Magazine 6000

08/11/2024

"We’re exploring the riches of the opera library, reconnecting with some old friends, hearing some new singers, welcoming back stars who are wowing audiences around the world, finding ways to connect with audiences and celebrate this total art form."

Are you ready for the West Australian Opera's 2025 season? Hear all about it in our interview with Artistic Director Chris Van Tuinen.

From stunning new commissions by Noongar creatives to hauntingly beautiful tales of water nymphs, Greek myths, and more, the 2024 West Australian Opera season was packed with spectacular performances. With the 2025 season now officially launched, we asked WAO’s Artistic Director, Chris Van Tuinen,...

28/10/2024

"Audience members unable to hold back from gasping or audibly sharing their thoughts..."

Holly Ferguson reviews West Australian Opera's Orpheus & Eurydice:

The concept of combining opera and circus already defies expectations for presenting a Greek myth such as Orpheus and Eurydice. However, director Yaron Lifschitz doesn’t rely solely on gravity-defying stunts or a masterful score to entertain—or rather, to shock—his audience. Instead, he brings...

26/10/2024

"My responsibility as a performer is to be present in the dramatic thought, or impulse, as it happens. By playing this “in the moment” (and if I’m doing my job well!), it is then for the audience to ride the highs and lows…and be emotionally invested in the character and story. If singers over invest, the vocal and dramatic integrity can suffer. Something my drama teacher in school always said was “play the action, not the emotion”. I’ve held onto that for 25 years!"

Prudence Sanders' speaks with Magazine 6000 about the versatility of her recent roles with the West Australian Opera, including her current role of Eurydice:

Prudence Sanders’ CV is a testament to the variety of opera that exists within our state. Of late, the principal soprano has performed at the iconic WACA Ground, which earned her a WA Performing Arts Award. She also played Rapunzel in Into the Woods and has taken on numerous other roles before emb...

24/10/2024

"Ian McKellen shines as the intimidating drama critic. He is often vicious, condescending, and manipulative—keen to do anything to keep his privileged position."

Andrew Douglas reviews The Critic, directed by Anand Tucker.
https://magazine6000.com/review/ambition-power-and-deception-the-critic/

23/10/2024

Music has always had the power to move people. Theatre is an escape from the routine of everyday life. There’s a beautiful quote from Verdi that resonates with me when we experience art that moves us: “I adore art… when I am alone with my notes, my heart pounds, and tears stream from my eyes, and my emotions and joys become too much to bear.”

Ahead of World Opera Day on October 25th, Magazine 6000 speaks with West Australian Opera's Executive Director Carolyn Chard about the enduring and future impact of Opera.

Emerging from the late Renaissance, opera has been a celebrated art form for over 420 years. Originating in Italy, it continues to be a global cultural influence to this day. In honour of World Opera Day on October 25th, which marks the birthdays of composers Georges Bizet and Johann Strauss II, we....

19/10/2024

"Suspended from the ceiling was a round screen that switched between beautiful images of a man and a woman dancing, and excerpts of a poem repeatedly displayed as the story progressed. The imagery on screen was stunning and blended well with the styling of the set, props and costuming."

Jay Darroch reviews Elham Eshraghian-Haakansson's a love letter to the nightingale on now at The Blue Room Theatre:

A Love Letter to the Nightingale is a bold production from video artist Elham Eshraghian-Haakansson. As we were eagerly waiting at the bar at The Blue Room Theatre for the show to commence, we were met with a tray of Persian goodies to snack on. It’s always a nice touch when your experience of a [...

12/10/2024

"As I watched this show, I felt like I would walk out of the theatre in Subiaco and step onto a red dirt landscape, where I could look up and see the Milky Way."

Jay Darroch reviews Operation Boomerang presented by Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company:

Operation Boomerang is the kind of story that stays with you long after you walk out of the theatre. The story centres around Nana, an ageing matriarch played by the formidable Dr Lynette Narkle, her type A daughter, Bobbi Brown, and her softly spoken son Wimiya Woodley. The plot unfolds as the gran...

11/10/2024

"Featuring a colourful array of characters on the stage, this production played out like a British comedy."

Jay Darroch reviews Silly Cow presented by ARENA Theatre Productions:

WA’s Arena Theatre Productions delivered an ambitious show with Ben Elton’s Silly Cow. Featuring a colourful array of characters to present on the stage, this production played out like a British comedy. Reminiscent of shows like Absolutely Fabulous where the lines are delivered with a tone of ...

10/10/2024

"The standout aspect of Pipedream is its original score by Azariah Felton. The soundscape takes you exactly where you need to be – be it in a dry, desolate landscape – or in an inescapable mental maze."

Danica Lamb reviews Pipedream presented by Brent Rollins and STRUT Dance on now at The Blue Room Theatre:

Pipedream is a contemporary dance performance that explores the harsh realities of life in rural Australia during a relentless drought. The stage opens with a stark and desolate landscape, immediately setting the tone for the struggles ahead. The choreography is fluid and consistent at times, and th...

