Archives for October 2026

Observer

OBSERVER: Morning Melodies

Friday, October 23, 2026

Opera stars Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Georgia Wilkinson will present two performances of Morning Melodies at Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne on Monday, November 9 at 11am and 1.30pm.Baritone Teddy has been acclaimed for his performances in South Pacific and Carmen, while soprano Georgia is known for The Magic Flute, The Phantom of the Opera…

Observer

OBSERVER: Metropolitan Opera

New York’s Metropolitan Opera celebrates 20 years of Live in HD Productions with a season of opera that will screen in cinemas around Australia from later this month.The 20th season of The Met: Live in HD confirms the company’s position as the leading provider of alternative cinema content in the world.The Met Opera is the…

Observer

OIBSERVER: 50 years for Essendon Theatre Company

Congratulations to members of Essendon Theatre Company who celebrated ETC’s 50th anniversary with many folk who made the milestone possible by sharing time, talent and passion.Actors, directors, front-of-house personnel, backstage volunteers and audience members came together at the Bradshaw Street Community Hall for an afternoon of memories and celebration.Essendon Theatre Company started as ‘The Jacobians’,…

Observer

OBSERVER: Closer

Avid Theatre presents Patrick Marber’s drama Closer as a co-production with The 1812 Theatre in the intimate venue of bakery@1812, Rose St, Upper Ferntree Gully, from October 28 to November 7,Described as a ‘gripping and unflinching drama’, Closer lays bare the anatomy of modern relationships.The play follows four strangers whose lives collide in a volatile…

Observer

OBSERVER: Gospel According To Paul

Subtitled ‘the second coming’, the return season of this one-man show has lost none of its verve and vigour.Jonathan Biggins has seamlessly added contemporary political references that are hilarious and reverberate like a gut punch from the man he portrays, former Prime Minister, Paul Keating.The mannerisms and voice are pitch perfect, given a sense of…

Observer

OBSERVER: Grease

PLOS Musical Productions will present Grease from December 31 to January 10 at the Frankston Arts Centre.This is the first of PLOS’ The Next Generation productions.Featuring all the familiar songs such as Greased Lightnin’, You’re the One That I Want, Summer Nights and more, Grease tells the story of young love in the setting of…

Observer

OBSERVER: Halloween at the Old Melbourne Gaol

Halloween at Old Melbourne Gaol is back. Its is going to be a full day of activities, with fun for the kids and family during the day and an adults-only Halloween event from 6pm on Saturday (Oct. 31). During the day, visitors will experience a family-friendly Halloween adventure filled with ghostly characters, mysterious clues, trick-or-treating,…

Observer

OBSERVER: Primetime

(MA). 109 minutes. Opens in cinemas October 29.A fascinating, occasionally frustrating mix of true life drama, atmospheric horror and dark humour, this examination of one of the most controversial TV shows of all-time takes artistic licence to land its punches.Robert Pattinson plays Chris Hansen, who when introduced in the opening scene, appears from nowhere after…

Observer

OBSERVER: Operation Orfeo

Arts Centre Melbourne has announced that Operation: Orfeo, a hypnotic depiction of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, will return to the Ian Potter State Theatre in February, 30 years since its premiere Victorian season in the same venue.Part opera, part visual artwork, it takes audiences on a descent into the underworld in a work…

Observer

OBSERVER: Golden Boys

Golden Globe winner Josh O’Connor leads the cast in Golden Boy, a searing revival of Clifford Odets’ knockout American classic.Set in 1930s New York at the height of the Great Depression, gifted young violinist Joe Bonaparte is lured by the promise of fame and fortune into the brutal world of professional boxing.As his ambitions grow,…