We kick off this week’s festival season show with a little Christmas song from Sting called Soul Cake… and if we’re starting with a Christmas song then that must mean this is our last regular show for the year. But fear not, there’s plenty of good stuff lined up for our season of Summer Specials…

But first, let’s meet some people who are getting ready to help us kick off 2026 with some really great events.

First up, it’s the Peninsular Summer Music Festival which would explain why Melissa Doecke is back to let us know what she and Ben Opie have got lined up for us this year.

Then, it seems like Adelaide is taking over Arts Centre Melbourne in January when Patch Theatre returns with their sublime work for children – Zooom – and we’ll chat with our former Behind the Scenes Adelaide Correspondent Geoff Cobham, who also happens to be Artistic Director of Patch.

Then once Patch leaves the building, Gravity and Other Myths moves in with their high energy show, Ten Thousand Hours and we catch up with the company’s Co-Founder and Director of this production, Lachlan Binns.

And finally, Arena Theatre Company in Bendigo may not have anything planned for January, except maybe a farewell party for long-serving Artistic Director Christian Leavesley who, true to his name, is leaving.

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jake Lynch & Annabel McGoldrick met in 1992 when they were reporters for Yorkshire Television. They married and moved to Australia where, these days, he lectures in Social Justice at Sydney University and she’s a psychotherapist. But now, they’ve combined all those experiences in a murder mystery novel – Mind Over Murder – and we’ll find out how they manage this impressive juggling act.

After that, we’ve got a bit of music when we meet Anne Frankenberg CEO of Musica Viva Australia to find out what they’ve got programmed for 2026, followed by QiQi who’s followed up a successful Fringe season with a live album – Elysian Blues – recorded at this year’s Sleepless Festival AND a solo EP both of which will be launched this weekend at Tempo Rubato in Brunswick.

Then Marc Gracie’s here for a bumper, final Screens & Streams for the year ahead of our annual movie wrap at the end of the month.

They’re all on this week’s edition of Behind the Scenes with Chris Thompson right here on Vision Australia Radio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.