Observer

OBSERVER: A Nighttime Travesty

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

The musical theatre show A Nightime Travesty, which played at The Malthouse, was a wild rollercoaster of a ride.It had some great music and songs but, while applaudable for its bold efforts at providing provocative challenging theatre, was ultimately a failed experiment.In an apocalyptic end-of-days scenario two flight attendants, Angel (played by Carly Sheppard) and…

OBSERVER: Arts Column with Peter Kemp

Saturday, February 22, 2025

Image Economics.In a visual landscape where images proliferate and morph in virtual growth capable of swaying elections, mobilising mass movements and influencing identities and social norms, Image Economics offers a timely reappraisal of how the digital, networked world permeates our offline lives.The digital tools and systems that generate, store or process data – along with…

OBSERVER: First Nations artists at Melbourne Art Fair

A major new exhibition has opened showcasing Victorian First Nations artists from across the state. Colin Brooks (PIctured), Minister for Creative Industries, attended the 2025 Melbourne Art Fair to see the Victorian First Peoples Art and Design Fair Showcase Exhibition, which celebrates the rich cultural and creative diversity of Victorian First Nations artists. Co-curated by…

OBSERVER: Rural Dreams

Friday, February 21, 2025

Award-winning rural crime writer Margaret Hickey (pictured has decided that a change is as good as a holiday.The author of best sellers The Creeoer, Stone Toen and Broken Bay has just renewed a collection of short stories called Rural Dreams, celebrating the Australian countryside.Hickey is based in north east Victoria and enjoys setting her stories…

OBSERVER: Our Monster’s Name Is Jerry

In Our Monster’s Name is Jerry, queer couple Maude (Laura Jane Turner) and Lou (Em Jevons) are desperate to conceive, enduring rounds of IVF without success.An unexpected turn of events occurs when Maude inherits a house from a distant relative.Eccentric next-door neighbour Barb (Amanda LaBonté) soon comes nosing around to welcome Maude and Lou to…

OBSERVER: Fledermaus

The stunning Edna Walling designed gardens of Knowe Cottage (circa 1919) hosted the new production of Fledermaus by Director Robert Ray for Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Victoria.An impressively moustachioed Terence MacManus welcomed the audience (who were peering anxiously at the foreboding skies), switching to a resonant Russian accent for his character Prince Orlovsky. Mac Manus…

OBSERVER: Kagami

Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto passed away in 2023 but, with the aid of mixed reality pioneers, Tin Drum, he performs again in the world of virtual reality. This installation is part of the Asia Topa festival showcasing artists from the Asia-Pacific.The audience wears VR goggles. They can walk around the image of Sakamoto as he…

OBSERVER: Rourke’s Reviews

Longlegs(MA). 101 minutes. Now available on Blu-ray and DVD.With The Monkey now showing in cinemas, it is a good time to revisit the film-maker’s previous hit. Osgood Perkins (son of Anthony, of Psycho fame) returned after a four-year break with his fourth film as director, and like his previous efforts, is an imaginatively crafted mood…

OBSERVER: Spit

Thursday, February 20, 2025

A sequel to the successful 2003 movie Gettin’ Square, the film Spit is a “criminal-with-a-heart-of-gold” story which, while sympathetically portraying the plight of refugees in Australia, suffers from a cliched script and plodding pace.The central character, Johnny (Spit) Spitieri (played by David Wenham), is a small-time criminal who returns from overseas only to find himself…

OBSERVER: Darebin Arts Speakeasy

Darebin Arts Speakeasy presents the new trans thriller Djuna from March 12-23 at the Northcote Town Hall Arts Centre.Produced by the Bullet Heart Club, written by Australian playwright Eva Rees and performed by Jay Gold and Dion Mills, the physiological thriller has been directed by Bullet Heart Club’s Kitan Petkovski, and explores identity, power, and…