Wicked: The Untold True Stories of the Witches of Oz has had its run of Melbourne and for some, is a nostalgic ode to theatre past, By Genevieve Spiteri. In 2014, I saw my first ever professional musical, Wicked . Ten years later, the witches landed again in Melbourne, so I just had to see it. Genevieve and her father ten years ago at Wicked (left); "Watching it live for a second time brought me so much nostalgia..." photo: Genevieve Spiteri. Watching it live for the second t

A new documentary suggests the future of the climate change debate -- and the planet -- is in good hands. Sarah Rose looks at a film that dares to dream of a better world. Next week often seems impossible in these ever-trying times -- let alone the next millennia. Still, in the latest documentary feature by eminent Australian filmmaker,Damon Gameau ( That Sugar Film and 2040 ), we are shown that there is indeed a light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s not so far away. Futu

Paul Donoughue’s journalism career spans from early days of local reporting to experimenting with digital storytelling at the ABC Innovation Lab. In this interview, he shares his insights on getting started, the evolution of media, and what excites him about the future of journalism. How did you get your start in journalism? My first full-time journalism job was at The Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail in Brisbane, mainly covering general news and the police desk. I dealt with

For Australians like The Burne 's One-Bear Madrid , the emergence of breaking as an Olympic phenomenon was very personal. Rewards come to those who strive for ultimate personal goals, and there is none higher than Olympic selection. Growing up in an indigenous native and Latin American culture, dancing was always an integral part of my upbringing. I recall, at age 11, when my cousins and I formed a rap/breakdancing crew. We were novices, and my aunt bought some silk material

The 17th to the 23rd of August marks International Children's Book Week, a global initiative to promote reading in primary school students and donate to less fortunate readers across the globe. The Burne's avid readers took a moment to reflect on their favourites. Schools across Australia celebrate Book Week this week, a special time of year where primary school students compete to read the most books, dress up as their favorite characters, and raise funds for other children

Everything old is new again, or so it seems. In Retro Review, our resident film buffs take a dive into a movie classic -- and tell us why it worked then, and whether it still works now. This week, Max Hutson gives a second chance to a long-ignored Australian thriller, Wake In Fright . The Movie: Wake In Fright (also known as Outback to international audiences) is Ted Kotcheff’s 1971 thriller set in an Australian outback filled with mateship and beer. Although it was nominat

Everything old is new again, or so it seems. In Retro Review, our resident film buffs take a dive into a movie classic -- and tell us why it worked then, and whether it still works now. This week, Sarah Rose looks back at Richard Curtis' 2003 romcom extravaganza Love, Actually THE MOVIE: Hailed as the “Ultimate Romantic Comedy”, Love, Actually by renowned romcom director Richard Curtis follows several couples from across the spectrum of love during the December holiday per

Wil Wagner's band -- born in a Melbourne street, taken to the world -- has many stories to tell, including about the front man's own life, writes Louie Cina. On the surface, it’s easy to dismiss the Smith Street Band as a hyper-Australian group that just sings songs about getting drunk. Whilst hyper-Australian may be undeniable, especially given the band’s name is a direct nod to a popular Melbourne street, the last part could not be further from the truth. “It’d be easier i

The Academy has released new rules for next year's show … so how does it all work again, and what hope of local filmmakers getting to Hollywood's biggest stage? Sarah Rose explains. Two months on from the monumental 96th awards show, which saw Barbie singing for the limelight and Christopher Nolan collecting his dues from Oppenheimer , the Academy has decided to do some seasonal weeding of its awards criteria. New rules were announced at the end of April which now require a

Sri Lankan-Australian journalist Avani Dias has been on the ABC’s South Asia beat since early 2022, covering the rise of right-wing politics in India and the fallout of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. She chats to Aditi Kutty about the unpredictability of being a foreign correspondent, and what makes a good international news story. Was being a foreign correspondent something you always knew you wanted to do? I always wanted to become a foreign correspondent. Journa

Victoria aims to recycle 80 per cent of all materials by 2030, but statistics shows we are nowhere near that target. Emilie Kirketerp reports Australia prides itself on its natural beauty and unique environmental and ecological spectacles — but lags far behind Europe when it comes to the basics of building a sustainable country. Victoria’s waste recovery goal is to recycle 80 per cent of all materials by 2030, but statistics suggest that Victoria is still far from hitting th

It's a multi-billion dollar industry built on convincing women they need every cream uand lotion under the sun. But is it all a con? Emma Martin investigates the truth and lies behind the skin care industry My mum has always been disturbed by the amount of money my sister and I spend on skincare, and she often uses my grandma as proof that you can age gracefully while using nothing but soap. Persuaded to believe my grandma was the exception, I continued my ways and seemingly