Things to do in Sydney today

The opening note of ‘The Circle of Life’ may just be one of the most recognisable in a Disney musical. If you don’t agree, then you may have to convince the entire theatre-going audience who were at Disney’s The Lion King on opening night. The full house’s roars could be heard all the way out of the Capitol Theatre’s front doors as the king of musicals triumphantly returned to Sydney – the first time in more than a decade. What type of show is The Lion King? It’s called The King of Musicals for a reason. If it’s not Elton John’s iconically recognisable music, or Tim Rice’s lyrics you’ve sung over a late-night karaoke session, then its Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi’s book featuring the characters you love, the characters you hate, and the ones you undoubtedly cry over – tears were definitely still shed during that scene. What’s so beautiful about The Lion King is the blurring of worlds and culture that merges in between all of these. Julie Taymor’s directorial conception blends African culture, language, movement and costume underneath masks and puppetry of the animal characters. Mufasa’s “crown” is a stoic, strong and towering headdress. The elegant lionesses soar and leap through the sky through Garth Fagan’s choreography as wing-like gowns flow behind them. The animals of Pride Rock are adorned with larger-than-life puppets of intricate designs and architecture: a re-engineered bicycle becomes leaping antelope, birds fly above the crowd on poles manipulated by...

As the nights grow colder and my toddler at home seems permanently on the brink of the next illness, the effort it takes to leave the house can feel outsized. There is comfort in staying put, wrapped in something soft, conserving energy for the long nights ahead. What tempts me out anyway is the possibility that a show might meet me where I am (usually tired, frayed, vulnerable) and change my mood or shift my mindset. Gutenberg! The Musical!, now showing at Hayes Theatre, does exactly that, reminding me how deeply restorative it can be to laugh, to be surprised, and to feel briefly, gloriously lighter. What is the premise of Gutenberg! The Musical!? Gutenberg! The Musical! centres on two hopelessly enthusiastic writers, Bud (Ryan Gonzalez, In The Heights) and Doug (Stephen Anderson, Titanique), who have created a loose, logistically impossible musical about the life of Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press, and are desperate to get it produced. The premise is gleefully meta: the audience is positioned as a room full of potential Broadway producers invited to a showcase, while the two performers play not only themselves but every role in their historically questionable show. Armed with nothing but baseball caps to signify characters and an unwavering belief in their own genius, Bud and Doug’s earnest ambition drives the comedy, as the musical becomes less about Gutenberg himself and more about the absurd, scrappy devotion of theatre-makers willing to do...

Anastasia (1997) was among the first musical films I knew in its entirety. While many children frolicked to Timon and Pumbaa’s playful anthem in The Lion King, I was instead reenacting “Once Upon a December” in my living room, captivated by a heroine whose quiet determination carried her through danger and uncertainty. At the time, I could not have anticipated how deeply this film would shape my relationship with musical theatre. “Journey to the Past” soon became a staple audition piece, and Anya’s unwavering belief in her own worth quietly informed my own developing sense of confidence.  What I did not yet understand, however, was the historical context behind the story: the execution of the Russian imperial family in 1918 and the long-standing myth that Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov survived. The 1997 animated film leans fully into fantasy, using magic and spectacle to distance itself from historical reality. The stage musical, which premiered on Broadway in 2017 with a book by Terrence McNally and music and lyrics by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, takes a different approach, removing the supernatural elements in favour of a more realistic political setting. This creative decision has lingered uneasily over the production since its premiere, inviting criticism for its revisionist narrative – a species of theatrical “fake news,” further undermined by the musical’s questionable commitment to American accents. In performance, now at Sydney Lyric Theatre, this shift...

Love, for all its risks, is rarely framed as something unsettling or dangerous. Desire, hope and care are often gathered together in pursuit of joy. Though sometimes what emerges is darker: love can shift your sense of self, clouded by danger, deceit and dread. The River, directed by Margaret Thanos, explores the space between desire and deceit in an evocative introspection on love. Written by Tony Award-winning playwright Jez Butterworth, the production forces the audience to confront not only what love reveals, but what it conceals. What is the premise of The River? The Man (Ewen Leslie) and The Woman (Miranda Otto) spend a weekend together at his remote cabin by a river. He is eager to share a particular fishing expedition with her – one that can only happen at night, with no moon. As the play unfolds, what begins as ripples of a tender, romantic escape becomes more uncertain – an estuary sifting through contradiction, manipulation and honesty. The production never fully decides what it wants to be – a romance, a tragedy, or something in between. While these questions linger, Thanos’s creative vision allows the ambiguities to become an asset, giving the audience space to remain in the uneasy territory between desire and distrust, where each confession feels both revelatory and suspect. Rather than resolving its tensions, the production lets them pool and deepen, leaving the audience suspended – albeit a little too long – in its murky emotional currents. Who are the cast...

If you’re looking for a night out where serotonin is dialled up to the max – it’s a seat at The Grand Electric. La Ronde is a cheeky, jaw-dropping performance hitting the intimate stage in Surry Hills this autumn. It has wowed audiences in Adelaide, Newcastle, Darwin, Auckland and Sydney, and now it’s now back in town for a second season.  The high-adrenaline affair made waves as one of the must-see shows of the Adelaide Fringe – clocking up an immense amount of five-star reviews in the process. While some of the other shows by the same creators, like Blanc de Blanc, are a little more risqué, La Ronde is a fun night out for anyone over 15.  Live music sets the stage for some gravity-defying stunts and glitzy disco fever. There’s so much variety in the show that it’s got something for everyone from avid theatre-goers to couples on date night. With a super interactive ringside experience, it also serves as the ultimate group night out where bubbles and gasps flow generously.  Catch La Ronde at The Grand Electric in Surry Hills until May 10. Tickets start from $86 and you can get yours here.