Holden Street Theatres. 31 May 2026
You are invited to, literally, a ringside seat to the most effed up wedding of the year. It all starts with a bit of hair straightening and the squish into the wedding dress as two sisters ready their bride-to-be sibling. The banter is free and easy. By the end of the play, it will be your hair that is standing on end as the vodka and beer bring out the dirty linen.
Director Nick Fagan propels the action with perpetual kinetics. A large number of actors are in constant motion abetted by a central revolve which seems to work when you don’t really need it and doesn’t revolve when it’s essential.
The accent coach is probably a little disappointed by consistency from some players but set design by Nick Fagan, lighting design and complex scene changes are all good stuff. The melodramatics appropriately escalate but hit a shriek level that was too high, too early and went on for too long, stealing the audience's energy for the finale.
Spencer Scholz plays the bridegroom and outsider to this post-industrial Midlands family that is still stuck in the abandoned coal mines. His character is as Polish as a pierogi; he fulfilled my stereotype of a successful East European immigrant. Bravo! Jo St Clair makes a fabulous foil with comic relief. Bravo! Brant Eustice’s demonstration of unrequited love is seriously grievous. Bravo! The action swells to a crescendo the likes of which I’ve never seen before. Bravo to the indefatigable Martha Lott! Generous bravos in a cast of high-quality actors.
You will empathise with strongly developed and portrayed characters who can’t change, who struggle to understand where does the love go, who don’t know whether to hold on or to let go of their myths - for teenagers aching to understand what growing up means. Beth Steel’s play has a smorgasbord of issues, and this cast and production will push more than a few of your buttons.
David Grybowski
When: 26 May to 14 Jun
Where: Holden Street Theatres
Bookings: holdenstreettheatres.online
Jones Theatre Group with ATG Productions and the Adelaide Festival Centre. Her Majesty’s Theatre. 3 Jun 2026
Everyone knows the story. Everyone loves the frocks. Pretty Woman is a given, based on the movie with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. With Bryan Adams and Jim Valance's music and lyrics and the book by Garry Marshall and J.F. Lawton, it has been touring the country to standing ovations.
It scored another one at its opening in Adelaide.
Jones Theatre Group has picked up the formula for a cheerful stage blockbuster: top quality everything.
One may quibble at the cliché of the lyrics or the predictability of the shtick, but then again, the show is playing to a fresh generation, and everyone deserves a good serve of classic music hall corn. “Buttons”, the porter dancing with the mop, the tearful heroine blowing her nose into the borrowed hankie…
This production is just one great big piece of slick.
The scene changes slot in seamlessly. The chorus lines are drilled to exquisite precision. The costumes, the costumes, the costumes—and the lightning costume changes. The whizzy lighting. The full-bodied band.
And, of course, the cast.
Ben Hall is matinee-idol triple-threat material as Edward Lewis, the ruthless capitalist who picks up the hooker on seamy old Hollywood Boulevard. He has a lovely balance of macho and tenderness in a role that encompasses even a few steamy love scenes onstage with the irrepressible Vivian Ward, played, sung, and danced most aptly by Samantha Jade—albeit in a brunette wig that is too big for her.
Songs are belted out. Energy levels and character deliveries are high from both leads.
And then there’s Tim Omaji.
This powerful Nigerian-born song-and-dance man is one of the most arresting performers to hit the Australian stage in a long time. He is the street’s Happy Man and the hotel’s suave concierge, Mr Thompson. Momentarily, he is even the orchestra conductor. In whatever capacity, he carries the scenes and grows more adorable by the minute.
Support roles are strongly filled, with the big voice of Michelle Brasier heartily simpatico as Vivian’s voluptuous street soulmate, and Douglas Hansell icily alienating as the rapacious business villain. The audience falls in love with Fabian Andres’ cheeky usher. The ensemble is huge and multitasking all over the place, with Rebecca Gulinello and Callum Warrender performing a stellar cameo operatic scene.
This is not great “theatre”. It is a great “show”. Under the Suzanne Jones production banner, it is a shamelessly extravagant crowd-pleaser. And, thus rewarded, the audience left the venue smiling and singing.
A very nice night’s entertainment.
Samela Harris
When: 3 to 30 Jun
Where: Her Majesty’s Theatre
Bookings: ticketek.com.au
Adelaide Festival Theatre. 4 Jun 2026
I’ve been in epic horror gridlocks in San Francisco, where the locals say, “Try to be zen. Study the colour of the cars.” I’ve been in shockers in New York City, where the most impatient people in the world somehow manage to zone out. There is nothing they can do except blow their horns, which they do.
