Melbourne Comedy Festival Review: The Dumtectives In Cirque Noir

The Dumtectives In Cirque Noir is a dazzling hour of breath-taking slapstick and comedic brilliance. The brainchild of local circus company Dummies Corp, Dumtectives, staged at the Famous Spiegeltent in the Arts Centre forecourt, uses the framework of a 1940s film noir as a springboard for acrobatic stunts, cheeky stripteases, bawdy burlesque, marvellous mime, astounding juggling feats and innovative puppetry, all incorporated into what is a largely dialogue-free show.

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An Interview with Passenger

Passenger will release his 13th studio album, Songs For The Drunk & Brokenhearted on January 8th. Penned by Passenger – aka Mike Rosenberg – when he was newly single, the album features that raw and authentic vulnerability that Passenger’s global fan-base has grown to love.

Fans from all over the world have the opportunity as well to tune into a very special performance of Passenger and his new record from the iconic Royal Albert Hall in London on January 10, 2021. Due to a partnership with Ecologi and the Eden Reforestation Project, a tree will be planted for every physical copy of Songs sold via the Passenger store. All physical packaging is made from 100% recycled materials.

Passenger is an multi award winning, platinum selling singer-songwriter from Brighton, England. Although still known for his busking, he long ago made the journey from street corners to stadiums – most notably with Let Her Go, which reached number 1 in 19 countries, was certified 7x platinum in Australia and has over 1.2 billion streams.

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An Interview with Mardi Wilson

Mardi Wilson is a singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist hailing from Brisbane, Queensland. Her unique mix of folk and alternative sounds with a laid-back, surf edge saw her complete a successful east coast in 2019. In advance of her newest single being released tomorrow, we caught up with Mardi to discuss what it’s like being vulnerable, the van life movement and the perfect partnership between music and art.

Your press release describes your music as a mix of alternative and folk, but often times publicists need to pigeon hole music to suit genre normalities. How would you describe your music to people who may not have heard it before?

I’ve been trying to find a genre for ages, which is a tricky thing to do! I like to call it ‘surf folk’ – it’s a fusion between folk and alternative with a singer-songwriter vibe and a little bit of that new “Aussie” sound you hear a lot of bands with an alternative edge have … It’s a bit hard to explain (laughs). It’s nice to know people connect with your music no matter what the genre is you’re hitting.

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The Secret Garden Musical Sneak Peek

The Secret Garden returns to Australia later this year, and TaTS was lucky enough to attend the Melbourne media launch earlier this week at Her Majesty’s Theatre.

Produced by John Frost and Opera Australia, 2020 marks the 25th anniversary production, based on the 1911 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett and its film adaptations of the same name. Anthony Warlow returns as Archibald Craven, the master of Misselthwaite Manor, and is joined by Georgina Hopson, Rob McDougall, Alinta Chidzey, Rodney Dobson and Gold Logie winner Rowena Wallace.

We’ll be sharing interviews with the cast very soon, but for now, please enjoy the videos below to entice you to buy tickets, now on sale at secretgardenmusical.com.au

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Review: War Horse

Playing at the Regent Theatre, Melbourne until February 8
The Lyric Theatre, Sydney from February 15-March 15
The Crown Theatre, Perth from March 24-April 12
https://warhorseonstage.com.au/

There’s certainly one thing audiences will remember above all else from this incredible production – the incredible horse puppets which are simply astounding. But even though the horses are the undisputed stars of the show, the emotional core of this wartime story is still strong and this is an incredibly emotional production that that most people will shed a tear to while viewing.

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Review: ‘The Choir Of Man’ at The Playhouse, Melbourne (2020)

Playing at The Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne until January 12

Tickets: https://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/whats-on/2020/contemporary-music/the-choir-of-man

Tour dates and more info: https://choirofman.com/

It’s not often you attend a show and before you can take your seat, you’re invited up to the stage to join the cast in a friendly pint from an actual working bar on the stage floor. But that’s what happens to attendees of The Choir of Man, a rollicking 90-minute singing session with a troupe of likeable British lads who instantly win over the crowd with their warm and friendly demeanour, and have the audience on side even before they start singing, even without the free beer.

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Review: Chicago The Musical

What: Chicago The Musical
Where: The State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne

Performances run until February 23, 2020
For more information, please visit https://chicagothemusical.com.au/

A truly iconic musical, Chicago has graced the stages of Melbourne many times in the past, but this current revival, just having opened in Melbourne after sell-out runs in both Sydney and Brisbane, will surely rank amongst the very best of them.

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