4 - 2026 - The Local Paper

Observer

OBSERVER: The Riddle of Washpool Gully

Friday, April 17, 2026

Puppetry is a sacred practice. There is a stillness and focus required through objects that carry the soul of the performance and are the living focus. This production of The Riddle of Washpool Gully fulfils its sacred duty.This is a story about a boy and mother whose work takes them to a mine that she…

Observer

OBSERVER: Breakup Variety Hour

The Breakup Variety Hour was brought to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival by New York based entertainer Ariana and the Rose who starred in her one-woman show in the Solidarity Hall at the Melbourne Trades Hall.Ariana takes us on an odyssey through the muddied waters of relationship breakups as she directs us down the pathway…

Observer

OBSERVER: The Great Mass

Victoria Chorale presents the Great Mass in C Minor by audience-favourite Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at 5pm on Saturday, May 16, at St Paul’s Cathedral, corner Flin-ders and Swanston Sts, Melbourne.Described as ‘Great’ because of its sheer size, the Mass represents Mozart at his most daring and innovative and is a significant departure from his earlier…

Observer

OBSERVER: Late, Late at Night

Melbourne-based playwright Kieran Carroll advises that after four years and hundreds of kilometres travelled across Vic-toria, NSW and Queensland, his show Late, Late at Night (The Rick Springfield Story) starring Jackson Carroll from Sydney (no relation) is reaching an end.Jackson is retiring from the show to return to concentrating on his own original material.There’s one…

Observer

OBSERVER: Marathon Hamlet

Marathon Hamlet will take over Pentridge Prison, the Old Magis-trates’ Court and Como House on Sunday (May 3) in a One-Day Endurance Event – a city-wide, single-day performance across three National Trust heritage sites.Hamlet (Bridget Sweeney) runs between each venue, and by the final act, she’s completed a marathon.Presented by Artistic Allsort, Marathon Hamlet places…

Observer

OBSERVER: Reg Livermore’s Ned Kelly

Following a successful two-performance run in March in Ballarat of Reg Livermore’s Ned Kelly: The Musical, Victorian Opera is delighted to announce a Melbourne season of this acclaimed new production from July 24-25 at the Union Theatre, University of Melbourne.The production is directed by Victorian Opera’s Artistic Director Stuart Maunder (Follies, The Pirates of Penzance,…

Observer

OBSERVER: Local Theatre Report

ShowsThe 1812 Theatre: Summer of the Aliens (by Louis Nowra) Until May 2 at The 1812 Theatre, Rose St., Upper Ferntree Gully. Director: Liam Mitchinson. Bookings: 1812theatre.com.au or 9758 3964.Geelong Repertory Theatre Company: Two Brothers (by Hannie Rayson) Until May 2 at the Woodbin Theatre, 15 Coronation St., Geelong West. Director: Ben Crowley. Bookings: Geelong…

Ourselves

OBSERVER: Slop

Following the international success of their acclaimed duet Slip, Rebecca Jensen and Aviva Endean continue their collaborative exploration with Slop, a visceral sequel that plunges into a submerged, murky world of sound and movement, premiering at the Northcote Town Hall Arts Centre from May 13-23.If Slip was about falling out of sync with reality, Slop…

Observer

OBSERVER: Keys To Life, Two Friends, Two Pianos

Australian-British pianist Jayson Gillham returns to Australian stages, welcoming his close friend and fellow pianist Iyad Sughayer for his Australian recital debut.Keys to Life – Two Friends, Two Pianos brings two world-class pianists to four Australian cities during July in a national recital tour to lift spirits and remind us of our shared humanity.The Melbourne…

Observer

OBSERVER: La Traviata

Opera Australia presents a new staging of Verdi’s most famous opera, La Traviata, which will have its Melbourne premiere at the Regent Theatre on May 8 in a season running until May 19.The production, directed by Sarah Giles, brings Violetta’s inner world to the fore in a staging that delves into the heartache behind the…