Australia - Perth Theater Reviews

BWW Review: ONCE at Regal Theatre
by David Bravos - June 08, 2022

ONCE has taken the world by storm. Beginning as a 2007 movie, it went to Broadway in 2011 where it won multiple awards. It played to sold out audiences in Sydney,and Perth can count itself lucky to be hosting it now. The hype is justified, the awards fully with merit, and it is no stretch to say tha...

BWW Review: GREASE at Royale Theatre At Planet Royale
by David Bravos - June 06, 2022

There is always plenty of nostalgia around GREASE, something which Drew Anthony Creative’s latest production was more than happy to tap into. The on stage cast shouldered the responsibility themselves and put on an outstanding show at an interesting and exciting new theatre in Northbridge....

BWW Review: EARTHSIDE at The Blue Room Theatre
by David Bravos - May 03, 2022

In the film Alien, Ellen Ripley is a smart woman who no one listens to, which ends up costing most of the crew their lives. In EARTHSIDE, Kaitlin Tinker imagines herself as Ripley on her own strange and perilous journey into the unknown of childbirth....

BWW Review: FAME: THE MUSICAL at Crown Theatre
by David Bravos - April 18, 2022

Based on the hit 1980 film and the television series it spawned, FAME: THE MUSICAL has burst into Crown Theatre to tell the story of a group of aspiring performers. This production bills itself as being by Western Australians, for Western Australians, and in doing so shows that WA is indeed home to ...

BWW Review: ALTAR BOYZ at Subiaco Arts Centre
by David Bravos - February 14, 2022

With Perth Fringeworld drawing to a close, Arise Productions went for a quick backup from their production of Avenue Q to put on another comedy and off-Broadway smash in ALTAR BOYZ. The result is a hilariously enlightening Christian boy-band concert that may not save your soul, but that is sure to e...

BWW Review: AVENUE Q at Subiaco Arts Centre
by David Bravos - February 13, 2022

With Fringe in full swing, Arise Productions threw in a treat with a performance of AVENUE Q. The show, which debuted in 2003, has consistently been praised for its honest approach to the themes it presents, and this production gave time to those themes but also kept the laughs going for an entertai...

BWW Review: THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE at Cookery At Girls' School
by David Bravos - February 11, 2022

There is so much to love about Perth Fringeworld. From the showcasing of a vast array of talents, to uncovering hidden gems of local and Australian talent. One such gem is THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE, written by Australian author Vivienne Walsh and presented by Perth based Feet First Collective. The narra...

BWW Review: LIFE'S A DRAG: THE SEQUEL at Red Room At The Court
by David Bravos - February 04, 2022

Following a successful 2021 run but with more of an amazing life to explore, Dean Misdale returns to Perth Fringe Festival with LIFE’S A DRAG: THE SEQUEL. Ever wanted to know how one of Perth’s premier drag queens got to where they are? Prepare to find out in an entertaining and honest hour of anecd...

BWW Review: PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT at Regal Theatre
by David Bravos - January 09, 2022

...

BWW Review: THE WIZARD OF OZ at Crown Theatre
by David Bravos - January 03, 2022

THE WIZARD OF OZ, and HAMA Productions pulled out all the stops to stage a spectacular production at Crown Theatre, with an entertaining, energetic and colourful production being a wonderful way to kick off 2022 in the theatre. ...

BWW Review: CINDERELLA- A TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS PANTOMIME at Regal Theatre
by David Bravos - December 26, 2021

Very few Christmas songs mention the many pantomimes that are put on in this most wonderful time of the year. Zealous Productions went all in with a big production, and the cast full of local talent and genuine theatre stars provided quality entertainment for the whole family with their production o...

BWW Review: NEVERMORE at Subiaco Arts Centre
by David Bravos - December 03, 2021

The life of Edgar Allen Poe is the subject of much discussion and debate, and he continues to be a most fascinating character. Grey Lantern Productions put on NEVERMORE: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allen Poe giving a dark and stripped back retelling of the life of Edgar Allen Po...

BWW Review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at Regal Theatre
by David Bravos - November 26, 2021

Part of Entertaind Production’s ethos is minimalism in their settings, which seems to lend itself perfectly to LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. Whilst the setting may have been a bit bare, Entertaind’s production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS wants for nothing more, with a minimal set made up for by a passionate...