But in Adelaide, on Cab Gala/AO footy rainy Thursday night, I hit the horror traffic jam to beat them all.
It took more than an hour to get from Stepney to the city.
I can walk it in 40 minutes. I wish I had, even in the glad rags.
Grateful for a slightly late curtain, we just made it into the theatre in time for the blitz of stage bling to replace the maze of red lights outside. Methinks the crowds were still jammed around the Oval. What a night.
But here was gorgeous Reuben Kaye.
It is important to make a good entrance, darlings.
Reuben did so, big time — golden wavy hair shimmering under the lights, in his red bling suit, all-sequin-sparkly, borne on the shoulders of beefy rugby players.
Thereafter, he strutted and preened and teased in a thrill of pride at being the one in charge of the CabFest. Maybe the only one forever? Who put the meth in Methodist? Blame the straights for our shortage of money—the Straits of Hormuz… Reuben had a gag for everything. He’s as funny as he is handsome.
But, hey, he might have been the star, but there was another presence onstage—the Cabaret Auslan interpreter. Long blonde hair, lithe and beautiful and, oh, what a mover. Never has a performance been more captivatingly translated.
Reuben knew it and riffed with her.
And it was on with the show—a little bit of what you like does you good. Or, a sample of the performances lures you to book. With the fabulous Cabaret Band onstage, we revelled in snippets of satire from American Dylan Adler and had a bloody great belly laugh with Em Rusciano’s desperate love quest. What a gem.
When it came to Persian songstress Tara Tiba, conservatively dressed in a modest blue suit and singing in Persian, the Auslan interpreter had a real challenge. Nonetheless, she signed with heart and soul and a universal emotion that everyone could understand.
Reuben thanked the sponsors with general naughtiness, bringing a cut-out “Leksss” onstage. He doesn’t drive, poor dear. He had a very naughty line for dear Helen Burge of Corryton Burge wines.
Not only the old and polished, but also the young and emerging: hence Vidya Makan showed work in progress. Gillian Cosgriff had a game for all, and what an accomplished hoot she is. Baylie Carson can really belt out a song. Javon King, too. In fact, there was a lot of belting out, and big voices, and that oversing that sends today’s talent-show audiences into a swoon.
The total swoon of the night, and the wildest ovation, was reserved for Mahalia Barnes.
No doubt about that Barnes blood. Beautiful music. Beautiful people.
As the grand finale Reuben donned his birthday suit and promised the famous red hankie routine? What did Reuben do with that handkie?
Not hard to guess.
Actually, it was the only place on his bare bod where one could see no tattoos.
Samela Harris
When: 4 Jun 2026
Where: Adelaide Festival Theatre
Bookings: Closed
Red Phoenix Theatre. Goodwood Theatre and Studios. 21 May 2026
Machinal was inspired the story of New Yorker Ruth Snyder who, in 1928, was executed via electric chair after being convicted of murdering her husband. Ruth had conspired with her lover to kill her despised husband, and the trial attracted nationwide attention, not least of which was centred on the horrific front-page photograph of her moment of death in the chair.
Journalist Sophie Treadwell was one of the many who sat through the trial, but rather than reporting on it for a newspaper, she used it as a basis for the play Machinal which she wrote in the Expressionist style, which favours critique over simplistic storytelling, and an emphasis on what is not said.
To that end, this is not a didactic piece or a ‘true crime’ expose. It is instead a series of vignettes in the life of a Young Woman (she is not named until the trial and, spoiler, her name is not Ruth) and while the story line is linear, this style allows for both licence and creativity in the telling and staging of the production.
Director Michael Eustice has taken advantage of this license, and run with it admirably, demanding the audience’s attention with sight and sound that overwhelms, but is at the same time beautifully understated.
The production opens in an office and the ‘machine’ motif is immediately apparent, a sea of hands busily moving over simulated typewriters and switchboard in a superbly choreographed time and motion study. The almost monochromatic set is immediately striking and deftly sets up the visual style of the production.
Here we meet Young Woman (Kate van der Horst) for the first time and learn very quickly that she is the unwilling object of her employer’s (Matt Houston) amorous intentions.
