Ray Lawler, the playwright whose groundbreaking work Summer of the Seventeenth Doll revolutionised Australian theatre, has died in Melbourne after a short illness. He was 103. Lawler’s contribution to the arts spans more than seven decades. His impact on the cultural landscape of Australia is immense. His works not only provided a voice for Australian identity on stage but also challenged and enriched the national theatre scene. Director Neil Armfield, who directed a production of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll at Belvoir in 2011, wrote: “[Lawler’s] work has given generations of our finest act ..read more

First staged at the Hayes Theatre Co. in 2018 (where it sold out before it opened), this production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first musical In the Heights, directed by Luke Joslin, transferred to the Sydney Opera House the following year, enjoying a successful return season. It’s now back at the Opera House, this time in the Drama Theatre – a better venue for it than the Concert Hall where it played in 2019. Ryan Gonzalez as Usnavi in In the Heights. Photo © Daniel Boud Showcasing Miranda’s inspired use of rap lyrics and catchy melodies, In the Heights foreshadows his groundbreaking musical Ha ..read more

Reimagined for the Australian stage, award-winning Welsh playwright Gary Owen’s naturalistic drama delivers a gritty, contemporary twist on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. This adaptation trades Verona’s grandeur for the everyday reality of Cardiff, with its dingy lounge rooms, £1 DVDs and soiled nappies. While the setting may be humble, the play maintains the gravitas of love and loss, while managing to shift the thematic focus to the complexities of class. Presented at Red Stitch in St Kilda, this working-class ballad unfolds over two acts, running for 2 hours and 40 minutes with a 20-minute ..read more

Arts Centre Melbourne has announced the creation of a new 150-seat performance space, The Show Room. “While the State Theatre undergoes refurbishment until 2027, we saw an opportunity to transform the existing State Theatre Rehearsal Room into a more intimate performance space, along with a year-round program” said Arts Centre Melbourne’s Director of Programming Stephen Armstrong. The Show Room. Photo @ Marie-Luise Skibbe “Without The Show Room we wouldn’t be able to present performances that have the potential to truly capture audiences in such an intimate space. The curated, site-specific ..read more

For Sydney-siders, the term “cost of living” is usually followed by the word “crisis”. Such is life in one of the world’s most expensive cities. In Martyna Majok’s Cost of Living, the struggle to make ends meet is just one of the ways that the concept is explored. “Cost” here also refers to the price many people must pay to participate in the world, to live a contributing life. Premiering in Boston in 2016 and on Broadway in 2022, this Pulitzer Prize-winning play follows two parallel stories, each between two characters living in present-day New Jersey, USA. Jess (Zoe De Plevitz), a Princeton ..read more

As a creative and an artist, the ticking of time can be as consuming as the desire to create itself. Unbeknown to himself, performer, composer and lyricist Jonathan Larson was running against a too-swiftly ticking clock as he worked to create the next great American musical, or at the very least, something to be remembered by. It would eventually come in the form of RENT, which saw Larson’s dream of “bringing music theatre to the MTV Generation” a reality in a musical that broke records and changed the face of musical theatre. Tragically, Larson didn’t live to see this success play out: he une ..read more

Play Video about Limelight's August 2024 magazine The August 2024 issue of Limelight is now available online, with hard copies on their way to those with a print subscription. The PDF version can be found further down this page. Features Symphonic Boa-Constrictors? A look at Bruckner’s turbulent career as the symphonist turns 200. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in The post Read the August 2024 issue of Limelight appeared first on Limelight ..read more

Trent Dalton shot to international fame with his debut novel Boy Swallows Universe. A stage adaptation promptly sold out in Brisbane. Now his 2021 book Love Stories will take to the boards at this year’s Brisbane Festival. Jane Albert discovers how the production came about and why audiences are so moved by Dalton’s writing. Actors Michala Banas and Jason Klarwein, who play the wife and husband in Love Stories, together with Trent Dalton and Fiona Franzmann. Photo © Lyndon Mechielsen It was an early summer evening in December 2021 and Trent Dalton and his wife Fiona Franzman ..read more

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that Jane Austen’s novels have a large, devoted following more than 200 years after her death. Austen’s many fans will be delighted to hear that a new production called Pride and Prejudice – An Adaptation in Words and Music is about to take to the stage at the Sydney Opera House and Arts Centre Melbourne. Nadine Garner. Photo supplied It features a narrator reading an abridged version of Austen’s novel, interwoven with music that Carl Davis wrote for the famous 1995 BBC drama series starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. The adaptation ..read more

Play Video about Limelight's August 2024 magazine The August 2024 issue of Limelight is now available online, with hard copies on their way to those with a print subscription. Click below to go straight to the issue, or continue on to find out what’s inside. August 2024 Symphonic Boa-Constrictors? A look at Bruckner’s turbulent career as the symphonist turns 200. by Albert Ehrnrooth Just Say ‘Yes’ Why choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa is always on the move. by Deborah Jones A Licence to Feel From page to stage: falling in love with best-selling writer Trent Dalton. by Jan ..read more