Author: Philippe Perez

We spend an evening with one of the fathers of the personal computer, Steve Wozniak, in Melbourne

Think Inc are an Australian organisation who are putting together some of the most interesting talks for people to go and educate themselves with. Taking a look at their previous events, the two-year-old organisation delve into the talking to people devoted to science more often than not, but intellectual discourse is what they aim for,…

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Claire Foxton and Mikey Freedom talk about bringing mural art to Shellharbour

Not too long ago we chatted to street artist Alex Lehours about his mural work. Specifically his Deadpool piece outdoors in the city streets of Sydney. How then can mural artists transplant to a more regional setting, but with more freedom to explore space? Artists Claire Foxton and Mikey Freedom have been given the canvas of Holm Place…

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7 Arts Events Not to Miss in Australia This Month (August 2016)

Oh how this year is flying by! August is now here! While it is raining and freaking cold in many places around the country there is a bunch of fascinating shows, exhibitions and other arty stuff around the country for you to peek at. Here are our picks: The Beast Murder! Lies! Cows! The Beast…

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Dantanio talks paying tribute to Michael Jackson in HIStory

Dantanio is one of the world’s best impersonators that greets the stage. As well as performing as Sammy Davis Jr, he has observed Michael Jackson with a magnified eye since a young age. All that studying has paid off in what is deemed one spectacular show in HIStory – exploring the pop star’s most most…

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7 Arts Events Not to Miss in Australia for the rest of this Month (July 2016)

Once again it is time to go through a whole bunch of fascinating shows, exhibitions and other arty stuff around the country for the month of July. Here are our picks: Cosi Fan Tutte Mozart’s opera about testing fidelity is an intriguing story to music of impossible beauty. Two men disguise themselves as Albanians and…

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Peter Freestone has his own… special Kind of Magic

As tribute shows go, Queen – It’s A Kinda Magic was widely revered as a huge magical experience that worked very hard to emulate the life and times of Freddie Mercury and his Queen bandmates. So of course it had to come back to Australia. We were lucky enough to have a short chat over email…

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Comedy Review: Sam Simmons – Not A People Person, The Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne (18.06.16)

The idea of a straight-up solo show is non existent to Sam Simmons. Strewn with all sorts of props on stage, Not A People Person is a show full of random thoughts and solo-sketches that make not laugh at any joke in particular but simply at the absurdity of it all. Simmons gets into a mode…

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Street artist Alex Lehours talks Deadpool, his process and political cheekiness.

Street artistry sometimes straddles the line of either political, artful or a bunch of taggers making a building more ugly than it is, but the above mural from street artist Alex Lehours has made an impression on many walkers of the Sydney suburb of Sydney. The piece advertising the release of Deadpool on DVD, Blu-ray…

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Joe Sterling talks about portraying Art Garfunkel in The Simon & Garfunkel Story

Thanks to Zaya Altangerel for her help on this feature. Many wonder about the story of Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel, from the counterculture icons of the 60s to the tumultuous breakup right at the beginning of the 70s to their hugely-attended comeback concert in New York City’s Central Park. The duo have many stories…

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Opera Review: Il Signor Bruschino – Lyric Opera, Chapel Off Chapel (performances until June 12)

Il Signor Bruschino is a huge hearty romp of laughter and complexity. Setting itself in an Italian setting, but also singing in English, the opera translated itself well to a little but lively audience at Chapel off Chapel. Gioachino Rossini’s Il Signor Bruschino for the uninitiated is a tale of mistaken identity where the head…

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7 Arts Events Not to Miss in Australia This Month (June 2016)

Time to take a look at seven of the must-see arts events happening around Australia this month – June 2016. As the winter sets in, there are hidden gems all around Australia to go and see: Il Signor Bruschino A operatic farce of dual identity where a two lovers attempt to deceive their elders in…

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8 events not to miss at Vivid Ideas

Sure Vivid Sydney has been seen as a great celebration of music and light, but many fascinating talks are to take place over the next few weeks of the festival as well. Many topics in this year’s festival have a focus on tackling difficult ideas with creative solutions. With this in mind, we have decided here to…

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Jacob Boehme talks his latest project Blood on the Dancefloor

Melbourne based multi-disciplinary artist and Creative Director of the Melbourne Indigenous Arts Festival, Jacob Boehme has 20 years experience as a dancer and choreographer, but his latest performance piece at Melbourne’s Art House can possibly be argued as his strongest creative statement yet. Blood on the Dancefloor is a politically charged piece that looks at…

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Playwrite Rachel Coopes on working in Katherine and writing ATYP’s Sugarland.

Sugarland is currently heading around many regional venues of Australia after doing a short run in Melbourne and other Australian cities to some already-stellar reviews. The story follows the lives of five teenagers, documenting the unlikely friendships, but also of the difficult situations, that come with living as a teenager in the Northern Territory. We…

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Steve Lambert talks Art Activism, Vivid Ideas and Internet self control.

