Performing arts
A Beatle urged him to stick with tabla. Now he’s the top living player
This year alone Zakir Hussain has taken home three Grammys and appeared in a Dev Patel film – now he’s heading to Australia.
- by Jessica Nicholas
Latest
Darlinghurst Theatre goes into administration owing ticket holders
The Darlinghurst Theatre Company will be offered free rent in a desperate bid to prevent it going bust.
- by Andrew Taylor
There’s nowhere to hide in this beautiful meditation on loneliness
Performing solo at the Melbourne Recital Centre, Marlon Williams’ five-star show brought together quiet vulnerability, crowd favourites and weird dance moves.
- by Nadia Bailey, Cameron Woodhead and Andrew McClelland
Actor Ian McKellen, 85, is in ‘good spirits’ and expected to recover from stage fall
He lost his footing and fell off the stage, startling theatregoers. The theatre was evacuated and the play was cancelled as medics treated the Lord of the Rings actor.
John Farnham makes rare public appearance since cancer surgery
Farnham appeared at his son’s wedding celebrations and is pictured in family photos posted to social media.
- by Helen Pitt
Exclusive
Rising Festival
Melbourne’s biggest arts festival closes this weekend. Its future is in doubt
Rising is the biggest cultural event in Victoria and receives millions in government funding, with ambitions to rival the Australian Open and Grand Prix.
- by Meg Watson
‘Like stalking a deer’: How this humble actor was lured to a huge role
Robert Menzies says he never expected to play Shakespeare’s King Lear.
- by Joyce Morgan
Exclusive
Arts
This band changed Australian music. Now they’re going out with a bang
The Herd are one of Australia’s best-known political acts. Befitting their activist origins, the band’s final song will be an anthem for Gaza.
- by Helen Pitt
This moving and vibrant Rising show is a must-watch
Gurr Era Op, a beautifully composed dance theatre piece, is like a sea breeze: it blows strong and tastes fresh.
- by Andrew Fuhrmann, Cameron Woodhead, Tony Way and Vyshnavee Wijekumar
How a hate-fuelled killing sparked a revolution in Australia
A new operatic work marks the death of George Duncan and the legacy of the terrible event.
- by Nick Galvin
Pulitzer-winning play breaks down barriers with Australian debut
The 2016 drama Cost of Living – set to run in Brisbane and Sydney – stipulates that disabled actors should play two lead roles, marking a “tipping point” for diversity.
- by Nick Dent