The Pandas of The Adelaide Zoo review | Club Voltaire

Two giant pandas, Fu Ni and Wang Wang, are trapped in captivity at Adelaide Zoo, staring down the ultimate ticking clock: Fu Ni’s three-day mating window. Zookeeper Trev and ranger Hayley are on high alert, praying these bamboo-loving divas finally produce the cubs everyone’s been waiting for. But will Fu Ni embrace motherhood or reject Wang Wang for the elusive, commitment-phobic male nature has said he is? In The Pandas of the Adelaide Zoo, Ryan Smith turns a true story into a whimsical, slightly tragic comedy of errors, where these pandas’ romantic misadventures are as endearing as they are exasperating.

Smith’s script tells two stories in parallel. One follows Wang Wang (Smith) and Fu Ni (Elizabeth Harvey) as they pass their hours, days, and years within the zoo, relying on nothing but each other for company. The second traces Trev and Hayley (Jake McNamara and Charli Lewis) as they record an episode of Totally Wilderness, observing the pandas, with each person bringing their own intentions, curiosities, and emotions to the encounter.

Ryan Smith is letting pandas show us what it means to be human | Club Voltaire

In a world where pandas talk, romance comes with deadlines, and absurdity meets empathy, Ryan Smith’s The Pandas of the Adelaide Zoo takes audiences on a delightfully unique journey. Blending facts with embellishments, the play explores the quirks of animal behaviour while holding up a mirror to human relationships and pressures through the lives of two pandas. In this interview, Smith chats to us on why talking pandas, romance on demand, and a little nonsense can reveal much about human behaviour.

This is an “almost true” story, and while it sticks to the essence of real-life events, some creative liberties were taken, including, but not limited to, giving the pandas the ability to talk. "Well I guess the biggest liberty was that pandas don't talk. Our pandas do, they talk a lot," Smith tells me. "This was one of those plays that began with a one-line gag and then the more I pulled at the thread the more intriguing it became. I was constantly researching the breeding habits of pandas (my search history is bizarre and a little concerning) and the more I learnt the more I said 'well that has to be in the show'."

The Placeholder review | Midsumma Festival | fortyfivedownstairs

In The Placeholder, Ben MacEllen delivers a heartfelt kitchen-sink drama set in a regional town, exploring friendship, identity, and the realities of life within a tight-knit group of women. As they navigate the death of a friend and the transitioning of another, the characters grapple with love, loss, and change - all unfolding in the intimate space of Pat’s kitchen. The production combines humour, emotional depth, and quiet poignancy, capturing the joys, conflicts, and complexities of relationships as they play out in this well-worn domestic setting.

MacEllen has crafted a very personal narrative, full of drama and heart. While the show centres on Nic’s transitioning, we also witness cancer battles, marriages, separations, funerals, and other surprises, yet it is never overstuffed. MacEllen features plenty of discussions on LGBTQ+ issues like marriage equality and transgender experiences, but it does not come across like an overt lesson. Instead, we are made privy to these unfolding naturally within Pat’s household.



The Placeholder: A trans narrative takes the stage | Midsumma Festival | fortyfivedownstairs

In a regional town, a close-knit friendship group is navigating two major waves of upheaval at once: the death of a friend and the transition of another. Written by transgender man Ben MacEllen, The Placeholder positions these experiences in tandem, finding space to explore how change, loss, and identity ripple not just through an individual, but through a community.

MacEllen unpacks how these themes came together in the writing process, and what this pairing allowed him to examine that might not have emerged had they been interrogated in isolation. "As a trans man, I naturally draw from things I’ve lived or felt, even if they show up in different ways on the page. Our protagonist, Nic, isn’t a proxy for me, but he definitely carries a few familiar threads, bits of my own transition, and things I’ve picked up from other trans folks over the years."

Love Machine is turning oversharing into coded confessions (Melbourne Fringe Festival)

Tom Richards is stepping into new territory with Love Machine: his first installation, first hardware build, and first time coding. The project, presented as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival, pairs humans with a slightly clunky computer, inviting participants to share, reflect, and explore the nature of intimacy in a digital world. It’s equal parts experiment, theatre, and cheeky curiosity, with a touch of AI.

Richards has faced plenty of hurdles and even a few tears along the way in bringing this project to life. "There were loads of firsts with Love Machine!" he laughs. "Straight out of the gate, coding and hardware. I was relying heavily on AI and LLMs (Large Language Models) while learning Python in parallel."