How can one produce social good through art? Steve Lambert is one artist who feels activism should be a primary focus for any work and something that artists should strive for. As a co-founder of the Center for Artistic Activism and and Associate Professor at SUNY Purchase, he provides workshops and continues to make artworks which focuses…

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7 Arts Events Not to Miss in Australia This Month (May 2016)

Time to take a look at seven of the must-see arts events happening around Australia this month – May 2016, and it’s a eclectic mix if there ever was one: Sydney Comedy Festival With the Melbourne International Comedy Festival finished for the year, it’s time for the Sydney Comedy Festival to take the comedic festival mantlepiece. Many comedians…

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Cocktails & Canvas – creative fun with a good bunch of sips.

As we walked into Cocktails & Canvas, there is a weird sensation that passes over me – I’m not creative in the slightest. I’m just a budding journalist who types words down and speaks into a microphone, the idea of actually painting something just seems so far out that I’d freak out if I made…

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Comedy Review: Simon Cumming & Perri Cassie – Simon & Perri Go Large

Both Simon Cumming and Perri Cassie greeted the audience, all very much ready on stage, with some light chatter about the etiquette of introducing their show as they walked into the room at Grand Mecure, and then well… introduced us to their show through a unique little sketch-stylised bit. The sketch stuff was tossed aside from…

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Steen Raskopoulous talks improv, characterisation, and his show You Know The Drill

When you speak to Steen Raskopoulos, there is a calm demeanour about him – a very different way that he performs (or ‘play’) on stage. The accomplished improvisor is expanding his world to sketch and other forms of participation in the shows which he’s presented at former Melbourne International Comedy Festivals. Last year, he honed…

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MICF: Five Quick Questions with Joel Dommett

In his first Australian solo show, one of the UK’s most energetic and charming performers Joel Dommett is bringing us Conquer as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. He was kind enough to answer five quick questions, like we have done for many other acts during MICF. What do you personally find enlightening about comedy today?…

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Comedy Review: Jan Van De Stool – I Get The Music In You

The quite pleasurable Jan van de Stool (the character from the mind of theatre performer Queenie van de Sandt) is a woman who really enjoys he singing, dancing and therapy. It sure was a therapy mesh, but an awesome one. Jan questioning why her ‘workshop’ was supposed to be included in a comedy fest. But…

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MICF: Five Quick Questions with Aunty Donna

So the Melbourne International Comedy Festival is continuing on with the lols and we had some very good shows getting some awesome attention. At this half-way point, so many acts are looking to change styles, evoking a kind of journey with their careers each and every year. Aunty Donna likes to change things up to…

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MICF: Five Quick Questions with comedian Alex Edelman

Since the Melbourne International Comedy Festival is in full swing, we here at the AU Review have decided to give a whole bunch of performers who have travelled far and wide to the most funniest month in Melbourne’s year five quick questions ahead of their performances. The first of these is with Alex Edelman who…

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MICF: Five Quick Questions with Brian Lobel

We recently talked to Brian Lobel about his performance piece You Have to Forgive Me, You Have to Forgive Me, You Have to Forgive Me where he spent time in people’s beds watching episodes of Sex & The City. As part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Lobel is performing another brazen piece of performance…

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MICF: Luisa Omielan talks about Melbourne International Comedy Festival show Am I Right Ladies?

London’s hilarious and refreshing comedian, Luisa Omielan is in Melbourne for this years International Comedy Festival from March 30 until April 9. In 2015, she visited Australia as part of the Comedy Gala with her hit 4 minute video clip Thigh Gap, that accumulated over 30 million Facebook views, expanding her presence on the Australian comedy scene. Following on…

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MICF: Jon Jackson talks the Andrews Sisters, harmonies and Bugle Boys

Bugle Boys really should be the first name you’d think of when creating a tribute show to the Andrews Sisters. Of course that’s the name –  Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy is their most recognisable song. But really, the Andrews Sisters had such a wonderful back catalogue of harmonies and soul-stylin’ sounds. The close harmonies throughout their…

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MICF: Simon Cumming and Perri Cassie talk their MICF show Simon & Perri Go Large

If you’d like to get quite a bang for your buck in seeing two acts within the one show at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival, then Melbourne comedians Simon Cumming and Perri Cassie have got you covered with their show Simon & Perri Go Large. The show is set to be full of exhilaration,…

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the AU interview: Brian Lobel talks about his performances of You Have to Forgive Me, You Have to Forgive Me, You Have to Forgive Me.

The All About Women festival which just occurred over the weekend at the Sydney Opera House featured so many interesting talks, insights and performances that make us think about the progression of women have made within society either here or around the world. One of the artists who have come from lands for the festival far away is…

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EastEnd Cabaret on costumes, characters and Yeti’s Demon Dive Dive Bar

The two members of EastEnd Cabaret, Jennifer Byrne & Vicky Falconer-Pritchard, are currently in Australia performing their show Yeti’s Demon Dive Bar – a musical sketch show which delves into the lives of characters enjoying themselves within a bar set-up on stage. “We did three sort of work-in-progress shows back in London at Soho Theatre,…

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Keith Agius talks about his physical and mental challenges in his latest role for The Whale

Keith Agius has never quite seen a role like the one he is currently playing in The Whale. Not only due to his physical change he has to endure for the role of Charlie – a diminishing man whose health has turned for the worst – but because of the emotional challenges as well. Keith spoke to…

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