Reviews

Metaverse of Magic

Presented by Jones Theatrical Group and QPAC. QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane. 5 - 14 January, 2024

With Brisbane being the last stop on this 'magical-mystery-tour' around Australia and its theatrical display of the latest trends in technology, AI and gaming fused with traditional circus acts, card tricks and audience interaction and participation, the show continues to capture the imagination of an appreciative crowd, being well-crafted, suitable for all ages and certainly an intriguing night out with a difference.

Miss Saigon.

Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr & Alain Boubil. Cameron Mackintosh, GWB Entertainment and Opera Australia. Festival Theatre, Adelaide. 5 January to 3 February 2024

‘For men, will always be men; you change the regime, the lust doesn't stop’ – sung with glee by The Engineer, these words reflect the world beyond Miss Saigon. Whether it’s the wars in Vietnam, those wars more contemporary, or even this new production of the Boubil-Schönberg musical. Based on Cameron Mackintosh’s 2014 West End revival and presented by GWB Entertainment and Opera Australia, the show is famous for its spectacle, infamous for its controversies.

Pillow Fight

By Philip Mitchell and Sam Longley. Spare Parts Puppet Theatre. Directed by Philip Mitchell. Ellie Eaton Theatre, Gate 1, Claremont Showgrounds, WA. Jan 9-26, 2023

Spare Parts Puppet Theatre’s latest premiere production is Pillow Fight, described as an “epic tale with two sides and three truths, all sparked by the fateful discovery of Great Grandma’s brown biscuit barrel.” A hectic 50 minutes that provokes screaming laughter from its young audience, this is a lovely tale of family bonds and some fabulous imagination.

Alice In Wonderland

By Lewis Carroll, originally adapted and directed by Glenn Elston. Australian Shakespeare Company. Capitol Theatre, Melbourne. December 2, 2023 – January 21, 2024

Summertime in Melbourne is never far from a deluge of rain and with a 2024 weather forecast predicting stormy weather came a hasty venue change for this much heralded production of Alice in Wonderland, usually staged in the lush gardens at the Ripponlea Estate.

Bananaland

By Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall. Brisbane Festival and Queensland Performing Arts Centre. Sydney Festival. Director Simon Phillips. Riverside Theatre Parramatta. 3-14 January, 2024

Where to start? With applause firstly, lots of it, for a musical that is much more than a musical. It’s a story, told in clever writing and eclectic music performed by multi-talented artists whose charismatic characters question everything – people, politics, parenting, performing. They sing, dance, and make us think, laugh, empathise and feel good! They do so in a production that mixes three musical styles – angry punk, kiddie-pop and emotive introspection – along with satire, comedy, and heart-warming realism.

Circus 1903

Directed by Neil Dorward. Produced by Tim Lawson. Presented by Tim Lawson and The Works Entertainment. State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Rd, Southbank. 1 - 14 January 2024.

Circus 1903 is a delightful family-oriented show that astonishes and surprises the audience. The idea of capturing the historical atmosphere of circus performance gives this show a very endearing quality. Ringmaster Willy Whipsnade (David Williamson) takes command of the performance in a very welcoming manner. He introduces the different acts with great fanfare. He especially involves very young audience members and often makes them the star of the show.

Alice in Wonderland

Lewis Carroll’s novel, adapted by Penny Farrow. Broadway Haus, USA in association with Bonnie Lythgoe Productions. Sydney Coliseum Theatre. January 4, 5 & 6, 2024

Birds tweety tweet as an enchanting set and hues of blue greet the audience on entering the theatre, eliciting gasps of delight from all ages. The Sydney Coliseum Theatre is ready to welcome Wonderlandians of all ages down that famous rabbit hole.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

By William Shakespeare. Presented by Australian Shakespeare Company. Directed by Glenn Elston. Royal Botanical Gardens, 100 Birdwood Avenue South Yarra. 16 December 2023 -11 February 2024.

Australian Shakespeare Company are renowned for their lively and engaging productions set in the outdoors. This year A Midsummer Night’s Dream features in the Shakespeare Under the Stars program. This is a dazzling and delightful production which exploits the outdoor setting to the fullest. The performances are energetic, the costuming and props sparkle, and the lighting is spectacularly colourful and dynamic. The show is replete with an array of special effects that create a truly magical atmosphere and bring the fairy world of the forest to life.

May December

Directed by Todd Haynes, starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Charles Melton and Cory Michael Smith. Perth Festival, Lottery West Somerville Film Festival. December 26 – 31, 2023

Taking part in the great Australian tradition of attending a Boxing Day screening, a sell-out crowd packed into the most recent new release at the Perth Festival’s Somerville Cinema.

The words “May December” hint at a certain kind of romance, however, this latest project from director, Todd Haynes (Carol, I’m Not There, Far From Heaven) is nothing of the kind.

Spirit of Christmas

QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane. 22-23 December, 2023

The magic of the power of music once again attracted an almost full house to all performances of this annual QPAC event, this year with the diffusion of traditional Christian European celebration with First Nation Peoples of Australia and our neighbours from New Zealand and the Pacific region, creating a colourful and varied combination of well-known Christmas songs and original styles and arrangements.

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