Observer

OBSERVER: Sundays With WIT

Friday, March 14, 2025

Sundays with WIT present Unlocking Shakespeare with Tim Paige on Sunday (Mar. 23) from 10.30am to 12 Noon at the Bluestone Church Arts Space, 8A Hyde St., Footscray.Shakespeare – the last great vestibule of the English language. A man who taught us to examine our souls, to look within ourselves and help us to distill…

OBSERVER: Into The Woods

South East Melbourne’s emerging theatre collective Upstage Theatre Company is set to bring Stephen Sondheim’s iconic Into the Woods to life under the creative direction of Scott J. Hili.As part of Upstage Theatre Company’s mission to create bold, diverse, and community-driven theatre, this production of Into the Woods will embrace an immersive, visually striking aesthetic…

OBSERVER: Local Theatre Report

ShowsBeaumaris Theatre: Ladies in Black (Book by Carolyn Burns Music and Lyrics by Tim Finn Based on the novel “The Women in Black” by Madeline St John) Until March 22 at Beaumaris Theatre, 82 Wells Rd., Beaumaris. Director: Debbie Keyt. Musical Director: Rhonda Vaughan; Choreographer: Camilla Klesman. Bookings: beaumaristheatre.com.auCentreStage: Come from Away. Until March 22…

OBSERVER: I Could Do That

Have you ever finished reading a book and thought “I could do that”?Major publisher Penguin Random House is offering an opportunity to would-be writers.PRH’s Write It Fellowship Program is open, offering writers from under-represented communities the opportunity to be mentored by PRH editors over 12 months, with the hope of publication.While Write It aims to…

OBSERVER: Bigfoot – In Plain Sight

Bigfoot: In Plain Sight is being presented from April 8-20 at Malthouse.In 2012, renowned Canadian Bigfoot researcher Robert H. McKinley self-published an autobiographical book encompassing his lifelong journey, and bond, with Bigfoot.In 2024, local comedy team Handful of Bugs adapted that very book into a one person comedy show.Set in the freezing Canadian wilderness, the…

OBSERVER: Rourke’s Reviews

Shoplifters(M). 121 minutes. Now available on DVD.Winner of the Palme D’or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, this exceptional human drama from world-renowned film-maker Hirokazu Kore’eda (After Life, Our Little Sister) is compelling and moving, asking the viewer what is the true meaning of family.Inspired by true events, the film follows the Shibata family, made…

OBSERVER: Three Sisters

Thursday, March 13, 2025

1901 to 2025 – Three Sisters has not lost its relevance in being a tale of hope, love, longing and ambition.Anton Chekhov, celebrated Russian playwright although ill, penned this his second last play.Its first performance being in 1901 just three years before his death from years of suffering from Tuberculous.The question was how can a…

OBSERVER: Les Miserables The Arena Spectacular

Saturday, March 8, 2025

Extra performances have been added in Australia for Les Miserables The Arena Spectaculat – The World Tour as it arrives at Rod Laver Arena from May 14.New performances have been scehduled on Saturday May 24 and Sunday May 25.The London production of Les Miserables has entered its incredible 40th record-breaking year, still playing to sell…

OBSERVER: Arts Column with Peter Kemp

he BirdsMUMA is unveilling the eighth Ian Potter Sculpture Court Commission – The BirdsCreated by artists Ben Berean, Callum Morton and Linda Tegg – working collaborative as Monash Arts Projects (MAP) – this temporary installation takes inspiration from the humble bird bath to encourage the return of birds to the urban campus.Comprising six stone boulders…

OBSERVER: Rourke’s Reviews

Friday, March 7, 2025

Mother(M). 127 minutes. Now streaming on Netflix.Not to be confused with Bong Joon-ho’s outstanding 2009 drama, this dark look at a destructive mother-son relationship is also first-rate viewing, even if its unflinching approach may turn off some audiences.Masami Nagasawa stars as Akiko, a single mother who floats through life, sponging off the goodwill of others,…