Category: Features

Brisbane-based Voxalis Opera has built a reputation for championing emerging artists while presenting opera that speaks directly to contemporary audiences. Its latest production, Triple Bill, continues that mission through three intimate works exploring heartbreak, mental health and family, including the Australian premieres of two contemporary operas. Rather than relying on…

This morning it was announced that Jake Speer will play the title role in the Australian premiere tour of Mrs. Doubtfire, the hit musical based on the beloved Robin Williams film. Jake is known for his role as Oscar Macguire in Home and Away, and has appeared in recent plays…

The smash-hit Broadway show A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical will make its Australian premiere in Melbourne next month before heading to Sydney in November. Acclaimed Broadway star Will Swenson, who originated the role of Neil Diamond on Broadway, will lead the cast.  Rehearsals are well underway, and Will took…

The Mormons are coming! After a highly successful 2025 season in Sydney, The Book of Mormon is touring the country this year, with a current season in Melbourne and upcoming seasons in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. Leading the cast is Sean Johnston as Elder Price and Nick Cox as Elder…

For more than four centuries, The Comedy of Errors has delighted audiences with its whirlwind of mistaken identities, romantic misunderstandings and escalating chaos. Next month, Shepherd’s Purse Theatre Company breathes fresh life into Shakespeare’s enduring comedy with an immersive dinner theatre production staged throughout the enchanting surrounds of Flutterbies Cottage…

Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox is on tour with their brand-new show, The Future is Vintage, taking them to cities across the world, including the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in a one-night-only performance. Joining the highly acclaimed troupe of singers, dancers and instrumentalists putting their signature time-twisting spin on retro hits is…

First performed in Australia in 1969, Hair the tribal love-rock musical opens in Sydney this weekend after a successful Melbourne 2025 season. Stepping into the role of Tina is Phoenix Jackson Mendoza. The Scoop sat down with Phoenix ahead of opening night. Phoenix talks all things Hair, including the full…

Following widespread acclaim in 2023-2024, Arthur Miller’s timeless Pulitzer Prize-winning classic play Death of a Salesman  starring Anthony La Paglia and Alison Whyte will return to Melbourne for a limited season in August, before making its Brisbane debut. A gripping and emotional exploration of the American Dream and its consequences, Death of a Salesman has resonated…

The dazzling new Australian tour of Steel Magnolias is well underway, following a successful Brisbane season and now playing in Sydney. Jessica Redmayne stars as Shelby, the iconic role that marked Nicole Kidman’s professional stage debut and later earned Julia Roberts her first Academy Award nomination in the film adaptation.…

It is rare to be given a chance to sit down with the writer of a Broadway musical. But this is exactly what happened in Brisbane last week with Eddie Perfect, composer and lyricist of the Tony-nominated Beetlejuice The Musical. The Scoop joined key media, invited guests and local musical…

Last weekend, renowned Australian soprano Claire Lyon was unveiled as the next Eliza Doolittle for the upcoming 70th Anniversary season of the much-loved musical, My Fair Lady.  Based on Julie Andrews’ 2016 production, My Fair Lady will premiere at the Sydney Opera House in September before a season at Arts Centre Melbourne in November.  The…

After a sold-out extended season in 2025, Hayes Theatre Co will raise the Jolly Roger once again as they revive their acclaimed version of The Pirates of Penzance, opening next week at the Foundry Theatre. New recruit Sarah Murr joins the cast, and The Scoop sat down for a chat on Friday…

The long awaited Australian premiere of Waitress is finally hitting the stage in Melbourne and it is already generating a lot of audience excitement. This heartwarming and empowering musical tells the story of Jenna, a small-town waitress and expert pie maker who longs to escape her rocky marriage and start…

Next month, Clockwork Possum Productions premieres its debut work, The Last Parma Night, at Chapel Off Chapel in Melbourne. Written and produced by Max Meaden, the new Australian play explores friendship, nostalgia and the uneasy transition into adulthood, all set against the familiar backdrop of a local pub’s parma night.…

