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Month: December 2020

MICF-Rhys-Nicholson-photo-by-Jim-Lee
Festivals & Events

Melbourne International Comedy Festival set to return in 2021

17 December 2020

After a less-than-hilarious 2020, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival will be back, delivering COVID-Safe laughs […]

APN-VPC-Hares-&-Hyenas
News

Hares & Hyenas queer and intersectional bookshop to open at the Pride Centre

16 December 2020

Melbourne’s much loved and only LGBTIQA+ bookshop, Hares & Hyenas, is moving to the Victorian […]

Mardi-Gras-Fair-Day
Events

Mardi Gras Fair Day will not proceed in 2021

16 December 2020

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras have announced, with great regret, that Fair Day will […]

The-Garden-of-Unearthly-Delights-photo-by-Alex-Pantazis
Festivals & Events

The Garden of Unearthly Delights reveals a season sneak peak ahead of January launch

16 December 2020

The Garden of Unearthly Delights has revealed a season sneak peak ahead of its full […]

Siblingship-Daniel-and-Chiara-Assetta
Arts & Culture

Siblingship – back by popular demand!

15 December 2020

After sold-out seasons in Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra last year, Siblingship will be returning to Sydney in […]

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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
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  • 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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The Australian Pride Network exists to promote Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) Pride on a national level, encouraging diverse communities in Australia to hold and attend pride events, whilst increasing promotional and networking opportunities among Australian pride organisations.

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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