theatre Review: Wish – Studio Underground, Perth (Performances continue through 24th May)

Wish is the latest production from Perth Theatre Company, and the first in its new season. Adapted by Actor and Director Humphrey Bower from the Peter Goldsworthy novel of the same name, Wish is a charming yet challenging piece of theatre, which will perhaps leave a few unsuspecting patrons unsettled and uncomfortable. Wish is the…

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the AU interview: Kenny and Spenny on "vs Canada" tour, Australians and their broken relationship.

Larry Heath sits down with Canadian comedians Kenny Hotz and Spencer Rice (Kenny and Spenny) during Canadian Music Week in Toronto. They talk about their new touring show “Kenny vs Spenny vs Canada”, their broken relationship and their love and/or hatred of Australians. See More of our interview on The Iris – HERE – as…

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Theatre Review: Elephents – The Blue Room Theatre, Perth (Performances continue through 18th May)

Elephents, the latest brainchild from writer Jeffrey Jay Fowler, has all the hallmarks of a good soap opera; love triangles, dramatic deaths and even the odd elephant or two. It’s sort of like Neighbours or Home and Away, you know, if either were set in a dystopian world plagued by power cuts and where going…

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the AU interview: Andrew Batt-Rawden talks New Wave: Sound at the Seymour Centre for VIVID Sydney 2014!

the AU review sits down with Andrew Batt-Rawden, the man behind “New Wave: Sound” at the Seymour Centre during VIVID Sydney in June 2014. We find out what the event – now in its second year – is all about; a weekend of 100% Australian artists performing 100% Australian music. We learn about the highlights…

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the AU interview: Craig Pearce, co-writer of "Strictly Ballroom" on the music, the cast, previews and the future…

I met with Baz Luhrmann’s long time co-writer Craig Pearce at The Star in Sydney, as the cast and crew were feverishly preparing for the premiere of Strictly Ballroom – while the Lyric Theatre itself underwent a facelift in time for its glamorous debut. We headed into The Star’s new food court for lunch and…

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Monty Python won't be coming to Australia; announce final show and release new song.

After months of will they/won’t they speculation, the Monty Python team have confirmed that they will NOT be touring their hugely successful reunion shows outside of the UK. To give fans that were holding out hope one last chance to buy tickets, tickets to the 10th and final show on the 20th of July will…

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the AU interview: Lisa McCune, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Adrian Li Donni and Jenny Liu on "The King and I" Australian tour!

The musical The King and I is returning to Australia, with a production fronted by an incredible cast including Lisa McCune, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Adrian Li Donni and Jenny Liu. We talk to the four of them about their roles, what it means for them to be performing in such an iconic musical, and we…

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the AU interview: Craig Pearce, co-writer of Strictly Ballroom talks about adapting the play and film for the new musical!

I met with Baz Luhrmann’s long time co-writer Craig Pearce at The Star in Sydney, as the cast and crew were feverishly preparing for the premiere of Strictly Ballroom – while the Lyric Theatre itself underwent a facelift in time for its glamorous debut. We headed into The Star’s new food court for lunch and…

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