Observer

OBSERVER: Fairytales ruined

Friday, October 10, 2025

“Ready to ruin fairytales forever” was the stark warning that we were given when invited to witness Brothers Bare as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival at Theatre Works Explosive Factory.Forget any connection to the fairy tales of old, ones that you would share with your children with bedtime reading, this play is strictly for…

OBSERVER: Rourke’s Reviews

Thursday, October 9, 2025

Steven (MA). 92 minutes. Now available on Netflix.Director Tim Mielants and star Cillian Murphy, who collaborated so well on Small Things Like These, reteam for Steve, a highly energised drama that mainly rides on a wave of emotion, hitting viewers square between the eyes.Set in the mid 90s, the story focuses on Steve (Cillian Murphy),…

OBSERVER: Greeking Out

Let’s talk about myths, baby. Greek myths, to be exact.Welcome to Mythology 101 with Professor Ari, an engaging masterclass of all things ancient and Greek.First, please take note of the ground rules. Opinions are not welcome. This is a lecture, not a free-for-all.Greeking Out, a one-woman show created and performed by Rebecca Perich, is a…

OBSERVER: Chip On Her Shoulder

A premiere performance as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival at Theatre Works Explosive Factory. Chip on Her Shoulder is a play for anyone ready for laughs and emotional bonding.Written and directed by Jen McAuliffe who commenced writing while working in theatre in New York. Under the mentorship of Steve Leff she developed the play,…

OBSERVER: Instruction and work.text

If the thought of experimental theatre has you breaking out in a sweat and lunging for your oodie and the TV remote, you need to see a Subject Object production.This UK-based collective, led by Creative Director Nathan Ellis, has brought two distinctive works — Instruction and work.txt — to the , and they are fabulous.Although…

OBSERVER: A Beautiful Noise

A live phone call to the iconic American singer-songwriter Neil Diamond was a wonderful highlight of the launch of the musical A Beautiful Noise at the Princess Theatre.A Beautiful Noise is the successful Broadway musical based on Diamond’s life which will open in Melbourne in August next year. The musical has an interesting structure with…

OBSERVER: The Ship

Loosely based on a novella by Stefan Zweig, The Ship relates the story of a reclusive passenger haunted by memories of the past.Under the direction of Fini Liu, the tale is related in a manner that combines theatrical forms and languages.An Ariel like narrator sets the scene with a folded paper boat and a bowl…

OBSERVER: The Wedding

After sell-out shows earlier this year at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Andy Balloch’s hilarious one-man show The Wedding had a short season at Trades Hall as part of the Fringe Festival.As guests at a wedding reception for the gay couple Tony and David, the audience are entertained by the master of ceremonies as well…

OBSERVER: The Worm

Online dating can often be a nightmare and just how nightmarish yet funny it can be was the focus of The Worm which played at the Motley Bauhaus as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival.A single woman tells us of her experiences dating online and looking for a mate, soul or otherwise. Stage left a…

OBSERVER: Hemlines

Hemlines is three women Elenor, Flossy, Doris living a life of eternity in their sewing room, only seeing the outside world through the eye of a needle.This production by Moon Bureau has a lot – painted faces, Irish jigs, songs, fabric and storytelling.Amelia Gilday has directed a unique contribution to the Melbourne Fringe Festival.The cast,…