Rhys Nicholson, stand-up comedian and RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under judge, still remembers the first time they watched The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert — at the age of six. The iconic 1994 Australian comedy stars Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce as two drag queens, and Terence Stamp as a transgender woman, following their … Continue reading
Yorta Yorta/Gunaikurnai theatre maker Andrea James has been thinking a lot about her parents lately. They died at just 54 years old when the actor and playwright was in her 30s; she is now 52. Being reminded of her family — and of mortality — seems inevitable, given the subject matter of her latest project, … Continue reading
When Min Jin Lee published her multi-generational saga Pachinko in 2017, it took the literary world by storm. It landed on 75 best-of lists, was a finalist for the National Book Award — and made it into the ‘must read’ recommendations of former US president Barack Obama. The sprawling saga of sacrifice, oppression and resilience … Continue reading
Zindzi Okenyo was in her early 20s when she first heard about Saartjie Baartman. She came across the name in a play: Venus by Suzan-Lori Parks — and was immediately obsessed. Baartman was a Khoisan woman from South Africa. In 1810, when she was still in her early 20s, she was taken to the UK by … Continue reading
ABC Arts / By Smriti Daniel for The Stage Show New Year’s Eve. It is nearly time for the curtain to rise after the intermission during Moulin Rouge! The Musical. The audience are all in their seats when Carmen Pavlovic’s phone rings. A performer who was just about to go on, in a role that required very physical and intimate … Continue reading
‘Oi terrorist, stop trying to make our school sharia!’ The play Jumu’ah (Friday Prayers) begins as it intends to go on – it doesn’t flinch from the reality of Muslim families living in Australia today. But it tells the story like you may not have heard it before, from the perspective of three young people – Layla, … Continue reading
I could not remember the last time I sat in darkness so absolute. With every door and window barricaded in the room at the University of Visual and Performing Arts in Colombo, I would not have been able to see my hand if I held it in front of my nose. It was so utterly … Continue reading
In his most recent reincarnation, Arnold Schwarzenegger is a green hero. The former governor of California was in India last week to attend the 15th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS), where he praised the Indian government for embracing the “solar revolution” and putting India on the path to increasing its solar energy capacity to 100 … Continue reading
The library at the British Council has been left open after hours for a photo shoot. Actors cluster around tables near the entrance, debating their choice of costume and using a dark window as a makeshift mirror while they apply make-up. All the lights are on – illuminating the rows of bookshelves and the listening … Continue reading
There are strangers in Slave Island tonight and they are, well, acting strange. As we walk toward Rio Cinema, we see a woman running the opposite way. She appears to be talking furiously to herself until you see a camera, perched on a contraption supported by a band around her waist. She is past us … Continue reading
Smriti Daniel 