All About Entertainment

𝐖𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐦 𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥

Palace Nova Cinemas and German Films are delighted to announce the 2026 HSBC German Film Festival returning to Adelaide from May 6th to 27th at Palace Nova Eastend and Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas.

The festival features a dynamic line-up of contemporary German cinema direct from major European festivals. This year's program includes powerful dramas, insightful true-life stories, delightful comedies and charming family films.

Courtesy of Palace Nova Cinemas we are giving away complimentary double passes for the festival for our Adelaide followers. These passes are valid for all sessions (excluding special events) and are subject to availability.

Website: https://germanfilmfestival.com.au/

To go into the draw:
☑️ Follow this page, like the post and share this giveaway PUBLICLY on your timeline (many miss out as we can't see the share).
☑️ Leave a comment below which movie you're looking forward to seeing.
☑️ If you've won a prize with AAE in the last 30 days you are ineligible to enter. Competition closes 8pm 1st May 2026.

**𝐖𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐬. 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐤!

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖
𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐞 - 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟗 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

Writing and staging a musical is no small feat. Yet Amity Dry has written, staged, and produced The Perfect Life, and even stepped into a role herself. How this has been achieved is something I can’t begin to answer, but what I witnessed last night was a triumph for local Adelaide talent.

The Perfect Life explores motherhood and friendship through four distinct characters. As reviewers, James and I are not mothers, and I’ll admit we were sceptical about how much we would connect with the story. We needn’t have been.

Each character is so well drawn that you’re bound to recognise yourself in at least one of them. It’s a sharp, often hilarious, and ultimately devastating exploration of regret. Sliding doors. What could have been. The myth of the “perfect life”. Or as the old line goes - get married or don’t, regret it either way.

The music is heartfelt and beautifully written, grounding the show in emotional honesty while still allowing space for humour. Having previously seen Kerrie Anne Greenland and Chloe Zuel in other professional productions, it was my first time seeing Dee Farnell - and what a standout. Her portrayal a mother of three, was exceptional and delivered some of the show’s funniest moments.

Amity Dry delivers her role with depth and authenticity, capturing both the vulnerability and quiet strength of a woman navigating life after children and a failed marriage. Kerrie Anne Greenland is equally compelling, bringing nuance and emotional precision to the role of a corporate lawyer facing the unexpected realities of single motherhood. Chloe Zuel plays a millennial returning home from abroad to care for her sick mother, with warmth and relatability.

What truly elevates the production is the way all four women work together, their chemistry is seamless, and their voices blend beautifully in harmony, creating moments that feel both powerful and intimate.

Just when I thought the themes might not fully resonate with me, there was a moment that completely shifted my perspective. “Don’t Care,” performed by Chloe Zuel, was a highlight, sharp, funny, and unexpectedly relatable. It proved that this musical isn’t solely about motherhood, but about friendship, identity, and the shared experiences of women, including those who haven’t had children.

This production has the potential to grow into something significant, reminiscent of the success of Menopause the Musical. When you see a project created with this much heart and authenticity, you can’t help but want it to succeed. The staging, lighting, and band were all excellent, supporting the story without overshadowing it. I sincerely hope The Perfect Life receives the accolades it deserves.

This homegrown musical that has travelled the world, from Adelaide Fringe to New York, the UN and beyond, before being interrupted by the pandemic. It deserves this rebirth - and Adelaide should be proud to have it back.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Betty Samis & James Murphy
All About Entertainment Reviewers

Adelaide Fringe Amity Dry

𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑’𝐒 𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐁 𝐊𝐀𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐓
Adelaide Fringe 2026
Aurora Spiegeltent, The Garden of Earthly Delights
8 March, 2026

Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett is what its title suggests, a show conceived by Ms Dieter. She is a chanteuse backed up by a rather loud band, singing songs interspersed with mostly circus acts. This ‘Mistress of Mayhem’ got things rolling, interacting with four men from the audience whom she enticed onto the stage, teaching them a dance routine and employing an abundance of touchy-feely antics. The assembled loved it, desperate to be entertained.

Her supporting cast are all skilled performers – a drag artist with black moustache, in long frocks, big wigs and high heels, a smoking tap-dancer in a fur coat, redolent of Berlin-punk, a scantily-clad fire-dancer/eater who proceeded to burn her ti***es, culminating, as a mini-finale, to ignite her crotch – it was indeed a burning bush.

There I sat wanting a change from these head-thumping routines, and it comes in the guise of our lanky drag queen who gives us a charming rendition of ‘La vie en rose’ – a moment of lyricism, and the only French number in the show, of which Edith would have approved. However, this is soon shattered as the gear came off and we are subjected to the full monty, with only black tape, resembling p***c hair, between the legs. That was not enough however, the tape is ripped off (ouch!) and soon a p***s, as well as a secret of the drag queen trade, is exposed.

