Gruesome Playground Injuries & School Holidays

Its school holidays and that means its time for FUN KIDS STUFF!

Pete the Sheep

If you like children’s theatre and are looking for a fun day out with the little ones, I highly, highly recommend Pete the Sheep. With a fantastic cast, show tunes style music and more sheep puns that you can poke your shears at, its probably the best kids show I’ve ever seen.

You can find out more information HERE.

It plays at Parramatta Riverside 27-30 October.

Sydney Opera House Creative Play

Everybody loves Lego. I’m no except and enjoy the odd giant Lego sculpture of the Colosseum, pyramids etc. But for an entirely new Lego experience head down to the Opera House during the holidays for a really cool free interactive Lego installation. Designed to encourage free-form creative expression, kids (and adults) are able to build on Lego people. These are humans wearing suits made from Lego plates that allow you to build on their arms, legs and even heads. Because of the unorthodox set up it is difficult to build traditional structures such as houses so you are forced into thinking laterally and collaborating with the live Lego canvas.

There’s a big count down on the wall behind, so make sure you stick around for the surprise once the timer gets down to zero. Its worth the wait.

10am-4pm daily until 4 October

Find out MORE INFORMATION

Gruesome Playground Injuries

So where is the violence I promised you?

Gruesome Playground Injuries is an interesting play that has been playing at the Tap Gallery. The stories follows two friends who intermittently meet one another in the hospital following various mishaps, at intervals of several years. It was an original structure and driver for the plot which kept the audience engaged and interested. The time periods were also non linear and the actors did a fantastic job of quickly portraying the characters at different ages and stages of their life with little need for any clunky expositions. The design was minimalist but effective and the whole story was carried on the strength of the actor’s performances and the tight direction. This was not a play full of boring introspection, it was at all  times concerned with lively drama, character exploration and story telling. All in all it was a fun and genuinely

Unfortunately the show had only a short run and closed yesterday. However the company, King’s Collective are new players on the block and will be worth keeping an eye on. Their debut season is an ambitious triptych of plays, dubbed ‘Lepidoptera: An Exploration of Youth.’ The season is part of the Sydney Fringe Festival and features three works by well known American playwrights.

 

September Theatre Reviews

September is upon us & that means Sydney Fringe Festival season has begun. There’s a load of fantastic theatre in town, both in the Fringe program and independently.

The Bookbinder – Trick of the Light Theatre – Better Read Than Dead

This captivating fairy tale style story just charmed the pants of me. First of all you walk into the Better Read Than Dead bookstore, which is teeming with people all apparently browsing for night time book purchases. You then explore all the way to the very back of the store, and up two flights of stairs (which I can’t remember ever having been there before??), finally emerging in the tiny performance space. The entire story was told from table top, using the beautifully crafted pages of a pop up book, shadow puppets in a lamp, book binder tools and other paraphernalia to tell the tale. The story was fast paced, comical and magical, well told by the solo performer who carried several characters and the narration with ease. A very pleasant family oriented show, with a tight structure and lots of fun!

The show opens in Melbourne on Friday – don’t miss it!

The God of Hell – Sam Shepard – The Old Fitz

This production is truly chilling. Upon conclusion I heard a woman in front of us say “I feel sick”, and I have to agree with her. Written in the lead up to the 2004 US elections, this play is still very relevent and shows us that fear and reality has not changed much in the last ten years. This production really brings to life all the deeply chilling undertones that the text conveys. Bundled in with a beautiful set and fantastic casting and performances from the four actors, especially Vanessa Downing – who has always been a charismatic support recently but was excellent & shone in the  lead role. the show was intriguing, engrossing and…grossing.

Unfortunately the season concluded on Sunday.

