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Month: January 2020

Sun Red Sky
News

Mental health support and counselling during the bushfire emergency

12 January 2020

ACON’s counselling services are available to those needing support during this difficult time. ACON acknowledge […]

AAR NTofP Lady Tabouli Antony Makhlouf
Arts & Culture

Lady Tabouli

9 January 2020

Exploring the complexities of culture, heritage and family, the National Theatre of Parramatta and Sydney […]

AAR Party Snake - photo by Phoebe Taylor
Arts & Culture

Review: Party Snake

9 January 2020

Party Snake is more than just drunken rambles on the world they live in, but […]

SF20 Betty Blokk-Buster Reimagined Josh Quong Tart - photo by Daniel Linnet
Arts & Culture

Top Picks for the 2020 Sydney Festival

9 January 2020

From Barangaroo Reserve and Parramatta to some of the city’s most unique spaces, Sydney Festival’s […]

Posts pagination

« 1 … 6 7

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News In Pictures

  • After a critically acclaimed Sydney season, BIG Live brings The Great Gatsby: A Jazz Ballet Odyssey to Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre for a strictly limited 18-performance season from 18 March 2026. Reimagining F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel through ballet, tap and jazz, the production transforms one of literature’s most enduring love stories into a large-scale theatrical event. It is not a nostalgic period piece, but a contemporary retelling driven by movement, music and psychological intensity. The Sydney response confirmed there is a strong appetite for narrative-led ballet at scale. The Melbourne season builds on that momentum, positioning the work as one of the most ambitious independent dance productions currently touring in Australia. Directed and choreographed by Joel Burke, the production reframes Jay Gatsby not as satire, but as a man gripped by belief. “For me, Gatsby isn’t irony,” says Burke. “He is a romantic who genuinely believes the past can be remade. I wanted to remove the wink and let the longing sit front and centre.” Burke’s choreography uses physical contrast to drive the narrative. The excess of Gatsby’s parties unfolds in expansive, rhythm-charged ensemble sequences, while moments of deliberate awkwardness and unexpected stillness expose the character’s vulnerability. Movement is frequently interrupted or restrained, allowing hesitation, imbalance and silence to carry dramatic weight. “I’m interested in what happens when the body resists,” adds Burke. “Sometimes the stillness tells the story more truthfully than virtuosity.” An original score by Emmy Award-winning composer Jason Fernandez, alongside Dominic Cabusi, gives the production cinematic propulsion. Classical ballet technique is interwoven with tap and jazz phrasing, creating a physical language that mirrors the glamour of the Jazz Age while revealing its instability. The cast features alumni of the Mariinsky Theatre, English National Ballet, Queensland Ballet, The Australian Ballet and Stuttgart Ballet. From the wildly thrilling scale of Gatsby’s infamous parties to the stripped-back, exposed intimacy of his longing, the production's pacing is designed to be relentless. Visually, musically, and emotionally, the momentum builds continuously toward the final image of the green light. “Even though it’s a full theatrical experience, I want that sensation of, ‘I can’t believe it’s already over,’” says Burke. “Because theatre should feel transporting. It should sweep you up completely... and when the curtain falls, there should be that slight disbelief - that rare feeling that you’ve just experienced something larger than you expected.” The Great Gatsby: A Jazz Ballet Odyssey Her Majesty's Theatre, 240 Exhibition Street, Melbourne Season: 18 March - 5 April 2026 Bookings: www.ticketek.com.au Following the Melbourne season, The Great Gatsby: A Jazz Ballet Odyssey will play Canberra Theatre Centre (8 - 12 April), Cairns Performing Arts Centre (16 - 19 April), Crown Theatre Perth (25 - 26 July), Newcastle Civic Theatre (22 - 23 August) and Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide (2 - 6 September). For more information, visit: www.bigliveco.com for details. Image: The Great Gatsby: A Jazz Ballet Odyssey - courtesy of BIG Live
  • MARVELous: A Risqué Parody
  • APN ACON Australian Pride in Sport Awards
  • Dolly Diamond
  • The Cast of Trophy Boys - photo by Ben Andrews
  • The Motley WhereHaus
  • Old-Friends-Sing-Sundays-Mark-Mark-Trevorrow-Bev-Kennedy-and-Rupert-Noffs
  • SGLMG Mardi Gala Ball Taste the Love photo by Ash Penin
  • Tracey Yarad stars in All These Pretty Things - photo by Perez Images

