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.
Burnout Paradise,
Staunch ASF
It’s Fringe Mania! Phil and I saw a whole bunch of shows at the best festival of the year and it felt good. Really good. We watched young people sweat and work and contemplate late capitalism from their treadmills in Ponycam’s Burnout Paradise.
In Intermission we chat the sublime A Dodgeball Named Desire by The Bloomshed and Fringe Theatre Winner Someday We’ll Find It.
Our second act takes us to Meat Market where we saw the lyrical and accomplished work Staunch ASF.
In Coming Soon we chat Little One’s Theatre swan song Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, (now over) Sydney Theatre Company’s The Visitors and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at Red Stitch.
The Crocodile,
Yuldea
Make it snappy. We experienced The Crocodile by the formidable Spinning Plates Co. and went deep on fame and all it takes to keep this arts economy going, our second show is the magical Yuldea by Bangarra.
In Intermission we went deeper on the ethics of zoos and our love of Chinese gardens.
In Coming Soon we recommend The Visitors by Victorian Opera, the Fringe encore season at Geelong Arts Centre and Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill.
Read more…Art Talent Show,
Casa Susanna
Welcome to our MIFF 2023 episode! We took the opportunity to hibernate over winter and do some MIFF online films covering the mind boggling “quiet part out loud” selection process for the Prague Academy of Art in ART TALENT SHOW, and the documentary CASA SUSANNA about a trans retreat of the same name in the 1960’s Catskills.
In Intermission we talk our MIFF methods, the ruthless (and mean) shitcanning of gay romcom Red, White and Royal Blue.
And in Coming Soon it’s Fringe Mania with our second lot of recommendations which are now all on our Instagram.
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.