Pretty Woman the Musical REVIEW 16 July 2026 *** (3)

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

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)

 

• Samantha Jade – Vivian Ward
• Ben Hall – Edward Lewis
• Michelle Brasier – Kit De Luca
• Tim Omaji – Happy Man / Mr Thompson
• Nathan O'Keefe – Philip Stuckey
• Drew Weston – Giulio

 

..

Creative Team

• Book: Garry Marshall & J.F. Lawton
• Music & Lyrics: Bryan Adams & Jim Vallance
• Director & Choreographer: Jerry Mitchell
• Australian Recreation: Rusty Mowery
• Scenic Design: David Rockwell
• Costume Design: Tom Rogers (original Broadway costumes by Gregg Barnes)
• Lighting Design: Kenneth Posner & Philip S. Rosenberg
• Sound Design: John Shivers
• Orchestrations: Will Van Dyke

 

Grey Gardens, REVIEW 19 July 2026 ****1/2

  

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

 Helen Dallimore-image  Ben Fon

 

Grey Gardens is an inspired musical adaptation of a true story, that has a remarkable book, (Doug Wright, music (Scott Frankel) and lyrics (Michael Korie), and Tyran Parke’s production at 45downstairs boasts exceptional performances and direction.

 

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.

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

SONGS Act I "The Girl Who Has Everything" ≈ — Recording of Edith's voice "The Five-Fifteen" — Edith, Gould, Brooks, Jackie and Lee "Mother Darling" — Edie, Edith, and Gould "Goin' Places" ≈ — Joe and Edie "Marry Well" ≈ — Major Bouvier, Brooks, Jackie, Lee and Edie "Hominy Grits" — Edith, Gould, Jackie and Lee "Peas in a Pod" — Edie and Edith "Drift Away" — Gould and Edith "The Five-Fifteen" (Reprise) — Edith "Daddy's Girl" — Edie and Joe "The Telegram" — Edie "Will You?" — Edith

Act II "The Revolutionary Costume for Today" — Edie "The Cake I Had" — Edith "Entering Grey Gardens" — Ensemble "The House We Live In" — Edie and Ensemble "Jerry Likes My Corn" — Edith "Around the World" — Edie "Choose to Be Happy" — Norman Vincent Peale and Ensemble "Around the World" (Reprise) — Edie "Another Winter in a Summer Town" — Edie and Edith "The Girl Who Has Everything" (Reprise) — Recording of Edith's voice

 

RADIO REVIEWS Arts Weekly 3MBS-SAT-18JULY-2026

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:

Arts Weekly Sat 18 July 2026 

RADIO REVIEWS Arts Weekly 3MBS SAT 4 JULY 2026

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: 

Kate H Arts Weekly 6July2026 

 

 

Losing Face REVIEW 26 June 2026 *** (3)

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

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

 

 

 

 

Pride & Prejudice (sort of) REVIEW 23 June 2026 **** (4)

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

Ruby Shannon, Kaori Maeda-Judge Amy Lehpamer, Zoe Ioannou, Teo Vergara- Credit Matthew Chen

 

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 20^th and 21^st 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

 

 

Amy Lehpamer  _ Credit Matthew Chen 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporare - Evan Task in Space COMMENT 17 June 2026

      

THEATRE – COMMENT ONLY

Devised and Performed by Matthew Crosby & Tessa Luminati

At Theatre Works Explosives Factory, Inkerman St , St Kilda, 17- 27 June 2026

Comment: Kate Herbert

Stars: Not reviewed

This review is published only on this blog. I presented a radio review on Arts Weekly on 3MBS on Sat 20 June 2026. KH

Matt Crosby – Corporare – image Joe Calleri

 

So, what happens when the richest man on Earth decides he’ll be the first to land on — and colonise —Mars?

 

In Matt Crosby’s new show, Corporare - Evan Task in Outer Space. Crosby takes on that big question, mixing wild bits of science fiction, nods to classic sci-fi films, comedy and scathing satire about such things as out-of-control AI (self-driving cars included) and the potential disasters associated with unchecked technology. 

 

Crosby and his long-time creative partner and director, Tessa Luminati, created this work with inventiveness and a minimal budget.

