Observer – Page 12 – The Local Paper

OBSERVER: Burn The Floor

Tuesday, August 25, 2026

More performances have been released for the return of Burn the Floor with Luminous at the Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne from September 11-19.This ‘spectacular collision of Ballroom, Latin and Contemporary dance’ will feature champion dancers selected from around the world, with live musicians and singers.At the helm is Jason Gilkison, the creative force who has…

OBSERVER: Ballad of Dan O’Malley

Paul Mitchell’s The Ballad of Dan O’Malley: A Football Tragedy is based on the actual events surrounding the Melbourne Demons tanking scandal.In 2009, allegations erupted that the Demons intentionally lost matches to secure top draft picks for the club. The club was eventually hit with sanctions and a hefty penalty for bringing the game into…

OBSERVER: Crimes Of The Heart

Heidelberg Theatre Company presents the tragicomedy Crimes of the Heart from September 4-19 at 36 Turnham Avenue, Rosanna.Written by Beth Henley and directed by James Antonas, Crimes of the Heart is described as ‘laughter-laced with heartache in the Deep South.’In Hazlehurst, Mississippi, the three eccentric Magrath sisters reunite under one roof: Babe has just shot…

OBSERVER: The Sacrifice of Farinelli

Having its Australian premiere, the play The Sacrifice of Farinelli is a bold undertaking by Subverse Theatre which asks the question “What price the pursuit of perfection?”Set in the 18th century, two Italian brothers who live for music are Riccardo and Carlo Broschi.Riccardo is a composer while Carlo, a singer with a heavenly falsetto voice,…

OBSERVER: Local Theatre Report

The 1812 Theatre: Treasure Island (by Ken Ludwig) Until August 29 at 3 Rose St., Upper Ferntree Gully. Director: Erin O’Hare. Bookings: 1812theatre.com.au24th South Gippsland One Act Play Festival (FAMDA – Foster Arts Music and Drama Association) August 29-30Details and tickets: vdl.org.au/vdl-event/24th-south-gippsland-one-act-play-festival/Brighton Theatre Company: The Trouble with Harry (by Lachlan Philpott) Until August 29 at the Bayside…

OBSERVER: The Magic Sceptre

Track Youth Theatre presents The Magic Sceptre from August 28-29 at the Clayton Community Centre.With script and music by Ed Bailey and directed by Sophie Jevons, The Magic Sceptre tells of all being well in Herenway, as while the Queen holds the Magic Sceptre, everyone from princesses to peasants are happy.But this changes when an…

OBSERVER: Tipping Out of Trouble

It’s easy to get dispirited when most of the headlines we see in our newspapers and on our televisions are about all the major problems the world is facing, but scientist and author Martin Scheffer says we can do something about it.He maintains that world crises, wealth inequality, declining trust and climate change are not…

OBSERVER: Tales by the Brothers Grimm

Shake and Stir Theatre Company presents Grimm, Tales from the Brothers Grimm, from August 25 to September 12 at the Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Mel-bourne.Audiences are invited into a world where fairy tales are reimagined with “profound intensity and irreverent glee”. But there is a warning that these bedtime stories might cause nightmares.Within the walls…

OBSERVER: Admissions

Friday, July 31, 2026

Peridot Theatre presents their VDL entry Admissions from August 14-23 at the Clayton Theatrette, Cooke St, Clayton.Written by Joshua Harmon and directed by Alison Knight, Admissions tells of Sherri Rosen-Mason, head of the admissions department at a New England prep school, fighting to diversify the student body.Alongside her husband, the school’s headmaster, they’ve largely succeeded…

OBSERVER: Two

HOTO: Chris Mentor and Angelique Malcolm portray seven roles each inTwo. Strathmore Theatrical Arts Group (STAG) presents the two-hander comedy-drama Two from August 20-29 at the Strathmore Community Theatre, Loeman St, Strathmore.Written by Jim Cartwright and directed by Natasha Boyd, Two is set in an English pub in the 1980s, where two actors play seven…