Culture
Live reviews
Melbourne undies on stage at Tom Jones? It’s still not unusual
Tom Jones has been touring for six decades, but his arena show was anything but nostalgia.
- by Will Cox, Cameron Woodhead and Tony Way
Latest
★★★★½
Review
Who would have thought a cost of living crisis play could be so funny?
Our reviewers give their verdict on acts all over town from the No Pay, No Way, Carmen, Chris Isaak and Grease.
- by John Shand, Peter McCallum, Harriet Cunningham, Chantal Nguyen and Shamim Razavi
★★★★★
Melbourne live reviews
He was playing the ‘wrong’ instrument – but nailed the concert anyway
Listeners were dazzled with the dizzying accuracy of Vikingur Olafsson’s fast hand-crossing, which was made far more perilous on a modern piano.
- by Tony Way and Cameron Woodhead
This revolutionary feminist was executed at 31. Her ideas never died
Farewell Lady Autumn at La Mama is inspired by the life of Qiu Jin, who was executed after being implicated in a failed assassination plot.
- by Cameron Woodhead, Kosa Monteith, Jessica Nicholas, Barney Zwartz and Tyson Wray
★★★★
Sydney live reviews
Gladys Knight, Empress of soul sings her final goodbye to Australia
Our critics take in some of the latest shows around town, including Gladys Knight, West Side Story, Faure’s Requiem, Wilco and Jessica Mauboy.
- by John Shand, Michael Ruffles, Bernard Zuel and Peter McCallum
This three-course menu pairs the wine perfectly with its cocaine-addled chef
‘Gluttony: A Play in Three Courses’ offers an immersive performance as part of Melbourne’s Food & Wine Festival. Don’t worry, your only participation requirement is enjoying the food.
- by Cameron Woodhead, Andrew Fuhrmann and Barney Zwartz
This festival has the best, and worst, shows in Australia – that’s why I keep going back
A safe program is a dull program. You get exceptional shows by pushing at boundaries – the price of that, however, is that occasionally one will fall flat.
- by Elizabeth Flux
★★★★
Sydney live reviews
A night of ‘blazing splendour’ from Sydney Symphony
Our critics take a look at the latest shows around town.
- by Peter McCallum, Cassie Tongue and Harriet Cunningham
After a blistering Golden Plains set, this duo sets out to conquer Melbourne
This wrap of shows around Melbourne includes Gaslight, Mahler 3, The Streets, Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul, and The Human League.
- by Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen, Barney Zwartz, Cameron Woodhead, Nadia Bailey and Andrew McClelland
It was too hot to dance until the Balkan punk band gave us no choice
An uninvited band, mixed messages, and a closed stage: the WOMADelaide festival dancing through its challenges.
- by Jessica Nicholas