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).

First Curtain Festival

Camberwell Grammarians' Theatre Company (CGTC). Clayton Community Centre Theatrette. Mar 5 – 8, 2026

Camberwell Grammarians' Theatre Company, CGTC is a community theatre company formed to encourage alumni, friends and families of Camberwell Grammar to continue, revive or ignite a drive for the performing arts. In fact, I am told that during the lockdowns, they conducted virtual workshops to encourage members to keep up their creative endeavours.

Fair Play

By Ella Road. Director Emma Whitehead. Lost Thought Theatre Company. Old Fitz Theatre. 6 – 21 Mar, 2026

British playwright Ella Road wrote Fair Play based on her own experiences as a competitive runner. But it could be about any sport where girls are pushed, or push themselves, beyond safe health limits … gymnastics, athletics, swimming, football, ballet, tennis …

Journalists report stories of harsh coaches, pushy parents, impossible training routines, eating disorders, bursaries, sponsorships, mental issues, drug testing …

Antigone

Written by Sophocles. Co-directed by Courtney Stewart and Nigel Poulton. Presented by La Boite Theatre. Roundhouse, 5 - 21 March, 2026

Sophocles’ Antigone has survived millennia because its central question refuses to age, and La Boite Theatre’s latest production leans into that unsettling relevance with conviction and flair. Co-directed by Courtney Stewart and Nigel Poulton, this tight staging distils the tragedy into a focused and theatrically muscular encounter that balances epic scale with the renowned intimacy of the Roundhouse.

Year of the Rooster

By Olivia Dufault. Spinning Plates Theatre Co. At fortyfivedownstairs, Flinders Lane. 5 – 22 March 2026

Year of the Rooster is a hilarious, very black and sad fable about never-say-die optimism in the face of insuperable odds.  It is also the third part of Spinning Plates Theatre Company’s run of success with their ‘Beast Trilogy’ – The Crocodile, Rhinoceros and now this, The Year of the Rooster. 

Beyond Ballet Gala

Ballet Rogue. Adelaide Fringe. Goodwood Theatre, Goodwood Rd, Goodwood. March 1 – 21, 2026

Beyond Ballet Gala, presented by Ballet Rogue, was established by independent dance artist Mimi Yoshii in 2024, and comprises classically trained dancers from all walks of life, from pre-professional dancers making their debut on the stage, to professional and ex-professional dancers seeking further opportunities to showcase their skills.

Mama Does Derby

By Windmill Production Company. Adelaide Entertainment Centre. Directed by Clare Watson. Adelaide Festival. 27 February – 8 March 2026.

At the Adelaide Entertainment Centre as part of the Adelaide Festival of Arts, Mama Does Derby delivers a thrilling, heartfelt and astonishingly well-executed theatrical experience. Created by Clare Watson and Virginia Gay and directed by Watson, this production blends theatre, music and roller derby into a seamless and electrifying performance that leaves the audience exhilarated. It is bold, energetic, emotionally resonant and without doubt an unforgettable highlight of the festival.

As You Like It

By William Shakespeare. Fingerless Theatre Company. Director Alex Kendall Robson. Flight Path Theatre. 4 Mar – 14 Apr, 2026

The Forest of Arden in Alex Kendall Robson’s As You Like It is happy, golden place where sheep graze and lovers and shepherds “run into strange capers” and sing sweet songs. As director, he focuses on “the sweetness of the play” and Shakespeare’s gentle social satire.  

Titus Andronicus

By William Shakespeare. Mercury’s Wings Theatre Company, Gold Coast. Griffith University Theatre, Southport. February 26 – Mar 7, 2026

Titus Andronicus is Shakespeare’s earliest revenge tragedy!

This latest presentation by Mercury’s Wings Theatre Co, on the Gold Coast, is a fastmoving, actioned-packed production demanding the entire cast be 100 % fit!

The Director, Dr Patrick Mitchell, has based the action in modern times with appropriate costumes while maintaining all the action of this legendary piece.

Campfire

By Split Focus. Ukiyo at Gluttony. Rymill Park, Adelaide Fringe Festival. 7 March – 10 March 2026.

Set deep in an imagined wilderness where shadows flicker and the unknown lurk just beyond the firelight, Campfire at the Adelaide Fringe Festival delivers a delightfully spooky circus adventure that blends physical theatre, aerial work, acrobatics and slapstick comedy into a fast-paced and entertaining hour.

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