News

Shakespeare, Aussie Style

Celebrating Shakespeare's 450th Birthday.

Celebrations are planned around the world to mark 450 years since the birth of William Shakespeare in 1564, and Australian theatres are joining the party. But how distinctive has our style of Shakespeare become? FRANK HATHERLEY recounts his own experiences dodging flying cabbages on stage and compares notes with Australia’s most lauded Shakespearean JOHN BELL

Just What the Doctor Ordered

Seussical The Musical is about to bring some of the ‘best medicine’ for families to Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre, and Coral Drouyn is treating her inner child to some feel-good fun.

Something on Saturday to Delight Adelaide Kids

Many of us had our first taste of live performance when we were children. For most, the experience was thrilling and delightful. It fired our imaginations and in some cases, inspired us to become performers ourselves. Almost without exception that uniquely personal first-time live event found a special place in our childhood memories.

Exhibition Celebrates the Sequinned Splendour of Strictly Ballroom

It's thirty years since Strictly Ballroom began its incredible journey, and the Powerhouse Museum is celebrating the milestone with The Strictly Ballroom Story, a new exhibition opening on Saturday 5 April 2014.

Reddy or Not, Helen’s Coming Home.

On the eve of her return to Australia, Helen Reddy talks to our Coral Drouyn.

It isn’t easy being born into a “Showbiz” family. There’s always the assumption that you will follow suit, even while your parents say things like “be a doctor”… “study hard”… “don’t go in the business”. They say it….but they can’t remove it from your genes.

GREASE Announces Return Melbourne Season

A week before the three-month season of GREASE closes in Melbourne on March 30, the entire season has sold out. Over 400,000 Australians, including more than 160,000 people in Melbourne, have enjoyed the production since it opened on January 2 this year.

New Intimate Blood Brothers for Melbourne

Chelsea Plumley joins an formidable alumni of divas including Barbara Dickson, Stephanie Lawrence, Helen Reddy, Carole King, Chrissy Amphlett and Petula Clark when she undertakes the tour de force central role of Mrs Johnstone in Willy Russell’s musical Blood Brothers at Melbourne’s Chapel Off Chapel from March 19.

Set in impoverished 1960s Liverpool (UK), Blood Brothers tells the tragic tale of Mrs Johnstone and her twins (Gareth Keegan and Matthew Bradford) separated at birth, then disastrously reunited.

Finding Fran and Scott

After months of anticipation, Strictly Ballroom The Musical finally had its leads. After an exhaustive audition process, by late 2013 Baz Luhrmann had chosen Phoebe Panaretos and Thomas Lacey for the pivotal roles of Fran and Scott in the stage adaptation of his hit movie. Both spoke to Neil Litchfield about the grueling audition process on the day of the casting announcement.

MTC’s 2014 NEON Festival of Independent Theatre

Melbourne Theatre Company Artistic Director Brett Sheehy today (March 13) announced the full program of five new workswhich will make up the MTC’s 2014 NEON Festival of Independent Theatre.

Between 29 May and 3 August this year, MTC will welcome five independent companies – Little Ones Theatre, angus cerini / doubletap, Antechamber Productions & Daniel Keene, Arthur and Sans Hotel – to present a work of their choice, each for a ten-day season in the Lawler at Southbank Theatre.

Leading A “Normal” Life.

On the eve of opening as Diane in Doorstep Arts’ season of the extraordinary musical Next To Normal at GPAC in Geelong, leading lady Natalie O’Donnell takes time out to talk to Coral Drouyn

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