Click here to listen: KATE HERBERT Arts Weekly 15 Aug26
In this radio review spot on Arts Weekly on Sat 15 Aug 2026, I talk to Nick Tolhurst by phone about Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne, starring Anthony LaPaglia.
I then discuss Animal Farm by Bloomshed, adapted from George Orwell’s novel.
It is approx. 7mins.
KATE
THEATRE
By Anton Chekhov, adapted by Joanna Murray-Smith, Melbourne Theatre Company
At Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne, until 22 Aug 2026
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars: ***1/2 (3.5)
This review is published only on this blog. I’ll present a radio review on Arts Weekly, 3MBS, Sat 1 Aug 2026. KH
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Catherine Van-Davies, Evelyn Krape, Fayssal Bazzi, Philippa Northeast, Daniel Henshall, Don Bridges, Shaun Micallef_Pic Pia Johnson |
Joanna Murray-Smith says she feels an affinity with Anton Chekhov because they both write about the middle class and their woes. Her contemporary adaptation of Uncle Vanya is witty, brisk and peppered with expletives, particularly, but not exclusively, from the perpetually aggrieved Vanya.
With deft, fluid direction by Anne-Louise Sarks, this production combines strong performances with Dan Barber’s captivating stage design, which evokes the falling leaves and faded disorder of the country estate. Surprisingly, the backstage area is exposed, a Brechtian device more commonly associated with theatrical alienation than Chekhovian naturalism.
The comedy is effective, but there is an imbalance between humour and the pathos that characterises Chekhov. Murray-Smith’s version has less of the languor, ennui and existential inertia intrinsic to the original characters, who are trapped in lives they find increasingly unbearable.
Daniel Henshall’s Vanya is suitably lethargic, depressed, cynical and peevish, particularly about having devoted his life, work and youth to his ungrateful, entitled brother-in-law, Serebryakov, known as the Professor (Shaun Micallef). At moments, Henshall resembles a deflating balloon, with his drooping shoulders and sagging knees. Vanya’s obsession with and adoration of Yelena is embarrassing for both of them and seems a wildly inappropriate and ineffective way to fill the sluggish time and soothe his rage against her husband.
Fayssal Bazzi is a charming, sensual Dr Astrov, entirely credible as the love interest of both Yelena and Sonya. Catherine Văn-Davies’ Yelena is privileged and entitled, expecting to be waited upon and adored from afar despite her claims to understand the work and suffering of ordinary people. However, she is more annoyed and stroppy than bored senseless, lacking the listlessness, languor and lethargy we associate with Chekhov.
Evelyn Krape’s Nanny is hilarious, stolid and reliable, sitting smoking her pipe and waiting patiently for the disruption caused by the Professor’s visit to end. Don Bridges is delightfully daffy as Telyeghin, the beleaguered servant.
Philippa Northeast plays Sonya as fiery and naïve rather than the stolid farm girl who suddenly transforms into a gushing adolescent when confessing her infatuation with Astrov. The balance between these contrasting sides is not quite convincing.
Shaun Micallef’s Serebryakov seems focused on the obvious comedy, missing some of the character’s subtler nuances.
Chekhov traditionalists may resist this interpretation, but Murray-Smith and Sarks have created an entertaining, fresh and novel approach to Uncle Vanya.
By Kate Herbert
Cast
Fayssal Bazzi – Dr Astrov
Carolyn Bock – Maryia
Don Bridges – Telyeghin
Daniel Henshall - Vanya
Evelyn Krape - Nanny
Philippa Northeast – Sonya
Shaun Micallef – Serebryakov
Catherine Văn-Davies - Yelena
Creative Team
Directed by Anne-Louise Sarks
Dann Barber (Set & Costume Designer)
Paul Jackson (Lighting Designer)
Grace Ferguson and Joe Paradise Lui (Co-Composers & Sound Designers)
Amy Hume (Voice & Text Coach)
Book, Lyrics & Music by Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss
At Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, until 4 October 2026
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars: ***** (5)
This review is published only on this blog. I’ll present a radio review on Arts Weekly, 3MBS, Sat 1 Aug 2026. KH
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| SIX 2026-27 Australian Cast_Photo James d Morgan _Getty Images |
SIX sets the stage ablaze again with its opening, rocking song, Ex-Wives, that introduces and gives voice to the six wives of Henry VIII then proceeds to reframe and reimagine their “her-story” through a 21st century lens that references modern gender politics.
