Observer

OBSERVER: Hotsy-Totsy

Thursday, October 8, 2026

Believable Arts Management presents Kiwi clowns, balloon twisters and sock puppeteers Ava O’Brien and Peggie Barnes in Hotsy-Totsy, being performed as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival from October 12-18 at the Motley Wherehaus.Directed by Katie Hill and Rachel McLean, this two-hander show by Wellington-based long-time collaborators Ava and Peggie, ‘New Zealand’s (unofficial) leading Disney…

OBSERVER: Newspaper Mama

A show that guarantees that adults and children will all enjoy it to the hilt is a precious experience to share.And that’s where legendary children’s entertainer Peter Combe can help.Peter has the secret to longevity as an entertainer, as he began entertaining kids with his catchy songs in the 1980s, and he continues to do…

OBSERVER: Local Theatre Report

ShowsBairnsdale Production Line Theatre Company: ‘Allo’Allo (by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft) Until October 18 Director: Susan Hawton. Bookings: events.humanitix.com/allo-allo-forgeThe 1812 Theatre: Switzerland (by Joanna Murray-Smith) Until October 24 at 3 Rose St., Ferntree Gully. Director: Andrew Ferguson. Bookings: 1812theatre.com.auEncore Theatre: Steel Magnolias (by Robert Harling) Until October 18 at the Clayton Theatrette, Cooke St.,…

OUT NOW: Melbourne Observer – Wed., Oct. 7, 2026

The Melbourne Observer editorial pages can be viewed here: https://issuu.com/mediaflash/docs/melbourne_observer._wed._oct._7_2026

OBSERVER: The Heart Beats In Counts of Eight

Monday, October 5, 2026

Monash University Theatre (MUST) presents The Heart Beats in Counts of Eight by Madeleine Willshire from October 15-24 at Monash University, Clayton.Directed by Esmé Stripp, Assisted by Ava Toon, The Heart Beats in Counts of Eight is set in the not too distant future.After a synthetic revolution, Lou, Jamie and Taxon scavenge to survive. They…

OBSERVER: Zoe’s Killer Instinct

New Melbourne theatre collective Primitive Streak presents Zoe’s Killer Instinct at the Motley Wherehaus, Melbourne, from October 5-11.Zoë Jensen returns to the Australian stage from Germany for the first show from Primitive Streak, which showcases a one-woman performance in the Melbourne Fringe Festival.This ‘unhinged, razor-sharp satire’ features original music inspired by vaudeville and Weimar.The origin…

OBSERVER: British Film Festival

Some of Britain’s finest actors will star in this year’s British Film Festival. Presented by Palace, this year’s festival includes a line up of dramas, diverse and illuminating documentaries, romantic comedies and more, all screening at Palace Cinemas, Palace Nova and Luna Palace Cinemas from October 28.One of the most recent talked about films to…

OBSERVER: Koreaboo

Koreaboo, by playwright and actor Michelle Lim Davidson, is a personal and surprisingly humorous exploration of identity, family and belonging.Drawing on her own experience of being adopted by an Australian family, the production follows Lim Davidson’s journey to uncover the truth of her origins and reconnect with her birth mother in South Korea.When Hannah (Lim…

OBSERVER: Back To Me

Domestic violence is a delicate subject to address, but Penelope Swales embodies the role of a woman surviving from day to day living in her car.Written by Jules De Cinque and Swales, this is a show that is both touching and intimidating, given the prevalence of inappropriate aggression in our society.Self-composed songs provide an insight…

OBSERVER: Age Of Reason

Jayda D’Agostino’s cabaret contribution to the Melbourne Fringe Festival is a tribute to the works of John Farnham.She has the vocal range to meet the demands of the pieces she has chosen to sing and she is backed by very competent musicians, but it is in the narrative between songs that the show suffers a…