Melbourne Critique

08/04/2024

OPENING THIS WEEK AS PART OF Melbourne International Comedy Festival IS Functional Bottom - April 10-14 at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival - Club Voltaire....

TICKETS- https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1152355?

"A fusion of storytelling, performance art, filth, provocation and tears, Functional Bottom is a darkly humorous exploration of a year in the life of Jessi Ryan – artiste, journalist, s*x worker and hot f #%king mess.

How else to respond to an ‘anus horribilis’ in the era of the neo-Nazi, including nearly dying on the emergency room table, colon removal and the death of their scat-loving sugar daddy?

"Artistic firebrand" (The Age) Jessi Ryan turns to art, s*x, truth-telling and maybe a cheeky nang to burn this mother-f**king trash pile to the ground. It’s time to take stock of their self-medication carnival, crawl back from the abyss and get to the bottom of it all.

Directed by Anna Piper Scott, the only Melbourne International Comedy Festival show featuring a colostomy bag as a supporting actress explores love, survival and the art of clinging on with exquisitely manicured fingernails.

With 20 solo shows, three solo exhibitions and countless Australian and international performances to their credit, Jessi also has a formidable reputation for their journalistic work, including Walkley Award and Victorian Pride Award finalist nominations.

Strap yourselves in for a raw, unapologetic, messy and chaotic experience, where nothing is off limits, and rubber gloves are optional."

04/10/2022

We are back for the 40th anniversary year of Melbourne Fringe, kicking off with a look at Scold’s Bridle, playing till this Sunday at The Butterfly Club.

Postedby Jessi Ryan Posted in PERFORMANCE / REVIEWS SCOLD’S BRIDLE 04/10/2022 2 minute read 0 Comments Presented at The Butterfly Club as part of Melbourne Fringe 2022, from Monday the 3rd to Sunday the 9th of October. Scold’s Bridle- was a draconian implement used to torture, degrade and silenc...

08/08/2021

We checked out the latest online performance from Finucane & Smith Rapture: Bathtub Edition, "a performance where we are, as much as is possible, bought together as a community of artists, free thinkers and radical spirits.”

Postedby Jessi Lewis Posted in PERFORMANCE / REVIEWS RAPTURE: BATHTUB EDITION 08/08/2021 2 minute read 0 Comments Moria Finucane aside from a national treasure, possesses a rare gift that many others could only dream of holding in their own hands. It’s an ability to draw audiences in, holding them...

14/07/2021

We take a look at the latest work by rawcus which played last week at Speakeasy - Darebin Arts....

Postedby Jessi Lewis Posted in Uncategorized GLASS 14/07/2021 2 minute read 0 Comments It’s been over a year since I last wrote a dance review, even longer since I myself was on stage, and while I detest writing in the first person, as both a performance artist and critic, I could think of a non-m...

09/07/2021

Long time between drinks theatre friends! Long long time, we are bringing back Melbourne Critique. In response to the ongoing situation faced by artists not just in Melbourne but everywhere and while our collective governments continue to throw the arts under the bus time again, now is the time for us to step up and do what we do best, promoting and engaging with arts and culture. Our first review will be up on out site this weekend! Stay tuned folks!

18/04/2020

The latest edition of The Wilderness Podcast is now available on soundcloud

What does the current state of play mean for Australian dance makers? This is the question posed in our latest edition Dancing In The Dark, featuring Stephanie Lake, Robin Fox, Grace Marlow, Zac Jones

06/04/2020

You can listen to the first edition of The Wilderness Podcast over on Spotify

Listen to THE WILDERN3SS on Spotify. Podcast by THE WILDERN3SS

06/04/2020

In our 1st edition The Wilderness Podcast plunges into the deep end to tackle the big issues of what it means to create and be creative in the era of COVID19. Featuring conversations, reflections and

25/03/2020

These are certainly historic and unprecedented times that we live in. So much of what Melbourne Critique was based around, is for now at least, off limits. While we mourn the utter devastation that so many of us are currently feeling, we also look toward this as an opportunity. Launching next week The Wilderness Podcast, is one such opportunity for the continued engagement with the artistic form through editorial content... together we will make it through the wilderness,

