Australia’s home-grown Stage & Stream guide. A selection of streaming theatre, cabaret, podcasts and artist opportunities for the week ahead, with a focus on the best independent productions in Australia and NZ. Donation links take you directly to donations for those artists – please support them – and if you have something that should be on the list send a message to robbi@criticalstages.com.au or complete the Google form.
Stage And Stream Links
Friday Sept 11th – Thursday Sept 17th
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AUSTRALIA / NZ BY DATE
Friday 11th September
- THE BASEMENT TAPES – ZANETTI
Twin Peaks meets Serial in this Fringe First award-winning NZ mystery. Following her grandmother’s death, a girl faces the overwhelming task of clearing out the basement. She discovers a series of mysterious tape recordings made by her grandmother. As she hears these tapes for the first time, things start to unravel
On-Demand until Sunday 13th September
www.sydneyfringe.com.au - FRIDAY NIGHT MAGIC – LANEWAY THEATRE
Australia’s only close-up magic theatre has an ambitious line-up of zoom shows throughout September. Tonight – Anthony DeMasi is back by popular demand.
7:30pm AEST via Zoom
www.thelanewaytheatre.com - BIG FORK’S LIVESTREAM
Brisbane Comedy Festival award-winners Big Fork Theatre are hosting a new weekly comedy and performance series live-streamed from quarantine.
7:30pm AEST
www.facebook.com - SECOND WAVE CABARET
Live, Loose & Locked Down is the theme of this new live cabaret from Melbourne’s Sophie deLightful. Zoom-enabled, one hour Friday adult fun from the same team that brought us Cooped Up Cabaret. Guests are kept secret until your in too deep, just the way we like it.
8pm AEST
Details on Facebook - FED FUNNY
Livestreamed, bite-size spoken word and comedy from Melbourne’s finest, in lockdown. Show is weekly, on Fridays, until September 11th. It’s a quick 30 minutes to end your working week smiling!
4:30pm AEST
www.facebook.com
Saturday 12th September
- ORPHEUS – FLANAGAN COLLECTIVE
This internationally award winning modern re-telling of the ancient myth was the runaway hit of Sydney Fringe 2019. It returns for an intimate digital performance live to your lounge room. Don’t miss it. One Night Only
6:30pm AEST
www.sydneyfringe.com.au - SOMEBODY’S STORY – WRITE AROUND THE MURRAY
Working in various mediums including film, theatre and podcast, panelists showcase recent projects and discuss the delicate art of working with the stories of others, working regionally, and working through Covid. With Alyson Evans, Helen Newman, Aimee Chan and Karla Conway.
1pm AEST
www.facebook.com - FIRST NATION SIGNWILF
Deaf Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Maori share deadly new stories. Tune in via Facebook to hear new work from First Nations peoples from across our region.
6pm AEST
www.facebook.com - SEQUIN SESSIONS
Cabaret star Michaela Burger’s trademark humour, huge repertoire and fabulous voice is a great way to spend Saturday night. Tune in again with the little ones for a children’s cabaret special on Sundays.
8pm AEST – please donate
www.michaelaburger.live/
Sunday 13th September
- SHAKESPEARE REPUBLIC
Building on the success of the previous two seasons of the multi award-winning web series, Shakespeare Republic (2015-2020), this new stand-alone season of the work turns the lens on Shakespeare’s characters in lockdown, featuring actors from Australia and around the world. This week – Melbourne’s Jodi Haigh as Duke Senior from As You Like It.
On-Demand
www.facebook.com
Tuesday 15th September
- LIGHTEN UP – QUEENSLAND THEATRE
Daniel Evans directs this live reading of Nicholas Brown and Sam McCool’s play Lighten Up. John Green is an Anglo-Indian Australian actor who dreams of being cast in his favourite soap, ‘Bondi Parade’. The problem is, his coloured contact lenses can’t hide the fact that his skin is more brown than white. Funny, heart-felt, and poignant.
7:30 AEST
www.queenslandtheatre.com.au
Wednesday 16th September
- COME TO WHERE I AM – AUSTRALIA – VOLUME 3 PREMIERE
The next four stories created for this playwriting and performance series from Critical Stages Touring and PAines Plough premieres live on Facebook. Featuring some of the country’s leading playwrights and artists, these stories take us, virtually, to the places we call home. This week: Samah Sabawi (Melbourne), Jon Bennett (Pinery SA), Margaret Davis (Blue Mountains), and Kathryn Ash (Cairns).
