A Year Without Summer review | Rising: Melbourne | Arts Centre Melbourne

Florentina Holzinger's A Year Without Summer takes its title from the extraordinary events of 1816, when the eruption of Mount Tambora in present-day Indonesia triggered a global climatic disaster. The resulting crop failures, famine and unseasonably cold weather led to what became known as the "Year Without a Summer", exposing both the fragility of human civilisation and the unpredictable power of the natural world.

Among those affected by this turbulent period was Mary Shelley, who spent the summer of 1816 confined indoors near Lake Geneva with Percy Bysshe Shelley, Claire Clairmont, and Lord Byron. Inspired by conversations of science, mortality and the possibility of creating life, Shelley began writing Frankenstein, a novel that continues to shape understandings of humanity’s relationship with technology and scientific ambition. Holzinger draws on this as the foundation for her production’s exploration of the body and its transformation through medicine and technology.

Turning 25 review | The Butterfly Club

Two women meet. They have various conversations on important topics such as what it feels like to fall in love, are humans ultimately evil, and can you separate art from the artist. Inspired by Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot and Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique, Turning 25 is a feminist absurdist examination of women's wants and desires in the modern world.

Similar to Waiting for Godot, Turning 25 lacks a clear plot, climax, or resolution. In this production though, the two women race through random threads of conversation as they provide commentary on society and evaluate their lives. You can see John's Wife (Eleni Vettos) has adopted some of Vladimir’s philosophical traits, while the Unnamed Woman (Gillian Mosenthal) mirrors Estragon, with less abstract thinking and a more childlike quality. Vettos and Mosenthal present confidence with Georgie Hindle's script and find a good balance in highlighting its humour and vulnerability.

Top 10 Shows of 2024

Another year gone, another year of extraordinary theatre created and performed in Melbourne. I only managed to get to 111 shows (the shame!), due to being out of the country for four months, but as I have been doing for over a decade, I must compile a top ten list.

I say this every year but it's something that deserves repeating every year: sometimes the show that you remember for a long time after, is not the big splashy extravagant piece with recognisable names and a huge budget, but the one that was on for four nights with ten people in the audience. Support your independent theatre makers and venues - some can cost you as little as $20 and can be the most original, inspiring and thought-provoking performances you might see.

There's already plenty to get excited about in 2025, so I urge you to take a risk, seek something new, unknown and different in the new year.

And here are my top ten shows of 2024:

Hit n Hope: A Character Cabaret review (Melbourne Fringe Festival)

From its opening moments, Hit n Hope: A Character Cabaret is utterly ridiculous. Ridiculously hilarious. When they venture out into the audience and ask us "what kind of fish are you?" you just know you're going to be in for an incredibly riotous time with Sugar Bits (Nicola Pohl, Tessa Luminati and Stephanie Beza).

The three performers present various sketches on the male douche bags out there. It's a strong feminist show but with a sharp eye for comedy value and cleverly conveying just how impossibly foolish - and dangerous - men can be.

Even with audience participation, they create a safe environment for all. Their engagement, responsiveness and re-activeness to what is said and done in the crowd - even when they're not seeking anything - is very impressive. And it's the small things that make a huge difference. When someone awkwardly mumbles "oh my god I hate this", Pohl lets it hang in the air and plays with the silence and what has been said.

Top 10 Shows of 2023

It was a much welcomed return for live shows in 2023. The intimacy, connection, and engagement with a variety of works was much needed after the last couple of years. From theatre to dance to live art, from satire to comedy to drama, it was an exciting time once again for the Melbourne independent performing arts scene. This year I managed to attend 141 shows and the below ten are the ones that left an impression on me. If I reviewed the show, a link to the review is provided.

And as I always like to remind people, sometimes the show that you remember for a long time after is not the big splashy extravagant piece with recognisable names and a huge budget, but the one that was on for four nights with ten people in the audience. Support your independent theatre makers and venues - some shows can cost you as little as $20 and can be one of the most original, inspiring and though provoking performances you might see.

As I request of you every year, take a risk, seek something new, unknown and different in the new year.

Here we go:

Getting the inside scoop on being an outsider with Amelia O’Leary's new dance work A Certain Mumble

In 2023, Darebin Arts Speakeasy will celebrate a decade of ground-breaking and award-winning performing arts productions, with Amelia O'Leary's contemporary dance work A Certain Mumble making up part of its 2023 season. O'Leary, a First Nations Gamilaroi dancer and choreographer, will be working with Chinese Malaysian artist Janelle Tan Yung Huey as they explore what it feels like to be an outsider in Australia.

