STAGES Episode 610: DEBORAH JONES

STAGES Episode 610: DEBORAH JONES

From STAGES with Peter Eyers by Peter Eyers

March 14, 2026 · 57 min · Season 9 · Episode 609

About this episode

Deborah Jones discusses her extensive career in arts journalism and criticism in Australia.

Deborah Jones is one of Australia’s most respected arts journalists, with a career spanning more than 25 years as a writer, critic and editor at The Australian. She served as Arts Editor for a decade and also edited the paper’s influential Review section, later becoming Executive Editor for five years. Joining the Sydney bureau in 1987 as a sub-editor, Deborah rose through the ranks to become a leading national voice in arts criticism. In 2001 she was appointed Arts Editor, a position she held for nearly ten years, shaping coverage of theatre, dance, opera and music across the country. She subsequently became the paper’s national dance critic — a role she continues to hold — while also reviewing musical theatre and opera. Deborah holds an honours degree in drama from the University of Newcastle, completed part-time while working as a journalist. She later spent three years as a drama tutor at the university, grounding her criticism in both scholarship and practical understanding of performance. In addition to her work for The Australian , Deborah has been the Sydney correspondent for the London-based Opera Magazine for seven years, reviewing opera performances in Australia for an…

People in this episode

Host: Peter Eyers

Guest: Deborah Jones

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Australian, Opera Magazine, Sydney Theatre Awards

Places: Australia, Sydney, University of Newcastle

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