Reviews

Disney The Little Mermaid Jr

By Alan Menken. Howard Ashman, Glen Slater, Doug Wright and David Weinstein, from the book by Hans Christian Andersen. Western Theatrics. Directed by Stephen Carr and Nicola Beard. Koorliny Arts Centre, Kwinana, WA. Dec 15-17, 2023

It’s wonderful to see a new theatre company emerge, especially when they burst on to the scene with a high quality, beautifully presented first show, as Western Theatrics have with The Little Mermaid Jr. 

Western Theatrics is a new not-for-profit company established by working industry professionals, and their aim is to offer “outstanding educational experience and awe-inspiring shows for children throughout Perth”. They already seem well on their way to fulfilling their mission.

A Cracker Kransky Christmas

By The Kransky Sisters - Mourne, Eve and Dawn Kransky. Lennox Theatre, Riverside Theatres, Corner of Church and Market St, Parramatta. December 16, 2023.

The Kransky Sisters are back with a side-splitting Holiday Cracker for 2023! A delighted audience headed to Parramatta’s lovely Riverside Theatre on the weekend to catch the trio. There is a loyal following for the ladies, eager to see the latest instalment, and they were not disappointed. As the lights dim, a family slide show begins featuring various road trips and comic moments. 

Bonegilla - The Migrants’ Journey

Curator and Director: Simon Reich. Melbourne Museum Theatre, 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton. 7-8 December 2023

Bonegilla - The Migrants’ Journey is a tender multimedia gathering of migrants’ memories to capture the role the migrant reception and training centre at Bonegilla played in the lives of people escaping Europe following the impacts of the Second World War.

Carols at the House

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House. December 15,16, 17, 2023.

The Philharmonia Choirs’ Carols at The House returns to the Opera House after a renovation-and-pandemic enforced absence – and they’re doing it in style!  Five hundred and forty choristers and sixty-eight musicians wrap around the stage of the Concert Hall to present a program that is as varied as the fruit in Christmas puddings and the coloured baubles on Christmas trees.

Suavé

The Pink Flamingo Spiegeland in Northshore, Brisbane. 98 Bincote Street, Northshore, Hamilton. 19 December 2023 - 30 March 2024.

Step into the captivating world of Suavé at The Pink Flamingo Spiegeland in Brisbane, a dazzling showcase of sensational performances, breathtaking acrobatics, and unapologetically risqué entertainment. This production, brought to life by The Pink Flamingo, sparkles with its remarkable performances and audacious displays.

Sleeping Beauty

By Tom Whalley. Zealous Productions. Directed by Brendan Hansen. The Regal Theatre, Subiaco, WA. Dec 15-24, 2023

Zealous Productions’ pantomimes are quickly becoming a much-anticipated annual tradition in Perth, and Sleeping Beauty is another fabulous Tom Whalley Pantomime that is expertly and excellently executed and an absolute delight to watch.

The Wind in the Willows

By Kenneth Grahame, adapted by Alan Bennett Stacks On Theatre Co., in association with bAKEHOUSE Theatre Co. Directed by James Raggatt. KXT Theatre on Broadway, Sydney. 8th – 23rd December, 2023

Why, I hear you ask, would a new Australian theatre company present this classic children’s story at this adult venue at 7.30 p.m. the week before Christmas? And there’re no Aussie accents to be heard in this perfect adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s 1908 story, beautifully done by Alan Bennett for Britain’s National Theatre in 1990.

Merry Mixology: A Boozy Christmas Cabaret

Presented by Outside the Jukebox. Mix Bar, Woolloongabba, Brisbane. 10-22 December, 2023

Mixology is a term used to describe the art of mixing drinks, and the full title of the show pretty much sums up this wacky somewhat eccentric night of 'booze, men/women/whatever and song' whilst using an iconic historical building, previously the local post-office renovated into a bar, as the stage.

Exit Music: Radiohead Reimagined

Brisbane Music Festival Part 2. FourthWall Arts, Brisbane. 10 December 2023

This year’s Brisbane Music Festival (BMF) ended on an extreme high with arrangements of Radiohead hits reimagined by James Dobinson. James was to have also appeared in Exit Music to play electric keys and piano, but he received a last-minute call-up to a gig on Broadway! This proves the calibre of talent involved in the BMF, which this year has involved 34 events, with 40 creative people participating, seven Australian Premieres and nine World Premieres.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Music: Alan Menken. Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz. Book: Peter Parnell. OSMaD. Director: Joel Batalha. Music Directors: David Barrell & Ned Dixon. Choreographer: Caitlin Lamont. Geoffrey McComas Theatre, Melbourne. December 7-16, 2023.

The sensational Victorian premiere of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is in good hands with OSMaD. The creative team and many of the cast is a Who's Who of Music Theatre Guild of Victoria and Lyrebird Award winners and nominees. The musical version of Hunchback began life as an animated film in 1996, aimed at younger audiences.

Subscribe to our E-Newsletter, buy our latest print edition or find a Performing Arts book at Book Nook.