News

Hard won success from afar

Geoffrey Williams interviews the 2018 Darwin Festival’s Artistic Director, Felix Preval.

I remember my first Darwin Festival as though it was yesterday. In 2017, my long-imagined winter migration north, away from marrow-chilling Melbourne winter, had become a reality. And here I was – in shorts, a short-sleeve shirt and thongs – relaxing in spectacularly illuminated parkland, sitting beneath what appeared to be a hundred paper lanterns, sipping a chilled glass of white wine with friends. In the middle of August.

Aspects of Love Cast Announced

Walk This Way Productions in association with Hayes Theatre Co have announced the cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Aspects of Love, playing from 22 November at Sydney’s Hayes Theatre Co.

A festival is born

It is late afternoon on 24 December 1974. The residents of Darwin are preparing for Christmas Day, with many believing that the warnings of the approaching tropical cyclone Tracy would amount to nothing. Earlier in the month, Cyclone Selma was predicted to make landfall in Darwin, yet Selma had vanished north.

2018 Helpmann Award Winners

Stunning performances by its actors propelled Beautiful: The Carole King Musical to an upset win in the Musical of the Year category at the 2018 Helpmann Awards, held at Sydney's Capitol Theatre, exposing deep flaws in the voting system.

David Spicer reports.

After securing five Helpmann awards on the first night of the presentations, Muriel's Wedding the Musical was bizarrely left empty handed on the second night, leaving industry insiders scratching their heads at the after show party.

2018 Helpmann Award ACT I Winners

Muriel's Wedding the Musical was the big winner with five awards, on Sunday 15 July, when the first 20 Helpmann Awards were presented at the 2018 Helpmann Awards Act I, an intimate cocktail hour event held at the Sydney Town Hall. The winners were announced for the best creative, designer and supporting roles as well as the Awards for Best Presentation for Children, Best Regional Touring Production and Best Special Event in front of an industry A-list crowd.

Amy Lehpamer - School of Rock Headmistress

In the role made famous by Joan Cusack in the hit film, Amy Lehpamer will button up, starch up and don her spectacles to play Rosalie Mullins, the uptight but lovable straight-laced schoolmarm with a hankering for Stevie Nicks.

Famous For Being Infamous

Circus/Cabaret is the way to go, as Coral Drouyn has discovered.

Once, not so very long ago, theatre restaurants were the choice for people who wanted their entertainment accompanied by food and a bottle of something naughty, but times inevitably change. Now circus/cabaret is fulfilling that brief and offering something naughty on stage and off.

Inside The Mind of a Genius

The National Theatre’s stunning Tony and Oliver Award winning production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is touring Australia. David Spicer spoke to 30-year-old Joshua Jenkins, the actor who plays Christopher Boone - a 15 year old mathematical genius whose special needs do not get in the way of his determination to crack a murder mystery.

What is so special about this story?

An Unknown Icon – Coral Browne

Our own Coral (Drouyn) talks to Genevieve Mooy about the fabulous Coral Browne and the new play “That F***ing Woman” which opens at 45 downstairs on July 10th

Since I have the name Coral I’m used to people saying, “That’s an unusual name, I don’t think I’ve ever heard it before,” to which I reply, “What about Coral Browne?” - only to be met with blank stares most of the time - the “Coral who?” is rhetorical.

Madiba The Musical

The late South African President Nelson Mandela would have turned 100 in July. Now a French musical, Madiba the Musical - a Celebration of the Life of Nelson Mandela, is set to tour Australia and New Zealand. The composer lyricist Jean-Pierre Hadida spoke with David Spicer ahead of the production’s English translation première.

What inspired you about the story of Mandela?

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