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Tiddas (Belvoir) ★★★
When Anita Heiss’ Tiddas is funny, it’s damn funny, and when it’s didactic, it’s like having wikipedia recited to you. The two tones struggle to co-exist in Heiss’ stage adaptation of her 2014 novel about five friends whose book club becomes a meeting place for ideas, angst and more.
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Masterclass (Sydney Opera House) ★★★★
Feeling the energy in the theatre shift from gleeful laughter to uncomfortable tittering to bewildered joy and finally buzzing chatter is simply delicious. This is a brilliant example of how theatrical forms can be used to enlighten and subvert. Yes, it’s a two hander about sexism in the arts, but that description barely scratches the…
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Send For Nellie (Wharf 1 Theatre) ★★1/2
The legacy of performer Nellie Small is given a whistle-stop tour in Send For Nellie, a cabaret/vaudeville performance at Sydney Festival that showcases the vocals of Elenoa Rokobaro as the legendary Sydney entertainer.
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Smashed: The Nightcap (Wharf Theatre) ★★★★★
My Sydney Festival kicked off with an almighty bang thanks to Victoria Falconer and her chaotic cabaret, Smashed: The Nightcap. Sydney Theatre Co’s wonderfully restored Wharf Theatre is being delightfully debased by this blend of drag, burlesque, circus and cabaret. Grab a drink and jump on this bawdy ride.
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GATSBY at The Green Light (Sydney Opera House) ★★★★
Jazz age-themed burlesque meets acrobatics, dance and circus tricks in a 75 min blast of sultry excitement. This is GATSBY at The Green Light, taking over the Studio at the Sydney Opera House with an international cast and the sliver of a classic story.
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The Wind in the Willows (KXT on Broadway) ★★★1/2
If I were to sum up The Wind in the Willows at KXT on Broadway in one word it would be ‘charming’. There is a quintessentially British charm to the story of Ratty, Moley, Mr Toad and Badger that taps into an idea of childhood without delving into childishness.
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Midnight Murder at Hamlington Hall (Ensemble) ★★★1/2
Midnight Murder at Hamlington Hall isn’t the first play to derive comedy from a night at the theatre going wrong before your eyes, but it may be the first to do so with such a tender heart.
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35mm: A Musical Exhibition (Flight Path) ★★★★
35mm: A Musical Exhibition has the energy of noughties rock radio. So get ready for your girl-rock anthems, indie romance belters and quirky singer-songwriters all mixed with musical theatre storytelling.
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Track Works (Mortuary Station) ★★★1/2
Chances are you’ve driven, or caught a train past, Mortuary Station. You’ve probably caught a flash of the architecture as you sped past or maybe you’ve seen photoshoots for brands staged there. Well now you can hear some classic arie while gazing at the stonework in a new, site-specific show called Track Works.
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Looking Ahead to 2024 – Final Update!
Judging by the announced theatrical seasons, 2024 is looking pretty stacked with great stuff on our stages. I’ve done a bit of a dive into the seasons for Sydney Theatre Co., Belvoir, Ensemble, Griffin, Opera Australia, Hayes, Seymour Center and more to make some plans.
