Observer

OBSERVER: Job at Red Stitch

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre presents the Australian premiere of Job, a gripping psychological thriller direct from its critically acclaimed Broadway season.Written by rising American playwright Max Wolf Friedlich, Job opens on Wednesday September 17 for a month-long run.The play centres on Jane, who, after being put on leave due to a viral workplace incident, is…

OBSERVER: MPAC recipients

Monash University Performing Arts Centres (MPAC) has announced the recipients of its Progress Links Commissions.MPAC has provided two successful applicants with $5000 plus a 5 to 10-day residency in 2025-26 in one of its venue spaces to develop a ‘proof of concept’ proposal for further commissioning and development within the MPAC program to create and…

OBSERVER: Othello

Directed by Tanya Gerstle, this production aims to ‘strip Shakespeare’s tragedy back to its brutal emotional core.’ A five-actor ensemble explores themes of jealousy, betrayal and the consequences of post traumatic stress. The men are battle-scarred and broken. The women are collateral damage.In a 90-minute, no-interval performance, audiences will be drawn into a physically charged…

OBSERVER: Star role for Georgina

Rising star of stage and screen Georgina Hopson (Titanique, Phantom of the Opera) will lead the cast of Anastasia which will have its Australian premiere at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne in December, before touring to Perth and Sydney in 2026.“I can’t quite believe that I am going to be playing Anya in Anastasia –…

OBSERVER: JKS: A Comedy?

Australian comedian Tom Bollard’s new show JKS: A Comedy? will be presented as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival from October 1-12 at the Trades Hall, ETU Ballroom.A line-up of comedians are hanging out backstage – it’s all fun and games – until they hear the news that a comedy legend has died. Depending on…

OBSERVER: Theatre of Magic

After years of sold-out shows in Brisbane, Theatre of Magic is coming to Melbourne.From September 6, Theatre of Magic opens a new theatre inside the Victoria Hotel on Little Collins St.Described as ‘An unforgettable night of world-class magic and five-star hospitality awaits — right in the heart of the CBD.’Opening Night: Saturday September 6Venue: Victoria…

OBSERVER: Not Without Right

digging husband – when, to his chagrin, his Muse materialises and demands he share with the audience the ‘true’ story of his life.“Why?” Will grumpily demands.“Because they’re going to say they’re not yours,” she responds. “The only way to prove you write the plays is to reveal what it cost you to create them, and…

OBSERVER: Destiny by MTC

The challenge for Kirsty Marillier in setting her play Destiny in 1976 apartheid South Africa is to say something new.The linear progression of the work has Della Math (Kirsty Marillier) caring for her widowed father Cliff (Patrick Willams) and immature brother Rocky (Gaz Dutlow).The return of her high school boyfriend, Ezra Jones (Barry Conrad) complicates…

OBSERVER: Advent Brass Band’s 100 years

What’s the best way to celebrate the 100th birthday of a brass band?The answer is by staging a spectacular concert that includes one of the world’s best jazz trumpeters as the featured guest artist, legendary trumpeter James Morrison, who will join Advent Brass for their centenary concert on September 14.But James isn’t the only celebrity…

OBSERVER: Local Theatre Report

Monday, August 25, 2025

Local Theatre Report – September 3 2025Warrandyte Theatre Company: Grey Nomad (written and directed by Dan Lee) Until September 6 at the Warrandyte Mechanics’ Institute, 180 Yarra St., Warrandyte. Bookings: Trybooking.Malvern Theatre: The Humans (by Stephen Karam) Until September 6 at 29a Burke Rd., Malvern. Director: Nicky Neville-Jones. Bookings: malverntheatrecompany.com.auWilliamstown Little Theatre: The Hollow Crown…