2025 Stage Door Reviews

Terrence McNally’s Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune  (1987) is a tender comedy, underscored with Debussy’s iconic tune, that dishes out the age-old question:  do soul mates really exist? Intimate and vulnerable, this two-hander found a natural home in the cosy black box of Ad Astra’s latest venue, Pluto.   The play centres on a one-night stand that evolves into an all-night exploration of love and loneliness between café co-workers. We follow Frankie, a wary waitress b

Camp, comedic and catchy, you won’t have seen Shakespeare done quite like this before. Old Shakey’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream becomes a bit of a fever dream in The Lovers, an Australian original adaptation that blends the classic monologue with the power of a pop ballad. The air was buzzing on arrival, and how could it not be with a gorgeous pink carpet and some famous faces. The pulsing, glowing heart on stage before the performance set the tone for the show to come. Photo c

As someone who only landed on Australia's sunny shores a few years ago, ‘Phar Lap’ meant literally nothing to me. I was, however, familiar with electro-swing, having excitedly donned a trilby or two in my university days. So, sitting in Hayes’ foyer I was excited to see how the world of swing and horse racing might combine… and I was not disappointed! From the very first blast of a trumpet I found myself wondering why I haven’t seen an electro-swing musical before? It’s a hug