Observer

OBSERVER: Batshit

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

In a marvellous display of the power of the well-written and well-performed monologue, Batshit was a moving and at times hilarious personal statement of the struggle for independence and respect sought by women.Frustrated by the traditional role models of wife and mother prevalent in the 1960s, a woman, Gwen, seeks some semblance of freedom.However, the…

OBSERVER: Morning Melodies

Celebrating its 40th year of operation, the Morning Melodies daytime concert series had the well-known culinary icon Maggie Beer curate an hour or so of music performed at Hamer Hall by Orchestra Victoria.The program chosen by Beer consisted of seven short pieces from composers Mendelssohn, Suther-land, Mascagni, Brahms, Delibes, Gershwin and Marquez and included well-known…

OBSERVER: NICA – Proteus

The National Institute of Circus Arts presents the third-year student ensemble show, titled Proteus, co-directed by international artists Sage Bachtler Cushman (2010 NICA alumna) and Hugo Oliveira,from June 18-28 at the NICA National Circus Centre in Prahran.Directed by Sage Bachtler Cushman and Hugo Oliveira, with a postmodern deconstructionist point of departure, a peculiar world sets…

OBSERVER: Love and Information

Acclaimed British playwright Caryl Churchill has a season of her play Love and Information currently being performed at Theatre Works in St Kilda.It is a challenging work due to its unique structure, and while at times arresting and entertaining, it equally confuses and overreaches in its ambition.The action of the play is difficult to describe…

OBSERVER: The Great Lillian Hall

Friday, May 30, 2025

The Great Lillian Hall is an inspiring, funny and emotionally challenging subject about a difficult subject – dementia.LilLian Hall (a towering performance from a mature Jessica Lange) is the first lady of theatre, and while rehearsing for a new production of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, she becomes distracted and keeps forgetting her lines, something that…

OBSERVER: Potter Museum of Art opens

The Potter Museum of Art, the flagship art museum of the University of Melbourne, has reopenedto the public, with the exhibition, 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art, coinciding with Reconciliation Week.65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art celebrates the significance and brilliance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art created from time…

OBSERVER: Rourke’s Reviews

Thursday, May 29, 2025

Karate Kid:Legends(PG). 94 minutes. Opens in cinemas June 5.Utterly formulaic and contrived, this latest entry in the long-running franchise is everything you’d expect, but is entertaining enough thanks to good casting and a refreshingly stripped down running time.After one (of many) criticisms aimed at the terrible 2010 remake, which had karate in the title, but…

OBSERVER: James Evans to head Bell Shakespeare

Bell Shakespeare has announced James Evans (pictured) as the new Executive Director, who will commence in the role from Monday, July 7.James has worked for Bell Shakespeare in many different capacities and has been Associate Director since 2016.He has directed mainstage national tours as well as productions for young audiences.He was director of the company’s…

OBSERVER: The Force Awakens

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

The Force Awakens, sequel to The Return of the Jedi and the first of the three Star Wars films in the sequel trilogy, is said to be the most expensive film ever made.It is fitting, therefore, that the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra turned its immense talent to performing John Williams’ Grammy Award-winning score live for an…

OBSERVER: Conversations

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Sarah Kanowski and Richard Fidler will present Conversations Live on stages around Australia to celebrate the program\’s 20th anniversary.Melbourne’s show will be on Monday, August 18 at 7.30pm at Arts Centre Melbourne.Sarah and Richard will take audiences behind the scenes and share the untold stories and moments that stayed with them long after the mic…