7:30pm AEST
www.facebook.com - IDENTITY – GLOBAL FRINGE GALA #3
Sydney fringe has been knocking it out of the park this month with a suite of delivious theatre offerings online and in-person at the iconic Old 505. Tonight, a 3 hour gala online event featuring Mr Yunioshi, Black Birds, and Pasta e Lava. A truly international offering for hump day.
Starts 6:30pm AEST
www.sydneyfringe.com.au - (YOU DON’T HAVE TO PUT ON YOUR) RED LIGHT
Three beloved authors have hopped into bed with Brisbane theatre collective The Good Room to create three intimate audio experiences, pre-recorded by some of Brisbane’s most alluring voice actors and direct-dialled to your phone. Get comfortable in your PJ’s but be prepared to get a little hot under the elastic when the phone rings each Hump Day of the Brisbane Festival. Strictly for Adults.
3 performances at 8pm, 9pm and 10pm
www.brisbanefestival..com.au - OUR VISION BEGINS WITH OUR DESIRES
The word on the street is that they are the word on the street. Get ready, because The Real Housewives of Black Birds are back; bigger, badder and more blinged out than ever. Join them as they bring the drama and spill tea at Global Fringe.
7:30pm Wed 16th – Sunday 20th September
www.sydneyfringe.com.au
Thursday 17th September
- MR YUNIOSHI
Mr. Yunioshi is a solo performance piece that follows actor Mickey Rooney as he attempts to create his character for Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Written and performed Asian American actor J Elijah Cho. This comedic show aims to explore the controversial topics of yellow-face and “colourblind” casting.
On-Demand from Thursday 17th to Sunday 20th Sept
www.sydneyfringe.com.au
FESTIVALS
- FUSE DAREBIN
FUSE is Darebin’s brand-new multi-arts festival, held in Autumn and Spring each year, designed to accommodate a range of different access points for audiences and practitioners. From visual arts, to music, history, and performance, there’s a huge array of arts goodness from September 1st to November 29th.
www.fusedarebin.com.au - KOANGA FESTIVAL
Tepou theatre brings new Māori storytelling directly to you. Over the month of Mahuru (September) we invite you Whakarongo mai, Mātakitaki Mai, Huihui mai as we bring you new Māori theatre experiences from their whare to yours.
From 2 – 27th September
www.tepoutheatre.nz - NIDA DIGITAL THEATRE FESTIVAL
The prestigious arts college premiered six new works created specifically for the online world, kicking off with Roundabout by Sean Stewart. If you missed the initial festival run here’s your chance to dive into the works before they disappear.
On-Demand until September 20
www.nida.edu.au
ON-DEMAND
- COME TO WHERE I AM – AUSTRALIA
The first and second volumes of the Critical Stages & Paines Plough storytelling program is now on demand via the CST Screening Room and Paines Plough YouTube Channel
On-Demand
www.criticalstages.com.au/screening-room - ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE
Melbourne’s home of entertainment has been producing amazing digital content all year, and their website is packed with programming on-demand. From Ali McGregor’s Choose Your Own Variety to the Big Night In with Jon Foreman, there is so much to tap into.
www.artscentremelbourne.com.au - THE PACT – BITTEN BY PRODUCTIONS
A web series made in isolation by Melbourne artists. The story revolves around a young woman called Morgan (Rose Flanagan) who has moved to Berlin to escape a past, but when she finds out that her ex-boyfriend and partner in crime Brett (James Biasetto) has gone missing she pulls out every trick in her not unlimited emotional bag to find out what has happened to him.
On-Demand
www.youtube.com - DON’T LET YOURSELF GO – CEMENT FONDU
Cement Fondu have created this art-driven care package that we all need. Journey through 13 artworks that were created during the pandemic to reflect on new possibilities for personal growth, from fitness and self-care to feeling sensual and staying connected – created by artists for all of us.
www.cementfondu.org - GEELONG ARTS CENTRE
Geelong Arts Centre has had one of the best streaming seasons in Oz, and they lineup regularly features a mix of music, comedy, spoken word and cabaret. You should be checking in with weekly to see what’s new.
www.geelongartscentre.org.au - DECAMERON 2.0 – STCSA
100 Stories. Each week, 10 South Australian writers will create 10 new characters and 10 new stories, which will be performed by 10 actors, recorded on film and digitally delivered to you over 10 weeks. Presented by the State Theatre Company of SA.
