The Scene - Local Entertainment News

S Sense

Normally I'm very loyal. It's in my Leo nature that I am very loyal. Just ask my girlfriends. I mean, most of them are my exes - well, all of them except one. And I was loyal to them all. Granted, some of them at the same time, which is tricky definition-wise, but, you know, it's all loyal.

But the other day I got found out.

Rewind.

Lismore is full of coffee shops. There's more every day. Lismore has taken to coffee shops like Byron to botox or Ballina to parking. People have their favourite café where you meet friends and lovers and where coffee-stained bonding takes place leaving a sticky residue of commitment that attaches you to your surroundings. Your café. Loyalty.

Like a football club or a religion, you get caught up in an unspoken agreement with the cafe - "I swear on the Colombian blend, I will not socialise over coffee at any other coffee shop."

But sometimes you lust. There's a new shop in town and it looks young and funky. Let's face it - you find it attractive with its different smell of a sexy blow-in and free choc mints and a have-me-now decor. You feel guilty. Later, when you drink your regular latte at your regular cafe, you're thinking about another latte...

Normally I'm very loyal, but the other day, as I passed the new café, a tart winked at me and with all the lack of caution a secret affair ultimately engenders, I marched in and ordered a latte and a danish - blueberry. As I carried it out, smiling at my wicked treachery, who should drive by but - you guessed it kids - the proprietor of my coffee shop. She looked at me and I looked at her, my unfaithfulness burning like the slatternly latte in my trembling hand. I will never stray again.

Last chance to raaaage!

Harvey in her PJs...

As everyone knows, the biggest popular music hoedown on the North Coast, Splendour in the Grass, is all sold out! How popular can it get?

All those great acts like Dizzee Rascal, Infusion, Cut Copy, PJ Harvey and The Herd - all playing live at Belongil Fields on Saturday and Sunday, June 24-25 - and no tickets left!

Not only that, the Splendid Lounge Bar will be cranking up the heat on Saturday and Sunday nights with C-Moog Soundbunker and Death Disco who'll spin the platters that matter. Oh no!

The pain doesn't stop there - you'll be missing out on the return of the well-loved Phunken Tipi Circle with its line-up of local DJs and visual installations. And if you were there to get the munchies, Splendour will be presenting a smorgasbord of international cuisine courtesy of on-site restaurants and cafés. There is even an on-site cinema. And no tickets left!

Bummer.

But there is hope for those that didn't get their tickets in time. Welcome to The Echo's Splendour comp, where readers can win a double pass (take me!) to Splendour for the weekend by writing in and telling us why you should be privileged above others to partake in all the fun and music of the festival.

Let's keep it to 25 words if possible. As well as the two double passes to win there are also CDs from various performing artists. To be in the draw to win, mail your entry to Splendour Comp, PO Box 37, Lismore, NSW, 2480, before Monday, June 21. Winners will be announced on June 24. Don't miss out twice.

New local poetry

Qwendryth Young is a local poet who has performed for many years at Lismore's Live Poets! and other poetry gatherings.

Her performances, like her life, have always brought a delicate sensibility and a quiet strength to these gigs.

As a fan, I am glad to announce that Qwendryth's collection of her poetry, called Naked in Sepia, is published and ready for you to buy. Look out for it in local bookstores or at the next Live Poets! gig.

Teenage dramas

The Teenage Drama Company (TDC) new production, Anansi - African Tales, will be performed at the Rochedale Theatre in Goonellabah next Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, June 24-26.

The Teenage Drama Company is a drama group for teenagers (obviously) that is separate from the Lismore Theatre Company, although several LTC members support and encourage the young ones in their dramatic endeavours. Good on them.

Kwaku Anansi is a god from Ghana with the ability to change himself into a spider in times of trouble. Cool. He is a trickster - greedy and cunning but likeable. When Africans were taken as slaves to the Caribbean, the Anansi stories survived.

