Month: March 2025
Review: Sport For Jove’s The Player Kings Part 1 & 2
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Eight plays, 17 cast members, 12 hours. If Sport for Jove’s production of The Player Kings sounds epic, it is. Split into two parts, The Hollow Crown (Richard II, Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, and Henry V) and The War of the Roses (Henry VI Parts 1, 2 and 3,…
Review: The Comedy Writers Group Live 2025 Melbourne International Comedy Festival
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The Comedy Writers Group podcast, hosted by the ever-charming Marcel Blanch-de Wilt, has been dishing out comedy wisdom for about three years now. As of March 24, 2025, they’ve dropped 125 episodes, and honestly, that’s a lot of laughs packed into digital form. The podcast is like a crash course…
Review: Relic Races Towards New Ground For Australasian Dance Collective
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After a slight date shift, courtesy of Cyclone Alfred, Australasian Dance Collective enjoyed its short, three-performance season of Relic over the weekend. Conceived and directed by Jack Lister, also the Associate Artistic Director of ADC, Relic is the first work to kick off ADC’s 40th anniversary year. Australasian Dance Collective’s…
Alice in Wonderland Returns To Sydney Botanic Gardens This Easter Holidays
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This Easter school holidays, experience an adventure like no other as Lewis Carroll’s absurd and wickedly clever classic ALICE IN WONDERLAND is brought to life in Glenn Elston’s acclaimed production in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney from 12 to 27 April. Meet your favourite assortment of curious characters: the skittish,…
Announcing Annie The Musical For Brisbane
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Producer John Frost for Crossroads Live has today announced a Brisbane season of the ever-popular Broadway musical Annie. It will run at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC from December. This follows seasons at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre and Melbourne’s Princess Theatre. Waitlist now at anniemusical.com.au to be first in line to buy tickets in Brisbane. Anthony Warlow returns as…
Review: Faulty Towers The Dining Experience 2025 Melbourne International Comedy Festival
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It’s a mild Autumn evening, and the city is full of friends and family. They are gathering together to be entertained by the amazing shows that are part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. For the next week, Faulty Towers The Dining Experience at the Oaks on Market Hotel is bringing…
Review: Neel Kolhatkar, Dirty Flirty 30 Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2025
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Neel Kolhatkar’s Dirty Flirty 30 is a bold and hilarious show that is perfect for anyone who enjoys a mix of relatable observational comedy and edgy humour. I found myself laughing out loud the whole time! Dirty Flirty 30 takes a provocative and inquisitive look at our world and how…
Review: Akmal 2025 Melbourne International Comedy Festival
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Akmal has been a staple of the Aussie comedy scene since the ‘90s. Whether you’ve seen him make stuff up on Thank God You’re Here, show us how to be the perfect panel guest on Good News Week, or sell out stages with his stand-up, there’s no question Akmal is…
Review: Queensland Theatre’s Calamity Jane Is A Rip Roaring Hit
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Queensland Theatre’s got a real rip-roarin’ hit on its hands with Calamity Jane! This show’s got heart, humour, and a whole lot of yeehaw, thanks to an all-star cast. Led by the dynamite Naomi Price, the gang brings the house down with top-notch performances. Richard Carroll’s sharp direction keeps things…
Review: Praise Be Adelaide! Sister Act The Musical Has Arrived
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Praise Be Adelaide! The Sisters have arrived in the City of Churches. The brand new musical comedy Sister Act The Musical is here and it’s a heavenly hit! Following the plot of the original film, Sister Act The Musical has been reimagined for the 21st century stage. Produced by John…
NIDA’s Festival of Emerging Artists: A Chat With The Creatives
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In just under a week, the students of the MFA Directing program at NIDA will have their work premiered at the Festival of Emerging Artists. Run and founded by NIDA, it is an opportunity for young Australian talent to share their work with the industry, a taster of the greatness…
Review: The Glass Menagerie A Hauntingly Beautiful Revival
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Ensemble Theatre transports us to 1930s St. Louis with their latest offering, The Glass Menagerie. Tennessee Williams’ well-known play centres around a family who are all grappling with something. A mother who loves too much and worries about her children’s futures. A daughter who locks herself away out of fear of…
Big Local Talent Bound For Melbourne Comedy Festival
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The 2025 Melbourne International Comedy Festival is set to deliver big laughs and unforgettable moments bringing together seven of Australia’s brightest comedic talents: Luke McGregor, Geraldine Hickey, Lloyd Langford, Lizzy Hoo, Zoe Coombs Marr, Jenny Tian and Gillian Cosgriff promise a stellar night of comedy. Luke McGregor – Oh Wow…
Underworld Down Under: Christine Anu Talks Hermes and Hadestown
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Hadestown is heading to Melbourne in May after a smash hit premiere run in Sydney. The Scoop sat down with Australian performing legend Christine Anu, who is playing Hermes. Christine talks all things Hadestown including preparing for the role and the show’s emotional impact. Read the full interview below. First of all, I…
Laugh Out Loud! Melbourne International Comedy Festival Starts This Week
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Four weeks of uninterrupted comedy brilliance begins as the 39th Melbourne International Comedy Festival gets underway this week! This year, 690 shows, made up of more than 1,000 performers will take part in the biggest dedicated comedy festival in the world. Across 182 stages in 133 venues, stand-up comics, cabaret,…