Final week this week – click over to watch the previous episodes on-demand now. - THE RESERVOIR ROOM
Filmed live at Sydney’s iconic Paddington Town Hall, The Reservoir Room has been streaming the best of Australian cabaret and music weekly, and every show is now available on demand. Big names, local stars, including Phil Scott (Wharf Revue), Mark Treverrow, James Arno, and iOTA to name a few.
On Demand
www.reservoirroom.com - ENSEMBLE CONVERSATIONS
Sydney’s Ensemble Theatre has been producing a weekly Facebook Live series hosted by Artistic Director Mark Kilmurry. Each week they feature interviews with prominent actors and creatives, exclusive scene reads, interactive Q&A’s and more. Lots to watch!
On-Demand – please donate
www.ensemble.com.au & FACEBOOK LIVE - THE WHOLESOME HOUR
The Wholesome Hour is a brand new, wild and raucous sketch comedy show for kids aged 5-10. What happens when a bunch of award winning physical comedians get locked down in their costume-filled sharehouse together? Songs, puppetry, mischief and fart jokes of course! Jubilation and utter mayhem. Produced by award winning queer physical comedy ensemble PO PO MO CO.
On-Demand
www.youtube.com
INTERNATIONAL TOP 5
- EGOLAND
Egoland is a Swedish-Cypriot-German Collaboration under the direction of Achim Wieland which investigates our complex “Ego” and the subtle impersonal and global forces which leave us exposed and vulnerable to any new dogma, political movement, religion, populist sentiment or heroic figure. Playing online as part of Global Fringe courtesy of Sydney Fringe.
On-demand from 10th September to 20th September
www.sydneyfringe.com.au - USER NOT FOUND
Site-specific theatre makers Dante or Die ask “when we die, what becomes of our digital identity?” Staged in cafes in 2018, it has now been re-imagined as a video podcast available from 10th September.
www.youtube.com - COMPLETE WORKS – TABLETOP SHAKESPEARE
Forced Entertainment use a lineup of household items to represent Shakespeare’s iconic characters, from a potato masher as King John to a torch as Romeo and a rose as Katherina. From 17th September a new series will roll out and this will be on our weekly watch list!
www.forcedentertainment.com - THE GOSPEL OF JAMES BALDWIN – MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO
A 21st-century ritual tool kit for justice inspired by James Baldwin’s truth-telling treaty on justice in America, The Fire Next Time, and our endlessly changing world. Launching September 15th, each month a new series of music, words and art will be delivered by guest artists, starting with Meshell Ndegeocello.
www.fishercenter.bard.edu - DAYS OF RE-CREATION – LIVE IN COLOR
Days of Re-Creation is a virtual play written entirely by writers of color. Spearheading the talent are a diverse group of playwrights who were tasked with creating each biblically inspired segment of the work. This ensemble theatre work brought together writers from across the USA.
www.youtube.com
SAVE THE DATE
These are the future streams that are high on our list – get them into your diary now!
- 18th September – In The Zone – Shaun Parker & Co
Hip-hop dance meets gaming technology in this groundbreaking new work by Shaun Parker & Company. Conceived to engender emotional resilience in young people, featuring captivating new technology called AirSticks, which create live sound through movement. This is going to be terrific. Book now. - 18th September – The Art of Bi-Solation
Presented in collaboration between the Big Bi+ Bonanza and a whole host of other Bi+ orgs across Australia and New Zealand, we bring you “The Art of Bi-solation”: a night of performance by and conversation between some of Melbourne’s finest bi+ performing artists. - From 23rd September – Queers On The Fringe
How do you make a show when you don’t know if there’ll be an audience? Well, if there’s anything queers and fringe festivals have in common it’s being able to adapt, making something outta nothing, turning sawdust into glitter. Pre-register now at www.sydneyfringe.com.au - 25th September – Macbeth – The Installation
Presented by Barestage Theatre generously supported by the City of Sydney and Darlo Drama. A surreal take on Shakespeare’s story of the warrior who would be King. Filmed live, socially distanced, moving to different settings in one theatre space and streamed live to YouTube. 3 nights from the 25th.
