A work in progress …
Musicals, theatre and cabaret
- The Normal Heart, Sydney Theatre Company. I’ve never seen this though it’s part of my history as a gay man in the Western world, and for this reason, reviewers, now and at the time, find this an important work. Yet while it was well-acted and staged, I recalled the earlier criticisms that I’d heard of the play and Kramer: it seems like the whole play is spent justifying his political approach, which is strident, and he makes it seem like he was a one-man show, the only person willing to Act Up! to fight AIDS, at the time. It gave me some bad flashbacks, honestly, to my work in the HIV sector, so I can’t say in the end that I appreciated this (and know I wasn’t meant to enjoy it).
- Andy Freeborn’s Brand New Dress, Qtopia. What a wonderfully talented composer and performer. My husband and I loved this small, sweet cabaret show at the Sydney’s relatively new queer museum.
- Afterglow, Eternity Playhouse. Who knew what was in store for this play from New York City aimed at gay men? I steeled myself that it might be mediocre and then was very happily surprised. The play is not bad at all, exploring non-monogamy, and the actors were uniformly wonderful (and sexy, which is not a bad thing with all the time they spent out of their clothes).
Concerts and performances
- Khalid Abdalla’s Nowhere, Sydney Festival. With an actor as experienced and engaging as Abdalla, he really can present anything he wants to, so what would he talk about in his one-man show. He used everything in his arsenal to draw us in: dance, song, video projection, confession, personal history, and a tribute to an artist friend that died. I wondered where it would end up. It ended as a powerful statement from an Arab artist asking us to protest the genocide in Gaza. Bravo.
- CMAT, Enmore Theatre. Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson is a powerhouse, quirkly, magnetic and electric. Even when I didn’t recognise the songs, I was drawn in. Such a diverse crowd (meaning old and young) and a lot of Irish green. A fun night!
- Jensen McRae (with Betty Taylor), Metro Theatre. I think Jensen is super-interesting, talented and inspired, with an emotional quality to her voice that I love. As usual with concerts these days, I’m amazed that so many fans know all the words to her songs and, with one exception at the end of the night, sing along with surprisingly beautiful voices. I generally hate the concert singalongs (since I go to concerts to hear the artist, not the audience) but these days, people seem to be able to sing!
- Pub Choir, the Hordern Pavilion. Astrid Jorgensen came to Sydney in March and 5,500 people sang ‘Better the Devil You Know’. It was joyous.
Books
- Charlotte Wood’s Stone Yard Devotional. I still can’t get over how much I loved this deceptively simple book about quiet and life choices and a lot more.
- Kiran Desai’s The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny. I didn’t get this book but I made it through to the end. I just didn’t like the characters enough and while some of them are meant to be unlikeable, I was unmoved overall in the face of the type of novel that I usually enjoy: the South Asian diaspora, a globe-trotting family portrayal.
Exhibitions
- We start 2026 with a visit to MONA, Tasmania’s Museum of New and Old Art; we last visited in 2016! I love pretty much everything about MONA, the vibe, the messaging, its origin and the eclectic and engaging collection of artwork.
- LOVING: Photographs of Men in Love 1850s to 1950s, Qtopia. Some gorgeous images and my first visit to Qtopia.
- Westwood & Kawakubo, NGV. How wonderful with this perfectly curated exhibition to see the work of two visionaries, and in an interesting conversation with each other. Loved it so much.
- Ron Mueck. Art Gallery of NSW. His first show in Sydney for over 20 years, I first discovered his work in London, I believe, and elsewhere, included in modern art exhibitions. I’ve always found his work incredible: emotional and unsettling and mind-boggling in his technical prowess.