Shakespeare’s proofreader, Ian, was having a bad day. He had missed breakfast, the black plague infection on his face was inexplicably making his left knee itchy, and, on top of all that, his boss was a cunt. Clutching a heavily-red-penned copy of Shakespeare’s newest play, Sweet Hamlet’s Badasssssssssss Sex Song, Ian knocked upon his employer’s [...]
Sunday, January 8, 2012 – Forum Theatre, Melbourne
Bridget Neval Phillips examines word vomit.
A Christmas carol cross-examination.
I’m something of a Beatles nerd, so the “Across the Universe” film-musical stands to be the only movie I’ve ever wanted to hate-fuck. Despite/because of this, I chose to meet with the film’s director Julie Taymor for a tête-à-tête that commenced right before the tech-rehearsal of her Broadway spectacular, “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” – [...]
Henry Rollins announces a 2012 Australian tour.
SIX THINGS I LEARNT WHILST STUCK INSIDE A CHILD’S BATMAN COSTUME by Fabian Lapham You know how, sometimes (like 2:30 pm last Wednesday), when you’re at Kmart, feeling a bit depressed and unemployed, and you’ll see a child’s Batman costume and think to yourself; “I’d be happier if I wore that”? So instead of buying [...]
Mr Simon Taylor loves two things, language and asking the big questions… and comedy. So technically, that’s three things – oh and he likes psychology, comedy and large audiences. I’ll assume he likes a lot of things. With the Fringe Festival dawning on us for another year, we get set to ride the artistic ebb, [...]
There is little one can say about The Bedroom Philosopher that he hasn’t already thought of and made into a song. ‘Poor man’s Flight of the Conchords’, ‘rich man’s Andy Warhol/poor man’s Kevin Rudd’, ‘poor man’s lesbian fringe’…these observations came as part of an extended rant triggered through one rather indelicate audience member. It is [...]
Being part of the largest arts festival on Earth might put off some, but Aussie comic Shane Matheson isn’t daunted by the immense throng of comedians, actors, playwrights, singers, dancers, Hitler impersonators and acupuncturist opera setting upon Edinburgh for the city’s annual Fringe Festival. Known already in Melbourne and Sydney comedy circles for his unique [...]
Brendan Gleeson is one of those actors who’ve been great for decades, playing scene-stealing role after scene-stealing role, without ever getting a meaty lead role to their own. He did good work in 2009′s Churchill biopic The Storm, but that necessitated a dour approach. Finally, gloriously, writer/director John Michael McDonagh has given him Sergeant Gerry [...]
Melbourne is a perpetually bored city. We can’t go a week without some sort of festival, gala, or multicultural shebang. But that’s what’s so great about it- there is always something to do, and it’s usually brilliant. So here we are, three-odd months after the epic Melbourne International Comedy Festival has ended, and it is [...]