Stage Briefs

Australian Musical Theatre Festival 2025

Stage Whispers has exclusive coverage of the Australian Musical Theatre Festival just completed in Launceston from our correspondent Rose Cooper.

The Songs That Got Away.

Sunday in the Park.

Some Enchanted Evening.

When I Get My Name In Lights.

Adelaide Fringe 2025 Reviews.

Image: Dear Diary,

 

The 2025 Adelaide Fringe is now well underway, and Stage Whispers reviewers are out and around. Click on the production name links below to read individual show reviews.

 

Image: Oh My Heart, Oh My Home

Fringe World Festival 2025 Reviews

Image: All The Times I Could Have

Perth's Fringe World Festival is in full swing. Stage Whispers' Kimberley Shaw has been very busy reviewing many of the productions.

Click the titles below to read the review of your choice

Murder on the Magic School Bus

I Can Still See All The Stars

The Three Little Pigs Musical for Melbourne in December

New commercial musical theatre company AG Theatre have launched their first season with a new production of The Three Little Pigs, playing at the historic 783-seat National Theatre Melbourne from 18 December, 2024.

Erik Thomson to play Scrooge.

Producers GWB Entertainment have announced that Erik Thomson will play the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol – Melbourne’s new festive tradition.

Silver Gull Awards

The New Theatre in Newtown (Sydney)  has been hosting the Silver Gull Playwrights Award for a number of years and Les Solomon attended the  (October 14th) annual awards ceremony.

Three plays were shortlisted and six were finalists. This is an important award as it makes the writers in nomination much easier to try and get their works performed by the variety of theatre companies around the country.

Vale Lex Marinos

Iconic Australian actor Lex Marinos has passed away at the age of 75, with his family announcing that he left at the time of his choosing, surrounded by loved ones and the “sounds of Bob Dylan”.

The Wagga Wagga-born son of a Greek immigrant father and a Greek / Australian mother had a five decade-long career across Australia’s entertainment industry as an actor, director, writer and radio presenter.

Opera Australia Turmoil

Opera Australia today announced that Jo Davies will step down from her position as Artistic Director of Australia’s national opera company with immediate effect - less than a year after she took over the role.

The agreed decision follows differences of opinion about how Opera Australia should successfully balance artistic innovation, audience development and commercial imperatives moving forward.

Additional Jesus Christ Superstar Cast Announced

Image Javon King, Michael Paynter and Mahalia Barnes. Photographer: Juliet Taylor

Additional cast members for the Australian tour of the award-winning Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s celebrated rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar have been revealed today.