Anansi - African Tales, directed by Emma Wappett, tells of one young slave who discovers the wit and wisdom of the Anansi stories and learns to cope in adverse conditions and finds courage for the future.

Live theatre rules, okay?

The show starts at 7pm each night and the tickets are just $5/3.

For more info phone 6628 3663.

Tibetans chuck a tantra

Monk's monster mohawk in Mullum.

At the moment there are eight Gyuto Monks from Tibet on the North Coast. It reminds them of home. Having been here a few times (I've heard them chant in the New Year at Woodford Folk Festival more than once) this time they are offering everyone a chance to learn from their teachings.

This Friday, June 18, there will be a one-day meditation workshop at St John's Hall, Mullumbimby, from 9am-5pm. Registration is essential and the cost is $65.

Then on Saturday and Sunday, June 19-20, there will be a full program of Tibetan culture, meditation, sand mandalas and activities for the kids. Entry for these two days is by donation. To register for the workshop or for more info phone 6684 7232.

Let's go see the Wizard!

Kids dress up for the Tinman.

School holiday times are a great time to spend with the kids. Well, you don't have much choice because the schools are shut but you can be a caring parent (and earn merit points) by taking the sprogs to the amazing Wizard of Oz Show these holidays in Lismore or Ballina.

Children are invited to join Shakey the Scarecrow, Shiney the Tinman, Scarey the Lion and their friends from Oz in their adventures down the Yellow Brick Road.

"As with all our shows, this one too is highly interactive," program coordinator, Christine Laul, said. "Children can look forward to participating in lots of activities with their favourite characters."

Children are also encouraged to dress up as their favourite Oz character and join in the fun.

"Our shows are really about inviting kids to get up and move around, to really relate to our music and to laugh and have a good time," said Scarecrow, who was looking forward to having his hay pulled.

So grab the kids, let them dress up and head off to the Wizard of Oz Show on Thursday, July 1, at the Ballina RSL Club at 10am (bookings 6686 2544) or later that afternoon at Lismore City Hall from 3.30pm. For Lismore bookings phone 6621 5600.

The revolution starts in Casino

Black Man's Burden - a painting from Les Wojcicki's exhibition.

The Richmond and Upper Clarence Regional Library in Casino is currently exhibiting a provocative exhibition of paintings called Epitome of 'Oz' History in Picture. It will run until June 30 - so hurry!

Artist Les Wojcicki has had a long and interesting life. Born in Poland in the early 1920s, Les's adventurous life has taken him around the world and through many occupations (not just that of Poland). Currently he's living in Casino. Funny where you end up.

He's a historian by inclination and has written many books on a variety of often contentious subjects. According to his friend, Warren Little, Les "loves to stir things up a bit" and his exhibition is sure to do just that.

Winter Solstice Feast

Celebrate the longest night of the year with fine food and music - as if you wouldn't if you had the chance. Well, there is a chance to be had at Djanbung Gardens, Nimbin, this Sunday, June 20, with the Winter Solstice Yule Feast & Celtic Music.

Dance in the hexagon with ethereal harp music by Daeva Skye and Celtic folk music by Robyn Francis - after you've tucked into a two-course gourmet feast (that includes some amazing deserts). The cost is $23/20. For bookings or info phone 6689 1755.

Putting on Ayres

Acclaimed writer and director Tony Ayres will be presenting a masterclass, From Writer to Director, in Byron Bay next Friday, June 25, from 10am-4.30pm.

The two roles of writer and director are often embodied in the one person. Having started his career as a screenwriter, Tony has now lived on both sides of the fence and will be looking at the skills required to create an imaginary literary landscape and how to recreate that landscape on screen.

Tony Ayres is an award winning writer and director in both drama and documentary. His first feature film, Walking on Water, won five Australian Film Institute Awards in 2002, two Australian Film Critics Circle Awards, and an IF Award for Best Screenplay. His documentary, Sadness, won Best Documentary and Best Director in the 2000 Australian Film Critics Awards, the 2000 Atom Award for Best Documentary and Australian Writers Guild Award for Best Documentary Script as well as Most Popular Film at the 1999 Brisbane International Film Festival.

