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An Iconic Triangle

Coral Drouyn looks at an exciting new production from Victorian Opera that brings three icons together.

Whether you see Ned Kelly the Outlaw as a Folk hero or a hardened criminal, there is no denying that he is an Australian Icon. The mythology of the Aussie male: a larrikin with a strong sense of justice, love for his Mum, and a refusal to take s**t from anyone; is heavily embedded in the persona of Ned Kelly. Hey, even Mick Jagger was excited to play him on the big screen (though most of us were not as excited to watch it).

Cast for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at Hayes Theatre Co Announced

Producer Redfern Lane Productions has announced the cast for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, the fun-filled Broadway musical opening at Hayes Theatre Co this May.

Green Room Awards 43rd Annual

The 43rd Annual Green Room Awards were presented in Melbourne on March 16.

Major winners at the the peer voted awards include:

Beetlejuice the Musical which took out four awards in the commercial musical category including production of the year.

The James Terry Collective production of Tarzan the stage musical won three awards in the independent musical theatre category including production of the year. 

RISING Unveils 2026 Program

Image: Exposure - Branch Nebula

RISING, Melbourne’s premier festival of music, art and performance has unveiled its full 2026 program, unfolding across the city from 27 May to 8 June. At the start of winter, theatres, town halls, railway ballrooms, civic squares and galleries will be reimagined as sites of shared experience, welcoming artists and audiences from Australia and around the world to gather, move and encounter new ideas at scale.

My Fair Lady Cast Members Revealed

Producers Opera Australia and John Frost for Crossroads Live have announced cast members for the upcoming 70th Anniversary of My Fair Lady, which will premiere at the Sydney Opera House in September before a season at the Arts Centre Melbourne’s Ian Potter State Theatre. 

Little Anastasia Cast Members For Sydney Revealed

Image: Arianna Lorusso, Willa Valaris, Maya Porragas and Willow Wilson. Photographer: Cameron Grant Parenthesy 

The Producers of the Broadway musical ANASTASIA have today revealed the talented young Sydney performers who will be sharing the role of Little Anastasia in the from April at the Lyric Theatre Sydney.

The 2025 Matilda Awards

Playhouse Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC). 2 March 2026

This year’s 2025 Matilda Awards were so tremendous, it took two Stage Whispers writers – Kitty Goodall and Beth Keehn (pictured below) – to cover the action! This was a celebration of Queensland theatre excellence from a packed 2025 season, covering independent theatre makers and mainstage productions from across the state, with 20 trophies awarded – from Best Set Design to the Gold Matilda.

STAGE WHISPERS MAGAZINE: MARCH / APRIL 2026 EDITION OUT NOW!!!

IN THIS EDITION

 

The Musical Circle of Life – A Heart Connection

The return of The Lion King and why certain musicals remain timeless

Steel Magnolias’ Star Cast

The classic drama of enduring friendships centred around a beauty salon is on tour

Reg Livermore’s Ned Kelly: The Musical Gets a Victorian Goldfields Revival

Victorian Opera announces the cast for its upcoming revival of Reg Livermore’s Ned Kelly: The Musical. Following its original seasons in Adelaide and Sydney in the late 1970s, this landmark musical returns to the stage for the first time in 48 years. Audiences can experience this exclusive, limited-run season across two performances only at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat, on Saturday 28 March.

Caroline O’Connor Melbourne-only Concerts Encore! Songs from the Musicals

Caroline O’Connor will perform in three Melbourne-only concerts Encore! Songs from the Musicals singing show-stopping hits, alongside a cast of Australian star performers and backed by Orchestra Victoria, at the Regent Theatre from 28-30 May.

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