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News in Pictures
  • After a critically acclaimed Sydney season, BIG Live brings The Great Gatsby: A Jazz Ballet Odyssey to Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre for a strictly limited 18-performance season from 18 March 2026. Reimagining F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel through ballet, tap and jazz, the production transforms one of literature’s most enduring love stories into a large-scale theatrical event. It is not a nostalgic period piece, but a contemporary retelling driven by movement, music and psychological intensity. The Sydney response confirmed there is a strong appetite for narrative-led ballet at scale. The Melbourne season builds on that momentum, positioning the work as one of the most ambitious independent dance productions currently touring in Australia. Directed and choreographed by Joel Burke, the production reframes Jay Gatsby not as satire, but as a man gripped by belief. “For me, Gatsby isn’t irony,” says Burke. “He is a romantic who genuinely believes the past can be remade. I wanted to remove the wink and let the longing sit front and centre.” Burke’s choreography uses physical contrast to drive the narrative. The excess of Gatsby’s parties unfolds in expansive, rhythm-charged ensemble sequences, while moments of deliberate awkwardness and unexpected stillness expose the character’s vulnerability. Movement is frequently interrupted or restrained, allowing hesitation, imbalance and silence to carry dramatic weight. “I’m interested in what happens when the body resists,” adds Burke. “Sometimes the stillness tells the story more truthfully than virtuosity.” An original score by Emmy Award-winning composer Jason Fernandez, alongside Dominic Cabusi, gives the production cinematic propulsion. Classical ballet technique is interwoven with tap and jazz phrasing, creating a physical language that mirrors the glamour of the Jazz Age while revealing its instability. The cast features alumni of the Mariinsky Theatre, English National Ballet, Queensland Ballet, The Australian Ballet and Stuttgart Ballet. From the wildly thrilling scale of Gatsby’s infamous parties to the stripped-back, exposed intimacy of his longing, the production's pacing is designed to be relentless. Visually, musically, and emotionally, the momentum builds continuously toward the final image of the green light. “Even though it’s a full theatrical experience, I want that sensation of, ‘I can’t believe it’s already over,’” says Burke. “Because theatre should feel transporting. It should sweep you up completely... and when the curtain falls, there should be that slight disbelief - that rare feeling that you’ve just experienced something larger than you expected.” The Great Gatsby: A Jazz Ballet Odyssey Her Majesty's Theatre, 240 Exhibition Street, Melbourne Season: 18 March - 5 April 2026 Bookings: www.ticketek.com.au Following the Melbourne season, The Great Gatsby: A Jazz Ballet Odyssey will play Canberra Theatre Centre (8 - 12 April), Cairns Performing Arts Centre (16 - 19 April), Crown Theatre Perth (25 - 26 July), Newcastle Civic Theatre (22 - 23 August) and Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide (2 - 6 September). For more information, visit: www.bigliveco.com for details. Image: The Great Gatsby: A Jazz Ballet Odyssey - courtesy of BIG Live
  • MARVELous: A Risqué Parody
  • APN ACON Australian Pride in Sport Awards
  • Dolly Diamond
  • The Cast of Trophy Boys - photo by Ben Andrews
  • The Motley WhereHaus
  • Old-Friends-Sing-Sundays-Mark-Mark-Trevorrow-Bev-Kennedy-and-Rupert-Noffs
  • SGLMG Mardi Gala Ball Taste the Love photo by Ash Penin
  • Tracey Yarad stars in All These Pretty Things - photo by Perez Images
Latest Posts
  • The Great Gatsby: A Jazz Ballet Odyssey
  • MARVELous: A Risqué Parody
  • Finalists Announced for the 2026 Australian Pride in Sport Awards
  • Dolly Diamond: Tits & Teeth (review)
  • Stage sensation Trophy Boys to open State Theatre Company South Australia’s 2026 season
  • Introducing Melbourne’s largest independent Artist-Run festival venue – The Motley WhereHaus
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