Cultural Binge – independent theatre reviews from Sydney, Australia (mostly).
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On The Beach (Sydney Theatre Co.) ★★★★1/2
Adapted for the stage by Tommy Murphy. Based on the novel by Nevil Shute. Sydney Theatre Company, Roslyn Packer Theatre. 18 Jul – 12 Aug, 2023. On The Beach opens with a tableaux of 60s beach-side bliss, all pastels, buff bodies and short shorts. Soak in the eye candy because things get darker from here.…
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The Hero Leaves One Tooth (KXT on Broadway) ★★★1/2
Written by Erica J. Brennan. KXT on Broadway. 14 – 29 July, 2023 Fucked up dinner parties are a theatrical staple. Get a bunch of characters around a table and let their personal drama’s play out as subtext, hidden by polite behaviour… at least at first. That basic premise gets turned into a speculative, body-horror-infused…
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City of Angels (Hayes Theatre) ★★★1/2
Music by Cy Coleman, Lyrics by David Zippel and Book by Larry Gelbart. Hayes Theatre. 23 Jun – 23 Jul, 2023. Cy Coleman’s City of Angels is possibly my favourite musical, it’s definitely in the top five. A sparkling, jazzy score filled with wickedly saucy lyrics and melodies only a professional could master. A book…
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Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (Darlinghurst Theatre Co.) ★★★★★
Music & lyrics by Dave Malloy. Australian Premiere. Darlinghurst Theatre Company. Jul 7 – Aug 20, 2023. Dave Malloy’s cult Broadway hit, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 has landed in Sydney with a queer touch and a bold vision – this is the kind of show Sydney needs more of! Adapted from…
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London Week Five
On the final stretch now and my brain is starting to look ahead to life back at home. Going into the office, seeing local shows (I can’t wait to catch up on City of Angels, The Great Comet, Jailbaby etc) and sleeping in my own bed again. But first I have a couple of days…
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London Week Four
My final full week in London rolled up very quickly, and having seen most of my ‘must-sees’ I got to check out some other shows around town that piqued my interest and I’m really glad I did. Then, Now & Next (Southwark Playhouse) ★★1/2 Written by Christopher J Orton & Jon Robyns. Southwark Playhouse Borough.…
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48hrs on Broadway
An utterly insane weekend in New York, coinciding with New York Pride weekend, really saw me burning the candles at both ends – trying to pack in as many shows as I could, plus visit some galleries, plus see friends. Having to narrow down all of the theatre on in New York to just four…
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London Week Three
Things got a little manic this week as I made a side trip to Broadway for the weekend. Plus there was a West End opening night, a fringe show and some big revivals. Here are some mini reviews in chronological order. Self Tape (Kings Head Theatre) ★★★ Written by Michael Batten. Kings Head Theatre. 18…
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London Week Two
Two new musicals, two existing musicals and two play revivals, mixing off and on West End productions – it was a nice mix this week, including a pleasant surprise and a clanker of a show. Here are some mini-reviews in chronological order The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: The Musical (Southwark Playhouse) ★★★★ Book &…
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London Week One
I hit the ground running in London, thanks to a bunch of theatre-loving friends who were keen to catch shows or take me to shows they loved. Here are some mini-reviews in chronological order… Groundhog Day (Old Vic) ★★★★★ Book by Danny Rubin. Music & lyrics by Tim Minchin. The Old Vic. 20 May – 19…
Cultural Binge 