Dr Diana Carroll Archives - FIFTY+SA

Theatre Review: Till the Stars Come Down, Holden Street Theatres

Dr Diana Carroll — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:30:00 +0000

Martha Lott shines in the South Australian premiere of Beth Steel’s smash hit wedding drama. Weddings, funerals, and Christmas all have a fundamental tendency to bring any simmering family tensions bubbling up to the surface. In the smash hit play, Till the Stars Come Down, it’s a wedding that becomes the perfect pressure cooker for old family feuds and uncomfortable home truths. Set on a sultry summer day in a former mining town in the working-class Midlands, the audience takes the place of guests at the wedding of Sylvia and Marek. What should be a joyful celebration of love and

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Stage Review: Art, Her Majesty’s Theatre

Dr Diana Carroll — Thu, 21 May 2026 03:30:35 +0000

This witty play shows that even the best of friends don’t always agree! Yasmina Reza’s 1994 play Art shows just how good theatre can be when it’s sharp, sophisticated, and fully focused. It looks deceptively simple on the stage, and that is its inner strength. Originally written and performed in French, the English version premiered in the West End in 1996 and this new Australian staging shows why it has endured for three decades. At its heart, this is a witty and perceptive look at long-term friendships and the inevitable compromises that sustain them. At the centre of the play

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State Opera South Australia review: Cinderella (La Cenerentola)

Dr Diana Carroll — Thu, 14 May 2026 07:10:18 +0000

State Opera South Australia’s new production of Gioachino Rossini’s Cinderella (La Cenerentola) at Her Majesty’s Theatre is a playful interpretation of the much-loved story. Starring Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Anna Dowsley and Helena Dix, the tale of Angelina (Cinderella) and her awful sisters has been updated to incorporate a few nods to State Opera’s very special Golden Jubilee Year. Directed with playful flair by acclaimed film and theatre director Neil Armfield and designed by Stephen Curtis, this vibrant retelling places the story somewhere between a hyper-real version of the 1970s and its actual premiere in 1814. La Cenerentola, also sometimes known

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Theatre Review: Chicago the Musical

Dr Diana Carroll — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 04:28:46 +0000

Murder, media manipulation, dreams and ambitions, love and lust, all come together in the passionate, beating heart of Chicago. Add the amazing music and lyrics of John Kander and Fred Ebb, brought to life with the brilliant choreography of Bob Fosse, and it’s easy to see why this is one of the longest-running shows on Broadway. We all know the storyline of murderers Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly from previous iterations of the stage show and the classic movie with Richard Gere, Renee Zellweger, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It’s hard to believe that’s now almost 25 years old. There is also

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Book Review: The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson

Dr Diana Carroll — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 06:02:00 +0000

There really is nothing nicer on a cold winter’s day than curling up with a good book, especially one as cosy and comforting as The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club. Set in England in the summer of 1919, the novel explores the aftermath of World War 1. Society has changed, people have changed, but the old values quickly reassert themselves. Women who were allowed to drive trucks and work the land during the War now have to give up those positions for returned servicemen. And many of the menfolk have come home battered and broken, physically and emotionally. At

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Theatre Review: TINA – The Tina Turner Musical

Dr Diana Carroll — Mon, 06 May 2024 05:32:47 +0000

It’s clear that these huge touring jukebox musicals are back in fashion in a big way. The fabulous Elvis – A Musical Revolution has just ended at Her Majesty’s and now we have the stunning TINA – The Tina Turner Musical on the main stage at Festival Theatre. Like Elvis, this is an homage to the life and legacy of a supreme performer who had an enormous impact on popular music over many decades. Indeed, I don’t think I really appreciated the influence of Tina Turner’s music until I saw this show. All those amazing songs that have featured in

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Adelaide Fringe Review: The 60 Four: Living in the ‘70s

Dr Diana Carroll — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 10:22:24 +0000

The 60 Four: Living in the ‘70s is a fabulous feel-good show celebrating all those classic songs from an era we know and love. The four singers – Ben Francis, Lachlan Williams, Jack Conroy and Finnegan Green – give it all they’ve got as they sing and dance their way through so many of the all-time greatest hits. This really was a golden era for pop music, even if it was about thirty years before these boys were born. Their passion and dedication shines through in every song and every synchronised dance move. The show celebrates many global superstars of

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Say Bonjour to the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2024

Dr Diana Carroll — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 00:50:17 +0000

It’s time for Adelaide cinema fans and Francophiles to get excited about the Alliance Française French Film Festival. Now in its 35th iteration, this year’s Festival promises so many wonderful cinematic treats. Launching the Festival in Adelaide this week, outgoing Artistic Director Karine Mauris says the films she has selected all champion the themes of humanity and diversity. ‘From heart-warming comedies to gripping dramas, each offers its unique charm and allure,’ says Mauris. Karine Mauris is the Cultural Attachée of the French Embassy in Australia and has been the Film Festival’s Artistic Director since 2020. ‘In my final edition as

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Book Review: Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

Dr Diana Carroll — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 01:00:42 +0000

I love Sally Hepworth! It’s no wonder that this Melbourne-based writer is a regular on the New York Times best-selling lists. She was a speaker at Adelaide Writers Week in 2023 with her presentation entitled “The Pleasures of a Page Turner”. As her bio for that stated, she “is probably the only Australian author who has been featured on a billboard in New York’s Times Square”. Her books are popular across the globe and have been translated into twenty languages. Darling Girls is her ninth novel and won’t disappoint fans new and old. If you loved The Younger Wife and

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Theatre Review: Miss Saigon

Dr Diana Carroll — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 23:30:00 +0000

Almost 30 years ago Adelaide audiences saw the first production of this classic Cameron Mackintosh musical. They loved it, along with some 38 million theatre-goers around the world. There have been other productions along the way, but this new one really is exceptional. It’s actually hard to imagine a better production than this because every aspect is so outstanding. Singing and dancing? Top class. Orchestration? Superb. Lighting and set design? Mind-blowingly good. Emotional impact? Hits the spot every time! After a life-time of seeing musicals and operas, here and overseas, I really think this is the best production I’ve seen.

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