18/02/2020

"The forever challenge about this piece is it’s never about technicality, it’s always about the context. We couldn’t really design it – we walk with it, and go through the process with it. We question, we feel, we find, we accept." We spoke with Kamila Andini, about The Seen & Unseen, Arts Centre Melbourne

Postedby Jessi Lewis Posted in INTERVIEWS / PERFORMANCE THE SEEN & UNSEEN 19/02/2020 4 minute read 0 Comments share A mesmerising convergence of contemporary Indonesian dance and physical storytelling, The Seen and Unseen is adapted by Indonesian artist Kamila Andini from her internationally acclaim...

06/02/2020

"Daddy is a performance that dazzles as it simultaneously balances upon a razor-sharp edge of wit and heartbreak. In a manner that few performers ever manage to fully realise, Daddy is a deft portrayal of personal reflection, dripping with social antidotes." Arts Centre Melbourne Midsumma Festival

Postedby Jessi Lewis Posted in PERFORMANCE / REVIEWS DADDY 06/02/2020 2 minute read 0 Comments share Daddy is a performance that dazzles as it simultaneously balances upon a razor-sharp edge of wit and heartbreak. In a manner that few performers ever manage to fully realise, Daddy is a deft portr...

06/02/2020

"The biggest popstar of the Philippines has been kidnapped, and it’s up to a ragtag squad of fans to bring her back. They’ll brave rooftop chases, mystic rituals, knife fights in the back of speeding jeepneys and underwater shoot-outs to liberate their idol from a conspiracy that threatens to tear their country apart." Arts House Asia T**A

Postedby Jessi Lewis Posted in INTERVIEWS / PERFORMANCE ARE YOU READY? 06/02/2020 3 minute read 0 Comments share The biggest popstar of the Philippines has been kidnapped, and it’s up to a ragtag squad of fans to bring her back. They’ll brave rooftop chases, mystic rituals, knife fights in the b...

15/01/2020

"Perhaps a deft show in terms of its puppetry, War Horse has little in the way of other strings that it can pull. War is something that should never be glorified, yet War Horse does exactly that."

Postedby Jessi Lewis Posted in PERFORMANCE / REVIEWS WAR HORSE 15/01/2020 2 minute read 0 Comments share After six years as a critic, and having seen what would be thousands of shows, it is rare that I should walk out at interval. But for this – the first show I will see in 2020 – that is precis...

18/10/2019

"I’m not sure if I believe in heaven, but if it exists and I reach that place, this show will surely be waiting there for me to dip once more into the euphoria it provides. Watching Grand Finale is the closest thing to Nirvana that I have ever experienced, and nothing in life has come close to what this show has given me." Melbourne International Arts Festival Arts Centre Melbourne

Postedby Jessi Lewis Posted in PERFORMANCE / REVIEWS GRAND FINALE 18/10/2019 2 minute read 0 Comments share Very few shows deserve standing ovations, but Grand Finale deserved every second of the 10-minute standing ovation it received on the second night of its Melbourne International Arts Festival....

12/10/2019

The Melbourne International Arts Festival 2019 presents two works at the Malthouse that may seem worlds apart but share many similarities: Brimful Of Asha and Grey Rock. They both deal with cultures that are not of our own, of matters of the heart and of aspiration and escapism. Malthouse Theatre Melbourne International Arts Festival

Postedby Jessi Lewis Posted in PERFORMANCE / REVIEWS TWO SHOWS / WORLDS APART 12/10/2019 3 minute read 0 Comments share The Melbourne International Arts Festival 2019 presents two works at the Malthouse that may seem worlds apart but share many similarities: Brimful Of Asha and Grey Rock. They bo...

07/10/2019

"Yang Liping, last presented Under Siege, as part of Melbourne Festival in 2017, and while this most recent works bares many of the choreographers trademarks, it is lacking in the strengths that marked Lipings first international work."

Postedby Jessi Lewis Posted in PERFORMANCE / REVIEWS RITE OF SPRING 08/10/2019 2 minute read 0 Comments share Yang Liping, last presented Under Siege, as part of Melbourne Festival in 2017, and while this most recent works bares many of the choreographers trademarks, it is lacking in the strength...

