Culture
Live reviews
Casey Donovan spearheads a sparkling cast in spirited show full of uplifting silliness
It’s a joy to watch a feel-good musical that does exactly what it says on the box.
- by Cameron Woodhead
Latest
★★★★★
Sydney live reviews
Take a bow: This five-star play is a colossal achievement
Our reviewers take in the latest shows around town.
- by Peter McCallum, James Jennings, Chantal Nguyen and Harriet Cunningham
An evening of high-spirited dance showcases new works by local artists
Every movement speaks to the delicate balance between constraint and freedom, pressure and release, in these offerings from VCA graduates.
- by Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen, Cameron Woodhead and Andrew Fuhrmann
★★★★
Sydney live reviews
Ferocious, foul-mouthed and funny – rapper Barkaa is a powder keg
Our reviewers take in the latest shows around town.
- by James Jennings and Kate Prendergast
★★★★½
Sydney live reviews
This astonishing performer is the most virtuosic singer in the history of jazz
Our critics take in the latest shows around town, including Jazzmeia Horn and Thom Yorke.
- by Peter McCallum, Bernard Zuel, Kate Prendergast and John Shand
Gangsters and toy koalas: This unknotting of a sibling relationship is oddly affecting
A portrait of a dysfunctional family loving each other in the ways they know best, Golden Blood is a story of yearning and ambition.
- by Sonia Nair, Barney Zwartz, Michael Dwyer, Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen and Jessica Nicholas
This play about a town getting overrun by angry rhinos is surprisingly relevant
Drawing inspiration from everything from <i>Strictly Ballroom</i> to <i>Beetlejuice</i>, this month an absurdist work from the late ’50s is getting a new life on the stage.
- by Will Cox
★★★★★
Melbourne live reviews
Cold Chisel at 50 show why they’re one of the world’s great rock bands
Jimmy Barnes sang with every atom of his visibly scarred body. Pianist Don Walker, guitarist Ian Moss, bassist Phil Small and drummer Charley Drayton played like their lives were on the line.
- by Michael Dwyer
Check out the alien eggs, moonscapes and bonsai – the music’s not bad, either
Our reviewers catch up with all the latest shows around town.
- by John Shand and Michael Ruffles
★★★★★
Melbourne live reviews
Christie Whelan Browne’s hilarious cabaret serves up rare authenticity
The zany, raw, warts-and-all Life in Plastic follows Whelan Browne’s own journey from the irrepressible awkwardness of girlhood to stardom.
- by Andrew Fuhrmann, Will Cox, Cameron Woodhead and Barney Zwartz
Melbourne Fringe
Melbourne live reviews
The best, the weirdest and the most risky of the final Fringe weekend
A performance at a mystery location and a show that takes true crime to its limits – read our ever-growing list of reviews here.
- by Cameron Woodhead, Cher Tan, Donna Demaio, Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen, Hannah Francis, Sonia Nair, John Bailey, Tyson Wray, Andrew Fuhrmann and Vyshnavee Wijekumar