Culture
Theatre
The Mysterious Lai Teck paints a blurred but beautiful portrait
Singaporean director Ho Tzu Nyen has crafted supremely eerie theatre from what is known, or rather reported, about the life of the former Malayan Communist Party leader.
- by Cameron Woodhead
Latest
Review
'This is what Shakespeare should be'
Bell Shakespeare opens 2020 with a new production of Hamlet. It’s where they began, in 1990.
- by Harriet Cunningham
Indigenous culture
'It is possible to go in there and forget yourself': Bringing back the art of deep listening
The SEASONS in Blak Box project has the power to transport visitors.
- by Kerrie O'Brien
Arts
Melbourne's Asia TOPA arts festival proves immune to virus panic
Melbourne's triennial Asia TOPA arts festival is on track to hit its box office goals despite coronavirus fears and cancelled shows, relieved organisers report.
- by John Bailey
Review
Review
Curtain raised for bleak comedy that leaves you wanting more
This new play delivers bitter laughs from its bickering characters, but there's a sense the work is better than its production.
- by Cameron Woodhead
Review
Review
One year on, Potter's magic survives and thrives
Accio tickets! The gala anniversary of Melbourne's Harry Potter production proved this show's success is no illusion.
- by Cameron Woodhead
Arts
Just being Hamlet - on a second-by-second basis
Harriet Gordon-Anderson is all too aware of the immensity of the task of playing the title role in Bell Shakespeare's new Hamlet.
- by John Shand
Review
Stage shows
Vietnamese Bamboo Circus bursts with boundless invention
Vietnam's answer to Cirque du Soleil, Pho is a feast for the soul.
- by Cameron Woodhead
Review
Bananas, sex and Offspring. What's next for Debra Oswald?
"Obviously I am terrified. I am used to being in my own house writing in my trackie-dacks."
- by Tim Barlass
Harry Potter
Harry Potter producer predicts show will smash Phantom of the Opera record
As it celebrates its first anniversary, the producers of the theatrical smash Harry Potter and the Cursed Child are settling in for a much longer run.
- by Karl Quinn
Review
Review
Cosmic spectacle and apocalyptic majesty in the land of the dead
Hades Fading combines Indonesian and Western theatrical traditions for a stunning new take on a classic myth.
- by Cameron Woodhead