Theatre First

Stream podcast episodes on demand from https://bitesz.com (mobile friendly). Love Lust Lost (MTC, Melbourne, Australia) (review) Love Lust Lost is the new, immersive and multi-sensory choose-your-own theatrical adventure from Broad Encounters, the trouble-makers behind the legendary A Midnight Visit. Embark upon a strange craft, helmed by the mysterious Captain. Descend to shimmering, new depths i...

Stream podcast episodes on demand from https://bitesz.com (mobile friendly). My Sister Jill (MTC, Melbourne, Australia) (review) A universal tale of the Australian spirit set against the backdrop of 1950s to 70s suburban Melbourne, My Sister Jill is a powerful coming-of-age story from one of the country’s most dynamic theatre collaborations, Patricia Cornelius and Susie Dee. For more details on th...

Theatre First Episode 382 Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.biteszhq.com (mobile friendly). Death of a Salesman (Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne, Australia) (review) Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony Award-winner Anthony LaPaglia takes to the Australian stage for the first time, in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. Hailed as one of the greatest plays of the 20th century and directed by the...

Theatre First Episode 381 Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.biteszhq.com (mobile friendly). Tubular Bells for Two (Melbourne, Australia performance) (review) Two blokes juggle over 20 instruments live on stage in a spellbinding performance. A multi-award-winning hit at festivals around the world, Tubular Bells for Two returns to the stage for one final tour in celebration of the 50th Anni...

Theatre First Episode 380 Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.biteszhq.com (mobile friendly). Moulin Rouge (Regent Theatre, Melbourne, Australia ) WINNER OF 10 TONY AWARDS®, Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film comes to life onstage, remixed in a new musical mash-up extravaganza featuring over 70 songs including everyone’s favourite, “Lady Marmalade,” there are also thrilling new additions suc...

Theatre First Episode 379 Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.biteszhq.com (mobile friendly). Cirque du Soleil Crystal (Melbourne, Australia Performance) Discover a new kind of performance as Cirque du Soleil meets the ice to defy all expectations. Watch world-class ice skaters and acrobats claim their new frozen playground with speed and fluidity as they challenge the laws of gravity with...

Theatre First Episode 378 Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.biteszhq.com (mobile friendly). When The Rain Stops Falling – (Theatre Works, Melbourne, Australia) When the Rain Stops Falling is a magnificently rendered, complex work that continually shocks and surprises. Its drip feed narrative comes together to form a most disturbing picture. It's only when the full truth outs that you come...

Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.biteszhq.com (mobile friendly). Made In China 2.0 – (Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, Australia) I'm faced with a predicament I can't say I've confronted too many times in decades of reviewing. I've just seen a compelling piece of theatre which I'm about to highly recommend, but I'm going to resist going into detail about the plot because of political sensit...

Theatre First Episode 376 Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.biteszhq.com (mobile friendly). The Mousetrap – (Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Australia) Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap opened in London's West End on the 25th of November 1952, and has been running continuously, save for the COVID lockdown ever since. It's fast approaching, 30,000 performances, making it by far the longest runnin...

Theatre First Episode 375 Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.biteszhq.com (mobile friendly). Rone - Time – (Flinders Street Station, Melbourne, Australia) Geelong-born, Melbourne-raised former street artist Rhone, birth name Tyrone Wright, has crafted a remarkable time capsule, three years in the making. It's set in the long-abandoned third floor wing of iconic heritage-listed Flinders Str...

Theatre First Episode 374 Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.biteszhq.com (mobile friendly). Cruel Intentions (The 90’s Musical) – (The Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne, Australia) Cruel Intentions, the 90s musical sizzles with powerhouse performances and a rousing score. There's palpable excitement and anticipation in the theatre even before the metaphorical curtain rises. Once it does, Cruel...

Theatre First Episode 373 Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.biteszhq.com (mobile friendly). Nosferatu – (Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, Australia) The play starts with a heartfelt warning from one of the characters that only tragedy puts you on the map. A plea to save ourselves, that's us the audience, as it's too late for her, rings out. Hence begins the tale of an unremarkable mining tow...

Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.biteszhq.com (mobile friendly). Coming Out – (Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne, Australia) Showmanship, humour, pathos, anger, avert messaging and song are part of this well-meaning, but noticeably stretched offering. At its core is a gay man, Cole, Stephen Loftus, now comfortable in his own skin, although, it wasn't always that way. He talks about his school...

Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.biteszhq.com (mobile friendly). Prima Facie – (Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne, Australia) Tessa Ensler, played by Sheridan Harbridge, is a successful barrister. She knows the tricks of the trade and defends her clients, many alleged sexual offenders, vehemently. She relishes the game, circling witnesses until she's ready to pounce, having lulled th...

Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.biteszhq.com (mobile friendly). Mary Poppins – (Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne, Australia) In a word, Mary Poppins is supercalifragilistic XP alladocious. The theatrics, the staging, set design and magic introduced into this Disney and Cameron McIntosh production are sublime. I speak of everything from the doll's house that opens up to the Banks family...

Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.biteszhq.com (mobile friendly). Oracle – (Atheneaum Theatre, Melbourne, Australia) Oracle is an electrifying and sensual mix of circus, burlesque and dance which showcases the emergence of the 12 zodiac signs, namely how they came to be. It's, the brainchild of Bas G. Pham who's built a reputation for staging visually and physically spectacular shows incl...

Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.biteszhq.com (mobile friendly). Sunday – (MTC, Melbourne, Australia) Sunday Reid is a firecracker. She's a woman unlike any other. She's instinctive, a free spirit. Although she has some mental health issues, Sunday doesn't hold back. She says what she thinks and feels. For more details visit https://www.mtc.com.au/plays-and-tickets/whats-on/season-2023/s...

Theatre First Episode 367 Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.biteszhq.com (mobile friendly). The Legends in Concert 2023 – (The Palms at Crown, Melbourne, Australia) Energy and enthusiasm are the hallmarks of a slick tribute show to some of the greatest musical artists the world has seen. Legends in Concert features tributes to Elton John, (Stephen Sorrentino), Cindy Lauper, (Nellie Norris...

Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.biteszhq.com (mobile friendly). Madagascar The Musical – (Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Australia) A musical for the littlies, preschoolers and primary school age children, Madagascar the Musical is based on the successful animated motion picture. It's colourful and fun and involves live action and puppetry. For more details visit https://madagascarthemusica...

Theatre First Episode 365 Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.biteszhq.com (mobile friendly). MOTHERLOD_^E – (Theatre Works, Melbourne, Australia) 65 minutes of glorious mayhem. That's what you get with this extraordinarily detailed production. It's set against the sprawling layout of a full house, broken into five rooms, a major video screen as a backdrop, and two smaller televisions, stag...

Theatre First Episode 364 Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.biteszhq.com (mobile friendly). Alice In Wonderland – (Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne, Australia) Nonsense, fiddle faddle and poppycock. That's the essence of Lewis Carroll's timeless classic Alice in Wonderland. Now writer and director Penny Farrow has sourced characters, dialogues and poems from several sources to bring the adven...

Slava’s Snowshow – (The Playhouse, Melbourne, Australia) Vanya Polunin is to clowning what Sir Donald Bradman was to cricket, a genius. Honing his highly creative endeavour over decades, he's unique and ubiquitous. When he created Snow Show in 1993, he wanted to go beyond the regulation clown show. For more details visit https://www.slavasnowshow.com.au/ For more Theatre reviews from Alex, visit h...

A delightful, fun, engaging and dynamic family musical. Straight from the West End and wonderfully directed by Lawrence Connor, it's based on the biblical character Joseph. Seen as his father Jacob's favourite son, Joseph is gifted a beautiful technicolor coat by his dad. That enrages his 11 siblings who sell him into slavery. For more details visit https://josephthemusical.com.au/ For more Theatr...

Theatre First Episode 361 Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.biteszhq.com (mobile friendly). The Meeting – (Red Stitch Theatre, Melbourne, Australia) A secret imaginary rendezvous between two towering but polar opposite African American leaders plays out in The Meeting. The pair lived in the same era. Both were assassinated at age 39. One preached nonviolence, the other violent rebellion....

Theatre First Episode 360 Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.biteszhq.com (mobile friendly). Ghost Stories – (Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne, Australia) An engaging professor of parapsychology, talks us through the history of ghost stories, how they came to be and how they evolved over time. Philip Goodman, played by Stephen Rogers dissertation comes complete with photographic and video evid...