Reviews

Rachael Beck : In Her Own Words

Conceived and written by Rachael Beck and James Millar. Sydney Festival, Directed by Miranda Middleton, Musical director Amanda Hodde, Wharf 1 Theatre. January 15 – 18, 2025

Cabarets can often be introspective affairs for performing artists, looking back at their own lives, careers and experiences.

Whilst many do have interesting enough stories to tell, Rachael Beck and writer James Millar have taken the refreshing approach of turning the spotlight on others.

Sixteen inspiring living Australian women from the arts, science, politics and sport were interviewed as part of the project. Each was introduced as part of a chapter – with an intriguing title.

Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen

By Marcelo Dos Santos. Arts Centre Melbourne, Midsumma Festival presents a production by Francesca Moody Productions in association with Roast Productions. Arts Centre Melbourne from 14 January - 1 February, 2025 followed by seasons at the Sydney Opera House from 5 - 23 February and Adelaide Festival from 26 February - 2 March.

What initially drew me to reviewing this show was that it has the same producer as the Netflix show Baby Reindeer, which I loved, although recent controve

Blush – Circus for Grown Ups

Directed by Elena Kirschbaum. Produced by Highwire Entertainment. Presented by QPAC. Cremorne Theatre, QPAC. 28 December 2024 – 1 February 2025

Audiences appear to have an endless appetite for human circus and Blush – Circus for Grown Ups is feeding that hunger with their sexually charged, adults only show. It’s a glorious blend of cabaret, opera, and circus crafted just for those who are 18 and over. The show includes death defying acrobatics, graceful aerial acts, hilarious clowning, and fearless fire eating. There’s also juggling, diablo, hoop work, modern dance, singing, burlesque style strip tease, and balancing acts.

Australian Open

Written by Angus Cameron. Produced by 7th Floor Theatre. Directed by Hayden Burke. PIP Theatre, Milton. 8th to 18th of January

Image: A classic drama-filled family Christmas. From left to right: Sandro Colarelli as Peter, Jackson Paul as Lucas, Whitney Duff as Annabelle, Tye Shepherd as Felix, and Lisa Hickey as Belinda.

Australian Open is a witty, modern-day comedy that serves up a hilarious and heartfelt take on relationships, queer culture, and family dynamics. With sharp dialogue, laugh-out-loud moments, and a healthy dose of Brisbane flair, this production invites you into a world of love, self-discovery, and unexpected revelations.

An Inspector Calls

By J.B. Priestly. Genesian Theatre, Rozelle. Directors Ali Bendall and Mark Bull. 10 Jan – 22 Feb, 2024

The Genesian Theatre Company celebrated “80 years of continuous theatre making” last year. In this, their 90th year they begin a new era as they move from the gracious old 19th century building in Kent Street that had been their home for many years to their new, purpose-built theatre in Rozelle.

Bearded

By Sean Donehue & Nick Waxman. Music by Donehue. Theatre Works, St Kilda. 8 – 18 January 2025

Bearded is a gutsy, full-throated roar of a musical, set in the lead up to the referendum on marriage equality. (Although there’s some unnecessary confusion at the start when a character tells us that the ‘YES’ vote got 60% as if it’s already happened - but we all do know, of course, the outcome of that referendum and, surprisingly, the roof did not fall in, society and even marriage itself survived (despite the lies of the ‘NO’ people).

Ghost Quartet

Music, lyrics and text by Dave Molloy. Antipodes Theatre Co. Directed by Brandon Pape. Hayes Theatre Co, Elizabeth Bay. January 8 – February 1, 2025

Antipodes Theatre Company’s production of Dave Molloy’s song cycle Ghost Quartet has arrived at Sydney’s Hayes Theatre, following two Melbourne/Naarm seasons (in 2019 and 2021).

Siegfried & Roy: The Unauthorised Opera

Composed by Luke Di Somma. Libretto by Luke Di Somma and Constantine Costi. Sydney Festival. Directed by Constantine Costi. Wharf 1 Theatre. January 8 – 25, 2025.

It’s a brilliant story for a modern opera featuring passion, tragedy, Las Vegas glitz, magic tricks, lavish wealth and a white tiger. The result in a word ausgezeichnet – German for excellent.

Siegfried and Roy had boundless ambition to conquer the entertainment world when they first met, echoed in the lyrics of a duet about them aiming to leave their names  written in the sky.

A Model Murder

By Melanie Tait and Sheridan Harbridge. Sydney Festival. Darlinghurst Courthouse. January 4 – 19, 2025

In 1954, glamour model Shirley Beiger stood trial for the murder of her two-timing boyfriend outside Sydney’s iconic Chequers nightclub. Melanie Tait and Sheridan Harbridge have shaped those events, and indeed some of the actual courtroom dialogue, into a highlight of this year’s Sydney Festival.

Grease The Musical

Book, Music & Lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. Directed by Luke Joslin. Produced by Adrian Storey. Presented by John Frost for Crossroads Live Australia. Lyric Theatre QPAC, 3 January - 1 February 2025.

Grease The Musical is older than I am (and I’m no spring chicken!). It was first performed on stage in1971, with the smash hit movie released in 1978, and it’s been performed and screened probably a bajillion times all over the planet since. Yet, through some musical theatre miracle the cast and crew of the production currently playing at QPAC’s Lyric Theatre manage to make this old classic feel fresh.

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