The Elder Conservatorium’s Bachelor of Music Theatre company is rolling into 2026 with Xanadu as its first major production of the year. Packed with roller skates, high-energy choreography and a whole lot of spirit, this cult favourite promises a joyful start to the season. Ahead of opening night last night,…

Making its way across the globe, the beloved musical Anastasia has arrived in Sydney as part of its Australian tour, following a celebrated premiere season in Melbourne and a recent run in Perth. With its sweeping score and heartfelt story of identity, memory and belonging, the production continues to captivate…

This week, Last Waltz Productions opens Chekhov’s Three Sisters at the Old Fitz Theatre, the second production since making their debut in 2025. The Scoop sat down with two of the company’s co-founders, Madeline Li and Clara Voda ahead of the season. Madeline, who also in the cast, and Clara, who is directing,…

Comedy duo Innes Lloyd have entertained Melbourne audiences for over ten years with their hilarious adaptations of well-known literary characters, including Dracula and Frankenstein. In 2026, they are bringing a brand-new show to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, The Lost Casebook of Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle teased readers with hints of…

The Prom arrives this month at the newly revitalised Teatro at the Italian Forum, bringing its heart and high-energy celebration of pride to Sydney audiences. The Tony-nominated Broadway smash-hit has become a global favourite for its infectious score and powerful message of acceptance. Anticipation is building ahead of the Australian…

Gia Ophelia takes to the stage at KXT on Broadway this week in a highly anticipated, limited season. Written by Australian playwright Grace Wilson and directed by Jo Bradley, the gripping one-woman show starring Annie Stafford captivated audiences at last year’s Sydney Fringe. The show earned Jo Bradley an award…

Belvoir St Theatre is thrilled to present A Mirror, a smart new hit play about art versus power, premiering on 21 February and starring Eden Falk, Faisal Hamza, Yalin Ozucelik and Rose Riley. Written by Sam Holcroft and directed by Margaret Thanos, this sharp comedy skewers theatre, politics, war, egotism…

Next week, Sharehouse Productions makes its debut at the Old Fitz Theatre with Tonsils + Tweezers, an Australian work by playwright Will O’Mahony, directed by Lucy Rossen. Set on the eve of a high school reunion, Tonsils + Tweezers follows two best friends reckoning with grief, masculinity and the fallout of…

Gente, gente! Productions sails into 2026 with a bold new double bill directed by Bec Moret, featuring Ralph Vaughan Williams’ one act opera Riders to the Sea and a selection of works by his protégée, Dame Elizabeth Maconchy. Conducted by Dr Joanna Drimatis, the production centres female perspectives on and off the stage. Women…

Back by popular demand, Melbourne Theatre Company kicks off its 2026 season with My Brilliant Career, based on the novel by Miles Franklin. Led once more by the formidable Kala Gare, and featuring much of the original cast, this smash-hit musical earned critical acclaim and five Green Room Awards, including Outstanding Production.   Set…

Afterglow is heading down under next week for its highly anticipated Australian premiere. The critically acclaimed off-Broadway play, written by S. Asher Gelman, is a modern, intimate exploration of desire, honesty and connection. The Scoop chatted with Matthew Predny, one of the play’s three stars, ahead of the season. Matthew gave…

The worldwide smash-hit musical & JULIET is heading to Toowoomba’s esteemed Empire Theatre in March, featuring an all-singing, all-dancing, all-star cast of more than two dozen young performers. In the title role is Kate Hudson-James, making her professional debut. The role marks a homecoming for Kate who is a former Toowoomba resident and…

Based on the fan-favourite 1985 Paramount Pictures movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, Cluedo is hitting Australian stages in 2026 in a four-city tour. Rachael Beck is playing Mrs White, and The Scoop sat down for a rapid-fire Q & A chat ahead of opening night in Brisbane. Rachael…

It’s been one year since The Scoop was created, and the first feature published was my personal list of Favourite Shows of the year. As 2025 comes to a close, we have been looking back at some of the shows that stood out this year. The final instalment includes our favourite Dance shows, including Ballet,…