AUSTRALIAN/NZ THEATRE & PERFORMANCE PODCASTS
- Queensland Theatre
- On The Fringe – Sydney Fringe
- Alive Tonight NZ
- CoronaVlog
- Waitangi (Maori Storytelling)
- MerringongX Conversations
- Behind the Scenes with Joel Bray
- Bell Shakespeare
- Queerstories
- Stages with Peter Eyers
- From Inspiration to Stage with Drew Lane
- Fantastic Fantastix
- Chats With Creatives
- Creative Connections with Adam Dear
- Matt Young’s The Story Chunder
- Form Dance Theatre
- Griffin Theatre Company
- Run The Show – Milke
- The Stage Show – ABC Radio National
- Producing Heroes – Circa
- Sydney Theatre Company
- Theatre Mates Melbourne
- Citizen Theatre Podcast
- The Aside Podcast
- The Green Room
- Talking Sock
- Check In With Chapel
- SOH Arty Farty (for kids)
- Was It Worth It?
AUDIO & RADIO PLAYS
- DOUBLE – DARKFIELD RADIO
The creeping chill of Darkfield Radio’s terrifying immersive show is tOn-he first audio-only entry to be selected by the illustrious Venice International Film Festival. Audio trickery, compelling storytelling, and a delishly macabre experience awaits all who are brave enough.
www.darkfield.com.au/radio - BEGOTTEN – MINOLA THEATRE
A sceptic. A paranoiac. A criminal. A migrant. A hostage. Begotten is the 100-year history of a family, told through the eyes of five women. This powerful new work by award-winning playwright Bianca Butler Reynolds explores the changing role of women over time, the fight for female autonomy, the complexities of motherhood, and the echoes of the past that resonate in the present.
www.minolatheatre.com.au/begotten/ - TOP SECRET VIOLIN CASE – VARDOS
Romania, 1970 something, in the grip of Ceaușescu’s oppressive regime. Brad from Chicago arrives on the scene, hoping to escape his American closet to learn Romanian folk music, and encounters an ambitious violinist who’ll stop at nothing to succeed. Can they escape the Secret Police?
https://vardos.com.au/TopSecretViolinCase.htm
ARTIST OPPORTUNITIES
- ADELAIDE FRINGE
Artists, performers and presenters can share their creativity and innovation with the world when they register for next year’s festival. There will be opportunities to be involved in both live venue and online events. www.adelaidefringe.com.au/as-arts-industry - LIVERWORKS – LIVE EXCHANGE
Performance Space’s award-winning Liveworks Festival of Experimental Art launched this week with its new look hybrid format revealing a radical transformation to this October’s festival. EOIs open now. www.apam.org.au - MARDI GRAS GRANTS
Now in its third year, the grants provide financial funding for a wide range of LGBTIQ+ projects, including education and training, community development, creation, arts and culture. Applications close 4th October. - KILL YOUR DARLINGS WRITERS PROGRAM
Kill Your Darlings Regional Victorian Writers Program is accepting pitches and submissions until 31 October Apply here. - GREEN ROOM AWARDS
Registrations are open for digital shows presented in 2020. Range of awards on offer will be slightly reduced due to the fewer number of shows across most genres, but a few special commendations will be introduced. Registration is free this year. https://www.greenroom.org.au/register/ - REGIONAL ARTS WA RESILIENCE GRANTS
Awards a young disabled artist aged 16 – 30 with $3,000, in recognition of their impact on disability activism and culture through their artistic practice. Applications close September 14th. www.regionalartswa.org.au/funding/resilience - CAMPFIRE STORIES
Campfire Stories is a queer and trans peer support project created by Teddy Darling and Artemis Munoz to facilitate online connection and community among queer people through storytelling and sharing. Submissions for the October gathering close on 15th September. More info here.
