audience engagement

Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney – When Helen Garner took her seat for opening night of Belvoir St Theatre’s stage adaptation of her award-winning 2008 novel The Spare Room, she wasn’t sure what to expect. The novel recounts, in unflinching detail, the three harrowing weeks Garner spent caring for her dying friend Nicola (“Nose”) Osborne in a spare bedroom at her Melbourne home. “They were the three worst weeks of my life,” Garner admitted in conversation with broadcaster Jennifer Byrne on June 16. “I came along feeling I would find it unbearable to live those weeks again.”

After memorably portraying some of television’s most unsavoury characters—Timothy Ratliff in The White Lotus and Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter series—British actor Jason Isaacs has taken on a decidedly gentler role in The Salt Path. Based on the 2018 memoir by Raynor Winn, the film follows a real-life couple who lose their home and business, then embark on a 1,000-kilometre trek along England’s South West Coast Path. In his first “good guy” turn, Isaacs stars as Moth Winn, a man confronting homelessness and a devastating medical diagnosis with courage, compassion—and, surprisingly, humour.

When most of us think of mini-golf, images of resin palm trees, windmills and exaggeratedly cartoonish obstacles come to mind. It’s often dismissed as frivolous, a pastime for children and holiday crowds. Yet nestled within Melbourne’s abandoned Flinders Street ballroom, the Rising festival’s new exhibition “Swingers” challenges this stereotype with a radical, feminist twist. Designed by nine women artists from around the globe, each hole pays homage to mini-golf’s origin as a rebellious protest against gender exclusion, while simultaneously transforming the cavernous space into a series of immersive, interactive art installations.

Janet Anderson, an actor, writer, and outspoken voice in queer comedy, has long been known for her eclectic sense of humor and her ability to find levity in the most unexpected corners of the internet. In a new feature published today, Anderson shares her personal “Top 10 Funniest Things” she has ever discovered online. Drawing on her years of devouring online content—from viral videos to cult‐favorite reality‐TV moments—she offers readers a curated tour through the absurd, the irreverent, and the downright hilarious. This list not only reflects Anderson’s comedic influences but also underscores the evolving landscape of queer and drag‐inflected humor on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and social media at large.

Guy Montgomery’s journey from a mischievous dinner-table prankster to a carnival barker for chaos on television might, on the surface, appear unlikely. Yet, 36-year-old Montgomery credits his childhood antics—making his sister snort milk out of laughter and impersonating a “South African exchange student”—for honing the irreverent comedic instincts that drive his hit game show, Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee. What began as a Zoom-based diversion during the COVID-19 lockdown has blossomed into a second Australian season on the ABC, replete with celebrity guests, absurd spelling challenges, and unexpected fan devotion.

Nearly twenty years after she first enamored audiences as Rose Tyler, Billie Piper reappeared in Saturday night’s finale of Doctor Who, “The Reality War,” delivering an electrifying surprise moment for long‐time viewers. As Ncuti Gatwa’s thirteenth Doctor began his regeneration, the screen cut to black. Moments later, Piper’s familiar face emerged, greeting fans with a playful “Oh, hello!” in a twist that prompted audible gasps during its initial broadcast—and reignited fervent speculation about the series’ direction.

Los Angeles and Adelaide – Twin filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou have come a long way from their backyard stunts in Pooraka, South Australia. Their debut feature Talk To Me (2023) transformed the once–YouTube pranksters into internationally acclaimed horror directors. Made for just US$4.5 million, the supernatural thriller grossed nearly US$100 million worldwide, becoming A24’s top‐earning horror film and earning accolades across Australia and beyond. As they prepare to release their follow-up, Bring Her Back, the brothers reflect on their creative evolution, the pull of home, and why they recently passed on big-budget Hollywood offers.

Brooke Bellamy, founder of Brooki Bakehouse and author of Bake with Brooki, has posted her first video address on Instagram since cookbook author Nagi Maehashi publicly accused her of plagiarising two recipes. In a candid reel shared on the bakery’s official account, Bellamy acknowledged the controversy, defended her creative process and called for unity among women in the baking community.