Reviews

Like all theatrical masterpieces Edward Albee’s just keeps on giving. Benedict Andrews’ staging for Belvoir Street (2007) was all glass and sleek corporate menace, with the fighting couple actually turning to violence.

We also peered through glass - and over water - at another modern, if less thrilling South Australian version. Staged for the 2022 Sydney Festival, a multicultural cast added race to this explosive drunken night.

It is a great couple of weeks for theatre in WA, and amongst the best of the best is Western Sky’s Urinetown, perhaps the funniest musical you will ever see. Expertly directed by Andrew Baker, lovingly and superbly performed and accompanied by a top-notch ensemble, it is perhaps not surprising that this show is all but sold out.

Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa has carved out a career making heavy hitting political dramas and documentaries. His new gritty historical drama, set in 1937, is based on a novella by Georgy Demidov, who was a gulag survivor during Stalin’s Great Purge.

There’s an undeniable buzz in the Lyric Theatre when those five, recognisable, opening notes strike. The audience knows exactly what they’ve come for: the big budget musical glitz, the fantasy of fairytale romance, the iconic fashion, and the quotable lines of dialogue. Pretty Woman: The Musical meets those expectations at QPAC with Hollywood sparkle and Broadway polish, offering a night of familiar comfort and pop-rock nostalgia for fans of the film.