The local events and shows we’re excited about right now. Get your calendar out – there’s plenty to choose from.
We’re truly getting back into the swing of things and there are big developments in Geelong’s performing arts industry this March.
There’ll be something for everyone this month with the huge roster of talent heading our way thanks to the good humans at the Geelong Arts Centre – musicals, plays, stand-up comedy, plus a whole lot more.
There’s no shortage of shows to see and so to help you out, we have collated a guide of the best-goings-on for the month of March, helping you plan your calendar accordingly. Thank us later.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around the region here.
Vienna City Of Dreams – Geelong Symphony Orchestra
When: Saturday, March 5 at 3pm
Where: Costa Hall
To the naked eye, Geelong and Vienna may not appear to be cities with all too much in common, but come 3:00pm on Saturday, Geelong Symphony Orchestra will transform Costa Hall into a Baroque music palace with superb live concert, ‘Vienna City of Dreams’!
Featuring much-loved music from the golden era of Vienna – favourite songs, waltzes and orchestral showpieces from Johann Strauss II and Carl Maria von Weber, this will be a superb live concert. Conductor Mario Dobernig will lead the GSO through wonderful Strauss waltzes and vocal music featuring Geelong’s own international soprano Lee Abrahmsen and tenor James Eggleston.
Don’t miss your chance to witness this mesmerising 100-minute performance.
Tickets here.
Lano & Woodley – Work In Progress
When: Wednesday, March 9 at 7:30pm, Thursday, March 10 at 7:30pm, Friday, March 11 at 7:30pm, Saturday, March 12 at 7:30pm.
Where: Studio 4
This year, the iconic duo of Lano & Woodley will be touring a brand new show all around Australia.
Hailed as ‘two of our greatest virtuosos of comedy’, the du0 are heading our way for a series of ‘Work in Progress’ showings of their brand new show ‘Moby Dick’ – their most ambitious show yet. Before they head out on the road with their new tour, this will be your chance to see them present delicious tasters of their latest Opus.
Together Lano & Woodley have made some of Australia’s most loved comedy shows. Their love/hate relationship has fuelled countless ovations and slews of awards, finding new fans and devoted followers everywhere they go. One thing is for sure, as Frank and Colin set sail with their new show, they will fill the stage with an hour of sublime, inventive and ridiculous comedy.
If there ever was a year to escape into the innocent imaginations of Lano & Woodley, it’s this one.
Tickets here.
The Resilience Project
When: Thursday, March 10 at 7pm
Where: Costa Hall
Presented by Live Nation, The Resilience Project unpacks the research on mental health and breaks it into simple tips that will leave you feeling empowered to improve your wellbeing.
Hugh van Cuylenburg, the founder of The Resilience Project, has partnered with elite sports teams, 1000+ schools and 500+ workplaces – teaching simple and practical mental health strategies, as well as being a best-selling author and co-host of the popular podcast, the imperfects.
This March, Hugh will take audience members through his journey and tell stories of the incredible people who have inspired him and The Resilience Project to spread happiness. Hugh will provide practical, evidence-based mental health strategies to build resilience and happiness.
Adults, parents, professionals, teenagers; this talk is for you. Well, really, it’s for anyone who wants to share a laugh and pick up some wellbeing tips along the way.
This show is currently sold out.
Artist Accelerate – The Pitch: How to pitch your work to the industry and presenters with Chris Bendall – Chief Executive Officer, Critical Stages
When: Thursday, March 17 at 4:30pm
Where: Online Forum
This event makes up part of the Geelong Arts Centre’s free Artists Accelerate professional development series. Attendees will hear from one of Australia’s top touring executives on the best ways to pitch your work to the industry. Chris Bendall – Chief Executive Officer, Critical Stages will talk about how to get cut-through, what makes a new work stand out and where to start.
With an aim to support artists in building a pathway to professional artistic practice the Artists Accelerate professional development speaker series has been specifically created as a part of the Creative Engine initiatives for artists looking for efficient, effective and engaging ways to further develop their skills practice from like-minded industry leaders.
This inspirational 45-minute professional development session will include an opportunity for Q&A at the end of the session.
Register your interest here.
Geelong Design Week – A Spatially Intelligent Arts Centre
When: Friday, March 18 at 5:30pm
Where: Studio 4 or online
The Geelong Arts Centre will this year host an interactive panel discussion as part of Geelong Design Week, which will be held from 17-27 March 2022 with the theme taur which means ‘belonging’ in the language of the Wadawurrung people, Traditional Owners of Djilang (Geelong). Geelong Design Week (GDW) is an annual community celebration of local design excellence and Geelong’s designation as Australia’s only UNESCO Creative City of Design. This year’s program features a range of installations, exhibitions, and workshops as well as walks, talks, and tours that will investigate and illustrate the vital role design plays in our everyday life.
‘A Spatially Intelligent Arts Centre’ will explore novel approaches and applications to change an Art Centre building’s agency from a mere physical enclosure to a dynamic, spatially intelligent space. Join in for this interactive panel discussion where the Geelong Art Centre’s multi-disciplinary team will be presenting interim findings and discussions around Geelong Art Centre’s ‘A Spatially Intelligent Arts Centre’ research project.
Explore the nexus where art, technology and the built environment connect, as well how we can enable, develop and even manipulate a sense of belonging in cultural buildings through well-considered design.
The panel will present an update of research to date and discuss opportunities where art, audience, technology and the built environment meet.
Tickets here.
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Jams For Juniors: Swan Lake
When: Saturday, March 19 at 10am, 11:30am and 1pm.
Where: Studio 4
Geelong Arts Centre’s renowned Family Magic program returns in 2022 with a diverse range of fantastic family-friendly productions, designed to captivate, inspire and entertain children under 12, as well as their parents, siblings, grandparents and carers.
