Latest news with #GatsbyattheGreenLight
Time Out
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Gatsby at the Green Light
This raucous show could be the closest you'll get to spending a whirlwind evening inside an extravagant Baz Luhrmann flick. Taking over The Studio in the belly of the Sydney Opera House, Gatsby at the Green Light is a sauced-up variety show that transports audiences into a pop-up, vintage-inspired night club (complete with a functional bar). Think of this production as a sort of live concept album – featuring a smorgasboard of circus acts, top-shelf burlesque, evocative live singing, and impressive aerial artistry – with the rare art of hair-hanging to boot. Gatsby cherry-picks from the glitz and glamour of one of Jay Gatsby's famous parties, remixes it, and serves it up as an escapist fantasy where the roaring '20s meets the 2020s. In doing so, this show masters the timeless allure of a particular niche of spectacle: watching profusely talented and beautiful people performing seriously difficult tricks and dangling precariously in the air (before elegantly dismounting with a brazen wink). ARIA-nominated singer Odette is a stand out member of the ensemble, the earthy and mystical vocal quality of the siren of the Inner West providing a soulful connective thread to the mixed bag of acts. Odette collaborated with musical director Kim Moyes (best known as one-half of iconic Australian electronic duo The Presets) on an original song for the production – although, it's her covers of hit songs that will continue to play on repeat in your mind (her audacious take on 'Money (That's What I Want)' is worth the price of admission alone). Unlike some other takes on F. Scott Fitzgerald's ever-popular 1925 novel, this fanciful interpretation skims past the more meaningful class commentary in the source material. The tragic story of Gatsby and Daisy's forbidden love is woven in by way of broad gestures and snippets of pre-recorded dialogue, with Spencer Craig taking on the eponymous role of Gatsby in this year's production. If you know the original story, you can fill the gaps – the narrative is thin here, but it is secondary to the atmosphere and the sideshow stunts. That said, this show is surprisingly queer – particularly when it comes to the sapphic humour that commanding burlesque siren Bettie Bombshell brings to the stage. (Her act will have you either questioning or affirming your orientation). With Gatsby, director Craig Ilott confirms his talent for pulling together exciting, variety-filled extravaganzas. After all, he is the same mastermind behind last summer's French-infused theatrical dinner cabaret experience L'Hôtel, disco-spectacular Velvet Rewired, and five-star blockbuster Amadeus. This is a guaranteed evening of escapist fantasy. Gatsby ain't no one-size-fits-all experience, with multiple ticketing options to choose from. To feel truly immersed in the action, go for the VIP Package ($144.90-$184.90) – this gets you stage-side cabaret table seating and a 1920s-style cocktail and canape package* served by the cast (*the quality and tastiness of the canapes on your plate will vary). For a cheaper option with a clearer view of the action (minus snacks), go for regular theatre seating ($59.90-$119.90). Gatsby at The Greenlight is playing at the Sydney Opera House from Saturday, December 13 2025 until Sunday, March 1, 2026. Snap up tickets over here. And here's what's on in Sydney this week.
NZ Herald
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Travel Alerts: Brisbane Festival 2025, new luxury accommodations, flight routes, and water journeys
Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. Celebrate Brisbane Festival and join one of 100 events in the festival lineup. Each week in Travel, we check out some of the latest happenings from Aotearoa and beyond to inspire your next adventure. Brisbane Festival 2025 The Brisbane Festival 2025 is back, promising an electric celebration of arts, culture, and creativity. From September 5 to 27, the festival will transform the city into a playground of performances, installations, and events. This year's lineup features more than 100 events, including 14 world premieres and 20 Queensland exclusives, turning Brisbane's theatres, parks, rooftops, and riverbanks into vibrant creative playgrounds. Start your festival itinerary with a colourful walk in one of Craig & Karl's inflatable art installations across Neville Bonner Bridge, Goodwill Bridge, and Kangaroo Point Bridge. Spend your days hopping through the various events throughout the whole month of September, starting with Gatsby at the Green Light, a glittering recreation of a 1920s party reimagined for the 2020s through cabaret. Watch artists in their element with shows like Baleen Moondjan, a breathtaking First Nations-led outdoor performance by the river, or the Undercover Arts Festival, Australia's premier disability-led performing arts festival. Expect free outdoor concerts, large-scale public art, comedy, circus, cabaret, and concerts. End your festival experience with a 400-drone light show above Festival Garden in South Bank with the crowd favourite Skylore. See the full programme at
The Advertiser
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Bridge project points to the future of arts festivals
