Reviews

This adaptation of a much read and studied novel revives Harper Lee’s characters and the town of Maycomb Alabama at a time when many of the issues it raised about the world in the early 1930s continue to plague society today. Racial prejudice, class, gender inequality, domestic violence, rape … and children losing their innocence at the hands of vicious perpetrators, continue to bloody our history.

Dogfight by Ben J. Pasek and Justin Paul (Music and Lyrics) and Peter Duchan (Book) premiered Off-Broadway in 2012, receiving rave reviews from critics and audiences. Subsequently, it has been performed in many countries around the world, and now in Adelaide by the St. Jude’s Players. This is piece of modern, intimate musical theatre is about truth, lies, systematic violence, abuse, and the redemptive power of love.

Bangarra Dance Theatre are a rare and precious jewel in the Australian cultural landscape – they are the only First Nations dance company in the world. And if you’ve never seen this inspirational group perform, then Terrain is a wonderful starting point. Even though I am totally enthralled by modern dance, it can sometimes feel a little intimidating, but the Bangarra style is unique – powerfully contemporary and warmly accessible, combining indigenous inspiration with classical moves to create a style you won’t see anywhere else.

Louisa Lawson was a formidable woman who came from Gulgong near Mudgee – and then from a hut on the goldfields.  She came to Sydney in 1882, a widowed single mother of four children, into a hostile, patriarchal environment.  She was a fearless, possibly bullying, indomitable feminist, suffragette, poet, author, and publisher and editor of The Dawn, a monthly newspaper produced entirely by women.  She should certainly be known as rather more than merely Henry Lawson’s mother.