Kicking off the program in March, celebrated music educator, presenter, author and composer/arranger Karen Kyriacou hits Geelong Arts Centre to present Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s Jam for Juniors: Swan Lake.
Featuring musicians of the MSO, Jams for Juniors is the perfect way to introduce babies and toddlers to the magic of music! Children aged 0-5 and their adults can explore, play and join in at this popular 45-minute immersive musical experience.
Purchase tickets here.
Black Cockatoo
When: Tuesday March 22, Wednesday March 23, Thursday March 24, Friday March 25, Saturday March 26 at 7:30pm and a second show on Saturday March 26 at 3:30pm.
Where: Studio 4
Inspired by the true story of legendary First Nations cricketer Johnny Mullagh and Australia’s first-ever international sporting team, ‘Black Cockatoo’ is not just about cricket. This is a story of strength, resistance, hope and possibility.
Over 150 years ago, 13 brave Aboriginal men in Western Victoria picked up their cricket bats and embarked on a treacherous voyage to England and into the unknown – all in the name of sport. Risking illness and persecution, Australia’s first international cricket team – including Australia’s first Indigenous sporting hero, Johnny Mullagh – amazed the English crowds with astonishing talent, personality and grit. They should have returned to Australia as celebrated heroes. Instead, they came back to find the world they once knew was no longer there.
This is a story of strength, resistance, hope and possibility. When a group of young present-day activists sneak into the Wimmera Discovery Centre to expose the truth of what happened to Johnny and his teammates, a hidden legend of triumph and tragedy unfolds.
Funny and incredibly moving, Black Cockatoo is a new artistic collaboration between iconic Australian writer Geoffrey Atherden (Mother and Son, Babakiueria) and former Sydney Festival Artistic Director Wesley Enoch (Black Diggers).
Tickets here.
Anh Do – The Happiest Refugee!
When: Thursday, March 24 at 8pm
Where: Costa Hall
By popular demand, Anh returns with his smash hit show The Happiest Refugee!, based on the laugh-out-loud, the reach-for-your-hanky bestselling book of one of Australia’s best-loved comedians.
Anh Do’s story – which tells the incredible, uplifting and inspiring life story packed with tragedy, humour, heartache and unswerving determination – has made readers laugh and cry, and was described by Russell Crowe as “the most surprising and inspiring read I have had in years.”
Anh’s stage show takes it a step further, combining stand-up comedy with real-life stories, photos and filmed pieces to retell his amazing story.
Proven to move and amuse all who read his book, this adaptive performance is not to be missed.
Tickets can be purchased here.
Bach and Beamish – Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Season 2022
When: Friday, March 25 at 7:30pm
Where: Costa Hall
In this 90 minute show, MSO Concertmaster Sophie Rowell leads the Orchestra through a celebration of the incomparable J.S. Bach and the prolific composer’s influence on music of the present day, with Scottish accordion virtuoso James Crabb as soloist.
This coupling of J.S. Bach and English composer Sally Beamish sees James Crabb play the part of continuo, normally reserved for the harpsichord, on the piano accordion. Sophie Rowell play-directs Bach’s Orchestral Suite No.3, lavishly orchestrated for its time, highlighting the composer’s mastery of harmony, rhythm and his sense of fun. This 1730 suite contains one of the most famous and beautiful movements in the entire Bach canon, the Air on the G String.
James Crabb has been praised world-over for his versatile musicianship, appearing with the London Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Orchestra and countless contemporary ensembles. Among his various Australian performances, Melbourne audiences will remember Crabb conducting and performing in Victorian Opera’s 2013 production of Maria de Buenos Aires.
The peculiar thing about Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No.3 is the lack of a fully developed slow movement. Concerti movements usually follow a fast-slow-fast format, but here Bach differed from the norm, which is how Sally Beamish’s Brandenburg “Slow movement” came to be. Intended to serve as the missing movement in a complete performance, this work was commissioned by the Lautten Compagney Berlin and first performed in 2010.
Tickets here.
A Taste Of Ireland 2022 Australian Tour
When: Saturday, March 26 at 7:30pm
Where: Costa Hall
A Taste of Ireland―The Irish Music & Dance Sensation returns with a performance that is ‘Celtic―for this decade’, perfect for those who want to laugh, cry and jig into the night with a show that has entertained thousands.
Hot off its premiere New York City run in 2020 and with over 120 shows in 2019 across Australia and New Zealand, attendees can finally experience the performances that have brought the house down night after night around the world as ‘A Taste of Ireland’ wows audiences in 2022. Featuring acclaimed Irish dancers, dazzling folk musicians and contemporary vocalists, experience the raw, rhythmic passion that is the original story of the Celtic motherland.
With revamped classics like ‘Danny Boy’ and ‘Tell Me Ma’, the show’s live, energetic blend of well-known tunes, jaw-dropping acapella tap battles, world-class dancing, melodic folk music mash-ups and craic galore transports you through the story of Ireland’s tumultuous history, complimented by stunning production and lighting. Including beautiful scenic visuals, glitz, glamour and poetic narration, ‘A Taste of Ireland’ combines toe-tapping rhythms with heart-warming emotion to create a contemporary Irish dance showcase that will leave you shouting for more.
Starring dancers from the West End’s Lord of the Dance, Riverdance, & Gaelforce Dance alongside a treasure trove of Irish Dancing World Champions, ’A Taste of Ireland’ delivers the very best talent in the nation.
Purchase tickets here.
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Geelong Arts Centre is supported by The Victorian Government through Creative Victoria, Major Artistic Partner Deakin University and Innovation Partner Costa Asset Management.