Global art and design duo Craig & Karl are returning to their hometown for the Brisbane Festival, transforming three of the city's bridges with their colourful palette. Craig Redman and Karl Maier will design artworks for Brisbane's Neville Bonner, Goodwill, and Kangaroo Point bridges as part of a project titled ANZ's Walk This Way. With naming rights granted to a big four bank, it is one of several attractions on the 2025 slate with prominent corporate backing - another is a fireworks display marking the opening weekend, titled Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust. It's part of artistic director Louise Bezzina's sixth and final festival, which features a slate of more than 1000 performances. Of those, 475 are free to the public, even as production costs continue to increase. With the hunt for the next artistic director underway, Bezzina says corporate support is vital to the future of the festival, along with philanthropic and government backing. "I don't feel like there's any artistic compromise," she said. "In fact without it, it simply wouldn't be possible to deliver a program of this scale, and particularly with the amount of free programming." Corporate partnerships are on brand for Craig & Karl, who are these days based in New York and London, and have worked with companies such as Nike, Apple, Google, Vogue, and LVMH. The duo is also presenting a citywide art trail and an exhibition at the Griffith University Art Museum. Over 23 days, the Brisbane Festival will feature the work of 2260 artists. At the launch of the program on Wednesday, burlesque performer Bettie Bombshell played with fire in a preview of cabaret show Gatsby at the Green Light. There was also a sneak peek at The Lovers, a pop-music reinterpretation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Brisbane company Shake & Stir's artistic director Nick Skubij. On the dance slate, renowned French choreographer Benjamin Millepied is staging three works with LA Dance Project, the triptych Gems, commissioned by luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels. Bangarra Dance Theatre founder Stephen Page also returns to his hometown with Baleen Moondjan, which will be staged on a barge on the Brisbane River among a set of giant whalebones. Free offerings also include the mass attractions of a drone display titled Skylore, and a trail of candlelit artworks at the City Botanic Gardens. Yet in the background, Australian cultural festivals are being staged in an increasingly politicised environment, according to Bezzina. "Art is inherently political and it's a really difficult and challenging area to navigate," she said. "I don't have any answers for you, but I hope we can lean into a more compassionate place, that allows us to navigate through this really tumultuous time." Brisbane Festival runs from September 5-27, with tickets on sale from Wednesday. Global art and design duo Craig & Karl are returning to their hometown for the Brisbane Festival, transforming three of the city's bridges with their colourful palette. Craig Redman and Karl Maier will design artworks for Brisbane's Neville Bonner, Goodwill, and Kangaroo Point bridges as part of a project titled ANZ's Walk This Way. With naming rights granted to a big four bank, it is one of several attractions on the 2025 slate with prominent corporate backing - another is a fireworks display marking the opening weekend, titled Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust. It's part of artistic director Louise Bezzina's sixth and final festival, which features a slate of more than 1000 performances. Of those, 475 are free to the public, even as production costs continue to increase. With the hunt for the next artistic director underway, Bezzina says corporate support is vital to the future of the festival, along with philanthropic and government backing. "I don't feel like there's any artistic compromise," she said. "In fact without it, it simply wouldn't be possible to deliver a program of this scale, and particularly with the amount of free programming." Corporate partnerships are on brand for Craig & Karl, who are these days based in New York and London, and have worked with companies such as Nike, Apple, Google, Vogue, and LVMH. The duo is also presenting a citywide art trail and an exhibition at the Griffith University Art Museum. Over 23 days, the Brisbane Festival will feature the work of 2260 artists. At the launch of the program on Wednesday, burlesque performer Bettie Bombshell played with fire in a preview of cabaret show Gatsby at the Green Light. There was also a sneak peek at The Lovers, a pop-music reinterpretation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Brisbane company Shake & Stir's artistic director Nick Skubij. On the dance slate, renowned French choreographer Benjamin Millepied is staging three works with LA Dance Project, the triptych Gems, commissioned by luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels. Bangarra Dance Theatre founder Stephen Page also returns to his hometown with Baleen Moondjan, which will be staged on a barge on the Brisbane River among a set of giant whalebones. Free offerings also include the mass attractions of a drone display titled Skylore, and a trail of candlelit artworks at the City Botanic Gardens. Yet in the background, Australian cultural festivals are being staged in an increasingly politicised environment, according to Bezzina. "Art is inherently political and it's a really difficult and challenging area to navigate," she said. "I don't have any answers for you, but I hope we can lean into a more compassionate place, that allows us to navigate through this really tumultuous time." Brisbane Festival runs from September 5-27, with tickets on sale from Wednesday. Global art and design duo Craig & Karl are returning to their hometown for the Brisbane Festival, transforming three of the city's bridges with their