Following the success of Realm, the New Artists Collective returns with its latest exhibition in Islington from this weekend. The group’s upcoming display, Reveal, is set to showcase the work of 15 emerging artists from Newcastle and the Hunter. And, it opens at the Owens Collective, located at Maitland Road, on Friday 3 May. The connecting theme of Reveal invites viewers to delve into the layers of artistic expression and uncover the hidden narratives within each artwork. At its core, the exhibition embodies the New Artists Collective’s mission to foster collaboration, community and support f ..read more

They provided a soundtrack for a generation with hit after hit after hit in the 1980s. Now, legendary Swedish pop-rockers Roxette are returning to Australia in 2025, including a special Day on the Green performance in the Hunter. Joining the party at Bimbadgen Estate on Saturday 15 March will be Jon Stevens and hit machine Boom Crash Opera. In 2016, Roxette did what everyone believed were their last-ever concerts. But, the duo’s frontman, songwriter and founder Per Gessle is picking up the torch and hitting the road again after lead singer Marie Fredriksson lost her life to cancer five years a ..read more

If you’re a fan of popular television show, The 1% Club, then you are in for a real treat. Host, podcaster and rock star comedian Jim Jeffries is bringing his Give ‘Em What They Want Tour to Newcastle in 2024. He’ll perform his all-ages show at the Civic Theatre on Saturday 10 August. Tickets go on sale Friday 3 May via frontiertouring.com/jimjefferies. Having sold out arenas worldwide – including iconic venues such as Madison Square Garden and London’s O2 Arena – Jefferies stands out as one of the most provocative and respected comedians of our generation. His previous 2022 Antipodean tour wa ..read more

A production regularly described as “a masterpiece” and “a study in theatrical perfection” is heading to Newcastle next month. After a sold-out capital city tour in 2022/23 to celebrate its 70th birthday, Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap will enthral audiences at the Civic Theatre from 11 May. “This play has been a sensation for seven decades,” producer John Frost said. “So, I’m thrilled to partner with Shake & Stir Theatre Co to tour The Mousetrap to regional Australia for the first time. “I know Novocastrians will love to try and solve the mystery in what is probably the world’s most-love ..read more

The weather might be cooling down, but Singleton is about to heat up with a new exhibition showcasing the works of Braddon Snape. The artist’s curious, compelling and experimental sculptures are made from inflated steel and are a sight to behold. A Decade of Inflation will showcase Snape’s creations over the past 10 years, from his early experiments in welding sheets of steel together and inflating them with pressurised air, through the different phases of developing this artform, to his most recent works incorporating lighting effects.  Singleton Council’s director organisation and commu ..read more

MasterChef champion-turned-bestselling-author Julie Goodwin is set to headline this year’s Write Here festival in Lake Mac. Goodwin, who won the original series of the hit Network 10 show in 2009, already has a bestselling cookbook to her name and has now penned a memoir charting her extraordinary life story, Your Time Starts Now. She will chat in conversation at Warners Bay Theatre on Sunday 19 May with former local radio presenter Jessica Rouse about her writing and life experiences. Goodwin described writing her memoir as “an exhausting, emotional but ultimately rewarding process ..read more

Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Erin Coates, Offenbach and Sibelius will be among the enchanted sounds to fill Speers Point later this month when the Lake Macquarie Philharmonic performs its Orchestral Pops concert.  The multi-talented group will bring a musical feast to the Multi-Arts Pavilion, mima (MAP mima) from 4pm on Sunday 28 April, under the baton of the esteemed Christopher Bearman OAM, and featuring the vocal talents of soprano Ashlee Woodgate and tenor Sam Elmi.  Classics by Johann Strauss and Tchaikovsky will sit comfortably alongside captivating arias from operas like Carmen and L ..read more

Writer, singer, stand-up comedian and podcast maven Em Rusciano is powerhouse performer who truly does it all. And, now, she’s bringing her latest tour, Outgrown, to the Newcastle Civic Theatre on Friday 16 August. It’s her first big national odyssey since her wildly successful Rage and Rainbows show in 2019. Rusciano’s still angry… but now she knows why. “The past five years have been brutal, beautiful and bonkers,” she said. “They challenged everything I ever believed about myself to my core. “Not to be dramatic, but the term ‘complete ego death’ wouldn’t be out of place here. “I’m finally ..read more

This was supposed to be an article about the 2024 Live Music Lake Mac program, which kicks off this weekend, Friday 19 April.  The collection of events runs through to October and offers a chance to enjoy music in the region’s unique lakeside theatres during the cooler months.  Presented by Lake Macquarie City Council, the popular annual series showcases the talents of both well-known national artists and emerging local musicians.  I was going to tell you that the program provides an opportunity to get up close and personal with a genre of art that you may not be familiar with ..read more

“Any fear or even faint suspicion that Heath Franklin’s Chopper persona was running out of steam evaporate within the first few seconds of his smashing new stand-up show.” That’s high-praise indeed by The Herald Sun. But, Newcastle audience can decide for themselves when the Aussie comedy legend steps onto the City Hall stage on Friday 19 April. A regular on The Ronnie Johns Half Hour sketch comedy show, ABC TV’s Spicks and Specks and Working Dog’s Thank God You’re Here, Franklin is best-known for his impersonation of the larrikin criminal Mark “Chopper” Read. And, he’s reliving that identity ..read more