Reviews

Circe’s Carnival of Vice

Inspired by the infamous ‘Circe’ episode of James Joyce’s Ulysses. Presented by Bloomsday in Melbourne. Produced by Steve Carey, directed by Wayne Pearn. fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne. 11 -11 June 2025

Bloomsday in Melbourne is a group which, since 1994, celebrates and explores the work of James Joyce. One of the ways in which this is achieved is to stage his work in order to demystify it, make it more accessible or simply provide an avenue to engage with and enjoy his writing. Circe’s Carnival of Vice was scripted by a team of writers: Bruce Beswick, Sian Cartwright, Dan Boyle, Philip Harvey, Linda Rooney and Frances Devlin-Glass in this spirit and as part of other Bloomsday events examining Ulysses.

Heartbreak Hotel

Eleanor Bishop and Karin McCracken. EBKM. Rising Festival. The Showroom, Arts Centre Melbourne. June 10 – 22, 2025

Two performers, Karin McCracken and Eleanor Bishop, are the creative partnership behind the EBKM. Heartbreak Hotel star Karin McCracken steps out on stage as a solo performer. It is an educational performance, wrapped around a dramatic play about a couple breaking up after six years, co-starring Simon Leary and directed by Eleanor Bishop.

The Explorers Club

By Nell Benjamin. The Guild Theatre, Rockdale, NSW. Jun 6 – 28, 2025

A snappy, pacy farce, laced with lots of slapstick fun, director Tim Dennis’ tight, perfectly timed production of The Explorers Club at the Guild is two hours of bright, lively fun.

Looking down from upstage centre onto the audience, Queen Victoria’s portrait holds sway somewhat ironically over an impressive set depicting a 19th Century ‘gentlemen’s club’, its walls festooned with hunting trophies and other exotic treasures.

 

The Burton Brothers

Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Banquet Room, Adelaide Festival Centre. June 12, 2025

If you could bottle and sell performance energy, then The Burton Brothers would be millionaires!

Their 60-minute sketch show set entirely in the year 1925 features comedy, sketches, songs, slapstick, improv and audience participation. I must confess, I have never seen a show like this before but can’t wait to see more from these boys!

Looking for Alibrandi

By Vidya Rajan. Adapted from the novel by Melina Marchetta. Brink Productions and State Theatre Company South Australia. Director Stephen Nicolazzo. Riverside Theatre Parramatta. 11 – 15 June, 2025

Vidya Rajan’s adaptation of Melina Marchetta’s novel fits snuggly into an even more multicultural Australia than Marcetta described in1992. Whilst it is retrospective, the story Marchetta tells is one that is still being experienced by girls – and boys – in families everywhere. Life is complex for young people, whatever their cultural or social background, and social media today adds complications that were never envisaged in the 1990s.

Out of the Mist

Celtic Spin. Featuring KRSD Dance Performance Ensemble, the St Andrews Pipe Band. Artistic Director/Producer: Elie Roe Daniel. Co Producer: Kim Roe. Princess Theatre, Launceston. One night only, June 7, 2025

The seed for this show was planted several years ago when the then newly-formed highland dance company ‘Celtic Spin’ created a small scale 20 minute performance (also dubbed Out of the Mist) which was staged as part of a double bill. That cautious little experiment had to have been well received…to justify embarking on the monumental exercise of wrangling Out of the Mist 2.0 into being.

Northern Lights

Presented by Wesfarmers Arts and Musica Viva Australia. Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre, 31 Sturt St Southbank. 10 June 2025

This exquisite performance is special in many ways. The extremely talented Swedish-Norwegian violinist, Johan Dalene, makes his debut in Australia alongside the renowned Australian pianist, Jennifer Marten-Smith. At the age of only 24 Dalene has already developed an astonishing career. He won the prestigious Carl Nielsen International Competition in 2019 and was recently named Artist-in-Residence with London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The program presented by Dalene in this concert is varied, romantic and dramatic.

I Wanna Be Mark Wahlberg

Created and Performed by Melody Rachel. Pride Festival. The Substation, Qtopia, Darlinghurst. June 9 & 10, 2025.

Melody Rachel’s solo show has been a work in progress for five years - but it still lasts only 40 minutes and has minimal script. 

Her latest version is at the old Substation of Sydney’s Qtopia in Darlinghurst as part of its Pride Festival through June.  Yet it needs more work. 

Legends (Of The Golden Arches)

By Joe Paradise Lui and Merlynn Tong. Melbourne Theatre Company / Rising Festival. Southbank Theatre, The Lawler. June 5 – 28, 2025.

Two friends hook up over an annual Hungry Ghost (Getai) festival to honour and pay respect to their grandfathers. Legends (Of the Golden Arches) is an entertaining and exciting piece of theatre.

Christ Almighty – A Comedy of Biblical Proportions

Book and Lyrics Tommy James Green. Composers Gianna Cheung Jeremy Kindl. Popular Playhouse Production. Director: Miriam Rihani. Flight Path Theatre, Marrickville, NSW. 5 – 21 June, 2025

If laughter is the best medicine, then the cast of Christ Almighty - A Comedy of Biblical Proportions measure it out plentifully in this funny irreverent musical satire. Reprising his 2023 performance, Giuseppe Rotondella as a “millennial Jesus” leads a group of “pseudo-revolutionary students and a sex worker” through Jerusalem in an irreligious romp of both biblical proportions and distortions!

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