His television work, Ghost Story, won the Jury Prize at the 1997 International Cinema and Television Convention in Geneva, while The Long Ride won an AFI Award for Best Telefeature or Miniseries, and an Australian Writers Guild Award for Best Original Television Script.

Got that? He knows his stuff.

Pick his brains at Screenworks, Jonson Street, Byron Bay next Friday. The cost is $25/15. For bookings phone 6680 9220.

Doing our Civic duty?

Comedy Virgins for Sacrifice

Don't tell anyone - comedy school is out...

Over the past eight weeks stand up comedian Mandy Nolan (pictured) has been tutoring Lismore TAFE's Drama students in the art of stand up comedy. Most people believe that stand up is one of the most challenging arts and probably can't be taught, but Mandy disputes this.

"I can teach anyone to be funny if they have a sense of humour," mused Mandy. "Of course, there is a small percentage of people who come into this world with the profound disability of being humourless. Sadly, they don't realise, and I am often the poor soul who must tell them!"

According to Mandy, stand up follows a pretty simple format (yeah, be funny) and if you follow that, you are well on the way to uncovering your comic persona.

The students will be performing their five-minute routines at Mary Gilhooley's One Bar and Niteclub in Lismore next Tuesday, June 22. This room is an excellent room for comedy with the monthly Laughing Lizard Comedy Lounge now residing there.

Mandy calls these events A Virgin Sacrifice and the nights have developed something of a cult following in Byron with well over 200 people turning up to witness comedy first timers lose their cherry.

Mandy will host the evening, which kicks off at 8pm. Tickets are $10/8 and are available at the venue beforehand or on 6622 2924.

Draw? For sure!

Ron Curran and Seta Evanian admire Seta's drawing at a Dynamic Drawing session recently.

Everyone is welcome to Lismore's Dynamic Drawing sessions. What is Dynamic Drawing? "If you can walk, sign your name, shout or swear, you can draw. Drawing is owned by nobody," says Ron Curran, who organises the Dynamic Drawing sessions on the North Coast.

This radical denial of "properness" is liberating and asserts that drawing, by its nature, has always been wayward and has refused to be straight-jacketed.

Ron calls drawing a "translation of your personal experience" and acknowledges that this is not a drawing package deal but rather a relaxed and individual response to images.

Ron is a facilitator for this response. He suggests strategies but doesn't give a '12 steps to drawing like a master' course. Ron is a freelance artist who worked in both commercial and government environments before starting Dynamic Drawing sessions in Byron four and a half years ago and then in Mullum some 18 months ago. Now it's Lismore's turn for the life drawing adventure.

Experience life drawing at its refreshing best with Dynamic Drawing. All are welcome, from beginners to the experienced, to enjoy these relaxed, non-judgemental and explorative sessions every Thursday at the church in Keen Street (opposite Woolies) from 9.30am to noon. Entry is $20/15. For more info phone 6685 1815.

School Poetry comp winners

The Lismore Lantern Parade and the Byron Bay Writers Festival joined to extend support to the Starlight Children's Foundation recently by running a poetry competition across all regional secondary schools in the Northern Rivers.

This competition with aheap of prizes, was based on the Lismore Lantern Parade's artistic theme for this year - Rivers of Light.

Well, we have the winners and they are - Erin Menday, Clare Pearce, Rhys Walker, Laurie Drysdale, Terri-Jo Reilly, David Prince, Shane Henry, Tahlia Sanders, Leah Hannan, Diana Cowie, Zoe Richards and Rachael Beaney.

Congratulations to all those who competed. And now, we at The Echo are proud to present, published for the first time, the poem from Rhys Walker who is in Year 7 at Alstonville High School.