This outstanding, dynamic production returns to Melbourne with cast changes since its wild success in 2022 and again in 2024. With a musical repertoire inspired by pop divas including Beyonce, Adele, Shakira, Sia and girl groups, was conceived by talented UK duo, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss (book, lyrics, music), and is fiercely directed by Moss with Jamie Armitage. A tight, all-female, four-piece band, Ladies in Waiting, and evocative set (Emma Bailey) and lighting (Tim Deiling) complete the atmosphere.
Carrie-Anne Ingrouille’s crisp, vigorous choreography is fast-paced and sassy with plenty of hip bumps, pelvic rolls and sharp foot work, while Gabriellla Slade’s costumes provide another character with their gleaming bodices and skirts echoing Tudor attire, and their stiff fabrics and sharp lines referencing 16th century armour that provides protection for the women.
Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived is a way to remember the wives, or one can listen to songs that illuminate their lives and marriages while mocking damning assumptions made by past historians about their characters. SIX depicts the wives as heroines, but they were victims of trauma, abuse and imprisonment in Henry’s court.
The conceit for this episodic musical is the wives competing in a twisted popularity contest to determine which queen suffered the worst woes as Henry’s spouse. It’s a close-run thing for some!
The first wife, strong-willed, Spanish Catholic, Catherine of Aragon, is played with passion by Sarah Murr, and her rousing song, No Way, is a declaration of war on the king who divorces her and breaks England from Catherine’s beloved Roman Catholic Church. And, yes, she hits that high C!
Infamous Anne Boleyn, trigger for both the divorce and the rift in the church, played by Mia Paris Scalise, is an impudent, waspish young woman whose perky pop song, Don’t Lose Ur Head, mocks her beheading and is littered with modern text-speak.
The remaining four wives were poorly documented, but that never stopped historians leaping to judgement. Jane Seymour, played this season by Cara Bessey, presents herself as the only queen Henry genuinely loved and Bessey’s heartfelt love ballad, Heart of Stone, moving.
Vivacious, saucy and sassy Kadesa Honeyhill is German Anna of Cleves, and her feisty, razor-edged song, Get Down, reveals a woman who, despite being damned as ugly, survived after divorce to live a comfortable life.
Angela Brischetto is Katherine Howard, whose song, All You Wanna Do, is resonant of Britney Spears’ music and life, expressing a teenage girl’s hopes for love being dashed each time she is abused by another predatory man.
The competition halts when Catherine Parr, played by Lorinda May Merrypor, interrupts the other queens’ rush of blood to challenge them about the soundness of their contest to determine who suffered the greatest trauma. Merrypor’s I Don’t Need Your Love is impassioned and poignant.
This pop-fuelled musical is ferocious, topical and resonates with contemporary audiences who leapt to a spontaneous standing ovation on opening night after the finale, MegaSIX, a thrilling remix for this girl group of queens.
By Kate Herbert
CAST:
Sarah Murr - Catherine of Aragon
Mia Paris Scalise - Anne Boleyn
Cara Bessey - Jane Seymour
Kaseda Honehill- Anna of Cleves
Angela Brischetto- Katherine Howard
Lorinda May Merrypor - Catherine Parr
Creative Team
Toby Marlow -Writer
Lucy Moss -Writer & Co-Director
Jamie Armitage -Co-Director
Carrie-Anne -Ingrouille Choreographer
Claire Healy -Musical Director
Set Design -Emma Bailey
Costume Design - Gabriellla Slade
Lighting Design -Tim Deiling
Paul Gatehouse- Sound Designer
In this radio review spot on Arts Weekly on Sat 1 Aug 2026, I talk to Nick Tolhurst and Phillipa Edwards about:
Click the link:
MUSICAL THEATRE
Book by Garry Marshall & J.F. Lawton, Music & Lyrics by Bryan Adams & Jim Vallance
At Regent Theatre until 13 Sept 2026
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars: *** (3)
This review is published only on this blog. I’ll present a radio review on Arts Weekly, 3MBS, Sat 1 Aug2026. KH
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| Pretty Woman - Samantha Jade, Ben Hall ,image Daniel Boud |
Some films become so iconic that every stage adaptation arrives carrying the audience's memories with it. Pretty Woman is one of them. Audiences know the story, they know the characters and, thanks to Roy Orbison, they certainly know the title song, which makes its appearance in the finale.
So, can a stage musical recreate the charm and romance of one of Hollywood's most beloved rom-coms?
The musical follows the familiar tale of Vivian Ward, a Hollywood sex worker with dreams beyond her current life, and Edward Lewis, the wealthy corporate raider who hires her as his escort for six days while conducting business in Los Angeles. Their worlds could hardly be further apart, yet each changes the other in unexpected ways.
