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Stella is a new musical about the life of Stella Miles Franklin.

Defiant and daring, this new musical takes on the story of a literary giant

Creating a musical from scratch is a difficult and laborious challenge. Stella refuses to set its sights low, and quite rightly.

  • Cameron Woodhead and Tony Way

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Playwright Yve Blake takes us behind the scenes of her new musical.

‘What if my writing is terrible?’: The six-week sprint to opening night

What does it take to turn Shakespeare’s Macbeth into a glitter-soaked tale of child stardom set in 2006?

  • Yve Blake
Cartier at NGV

Beautiful but shallow: The NGV’s new blockbuster is big on celebrity but light on insight

Mostly, the pieces are designed to showcase the wealth of the wearer, and a jewel is nothing if not draped across a powerful figure.

  • Will Cox
Senuri Chandrani in Mad Rush, screening at MIFF 2026.

Is this how it feels to be young, broke, scammed and cast out on the street?

The new film Mad Rush, premiering at Melbourne International Film Festival, is urgent and powerful – and couldn’t be more relevant to many young people.

  • Karl Quinn
The distinctive FightMND blue beanies were omnipresent at Neale Daniher’s state funeral.

A sea of blue and unvarnished love: The many definitions of Neale Daniher

Daniher was known for his fearless approach to football and fighting MND. But his state service was a chance for his family and friends to show the world what the man was really made of.

  • Peter Ryan
Grace Carroll as Juliet and Joseph Caley as Romeo.

Catastrophe and drama collide in this lavish production

John Cranko’s 1962 Romeo and Juliet is most admired – among those who do admire it – for the ensemble grandeur of its large set-piece scenes.

  • Andrew Fuhrmann, Cameron Woodhead, Tony Way, Sonia Nair and Jessica Nicholas
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Artist Kevin Kapusi Starow creates an ice sculpture.
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Ice work if you can get it

Artist Kevin Kapusi Starow creates an ice sculpture.

William Torres Patino performing in the Wheel of Death.

This show is already packed with wow factor. Then comes the Wheel of Death

Of all the Cirque du Soleil I’ve attended over the years, Kooza remains my favourite and the one I’d take kids to see.

  • Cameron Woodhead, Sonia Nair, Elizabeth Flux and Tony Way
Rising artistic director Hannah Fox, centre, with breakdancers Michael Fox and Demi Sorono in the Flinders Street Station ballroom.

Rising festival 2026

This year’s festival has kicked off. Here, our writers take a closer look.

The Shepherds at Rising festival

This is the best dance work I’ve seen at this year’s Rising

The show runs for little more than an hour – with an ensemble of just four dancers – but nonetheless gives the impression of an epic drama.

  • Andrew Fuhrmann, Nick Buckley, Will Cox and Cameron Woodhead