Archives for October 2026

Observer

OBSERVER: Reuben Kaye

Friday, October 9, 2026

Following its wildly successful Melbourne debut last year, opera’s late-night party Opera Up Late returns to the Regent Theatre for one performance on November 15.Outrageous, opera-loving host Reuben Kaye will once again entertain audiences with his celebration of all things operatic, with added musical theatre classics and a few pop hits sprinkled in – a…

Observer

OBSERVER: Fallen Angels

Noel Coward’s maxim for any actor was, “Just say the lines and don’t trip over the furniture.”The playwright’s use of language was such that the lines and the situation did all the work. It is something those attempting to stage his works today should remember.This film version of the Broadway production of Fallen Angels, a…

Observer

OBSERVER: QFWFQ

Gregory Nussen appeals to the work of Italian writer, Italo Calvino, in a production entitled QFWFQ.The unpronounceable name is not a mistake but an acknowledgement of Calvino’s playful, post-modern style where reality and fantasy drift and boundaries are distorted. This is apparent in the performance which is almost surreal.Calvino’s novel, If on a Winter’s Night…

Observer

OBSERVER: Jellyfish

Clown-comedian Cherese Sonkkila presents her sophomore show, Jellyfish, at this year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival from October 12-14 at 7.55pm at the Motley Wherehaus.This show is a spin-off from Cherese’s first solo show, Fruition, and now the jellyfish gets to tell her own story – metaphorically of course, because she doesn’t speak.Cherese says to expect ‘physical…

Observer

OBSERVER: Trumpet of the Swan

Opera Australia has announced the cast of The Trumpet of the Swan, a family friendly, live storytelling concert that will premiere at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre from November 20-22.Helpmann Award-winning actor Bert Labonté, as Sam the Storyteller, will guide audiences through this enchanting musical journey, adapted from E. B. White’s (Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little) charming children’s…

Observer

OBSERVER: Big Diva Energy

Will Skarpona presents Big Diva Energy from October 14-17 at the Victorian Pride Centre, St Kilda.Fresh from the prestigious Dobell Foundation Cabaret Award, Will is launching his very first solo show, Big Diva Energy, directed by ‘Fringe Living Legend’ Maude Davey, with musical direction by James Frampton.Big Diva Energy is described as ‘an unapologetically camp,…

Observer

OBSERVER: Prime Time

Substation and B theatre company presents Prime Time for the Melbourne Fringe Festival at the Substation Newport from October 14-17.Directed by Penny Baron, the new intergenerational work Prime Time brings a cast of 14 people aged between five and 93 into the spotlight to challenge assumptions about age and ageing as a celebration of life…

Observer

OBSERVER: Legends of the Skies

Legends of the Skies theatre presents Series 14, Chubbie Miller, October 22-25 in the Casey Hangar Theatrette, Moorabbin Air Museum.Written by Alison Knight with artistic direction by Maggie Morrison, this show continues the LOTS Theatre tradition of paying tribute to great Australian aviators, introducing females in aviation.Performances: October 22, 23 and 24 at 7.30pm; October…

Observer

OBSERVER: Dune But Worse

From ‘over the ditch’ in New Zealand, Dune But Worse has arrived in Australia for the Melbourne Fringe Festival. Performances are until October 11 at the Trades Hall and October 22-24 at the Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute.Dune But Worse is a 50-minute parody retelling of Frank Hebert’s Dune, told by a French-trained jester in a custom…