The Scene - Local Entertainment News

Theatre for thought

Some of the eight cast members who feature in Lismore Theatre Company's new production, Clark in Sarajevo, which begins tonight at the Rochedale Theatre.

The madness and futility of war is the theme of Lismore Theatre Company's newest production, Clark in Sarajevo, which begins this week at the Rochedale Theatre in Goonellabah.

The play is set in Sarajevo during the 1000-day siege of 1993, a time when the world looked on horrified as two lovers were shot dead trying to flee the war-torn capital. She was a Muslim and he a Serb, but they had been sweethearts since high school. Locked in a final embrace, their bodies lay mouldering for some days amongst the rubble, their families unable to retrieve them because of bureaucratic hindrances and the very real danger of being killed themselves.

This sad and shocking tale became the inspiration for Australian playwright Catherine Zimdahl's play Clark in Sarajevo, which has won numerous awards since it premiered in 1998.

The play tells the tale of Clark Cant, a mild-mannered American reporter, who travels to Sarajevo during the siege looking to make his mark on history. However he soon finds that issues of journalistic independence and objective reporting are swept away in the reality of the savage conflict, in which snipers shoot to wound and childhood friends become deadly enemies.

This story portrays the gritty world of violence and survival in Sarajevo at the time, whilst also conveying the hope, love and grim sort of humour that these ordinary people somehow still manage to feel in the face of such horror.

It's a powerful and daring production, and a moving testament to the enduring power of humanity.

Clark in Sarajevo, directed by Brian McCarty, involves a cast of eight actors, who play upward of 40 roles. For example one actor, Andreas Bacidas, plays a three-year-old child, a sniper, a dead soldier, a terrified villager and Jesus.

The show employs a range of media including sound, images, light and movement, which is played out within a stark set. It's heavy and often shocking stuff, but its also gripping, intelligent theatre.

Clark in Sarajevo will be performed this Thursday to Saturday, October 16-18, as well as on October 23, 24, 25, 30, 31 and November 1 at the Rochedale Theatre. Each performance starts at 8pm.

Tickets are $15/10 or $12 for members from Caddies Bean Shop.

Out of Africa

Ku Promotions will present a special performance by West African guitarist Habib Koite and his six-piece band Bamada this Friday, October 17, at the Great Northern in Byron Bay.

Habib Koite (pronounced Kwa-tee) is a captivating performer, blending the deep, soulful roots of Malian music into an imaginative contemporary sound that's laden with a passion and vibrancy unique to the West African culture.

His music embraces the traditional sounds of Mali along with American blues, Cuban-influenced grooves, jazz riffs, flamenco, calypso and Arab-influenced vocals. By mixing many ethnic traditions and writing arrangements that transpose traditional drum patterns to acoustic stringed instruments, Koite has created an evolutionary folk music unlike anything heard in the West before.

A West African minstrel for most of his life, Koite became an international star some years ago after the release of his widely-acclaimed album, Ma Ya, which spent an unprecedented three months at No. 1 on the World Music Charts.

The dazzling live show he will perform in Byron features Koite dancing while playing his guitar, and his expressive tenor is blended warmly with Bamada's virtuosity on a variety of Malian and Western instruments. This is the first time Habib Koite has performed in Australia, and with no concrete plans to return again just yet, this is one concert lovers of world music should definitely not miss.

Tickets for the gig are $25 in advance (book on 6685 6454) or $28 at the door.

The concert will start at 9pm.

It's getting Better all the time

Byron Based-based outfit the Pennyblack Band (pictured) will launch their new CD, Better, at the One Nightclub in Lismore this Friday, October 17, from 10pm.

Since releasing their debut EP, Get Ready for the Good Times, the Pennyblack Band have been touring continuously, supporting a number of top Australian acts including The Superjesus, You Am I, Diesel and the Sleepy Jacksons.

The group is led by brothers Mark and Shay Ponsonby, who developed the band after experiencing the vibrant music scene of New York City in 2002. Completing the line-up is Ben Wordsworth on drums and percussion, Robin Nelson on bass and Gary Day on hammond and keys.

Described by Taxiride's lead singer as "Like Matchbox Twenty only more interesting" during a recent tour, the Pennyblack Band play guitar driven rock, with a strong emphasis on funk and groove.

They will perform live at their CD launch with support from Brisbane rock outfit Platform 6.

Entry is $5 at the door.

Disco inferno

If you love retro style music, then the next jazz night at Maggie Moores on Wednesday, October 22, will have you dancing in the aisles.

Fonkstasy, a big band featuring former Southern Cross University graduates, will perform a night of groovy rhythms and 1970s funk at its very best.

The band includes Shelley Hughes on vocals, Ben Thompson and Nikko Morganlowe on guitars, Zac Tombs on keys, James Cox on percussion, Mark Morgan on bass and Luke Collins on drums, plus Mitch's monstrous horns.

The gig starts at the traditional time of 8.30pm and entry is $5 at the door.

