Home
Search
thewest.com.au‌‌
EntertainmentChevron Right Icon

Theatre

Mae B. Wilde, Adore Handel and Penelope Splendour  are set to ruffle some feathers in Chookas.

Fringe WorldPremiumClucking good time in the chaos

Champagne-soaked, 18th-century time-travelling, pansexual songbird Adore Handel returns to Fringe World 2026 with two shows, Cautionary Tales and the feather-ruffling evening of camp cabaret that is Chookas.

Tanya MacNaughton

Andy Karl (centre) as the title character in the Australian production of Beetlejuice The Musical.

TheatreCommentsMusical theatre’s most mischievous ghost back to haunt Perth

Audiences have summoned the ghost with the most to Perth, as eight-time Tony Award-nominated production Beetlejuice The Musical brings the netherworld to Crown Theatre Perth in August.

Tanya MacNaughton

Renowned theatre maker Caroline Guiela Nguyen is bringing Lacrima to Perth Festival.

TheatrePremiumNarrative threads weave untold story

Secrecy and violence compelled French theatre director Caroline Guiela Nguyen to create production Lacrima, the hidden world of haute couture revealed on stage at Perth Festival 2026 in an Australian premiere.

Tanya MacNaughton

WA Ballet dancer Asja Petrovski and Paper Moon choreographer Polly Hilton ahead of Incandescence: Ballet At The Quarry.

BalletPremiumOver the moon about choreographic opportunity

WA Ballet solo artist Polly Hilton feels like she has entered the era of her own agency as both a dancer and choreographer, creating her first solo mainstage commission for Incandescence: Ballet At The Quarry.

Tanya MacNaughton

Bluey’s Big Play.

Bluey PremiumThe Heelers are heading to WA

The Heeler family is heading to WA for real life, as Bluey’s Big Play hits the road.

Belle Taylor

Artrage chief executive Jo Thomas with The Lady Boys of Bangkok at the Fringe World 2026 launch.

Fringe World CommentsStepping out in style for Fringe World 2026

After entertaining audiences from Edinburgh Festival Fringe and London’s West End, renowned cabaret show The Lady Boys of Bangkok is getting the Fringe World 2026 party started in a Perth season debut.

Tanya MacNaughton

Mizuki Shinagawa's show Gasha will make its world premiere at Fringe World 2026.

Fringe WorldPremiumJapanese tradition, future and chaos on Fringe stage

Cirquework artistic director Mizuki Shinagawa is bringing a new wave of Japanese contemporary circus to Perth when the company launches the world premiere season of Gasha at Fringe World 2026.

Tanya MacNaughton

Casey Filips is heading to Fringe World 2026 with hit show Virtuoso.

Fringe WorldPremiumIn the pursuit of lofty Hollywood dreams

Casey Filips will make his Fringe World debut in part clown, part character comedy solo show Virtuoso, playing a pretentious yet lovable actor seeking Hollywood stardom.

Tanya MacNaughton

Kirsty Mann returns to Fringe World with new show Corpse.

Fringe WorldPremiumCampfire-style comedy set to scare

UK comedian Kirsty Mann’s background in medicine meant she had never believed in ghosts but find out what changed her mind in new Fringe World 2026 show Corpse

Tanya MacNaughton

Perth-raised performers Samantha Jade and Ben Hall co-star in Pretty Woman: The Musical.

ArtsPremium2026 set to come alive as a thriller on Perth stages

Following a jam-packed 2025 that saw Perth audiences descend on a range of entertaining offerings, 2026 looks set to be just as crowded on the arts calendar with a cavalcade of stage options touring this way.

Tanya MacNaughton

Reach For The Sky will be entertaining early years audiences this summer as Spare Parts Puppet Theatre artistic director Philip Mitchell announces his retirement.

TheatrePremiumGiving kids the freedom to express themselves

Spare Parts Puppet Theatre artistic director Philip Mitchell has always been inspired to Reach For The Sky, inspiring the title of the arts company’s first major work for early childhood audiences this summer.

Tanya MacNaughton

Fisherman's Friends are getting ready to tour Australia for the first time.

