Observer

OBSERVER: Teddy Bear’s Picnic

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

During early summer there was an air of mystery hanging over the St Kilda Botanical Gardens as parents and little ones were challenged with solving who had kidnapped Bobby the Bear.The Melbourne Shakespeare Company brought the Annual Teddy Bear’s Picnic to the historic gardens with a talented cast of five each playing various characters, as…

OBSERVER: Written On Stone

What would you expect to see on a gravestone? Perhaps a heartfelt message of love for the deceased, along with the usual dates and names.Queensland author Julie Holland (pictured) has a different take on gravestones, having discovered the American tradition of gravestone recipes, and that tradition takes centre stage in her latest novel, Written On…

OBSERVER: Drawing Program

Artist and educator Belinda Wilson is inviting adults to explore the art of life drawing through Drawing Together, an eight-week program designed to foster creativity and social connection.Commencing Wednesday, February 11, at Kingston Arts Centre, the program offers participants the opportunity to work from a professional live model in a relaxed studio environment.All skill levels…

OBSERVER: Bek’s belated award

Musical theatre performer Bek Chapman was thrilled to be nominated for Best Supporting Performer in a Female Presenting Role by the Music Theatre Guild of Victoria, for her role as Magda in Beaumaris Theatre’s production of Ladies in Black.Unfortunately, Bek became ill and could not attend the special MTGV gala event held at Camberwell Grammar…

OBSERVER: Love, Lies and What I Wore

Heidelberg Theatre Company presents Love, Loss and What I Wore from February 13 – 28 at Heidelberg Theatre, 36 Turnham Ave., Rosanna.Written by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron from the book by Ilene Beckerman, Heidelberg Theatre Company’s production is directed by Catherine Christensen.Love, Loss, and What I Wore is described as ‘a heartfelt celebration of…

OBSERVER: Stable Confusion

Curated by Liquid Architecture, music group Worlds Only and artists and technologists Junior Major, present Stable Confusion on February 13 from 7pm at Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall.Smashing sound and live visuals into an electrifying experience, Stable Confusion is said to push perception to its limits, where human intuition clashes with machine logic.As Worlds…

OBSERVER: Songs of the Bulbul

British-Indian dancer and choreographer Aakash Odedra’s award-winning solo show Songs of Bulbul will be presented at Arts Centre Melbourne from February 3-7.Winner of the Best Show Award at Edinburgh International Festival, this solo dance piece brings together the art of Kathak dance and Sufi storytelling to create a dialogue between intense physicality and a spiritual…

OBSERVER: Pirates of Penzance

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Victorian Opera presents Gilbert and Sullivan’s famous comic operetta The Pirates of Penzance until February 6 at the Palais Theatre, St Kilda.Ben Mingay (the Pirate King) and Antoinette Halloran (the long-suffering Ruth) lead the high-seas jinks, joined by theatre veteran Richard Piper as the Major General, and rising stars Nicholas Jones and Nina Korbe as…

OBSERVER: A Christmas Presence

A Christmas Presence is a show that I would one hundred percent see again.It was a great show that captured all of the events that happened to make Christmas ‘Christmas’.It was an enjoyable script that told the story really well and was executed brilliantly by the cast. You could clearly tell this show was worked…

OBSERVER: Local Theatre Report

Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre: The Game’s Afoot or Holmes for the Holidays (by Ken Ludwig) February 12 – 28 at Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre, 39-41 Castella St., Lilydale. Director: Lucia Morris. Bookings: 9735 1777 lilydaleatc.comPEP Productions: Ride the Cyclone, February 13 – 21 at the Doncaster Playhouse. Director: Daniel Kim; Musical Director: Isaac Stott; Choreographer: Maya Lee….