Reviews

The Giant’s Garden: A Concise Compendium of Wonder

By Ursula Dubosarsky. Slingsby Theatre Company. The Wandering Hall of Possibility, Adelaide Botanic Gardens. Directed by Andy Paker. Selected Dates, 18 February – 14 March 2026

Nothing short of theatre magic in motion, Slingsby’s The Giant’s Garden, part of the Adelaide Festival is performed as one component of an immersive theatrical triptych - A Concise Compendium of Wonder. Set within the enchanting The Wandering Hall of Possibility, a wooden theatre nestled on Plane Tree Lawn in the Adelaide Botanic Garden, this production welcomed audiences into a world where imagination and emotion intertwine seamlessly. From start to finish, it is a breathtaking testament to Slingsby’s creative mastery.

It’s Time

Written and directed by Chamkaur Gill. Presented by Panda Entertainment Networks and Robina Literary Club. Theatre 2, HOTA, Gold Coast. 9th to the 21st of February 2026

It’s Time, written and directed by Chamkaur Gill and presented through a collaboration between Panda Entertainment Networks and Robina Literary Club, is an intimate and confronting exploration of post-war trauma. Based on real conversations with Vietnam veterans, the play centres on a man attending his first psychiatric session. Throughout the production, the man attempts to unpack years of buried guilt, memory, and pain.

Dark Road

Actually Acting Youth Theatre. Adelaide Fringe. Goodwood Theatre & Studios - Studio Theatre. 20 Feb to 1 Mar, 2026

Written by award-winning Youth fiction writer and playwright Laura Lundgren Smith, Dark Road, has poignant impact in Australia post the December 2025 Bondi terrorist attack

Wonderfully Terrible Things

Cirque Songstress Productions. Adelaide Fringe. The Octagon at Gluttony. Rundle Road, Adelaide Feb 19 – March 8, 2026

As Joel Grey says “Life is a Cabaret”, and in Wonderfully Terrible Things it certainly is, but with more than a sprinkle of titillation for good measure!

The production is led by Christine Ibrahim, dressed in a frothy concoction of tulle and sparkle with a touch of S&M thrown in. Ibrahim is a master (or should I say Mistress) of comic monologue and ad lib. She dominates the production and rightfully so. She controls the audience, mingling with them, and revving them up to a frenzy when necessary.

Sidekicks

By Stephen Vagg. PIP Theatre, Brisbane, 18–28 February 2026

About 10 years ago, Brisbane-based writer, Stephen Vagg, was working on the TV drama, Home and Away when he started to imagine the secondary ‘sidekick’ characters in sitcoms and romcoms taking on a life of their own. The resulting one-act comedy is a rollercoaster ride for two performers (playing multiple roles) and, in the creative hands of Tammy Tresillian and Simon Chugg, a delight for the audience.

…Earnest?

Presented by Andrew Kay & Nic Doodson and Say It Again, Sorry? Adelaide Fringe. The Peacock at Gluttony - Rymill Park. Feb 19 – Mar 22, 2026

…Earnest? at the Adelaide Fringe is nothing short of a belly-laugh-inducing delight. This riotously clever take on Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy The Importance of Being Earnest takes an unexpected turn when the lead actor fails to show, throwing an unsuspecting audience member into the spotlight to save the day. What follows is a wildly unpredictable, interactive theatrical romp of the very best kind.

Smile: The Story of Charlie Chaplin

By Marcel Cole. The Chapel at the Courtyard of Curiosities. Adelaide Fringe 2026. February 19th - March 8th, 2026

Marcel Cole delivers a captivating one-hour show that brings the life of Charlie Chaplin vividly to the stage. Through a blend of mime, clowning, and ballet, Cole captures not just Chaplin’s iconic physicality, but the vulnerability beneath the bowler hat.

ART

By Yasmina Reza. Translated by Christopher Hampton. Roslyn Packer Theatre, Sydney, Opening Night 17 February, 2026 then touring to Brisbane’s QPAC from 11 March, Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre from 24 April and Adelaide’s Her Majesty’s Theatre from 20 May.

Art is about three blokes, friends for years, arguing angrily about one purchasing an all-white modernist painting, but that’s just the trigger.  Extensively translated and staged around the world since it’s Paris premiere in 1994, it’s astonishing that Yasmina Reza‘s play is still so popular and her male trio so convincing across so many borders.

La Ronde

Strut & Fret. Adelaide Fringe. The Spiegeltent at The Garden of Unearthly Delights. Rundle Road, Adelaide Feb 13 – March 22, 2026

La Ronde is the most unique display of circus skills I have ever seen, and I’ve seen a few! Upon entering, our eyes are drawn to an immense mirror ball lit in red, hovering over a circular stage lined with mirrors. Lights are flashing, music is throbbing, and we know we are in for something special.

Featuring acts from all over the world La Ronde stands out because it combines cheeky cabaret with high level circus skills and clever audience participation.

Do Not Pass Go

By Jean Tong. Presented by Melbourne Theatre Company. Directed by Katy Maudlin. Southbank Theatre, The Lawler, 140 Southbank Blvd, Southbank, Melbourne.14 February — 28 March 2026.

The title of this play cleverly references a famous board game and immediately conjures up the idea of not being able to get ahead in life. This is a theme that resonates strongly with contemporary audiences who are experiencing some of the most difficult and bizarre socio-political and economic circumstances seen in recent history.

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