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.
Melbourne Now (NGV Ian Potter), Small Metal Objects
A joyous episode this month traversing the best that Melbourne and Geelong has to offer with the epic Melbourne Now, a wide-ranging art survey of all things Melbourne and Back to Back theatre’s Small Metal Objects thrillingly stage in Geelong’s Market Square mall. In Intermission we discuss reading (also listening) and our seasonal self care (spoiler one of us is now exclusively a cold shower devotee, can you guess). In Coming Soon we recommend more Rising morsels and Sydney Dance Company’s ab [intra] at Geelong Arts Centre. Hoping this episode finds you engaged and present in this rebooting time. Love Carla and Philip.
Aftersun,
Queerstralia
New episode alert! In March we went to the cinema to see the singular and extraordinary After Sun and then from the the safety of our living rooms we experienced ABC TV’s Queerstralia. In intermission we discussed the $10 Vline revolution, Phil being an MTC subscriber, the very specific time of life where everything zeitgeisty being made by people exactly our age and in Coming Soon we recommend upcoming shows at Yirramboi, Rising and Back to Back. Enjoy and PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT OUR SHOW. Love you.
The Gospel According to Jesus Queen of Heaven, Tár
Hello darling listeners. It is summer, well officially not it seems weather wise, and you know what that means?! GAYNESS. Big gay vibes with our annual festivals Midsumma and Mardi Gras heating things up and stripping thing off. So, of course, we deep dive on some delicious shows from our family – The Gospel According to Jesus Queen of Heaven and the impenetrable Rorschach that is Tár. This is the double feature you have always wanted. We also talk our most loved and loathed coporate yassification, Sydney Festival and much more. Please tell your friends! No one listens to our show. Sending love.
About Us
Across the Aisle is an award-winning performing arts criticism podcast based in Melbourne that first ran monthly 2015-2019, and has returned in a less regular fashion in 2022. Each episode hosts Carla and Philip chose a performance or art object to experience and discuss in depth. During “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 is 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 and Melbourne Fringe Festival 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 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 resumed 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.