Reviews

West Gate

By Dennis McIntosh. Presented by Melbourne Theatre Company, directed by Iain Sinclair. Southbank Theatre, The Sumner 140 Southbank Blvd, Southbank, Melbourne. 10 March — 18 April 2026

At 11.50 am on 15 October 1970, the West Gate bridge collapsed while under construction killing 35 workers. Despite being an historically well-documented event this tragedy has often been buried in the Australian and Victorian psyche. 

Sunny Tribe District

Written by Patrick Mu’a. Co-Directed by Jasmine Prasser and Rebecca Day. Produced by Salad Days Collective as a Co-Production with PIP Theatre. PIP Theatre, 18 - 28 March, 2026

There’s something deeply satisfying about theatre that fully commits to its own strange logic, and Sunny Tribe District does exactly that. In this reimagined season at PIP Theatre, Salad Days Collective returns to a world of forced happiness, lustful camp counsellors, and creeping absurdity, delivering a production that is as playful as it is knowingly unhinged.

The Rocky Horror Show

Book, music and lyrics by Richard O’Brien. North Queensland Opera and Music Theatre. Directed by Bill Munro. Choreography by Kylie Ball. Vocal Direction Meghan Walsh. Music Direction Odette Baxter. Townsville Civic Theatre, 19-28 March 2026.

IT IS wild, wacky and still wonderful even after all these years.  And for anyone who was around - like I was – in 1975 when the film came out and became something of an outrageous and outlandish cult, it was a trip down memory lane.

It has taken an awfully long time for this show to be made available on the non-professional circuit, and Townsville’s NQOMT snapped up the opportunity as soon as it was. This production was certainly well worth the wait.

The Great Gatsby – A Jazz Ballet Odyssey

Presented by Big Live in association with United Artists. Directed by Joel Burke and Khalid Tarabay. Her Majesty’s Theatre, 219 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. 18 March – 5 April 2026.

This is an elegant and refined re-imagining of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel which chronicles the rise and fall of the highly charismatic and riotous socialite, Jay Gatsby. The story is set in Long Island NY and told from the perspective of Nick Carraway, who is befriended by Gatsby and his former lover Daisy Buchanan.

What Songs May Do

Rendez-Vous Dance. Adelaide Fringe. The Garage International @ Dom Polski, Angus St, Adelaide. March 12 – 21, 2026

What Songs May Do is an artistic triumph for two male dancers over sixty minutes to the music of the legendary Nina Simone.

Meticulously choreographed by Mathieu Geffré and sensitively lit by Rachel Shipp, it is an exploration of the meeting, courting, development, and eventual breakup of a relationship between two dancers, Oliver Chapman and Paolo Pisarra.

Almost, Maine

By John Cariani. Presented by Mockingbird Theatre. Directed by Zac Bridgman. Belconnen Arts Centre, 118 Emu Bank, ACT. 18–28 March 2026

Set at about 9pm in an imaginary bunch of houses that’s not quite a town, sited on a rural frozen plain in the northernmost part of the US, John Cariani’s Almost, Maine takes the form of nine brief scenes, all occurring concurrently, all exploring LOVE. Not love as in the deep devotion and affection that exists within families, but LOVE, the hormonal cudgel that smashes out the brain leaving people idiots. The writing is utterly without pretention. If your tolerance for saturation-point sentimentality is low, you might find it difficult to watch.

Contest

By Emilie Collyer. Space Jump Theatre Company. Directed / Produced by Kirsty Semaan. Flight Path Theatre, Marrickville, Sydney. 17 – 28 March, 2026

Is this a play by a poet or is it a staged poem by a playwright? Melbourne-based writer Emilie Collyer presents evidence from both sides in this intriguing piece brought to life with great force by a lively 5-woman company under Kirsty Semaan’s watchful direction. By the end, I’d say it’s a two-way bet between poem and play.

As they gather for a practice session (or possibly a match) on an indoor netball court, the five dispirit members of our team exchange greetings and chatter. The Goal Attack (Willa King) is in charge, pushing the others into formation.

David Rose: Our Hebrew Friend

Adelaide Fringe 2026, The Squeaker at Gluttony - Rymill Park. Tue, 17 Mar - Sun, 22 Mar, 2026

Given the issues confronting our world at the moment, the show’s title may be considered as courageous. David Rose, according to Ancestry. com is 15% Ashkenazi Jew. For the uninitiated, this is a Jewish diaspora population originating from the Rhine River in Germany and Northern France, representing the majority of the world's Jewish population today. They are defined by a distinct cultural, linguistic (Yiddish), and genetic heritage that blends Middle Eastern and European origins.

Trophy Boys

By Emmanuelle Mattana. State Theatre Company South Australia presents a Soft Tread production in association with the Maybe Pile. Space Theatre – Adelaide Festival Centre, King William St, Adelaide. March 17 – April 2, 2026

Boys will be boys, unless they are played a female and non-binary cast in drag in State Theatre Company/Soft Tread’s latest production Trophy Boys!

Written by Emmanuelle Mattana at just 21 years old, it is a masterful piece of writing! Over a all too short 70 minutes, we are introduced to four St Imperium Private School boys who are in their one-hour prep window to go toe-to-toe with their sister school in the Interschool Debating Grand Finals.

The Children

Written by Lucy Kirkwood. IO Performance. Directed by Chris Jackson. IO Performance HQ, Launceston, TAS. 18-28 March, 2026

Well, there's timely, and there's timely and then there's staging a production of The Children, while the world seems to be literally going to hell in a handcart. And as a young Boomer who grew up during the Cold War and its accompanying abundance of futuristic, post-nuclear-apocalyptic films, I couldn't help feeling particularly shook with a sense of deja vu.

Subscribe to our E-Newsletter, buy our latest print edition or find a Performing Arts book at Book Nook.