What a guru

Local 2NCR radio presenter Craig Bulley (pictured) is just one of the many local faces you'll recognise in the fabulous new rock musical, Girl Guru, which is being performed in Lismore this weekend.

This unusual rock musical is a collaboration between Southern Cross University students, performers from the Northern Rivers Conservatorium and members of Wollongbar TAFE, who have combined forces to create the performances as well as the costumes, sets, lighting and music.

The script is written and composed by SCU music composition student Christina Hogarth, who explores typically north coast themes such as astral travel, existentialism, dreams and reality in this exciting theatrical journey.

Among the highly talented cast is local performer Karri Crossing, Janelle Roworth and Ben Taylor from the University's vocal ensemble Isabella A Cappella, Liz Saroff from award-winning band Proem 3 and Owen Alexander, a recent finalist on TV's Australian Idol.

Girl Guru is an altogether unique performance, of a calibre and scale that demonstrates the amazing pool of talent available in the local region.

This is a great opportunity to see a committed arts community strutting their stuff, and if the press release is anywhere near as good as the performance, it should be an exhilarating event.

Girl Guru will be performed tonight, October 16, as well as on Friday and Saturday, October 17 and 18, at the Southern Cross University Union auditorium from 8pm each night.

Tickets are $10 from Lismore Music, SCU or at the door.

Refugee fundraiser

Rural Australians for Refugees will hold a special fundraising screening of the French movie Chaos this Sunday, October 19, at the Lismore Cinemas.

An edgy, clever revenge comedy written and directed by Coline Serreau, this film is a feminist delight.

The movie begins when Helene and Paul, a middle-class Parisian couple, witness the brutal assault of a young prostitute of Algerian descent, Malika, by a gang of pimps. Paul refuses to get involved but Helene later finds Malika and helps her hide out and regain her health.

Together they delve into Malika's past and her devious schemes to escape the life she has fallen into. The two then combine forces to save Malika's younger sister Zora from the same fate, while simultaneously enacting poetic justice on both the gang and Helen's apathetic husband, Paul.

Chaos is a highly entertaining and often amusing comic satire on the superficiality of French bourgeois life while also being an angry condemnation of the exploitation and oppression of immigrant women.

Few non-Muslim filmmakers would dare to tackle this particular subject, but that doesn't phase writer/director Coline Serreau.

"My movies have always been political in the sense that how we order ourselves fascinates me," Coline said. "I am in show business, of course, but if it doesn't have room for that dimension, then I'm not interested."

The film, rated MA, stars Catherine Frot as Helene and Rachida Brakni, who won the best new actress award at the French César Awards for her portrayal of Malika. Chaos is in French, with English subtitles. This special fundraising screening will be held at 4.30pm. Tickets are $12 from Caddies Bean Shop or at the door.

Tuntable turns 30

The Tuntable Community will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a special Bush Dance this Saturday, October 18, at the Tuntable Falls Hall.

The night will be a huge celebration, featuring a performance by the Tuntable Folk Orchestra as well as other exciting surprises.

A scrumptious dinner will be served at 6.30pm, with the dance from 7.30pm. Entry is $5 for adults, with an additional $5 for dinner.

Nimbin's little hiccup

Local musician Jimmy Willing (pictured) will perform with his band The Real Gone Hiccups this Friday, October 17, at the Nimbin Hotel.

With an easy-going, laid back atmosphere at the Nimbin Hotel it's the perfect venue to host Jimmy Willing and The Real Gone Hiccups, who perform a crazy mish-mash of rockabilly and country music.

The band have an amazing on-stage presence, and as locals will know, any gig put on by Jimmy promises to be entertaining and full of surprises.

The music kicks off at 7.30pm.

No limits for volunteers

The very first nationally accredited skills development workshops for volunteers in Australia, Creative Volunteering – No Limits, will begin in Ballina on November 1.

Initiated by Regional Arts Australia, Creative Volunteering – No Limits recognises the important work undertaken by volunteers in the cultural and community sectors, and offers them a chance to gain valuable skills in their field of work.

Course workshops include Networking, Business Planning, Developing Funds and Resources, Marketing, Plan and Program Events and Working with Collections. The workshops will be facilitated by local ABC arts presenter Nikki Fuda.

Each workshop is subsidised at $25 each and all participants get to take away a valuable resource book.

Volunteers can enrol in one or all of the courses, and cultural and community organisations are encouraged to send their best volunteers to the workshops.

To enrol or get further information contact Community Cultural Development in Sydney on 9247 8577 or download a registration form from the Regional Arts NSW website at www.regionalarts.com.au.

The art of writing

In celebration of this year's Fairymount Festival, the Roxy Gallery in Kyogle is opening a new exhibition tomorrow, October 17, which combines both the visual and the literate.

Reconcile/Break the Drought is a joint project between a number of local artists and the Kyogle Writers Group. Writers from the group have created poetry and short stories that the artists have then interpreted in two or three-dimensional form. The writings focus largely on reconciliation and the theme for this year's festival – breaking the drought.

