A concert of colour: A music review by Fraser Beath McEwing
March 9, 2023 by Fraser Beath McEwing
Young’s reflected lights, Saint-Saens’ kaleidoscopic second piano concerto and Mussorgsky’s art gallery stroll, resulted in a visually provocative program last night from the SSO under the baton of 39-year-old Estonian Mihhail Gerts. Read more
At the Adelaide Festival with Alan Slade
March 8, 2023 by Alan Slade
Most Jewish Australians will have heard of William Cooper (1860? – 1941), the Aboriginal political activist who, in 1938, led a delegation of the Australian Aboriginal League to the German Consulate in Melbourne to deliver a petition condemning the “cruel persecution of the Jewish people by the Nazi government of Germany”. Read more
Taking on the Russian Titans: a music review by Fraser Beath McEwing
March 7, 2023 by Fraser Beath McEwing
Twenty-six-year-old Albanian-born pianist Marie-Ange Nguci might well have bounded onto the Recital Hall stage wearing boxing gear last night because there was no way she could avoid stepping into the ring with four heavy-weight Russian composers all threatening to knock her out. Read more
At the Adelaide Festival
March 7, 2023 by Alan Slade
Cédric Tiberghien, the French classical pianist, started learning to play the piano at age 5, which may explain his masterful rendition of Mozart’s Sonata K331 in the concert he gave in the magnificent Adelaide Town Hall as part of the Adelaide Festival. Read more
Made in China 2.0: a Melbourne theatre review by Alex First
March 7, 2023 by Alex First
I am faced with a predicament that I can’t say I have confronted too many times in four decades of reviewing. Read more
Creed III: a movie review by Alex First
March 3, 2023 by Alex First
After retiring from the ring three years ago, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) lives to fight another day in Creed III. Read more
Empire of Light: a movie review by Alex First
March 2, 2023 by Alex First
Set in the English coastal town of Margate during the turbulent early 1980s, Empire of Light is a sensitive drama romance. Read more
Cruel Intentions: The 90’s Musical – a Melbourne theatre review by Alex First
February 26, 2023 by Alex First
Cruel Intentions: The 90’s Musical sizzles with powerhouse performances and a rousing score. Read more
The Rocky Horror Show: reviews by Henry Benjamin
February 24, 2023 by Henry Benjamin
With a massive musical intro, it was time again to see the Roxy Cinema candy seller part the curtains and send us off on to the wild ride that is The Rocky Horror Show. Read more
The Mousetrap: a theatre review by Alex First
February 23, 2023 by Alex First
Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap opened in London’s West End on 25th November 1952 and has been running continuously (save for the COVID lockdown) ever since. Read more
Josh Piterman talks to J-Wire
February 22, 2023 by Alex First
Popular musical theatre performer Josh Piterman has just landed one of the roles of his life. Read more
Adriana Lecouvreur: An opera review by Victor Grynberg
February 22, 2023 by Victor Grynberg
Francesco Cilea’s ADRIANA LECOUVREUR is a rarely produced opera nowadays, and this critic doesn’t recall ever seeing it before. Read more
Nosferatu, a Melbourne theatre review by Alex First
February 17, 2023 by Alex First
The play starts with a heartfelt warning from one of the characters that only tragedy puts you on the map. Read more
Coming Out: a Melbourne theatre review by Alex First
February 16, 2023 by Alex First
Showmanship, humour, pathos, anger, overt messaging and song are part of this well-meaning but noticeably stretched offering. Read more
Prima Facie: a Melbourne theatre review by Alex First
February 13, 2023 by Alex First
Tessa Ensler (Sheridan Harbridge) is a successful barrister. Read more
Wittenoom: a Melbourne theatre review by Alex First
February 9, 2023 by Alex First
Wittenoom, the former town and declared contaminated site in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, was, in short, a death trap. Read more
Spoiler Alert: a movie review by Alex First
February 9, 2023 by Alex First
As the title suggests, the outcome is writ large at the start of the film, which is based on a best-selling memoir by Michael Ausiello. Read more
One blockbuster and two oddments: a music review by Fraser Beath McEwing
February 9, 2023 by Fraser Beath McEwing
There is no doubt that the SSO wanted to please Mahler fans with last night’s opening Emirates concert of the season. Read more
Mary Poppins: a Melbourne theatre review by Alex First
February 5, 2023 by Alex First
In a word, Mary Poppins is Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Read more
The Whale: a movie review by Alex First
February 3, 2023 by Alex First
The Whale is the film that excites me more than any other since lockdown. Read more
Knock at the Cabin: a movie review by Alex First
February 2, 2023 by J-Wire
Wen (Kristen Cui) is nearly eight years of age – a bright young girl collecting grasshoppers in a large jar so she can study them. Read more
A Toast to Travel: a book review by Alan Gold
February 2, 2023 by Alan Gold
There’s a type of writing which used to be in newspapers called ‘travel porn’, which older readers may remember. Read more
My Old School: a movie review by Alex First
February 1, 2023 by Alex First
The true tale of 16-year-old Scott Brandon Lee (not the actor son of Bruce Lee) is remarkable. Read more
True Spirit: a movie review by Alex First
January 31, 2023 by Alex First
The story made world news. Read more
South African documentary on Holocaust survivor
January 27, 2023 by J-Wire Newsdesk
The Ritz Cinemas, Sydney and Classic Cinemas, Melbourne, will present a Q&A screening of the deeply moving documentary I AM HERE. Read more
What’s Love Got to Do with It? A movie review by Alex First
January 26, 2023 by Alex First
Jemima Khan, the former wife of Pakistani cricket captain and politician Imran Khan, has written a cross-cultural romantic comedy. Read more
Tar: a movie review by Alex First
January 25, 2023 by Alex First
Surely an Oscar awaits Cate Blanchett for her extraordinary multilingual, piano playing performance in Tar. Read more
Sunday: A Melbourne theatre review by Alex First
January 23, 2023 by Alex First
Sunday Reed is a firecracker. Read more
What I Wish I Had Known: Resisting the Urge to Live
January 19, 2023 by Rabbi Jeffrey Cohen
Jeffrey Cohen reviews Dasia Black’s book. Read more
Legends in Concert: A musical review by Alex First
January 18, 2023 by Alex First
Energy and enthusiasm are the hallmarks of a slick tribute show to some of the greatest musical artists the world has seen. Read more
