Observer

OBSERVER: The Anarchy

Friday, September 5, 2025

There haven’t been too many shows that I’ve walked out of as a reviewer but Doppelgangster’s The Anarchy (1138-53) was one of them.Presumably trying to appeal to the historical period of the same name when England and Normandy were at war, the oral stream of indecipherable verbiage from one performer and then the other (Tobias…

OBSERVER: Hidden Times

Thursday, September 4, 2025

The scourge that is sexual harassment was the theme of Small Ripple Theatre’s original production Hidden Tunes, performed at the Clayton Community Centre. It was an earnest, well-intentioned musical delivered by an energetic troupe of actors and musicians that, while engaging, could labour the point at times.Set in a prestigious musical academy, the show tells…

OBSERVER: Numa and Karl

An important event in queer history is brought to life in the premiere of Numa and Karl: Extraordinary Man That He Was, a bold new Australian play at Footscray’s Bluestone Church Arts Space.Set in the mid-19th century in the Kingdom of Hanover, a German lawyer and writer, Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, decides to speak out in…

OBSERVER: Patrizio Buane

Good looks and a great voice are hallmarks of Neapolitan pop crooner Patrizio Buane, who is heading to Australian shores in early December.This will be his 20th anniversary Australian tour, which should delight his many fans down under.It’s 20 years since Patrizio launched his debut album, and on this tour he will be joined by…

OBSERVER: Diamonds

In Diamonds, director Ferzan Özpetek crafts a love letter to the women he has worked with throughout his career.The film begins with 18 of Özpetek’s women gathered in a sunny garden in Rome, around a long table piled with food, for a reading of his new work.This film, the director tells the women, is all…

OBSERVER: Fairytalers

Fairy tales have a very long history. Folk tales and fairy stories are not just made-up fantasies without connection to reality.These stories often recall women’s lived experiences. The real-life inventors of these stories were themselves branded witches, imprisoned in towers, accused of treason, and the focus of scandals.Long before the Brothers Grimm published their versions…

OBSERVER: Tarzan The Stage Musical

Tarzan, The Stage Musical is based on the Disney film and was produced by James Terry Collective.The stage version runs true to the book written by Tony Award winner, David Henry Hwang, and uses an expanded Phil Collins score.Clever use of graphics brings to life the shipwreck that brings the young infant to the shores…

OBSERVER: New Director for Malthouse

Malthouse Theatre has announced the appointment of Dean Bryant as its next Artistic Director, to commence in October.Bryant brings to the role a career marked by extraordinary range—from new plays to musicals, opera to cabaret, satire to documentary theatre—with a talent for creating work that’s theatrically bold, culturally resonant and emotionally charged.His arrival signals a…

OBSERVER: Local Theatre

SHOWS Williamstown Little Theatre: The Hollow Crown (by John Barton) Until September 20 at 3-4 Albert St., Williamstown. Director: Peter Newling. Bookings:  wlt.org.au/book-ticketsMordialloc Theatre Company: Broadway Bound (by Neil Simon) Until September 13 at the Shirley Burke Theatre, 64 Parkers Rd., Parkdale. Director: Michelle Swann) Bookings: mordialloctheatre.com.auHeidelberg Theatre Company: Other Desert Cities (Jon Robin Baitz)…

OBSERVER: Rourke’s Reviews

Splitsville(MA). 105 minutes. Opens in selected cinemas September 11.With romantic comedies having become largely bland and juvenile over recent decades, it is refreshing to see Splitsville, a funny and occasionally bruising film that benefits from a strong cast and some clever writing.The film opens with married couple Carey (Kyle Marvin, who feels like a cross…