 

It is a physical show, with minimal set and props and the pair craft an abstract representation of not only the character’s spacecraft, but space itself and even the surface of Mars. That’s no small feat for a low- no-budget show.

 

This production is fresh, funny and extremely relevant, especially when the main character, Evan Task,  is inspired by – or is a not-so-subtle stand-in for – a certain trillionaire.

 

So, will Task pull it off? You’ll have to see this clever production and find out before it closes on 27 June..

 

KATE HERBERT

Sea Wolves Howl REVIEW 13 June 2026 ***

THEATRE

Written by Carole Patullo, Jane Bayly, Yoni Prior, based on stories of the Sea Wolves

At various venues across Melbourne & Victoria from June 2026

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Stars: *** (3)

This review is  published only on this blog. I presented a radio review on Arts Weekly, 3MBS, Sat 20 June 2026. KH

Sea Wolves Howl - cast - image supplied

 

Sea Wolves Howl is  a warm and cosy show, despite being about freezing in the chilly waters of bay!

A cast of five (Carole Patullo, Jane Bayly, Carmelina Di Guglielmo, Kelly Nash, Em Jevons), four older women and one younger performer, performs this community show that is based on the real stories of a group of women who started swimming daily at Mount Martha on the Peninsula, come rain, shine, winter or summer.

These intrepid women call themselves the Sea Wolves: they hold hands, howl like wolves and step valiantly into the cold waters of the bay.

The script, based on the real swimmers’ stories, is written by two of the performers, Patullo and Bayly, with director, Yoni Prior.

Community Theatre that is designed for a target community, written from community stories, about community issues, and performed for that specific community, cannot be reviewed in the same way as other theatre. Although this production is performed by professionals, the purpose must be considered: to reflect the stories of the women who have share shared their lives and related how swimming with the Sea Wolves changed to them.

The original, target audience on the Mornington Peninsula. and particularly the Sea Wolves themselves, would have been totally engaged with the familiar stories, locations and content.

The production has no linear narrative or dramatic structure with a beginning middle and end. Rather, it is a series of short monologues by individual characters woven together with group scenes and original songs that are sung by the women and accompanied by a musician.

They chat and sing about the individual experiences that led them to the swimming, their personal lives, how they have been changed by joining the group and by swimming in the cold water daily.

They talk about the sense of belonging, of community, of the health benefits of cold-water swimming, of the support they share, of making new or difficult choices in their lives, and about dealing with aging, illness or loss.

The simple staging has been adapted to work on large stages than its original home on the Peninsula, and they use few props ­– pool noodles make an appearance –and corrugated plastic sheeting evokes the icy waters of the Bay.

This is a feel-good show with a welcoming, community feel and the audience at The Round was delighted to howl like wolves with the performers.  Look for it in your suburb or region.

by KATE HERBERT

Cast: Carole Patullo, Jane Bayly, Carmelina Di Guglielmo, Kelly Nash, Em Jevons

Musician: Audrey Hart

Creative Team

Writers: Carole Patullo, Jane Bayly, Yoni Prior

Director Yoni Prior

 

 

KATE HERBERT-RADIO REVIEWS- Arts Weekly 3MBS SAT16JUNE2026

   

 

In this radio review spot on Arts Weekly on Saturday 20 June 2026, I talk to Phillipa Edwards about Sea Wolves Howl and Community Theatre. 

I then mention Corporare - Evan Task in Space by Matt Crosby & Tessa Luminati.

 

Click the link below to listen. 

 

KATE HERBERT- Arts Weekly-16June2026  

 

KATE HERBERT–RADIO REVIEWS–Arts Weekly 3MBS-Sat 6JUNE-2026

 

 

This was a fun review spot! In this radio review spot on Arts Weekly on Saturday 6 June 2026, I talk with Nick Tolhurst about two shows I’ve seen:  

Stuck at La Mama (end 26 May), and

A Large Attendance in the Antechamber, a remarkable solo show by Brian Lipson. 

We then discuss Retrograde at MTC, which Nick saw but I did not. We mention some upcoming shows: Sea Wolves Howl, Between the Lines, Pride & Prejudice the Musical, and Losing Face at MTC. 

Click this link:  ArtsWeekly-Sat6JUNE2026

 

11 mins