04/10/2024

"Susie has a talent for creating striking and stunning visuals using minimal materials. Her signature use of tulle was back on display, recurringly used almost as a prop while crafting hauntingly beautiful imagery. You can never quite place the era in which these shows are set, honing in on the timelessness of the pieces."

Holly Ferguson reviews Three Sisters presented by Tempest Theatre:

https://magazine6000.com/review/evocative-reimagining-three-sisters/

23/09/2024

"TILT is a yearly occurrence presented by the Bachelor of Performing Arts in the final year of their degree at WAAPA, it is a showcase of the talent and learning that has taken place and is a chance to show off their creative talent and to wow the audience, this year was no exception."

Riley Jackson reviews TILT, presented by Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)'s Bachelor of Performing Arts students, with 10 performances over 2 programs:

TILT is a yearly occurrence presented by the Bachelor of Performing Arts in the final year of their degree at WAAPA, it is a showcase of the talent and learning that has taken place and is a chance to show off their creative talent and to wow the audience, this year was no exception. Program […]

22/09/2024

"Instead of a traditional theatre or performance space, the audience was invited to journey through various Liberty Spaces in the heart of the Perth CBD. In rooms and doorways usually lost and overlooked in the hustle and bustle, Link Dance Company turns every corner into a 3D canvas for activity."

Danica Lamb reviews Link Dance Company's The History Project. Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA):

Truly a celebration of the best of WAAPA The History Project by Link Dance Company – the WAAPA’s graduate dance company – exhibits 4th year Bachelor of Performing Arts (Honours) student dancers in their final show of their coursework. The production also exhibits original compositions of WAAPA...

22/09/2024

"There may be awesome events, but there is only one AWESOME Festival. The AWESOME Festival is a curated event. This means that we program professional artists because we believe that children deserve the best! Our program is also multi artform: music, dance, theatre, visual arts, film and aims to engage ALL of the family. (yes, the grown-ups love it too)"

Emily Smith chats with Jenny Simpson from AWESOME Arts about this year's AWESOME International Arts Festival for Bright Young Things:

Jenny Simpson is the CEO and Artistic Director of AWESOME Arts, a not-for-profit organisation that puts on arts events and programs for children across WA, and has been since the very first AWESOME International Arts Festival for Bright Young Things in 1996. Magazine 6000 had the chance to ask Jenny...

18/09/2024

"I think the relationship between all the actors, both on film and stage, becomes apparent when you invest yourself in the dialogue. I love artworks and theatre pieces with a certain ambiguity—where you are allowed to sit with the character, the set, and the lighting, and just feel the inner workings of their mind as it plays out."

Elham Eshraghian-Haakansson speaks to Magazine 6000 about making her theatre directorial debut in a love letter to the nightingale coming to the The Blue Room Theatre this October:

A blend of Persian mythology, immersive cinema, and live performance is set to hit The Blue Room stage this October with a love letter to the nightingale. Award-winning video artist Elham Eshraghian-Haakansson is at the helm of this production, making her theatre directorial debut. Exploring themes....

16/09/2024

"Their poetry is full of imagery, it takes you through their frustrations, their loves, and their worlds. The whole cast is full of intensely talented story-tellers who are gorgeously captivating."

Riley Jackson reviews An Evening of African Poetry and Storytelling presented by The TOOL Event & Our Collective Dream on now at The Blue Room Theatre:

Playing currently at The Blue Room Theatre, An Evening of African Poetry and Storytelling is a celebration of the journeys endured and the hardships overcome to arrive at a place of community and belonging. As friends gather in a lounge room we go through each of theirs stories and relations to the....

15/09/2024

"As the final, powerful chords rang out and the performers took their bows, the standing ovation that followed felt like the only possible response to the level of energy radiated by the artists."

Danica Lamb reviews Mahler’s Symphony No.8 presented by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra:

There is perhaps no more literal interpretation of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No.8 than as the “Symphony of a Thousand”. The sheer scale of the production was like no other WASO has done before. Before the music even started it was bewildering to look up and around, anywhere, and see a musician ...

14/09/2024

"Clever metaphors were used throughout, such as the three blind mice representing the company board, and a tie blindfold for the character symbolising the judicial system, holding a cardboard cut-out of the scales of justice."

Jay Darroch reviews Enron presented by Curtin's Theatre Arts and Hayman Theatre Company:

The latest production from Curtin Uni’s Theatre Arts and Hayman Theatre Company showcased how minimal budgets can foster creativity. Enron is based on the true story of the American corporation that embodied all the worst stereotypes of corporate culture between the 80s and noughties. There is a f...

12/09/2024

"I could tell just by watching how much delight the dancers seemed to have expressing this piece and I could truly feel that. Each stretch and synchronised movement breathed life into the expression of their characters and brought the audience into the life that can be found in chaos."

Riley Jackson reviews Momentum Unveiled presented by Co3 Contemporary Dance and Momentum Dance Perth:

Performed by Momentum Dance company, who focuses on performers and creators aged 45+, Momentum Unveiled is a three piece showcase featuring dances revolving around ageing and the despair, but mostly joy, to be found in it. Featuring a large ensemble of 16 dancers the spectacle is astounding and enra...