River of Light

By Rhys Walker

 

Glaring through the clouds to the heavens

Blinds human eyes with its beauty

It pierces and punctures the sky of shaded azure

The tired body rose to witness angelic luminosity

And to be blissed with a state of harmony

 

The gentleman, drawn from the sleep he long awaited

Stared blankly out of his small bedroom window

To see:

A leopard forming from the very river which flowed beyond his house

Blazing with white fiery illumination; only possessable by the river itself;

The river of light...

 

The dreamily non-existent creature tilted its head and stared with

Silver eyes into distant skies -

Until the peace and ecstasy was broken by a gunshot; then another;

Coming from two hunters of the same white fiery illumination as the majestic beast

An audio-emphasising round, speeding through the air

It hurled itself into the river's creation - the impaled mammal, lying feebly,

The prey of sunlight, lifting atop Bankdrop Hill that same moment

6.00 sharp, waking to the irritation of the alarm, releasing the man,

From the gentle grasp, of the river of light...

Solstice antics at Hanging Rock

Mousemoon, a Newcastle-based band of troubadours, will perform this Saturday, June 19, at the Winter Solstice Celebration at the Hanging Rock Hall in Cawongla.

After a solstice ceremony around the fire at 6.30pm, hard-drinking poet and novelist Christine Strelan will act as MC. The night kicks off at 6pm. Support acts, food and chai add to the night. Tickets are $8.

ARTrageous party

Join the Light n Up team at Lismore City Hall for a post lantern parade celebration this Saturday, June 19, from 8pm. Tickets are $15/10 from Caddies Coffee Shop or the Visitor Information Centre.

On yer bike!

Krista Bernard pedals the world...

One woman's inspiring journey across 19 countries will be brought to life this Sunday, June 20, at the Epicentre yoga rooms in Byron Bay.

Local writer and yoga teacher Krista Bernard accomplished an epic journey in 2000, when she cycled solo from Indonesia to England. Now that's a bike ride!

Presented with Australian Geographic's Young Adventurer of the Year Award in 2000, Krista's 15,000 kilometre expedition took her through some of the most diverse and challenging terrain in the world.

Over three years, Krista was drugged in Bangladesh, imprisoned in Iran and attacked by wolf-like dogs in Turkey. The question is of course, why?

"[It] was the only way I could do it, because I am a bit of an environmentalist," Krista said. "It is also slow enough to be in touch with the people, the cultures and the land. I wanted to see how the world and cultures changed over distance."

To be a part of this incredible journey, come to the Epicentre yoga rooms from 6pm where Krista will present a slide show packed with remarkable tales of fear, laughter, naivety, courage and bloody huge blisters. Cost is $8/6, with proceeds to a Rainforest Rescue project in the Ecuadorian forests. For more info phone 6680 9290.

Learn from the Pros

Paul de Wolf will explain the photo game at Armistead's Gallery.

Armistead's Gallery is hosting an informal opportunity for actual and would be photographers to meet with professionals to share information and develop skills.

Next Saturday, June 26, sees Paul de Wolf and John Liddell share their wealth of knowledge in a Meet the Photographers morning at the gallery. Everyone interested in photography is invited.

This is also a perfect opportunity for models to meet with the photographers in a relaxed atmosphere and get a feel for what photographers are trying to achieve.

Paul de Wolf specialises in developing portfolios for models - "We can discuss the current look that agencies are after and what is required technically for the photos, " Paul said.

He has a wide background in most aspects of photography.

His partner in this gathering of skills, John Liddell, is a graphic artist whose expertise is in digital imaging. Talk to him about computer enhanced images or Photoshop and he will know all about it. True.

Meet the Photographers debuts in what is hoped will be a monthly event on Saturday, June 26, at Armistead's Gallery in Lismore from 10am to 1pm.

For more info and bookings phone 6622 8011.

Blue tongued jazz

To celebrate the winter solstice, jazz singer Laura Nobel (pictured) will sing jazz and blues at the Blue Tongue Café in Bridge Street, North Lismore, this Friday night, June 18.