Later this performer returns with a cream cake, does a dance routine, strips off and sans black tape, gives us an encore of the shaved pudenda and member. Then simulated s*xual in*******se with said cake takes place. The audience screamed, of course, and this receives howls and bales of laughter, thrusting the pelvis into the culinary creation, making quite a mess on the stage. Pushing the limits of cabaret and sheer shock value, I believe, but is it entertainment?

Another act of note is the dusky, incredibly supple, contortionist who gives ambidexterity a new meaning in a mind-boggling display of what a double-jointed person can accomplish. Truly amazing! As well, the muscular gentleman on the trapeze thrilled us with an expert display and mastery of his art.

There is much to be admired in this show but if you are thinking Liza Minelli or Joel Grey, you’ll be disappointed. Club Kabarett is the way of the world in the cabaret genre, it seems, and this reviewer, although admiring the precision and skill of the performers, was not particularly enamoured with some of its content, its perversity, its loudness, and its vulgarity. However, the audience lapped it up and who am I to be contrary? I would like to have given it fewer stars, but it would be churlish of me to go against popular consensus and the international media, n’est-ce pas?

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Eugene Ragghianti - All About Entertainment Reviewer

Bernie Dieter The Garden of Unearthly Delights Adelaide Fringe

Review: Michael Paynter
The Garden of Unearthly Delights – Aurora Spiegeltent
Wednesday 4 March 2026

Michael Paynter is an overnight success that has taken nearly twenty years to happen.

Many people first noticed him during The Voice in 2013, but long before that he had been immersed in music — playing piano, drums and guitar from a young age. Which leaves me asking one simple question — how did I miss this voice?

Thanks to my good friend Betty Samis, who managed to secure tickets and insisted I come along, I now completely understand why she wanted me to see him.

Inside a packed Spiegeltent, it was clear: this was not just another Fringe performer. We were witnessing a voice of truly exceptional quality.

Australia has produced some remarkable vocalists: John Farnham, Tina Arena, Vanessa Amorosi, Kate Ceberano, Jimmy Barnes, Guy Sebastian, Peter Cousens, Michael Hutchence, Renée Geyer, and Sia. There are others, of course, but these are singers who perform not just for a living, but because music clearly lives in their soul.

Michael Paynter belongs in that conversation.
He has well and truly paid his dues: performing with Icehouse since 2011, singing alongside Jimmy Barnes, and playing in Reece Mastin’s band after Mastin’s 2011 X Factor win. Mastin joined him as a guest on the night, and together they tore into “Good Times,” the INXS/Jimmy Barnes classic, perfectly blending their voices.

More recently, Paynter’s performance in Jesus Christ Superstar has pushed him firmly into the national spotlight.
For this show, he presented his own take on The Great Australian Songbook, performing live and unplugged, switching effortlessly between keyboards and guitar.

One thing stood out: the audience’s reaction. The Spiegeltent was full, yet when Paynter sang, the room often fell completely silent.

Not out of politeness — out of pure awe and attention.

People were absorbed in the voice: the power, the control, and the emotion he brings to every song. It is the kind of voice that doesn’t just fill a room, it completely envelopes it.

Paynter spoke warmly about his upcoming opportunities, including the John Farnham musical with the Sydney Theatre Company. Vocally, he can reach the soaring heights of any male singer in the country. But more than that, he sings with heart, soul, and genuine respect for his audience.
As someone who has seen John Farnham many times, one thing always struck me: Farnham somehow made every person in a crowd feel as though he was singing directly to them. Michael Paynter has that same rare ability.

Highlights of the evening included “Chandelier,” “Working Class Man,” “Amazing,” “Good Times,” “Age of Reason,” and my personal favourite, “Burn for You.”

It may have taken years for him to move from the back of the band to centre stage, but now that he’s here, it feels like he is exactly where he belongs.

At the Adelaide Fringe, Michael Paynter is a solid gold number one hit and arguably the best musical act in the Adelaide Fringe. If this show were staged in a venue twice the size, it would still sell out.

Michael Paynter has one of those rare voices that stops a room in its tracks — powerful, emotional, and unmistakably world class.
Record companies need to listen to the general public and get behind artists like Paynter. With good material and publicity, the world would pay attention to Michael — and rightly so.
With over 20 shows booked, travel, queue, whatever it takes — just don’t miss Michael Paynter live on his Great Australian Songbook national tour.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5 Stars
Stephen Foenander - For All About Entertainment

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
Michael Paynter