Observer

OBSERVER: William Yang and the MSO

Saturday, March 1, 2025

William Yang has built a reputation as a social profile photographer but his presentation, Milestone, documents not just his life but the social changes that have occurred in Australia over the last 80 years. Born to Chinese parents, he has weathered the racism, lived in a variety of regional areas and become an advocate for…

OBSERVER: Rourke’s Reviews

The Substance(R). 140 minutes. Now available on Blu-ray and DVD.With its incredible word-of-mouth which has lead to a huge following and wonderful awards attention (including at this year’s Oscars), this is superb, provocative film-making.But a word of warning first; this new film from Coralie Fargeat (whose excellent debut 2017 feature, Revenge, had a similarly divisive…

OBSERVER: And Then There Were None

A masterpiece of the murder mystery genre, there is a wonderful production of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None playing at the Comedy Theatre until March 23.Ten strangers are invited to a solitary mansion on an island off the English coast. Trapped there by a storm one of them suddenly dies from poisoning. The…

OBSERVER: Encounters

Four short plays written by award-winning Australian playwright Alex Broun will be presented in Encounters, from March 19 – 22 at the MC Showroom, Prahran.An ensemble of ethnically and age diverse Australian actors, spanning from Green-Room-award winning to experienced all-rounders, internationally renowned movie/stage performers to versatile rookies, tells stories about the human condition from quiet…

OBSERVER: Honour

Friday, February 28, 2025

Joanna Murray-Smith’s Honour has lost none of its vitality and relevance in the 30 years since its first performance.The writing is crisp and the examination of love in all its iterations and guises remains timeless.Murray-Smith does not attribute blame when the 32 year marriage of Honor (Caroline Lee) and George (Peter Houghton) unravels.The ambitious Claudia…

OBSERVER: Alanah Parkin’s Garage Sale

Described as a ‘character chameleon’, Alanah Parkin brings this debut solo show, Alanah Parkin’s Garage Sale to the 2025 Melbourne International Comedy Festival from March 26 – April 6 at DoubleTree by Hilton in Flinders Street, Melbourne.Directed by Isaac Haigh (MICF Best Newcomer 2023, Melbourne Fringe Best Comedy 2022), Parkin has previously graced Melbourne’s festival…

OBSERVER: The Campers

Readers who enjoyed Maryrose Cuskelly’s bestselling novel The Cane will be intrigued by her latest book, The Campers.It is a story that looks at what happens when the concepts of ‘woke’ and ‘not in my backyard’ collide with each other.Protagonist Leah enjoys her live on The Drove, an inner-city cul-de-sac where the neighbours look out…

OBSERVER: Piera Dennerstein

Opera singer turned cabaret cantatrice Piera Dennerstein performs her award-winning solo cabaret Pursuing Pleasure at the Gasworks Arts Park, Albert Park, on March 7 and 8 and also at The Round in Nunawading on April 4, as part of a Creative Australia funded national tour.From Puccini to Cardi B, Piera tells the story, with humour,…

OBSERVER: Cleaved

Australian playwright, former journalist and cartoonist Jane Cafarella (pictured) has published her memoir titled Cleaved.Jane’s work has been widely published in Australia and overseas, her plays have been performed nationally and internationally, and her cartoon archive is held at the State Library Victoria.But what Jane didn’t write about until now was growing up with Milroy’s…

OBSERVER: Purple is the gayest colour

Alayne Dick never forgets an insult, in fact she wrote a whole show about it. Purple is the Gayest Colour will be presented at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival from March 26-April 6 at Tasma Terrace.Following sold-out seasons at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival and the New Zealand Fringe Festival, Alayne is bringing her…