Saturday 22 March 2025 Loading Dock Theatre Qtopia James Elazzi is one of Australia’s freshest theatrical voices and his new play, Saints of Damour firmly cements his place as a – I want to say great but maybe it’s too early for that – let’s say formidable Australian playwright. His ability to mine the emotional […]
Thursday 6 March 2025 Sydney Symphony Orchestra Sydney Opera House London born conductor, Finnegan Downie Dear lead the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in tonight’s program of Ravel and Brahms. A one-time assistant to Simone Young, his tall lean frame leant itself to garnering a wide range of emotions and nuances from the musicians. And as SSO […]
Read More… from Review: James Ehnes performs Brahms’ Violin Concerto
Friday, 28 February, 2025. Sydney Opera House. Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Andrew Haveron (violin) It’s been a while since I’ve heard Carl Vine’s music in the concert hall. He’s been sorely missed since he relinquished the role of artistic Director at Musica Viva Australia, and now that he’s not busy running one of the world’s largest […]
Saturday 1 March 2025 Belvoir St Upstairs “Those who don’t learn history are doomed to repeat it.” George Santayana These famous words, fittingly penned by Madrid-born Spanish-American philosopher, Santayana, are at the crux of this riveting, powerful real life drama. In Song of First Desire we are thrown head-long into the Spanish Civil War. We […]
Wednesday 15 January 2025 Carriageworks Modern Convict Films Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday) That would have to have been the most unusual melange to begin a theatrical work I have ever seen. Brendan Cowell, Ewen Leslie and Toby Schmitz are the writers and performers in a bizarre comedy called Hamlet Camp, performed in the […]
Friday 10 January 2025 Hayes Theatre Antipodes Theatre Company Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday) Ghost Quartet is a musical that tells the tale of four friends conjuring spirits (both supernatural and alcoholic) as they narrate four diverse stories spanning seven centuries. Expect a high level of musicianship from an incredibly talented cast. Sometimes melancholic, […]
Arts Wednesday begins a preview of the Sydney Festival interviewing a variety of artists in many genres. We begin this week chatting to Stephanie Lake who is the Resident Choreographer of The Australian Ballet and is one of the most innovative Australian choreographers to emerge in the last decade. She created the international hits Colossus and Manifesto(smash successes […]
Read More… from Arts Wednesday previews the 2025 Sydney Festival
Wednesday 13 November 2024 City Recital Hall Australian Chamber Orchestra Sean Shibe (guitars) The reason we go to see the Australian Chamber Orchestra is for musical excellence, innovative programming and mind-stretching new music. For some, Scotland Unbound with Scottish guitarist Sean Shibe might have exposed their limits of tolerance, but for many it was a […]
Tuesday 12 November 2024 Seymour Centre Soft Tread Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday) It is with mixed emotions that we say farewell to a 25 year old theatre institution, the Wharf Revue. Writers Jonathan Biggins, Drew Forsythe and Phillip Scott have decided to call it a day to “spend more time with family” and […]
Sunday 10 November 2024 Old Fitz Theatre Rogue Projects Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday) From time to time a play comes along that challenges your beliefs, but then flips it all around so you find yourself thinking that is exactly what I believe. Then it does it again, and again, and again until you […]
Read More… from Review: Female of the Species at the Old Fitz
26 OCTOBER 2024 – 9 FEBRUARY 2025 AGNSW Naala Nura (South Building) Lower level 2 Review by: Anthony Frater (Arts Wednesday) Every now and again a blockbuster exhibition comes along and lives up to the hype. Magritte, on now at the AGNSW is an extraordinary exhibition. A comprehensive retrospective showcasing many of the artists most […]
Thursday 31 October 2024 Bondi Pavilion Moira Blumenthal Productions Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday) The Kingdom of Eucalypts is a powerful play that explores many controversial themes while telling the story of one of Australia’s best known writers, Miles Franklin. Playwright Alice Spigelman asks us to grapple with race, feminism, political ideology, the role […]