Stage
Comedy
Dame Edna skewers Waleed Aly, talks up Malcolm Turnbull on The Project
LINDA MORRIS Waleed Aly operates as The Project's political conscience but he became Dame Edna's fall guy when the comedian visited the panel Thursday night and virtually took over.
Axis of Awesome's Jordan Raskopoulos on how audiences have reacted to her transition
ELISSA BLAKE Chemistry is everything in a three-man comedy act. Meddle with it at your peril. But what happens when you change the hormone balance?
Sydney Comedy Festival 2016: Language no barrier for Korean comedy troupe the Ongals
ANDREW TAYLOR Korean comedy troupe the Ongals transcend language barriers with their brand of physical humour.
All India Bakchod, rising stars of Indian stand-up, come to Melbourne
John Bailey Some of the most fascinating acts at the recent Melbourne International Comedy Festival offered glimpses into cultures where stand-up is still in its infancy, from Malaysia's Kuah Jenhan to Russia's Igor Meerson to the founder of the form in Pakistan (and new Melbourne resident) Sami Shah.
Zoe Coombs Marr wins top Comedy Festival Award
CRAIG PLATT Comedian Zoe Coombs Marr has won the 2016 Melbourne Comedy Festival Barry Award.
Dance
Life of Bangarra Dance Theatre composer David Page to be celebrated in public memorial
LINDA MORRIS Bangarra Dance Theatre music director David Page will be publicly farewelled in his hometown of Brisbane.
Ghenoa Gela among four finalists for 2016 Keir Choreographic Award
ELISSA BLAKE Video projections, live iPhone footage and GoPro cameras strapped to dancers' bodies feature in works by the four finalists in the 2016 Keir Choreographic Award.
Deaf Can Dance: The Delta Project combines hearing and non-hearing dancers in Under My Skin
ANNABEL ROSS How do you create a score for dancers who can't hear to dance to? The Delta Project's latest work is Under My Skin, performed by two hearing dancers and two deaf dancers, and choreographed by a hearing and a non-hearing choreographer.
Bangarra Dance Theatre shattered by death of composer David Page
LINDA MORRIS Bangarra Dance Theatre is mourning the loss of its talented composer.
Keir Choreographic Award leaps into discussion about the future of dance
PHILIPPA HAWKER "Awards are a little bit like executions in the 18th century. They bring in an audience," declared one of the first judges for the Keir Choreographic Award.
Musicals
Mario Lanza: The 1950s Hollywood superstar the world forgot
Phil Scott In the 1950s Mario Lanza was a tenor superstar in Hollywood. Ten years later, he was all washed up, dying mysteriously at the age of 38. What happened?
From Star Wars to dinosaurs, Sonny Tilders is the man who pulls the strings
KARL QUINN Puppetman Sonny Tilders has worked with the biggest characters in showbiz, from George Lucas to King Kong and beyond.
The Detective's Handbook raps a new way forward for Australian musicals
ELISSA BLAKE When Ian Ferrington was a teenager – not so very long ago – he wanted to be a rapper. "I didn't fall in with the right crowd to really pursue it," he says.
Playing our songs
John Bailey With four big shows set to launch next month, Melbourne's hills are alive with the sound of musicals.
Opera
Why the Google Cultural Institute is a friend not foe of the Sydney Opera House
ANDREW TAYLOR The Sydney Opera House is the latest cultural institution to move into Google's online world.
Verdi rarity Luisa Miller headlines Opera Australia's Melbourne autumn season
Michael Shmith Opera Australia's Melbourne autumn season features three operas.
Jessica Pratt returns to Lucia di Lammermoor in Victorian Opera debut
John Bailey Despite starring in more than 20 productions of the opera, Jessica Pratt has yet to perform the role in Australia, so her local debut in Victorian Opera's Lucia di Lammermoor is much anticipated.
Meet the Megadeth, battleaxe-loving star of Turandot on Sydney Harbour
ELISSA BLAKE From being an axe-wielding extra in Gangs of New York to singing one of opera's most famous arias, Nessum Dorma, on Sydney Harbour, tenor Riccardo Massi takes it all in his very long stride.
Singer Greta Bradman will perform in Canberra on her My Hero tour
RON CERABONA Greta Bradman will perform in Canberra as part of her 'My Hero' concert tour.
Theatre
The Glass Menagerie at The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre is powerful and poignant
Peter Willkins 10:36am This is as fine a production of Tennessee Williams' autobiographical play as you are ever likely to see.
Budget 2016: Hundreds of job losses expected in the performing arts
ANDREW TAYLOR 2:18pm Hundreds of job losses in the arts sector are expected as small and mid-sized companies lose Australia Council funding.
Play On! at the Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre is a comedy about theatre
RON CERABONA Play On! is a comedy about the world of amateur theatre.
Sarah Goodes and Dean Bryant join Melbourne Theatre Company as associate directors
John Bailey Melbourne Theatre Company has announced Sarah Goodes and Dean Bryant as its new associate directors.