Samantha Jade makes an appealing Vivian. She has an easy stage presence and a voice that is far bigger than her slight frame suggests. Ben Hall's Edward is every inch the successful businessman, controlled, polished and emotionally buttoned up, and he delivers the score with confidence.
The difficulty lies not with either performer individually, but with the relationship between them. The story relies on an unlikely attraction that gradually develops into genuine intimacy and mutual respect. Here, that chemistry remains elusive. As a result, the emotional transformation that sits at the heart of the musical never quite lands.
The book doesn't entirely help. Long stretches of dialogue tend to be functional rather than revealing, and too often provides exposition rather than illuminating character. The relationship feels more narrated than lived. Much of the emotional development is left to the songs, with varying degrees of success. Some tunes inject the production with genuine energy, but several fade quickly from the memory.
Michelle Brasier is a scene-stealer as Kit De Luca, Vivian's fiercely loyal friend. Funny, earthy and completely believable, she brings the audience to life with Rodeo Drive, delivering the number with rock-concert intensity and powerhouse vocals that deservedly earned one of the evening's biggest ovations.
Tim Omaji is equally impressive in the contrasting roles of the exuberant Happy Man and the impeccably discreet hotel manager, Barnard Thompson. His rich, versatile voice moves effortlessly from rock to funk and Caribbean rhythms, while his dancing and natural charisma make every appearance a pleasure to watch. His Happy Man radiates optimism, while Barnard offers a quietly understated counterpoint.
The production is visually slick, the performances are consistently strong and there are moments when the musical finds its stride. Yet it never quite captures the emotional pull that made the film such a cultural phenomenon. For all its polish, this Pretty Woman entertains more than it enchants.
By Kate Herbert
Cast (Principals)
..
Creative Team
MUSICAL THEATRE
produced by Clovelly Fox and 45downstairs
Book by Doug Wright, music by Scott Frankel, and lyrics by Michael Korie.
First produced in 2006; based on the 1975 documentary by Albert and David Maysles.
At fortyfivedownstairs until 2 August 2026
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars: ****1/2 (4.5)
This review is published only on this blog. I’ll present a radio review on Arts Weekly, 3MBS, Sat 1 Aug 2026. KH
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Helen Dallimore-image Ben Fon
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It relates the woeful tale that of two, faded and jaded former socialites who were cousins of Jackie Kennedy (née Bouvier): the eccentric and ill-fated Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale and her daughter Edith Bouvier Beale. They are known as Big Edie and Little Edie.
Wright’s cunningly wrought book depicts the pair in their heyday in
1941, at ages 24 and 47 – a fictional rendering of their lavish lives at that
time – then 32 years later in 1973 when their star has faded, their funds are
depleted, their health is in decline, their friends and family have abandoned
them and they live in abject squalor with dozens of cats, in their formerly
grand, but now dilapidated mansion, Grey Gardens.
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| David Hobson and cast.--image Ben Fon |
The later scenes, action and dialogue are almost fully taken from the 1975 documentary that became a cult hit.
This production, deftly directed by Parke, takes advantage of the quirky, distressed space at fortyfivedownstairs to evoke the decrepitude and despair of both the home and the women.
The entire cast is admirable, but Helen Dallimore is a highlight and brings remarkable versatility, comic and dramatic timing and fine vocal technique and tone to twin roles. In the earlier scenes, she embodies firstly the mother, Big Edie, in her prime, then the daughter, Little Edie, after her mental and physical decline.
Dallimore begins as the wealthy, 1940s socialite who thrives on controlling, embarrassing and demeaning her daughter and treating every social occasion as a personal platform for her mediocre singing. In the second half, set in 1973, she transforms, chameleon-like, into the peculiar, distracted and deluded Little Edie, bursting onto the stage with an hilarious and disquieting rendition of The Revolutionary Costume for Today, with bizarre choreography straight from the real Little Edie in the documentary.
Deidre Rubenstein is compelling and distressing as the older Big Edie fallen on hard times, David Hobson brings his fine voice to her critical father, Major Bouvier, and Meg Williams is sprightly and saucy as young Little Edie.
Frankel’s score evokes the tunes of the 1940s then shifts to a more eclectic style for the 70s. Korie’s lyrics tell the story, cunningly weaving sung snippets into the spoken dialogue to illuminate the characters, elucidate relationships and develop the action.
Pianist, Lyndall Dawson, is the sole instrumentalist on stage but her playing fills the space with music that carries the song and the singers on a wave of sound.
