Observer

OBSERVER: Heir

Friday, September 11, 2026

Candice D’Arcy, Blake Barnard and David Gray met in 2023 while studying their Masters degree at the Victorian College of the Arts.Now they are presenting the new Australian play Heir as their first collaboration. Heir will be presented on October 13-17 at 7.30pm at the Festival Hub, Meat Market, North Melbourne in the Craft Room.Written…

Observer

OBSERVER: High School Musical

A tape of Grease standing on a desk was a deft nod to the origins of the story behind Disney’s High School Musical.Troy (Gabriel Tiller) and Gabrielle (Sophia Kouknas) met during the holidays but must now overcome the tribal partisanship of the school they attend to realise their true identities.The energy and intensity, especially of…

Observer

OBSERVER: Crimes of the Heart

Heidelberg Theatre Company’s latest show, Crimes of the Heart, welcomes audiences with an impressive open-stage set depicting the kitchen in the Magrath sisters’ house in Hazlehurst, Mississippi.Designed by Morgan Thomas-Connor,the set extends the full width of the large stage, with admirable attention to detail authentically capturing the play’s 1974 era.Written by Beth Henley and directed…

Observer

OBSERVER: Fairytale Ending

British-born comedian Roisin McAlinden returns to Melbourne for the Fringe Festival with her feminist comedy hour, Roisin McAlinden: Fairytale Ending from October 6-10 at 6.45pm at Bard’s Apothecary.Directed by Penny Greenhaigh, the show is a personal and playful exploration of feminism, gender roles, queer identity, and the power of women telling their own stories.Performance dates:…

Observer

OBSERVER: Manifesto of Silence

The premiere of Manifesto of Silences by Irene Holub will be presented at Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall, from October 6-11.Presented by Arts House and Melbourne Fringe, the work allows audiences to feel their way into a history they may not have lived, .pushing opera beyond spoken language by using Auslan poetry, light, projection…

Observer

OBSERVER: In Conversation – Jock Serong

Gasworks, Sorrento Writers Festival and Avenue Bookstore present In Conversation: Jock Serong on Tuesday, September 22, 6pm-7pm in the Gasworks Main Theatre, 21 Graham St, Albert Park.Jock’s new biography of Sir Fletcher Jones will also be launched, titled A Suitable Man: The Eccentric Empire of Fletcher Jones.Fletcher Jones is one of Australia’s great success stories….

Observer

OBSERVER: Art Column with Peter Kemp

Thursday, September 10, 2026

National Works on PaperCongratulations to Adam Lee, winner of the National Works on Paper 2026 $20,000 Major Acquisitive Award for his work You Are The Wind, I Am The Song, and to Emma Bingham, winner of the Emerging Artist award for her work Holding Pattern.The Mornington Peninsula Regional Galler’s National Works on Paper was established…

Observer

OBSERVER: I Love The Whole World

After writing two successful but serious and gloomy novels, author Victoria Hannan wanted a change.And the result is her new gloriously named positive book called I Love The Whole World.Having gone through an unusually liberating divorce at the tender age of 28, Victoria decided that the experience of separation doesn’t have to be negative and…