"Being an outsider in Australia means feeling different or like you don't belong," O'Leary says. "We particularly felt like outsiders by encountering indirect and direct acts and attitudes of racism. I also struggled with not belonging in certain institutions and social spaces. I can feel the eeriness and unsettling energies of so-called Australia. In a way, being an outsider helps broadens your perspective and makes you a more interesting and understanding person, but it can make you feel unseen, unheard and misunderstood."

Top 10 Shows of 2022

It was a much welcomed return for live shows in 2022. The intimacy, connection, and engagement with a variety of works was much needed after the last couple of years. From theatre to dance to live art, from satire to comedy to drama, it was an exciting time once again for the Melbourne independent performing arts scene. With "only" 90 pieces of work seen this year, my top ten is merely an indicator of the fantastic works that were put on in 2022, and try as I might, it just isn't possible to see everything, especially while travelling for ten weeks! If I reviewed the show, a link to the review is provided.

And as I always like to remind people, sometimes the shows that will stick with you months and years after you've seen them, that will leave an imprint on your mind, body and soul, will not always be the big budget, flashy ones but the ones that are only on for four nights with ten people in the audience. Support your independent theatre makers and venues - some shows can cost you as little as $20 and can be one of the most original, inspiring and though provoking performances you might see.

Take a risk, seek something new, unknown and different in 2023.

Here we go:

Juniper Rising review (Melb Fringe)

The world came to a standstill when this powerful iconic woman recently passed away.  It was a national day of mourning in virtually every country. Everyone had a story or opinion about her life. It was a unique life and one that no one else will ever come close to experiencing. I am, of course, talking about Juniper Wilde, who accidentally committed her own suicide. Presented as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival, Alex Hines resurrects her alter ego Juniper Wilde in Juniper Rising.

There is one word to describe this show and it is looooooose. SO loose. But Hines thrives on it. She THRIVES. She feeds off the chaos and crazy like a soul-sucking demon feeds off humans. Like a demon in hell. Where Juniper finds herself. But behind all this, there is craft, and it is clever and stupid and absolutely hilarious and frenetic. Hines can take a ridiculous idea and make something hysterical out of it or she'll make a drive-by comment and move on. You never quite know what's going to happen next, and sometimes, you get the feeling that Hines isn't even sure. But it works so brilliantly in Juniper Rising.

Traversing the after life with iconic superstar Juniper Wilde

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the theatre, Juniper Wilde is back with more zest for life than ever be- oh, she's dead. That's right, the icon that is Juniper Wilde has died after losing a lip-sync battle in Hades. But fear not Wildlings, because Juniper has a plan to return to the world but it does involve making a deal with the devil.

If that brief synopsis of Juniper Rising has confused you, then the brains behind the beauty, Alex Hines, has done her job, but it's not easy to create some very twisted and often dark sketches and comedy. "Usually my brain spits these fucked little ideas out at me and if it makes me laugh I’ll do it, even if literally everyone else says no," she explains. "With Wilde Night In and Juniper Rising I’ve been so lucky to have my collaborator and director Sarah Stafford by my side. I’ll go to her with the dumbest ideas and we’ll riff and she’ll shape until it’s a show. Before Sarah it was far more chaotic and unhinged, but she’s got this magical way of helping imagination come to life on stage."

We Too Us Too Me Too Too Too review

There aren't many companies or performers that could promote a show as a dark satirical physical comedy about rape and murder and actually be able to deliver the goods. Fortunately, after years in the making, The Bouffonery have proven it is more than up for the challenge with We Too Us Too Me Too Too Too and its brutal takedown of the patriarchy through the art of bouffon.

Wearing beige hooded unitards with grotesquely exaggerated growths, the four bouffons (Kimberly Twiner, Ell Sachs, Lucy Kingsley and Nicholas O’Regan) move their way to the centre of the stage where they simulate a series of births that don't go exactly to plan, that is of course, until Jimmy is born. While exploring issues related to gendered violence and toxic masculinity with numerous sketches and scenes, Jimmy is used to ground the show and keep bringing us back to its main idea.

To Schapelle and Back review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

Alex Hines is having a pretty crappy birthday. Her dad is missing and Blockbuster is closed. What's a private schoolgirl on a swimming scholarship meant to do? Well not much, because the ancient doppelgänger curse is about to strike and Alex's life is about to become inextricably linked to that of Aussie icon, Schapelle Corby. Alex will need to go To Schapelle and Back in order to see the light on the other side in this incredibly twisted and outlandish Melbourne International Comedy Festival offering. 