Grey Gardens is not simply a jolly musical. It challenges the audience by disguising a tragedy as a musical. These women are irreparably broken, physically, financially, socially and psychologically. Yet, we laugh with, and at them, then cry for them.
By Kate Herbert
CAST
Helen
Dallimore – Edith Bouvier Beale / Little Edie
Deidre Rubenstein – Big Edie
David Hobson – J.V. “Major” Bouvier / Norman Vincent Peale
Nick Simspon-Deeks – George Gould Strong
Luke Ward – Joseph Patrick Kennedy Jr. / Jerry
Meg Williams – Little Edie
Evan Evans – Brooks Sr. and Jr.
Adeline Hunter – Jacqueline Kennedy
Eleanor Flynn/Jessica Georgeson – Lee Bouvier
CREATIVES
Director:
Tyran Parke
Musical Director: Lyndall Dawson
Choreographer: Freya List
Set Designer: Claudia Mirabello
Costume Designer: Louisa Fitzgerald
Lighting Designer: Sidney Younger
Sound Designer: Nick Reich
Producers: Tyran Parke for Clovelly Fox and Cameron Lukey for
fortyfivedownstairs
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SONGS Act I
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Act II
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Arts Weekly 3MBS-SAT-18JULY-2026
In this radio review spot on Arts Weekly on 22 July 2026, I
talk to Nick Tolhurst about Pretty Woman, the Musical,
and comment on the preview of Rabbit
& Watson. (Nick was able to review it as he saw it after opening night.)
We also talked about the passing of Barry Dickins, and about his body of work as a playwright, poet and artist.
Click here to listen:
In this radio review spot on Arts Weekly on Saturday 6 July 2026, I talk with Nick Tolhurst about two shows I’ve seen recently: Pride & Prejudice (sort of) by Isobel McArthur, and Losing Face by Marieke Hardy at MTC. 4mins 30 (It was short!)
Just click this link:
THEATRE
Losing Face by Marieke Hardy, by Melbourne Theatre Company
At Southbank Theatre, Sumner, until 25 July 2026
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars: *** (3)
This review is published only on this blog. I’ll
present a radio review on Arts Weekly on 3MBS on Sa 4 July 2026. KH
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| Christie Whelan Browne, Genevieve Morris, Michala Banas, Madeleine Sami. Photo by Pia Johnson |
In Marieke Hardy’s black comedy, Losing Face, directed by Leticia Cáceres, three 50-year-old women who were friends at uni, reunite after 5 years and find each other much changed.
This topical play taps into the “zeitgeist”, raising questions about our society’s obsession with youth and the view of ageing as shameful. We are bombarded with ways to stay youthful: Looksmaxxing, body renovation, anti-aging products, lying about one’s age, congratulating those who look younger than their age, and cosmetic treatment versus surgical intervention.
Age is considered unacceptable. Older women become invisible. To deal with this, women – and now, some men – succumb to myriad pressures to beautify and youthify. (Yes, I know it’s not a word!)
Jo (Michala Banas), the still-single, free spirit of the trio, plans the reunion to celebrate her 50th birthday. She has led a bohemian gypsy life but, in her current role as a free-lance travel writer, she wangles a free, long weekend for the three friends to a wellness spa called The Royal You.
It is run by a smug, self-styled beauty guru, Tomas (Wil King), who It turns out to be far more than a wellness centre or beauty facility.
Lauren (Christie Whelan-Browne) is a latter-day hippy living with her husband and two difficult kids in oh-so-cool, rural Castlemaine (aka North Northcote). Lauren is the former wild thing of the three; a recovering booze and drug hound who denies all memory of her youthful, drunken and drugged escapades.
Simone (Madeleine Sami) is brusque, brittle and carrying resentment that Lauren missed Simone’s father’s funeral – just because she had two babies! These days, Simone is about to marry a 20-something woman and is trying way too hard to be younger than her 50 years.
Desperate to relive their youth and despite the impending early start to their wellness day the following morning, Jo convinces her pals to go to a bar and to do some drugs, like they used to do.
The following morning, they all wind up making disastrous “beautifying” and “anti-aging” choices when they’re hungover and still whacked; they get more than they bargained for from Tomas.
This arrogant, vain, camp, flamboyant, self-absorbed man who behaves like a minor deity, manages to somehow to remain unregulated by laws relating to the beauty therapy and cosmetic surgery industry.
His nurse and acolyte (Genevieve Morris), obeys his bizarre orders unquestioningly, but the ending reveals how she’s been used and abused.
