Vanessa Francesca

Vanessa Francesca is a writer who has worked in independent theatre. Her work has appeared in The Age, The Australian and Meanjin

Vanessa Francesca's Latest Articles

A Very Jewish Christmas Carol. Image is two people standing on stage in a spotlight in front of a red curtain. One is dressed as a present, the other as a Christmas tree.
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Theatre review: A Very Jewish Christmas Carol, Southbank Theatre

A repurposing of Dickens' classic tale with a gingerbread golem and a miser called Scroogavitz.

refugee. Image is head and shoulders of man of Middle Eastern appearance with shoulder length dark hair and blue shirt against a black background. He is smiling slightly.
Features

Beauty, hospitality, generosity: refugee stories at the heart of Australian literature

Four writers whose revelations of the refugee experience encourage readers to broaden their understanding and their empathy.

I am (not) this body. A short statured woman is standing on a plinth.
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Performance review: I Am (Not) This Body, Arts House, Melbourne Fringe Festival

A a cross-disciplinary exploration of the performer's relationship with her body in the world.

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Performance review: The Nervous Atmosphere, Arts House

A solo performance that uses music and text to examine what it's like to be struck by lightning.

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Exhibition review: Don Quixote, Sutton Gallery

An exhibition based on The Australian Ballet's adaptation of Don Quixote.

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Exhibition review: Going Insein, Gertrude Glasshouse

Artwork inspired by the inhumane conditions of the largest prison in Myanmar/Burma.

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Theatre review: Worstward Ho, Theatre Works

A rarely presented Beckett play is typically experimental and interior in nature.

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Theatre review: Selling Kabul, Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre

Sylvia Khoury's 'Selling Kabul' is a play that helps us remember why the caged bird sings.

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Theatre review: Happy Days, Southbank Theatre

Beckett's play about maintaining optimism in an existential crisis is deftly handled by Judith Lucy.

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Theatre review: Macbeth, Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne

Bell Shakespeare's production is minimalist and contemporary.

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