Oedipus Rex – Adena Jacobs – Belvoir

Intellectuals will tell you this fantastic production is “profoundly moving”, “finely crafted” & “powerful, dangerous, beautiful”. The reviews have been very positive and  the season in Belvoir’s downstairs venue has been extended. The light, sound design and visual vignettes are striking and emotive. The lead performances are both captivating and intense. The scene is set during Oedipus’ old age, long after the adventures he had during the epic play with which most of us will be familiar. Unfortunately, not a great deal of exciting things happen to the elderly Oedipus, aside from some bitter banter with his daughter and a very long scene where the naked old man is bathed. A great watch if you’re into that kind of thing.

Runs until September 21st

Sun – Hofesh Shechter – Sydney Opera House

Wow. Just wow. This is contemporary dance at its best – funny, emotive, beautiful. This production really blew me away. The design was fun, and playful but also a kind of classy. Th choreography was exciting and dynamic, shifting from distorted folk dance to twisted contemporary to the kind of thing you might want to join in with. The choreographer is Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Hofesh Shechter and it was real pleasure to see his work tour to Australia. It was also really fantastic to see a well funded work that could afford a large ensemble dance company and all the impact that it can summon.  The design was full and lush and loud. You could really get lost in this rich production. Aside from a slightly hypocritical didactic undertone towards the end, the production is captivating from start to finish.

Unfortunately the season has concluded but highly recommended to anyone if it comes back for another season.

March Theatre Guide

Oh yes, there’s some lovely theatre on at the moment. I’ve been lucky enough to see a bunch of it. Here are my top picks.

Twelfth Night – Sport For Jove

I always recommend Sport For Jove, because they are really that good. Breathing fresh air into Shakespeare that will make you laugh, gasp and cringe. Gorgeous design, fast paced and sexy. All you could want. I saw this production in Leura last year and loved every minute of it. Its the perfect combination of visual gags, clever twists and 60s beach wear!

Pete the Sheep – Monkey Baa

Meant for kids, but one of the most enjoyable things I’ve seen! I had a huge smile on my face for the entire duration, the fast paced physical comedy and witticisms was a winning combination. The endless sheep puns had everyone in stitches and the cast did a fantastic job presenting cartoon depictions of sheep, dogs and shearers in snappy succession. The set was used to its full potential and attracted a round of applause during the main scene change. The show tunes and choreography were equally hilarious, and again, superbly executed by the cast.

Borrow a small child, niece or neighbour will do, this is definitely one for the diary.

Interplay – Sydney Dance Company

Following on from the brilliant Cactus last year, Interplay is another triple bill with a number of the same creative team on board.  Sydney Dance Company delivers on spectacle and content once again. The three acts are all very different and distinctive, but an exciting and stimulating journey as you travel from beauty, to thriller, to the absurd. The second work was a dystopic portrait that had me on the edge of my seat. Zoe Coombs Marr featuring in the final piece was a bit of a surprise and a great way to top off a fun night.  Awe inspiring and playful, funny and magnificent.

Noises Off – Sydney Theatre Company

I know its seems almost physically impossible for so many fantastic shows to be on at once, but Noises Off is also playing until the end of the week and is ridiculous. Ridiculously funny, silly and clever. A farce within a farce, this witty and fast moving comedy was so stimulating you’ll be on the edge of your chair trying to keep up. I found the brilliant writing and genius twists to be reminiscent of Tom Stoppard at his best. If you think the first scene is amusing, wait until you return from interval to find the set turned around and the whole thing playing out again from behind. Very amusing to anyone, but this show will perhaps bring a special bit of joy to theatre workers, who may have seen the farce played out in real life once or twice before anyway.

Alls Well That Ends Well – Sport For Jove

A Shakespeare play where chances are, you won’t already know the story line. This little performed play is unusual, but very interesting. At times darkly comedic, but then at other times, just plain fucked up. It will have you musing on the skewed morality and ambiguous characters for a long while after the applause fades away. An ambitious undertaking, I doubt many other companies could have produced an All’s Well that was such a powerful rollercoaster of power, sex and violence.

Worth a mention is the very cool design, with a versatile cube as the foundation and very evocative sets built from there. Lots of full frontal male nudity. If you’re into that kind of thing.

