Observer

OBSERVER: Macbeth at Royal Botanic Gardens

Saturday, February 15, 2025

Would Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, Macbeth, suit outdoor presentation?Would strong winds destroy vocal clarity?Needless concerns in the Australian Shakespeare Company’s latest offering of Macbeth in the Royal Botanic Gardens.The view on arrival with my picnic basket – a splendid back curtain of the Garden’s mature trees and a raised stage with a bleak layer of wooden…

OBSERVER: Macbeth Film Review

This engrossing black and white film of the enduring Shakespeare tragedy Macbeth is probably best suited to an audience who know the story. Some character transformations without clearer costume may confuse.That said, the uniform-like costumes, set and monochrome colouring, have a hypnotizing synchronicity that pull you towards the enduring brilliance of Shakespeare’s words.This film is…

OBSERVER: Morning Melodies

This year, Arts Centre Melbourne’s Morning Melodies concert series celebrates 40 years, having presented over 450 live performances to more than half a million audience members.Versatile performer Darren Coggan (pictured) will entertain at the next Morning Melodies on Monday, March 3 at 11am and 1.30pm at Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne.Showcasing a selection of songs…

OBSERVER: Macbeth at CPP

CPP Community Theatre presents William Shakespeare’s Macbeth from April 4-12 at the Boronia K-12 College Performing Arts Centre, Boronia.Directed by Kathryn White, CPP Community Theatre is excited to be presenting this play that explores the themes of ambition, guilt, and the corrupting influence of power:“We meet Macbeth, the ambitious nobleman whom three Witches prophesize will…

OBSERVER: Moon Over Buffalo

The Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre Company presents the comedy Moon Over Buffalo until March 1 at 39-41 Castella St, Lilydale.Written by Ken Ludwig and directed by Ian Frost, Moon Over Buffalo is set in 1953.George and Charlotte Hay are two fading stars concurrently appearing in two plays, Private Lives and Cyrano de Bergerac in Buffalo, New…

OBSERVER: Romeo and Juliet

Melbourne Shakespeare Company presents Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, set against the lush backdrop of Central Park, Malvern, from February 28 to March 16..Transported to the intrigue-filled streets of 1940s Vienna, where secrets lurk in the shadows, this 90-minute production combines Shakespeare’s immortal words with the charm of The Third Man and the intimacy of acoustic…

OBSERVER: Jesus Christ Superstar

Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock masterpiece Jesus Christ Superstar will play at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre from March 16, running until June 22.This new production stars Australian musician Michael Paynter, musical theatre star Javon King and soul and blues ‘powerhouse’ Mahalia Barnes.Producer John Frost, on behalf of his co-producers, said: “I am delighted to…

OBSERVER: And Then There Were None

Agatha Christie’s thriller And Then There Were None runs until March 23 at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne.Directed by Robyn Nevin, this brand new production of the best-selling crime novel tells of ten strangers lured to a solitary mansion on an island off the English coast.When a storm cuts them off from the mainland and one…

OBSERVER: Whatever Happened to … Bobby Rydell

When I was a teenager I had all the singles by Bobby Rydell on 45 rpm records. I am sure many of our readers were also fans.He had a bright and breezy style which endeared him to fans throughout the world.Robert Louis Ridarelli was born in 1942 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He won a talent quest…

OBSERVER: The Arts with Peter Kemp

Déjà vu – Mark Forbesis a captivating exhibition of C-Type prints featuring a number of large scale images from Mark Forbes’s recent monograph Collected Memories alongside a handful of images that have not been shared anywhere previously before.The images Déjà vu explore hoe photographs evolve into memories over time, shaping personal and shared narratives.Photographed on…