colourful palette. Craig Redman and Karl Maier will design artworks for Brisbane's Neville Bonner, Goodwill, and Kangaroo Point bridges as part of a project titled ANZ's Walk This Way. With naming rights granted to a big four bank, it is one of several attractions on the 2025 slate with prominent corporate backing - another is a fireworks display marking the opening weekend, titled Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust. It's part of artistic director Louise Bezzina's sixth and final festival, which features a slate of more than 1000 performances. Of those, 475 are free to the public, even as production costs continue to increase. With the hunt for the next artistic director underway, Bezzina says corporate support is vital to the future of the festival, along with philanthropic and government backing. "I don't feel like there's any artistic compromise," she said. "In fact without it, it simply wouldn't be possible to deliver a program of this scale, and particularly with the amount of free programming." Corporate partnerships are on brand for Craig & Karl, who are these days based in New York and London, and have worked with companies such as Nike, Apple, Google, Vogue, and LVMH. The duo is also presenting a citywide art trail and an exhibition at the Griffith University Art Museum. Over 23 days, the Brisbane Festival will feature the work of 2260 artists. At the launch of the program on Wednesday, burlesque performer Bettie Bombshell played with fire in a preview of cabaret show Gatsby at the Green Light. There was also a sneak peek at The Lovers, a pop-music reinterpretation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Brisbane company Shake & Stir's artistic director Nick Skubij. On the dance slate, renowned French choreographer Benjamin Millepied is staging three works with LA Dance Project, the triptych Gems, commissioned by luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels. Bangarra Dance Theatre founder Stephen Page also returns to his hometown with Baleen Moondjan, which will be staged on a barge on the Brisbane River among a set of giant whalebones. Free offerings also include the mass attractions of a drone display titled Skylore, and a trail of candlelit artworks at the City Botanic Gardens. Yet in the background, Australian cultural festivals are being staged in an increasingly politicised environment, according to Bezzina. "Art is inherently political and it's a really difficult and challenging area to navigate," she said. "I don't have any answers for you, but I hope we can lean into a more compassionate place, that allows us to navigate through this really tumultuous time." Brisbane Festival runs from September 5-27, with tickets on sale from Wednesday. Global art and design duo Craig & Karl are returning to their hometown for the Brisbane Festival, transforming three of the city's bridges with their colourful palette. Craig Redman and Karl Maier will design artworks for Brisbane's Neville Bonner, Goodwill, and Kangaroo Point bridges as part of a project titled ANZ's Walk This Way. With naming rights granted to a big four bank, it is one of several attractions on the 2025 slate with prominent corporate backing - another is a fireworks display marking the opening weekend, titled Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust. It's part of artistic director Louise Bezzina's sixth and final festival, which features a slate of more than 1000 performances. Of those, 475 are free to the public, even as production costs continue to increase. With the hunt for the next artistic director underway, Bezzina says corporate support is vital to the future of the festival, along with philanthropic and government backing. "I don't feel like there's any artistic compromise," she said. "In fact without it, it simply wouldn't be possible to deliver a program of this scale, and particularly with the amount of free programming." Corporate partnerships are on brand for Craig & Karl, who are these days based in New York and London, and have worked with companies such as Nike, Apple, Google, Vogue, and LVMH. The duo is also presenting a citywide art trail and an exhibition at the Griffith University Art Museum. Over 23 days, the Brisbane Festival will feature the work of 2260 artists. At the launch of the program on Wednesday, burlesque performer Bettie Bombshell played with fire in a preview of cabaret show Gatsby at the Green Light. There was also a sneak peek at The Lovers, a pop-music reinterpretation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Brisbane company Shake & Stir's artistic director Nick Skubij. On the dance slate, renowned French choreographer Benjamin Millepied is staging three works with LA Dance Project, the triptych Gems, commissioned by luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels. Bangarra Dance Theatre founder Stephen Page also returns to his hometown with Baleen Moondjan, which will be staged on a barge on the Brisbane River among a set of giant whalebones. Free offerings also include the mass attractions of a drone display titled Skylore, and a trail of candlelit artworks at the City Botanic Gardens. Yet in the background, Australian cultural festivals are being staged in an increasingly politicised environment, according to Bezzina. "Art is inherently political and it's a really difficult and challenging area to navigate," she said. "I don't have any answers for you, but I hope we can lean into a more compassionate place, that allows us to navigate through this really tumultuous time." Brisbane Festival runs from September 5-27, with tickets on sale from Wednesday.
