Peter Hackney

Peter Hackney is an Australian-Montenegrin writer and editor who lives on Dharug and Gundungurra land in Western Sydney - home to one of Australia’s most diverse and dynamic arts scenes. He has a penchant for Australian theatre but is a lover of the arts in all its forms. A keen ‘Indonesianist’, Peter is a frequent traveller to our northern neighbour and an advanced student of Bahasa Indonesia. Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/peterhackney https://x.com/phackneywriter

Peter Hackney's Latest Articles

Two panels: On left is a profile photo of a man with a brown hat, glasses and a white beard. On the right is a cover of his book with an illustration of an island in blue and green and the words 'Mark Heyward' and 'The Glass Islands' in white font.
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Book review: The Glass Islands, Mark Heyward

Spanning memoir, travelogue and historical non-fiction, The Glass Islands explores a life swapped from Tasmania to Lombok, Indonesia.  

Two women argue. The woman on the left has shoulder-length hair and wears a blue and white striped top. The angrier woman on the right has a scarf covering her hair. Behind her stands a man in a red and black flannel short who appears to be trying to calm her down.
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Theatre review: Sunset Strip, New Theatre

The New Theatre tackles a play by one of Australia’s hottest theatrical exports.

A single dancer is spotlit. She is all in white and covered in powder that falls off her as she poses.
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Dance reviews: Sixbythree, Riverside Theatres

A contemporary dance festival at Parramatta’s Riverside Theatres saw three separate dance works presented over two days.

A group of people all dressed in black leotards are looking up, about to catch a single performer who is dressed in gold and is seen in mid-air. They are standing in front of gold drapery.
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Circus review: Duck Pond, Sydney Coliseum Theatre

Circa presented a modern take on Tchaikovsky’s ‘Swan Lake’ and Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Ugly Duckling’ in a collision of…

A woman with her hair in a bun is standing spotlit in centre of stage. She is wearing silver blouse and black pants and carrying a bouquet of roses. Petals are strewn below her. A band can be seen playing around her, in semi darkness.
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Theatre review: Master Class, Ensemble Theatre

Terrence McNally’s play about opera legend Maria Callas gives us a masterclass in stagecraft.

A man with a salt and pepper beard is standing to one side and looking into the distance. He is wearing a white tunic and a crown made of flowers and leaves.
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Theatre review: King Lear, Neilson Nutshell, Pier 2/3

Bell Shakespeare takes a minimalist approach to 'King Lear' in its first production of the play since 2010 – with…

Ten figures are sitting cross-legged in formation with their hands raised above their heads. They are wearing light, floaty trousers. The men are bare-chested. The women are wearing brown-coloured bras.
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Dance review: Horizon, Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House

Bangarra Dance Theatre’s darkly beautiful new production draws upon the ancient roots of both Australian and New Zealand First Nations…

Death in the Pantheon. On a dark stage two actors are bathed in green light. One can only be seen from the neck down and is holding an ornate drinking contraption, with a red glass case, the other is bending below it to drink.
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Theatre review: Death in the Pantheon, Flight Path Theatre

The latest production from Sydney’s Upper Crass Theatre Company is somewhat flawed – but not without its charms. 

A woman is kneeling in the middle of a stage, with her head back. Plumes of fire are coming out of her mouth
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Performance review: Limbo – The Return, The Grand Electric

Strut & Fret hits the mark with this bacchanalian mix of cabaret, circus and acrobatics. 

Right side profile of teenage girl who's reading a script. She's facing a camera. A projected image of a man and a woman is presented on a screen above on the left hand side.
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Performance review: POV, Belvoir St Theatre

Two child actors and 36 unrehearsed adult actors participate in an engrossing mash-up of stage and screen techniques. 

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