Recent Episodes
Across the Aisle is a podcast for people who love the arts but don’t get along as much as they would like to. If you’re looking to be inspired to see more exhibitions, film, theatre, or would like to live vicariously through our show going hosts, please subscribe on your podcasting app or listen here.
We’re back baby! We went to a Fringe show, Memoir of a Tired Carer, and no one got Covid. Team Aisle also travelled to wilds of North Geelong Arena to see the Evonne Goolagong biographical play (feel good hit) Sunshine Super Girl. In intermission we chat Fringe highlights, Bangarra Dance Theatre and experimental new opera The Lighthouse. In Coming Soon we recommend Bodies of Water, Beth Gibbeson – A Thread of Light, Lele and Richard Mosse – Broken Spectre (at NGV). Please join us with your favourite bevvie.
Across the Aisle attends MIFF! Films covered are Back to Back Theatre’s award winning Shadow – a luscious celluloid imagining of their stage plays that “wonders whether an AI-led near-future society will further disenfranchise the disabled community” and the gloriously deranged Give Me Pity! starring Sissy St. Clair in her first Saturday Night Special – ingenue, entertainer, demonically possessed.
In this month’s episode Carla and Phil discuss the smaller blockbuster Melbourne Winter Masterpieces on at ACMI from the Tate Modern – Light. And then we head off at the crack of dawn for sauce day at The Malthouse theatre for the stage adaptation of much-loved teen novel Looking for Alibrandi. Bon appetite and tell your friends!
About Us
Across the Aisle is an award winning performing arts criticism podcast based in Melbourne that first ran from 2015-2019, and has returned for a fifth season in 2022. Monthly, hosts Carla and Philip each chose a performance or art object to experience and discuss in depth. During the episodes “intermission” Carla and Phil talk their favourite pop culture moments of the previous month and in “coming soon” they highlight upcoming shows, exhibitions, films, anything culture related.
Across the Aisle was created specifically to provide long form criticism and promotion of live performance pieces that do not usually get covered, in depth, in traditional arts media. In a pandemic world our show has expanded to incorporate all art forms. Our mission statement was to champion work starring, and made, by women, LGBTIQA+ people, disabled people, Indigenous artists, older people and people of colour.
Meet Team Aisle
We live, love, record and make on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri, Boon Wurrung and Wadawurrung people of the Kulin Nation. Land that was never ceded. Land that was, and always will be, Aboriginal.
Carla Donnelly - Creator, Host
Carla is the creator of podcasts Across the Aisle, Club Soderbergh and re:Discovery. She was a judge for the Green Room Awards on the Independent Theatre panel for 4 years and is now settling into her sea change on the Surf Coast.
Philip Thiel - Host
Philip is an English and literature teacher, blogger and cultural consumer from Melbourne, Victoria. His writing and poetry has been published in Traffic, Death Mook and Victorian Writer. He has a particular interest in immersive performance pieces.
Ron Killeen - Sound Engineer, Mix
Support Us
We believe theatre, art and the performing arts are for everyone. We make our podcast so that listeners don’t need to see the shows, or focus of discussion, to feel included. Theatre and art curation is a performance of our cultural times; it’s from this angle that we approached our criticism. Deep cuts, queer theory, feminism and the promotion of minority lead narratives abounded.
In its first incarnation Across the Aisle ran for 4 years publishing 49 episodes, covering almost 100 performances. We resume in 2022 and hope for another 49 more. If you have enjoyed our back catalogue, used our coverage in a grant application or promotion of your work please buy us a drink.
Contact Us
Hello! We love hearing from you! If you’d like to get in touch please use the links below.