Mother Play review | Melbourne Theatre Company

Mother Play by Paula Vogel is a sprawling drama that follows a mother and her two children across four decades. In Melbourne Theatre Company’s season, directed by Lee Lewis, the story is brought to life with compelling performances and smart design choices. With three actors carrying the full weight of the narrative, the production moves confidently through time while exploring the strains, bonds, and psychological complexities of a family shaped by their era.
 
The Herman family’s evolving relationships are anchored by Sigrid Thornton’s powerful portrayal of matriarch Phyllis. Thornton is magnetic and has a presence that doesn't even need dialogue to make an impression. In a delicately constructed wordless montage of time passing, Lewis presents Phyllis alone in her home, where Thornton skilfully communicates the gradual softening of her character’s defences, from the way she carries herself, how she eats and drinks, and even how she observes her surroundings. Every one of her actions are charged with significance.
 
Yael Stone and Ash Flanders play Phyllis’ children, Martha and Carl. Ordinarily, it would be a stretch to accept actors in their 40s playing teenagers, but both Stone and Flanders bring a convincing, wide-eyed energy to their early scenes. They display their characters’ development with restrained voice, stance, and depth. The connection between Martha and Carl is heartfelt with an evident closeness and appreciation that underlines their relationship as it evolves.

Proteus review | National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA)

The circus show Proteus follows a diverse group of characters living together in a strange city, capturing the blend of public spaces and private moments. Co-directed by Sage Bachtler Cushman and Hugo Oliveira, this production offers a thoughtful exploration of human connection through acrobatics, aerials, movement, and physical storytelling performed by NICA's third-year students.

The ensemble is impressive, with each performer given room to shine. Sammy George's contribution stands out as especially hypnotic. His flips and landings are executed with such silent precision that it looks like he's landing on a cloud. He moves with composed grace and calm, maintaining a mesmerising presence throughout the show. Similarly, Immy Turecek's acrobatics and lyra act commands our attention with her skills and charisma. Even during transitions, when she's momentarily isolated among Barrie Michael Baxter's imposing set pieces, her fluidity holds our gaze.

The Wrong Gods review | Melbourne Theatre Company

Set in a quiet village tucked deep in the Indian countryside, S. Shakthidharan's The Wrong Gods tells the story of four women grappling with change. As the push for development creeps closer, traditions begin to buckle under the weight of progress. What follows is a slow unravelling of relationships, beliefs and loyalties. It’s an intimate, character-driven piece that leans into lyrical dialogue and rich visual moments to explore what happens when the world you’ve always known starts slipping away.

Radhika Mudaliyar brings restless energy to Isha, a slightly naive and yet determined teenager desperate to escape her rural surroundings to see the real world and follow her dreams of being a scientist. Her portrayal of a young woman torn between honouring the past and embracing the future is compelling and layered, and her chemistry with Nadie Kammallaweera as her mother is genuinely heartfelt and believable, adding a tender layer to their complicated relationship.

Fat Pig: The Opera review | fortyfivedownstairs

Fat Pig: The Opera is a chamber opera by composer Matt Boehler and librettist Miriam Gordon-Stewart, which is based on Neil LaBute's 2004 play. When sparks fly between Tom and the smart and confident - but fat - Helen, he grapples with defending their relationship against a harsh, image-obsessed workplace culture. As pressure mounts, he’s forced to choose between love and the shallow approval of his toxic colleagues.

Directed with clarity and care by Kate Millett and presented by Forest Collective and BK Opera, this Australian premiere of Fat Pig presents a reflective and affecting opera that explores body image, love, and social expectations through expressive music and storytelling.

Love and Information review | Theatre Works

Caryl Churchill’s 2012 play Love and Information presents over 50 brief, disconnected scenes and more than 100 characters, all exploring how people absorb knowledge, communicate, and try to connect in a noisy world. Each becomes a snapshot of human interaction and emotion. In this 2025 production, director Belle Hansen embraces this chaos with a clever, considered approach that honours the fragmented structure while injecting moments of surprise and style.

Harry Gill’s set design is particularly inventive, featuring a revolving circular platform divided into three segments, allowing for swift transitions and playful staging. It gives the cast lots to work with and keeps the audience on their toes. The multiple entry and exits points along with the versatility in how the stage is used and locations are established, serve to stave off monotony and give scenes some delightful flair thanks to Hansen’s direction.