Film Review: Paddington in Peru at Moonlight Cinema Perth
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Normally, when I see a weather forecast of 36°C I have my complaints ready to go. But with tickets to Moonlight Cinema to look forward to on Sunday, I held them in. The warm evening air after a sticky day was the perfect environment to trot over to Kings Park…
Review: Disney in Concert Brings Chills and Fairytale Magic
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Disney in Concert has just wrapped up its limited run at Hamer Hall, playing to near-capacity crowds. This world premiere brought the magic of Disney to Melbourne following a sold-out season at the Sydney Opera House for Disney’s 100th anniversary in 2023. Disney has evolved significantly over the past 101…
Review: Ophelia Thinks Harder Brings New Depth To A Classic
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What if a woman played Hamlet? Shock-horror, right? No, not today. But, when Jean Betts was at drama school back in the 1980s and 90s, it was, well, a different time. Legend has it that when she performed Hamlet’s famous to be or not to be monologue to her drama…
Review: Lord of the Rings A Musical Tale Perth
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The 80+ year legacy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels still persist, evidenced by The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale, bringing the epic fantasy to the Crown Theatre in Perth. Frodo Baggins, an orphan hobbit from the tranquil paradise of The Shire, is bequeathed the One Ring, an object imbued…
Review: The Little Mermaid Makes A Big Splash
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Before you judge someone, walk a mile in their shoes. This expression of empathy is at the heart of the timeless tale of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Ariel trades her talented voice, a gift from her mother, for the opportunity to become a human and become ‘part of their world.’…
Review: Romeo & Juliet A Beautiful Revival of a Beloved Classic
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Queensland Ballet has launched its 65th anniversary year with a revival of Kenneth MacMillan’s great ballet masterpiece, Romeo & Juliet. One of the largest productions Queensland Ballet performs, it’s a treat to see fully realised on QPAC’s Lyric Theatre stage. First commissioned for The Royal Ballet and opening in Covent…
Film Review: Audrey Is Absurd And Purely Unexpected
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Audrey, directed by Natalie Bailey, must be amongst the most bizarrely spectacular films of the year. Put any preconceptions away, though, as every moment of this film is purely unexpected. Screening as part of the 2025 Melbourne Women in Film Festival, the audience retched and laughed at the bizarre imagery…
Review: The Lady Boys of Bangkok Bring Glamour and Good Vibes to Gluttony
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The Australian premiere of The Lady Boys of Bangkok has taken Gluttony by storm this Adelaide Fringe season. And what a treat it is to have them here! If you are looking for an exotic escape into a world of glitz, glamour and girls like no other, you must catch…
Review: Jesus Christ Superstar Will Surprise You
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The 50th anniversary version of Jesus Christ Superstar, originally directed by Timothy Sheader for Regent’s Park Open Air Theatres, has arrived at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre. Get ready for this highly dynamic and electrifying production to surprise you! As a massive fan of Jesus Christ Superstar, I was delighted to learn that…
Review: Come From Away Brings Heart, Hope and Humanity
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Few musicals capture the profound power of human kindness in times of crisis as deeply as Come From Away. Written by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, this Tony Award-winning production tells the incredible true story of how the small town of Gander in Newfoundland became a beacon of compassion after…
Riding High in Calamity Jane: An Exclusive with Juliette Coates
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Queensland Theatre’s Calamity Jane opens in Brisbane this Saturday and The Scoop sat down with Juliette Coates who is making their main stage debut in the dual roles of Susan Miller and Adelaide Adams. Juliette booked the role just before graduating with a Musical Theatre degree from the Queensland Academy of Excellence…
Announcing Thrilling Play 1984 for Adelaide and Melbourne
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The real Big Brother returns! Brace yourself for an electrifying theatrical experience, 1984 is back, and it’s more terrifyingly relevant than ever. Shake & Stir Theatre Co has announced a bold, high-impact stage adaptation of George Orwell’s dystopian masterpiece, set to play in Melbourne and Adelaide for strictly limited seasons as part of a…
Radical Then, Radical Now: Legacy and Impact of The Removalists on Australia
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Nearly 54 years ago, The Removalists exploded onto the Melbourne stage at La Mama, a small theatre with a huge impact. Raw, impossible to ignore, and unapologetically Australian, David Williamson’s gritty play shocked audiences, challenged authority, and held up an unflinching mirror to society. Now, under the visionary direction of Artistic Director Anne-Louise Sarks,…
Queensland Theatre Ushers in Bold New Work Through DOOR 3
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After the successful launch of Queensland Theatre’s DOOR 3 program in 2024 – which provided opportunities for 38 Queensland artists, achieved two Matilda Awards and presented work to over 2,000 attendees – the successful creative incubator returns in 2025. The 2025 productions include PRAMKICKER by MO Theatre (16 May –…
Easy Street: A Chat with Mackenzie Dunn from Annie the Musical
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One of the most awarded and loved musicals of all time, Annie is returning to Sydney next week. The Scoop sat down with Mackenzie Dunn, who is playing Lily St Regis, ahead of opening night. Mackenzie talks Annie‘s enduring legacy and childhood memories. Read the full interview below. I was…