06/10/2019

Many (most often within the arts) herald works such as Anthem,as being necessary or vital – threatening to fracture and disrupt the fragility of mainstream discourse. But when art still remains such an undervalued recourse, what is its purpose, and how far-reaching is arts conversation?

Postedby Jessi Lewis Posted in PERFORMANCE / REVIEWS ANTHEM 06/10/2019 2 minute read 0 Comments share Many (most often within the arts) herald works such as Anthem,as being necessary or vital – threatening to fracture and disrupt the fragility of mainstream discourse. But when art still remains su...

05/10/2019

"In the end, the performance really leaves the audience feeling like they are no more than dirty voyeurs. There is little in the way of emotional engagement, and nothing too deep into which to sink your teeth."

Postedby Jessi Lewis Posted in PERFORMANCE / REVIEWS HIGH PERFORMANCE PACKING TAPE 05/10/2019 2 minute read 0 Comments share “Don’t try this at home” is fair warning that this show is not for the faint-hearted. A delectable blend of high octane stunts, humour and day-to-day objects pushed furt...

13/09/2019

“To be part of this nation, what does it mean?”Here we take a look at Anthem, and have a chat with award winning writer Christos Tsiolkas, this work is happening part of Melbourne International Arts Festival Arts Centre Melbourne

Postedby Jessi Lewis Posted in INTERVIEWS / PERFORMANCE ANTHEM 13/09/2019 3 minute read 0 Comments share “Does Australia really share a dream? Do we really sing with one voice?” Twenty-one years ago, four playwrights and a composer came together to create Who’s Afraid of the Working Class? .....

02/09/2019

We love Melbourne International Arts Festival!!! So, over the coming months Melbourne Critique are back to cover what will be the final year of the festival as we know it.... Here's an interview with Stephanie Lake to kick things off.... Arts Centre Melbourne Stephanie Lake Company

Postedby Jessi Lewis Posted in Uncategorized COLOSSUS 02/09/2019 2 minute read 0 Comments share Melbourne Critique is back in action, taking a look at what will be the last Melbourne Festival as we know it, and as Jonathon Holloway’s last festival as Artistic Director, it is a program brimming wit...

30/05/2019

An open letter from our editors Jessi Lewis and Nela Trifkovic,

The Melbourne Critique was founded in 2017 as a fiercely independent source of news interviews and reviews, encompassing the best and, at times, the very worse of Melbourne's cultural scene. We continued, over the past two and a half years, to explore, our local scene with an unapologetic approach that, at times, made us more enemies then friends- and we wouldn't change this for the world. We have worked with an amazing group of talented writers and photographers to whom we will forever be indebted; we championed for First Nations Writers to find a voice in an otherwise white-washed and white dominated industry; we worked with individuals from a broad spectrum of cultural backgrounds, which again went against the grain of Melbourne's arts publications- our team was always the most diverse around, and for this achievement we will remain immensely proud. To our 130 000 plus readers, we thank you for the support over this time - we were proud to bring you over 300 articles- and without you, we could not have achieved what we have thus far. To all the artists and companies, designers and festivals we have had the privilege of supporting ; thanks to you, too.

Is this goodbye from Melbourne Critique? Maybe not, but for now- yes.

As Editor, I am leaving, for some considerable time, the creative industries- this is after 16 years of ongoing local, national and international engagement as an artist, performer, producer, critic and editor, I am turning my attentions to where real change needs to be affected: that is in the areas of law, human rights and true advocacy for those parts of society which need it most. As sub-editor, Nela Trifkovic will also be turning her attentions elsewhere, focusing on her work within the Balkan communities, and with her ensemble Saray Iluminado, which will be touring both nationally and internationally later this year.

We both remain close friends, and with a heavy heart we have chosen to park this project for the foreseeable future, and both look forward to seeing you round the traps sometime soon.

11/04/2019

"This production stands to represent the pinnacle of Australian arts, I say this in regards to the amount of money that is continually poured into the Australian Opera’s coffers by our major funding bodies.. In West Side Story, we can see where all this funding has gone, and it is nothing short of an outrage. It is an insult to Australian audiences, artists, and the very cultural fabric of this country."

