138. Alex Berlage and Sonder

Rebecca Massey joins me on Backstage to discuss Belvoir's revival of The Book of Everything, returning to the stage for the first time in more than a decade. An acclaimed actor, writer and director, Massey was also part of the original cast, giving her a unique insight into a production that has become one of Belvoir's most cherished works. We talk about revisiting the play years later, reuniting with director Neil Armfield, and why this remarkable story continues to resonate with audiences today. The Book of Everything runs at Belvoir St Theatre from 22 August to 20 September.  

On this episode of Backstage, Regina Botros is joined by Trisha Starrs and Roderick Chambers for a compelling conversation with one of Australia's most celebrated actors, Pamela Rabe. Currently starring as Sister Aloysius in John Patrick Shanley's Doubt: A Parable, Rabe brings her formidable intelligence, emotional depth and commanding stage presence to a role that sits at the heart of one of modern theatre's most gripping dramas. Together, we explore the play's enduring themes of certainty, suspicion, faith and power, and discusses why this Pulitzer Prize-winning work continues to resonate so strongly with contemporary audiences. Insightful, erudite and endlessly engaging a remarkable production—this is an episode not to miss.  

Yve Blake's new play Mackenzie takes Shakespeare's Macbeth and gives it a gloriously camp, darkly comic makeover. Best known as the award-winning creator of FANGIRLS, Blake turns her attention to the cut-throat world of child stardom, stage parents and celebrity obsession. Mackenzie is 13 and has just landed her first television role. It's only a small part, but her ambitious mother is convinced greatness awaits. When a make-up artist delivers a prophecy that Mackenzie will become the world's biggest pop star, a chain of events is set in motion that echoes Shakespeare's classic tragedy. Directed by Virginia Gay, the play mixes comedy, music and horror to explore what happens when ambition takes hold. In this conversation, Yve Blake joins Backstage to discuss the origins of the work, her decision to reimagine Macbeth through the lens of early 2000s celebrity culture, and the themes of ambition, power and corruption that continue to make Shakespeare's play resonate today. She also reflects on balancing comedy with darkness, and why Mackenzie might leave audiences laughing one moment and deeply unsettled the next. Yve Blake is a writer, composer, lyricist and performer whose hit musical FANGIRLS has become one of Australia's most acclaimed new theatre works. Her latest play, Mackenzie, is a hilarious and macabre exploration of fame, family and the costs of getting exactly what you wish for.  

On this episode of Backstage, award-winning director and lighting designer Alexander Berlage, currently directing Sonder joins Regina. Alexander has become one of the most distinctive voices in Sydney’s independent theatre scene. He is a two-time Sydney Theatre Award winner for Best Direction of a Musical, for American Psycho and Cry-Baby at Hayes Theatre Co, and won Best Direction of an Independent Production in 2023 for A Streetcar Named Desire at the Old Fitz Theatre. From 2020 to 2023, he served as Co-Artistic Director of Redline Productions at the Old Fitz. Now, with Sonder, Alexander brings that same precision and visual imagination to a new production — and joins us to talk about directing, design, and what draws him to a work in the first place.      

  In this episode I'm taking you backstage at Belvoir Street Theatre for a closer look at The Birds — not Hitchcock, but a tense, immersive stage adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s story. This striking one‑woman work, performed by Paula Arundell, is as much about sound and atmosphere as it is about narrative, pulling the audience into a world of unease and sensory intensity. I’m joined by writer Louise Fox and director Matthew Lutton to talk about how this adaptation came together — from shaping the text for a solo performer to building a sonic landscape that carries so much of the storytelling weight.  

The fabulous Nancye Hayes joins me to talk about Anastasia, now playing at the Lyric Theatre — a truly spectacular production. Loosely inspired by the Romanov family and set in early‑20th‑century Russia, the show is a visual feast, complete with cinematic projections and even a Swan Lake ballet in the middle. Nancye plays the Dowager Empress, bringing immense gravitas to the role. We talk about the history behind the story and what still excites her after more than 60 years in theatre. From being drawn to the stage at the age of three to still discovering new things as a performer, this is a conversation with a true Australian theatre icon. 🎭 Anastasia is now playing at the Lyric Theatre 🔗 https://anastasiathemusical.com.au/  

Come Backstage with Giuseppina Grech. The Phantom of the Opera is back on Sydney Harbour from 27 March, and this episode goes behind the scenes with one of its most delightfully outrageous characters: Carlotta Giudicelli. Australian‑Italian soprano Giuseppina Grech brings the temperamental prima donna to life on the spectacular Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour stage. She previously performed the role in the in‑theatre national tour across Sydney and Melbourne, but this marks her first time tackling Carlotta outdoors, on one of the biggest and boldest stages in the world. Known for her razor‑sharp comic timing and fearless embrace of Carlotta’s larger‑than‑life ego, Giuseppina talks about why she loves leaning into the character’s outrageousness, how comedy shifts on a vast open‑air stage, and what changes when a famously dramatic diva performs against the Sydney skyline.  

Regina Botros goes Backstage with award‑winning writer, actor and adaptor Sheridan Harbridge, diving into her acclaimed adaptation of My Brilliant Career, now on at Sydney Theatre Company. Sheridan talks about re‑imagining Miles Franklin’s iconic novel for the stage — the choices, challenges and freedoms of adaptation, and why the story still resonates so strongly today. We also touch on Amplified: The Rock & Rage of Chrissy Amphlett, Sheridan’s powerful tribute to the Divinyls frontwoman, which is returning soon to teh Seymour Centre. Later this year she's back with the acclaimed Prima Facie for Sydney Theatre Company. What a powerhouse!!  

Regina Botros is joined backstage by Mark Leonard Winter, whose Mark Antony has emerged as the standout performance in Bell Shakespeare’s bold 2026 production of Julius Caesar. Making his Bell Shakespeare debut, Mark brings a volatile, magnetic energy to Antony in a contemporary staging set in 1990s Eastern Europe and directed by Peter Evans. A Helpmann Award winner and founding member of independent theatre company Black Lung, Mark is known for his fearless, risk‑taking performances across Australia’s major stages, including Sydney Theatre Company and Melbourne Theatre Company. His acclaimed turn as Antony has drawn glowing reviews, with critics praising its wild charisma, mercurial shifts, and unsettling modernity — a performance that commands attention and divides opinion in all the right ways. We talk about Antony as both Caesar’s confidant and political operator, the choices behind finding the character’s duplicity, and how Mark approached a role often overshadowed by Brutus. He also reflects on breaking the fourth wall, including the production’s much‑discussed funeral speech moment, and what it means to play Shakespeare with such direct audience connection. Bell Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar runs at • Sydney Opera House: 7 March – 5 April 2026 • Canberra Theatre Centre: 10 – 18 April 2026 • Arts Centre Melbourne: 23 April – 10 May 2026    

Mitchell Butel joins Regina Botros Backstage. He's an acclaimed actor, four‑time Helpmann Award‑winner, and Artistic Director of Sydney Theatre Company — and he's here to talk about STC’s powerful new production of The Normal Heart, on stage at the Drama Theatre in the Sydney Opera House. Timed for Sydney Mardi Gras, this landmark play by Larry Kramer is set in early 1980s New York, during the terrifying, grief‑stricken and politically charged rise of the AIDS epidemic. The story follows a group of activists, lovers, friends, and fighters demanding to be seen, heard, and protected in a world that refused to acknowledge the crisis.