Culture
Live reviews
Old battles and real-life tragedy lie at the core of this story
Playwright S. Shakthiharan has followed up his acclaimed epic Counting and Cracking with a new play – The Wrong Gods.
- by Sonia Nair, Cameron Woodhead, Karl Quinn and Will Cox
Latest
★★★
Review
This heavy-metal/orchestra mash-up is as awkward as it sounds
Our critics check out the latest shows around town.
- by John Shand, James Jennings and Shamim Razavi
She’s a ‘model, actress, whatever’. And in her first Australian gig, her charisma is undeniable
In this all-ages performance at the Athenaeum, the lighting and smoke create an intense ambience that complements Suki Waterhouse’s stage presence.
- by Vyshnavee Wijekumar, Leila Lois, Cameron Woodhead, Will Cox and Andrew Fuhrmann
This concert was truly special. What a way to kick off winter.
Peruvian theatre company Teatro La Plaza has created a radical reconfiguration of a classic tale.
- by Karl Quinn, Cameron Woodhead, Andrew Fuhrmann, Tony Way, Will Cox and Barney Zwartz
★★★★
Arts
Spellbinding performance does justice to a masterpiece
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra presented a concert of cogency, wisdom, and beauty.
- by Peter McCallum
The dancing may be a bit cringe, but Katy Perry can still put on an electric show
Despite the distracting spectacle, the US star showed she can still deliver her biggest anthems with poignancy and passion.
- by Bernard Zuel, Michael Ruffles and Millie Muroi
When she starts singing, the crowd falls into complete silence
When Ichiko Aoba plays, even the slightest disruption, such as the crunch of a can or the thud of a footstep, is met with a dirty glance.
- by Vyshnavee Wijekumar, Michael Dwyer and Cameron Woodhead
Bangarra’s beautiful moments never quite reach full potential in night of firsts
Illume is Bangarra’s first show in the company’s new home and their first collaboration with a visual artist, but the performance falls short of their finest work.
- by Rod Yates, John Shand and Bernard Zuel
What happens when a famed sinister thriller is stripped back to its bare bones?
This version of The Birds eschews flashy design to focus on intensely rendered performance.
- by Cameron Woodhead, Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen and Tony Way
Secrets and lies laid bare in this tender two-hander
Our reviewers give their verdicts on the latest shows around town.
- by Kate Prendergast and Peter McCallum
If you’re only going to see one musical this season, let it be Beetlejuice
Eddie Perfect leads this highly anticipated Australian premiere, which is an offbeat triumph of camp gothic.
- by Cameron Woodhead and Tony Way
Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/culture/live-reviews