Losing Face starts well with the trio’s complex relationships and their shared history being revealed. However, it loses its way when it goes beyond absurd, black comedy into the hysterical and ridiculous.
Losing Face is a black comedy that might be better served by a shorter script. It is a short play disguised as a long one.
By Kate Herbert
CAST
Jo
Michala Banas
Tomas Wil King
Nurse/Competitive Guest Genevieve Morris
Simone Madeleine Sami
Lauren Christie Whelan Browne
CREATIVE TEAM
Director Leticia Cáceres
Set & Costume Designer Jo Briscoe
Lighting Designer Amelia Lever-Davidson
Composer & Sound Designer Kelly Ryall
AV Designer Justin Gardam
Movement Director Hayden Spencer
Assistant Director Laura McKenzie
Dialect Coach for Wil King as Tomas Geraldine Cook-Dafner
Voice & Text Coach Matt Furlani
Choreographer Wil King
THEATRE
Pride & Prejudice (sort of) written by Isobel McArthur after Jane Austen
At Athenaeum Theatre, until 17 July 2026
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars: ****(4)
This review is published only on this blog. I’ll present a radio review on Arts Weekly on 3MBS on Sat 4 July 2026. KH
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Ruby Shannon, Kaori Maeda-Judge Amy Lehpamer, Zoe Ioannou, Teo Vergara- Credit Matthew Chen
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Pride & Prejudice (sort of), written by Isobel McArthur, is exactly what it says on the box: it’s sort of Jane Austen‘s novel, Pride and Prejudice, but with a twist!
The tale of Elizabeth (Lizzie) Bennet, her family and their various romantic exploits, including Mr Darcy (Remember Colin Firth in the lake? Or did you miss the ‘90s?), is told by maid servants from the various houses, large and small. They act as narrators of both the reliable and unreliable sort.
These perky, observant, all-singing and all-dancing maidservants swiftly toss on and off pieces of costume to populate the stage with multiple daffy, broad and comedic characters from Austen’s novel.
This show, deftly directed by Simon Harvey with choreography by Simone Sault, is a jolly parody with lots of familiar 20th and 21st century pop songs that haul Austen’s story into the present.
McArthur’s writing is clever, witty and deeply embedded in Austen’s narrative, characters and themes, but its focus is on how absurd these gentry and nobles appear to their servants and to us.
We meet their versions of not only Lizzie, but also Jane, Lydia and Mary Bennet, Mr Darcy, Charles Bingley and his sister Caroline, Mrs Bennet and even the taciturn Mr Bennet who is represented by glimpse of a newspaper in an upstage armchair.
This multi-talented ensemble delivers a rollicking performance. Amy Lehpamer is remarkable in multiple roles, playing each distinctly different character with precision, impeccable comic timing and fine vocal technique that she modulates to match each character: servant or noble, man or woman. She is audacious as Tilly the maid, daffy as Mr. Bingley and, as his sister Caroline, is toffy-nosed and absurdly seductive. But it is a joy to behold her depiction of the homely Charlotte Lucas as love-sick for Lizzie.
Teo Volgara is bold and vivacious as Lizzie while Ruby Shannon is hilarious as the over-dressed Mary who has a burning desire to sing – badly! Zoe Ioannon’s Mrs Bennet is brash and foul-mouthed, while her Darcy is suitably stitched up and tongue-tied. Kaori Maeda Judge’s Jane is comically needy, and she portrays Lady Catherine de Burgh as pompous and overbearing.
Pride & Prejudice (sort of) is a fat-moving parody that will entertain everyone. However, if you know Austen, it wil delight you even more – unless you’re a toffy-nosed literary snob!
By Kate Herbert
Cast
Amy
Lehpamer – Tilly, Mr. Bingley, Caroline Bingley, Charlotte Lucas
Kaori Maeda Judge – Jane, Lady Catherine
Ruby Shannon – Lydia, Mary, Mr Collins
Teo Volgara – Elizabeth (Lizzy) Bennet
Zoe Ioannon – Mother, Mr Darcy
Creative Team
Written By Isobel McArthur after Jane Austen
Writer - Isobel McArthur
Director – Simon Harvey
Ass Direction & Choreography – Simone Sault
Set & Costume Design – Ana Inez Jabares-Pita
Lighting Design – Jason Bovaird
Original Composition /Sound Design – Michel John McCarthy
Musical Direction – Kohan van Sambeeck
Sound Design - Marcello lo Ricco
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| Amy Lehpamer _ Credit Matthew Chen |