Postedby Jessi Lewis Posted in PERFORMANCE / REVIEWS WEST SIDE STORY 11/04/2019 2 minute read 0 Comments share Had she had one bullet left and they played they played the show in reverse, I would have taken that bullet to save myself from two and a half hours of torture. How a work of such magnitude...

21/03/2019

"This is a stunning and contemporary work that barely manages to disguise its central focus behind its many layers of subversive beauty. But its beauty is not in the conventional, it here is reimagined through the reflection of ourselves, it does not hide away from brutality and violence." Force Majeure Dance Massive Arts House

Postedby Jessi Lewis Posted in INTERVIEWS / PERFORMANCE YOU ANIMAL YOU 21/03/2019 2 minute read 0 Comments share Half way through this year’s Dance Massive program it has become evident, that within the Melbourne dance scene, at least, the parameters of dance ha certainly shifted. The lines betwee...

20/03/2019

Winner of both Best Bar and Best Cocktail Bar at the Recent Time Out Melbourne Bar Awards, Melbourne Critique spoke with Michael & Zara Madrusan from The Everleigh, about this Melbourne Institutions continuing evolution and success....

Postedby Jessi Lewis Posted in FOOD / INTERVIEWS THE EVERLEIGH 21/03/2019 4 minute read 0 Comments share If there is one thing more synonymous with Melbourne than our vibrants arts scene, it’s our city’s love of food, dining out and indulging in ‘the good life’. Our nighttime culture puts th...

19/03/2019

"The saddest thing about this work, is despite all its ambition, it truly lacks the finesse that a work of such grander truely deserves. The ideas are there, and yes each of them could possibly be claimed as being relevant and relating to our times, but they come so thick and fast, none are allowed the breathing space to fully emerge resolved."

Postedby Jessi Lewis Posted in PERFORMANCE / REVIEWS LADY EXAMPLE 20/03/2019 2 minute read 0 Comments share The saddest thing about this work, is despite all its ambition, it truly lacks the finesse that a work of such grander truely deserves. The ideas are there, and yes each of them could possibly...

19/03/2019

"Common Ground plays safe, and to the predictable, this work knows that it is refined and ‘intelligent’, it flaunts itself, and leaves very little to the audience’s imagination."

Postedby Jessi Lewis Posted in PERFORMANCE / REVIEWS COMMON GROUND 18/03/2019 2 minute read 0 Comments share Common Ground by Chunky Move was first staged in Melbourne one year ago; in this second coming, the work is now presented within Merlyn Theatre at Malthouse- it’s a great space to stage maj...

12/03/2019

"Sometimes art can sweep you off your feet and take you somewhere magical, this performance is one such occasion…. Nana Bilus Abaffy | Post Reality Vision P, is a ludicrously fun affair, a manage-a-trois between three virile dancers, whom slip effortlessly between the roles of protagonist, antagonist and art director." Dancehouse, Melbourne Australia Dance Massive

Postedby Jessi Lewis Posted in PERFORMANCE / REVIEWS POST REALITY VISION 13/03/2019 1 minute read 0 Comments share “it’s good there’s such torture between you and the image” Sometimes art can sweep you off your feet and take you somewhere magical, this performance is one such occasion…. Po...

12/03/2019

“This Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, dive deep into the world of gin in an evening of sensory discovery at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria"

Postedby Jessi Lewis Posted in INTERVIEWS THE BOTANIST / THE DISSILIST / THE CHEF 12/03/2019 2 minute read 0 Comments share “This Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, dive deep into the world of gin in an evening of sensory discovery at Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.” In a night of sensory discov...

11/03/2019

Melbourne Fashion Festival, Mens Wear Runway II Ali Choudhry photography

Postedby Jessi Lewis Posted in FASHION / REVIEWS MENSWEAR RUNWAY II 11/03/2019 1 minute read 0 Comments share “From fitted blazers to classic print sweaters, GQ Menswear brings this season’s best street style from outerwear to edgy suiting onto the runway. Here are some of our favourite looks ce...

10/03/2019

Highlights from Menswear Runway II presented by GQ Australia, Fashion Festival