Reviews

The Doll Trilogy: Kid Stakes, Other Times, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll

By Ray Lawler. Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre, Melbourne. 10 February – 11 April 2026

Cane cutter mates Roo (Ben Prendergast) and Barney (John Leary) come down from Queensland in the off season – or ‘layoff’.  By chance, they run into a couple of girls – Olive (Ngaire Dawn Fair) and Nancy (Emily Goddard) – at the aquarium and end up as boarders and more at the Carlton boarding house run by Olive’s mother Emma (Caroline Lee).

Opera for the Dead

By Mindy Meng Wang and Monica Lim. Arts House, Melbourne. February 26 – Mar 1, 2026

Opera for the Dead is a hybrid cyber opera about life, death and memory created by award winning composer and Guzeng artist Mindy Meng Wang and sound technologist and composer Monica Lim. The show has performed at Asia TOPA, OzAsia festival and the Sydney festival and now Arts House in Melbourne.

Opera for the Dead is a beautiful immersive show that awakens your aural and visual senses. It takes you on a mysterious journey into the unknown while it challenges your own belief system on death, burial and ritual.

Faraway

Australian Dance Theatre. Adelaide Festival 2026. Odeon Theatre, The Parade Norwood. Feb 25 – March 1, 2026

Faraway is an hour in a realm that is far removed from our everyday lives, an empty dark stage relieved only with ropes tied to look like vines hanging from the ceiling. A sign that we are going to experience a unique theatre experience.

As the director and choreographer Jenni Large succinctly explains -

Le Nor (The Rain)

By Adriane Daff, Arielle Gray, Chris Isaacs and Tim Watts. The Last Great Hunt / Perth Festival. Directed by Diane Daff, Matt Edgerton and Tim Watts. Heath Ledger Theatre, State Theatre Centre of WA. Feb 25-28, 2026

First commissioned in 2019, The Last Great Hunt’s Le Nor returns to Perth Festival to be seen by a larger audience. Conceptually very exciting Le Nor (The Rain) recreates a foreign film live on stage, every night.

Exit Laughing

By Paul Elliott. Wanneroo Repertory. Directed by Andrew Covey and Karen Tropiano. The Limelight Theatre, Wanneroo, WA. Feb 12-28, 2026

Wanneroo Repertory’s opening show for 2026 is the black comedy Exit Laughing. Nicely polished and well performed, this was a positive way to open the year.

The Booster Protocol

By PVI Collective. Perth Festival. Booster Headquarters, 79 Barrack St, Perth, WA. Feb 22-28, 2026

This “Choose Your Own Adventure” show is a Perth Festival Commission, and the most important tip I can give you is that your experience will not be the same as mine. The experience starts at the Boost Travel Agent in Barrack Street. It is right next door to the Liberty Theatre, and even though you were at the Liberty last week, and could swear that the travel agency wasn’t there, it has the feel of being there forever.

A Curious Thing - The Story of Mary Anning

By Michael Mills. Heaps Good Productions, Adelaide Fringe. 25 Feb - 21 Mar, 2026

The old theatre saying is, ‘Don’t act with children or dogs,’ and both are key elements in this story. Not simply a one-hander, Director/Writer Michael Mills powerfully uses the voices of Mary Anning, from three stages of her life, and rather than a predictable chronology, they appear together, performing both separately, and as one. Adele Binns as Mary aged 11 is a vocal and character powerhouse. She is one to watch. Equally, Mia Ferraretto, as 24-year-old Mary, moves confidently, and sings and acts with passion.

Infamous

By Joseph Ashton (Founder/Director). Main Stage at Infamous Theatre, Ellis Park, Adelaide Fringe Festival. 20 February – 22 March 2026.

Under the glittering lights of the big top at Adelaide Fringe, Infamous explodes onto the stage in a riot of sex appeal, jaw-dropping skill and unapologetic attitude. Sexy, raunchy and…wow — just wow! This is circus like no other, a circus with a deliciously dangerous edge.

Deadlines

By Max Gipson. Directed by Max Gipson. Fringe World. Theatre One, Hayman Theatre, Curtin University Bentley, WA. Jan 29 - Feb 6, 2026

Deadlines is a piece of apocalyptic theatre, that doesn’t take itself terribly seriously, pointing out that “the end of the world” is a popular premise for amateur theatre productions. Clever, fresh and very funny, we follow two mismatched co-workers as they count down the minutes until their ultimate demise.

Barton and Brodsky, Ancient strings, living spirit.

Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre. Featuring Brodsky Quartet and William Barton. Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre, 31 Sturt St, Southbank, Melbourne. 25 February 2025.

The members of the London based Brodsky Quartet include Krysia Osostowicz (violin), Ian Belton (violin), Paul Cassidy (viola), and Jacqueline Thomas (cello). Their history dates back to the early 1970s and they combine their rich tradition and renowned precision with the absolutely enchanting work of the Australian musician William Barton. Barton has been described as a magician and when he plays the Yidaki it becomes evident why; his performance is incredibly spellbinding. 

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