VISTA review | Malthouse Theatre

What if you could watch the same story twice, but see something completely different the second time? This is the intriguing premise of Stephanie Lake's new dance work VISTA, which presents two acts as two contrasting versions of the same reality. The first is a precise, monochromatic world of dynamic physicality, music and light. After the interval, this previously seen world returns in a bold burst of colour, with familiar movements and ideas transformed by a fresh perspective. Through this clever structural conceit, VISTA challenges the audience to reconsider what they think they know. As choreography, relationships and images return in altered forms, the work demonstrates how dramatically context can change our understanding of an experience.

Our Seventh String review | The Motley Bauhaus

In Our Seventh String, six friends and former housemates reunite at their Melbourne sharehouse after seven years apart. Over the course of the evening, long-held rivalries, love confessions, heartbreaks, and old resentments are reopened as the group contends with the changes they have all undergone in the intervening years, and what happens when the people you have spent so much of your life with are no longer the people with whom you should spend the rest of it.

Paperfolk Theatre is a new independent theatre company with emphasis on folk-inspired work, so it is no surprise that music plays a significant role in Our Seventh String. With music and lyrics by Emily Napolitano, Henry Smith and Lauren Green, the production features some moving and heartfelt songs, with well-crafted melodies and a variety of instruments that complement the various voices. With seven performers, there is a great range of vocal styles, but it is the duet with Frances (Miriam Ellins) and Thea (Harper Elwyn) that stands out as a particular highlight.

Rabbit & Watson review | Darebin Arts Speakeasy

Love has always inspired stories of devotion, sacrifice and impossible odds, but few take that journey quite as literally as Rabbit & Watson. Shane Woon's latest work reimagines the Chinese mythological figure Tu'er Shen, the Rabbit God of gay matchmaking, placing him in the unlikely world of Australian football. When Rabbit's centuries-old lover returns as Watson, a rising AFL player, he must navigate love, identity and the expectations placed upon him across the celestial and human realms. Blending Chinese mythology, Boys' Love, fantasy and AFL culture, Rabbit & Watson is a thoughtful exploration of what it means to search for belonging while carrying the weight of history, family and tradition.

Normally, I would bristle at the idea of a two-hour show without an interval, but Woon's concept and storytelling are so intriguing and refreshing that I never found myself growing restless or checking the time. Even so, the script would benefit from some judicious editing to tighten its structure. A subplot involving young footballers Cypress and Jaxson could be removed without diminishing the central narrative or its engagement with homophobia, sexuality, and relationships. With another character already questioning their sexuality, this storyline is repetitive rather than expanding the narrative, diluting the impact of the more compelling arcs.

Heartbreak Hotel review | Arts Centre Melbourne

Heartbreak is one of life's few universal experiences, yet no two people navigate it in quite the same way. In Heartbreak Hotel, New Zealand theatre-maker Karin McCracken transforms the aftermath of a failed relationship into an inventive blend of comedy, reflection, music, and science, inviting audiences to laugh at the messiness of love while recognising a little of themselves along the way.

Heartbreak Hotel is an exploration of what happens after a relationship ends, not just emotionally, but physically and psychologically. McCracken draws on her own experience, scientific research and pop culture to examine the strange ways heartbreak manifests, from obsessive thoughts and unanswered questions to the physical response to loss. Rather than presenting a linear narrative, McCracken constructs the work as a collage of ideas, where seemingly disparate threads gradually reveal themselves to be woven together, resulting in a performance that is intellectually curious and authentic. Her writing is witty and self-aware while acknowledging the pain of heartbreak.

Bring It On: The Musical review | Theatrical Inc | The National Theatre

Bring It On: The Musical carries the legacy of one of the most beloved teen comedies of the early 2000s. The 2000 film, starring Kirsten Dunst and Eliza Dushku, became a pop culture favourite thanks to its sharp humour, fierce rivalries, and endlessly quotable cheerleading drama. More than a decade later, the story made the leap to the stage with a musical adaptation featuring a score by Tom Kitt and Lin-Manuel Miranda, lyrics by Miranda and Amanda Green, and a book by Jeff Whitty. Rather than simply retelling the film, the musical takes the spirit fingers of Bring It On and spins it into a new story set in the same high-stakes environment of competitive cheer.

The musical follows Campbell, the accomplished captain of the Truman High cheer squad, whose world is upended when a redistricting decision forces her to transfer schools. Struggling to find her place at Jackson High, Campbell becomes involved with a very different cheer team, sparking rivalries, friendships, and a battle for national championship glory.