 

Regrowth Festival this weekend

The wonderful Regrowth Festival is this weekend. Set just 3.5 hours from Sydney in a luscious grove near Braidwood, the location features gorgeous valley views and winding bush tracks. Its also a highly successful sustainable festival, with every effort going towards minimising effects on the environment and tree planting & bush regeneration a key feature. The vibes are always happy ones and as well as hours of live music and djs there will be yoga, talks and kids play activities.

I’ve been working on two new routines to debut at the event, with all the usual silliness, sexiness and onsies. So if you want to be hypnotized by a serpent, save the trees and cuddle a koala come along!

A few tickets are still available so if you don’t have anything better to do this weekend, consider planting some trees, dancing to trance and hugging a hippie.

This Week: Permasabi, Lego and Rhymes

There’s a lot of interesting and innovative art stuff in sassy Sydney this week. These are my top picks:

Permasabi

Tuesday 24 February – Opens 5:30pm – 8pm

Exhibition runs 26 February – 14 March

COFA, main courtyard

Oxford Street, Paddington NSW

Perran Costi is a remarkable artist and this is his biggest undertaking to date. He is the founder of the ‘permasabi’ movement, a new fusion of permaculture and wabi-sabi. With a Japanese aesthetic and a passion for what grows in the gutters and cracks, this will be an interesting exploration of the urban ethos.

He is also offering free terrarium making classes every weekend of the exhibition so you can keep up with the hipsters. Catch him before he embarks on an international art tour later this year.

The End of the Rainbow. There’s Fucking Beer and Chocolate Everywhere

Tuesday 25 February – Opens 6pm

Open every day till Saturday March 1st.

Happy Herbs – 127 Oxford St, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010

Infamous community organiser and St Peters artist Chris Lego opens with a solo show of original works, ranging from the twisted to the pretty. The opening is guaranteed to have a diverse crowd and you can score an artwork from the bargain price of $15. Exhibiting above Oxford Street’s Happy Herb shop, you can watch the world go by and soak up the unique and wonderful thing that is the Sydney Mardi Gras.

Sketch the Rhyme

Thursday 27 February – Doors 7pm 

The Basement – 29 Reiby Place Circ Quay

The bastard child of pictionary and rap, Sketch the Rhyme has to be seen to be believe. The team have been hard at work revamping the show so that it is now tighter than ever with a TV game show flavour. Always a fun night, as part of their residency at the Basement the show features a rotating line up of talented artists and freestylers from around the country.

Museum of Our Futures Past

Don’t miss this exciting exhibition from our lovely friends at Erth – the Museum of our Futures Past. This time they are collaborating with the Central Coast based arts organisation, Art Central.

The work fuses museum style antiquities and fine artworks created by 21 artists from the Central Coast.

And all around the amazing theme of dugongs! How cool is that? The exhibition even features an incredible, life size sea cow puppet.

Not something you see every day.

The exhibition was directed and produced by the multi-talented Aesha Henderson. She’s a creative at Erth, Umbrella Theatre and an artist in her own right.

The team are busily bumping in now as the exhibition moves to the gorgeous seaside community at the Entrance tomorrow.

The launch party opens: 16 Aug, 4-8pm

Exhibition: 17 Aug, 11am – 3pm & 4pm-8pm

Venue: Studio Scribbly, Shop 3/96 The Entrance Road, The Entrance

July Theatre Reviews: From politics to police drama

I’ve been a busy little bee seeing theatre up and down the coast for the last few weeks. Though its statistically unlikely, everything I have seen has been fantastic! What a talented & innovative theatre community we have here.

Bingo Unit

I can’t even explain. So instead I just harassed numerous bystanders until they finally agreed to attend. Part backlot tour, part video work, part live installation, this hilarious crime/comedy/drama was so much freaking fun. Team Mess have delivered once again, tricking arty theatre types (and funding bodies) into having silly fun during this Performance Space season.

Star Project  

A work in progress by the compelling mixed abilities ensemble at IPAC. Although not a fully fledged show yet, the development felt well rounded and polished. The showing left me feeling moved, sad and contemplative. I can’t wait to see the next stage in their progress.