While having some background knowledge about who Schapelle is would help with some of the show's subtle (and overt) humour and observations, its look at Australian culture and sense of identity is broad enough for everyone's entertainment. This isn't a show exclusively about Schapelle Corby. Hines' ability to take pop culture references, such as Mr. Squiggle, Big Brother and Chris Crocker, and mould them into something that can slide seamlessly into the Corbyverse is very impressive and reinforces the confidence that Hines has as a performer.

It's clocks, drugs and dopplegängers in Alex Hines' Melbourne Comedy Festival show "To Schapelle And Back"

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction but in her upcoming Melbourne International Comedy Festival show, Alex Hines brings truth and fiction together to create a twisted and outlandish production based on a true story and inspired by her real life friendship with Schapelle Corby. Hines, who bares an uncanny resemblance to Corby brings her uniquely outrageous humour to this show which last year won her Best Feminist Work and Best Work by an Emerging Artist at the Melbourne Fringe Festival for Juniper Wilde: Wilde Night In.

You would be pretty hard pressed to find someone in Australia unaware of who Corby is, having spent almost the last twenty years hounded by media and facing intense public scrutiny. In 2004, a then 27 year old Corby was on her way to Bali when she was arrested and later convicted of smuggling cannabis into Indonesia. She was released from prison nine years later in 2014 and returned to Australia in 2017. To this day, she maintains she did not know about the drugs in her bodyboard bag and that they were planted there.

This story has been something Hines has always been fascinated by and after years of obsessing over it, she's finally getting to perform this to Melbourne audiences. "Years ago, my friend and I were talking about creating a solo show about Schapelle. We were inspired by spooky doppelgänger stories and wanted to make an Australian Gothic extravaganza about a fairytale gone wrong, and it’s been bubbling away ever since then," she says. "Then in 2018 I made a show with Emily Carr and Kaitlyn Rogers called Queenz (nominated for Best Comedy at Melbourne Fringe) about Schapelle as a feminist icon, which was chaos and hilarious, but I still wasn’t done."

Theatre Works 2020 Launch

This Bitter Earth. Image credit: Matthew Predny

Theatre Works has launched its 2020 program and it looks set to be an impressive year of theatre. For forty years, Theatre Works has consistently supported and cultivated emerging artists and theatre companies while being particularly encouraging of new Australian works, something it has once again accomplished. "Theatre Work’s history is steeped in hard work, built by the aspirations of countless artists and passionate creators as they continue to deliver what can only be recognised as powerful, relevant and vital performances," General Manager, Dianne Toulson says. "In 2020, we celebrate and uphold the values that Theatre Works is built on with a provoking, playful and proud program." While all 20 productions can be seen on the Theatre Works website, we have a look at a number of the offerings that are on the table.

Glittergrass - Melbourne International Comedy Festival review

The Fringe Wives Club return to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival with Glittergrass, a feminist explosion of music, comedy and storytelling. The original Wives - Victoria Falconer, Tessa Waters and Rowena Hutson – are now joined by two new members in Laura Frew and Sharnema Nougar. Together they open conversation on a variety of issues around feminism but as this is a show about acceptance and inclusiveness, the Wives don’t focus on people holding them back but rather how they can learn from and support each other.

The talented quintet shares the leads in the musical numbers in both instrument playing and singing, and under the musical direction of Falconer, charm us with their tongue in cheek humour and their matter of fact attitude. In one song, the Wives (along with the audience and the onstage musicians) are asked to check their privilege - with Nougar confessing she is a fortunate home owner in Fitzroy - and another acknowledging the representation and the intersectionality the five performers cover within the scope of feminism.

Dudebox - Melbourne Fringe Festival review

Anything men can do, women can do better right? Except for maybe comedy. Which is why comedian and performer Kimberley Twiner has gathered a few of her nearest and dearest dudes to present 60 minutes of some hilarious dudes being hilarious dudes. Except the 'dudes' in Dudebox are all non-dudes and the show is in fact a patriarchal takedown of the attitudes that men hold towards women and even that women have towards each other.

Joining Twiner are some of the finest 'dudes" in the comedy scene consisting of Becky Lou, Selina Jenkins (Beau Heatbreaker), Fox Pflueger, Lily Fish, Sharnema Nougar, PO PO MO CO and the ever delightful The Travelling Sisters. Together they present wonderfully entertaining and thought provoking acts that has the entire room laughing out loud at their ingenuity.

