Reviews

West Gate

By Dennis McIntosh. Presented by Melbourne Theatre Company, directed by Iain Sinclair. Southbank Theatre, The Sumner 140 Southbank Blvd, Southbank, Melbourne. 10 March — 18 April 2026

At 11.50 am on 15 October 1970, the West Gate bridge collapsed while under construction killing 35 workers. Despite being an historically well-documented event this tragedy has often been buried in the Australian and Victorian psyche. 

The Great Gatsby – A Jazz Ballet Odyssey

Presented by Big Live in association with United Artists. Directed by Joel Burke and Khalid Tarabay. Her Majesty’s Theatre, 219 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. 18 March – 5 April 2026.

This is an elegant and refined re-imagining of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel which chronicles the rise and fall of the highly charismatic and riotous socialite, Jay Gatsby. The story is set in Long Island NY and told from the perspective of Nick Carraway, who is befriended by Gatsby and his former lover Daisy Buchanan.

What Songs May Do

Rendez-Vous Dance. Adelaide Fringe. The Garage International @ Dom Polski, Angus St, Adelaide. March 12 – 21, 2026

What Songs May Do is an artistic triumph for two male dancers over sixty minutes to the music of the legendary Nina Simone.

Meticulously choreographed by Mathieu Geffré and sensitively lit by Rachel Shipp, it is an exploration of the meeting, courting, development, and eventual breakup of a relationship between two dancers, Oliver Chapman and Paolo Pisarra.

Almost, Maine

By John Cariani. Presented by Mockingbird Theatre. Directed by Zac Bridgman. Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, ACT. 18–28 March 2026

Set at about 9pm in an imaginary bunch of houses that’s not quite a town, sited on a rural frozen plain in the northernmost part of the US, John Cariani’s Almost, Maine takes the form of nine brief scenes, all occurring concurrently, all exploring LOVE. Not love as in the deep devotion and affection that exists within families, but LOVE, the hormonal cudgel that smashes out the brain leaving people idiots. The writing is utterly without pretention. If your tolerance for saturation-point sentimentality is low, you might find it difficult to watch.

Contest

By Emilie Collyer. Space Jump Theatre Company. Directed / Produced by Kirsty Semaan. Flight Path Theatre, Marrickville, Sydney. 17 – 28 March, 2026

Is this a play by a poet or is it a staged poem by a playwright? Melbourne-based writer Emilie Collyer presents evidence from both sides in this intriguing piece brought to life with great force by a lively 5-woman company under Kirsty Semaan’s watchful direction. By the end, I’d say it’s a two-way bet between poem and play.

As they gather for a practice session (or possibly a match) on an indoor netball court, the five dispirit members of our team exchange greetings and chatter. The Goal Attack (Willa King) is in charge, pushing the others into formation.

David Rose: Our Hebrew Friend

Adelaide Fringe 2026, The Squeaker at Gluttony - Rymill Park. Tue, 17 Mar - Sun, 22 Mar, 2026

Given the issues confronting our world at the moment, the show’s title may be considered as courageous. David Rose, according to Ancestry. com is 15% Ashkenazi Jew. For the uninitiated, this is a Jewish diaspora population originating from the Rhine River in Germany and Northern France, representing the majority of the world's Jewish population today. They are defined by a distinct cultural, linguistic (Yiddish), and genetic heritage that blends Middle Eastern and European origins.

Trophy Boys

By Emmanuelle Mattana. State Theatre Company South Australia presents a Soft Tread production in association with the Maybe Pile. Space Theatre – Adelaide Festival Centre, King William St, Adelaide. March 17 – April 2, 2026

Boys will be boys, unless they are played a female and non-binary cast in drag in State Theatre Company/Soft Tread’s latest production Trophy Boys!

Written by Emmanuelle Mattana at just 21 years old, it is a masterful piece of writing! Over a all too short 70 minutes, we are introduced to four St Imperium Private School boys who are in their one-hour prep window to go toe-to-toe with their sister school in the Interschool Debating Grand Finals.

The Children

Written by Lucy Kirkwood. IO Performance. Directed by Chris Jackson. IO Performance HQ, Launceston, TAS. 18-28 March, 2026

Well, there's timely, and there's timely and then there's staging a production of The Children, while the world seems to be literally going to hell in a handcart. And as a young Boomer who grew up during the Cold War and its accompanying abundance of futuristic, post-nuclear-apocalyptic films, I couldn't help feeling particularly shook with a sense of deja vu.

Eugene Onegin

Composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Libretto by Tchaikovsky and Konstantin Shilovsky. Opera Australia. Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. Directed by Kasper Holten. Conducted by Anna Skryleva. March 17 - 28, 2026

What was Timothy Chamalet talking about? Opera (and ballet) might an artform that that he doesn’t care much about – but at the opening night of Opera Australia’s latest production the enthusiasm of the audience was palpable.

A stunning looking production, lots of nice tunes, set to tale of young love, dashed hopes, and men behaving badly, made this a delicious mix. My plus one made the comment that this production rocked.

Eden

By Kate Gaul. Siren Theatre Company. Adelaide Fringe 2026. The Gallery at The Courtyard of Curiosities. March 17th - 22nd, 2026

Siren Theatre Company is based in Sydney. Established in 1997, one of its objectives is to commission and produce new Australian plays. At its helm as artistic director is the talented and experienced writer, director and producer, Kate Gaul. Gaul’s world premiere Eden is a coming-of-age story, but one that is shaped by death, familiarity, love and fractured families.

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