At home, she discusses this with her dependent mother (Sharon Marujlo); in this one scene, the gamut of the expressionist critique is walked through, as we consider the lack of support for the elderly, the expectations of marriage and conformity upon women, and the crushing defeatism of routine and obligation.
Kate Prescott’s sets are relatively simple, almost utilitarian, while Sean Smith’s industrial sound design forms the consummate accompaniment to set changeovers, and anchors the text.
Eustice has made the prudent decision to eschew American accents in this production, a decision that allows the cast to get on with what they do best. A pity more directors don’t adopt this commonsense approach. There are a few suspensions of disbelief; the husband doesn’t portray the level of either blandness or malevolence that should inspire such revulsion, but when the young woman begins her affair, the change in her demeanour makes it clear that he has to go.
Van der Horst alone plays every scene, the rest all play multiple roles and it is to Eustice’s credit that they all get a moment to shine. This cast has worked hard, and it is this ensemble commitment that really lifts this production.
A special mention must go to Movement Director Lisa Lanzi – there are few props as such, and the movement/mime work of the cast as they work, drink, eat and make merry in thin air is really quite outstanding.
Overall, the audience is invested heavily - it’s awkward, troubling, difficult and uncomfortable, but always, always riveting. Even a wardrobe malfunction, which in other productions may have raised a titter, was dutifully ignored by the audience, caught up in the drama of the moment.
Eustice has avoided the traditional death scene, and in true expressionist style, it’s what we don’t see that’s the more powerful. This is, quite simply, an insightful and intelligent interpretation of what is considered one of greatest 100 plays of the twentieth century, and plaudits to this company for staging such a difficult but exceptional work.
Arna Eyers-White
When: 21 to 30 May
Where: Goodwood Theatre and Studios
Bookings: trybooking.com
Rodney Rigby, Marriner Group, Paul Wheelton AM and State Theatre of South Australia. Her Majesty’s Theatre. 20 May 2026
ART is a good vehicle for a trio of old mates to tour for a good time. Richard Roxburgh (Rake, The Correspondent), Adelaide-born Damon Herriman (Justified, Flesh and Bone), and Toby Schmitz (Boy Swallows Universe, Black Sails) will attract their film fans to the theatre to see the real deal, without the bother of viewing lesser mortals on stage.
French playwright Yasmina Reza won a Tony and a Laurence Olivier and a New York Drama Critics’ Circle and an Evening Standard and a Drama Desk award for her play soon after she wrote it in 1994. ART is regularly performed by even more famous actors in New York and London, and a movie announced this year will star Ralph Fiennes, Colin Farrell and Wagner Moura.
Dermatologist Serge gets under the skin of his chum, Marc, because Serge bought a painting - whose value is in the eye of the beholder – for 160,000. The first monochromatic white painting is indeed art. The second was a copy and a decoration. I think we all know that Serge hasn’t bought the original, so maybe Marc has a point? Or why can’t his pal simply indulge… I could go on. Marc and Serge both attempt to enrol their dorky mutual friend, Yvan, to their artistic sensibility. But the art is only a catalyst for comical mansplaining and deep and meaningfuls about friendship, integrity, and perhaps moving on.
The acting trio play strongly developed characterisations. Herriman as the art buyer, Serge, shouts all his justifications with determined intellectualism. Schmitz could have modelled his role after Michael Richard’s Kramer from the US sitcom, Seinfeld. He earned applause for a breathless and comical monologue that was only half over – when he took a breath. Roxburgh’s animated use of language, intonation and gesture came close to over-the-top many times but otherwise made playwright Reza’s ordinary moments levitate to splendour. The comic magic and heartfelt honesty really arise with the actors’ razor repartee.
Director Lee Lewis, Reza and the designers leave many clues. Onto the seemingly blank canvas we could reflect on our own friendships. Where do they come from? Where should they go? Yvan is costumed like a clown in a rodeo separating the bucked and the bronco. The antagonist Marc wears black while the protagonist Serge wears white. They are like chessmen. Playwright brilliance is when the upper hand rapidly switches, but here they also swap these literary roles. That’s good art.
So we have a Frenchwoman writing about rub-a-dub-dub – three men in a tub, each somewhere on their personal acronymic spectrum. Not flattering but very funny and thought-provoking. At least one of the characters is getting therapy.
Pretty short season – show closes 24 May
David Grybowski
When: 20 to 24 May
Where: Her Majesty’s Theatre
Bookings: statetheatrecompany.com.au