John Shand Posts

July 9, 2025 / Concert Reviews

Foundry 616, June 27 8/10 So it’s goodnight to Foundry 616, the lovechild of a man whose passion has been presenting jazz in Sydney for over 40 years, Peter Rechniewski. People get Orders of Australia for doing much less. But this was a hell of a penultimate gig, featuring the…

July 7, 2025 / Theatre Reviews

Hayes Theatre, June 26 6,5/10 Stephen Sondheim’s songs are too rarely lifted from their shows to stand alone, whether on records or in cabarets. They’re variously perceived as being too context-specific, too cerebral or insufficiently melodic. Being Alive is another reminder of how nonsensical this is. Letting his songs bump…

July 3, 2025 / Theatre Reviews

The Neilson Nutshell, June 25 8/10 The exercise of power is a grubby business. Favours are sought, envy is rife and rivalries brutal. Coriolanus wasn’t bred for politics. He was suckled at his vulpine mother’s breast for one purpose: war. He’s more than a match for any of Shakespeare’s great…