News

Sydney Theatres Closed

Greater Sydney's Theatres will be closed for two weeks under lockdown orders announced by the NSW Premier.

The new restrictions announced Saturday, extend the ban from central Sydney and the eastern suburbs announced on Friday, to include Greater Sydney, the Central Coast and Wollongong.

Gladys Berejiklian told a media conference that unless businesses in the areas are essential services, such as serving food, then they must close.

The lockdown will last at least until the 9th of July at midnight.

Phantom of the Opera Full Cast

Opera Australia and The Really Useful Group, have announced the full cast for Cameron Mackintosh’s new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Marking almost 35 years to the day since it opened in London’s West End, before going on to become one of the most successful musicals of all time, this will be the first time in the show’s history that it will play at the Sydney Opera House, opening on September 3rd before making its way to Arts Centre Melbourne from November 14th.

Leads Announced for Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella

Lyndon Terracini for Opera Australia and John Frost for Crossroads Live have announced the lead cast for their contemporary retelling of Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella. The Tony® Award-winning Broadway production will have its Australian Premiere in Sydney at the Capitol Theatre from 16 November.

A Triple Threat Comes Home

Coral Drouyn looks at the home-coming of triple threat performer Max Patterson.

Based on the 80s film of the same name, The Wedding Singer opens at HOTA on the Gold Coast this Friday night (June 18, 2021), and there are a lot of good reasons to hurry and buy what tickets are left for the two week season.

Mamma Mia! on the Gold Coast

Coral Drouyn talks to producer Matt Ward about his upcoming production of Mamma Mia! On Queensland’s Gold Coast

Coming Back From Away

After hit musical Come From Away landed back at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre following its COVID hiatus, Simon Parris spoke to company members ahead of their Sydney and Brisbane transfers.

Just like the passengers on board North American flights in 2001, after their planes and lives were diverted when the terrorists attacked, so too cast members of the Australian production of Come from Away have learnt to cope with major disruptions.

Meet the Men of Magic Mike Live!

Image: L-R Ned Zaina, Kit Clark, Nick Phillips, Brian Siregar, and Charlie Bartley.

Sophia Dickinson chats with cast members from Magic Mike Live ahead of the Melbourne opening on June 8.

Talking Shakespeare's Transformations with Damien Ryan

Damien Ryan makes his Queensland Theatre (QT) debut with Taming of the Shrew, having worked on productions of around 20 of Shakespeare's plays – that's more than half of the known 37 works by the playwright – as director and performer at Sydney Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare Co, and his own company, Sport for Jove. Beth Keehn from Stage Whispers spoke to the award-winning director just before opening night.

Image (above) of Damien Ryan by Dylan Evans.

Mary Poppins Flies Back Into Sydney In 2022

Cameron Mackintosh and Disney have announced that their Tony® and Olivier Award-winning production of Mary Poppins will open at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in May 2022.  

Featuring the beloved quintessentially English magical Nanny, Mary Poppins has been seen by over 12 million people worldwide and was the winner of 8 Helpmann awards in Australia in 2011.

The Past Is Never Dead: Joanna Murray-Smith’s Berlin

Image from Berlin at Melbourne Theatre Company. Photographer: Jeff Busby.

The past is never dead.  In fact, it’s not even past.  William Faulkner

Playwright Joanna Murray-Smith explains to Michael Brindley how a visit to Berlin and her own family history inspired her new play Berlin.  Will this internationally themed play, currently premiering at the MTC, have the same resonance as her previous hits and take it to the West End and Broadway?

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