The doors will open at 7pm and everyone is welcome to relax over dinner and listen to Laura sing her favourite tunes from the 1940s.

"Laura will be our resident jazz singer but there will also be other artists performing on other nights," café owner, Llan Anthony, said.

Following kitchen renovations, the Blue Tongue Café will be open for dinner and jazz on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 6pm. For bookings phone 6622 0750.

Go Troppo

Tropfest is the world's largest short film festival that's shown on the big screen.

This year's Tropfest finalists will be screened in Lismore and Byron Bay. The screenings are at the Star Court Theatre in Lismore this Friday, June 18, at 7.30pm and at the Arts Factory in Byron Bay on Thursday, June 24, from 8.45pm.

This is a great opportunity to see the new talent and the fresh ideas that are bubbling up in the Australian film world. One of the best nights of film you'll see all year.

Cost is $12/10.

Big poetry comp for big bucks!

Following their first highly successful poetry competition, the Poetry Institute of Australia will again award $10,000 in prizes to poets from Australia in their annual poetry contest.

The contest is open to all poets of any age and is free to enter.

The deadline is June 30, so send in your poems now. It must be your own original work and not more than 24 lines long. There are no forms - just send your poem to the Poetry Institute of Australia, PO Box 1545, Cleveland, 4163. Include your name and address on the reverse of the poem page. Entries can also be faxed to (07) 3286 7661 or emailed to poetry@dodo.com.au. For more info phone (07) 3286 7661.

NORPA presents Teatro del Mundo's

La Guerra
Produced by Nexus Multicultural Arts Centre
Venue: Star Court Theatre, Lismore
Date: July 9 & 10, 8pm
Price: $20/$15 + booking fee
Bookings: Northern Rivers Ticket Centre 6621 5600 or www.norpa.org.au

"Liana puts the audience just where she wants it."
-What's On, London

Wild eyed. Heart beating. Staccato drilling rhythms in Cuban heels. Sets the pace for a work so electrically charged one can't help but be swept up in the art of Teatro del Mundo. La Guerra will incite the rebel in you.

Inspired by Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca's works, La Guerra is powerful, passionate and dynamic Flamenco dance theatre that presents a dramatic interpretation of the events that led to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Fascist leader General Franco captures members of the popular Las 'Mujeres Libres' (Women fighting for a democratic Republic) and invites them to dinner, but it looks like the General's the only one eating...!

First performed in December 2002 in the Adelaide Festival Centre's Space Theatre, La Guerra was proclaimed one of the most successful works presented that year. Principal artists are associate directors Liana Vargas and Chris Shepherd - both veteran performers, choreographers and dancers.

Teatro Del Mundo boasts an impressive collection of fresh, exuberant performing artists of the highest international standards. The flamenco guitarists are the finest masters of their instrument, and, as do the dancers/singers, travel to Spain/Europe frequently to hone their skills and gain valuable performance experience with internationally respected artists.

Flamenco Workshop

NORPA will host a workshop with Teatro del Mundo on Saturday, July 10, at Lismore City Hall. The workshop will cover traditional flamenco dance with an up to date, European flair. The workshop will be accompanied by a flamenco guitarist and percussionist and participants are advised to bring heeled, covered shoes and comfortable clothing. Bookings are essential. For more information contact Emma Newman at NORPA Dance Action on emma@norpa.org.au, 6622 3279 or visit www.norpa.org.au

The Wizard Of Oz
Lismore City Hall
July 1 at 3.30pm
Tickets: $12.52 incl booking fee
Bookings 6621 5600

Billed by the media as "one of Australia's top children's shows", The Wizard of Oz Show has thrilled crowds with over 395 performances throughout NSW, Victoria, Western and South Australia.

Children are invited to come dressed as a fairy, munchkin, or any of their favourite Oz characters and have a fun time. Autographs and photos after the show!

Benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation (they do great work to brighten up the lives of children with life-threatening illnesses). For more details on the show, visit www.thewizardofozshow.com.