"Now I know that AI is a bit of a dirty word in the arts industry, and rightfully so, I don’t trust it either, but it has been an interesting process nonetheless," he tells me. "For clarity’s sake, AI did not create this idea, it is not designed by AI, I designed it and I am using AI to achieve things out of my technical range. It's been the biggest obstacle and boon, because the amount of back and forth with AI has been incredibly time consuming, far more than it would have been with a programmer or creative technologist, someone I didn’t really have access to."

Rumbleskin review | fortyfivedownstairs

A trucker picks up a pregnant teen on an empty stretch of road, a young rodeo rider stumbles onto a mysterious ranch, and a fugitive arrives in a cursed town seeking safety. These three stories form the backbone of Rumbleskin, that is set against a rugged Western backdrop. Unrest spreads across these lands through a strange disease known as the rumbleskin. This original story by Ames May Nunn fully embraces the Western environment while delving into ideas of transformation, identity, and survival in this striking queer folk tale spanning generations and the shifting landscapes of the heart.

The cast of five display great skill as an ensemble, but in their individual portrayals of numerous characters, there are moments that are slightly off. Ziggy Resnick holds our gaze as Celia, a hitchhiker with lucky thumbs, but it’s as the Preacher’s Daughter that she commands the stage. Luke Wiltshire is also compelling as both Ditch and the Preacher, and the pairing of these two actors is a stroke of genius as they spark off each other in their limited shared scenes. The depiction of Young Scratch by Sunanda Sachatrakul, and the Runaway by Cassidy Dunn are questionable - but given the strength of their work in other roles throughout the show, this seems more like a directorial choice than a reflection of their ability. Both are played with exaggerated intensity, lacking the nuance or subtlety that could make them really land. Lines are occasionally shouted seemingly for the sake of it, and some control in delivery would go a long way.

garçon review | Northcote Town Hall

In garçon, wani toaishara invites us into a soulful reflection on growing up Black in Auckland, New Zealand. Drawn from his memory, the production examines the push and pull of youth, its delights, its risks, and the events that mould who we become. With poetic narration and a keen eye for detail, wani blends humour, hardship, and tenderness into something that is personal and moving.

Having won the Australian Poetry Slam championship in 2019, wani has a remarkable gift for language. The way he articulates himself and selects his words is precise and striking, blending expressive storytelling with candid, understated feeling. His captivating style brings to life not only his own journey but also lends unique voices to the supporting figures - real individuals from his life - making each one vivid and unforgettable. Wani takes us deep into his world, and encounter the joys, struggles, and endurance that shaped him.

Here You Come Again review | Comedy Theatre

Here You Come Again is a jukebox musical that weaves Dolly Parton’s celebrated country tunes into the story of Kevin, a man stuck in lockdown during the height of the COVID pandemic. Lonely and directionless, he finds unexpected guidance in the form of an imagined Dolly - part muse, part motivator - who helps him make sense of his stalled life. With a simple two-person cast and a setlist of familiar hits, this production aims to offer a gentle message about finding resilience when everything feels uncertain.

The success of a show like this rests heavily on the rhinestone-studded shoulders of whoever takes on the role of Parton, and it has well and truly struck pink with Tricia Paoluccio. Under Gabriel Barre’s direction, she captures Dolly’s voice, laugh, and mannerisms with uncanny precision. It’s not simply an impression, but a fully realised performance with her musical numbers also a highlight. Alongside the talented onstage band and Andrew Worboys’ musical direction, these songs are delivered with wonderful energy and authenticity.

Everything That Happened at Number 68 review | Melbourne International Comedy Festival | Chinese Museum

Having lived on my own for the last decade, the memories of share housing are far behind me. While I don’t miss it at all, it's a rite of passage that most of us go through. In Everything That Happened at Number 68, Nick Robertson unpacks his own rite of passage through living with strangers who gradually become friends, and the random and messy antics that linger in your heart and mind for years.

There’s a cosy and relaxed ambience as you walk into the venue, some chilled Sunday afternoon tunes playing (even if it's a Wednesday evening), and Robertson already on stage, offering us cushions, blankets, tea, and lozenges. It’s fittingly homely. Once we’re settled in, he begins to recount the fateful day he interviewed for a room in a share house, and everything that unfolded in the years that followed.