Perth Now
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Bridge project points to the future of arts festivals
Global art and design duo Craig & Karl are returning to their hometown for the Brisbane Festival, transforming three of the city's bridges with their colourful palette. Craig Redman and Karl Maier will design artworks for Brisbane's Neville Bonner, Goodwill, and Kangaroo Point bridges as part of a project titled ANZ's Walk This Way. With naming rights granted to a big four bank, it is one of several attractions on the 2025 slate with prominent corporate backing - another is a fireworks display marking the opening weekend, titled Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust. It's part of artistic director Louise Bezzina's sixth and final festival, which features a slate of more than 1000 performances. Of those, 475 are free to the public, even as production costs continue to increase. With the hunt for the next artistic director underway, Bezzina says corporate support is vital to the future of the festival, along with philanthropic and government backing. "I don't feel like there's any artistic compromise," she said. "In fact without it, it simply wouldn't be possible to deliver a program of this scale, and particularly with the amount of free programming." Corporate partnerships are on brand for Craig & Karl, who are these days based in New York and London, and have worked with companies such as Nike, Apple, Google, Vogue, and LVMH. The duo is also presenting a citywide art trail and an exhibition at the Griffith University Art Museum. Over 23 days, the Brisbane Festival will feature the work of 2260 artists. At the launch of the program on Wednesday, burlesque performer Bettie Bombshell played with fire in a preview of cabaret show Gatsby at the Green Light. There was also a sneak peek at The Lovers, a pop-music reinterpretation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Brisbane company Shake & Stir's artistic director Nick Skubij. On the dance slate, renowned French choreographer Benjamin Millepied is staging three works with LA Dance Project, the triptych Gems, commissioned by luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels. Bangarra Dance Theatre founder Stephen Page also returns to his hometown with Baleen Moondjan, which will be staged on a barge on the Brisbane River among a set of giant whalebones. Free offerings also include the mass attractions of a drone display titled Skylore, and a trail of candlelit artworks at the City Botanic Gardens. Yet in the background, Australian cultural festivals are being staged in an increasingly politicised environment, according to Bezzina. "Art is inherently political and it's a really difficult and challenging area to navigate," she said. "I don't have any answers for you, but I hope we can lean into a more compassionate place, that allows us to navigate through this really tumultuous time." Brisbane Festival runs from September 5-27, with tickets on sale from Wednesday.
West Australian
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Bridge project points to the future of arts festivals
Global art and design duo Craig & Karl are returning to their hometown for the Brisbane Festival, transforming three of the city's bridges with their colourful palette. Craig Redman and Karl Maier will design artworks for Brisbane's Neville Bonner, Goodwill, and Kangaroo Point bridges as part of a project titled ANZ's Walk This Way. With naming rights granted to a big four bank, it is one of several attractions on the 2025 slate with prominent corporate backing - another is a fireworks display marking the opening weekend, titled Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust. It's part of artistic director Louise Bezzina's sixth and final festival, which features a slate of more than 1000 performances. Of those, 475 are free to the public, even as production costs continue to increase. With the hunt for the next artistic director underway, Bezzina says corporate support is vital to the future of the festival, along with philanthropic and government backing. "I don't feel like there's any artistic compromise," she said. "In fact without it, it simply wouldn't be possible to deliver a program of this scale, and particularly with the amount of free programming." Corporate partnerships are on brand for Craig & Karl, who are these days based in New York and London, and have worked with companies such as Nike, Apple, Google, Vogue, and LVMH. The duo is also presenting a citywide art trail and an exhibition at the Griffith University Art Museum. Over 23 days, the Brisbane Festival will feature the work of 2260 artists. At the launch of the program on Wednesday, burlesque performer Bettie Bombshell played with fire in a preview of cabaret show Gatsby at the Green Light. There was also a sneak peek at The Lovers, a pop-music reinterpretation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Brisbane company Shake & Stir's artistic director Nick Skubij. On the dance slate, renowned French choreographer Benjamin Millepied is staging three works with LA Dance Project, the triptych Gems, commissioned by luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels. Bangarra Dance Theatre founder Stephen Page also returns to his hometown with Baleen Moondjan, which will be staged on a barge on the Brisbane River among a set of giant whalebones. Free offerings also include the mass attractions of a drone display titled Skylore, and a trail of candlelit artworks at the City Botanic Gardens. Yet in the background, Australian cultural festivals are being staged in an increasingly politicised environment, according to Bezzina. "Art is inherently political and it's a really difficult and challenging area to navigate," she said. "I don't have any answers for you, but I hope we can lean into a more compassionate place, that allows us to navigate through this really tumultuous time." Brisbane Festival runs from September 5-27, with tickets on sale from Wednesday.
