Heather L. Bloom

Jan 13, 2025 | australianstage.com.au | Heather L. Bloom

Like a breath of fresh air on a balmy summer night, The Australian Shakespeare Company have broken with tradition and treated audiences to something delightfully different for their 2024/2025 Shakespeare Under the Stars season. William Shakespeare’s lesser know comedy, The Merry Wives of Windsor was published in 1602 and is believed to have been written at the request of Queen Elizabeth I.

Nov 16, 2024 | australianstage.com.au | Heather L. Bloom

The classic film starring Whoopi Goldberg as Dolores Van Cartier, the nightclub singer sent to a nunnery to hide from her hitman boyfriend Curtis after witnessing a violent murder, seems the perfect premise for a musical. The fish-out-of-water scenario, sassy script and film soundtrack of Motown hits, fit for the ever-popular jukebox musical genre. The musical adaptation of Sister Act made its West End debut in 2009 and has taken some creative license from the original 1992 film.

Oct 11, 2024 | australianstage.com.au | Kees Prins |Heather L. Bloom

With the appetite of audiences at a constant high for the jukebox bio musical, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical shimmies its way seamlessly into the genre. The dynamic performer with powerhouse vocals has a fascinating history. Rising from her smalltown roots to become one of the biggest stars in the world Tina Turner’s epic catalogue of songs soundtracks her life in one of the more cohesive narratives in musical theatre.

Jul 21, 2024 | australianstage.com.au | Tennessee Williams |Heather L. Bloom

One of the most anticipated productions of the year, Melbourne Theatre Company’s A Streetcar Named Desire opened to a sold-out crowd breathless to witness Nikki Shiels take on the role of Blanche DuBois. They weren’t disappointed, Shiels commanded the stage with the vigour and self-assuredness that she takes to every role. Her Blanche was a refreshing portrayal of the Southern Belle, as she hammed up the comedic moments, playing into the absurdities of the character.

Jul 16, 2024 | australianstage.com.au | Heather L. Bloom

It’s been adapted into film, opera, television (there’s even a Simpsons version out there) and been set in every conceivable timeframe and location. Macbeth, the cursed Scottish play by William Shakespeare has been doing the rounds on stage, screen and in high school classrooms for hundreds of years. So, what is there left to say about the work? What new angle can be discovered to offer some insight into the Bard’s great tragedy?