Richard Watts
Richard Watts's Latest Articles
By women, for everyone
The inaugural Festival Fatale, a two-day women’s theatre festival, is an explicitly feminist event.
What’s special about Sydney
A festival should not be just a showcase for exclusive touring acts. The Sydney Festival 2017 aims to reflect the…
Opera companies face major overhaul
One company should be put on notice, another bumped up and $24 million should be injected into opera, recommends the…
Strengthening pathways for independent artists
Recognising that indie theatre-makers can rarely afford mainstage prices, a new initiative makes affordability a priority in 2017.
Kinky Boots
This frothy but imperfect musical is impeccably cast, and performed with such gusto that it's relatively easy to look past…
Music fans protest as touring costs rocket
Music festivals such as Bluesfest are facing a 600% hike in visa costs for touring acts, sparking conflicting responses from…
Anywhere goes everywhere
The Anywhere Theatre Festival has ambitious plans for 2017, expanding from a single city to an entire state.
Arts education cuts leave sector fuming
Plans to cut the number of tertiary arts courses eligible for student loans from 70 to just 13 have shocked…
On thin ice: making a new art form
What happens when the art form you love is cringe-worthy? You remake it in a contemporary manner.
How to make a successful musical
If making a new play is complex and fraught with misadventure, then making a new musical quadruples all those effects,…