MusicPremiumSea shanties to hit Aussie shores

Jon Cleave has no qualms about giving former fast bowler Merv Hughes a run for his money for the best moustache in the country when Fisherman’s Friends tour Australia for the first time in January.

Tanya MacNaughton

Kira Clark, 16, the director and co-founder of the Storybook Stage Company and the cast of Where Am I This Time.

Teenage kicksPremiumTeenage director Kira happy to find all the world’s a stage

Kira Clark is living her theatre of dreams after directing the Storybook Stage Company’s latest production at the Denmark Civic Centre last weekend

Claire Middleton

Escapologist Andrew Basso is one of the Four Horsemen in Now You See Me Live.

StagePremiumFour Horsemen magic bound for Perth

Keeping audiences on the edge of their seats with extra elements of danger is all part of what Italian escapologist Andrew Basso refers to as “the Tom Cruise Mission: Impossible” aspect of his job.

Tanya MacNaughton

A show revisits the trailblazing tale of Francis Roberts, Australia's first Aboriginal Olympian. (PR IMAGE PHOTO)

TheatrePremium'Our Rocky': telling tale of first Aboriginal Olympian

In 1964, Frank Roberts travelled to Japan to compete in the Tokyo Olympics. Now his story is being told by his cousin in a one-woman show.

Keira Jenkins

Connor Delves in Cadel: Lungs On Legs.

TheatrePremiumSport and theatre merge for gripping ride

Perth-raised, New York-based actor Connor Delves anticipated that one day he would have a life-changing project, finding it in one-man show Cadel: Lungs On Legs.

Tanya MacNaughton

Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company artistic director Maitland Schnaars and associate artistic director Bobbi Henry.

TheatreAboriginal stories to see, share and celebrate

Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company’s 2026 season is set to be one of bold stories, big heart and unforgettable theatre experiences with the announcement of three WA premiere mainstage productions.

Tanya MacNaughton

Mark Storen and Sally-Anne Upton in Carol.

Theatre reviewPremiumShining a spotlight with hope, heart and humour

WA playwright Andrea Gibbs has a talent for combining social commentary with poignant honesty and humour, doing just that in the world premiere of Black Swan State Theatre Company production Carol.

Tanya MacNaughton

(Left to right) Lucy Maunder alongside CATS cast members Rania Potaka-Osborne, Ella Fitzpatrick and Edward Smith in full costume.

The West Australian exclusive
The West Australian exclusive
‘So quiet’VideoComments
The West Australian exclusive
CATS actresses reveal thoughts on Perth audiences

As CATS The Musical settles into its run in Perth, the cast have shared their thoughts on the West Aussie audiences and their favourite spots in the city.

Amy Cavender

Spare Parts Puppet Theatre artistic director Philip Mitchell.

TheatrePuppetry journey ends while magic lives on

Spare Parts Puppet Theatre artistic director Philip Mitchell is cutting strings with Australia’s most renowned puppetry company, announcing his plan to step down from the role in early 2027.

Tanya MacNaughton

Mayume Noguromi as Cinderella in WA Ballet’s performance of Cinderella.

TheatreCommentsPremiumFantastical fairytale comes alive in WA Ballet’s Cinderella

From Cinderella’s dusty home life to enchanted gardens to the fairytale glamour of the ball, WA Ballet transforms the stage to take the audience on a journey that entertains and delights at every turn.

Melinda Webster

Perth Festival artistic director Anna Reece at East Perth Power Station.

Perth FestivalPremiumDelivering art you want and need

Perth Festival artistic director Anna Reece reflects on her first festival in the hot seat while looking towards the Perth Festival 2026.

Tanya MacNaughton

Musical theatre performer Des Flanagan.

StageFeline like a rock star

Musical theatre performer Des Flanagan is relishing his role as Rum Tum Tugger in the 40th anniversary Australian tour of Cats. 

Tanya MacNaughton

Come Alive! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular.

TheatreCommentsDazzling Hugh Jackman-inspired live show comes to Perth

Perth audiences will be dreaming with their eyes wide open when Come Alive! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular raises the Big Top at Ozone Reserve in August.

Tanya MacNaughton