Polite Society’s Social Diary - April

Grammy Award-winner Allison Russell has the kind of rich, velvet voice that makes beautiful songs all the more compelling. Her 2021 debut album, Outside Child, received huge critical acclaim, with its unusual mix of harrowing subject matter and joyful melody; since then, Russell has collaborated with Irish balladeer Hozier as well touring the US (and starring in a musical). She plays just four Australian dates this month, joined by her Rainbow Coalition Band of Black, POC, queer and historically marginalised musicians. Unmissable. Melbourne Recital Centre, April 15; City Recital Hall, Sydney, April 17; Bluesfest, Byron Bay, April 19 & 20

T'is the season for comedy, with both Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the Sydney Comedy Festival taking up residence in all sorts of venues this month. So if you’re looking to escape the unremitting misery of the world, we suggest booking a night out – our old-school picks include the ever-reliable Wil Anderson at Melbourne’s Comedy Republic Theatre (until April 20) and Adam Kay at the Playhouse (April 15-20), plus Scottish master storyteller Danny Bhoy (Melbourne Art Centre, April 8-20; Sydney, City Recital Hall, April 23-26).

The life of Vaskav Nijinsky had always been ripe for a ballet and in 2000 it became one, with acclaimed choreographer John Neumeier’s Nijinsky. It depicts his life in all its remarkable extremes, from dizzying adulation as one of the world’s greatest ballet dancers to the Russian’s final, tragic years in and out of mental institutions. This revival, with Principal Artist Callum Linnane in the title role, received five-star reviews in its Melbourne run at the Australian Ballet’s temporary home, the Regent Theatre; it’ll be even better at the Opera House. April 4-22, Sydney Opera House, Joan Sutherland Theatre 

And while we’re on the topic of towering classical figures, Giuseppe Verdi is the subject of a Gala Concert at the Melbourne Arts Centre, which will no doubt include many of his big-hitter songs from La Traviata, Rigoletto, Aida and more. Australian opera superstar Nicole Car leads the cast of singers, accompanied onstage by Orchestra Victoria and her husband, French-Canadian baritone Étienne Dupuis. April 30 & May 3, Hamer Hall

Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art has not one but two new shows running now and they both look spectacular. Warraba Weatherall: Shadow and Substance is the first solo museum exhibition by the Kamilaroi artist, and explores through large-scale installations and video how cultural objects and knowledge is collected and displayed in museums, and how that affects understanding of First Nations’ culture and peoples. Meanwhile, The Intelligence of Painting shines a light on contemporary painting in Australia through the work of 14 women artists working today. Until September and July respectively, MCA

Warraba Weatherall, To know and possess (detail), 2021–2024, bronze cast, image courtesy and © the artist

It's hard to believe, given the number of times they’re played on Gold FM and the like, but Soft Cell and Marc Almond have never toured Australia. That changes this month, as the influential 1980s synth-pop band tours its seminal debut album from 1981, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which includes hits like ‘Tainted Love’ and ‘Where Did our Love Go’ – and influenced later bands like The Pet Shop Boys, Pulp and many more. Various venues, April 10-17

Finally, it’s Easter this month, which can mean only one thing: the Sydney Royal Easter Show, which commandeers the Showground at Olympic Park for 15 action-packed days. Yes, we know the crowds are big and the showbags pricey, but who can fail to be won over by the Best Baby Puppy In Show competition, or the Farmyard Nursery? April 11-22