Of particular note is the 'feminist' hens night complete with penis themed glasses, drink cups and accessories that culminates in a fantastic male striptease that could be taken right out of Magic Mike performed by talented burlesque performer Becky Lou. Twiner's artistic interpretation of Nicholson Street in her tradie act, expertly takes her time in setting the scene and carefully developing a character in a short amount ending with some brilliantly timed big dick energy.

Highness review | Arts House

Melanie Jame Wolf's returns to Arts House with Highness, the second of three parts in her exploration on what it means to be a woman while looking at three distinct archetypes: the Whore, the Queen and the Hag. The first, Mira Fuchs (2016), was an engaging and intimate piece that focused on Wolf's time as a stripper with thoughts and discussion raised on issues such as gender, sexuality, desire and stigma. In Highness, Wolf looks at the women who have been in her life, the Queens, and what it means to wear a crown.

While Mira Fuchs expressed its ideas in an engaging and immersive atmosphere, the same cannot be said for Highness, which gets stuck in repetitive acts being performed on stage and little semblance of any narrative or structure. There were no statements or questions being asked of the audience and while there were moments where it seemed like Wolf was about to put something out there, the scene dragged on to a fizzling conclusion.

Destroy the Fantasy review | KillJoy | Midsumma Festival | Melba Spiegeltent

A woman is out dancing with friends and having a good time. She walks home alone. Most people can guess what happens next. However KillJoy are here to change that narrative. Presented by a trio of feminist performers as part of Midsumma Festival, Destroy the Fantasy is a circus and live art exploration of what being a woman means and the issues still facing them.

With an array of eye-catching and colourful costumes, KillJoy (Mahla Bird, Cat Scobie and Amy Broomstick) present a variety of acts focusing on feminism, equality and the different forms of violence against women. Each act makes a strong statement with regards to what it is drawing attention to, where even as a male, I am able to empathise and understand what it must feel like for a woman to live in this society.

Joan review

It was only a matter of time before experimental feminist theatre company The Rabble decided to take on the life of Joan of Arc, the woman who helped France win the war over Orléans and was later burnt at the stake for heresy and cross-dressing. Twenty-five years after her death, she was declared innocent of her crimes by the courts and was canonised in 1920. Her struggle and persecution is something that still resonates with us today, and with a fierce and poignant feminist perspective on her story, co-creators Kate Davis and Emma Valente bring her plight into a contemporary spotlight.

The show begins with a projection of an eye onto a scrim at the front of the stage. While it originally challenges the audience, there is a vulnerability and apprehension to the blinking eye that lingers in the room. The sound of burning logs and crackling wood as it continues to stare into the audience further builds on the unease and is a hint of what's to come. While we may know the story of Joan of Arc, there are still plenty of surprising and gripping moments to unfold in this production.

Animal review

Watching Animal is a rare theatrical experience. It has such a visceral effect on you that you are left shaken and feeling extremely vulnerable and angry as you walk out. Created by Susie Dee, Kate Sherman and Nicci Wilks, it is an exploration of domestic violence and how women are meant to react in a world where violence against women and male brutishness is celebrated - and it is as gritty as physical theatre can be.

The stage design by Marg Horwell feels like a large shipping container; dark, cold and empty except for a number of small square cages. The two sisters climb and crawl over them, the whole time emoting that they are also caged, desperately looking for a way out. The tattered netting that covers the roof could be seen as protection from the outside but with the many holes in it, it is only a matter of time before it is destroyed. 

Trilogy review | Arts House

Before Trilogy begins, Nic Green appears on stage to inform us that due to unforeseen circumstances, her co-performer, Laura Bradshaw, would not be participating this evening. Rather than cancel it, Green has fortunately decided to make some changes to allow the show to work. I say fortunately, because Trilogy ends up being a brilliant feminist performance art piece on women reclaiming their bodies and their rights, and it would have been an absolutely shame to miss out on this experience.

The first part of Trilogy looks at how women's bodies are presented in the public eye and how women view their own bodies. Green begins with a humourous cheerleading routine that eventually turns into a group of about 30 Melbourne women performing a dance with a freer choreography. However, these volunteers are naked and cover all shapes, sizes, ages and races. They dance joyfully and connect with each other, allowing all their body parts to move along to the music uninhibited. These women are proud and will not conform to the expectations that they must be quiet and passive. It is a physical celebration of women and their bodies, of being a woman and of what it means to be a woman.