Reconcile/Break the Drought opens tomorrow at the gallery from 5.30pm, and anyone is welcome to attend. The show will run until November 12.

A summer of song

Renowned singer/songwriter Kristina Olsen is just one of the experienced teachers who will facilitate the 5th annual Summersong Music Camp.

Musicians, both novice and experienced, are now invited to register for the 5th annual Summersong Music Camp, to be held at Lake Ainsworth Sport and Recreation Centre in Lennox Head from January 17-23, 2004.

Set in the beautiful ocean-side surroundings of Lake Ainsworth, the Summersong Music Camp offers both aspiring and professional musicians the opportunity to have fun, relax, make music and create a unique musical community.

As a tradition the camp features songwriting and A Capella singing as core subjects, however, musicians needn't have an interest in either of those subjects to enjoy the creative experience.

And featuring a faculty of well-known musicians including Tony Backhouse, Kristina Olsen, Richard Lawton, Yeshe Reiners, Kathryn Riding and Jose Haddad, it's not hard to see how this camp can be an inspiration to all those who attend.

"I started Summersong because so many singing students of Tony Backhouse, and aspiring songwriting fans of Kristina Olsen, wanted to work more intensively with these great musicians," Summersong founder/director, Alison Pearl, said. "The camp was founded around their incredibly generous and fun teaching abilities. Each year it has grown so that it's now a more comprehensive music camp. Nowadays people come who are not especially interested in Songwriting or A Cappella singing – they come to explore music, and I always encourage people to take classes in subjects they may not have tried before."

The camp offers a huge variety of other classes, including improvisational singing, guitar, party guitar, bass (group and individual sessions), didgeridoo (solo and ensemble), percussion on a variety of instruments, bodywork/breathwork and morning stretch/meditation. Evening activities include whole camp celebrations, cafe concerts, jams, song circles and more, plus there's facilities for tennis, canoeing, bush walking and swimming.

The real beauty of the camp is it's about personal musical exploration, and therefore all participants can customise a schedule to suit them, with the right degrees of rehearsing, relaxing and partying.

"Because it is mostly a residential camp, I've recently realised that it's a music holiday," Alison explained. "We spend a week cut off from the world, immersed in music and socialising and seaside/lakeside nature. Deep friendships form, and in the feedback sheets, campers often thank me for teaching them to have fun while learning something. "The atmosphere is very supportive and the teachers and other students are always inspiring. The major complaint is that it doesn't happen often enough, or long enough."

The cost for the camp is $710 full residential, with non-residential rates and a discount for previous camp goers available. There are also partial scholarships available for musicians aged 18-24.

Space is limited so early bookings are essential. To receive a brochure, get more information or secure a place email Alison Pearl on apearl@mullum.com.au or phone 6684 5570.

The Secret Death of Salvador Dali

by Stephen Sewell
directed by Scott Maidment and Sue Rider
starring Julie Eckersley and Trevor Stuart
music performed and composed by Shenzo Gregorio
Star Court Theatre, Lismore
Thursday, November 6, to Saturday, November 8, 8pm

"The only difference between me and a madman is that I am not mad."

Salvador Dali

The Secret Death of Salvador Dali is an enticing cocktail of irreverence, sordid sexuality and unparalleled scandal. This stunning two-hander play takes you on a surreal journey through the outrageous life and art of one of the world's most notorious artists as he recounts his days as poseur and artist from his deathbed. Manic, highly skilled and outrageous theatre that pushes the boundaries of expectations and good taste.

Set it a surrealist netherworld and utilizing the diverse talents of performers Julie Eckersley and Trevor Stuart, the play plummets the audience into not only a landscape of Dali's well known paintings, but also into the depths and depravities of the artist's own subconscious.

The Secret Death of Salvador Dali was originally produced by Strut & Fret Production House and La Boite Theatre, in collaboration with the 2000 Energex Brisbane Festival. In 2002 Strut & Fret showcased this highly successful production at the Australian Performing Arts Market, where it performed a 10 show sell-out season during the Adelaide Fringe, receiving the Advertiser's Best of the Fringe Award. The Secret Death was then invited to the esteemed Riverside Studios in London where it played a three week season. As part of this international tour, the production also ran for a four week season at one of Edinburgh's most respected venues, The Assembly Rooms, during the 2002 Edinburgh Fringe.

Salvador Dali made himself one of the most controversial figures of the Twentieth Century through his public posturing and scandalous personal life. From an early age, Dali combined a stunning visual sense with an almost pathological desire to attract and repel. He craved and cultivated, more than any other artist, a public persona that would keep him on permanent display until the moment of his almost absurdly bizarre death in 1989. The Secret Death of Salvador Dali is 'execrable in the extreme' and a triumph of bad taste in detail.

Bookings for NORPA productions can be made at the Northern Rivers Ticket Centre on 6621 5600 or online at www.norpa.org.au