EDUCATION / ACTIVITIES
- THIS SHOW IS NOT RUBBISH
The Trash Can Man is on a mission to turn TRASH into (scientific) TREASURE! Every Saturday a new episode is released showing how we can recycle, up-cycle, and art-cycle the things we throw out.
www.thisshowisnotrubbish.com/ - WOW Festival At Home
Casula Powerhouse’s popular Way Out West Festival moves online with a collection of activities, videos, stories, tours, and arts links that will keep kids busy and creative.
www.casulapowerhouse.com.au - THE POP PROJECT – LA MAMA
The Pop Project is a weekly workshop series run over six weeks facilitated by Cassandra Fumi. You’ll develop and complete a collective story and learn the technical side of stop-motion animation. This can be paper, clay, object, or body animation, and then compose an original score. Perfect for kids 8+.
www.lamama.com.au - Jump Start Youth Theatre
Some great online workshops planned for the school holidays, suitable for students in years 5-12 (ages 10-18). This dynamic young company is helmed by award-winning actor Emma Wright and New Ghosts Theatre Artistic Director Lucy Clements.
www.jumpstartyouththeatre.com - Curious Legends Workshops
Newcastle’s Curious Legends have a series of free, previously live-streamed, workshops for kids available on their site. Workshops explore performance, puppetry, clowning, making, dance, storytelling, and much else besides! Supported by Create NSW, Orica, and Newcastle Region Library. www.curiouslegends.com.au/out-of-the-box - Poetry In Action – this NFP touring company has brought their popular education program online to stream into homes and classrooms. There are 4 performances in line with curriculum for Years 5-12. Visit www.poetryinaction.com.au for more info.
- Storyville Live – Storyville’s in-school program sends performers to read much-loved storybooks to children. For the next couple of weeks they’ll be trialling live storytime via Facebook, and it’s well worth it for those with little ones at home. 11am and 3pm AEST daily – free www.facebook.com/theStoryville/
- Slingsby by Request – South Australian theatre company Slingsby has created an online resource of live performances in line with curriculum. Teachers and home-teachers should check out this great resource. www.slingsby.net.au/slingsby-by-request/
- Audioplay – This is unlike any other activity out there at the moment. An immersive play experience for kids (ages 6-12) where they download an audio story in which they play one of the characters using ordinary household items for props. Creative play just got so much better! www.audioplay.me
- Shake & Stir Interact
Since 2006, shake & stir drama classes have been a regular extra-curricular activity adored by tens of thousands of students, and now their latest program has moved online. Your child will engage with a carefully-planned, professionally-produced and, most importantly, super-fun 30 minutes of creative play, at home with drama activities and performance-based games that will get them acting and keep them active. www.shakeandstirinteract.com.au - ATYP Online
Australian Theatre for Young People have brought made their drama programs virtual just in time for term 2. A selection of their regular programs will be facilitated live each week via Zoom and Google Classroom. Participants will work with a skilled ATYP tutor and classmates in an interactive online space from the safety of their homes. It’s just one of several programs teachers and home teachers should discover. www.atyp.com.au - ATYP Home Theatre Plays – With help from the ATYP Foundation, Australian Theatre for Young People have commissioned 10 brilliant Australian playwrights to each write a 5-minute script that you can download and perform with your family and friends (when visitors are allowed at your place or try it with your friends over Zoom!). Each script features 2-6 characters, with a mix of some young people and some adults. All the details at www.atyp.com.au
- Patch Theatre
Patch Theatre has been making shows for 4–8 year old children and their families from our home in South Australia since 1972. In nearly 48 years, Patch has made 110 much loved theatre works and performed to over 1.8 million children around the world. They’re posting regular updates to arts activities for little ones online, and via Facebook and Instagram. www.patchtheatre.org.au/activities - Polyglot Theatre
Children’s theatre makers Polyglot have developed a series of new arts activities that will keep young ones busy and thinking during creative play. There’s heaps of fun stuff to explore and if you don’t have kids we highly recommend doing them anyway because a) they’re fun and b) home-grown hilarity is needed right now. www.polyglot.org.au/polyglot-at-home/ - Riverside Theatres
Parramatta’s Riverside Theatres has always had a fantastic education team and resources to match – and now a directory of teacher resources from past performances is available on their website. There’s also a super-handy (and HUGE) listing of other online resources that teachers and parents should not miss. www.riversideparramatta.com.au