The Hansard Monologues

The good, the bad and the ugly, some of the parliamentary speeches made over the past few years have been incredibly powerful. In the wake of an election, there is no better time to sit and review the ups and downs of the last government’s surprisingly productive term as a hung parliament. A simple format but a very provocative piece that catalyzed intense discussion immediately following the show.

Angels in America

An incredible production of an incredible play. The dialogue, wit, visual metaphors, heightened emotion, humour and intensity had me coiled up in a ball of tension by each interval. Shown in two wonderful parts the total of seven hours rushes by as you are totally engulfed in good quality drama. Each member of the cast does this fantastic play justice, with a range of engaging performances and quirky characters parading across the stage; drag queens, rabbis, doctors, Mormons and of course, angels. Belvoir has really delivered. I can’t recommend this highly enough.

The River Eats

Hell yeah! I am so excited for this show.

The River Eats is the stand out show for me in the Performance Space program this season.

Its a surreal, extreme, visual, visceral journey of the psyche. And a little erotic.

Justin Shoulder creates amazing theatre with fantastical costumes and characters like nothing I have ever seen before. His creations are bizarre and demonic, invoking modern myths and legends. These are the monsters of today, creatures of caffeine, hyper-active animisms and digital deities.

The rest of the team are all talented & prolific artists. Its an all star cast of collaborators made up of  Toby K, Nick Wales and Jeff Stein.

The trailer is amazing! It hits you in the face like a pink sparkly bitch slap!

 

 

Sydney Writers’ Festival Spoken Word Stuff

Its official. I’m the newbie at Word Travels, the amazing performing literary organisation behind such exciting events as the Australian Poetry Slam.

We have a bucket-load of cool stuff coming up for the Sydney Writers’ Festival, and the best thing is, most of it is FREE. So what are you waiting for? Get on your bike and head over to the Rocks or Parramatta, and come along and say Hi to me!

Troubadours and Minstrels FREE

This is my pet fave. Explore the Rocks Pied Piper style and discover historic laneways and nooks with live poetry and music.

Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 May, 12-1 pm, feat.

Scott Sandwic /: Jade Oldfield / Tug Dumbly / Catherina Behan / hosted by Candy Royalle

The Rocks Square

Sunday 26 May, 12-1 pm, feat.

Anis Mojgani (USA) / Eleanor Jackson / CJ Bowerbird / Jo Sri / hosted by Miles Merrill

The Rocks Square

This is a free event, however bookings are essential!

Book now at tandm.eventbrite.com.au

Mouth to Mic FREE

International spoken wordsmiths Kate Tempest and Anis Mojgani join Australian Poetry Slam Champion CJ Bowerbird trading samples of powerful poetry before discussing the whys and hows of their craft with Miles Merrill. These guys seriously know their stuff!

Friday 24 May 4.00pm-5.00pm

Philharmonia Studio, Pier 4/5, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay

Festival Club Friday – Spoken Four

Join us in the Festival Club, featuring Sydney’s most exhilarating new and established writers alongside various personalities and musicians, all taking their turn at entertaining you with their stories. This is the only one that costs money, and its only a measly ten bucks!

7-8.30 pm: Spoken Four

Four of the best wordsmiths from around Australia and the world pour their passion into the mic and ignite the audience’s imagination. One of the most popular festival events, this year featuring CJ Bowerbird (Canberra), Eleanor Jackson (Brisbane), Anis Mojgani (USA), and Kate Tempest (UK), hosted by Word Travels’ Creative Director Miles Merrill.

9-10 pm: The Chaser’s Empty Vessel

The Chaser’s Empty Vessel returns to lower the tone of Sydney Writers’ Festival for another year. Join Chris Taylor and Julian Morrow for more lively, irreverent and freewheeling discussions with some of the biggest and/or longest names at the Festival. Tonight’s dazzling guests will include Cheryl Strayed, Dermot Healy and Eli Horowitz.

