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Set in remote territory on the Polish/Czech border, Drive Your Plow Over The Bones of the Dead is a remarkably detailed, left of centre, dramatic and comedic whodunnit.   At its core is animal cruelty, the protection of animals and environmentalism – a dark morality tale, if you will.   It is based on a 2009 Polish book by  Olga Tokarczuk , which was subsequently translated into English by  Antonia Lloyd-Jones and released in 2018.   This adaption is by director Eamon Flack.

If you want to see something extra special before it leaves Australian shores, I suggest you head straight to the Art Gallery of NSW.   That is where, until only next Sunday (12 th April, 2026), you can view the remarkable work of renowned Melbourne-born sculptor Ron Mueck.  His is an art form known as hyperrealism, which focuses on fine detail, such as that which can be found in high-resolution photographs.   Mueck, 67, who has been based in the UK since 1986, works with cl

The Stranger is a mesmerising portrait of young man different to any other.   We are in French controlled Algiers in 1938.   It is where Meursault (Benjamin Voisin), who is in his early 30s, works as a clerk.   He is quiet, unassuming, has little to say and lacks drive.  One day he receives a telegram indicating that his mother has died.   Without showing emotion, he attends her funeral, where he doesn’t shed a tear.   The next day he goes to the local baths and is spotted by

During the Golden Age of Hollywood, which generally refers to the period from the late 1920s to the early ‘60s, with the peak in the ‘30s and ‘40s, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford were regarded as royalty.   Both were nothing if not colourful characters.  Photos by Prudence Upton Davis, whose maxim was “no guts, no glory” was wed four times and had three children. She was nominated for 11 Oscars and received two.   Crawford, whose motto was “if you want the girl next door, go n

The idea for this Broadway musical emerged from an ugly truth. Inclusion is the theme. Comedy is the vehicle.   The Prom has its Australian debut at a new home for musical theatre in Sydney’s west, Teatro at the Italian Forum.   A high profile, Tony Award-winning actress, Dee Dee Allen (Caroline O’Connor) and leading man Barry Glickman (Brendan Monger) are extreme narcissists.   Now, they have been hit by the karma bus.   Yet another show they star in has been forced to close

Superlatives can’t do justice to a magnificent Handa Opera production of The Phantom of the Opera on its 40 th anniversary.   With the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge as a spectacular backdrop, the leads are glorious, the chorus captivating and the production values mesmerising.    Photos by Daniel Boud and Carlita Sari As far as the staging goes, only outdoors could you achieve the gobsmacking feats seen on Sydney Harbour.   I speak of a massive, four-tiered chandelie

This is the dramatic back story to the key character in one of the most iconic books written, namely Victor Hugo’s 1862 French historical novel Les Misérables.   I speak of Jean Valjean (played magnificently by Grégory Gadebois).   It is December 1815 and having spent 19 brutal years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread and repeatedly trying to escape, he emerges consumed by rage.  Tired and hungry, having walked for days, he reports to the police in a quiet village in Prov

Add a series of compelling, up-tempo songs to the darkly comedic gore that has spawned a cult following, stir liberally and you have the makings of a hit musical.   As unlikely as this might sound, that – in a nutshell – is Evil Dead: The Musical.   We are talking savage trees, dismemberment and chainsaws, so “yes”, splatter horror with great music and no shortage of laughs.   And I assure you that a lively audience is really into it.  Photos by Peter Stoop Let’s step back a

Claudia (Emily Farrell) and Simon (Lochie Laffin-Vines) are a seemingly happily married young couple.   Simon works in finance, while Claudia’s career thus far has been in aged care, although she would like to move into teaching young children.   Simon is up for promotion. Claudia is excited for him and supportive. She is busily planning their next holiday.  Photos by Mina Shafer And then the penny drops. Simon’s boss (played by Tony Adams) doesn’t come through with his eleva