Theatre Reviews Perth

★★★★★ When it comes to Aboriginality, who gets to decide your identity? Does it come down to the colour of your skin or the mob who raised you? Or is it just ‘a feeling’? In Australian colonial history, Tasmania came…

★★★★★ Steel Magnolias was first brought to life as a play by Robert Harling in 1987 in the US, inspired by the death of his sister from Type 1 diabetes. It was then turned into a movie in 1989 starring…

★★★★☆ When it comes to mental illness, does creativity belong to the illness, the medication, or the person themselves? Black Swan State Theatre Company’s production of The Almighty Sometimes tackles this question head-on in a gripping and emotionally charged drama.…

After stunning performances in The Lieutenant of Inishmore and Dance Nation, the WAAPA third-year acting students are back with a stellar production of Romeo and Juliet. This is a cohort that oozes talent and professionalism, and it has been a…

On Thursday night, FANE hosted the iconic American author and commentator Fran Lebowitz for an In Conversation at The Regal Theatre in Perth. In attendance was a sold-out audience of people eager for a night of witty one-liners and sharp…

★★★★☆ When Tim Winton’s book The Shepherd’s Hut was published in 2018, it received strong praise for the unique vernacular voice of its teenage protagonist Jaxie Clackton, its depiction of the harsh landscape of Western Australia’s desert, its spiritual and…

★★★★☆ Which Way Home, presented by Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company, is a beautiful play filled with warmth, humour, crackling dialogue, and a whole lot of heart and soul. Based on writer Katie Beckett’s own childhood – she lost her mother…

I arrived at Subiaco Arts Centre on opening night with little knowledge of what Dance Nation is about. Having only read the blurb, I did not anticipate the absurdity and familiarity that unfolded on stage. Originally written by Clare Barron…

Brutal, absurd, and darkly comic, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, the second play in Martin McDonagh’s Aran trilogy, turns a sharp eye toward sectarian violence and the fractured ideologies behind it. It is presented by the 3rd year Acting students at WAAPA…

Dragons are often representative of important elements of humanity. Whether it’s Smaug hoarding gold, Puff getting abandoned by an aging child, or even the dragon slain by St George being analogous to a generally intimidating situation, dragons are heralds of…

★★★½ Meow Meow is an international cabaret figure known for blending virtuosic singing with anarchic, unpredictable performance. Equal parts diva, clown and provocateur, she constructs shows that veer between glamour and collapse, humour and menace, intimacy and spectacle. And in Meow Meow’s The Red Shoes, co-presented…

Jaha Koo invites us into the story of his ‘home’ in a work that blends poetic, vulnerable storytelling with striking visuals and sound media. Haribo Kimchi is a hilarious, intimate and mouth-watering take on what it means to emigrate, assimilate…

Parents are supposed to guide and support their children. But what if they aren’t able to do that? What if an illness is holding them back? More problematically, what if it’s a mental illness? How do we talk to our…

Reuben Kaye’s website boldly declares, “Reuben Kaye already knows he’s an icon. It’s time for you to find out too.” Hard to Swallow proves he isn’t exaggerating — he’s simply ahead of the curve. From the moment he storms onto…

Kate Smurthwaite is no ordinary comedian. She’s an utterly fearless firebrand with a hell of a lot to say. In her one-hour show, Severe Lacerations to the Head, the British comedian takes hilarious pot shots at Trump, calls out racism…

Created by Tim Lawson and Simon Painter, Now You See Me Live contains bona fide magic of the highest degree, guaranteed to astound. This spectacular stage production reimagines the Lionsgate franchise, eliciting a quality of awe rarely experienced beyond early childhood.  The first…

If you’re looking for a Christmas show filled with emotional depth, quirky radio quizzes, dry Australian humour and a triumphant ending, Andrea Gibbs’ Carol, presented by the Black Swan Theatre Company, delivers just that. The Christmas season is often painted as…

Indigenous theatre is often typified by a deep spiritual connection to Country, the Dreaming and the Ancestors, and enriched by song, dance and powerful symbolic imagery. In John Harvey’s superb play, Heart is a Wasteland, presented by Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company,…

Seeing a play written by Western Australian playwright Andrew Bovell is almost a rite of passage in Perth. His works are renowned across the country and state. They often pop up (deservedly so) in conversations about the most impactful theatre…

Chaotic, hilarious, and downright debaucherous. Plied and Prejudice, presented by Alex Woodward of Woodward Productions and the Arts and Culture Trust, is a certified hit and a great night out. The premise is simple. Five actors take on one of…

Whalebone exudes quirky fun the entire family can enjoy. Written, directed, and performed by Jens Altheimer, this immersive experience blurs the lines between science and magic – not to mention the boundary between physical and virtual worlds – through clever…

From the mind of comedian and author Deborah Frances-White comes Never Have I Ever. Directed by Kate Champion, it’s showing in the beautiful Heath Ledger Theatre and presented by Black Swan Theatre Company.  Recently bankrupt chef, Jacq (Emily Rose Brennan),…

Over 80 years after its initial publication, Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None is still sharp, slick, and chock full of suspense. It promises everything we have come to enjoy and admire from this seminal mystery writer. Following the…

Simon Stephens’ play Punk Rock is set amongst the anxieties and social hotpot of a posh English grammar school. Presented by the 3rd year Acting students at WAAPA, it is as depressingly relevant today as when it premiered in 2009.…

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this life, it’s that stories bring people together. There’s a universal kinship that can be formed by sharing the seemingly insignificant jigsaw pieces that give our lives meaning. The way it felt to…

Playlovers’ Western Australian premiere of 8 Women, directed by Paul Treasure, is a deliciously stylish and sharply executed murder mystery that blends melodrama with dry humour and emotional depth. The play was originally written by French playwright Robert Thomas in…

Written by Laura Wade and performed by the third year Acting students from WAAPA, The Watsons is a quirky adaptation of Jane Austen’s unfinished novel of the same name. We are introduced to Emma Watson, daughter of the Watson house, eagerly awaiting a…

It’s not every day a Pulitzer Prize-winning drama makes its way out west to Perth stages – and when there’s a chance to see some of the country’s most talented performers tackle a modern classic like August: Osage County, it…

Last night, a full house packed into Perth’s State Theatre Studio Underground for the world premiere of The Last Great Hunt’s Night Night as part of Perth Festival. The Last Great Hunt is known for making highly innovative theatre that blends dramatic…