10.30-11.45 pm: SWF Up Late

HEDTalks: Achieving a lot by doing nothing at all* Twitter. Connectivity. PowerPoint. Dynamism. Buzzwords. Come along for a very special evening of talks. Celebrating 50 years of the most world-shattering ideas from the world’s most important leaders in world thinking. Here at HEDTalks we are determined to make this a better planet, one infograph at a time. With Max Lavergne, Eddie Sharp, Andrew Denton and others.

Friday 24 May from 7.00pm

Pier 2/3 Club Stage, Pier 2/3, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay

The Rumble Youth Slam FREE

Rap, poetry, story, monologue . . . Whatever you do with words. No props. No music. Just a mic in the spotlight. Young poets from Western Sydney battle it out with eloquence and wit representing their communities while competing for audience love and a grand prize. Featuring DJ/Poet Scott Sandwich, Jo Sri and Miles Merrill.

Pesented with Word Travels and supported by the University of Western Sydney, Arts NSW and Parramatta City Council.

Saturday 25 May  1.00pm-2.00pm

Riverside Theatres, Parramatta, Corner of Church and Market Streets, Parramatta

Kate Tempest and Anis Mojgani FREE

Performance poets Kate Tempest and Anis Mojgani are both described as ‘fierce’ and ‘genius’ – a potent combination. Londoner Kate is a published playwright, poet and respected recording artist. American spoken word poet, visual artist and musician Anis has been characterised a ‘geek genius’ with ‘fiercely hopeful word arias’. Here in Sydney, their worlds and words collide. Chair: Miles Merrill.

Presented with Word Travels and supported by the University of Western Sydney and Parramatta City Council.

Saturday 25 May  2.30pm-3.30pm

Riverside Theatres, Parramatta, Corner of Church and Market Streets, Parramatta

Q-Poetics FREE

What are you waiting for? Q-poets come to you who queue. Wordsmiths travel through the lines delivering literary relief to dedicated festival-goers hanging out for the next big session. Featuring CJ Bowerbird, Jo Sri, Eleanor Jackson, Scott Sandwich, Skye Loneragan and more! Presented with Word Travels. Created by Skye Loneragan.

This free event will take place at the Walsh Bay Precinct for the duration of the Festival.

Kate Tempest and Anis Mojgani FREE

Performance poets Kate Tempest and Anis Mojgani are both described as ‘fierce’ and ‘genius’ – a potent combination. Londoner Kate is a published playwright, poet and respected recording artist. American spoken word poet, visual artist and musician Anis has been characterised a ‘geek genius’ with ‘fiercely hopeful word arias’. Here in Sydney, their worlds and words collide. Chair: Miles Merrill.

Presented with Word Travels. Supported by Belgiovane Williams Mackay.

Sunday 26 May  2.30pm-3.30pm

Sydney Dance Lounge, Pier 4/5, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay

Vivid Ideas Launch

Last week I was lucky enough to be flick-passed an invite to the Vivid Ideas program launch, which was surely the most fashionable event in Surry Hills that night. I put on my glasses in an attempt to look more intelligent, and tried to eat as many canapes as possible (which were exquisite). I nodded politely whilst viewing 3D models cells, gossiped venomously to my colleagues, and admired, from a distance, the incredibly enthusiastic, energetic and hip Festival Director Jess Scully.

In seriousness, the program looks fantastic. You could spend an hour delving through the diverse and fascinating program.

Here’s my top pick.

Make data beautiful

Data visualisation is so hot right now. Get in on it.

A Celebration of the Art of Story: The Launch of This Place is Yours

Six storytellers come together to share their experiences on how they tell stories through their chosen mediums, and how this is fundamental to being a human.

Digital City 1: We Blog the City

The one and only Vanessa Berry and Louise Hawson come together to show you how they have gotten under the very skin of Sydney, in their own creative, fun and potentially obsessive ways.

The Incredibly Short Film Festival

Finally Toby K has a use for his time lapse videos.