BWW Review: FORBIDDEN BROADWAY GREATEST HITS VOL 1 at Studio Underground
by David Bravos - November 17, 2021

Nostalgia and laughter abounded in FORBIDDEN BROADWAY GREATEST HITS VOL 1, with loving tributes to Broadway’s greatest shows and people given a twist that had people singing and laughing....

BWW Review: CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY at Crown Theatre
by David Bravos - November 09, 2021

Roald Dahl’s classic children’s story CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY has found its way to the stage as a musical, retaining some elements from the classic movies whilst diverging in some areas. Crown Theatre plays home to this stunning musical, treating the people of Perth to a world of pure imag...

BWW Review: MAMMA MIA! at Regal Theatre
by David Bravos - November 05, 2021

With a soundtrack full of ABBA hits, MAMMA MIA! is a popular musical that has broken records all around the world. Serasi Entertainment's Perth production showcases the cultural icons of ABBA perfectly, with wonderful performances and clever staging being enhanced, rather than driven, by the soundtr...

BWW Review: DISNEY IN CONCERT: A DREAM IS A WISH at PCEC
by David Bravos - October 31, 2021

One ethos of MM Creative Productions is to make live performances accessible and exciting. Whilst Disney is a sure-fire crowd pleaser, there was plenty added in to DISNEY IN CONCERT: A DREAM IS A WISH to make it a dazzling and captivating show, and proved just why Disney had entrusted MM Creative wi...

BWW Review: THE LITTLE MERMAID at Regal Theatre
by David Bravos - September 27, 2021

Backing up the encore season Legally Blonde, HAMA Productions have not wasted any time getting straight back to it with THE LITTLE MERMAID opening at the Regal Theatre. Whilst the cast featured many familiar faces from the Perth theatre scene, it is fair to say that it showcased the depth of talent ...

BWW Review: JULIS CAESAR at Subiaco Arts Centre
by David Bravos - September 21, 2021

The play JULIUS CAESAR may be one of the more noted Shakespeare plays, full of memorable lines and often run on stage and screen. The third year WAAPA students-in their last production before graduating- were not content with a mere rerun, however, and gave the setting and themes of this classic a c...

BWW Review: EMILIE: LA MARQUISE DU CHÂTELET DEFENDS HER LIFE TONIGHT at Subiaco Arts Centre
by David Bravos - August 17, 2021

Anatomical Heart productions rather fittingly closed their debut performance just as National Science Week was kicking off. Their performance of EMILIE: LA MARQUISE DU CHATELET DEFENDS HER LIFE TONIGHT was a treat as much for theatre enthusiasts as it was for science enthusiasts....

BWW Review: SAVAGE GRACE at State Theatre Centre Of WA
by David Bravos - August 16, 2021

It is 21 years since Steamworks Productions made their debut performance with SAVAGE GRACE. To celebrate their birthday, they returned to their inaugural production, bringing along the original creatives and cast to make it happen. The result is a triumph that speaks as much to where Steamworks is a...

BWW Review: MINNEAPOLIS at Subiaco Arts Centre
by David Bravos - August 02, 2021

MINNEAPOLIS, a play by Will O'Mahony packed Subiaco Arts Centre for each of its performances. It is dramatic and confronting at different points and in different measures. The sum of those often-contrasting parts is a brutal and unrelenting look at toxic masculinity and gender dynamics that brought ...

BWW Review: THE ADDAMS FAMILY at Regal Theatre
by David Bravos - July 16, 2021

The Addams Family has an enduring legacy originating as a single frame cartoons to now having spawned several TV series and movies. The musical follows in a similar vein and Zealous Productions brought together a most impressive team of performers and creatives to ensure that THE ADDAMS FAMILY hits ...

BWW Review: BARE: A POP OPERA at Subiaco Arts Centre
by David Bravos - July 09, 2021

In music, there is difficult second album syndrome (the ‘sophomore slump’). Arise have proven that, in musical theatre, there is definitely no difficult second show syndrome, bringing an emotionally charged and thematically complex show to stage and ensuring that amongst so many things, it is entert...

BWW Review: WEST SIDE STORY at Crown Theatre
by David Bravos - July 08, 2021

The eagerly anticipated Opera Australia production of WEST SIDE STORY opened at Crown Theatre this week and nothing was lost from postponements and audience restrictions. The talented cast brought the audience on a rollercoaster of emotion with their brilliant acting and singing, whilst the famously...