All by Ellen Burgin
Essence Productions presents the 2018 Victorian Tour of Point of No Return, written and directed by Alaine Beek which has just begun a state-wide tour. Based on the true story of Australia’s first boys’ prison, the show is set to be a riveting, energetic new Australian drama about a group of youths struggling to survive in Tasmania’s Point Puer Boys’ Prison.
The Rocky Horror Show is back! Fresh, fabulous, energetic and shaking off the controversy and allegations that riddled the previous tour, it brings the house down with an opening night party full of laughs, sparkles and glamour.
You’re always in for an entertaining, roaring with laughter and unpredictably funny kind of night when you see a Big Hoo Ha show, and their 8th birthday show at Howler in Brunswick absolutely upheld this
He’s a Helpmann nominated cabaret performer, been smashing it over in London, sold out shows at Edinburgh, Adelaide and Perth Fringe Festivals and now he lights up Chapel Off Chapel’s Loft as part of Provocaré Festival, Reuben Kaye has been described as “The evil love child of Liza Minnelli and Jim Carrey is a dazzling explosion of songs, lashes and teeth!” and he does not disappoint this description.
18th century French drama and glamour has landed at the Northcote Town Hall with Heartstring Theatre’s production of David Adjmi’s Marie Antoinette. Filled with florals and tulle and the talent of six exceptional performers, this show is modern in its presentation but true to the history of the French revolution and the last Queen of France’s story.
Australian theatre household names Todd McKenney and Shane Jacobson have leapt into the cast of The Rocky Horror Show which is coming home to Melbourne this month. A truly classic, outrageously fun show, it returns to Her Majesty’s Theatre from July 12.
The impossible search is over: Madiba the Musical has found it’s leading man of Nelson Mandela in South African star of the stage, television and film – Perci Moeketsi. The triple threat is from Pretoria, the South African city where Mandela was both imprisoned and later inaugurated as President, so it is fitting that a star from this area is chosen for the pivotal role.
Before she even opened her mouth, a full house at Hamer Hall were upstanding, a standing ovation simply from being in the presence of Patti LuPone, Grammy and Tony Award winner, America Theatre Hall of Fame Inductee, film and TV star and all round Broadway legend. Is it possible to give this show more like 100/5 stars?
The show must go on, and last week an Australian favourite joined the cast of UK touring show Beyond the Barricade with only a few days’ notice. Between her busy schedule of finishing an energetic and delightful run as Ado Annie Oakley in The Production Company’s Oklahoma, to learning a host of brand new songs for this highly acclaimed concert series, we spoke to Elise McCann about the whirlwind of the last few weeks.
As someone who is also looking to emigrate to London in the coming years, LaLa Barlow and Robbie Smith’s cabaret on share house horrors is an amusing and witty night of stuff you just can’t make up. A laugh out loud mash up of songs from Shaggy, Eminem, and Adele to Chicago, Little Shop of Horrors and Legally Blonde, woven in with original numbers and ridiculous anecdotes.
The story of Pygmalion is a well known one: across the famous movie, musical and original play, a professor bets he can transform the life of a flower girl by teaching her proper English rather than her cockney dialect. The Australian Shakespeare Company’s production is a sharp exploration of social and gender inequality, transformation and awakening of self-respect.
Oklahoma! opened last weekend to a full house of loyal supporters of the Production Company, celebrating the first show of the 20th anniversary season. First performed by the company in 2005, director Chris Parker (who played Will Parker in 2005) brings back the nostalgia, romance and Wild West to the Arts Centre Melbourne for 11 shows only.
Todrick Hall rose to fame in American Idol in 2009, before exploding online as a YouTube star, and making his Broadway debut as Lola in Kinky Boots. He’s had his own docu-series on MTV, been a judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race and now with four studio albums under his belt, the Todrick Hall American: Forbidden tour hits Australian shores in June.
Another one of festival favourite from last year Clara Cupcakes is back! Join her for a party celebrating four years for her in the comedy circuit, where you’ll walk into the cutest gathering of the festival. Balloons, pass the parcel, piñata and more await you in Clara’s burlesque cabaret wonderland.
An enlightened, charming and empowered look at aging and growing up too fast, Amity Dry brings her 39 Forever show back to Chapel off Chapel for her comedy festival debut. We loved it last year and this year is no different: it’s still a sparkling, enthralling, fun, laugh out loud night of cabaret and song.
Fresh off his run at Brisbane Comedy Festival last year and playing a variety of venues across the festival, Rhys Nicholson is a clever, insightful and sassy comic in his latest show Seminal, which it is.
One of my fabulous festival favourites is back with a darker but equally as funny show, Let’s Hang Out, Jude Perl is know for her fantastic voice, excellent skills on a piano, her magical, awkward comedic timing and her witty way with words, composing fantastic, savage or observant songs about her life.
Ladies, gentlemen, and all those yet to make up there mind, it’s time to roll up for the quirkiest cabaret circus in town- the Briefs boys are back! On their third visit to Melbourne and lighting up The Famous Spiegeltent at Arts Centre Melbourne, they’re as loud, proud and funny as ever, presenting cabaret, dance, drag, circus tricks… it’s RuPaul’s Drag Race meets an Aussie Cirque du Soleil.
It’s Gillian Cosgriff’s 10th anniversary of song writing, and where better to celebrate it than the basement of Melbourne Town Hall! With four solo shows, 25 festival seasons, and crowds of all sizes under her belt, she returns to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival to play her favourite original songs from her varied career and rework some old songs in new ways.
