Reviews

Monopoly The Unauthorised Musical

By Jasper Cruden and Ian Tassicker. Roundhouse Theatrical Company. Directed by Jasper Cruden and Ian Tassicker. Old Mill Theatre, South Perth, WA. Oct 30 - Nov 8, 2025

It is rare that we have the pleasure of witnessing the World Premiere of a new musical in Perth, but Roundhouse Theatrical Company’s brand-new Monopoly is pleasing capacity audiences at Old Mill Theatre.

Monopoly developed from then WAAPA Composition student Jasper Cruden’s graduation recital, where he presented a 9-song musical. Pairing with Ian Tassicker, the musical now features 42 original pieces of music in a full-length show. 

School Of Rock – The Musical

Based on the Paramount movie written by Mike White. Book: Julian Fellowes. Lyrics: Glenn Slater. Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber. Presented by Andrew G and Theatrical. Executive Producer: Andrew Gyopar. Director: Cody Riker. Musical Director: Malcolm Fawcett. Choreographer: Jaimee White. The National Theatre, St Kilda, VIC. November 2 - 15, 2025.

Cody Riker (The Addams Family, Rent, and the winner of NY Tony Award for Excellence in Theatre Education) makes an impressive directing debut with Theatrical. Riker shapes the production with sharp pacing, precise comic timing, and genuine emotional depth. His guidance draws confident, authentic performances from the young cast, seamlessly integrating staging, musical numbers, and ensemble work to maintain energy and momentum throughout.

Frankie & Johnny in the Clair de Lune

By Terrence McNally. Pluto, Ad Astra, Brisbane. 29 October to 22 November 2025

Do you believe in love and romance – at any age? Then you need to meet Frankie and Johnny at Ad Astra’s newest intimate theatre – Pluto. And to open this new creative space, the team could not have chosen a better play – or better performers. Deftly selected by the play’s director, Fiona Kennedy, this cosy two-hander, set in a New York apartment in the mid-1980s, brings out the best in the up-close-and-personal Pluto.

Bonny & Read: A New Musical

By Emily Whiting, Aiden Smith and Ben James. Loading Dock Theatre, Qtopia Sydney. October 30 - November 8, 2025

A swirling and exciting new Australian musical that has been through many workshops, been supported by Playlab, has arrived in Sydney with nowhere near the attention from the media or the industry that it deserves.

Choose Bob: 40 Ridiculous Years

Bob Downe. Paddington RSL, Oct 31 – Nov 1, 2025 – and on Tour.

“You put the boom-boom in my heart

"You send my soul sky high … “

Singin’ and swingin’ Bob Downe is ‘whamming” his way around the country with a 40 year celebration that is just as fancy and funny as every one of his shows – and I’ve seen a few! Is it really 40 years since a young teenage DJ called Mark Trevorrow created a zany character who would take him to stages all over Australia, to every TV variety show, to the English stage and TV and a Royal Variety performance, and to compere multiple Mardi Gras?

Hair

By Gerome Ragni and James Rado (book and lyrics) with music composed by Galt MacDermot. Australian Shakespeare Company. Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne. October 31 to November 30, 2025

Peace and love rock, man! This high energy revival of Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical rekindles a heady hope for change to a better world that we all really need (again) right now.

Naturism

By Ang Collins. Griffin Theatre Company. Wharf 2 Theatre. October 25 – November 15, 2025

Climate change is a mighty issue to squeeze on any stage. Griffin Theatre has produced a good few climate plays on its tiny stage and, with the Stables being rebuilt, the company offers another in their temporary stay at STC’s Wharf 2.

Bunyip Barons

Written and Directed by Timothy Smith. Upstage Productions. Strathfield Town Hall. Oct 31 – November 15, 2025

Bunyip Barons is a quintessential Australian story based on the real life of Louisa Anne Meredith (1812-1895), a writer, botanist and painter who arrived in Sydney from England in 1839 with her husband. She is writing her latest book, “Notes and Sketches of NSW” and is eager to interview as many of the locals as possible to “capture the essence of Australia”.

Dying: A Memoir

Adapted by Benjamin Law. Based on the book by Cory Taylor. Presented by Melbourne Theatre Company. Directed by Jean Tong. Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne. 25 October — 29 November 2025.

In the first sentence of Dying: A Memoir, written by Cory Taylor, she talks about her purchase of euthanasia drugs; she bought hers online from China. Her book was published just before her death from melanoma-related brain cancer on 5 July, 2016. She died peacefully in palliative care at the age of 61, leaving behind a beautiful legacy.

Where Is Joy?

Written & performed by Emma Louise Pursey. Directed by Susie Dee. Presented by Emma Louise Pursey, Cicero’s Circle & fortyfivedownstairs. 30 October – 9 November 2025

There is a famous photograph of artist Joy Hester doing a cartwheel in the grounds of Heidi, skirt flying and flashing her knickers.  The photograph captures Hester’s irrepressible joie de vivre so well that Claire Jaeger reproduced it in her marvellous 1995 documentary about Hester The Good Looker.

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