Managing director of Ebono Institute and major sponsor of The Generator, Geoff Ebbs, is running against Kevin Rudd in the seat of Griffith at the next Federal election. By the expression on their faces in this candid shot it looks like a pretty dull campaign. Read on
Laura Street Festival shapes up to be the biggest yet.
Highgate Hill’s annual festival in Laura St is shaping up to be bigger than ever. The annual festival brings out the best of community spirit with people working together to create a gentle celebration with the values that make the Kurilpa peninsula the special place that it is.
The full program is available at online but here is a taste of what’s in store.
Featuring music by: Matt and Gav * Gustav * These Dirty Bones * Willy Angelo and the Basement Hustle * The Furrs * The William Moon Book Society * HRBRT * Rivermouth * Lost Dunes * Yemaya * Bill Anderson * Haitch & Pachamama * Ladi Abundance Project * Astro Travellers * Umkancho * Yellow Bird * Blue Harmony * Hannah Rosa * Clare and Lawrence * Justin Ryan * The Forty Thieves * Her Royal Fluffiness * Sabrosa Sound System * Hollow Drums * Deena * Progressive Tan * Die Rude * Dorian *
Jumping Fences * Helical Sun * Angharad Drake * Toby Straton *
Magenta Voyeur * The Unofficials * Homemade Jam * The Genes *
Portal Project * Fat Picnic * Astar * Sabrosa DJs & Papa BiTcho *
Scallywagon * Jeunae amd Ahliya Kite * Arundel * Ningaram *
Andy Paine * Virginia Sook * Poetry Slam * Turnstyle Choir
and workshops and presentations about: Education * Native Bees * Humanitarian work * Yoga * Art * Massage * Collage * Singing * Playing *
Fun and Free Time * Learning * Bugs * Hoops *
Zimbabwe * Astrology * Pasta making
and stalls and ideas to interact with: Brisbane Solidarity Network * Lock the Gate * The Wilderness Society * Wild Mountains * Central Queensland Indigenous Development and things to take home as well as stuff to make you pretty: Collectables * 2nd Hand Books * Facepainting * Henna
and beautiful things to look at: The Photo Laundry * Blackout * Live art * Circus
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with backing band at the launch party in Sth Brisbane last night
The car may be the star of the show but the don’t-mention-the-war Vulgarians come a close second.
Villians are often the best characters in musical theatre. Chutty Chitty Bang Bang’s Child Catcher and Vulgarian royals steal the second half of the show with style, sizzle and every vaudeville trick in the book. The dimwit duo of the Vulgarian spies thread their hilarity across both halves providing a string of one liners that brought the house down in peals of laughter time and time again.
The dogs that destroy the heroic attempt by Caractacus Potts to buy the dream car after which the show is named provide a dramatic wormhole connecting the fantasy of theatre to the natural cute-factor of furry animals that elicited cries and sobs from the audience.
Belly laughs were more the order of the day from a handful of simple theatrical tricks depicting Chitty’s first outing to beach. The heartfelt enjoyment of play with technique proves that post-modern self-reference is no longer soley the domain of the intellect, we love it now with our souls and bodies. So as not to spoil it for those who go to see the show all I will say is that it is hard to imagine the surprise and delight that a simple line of actors in rugby gear can provide.
The simple lines and stunning swirls of men and women who support the cast of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is remarkable. That this show can afford to cast such fine talent in the chorus line, and provide the stunning choreography and performance upstage is an indication of the depth of talent in Australian theatre and the creative detail of the production itself.
You could see this show two or three times and still not have caught all the drama and action going on in some of the busier scenes. The lolly shop and the Baron’s birthday Brazilian bash stand out as two scenes that a new generation of theatre goes will download and put on repeat to milk for detail.
This little black duck is not familiar with the movie and so is unqualified, dear reader, to provide a scene by scene comparison. One suspects the camp patter of the Vulgarian spies has become more overt over four decades and the sizzling seduction farce of the Baron and Baroness much more risqué than they were when Mary Poppins was still new. Of course, kids in the sixties did not have the exposure to bustiers, garters and nipple-tweaking pillow-talk that today’s kids consider dull and boring old-fart filler.
Shane Bourne’s Baron is dangerously nonchalant with his throw away lines that neatly offset the bewitching Baroness. One suspects he may have been a tad difficult to direct. Jennifer Vuletic weaves the neuroses of the Baroness into a finely crafted and explosively energetic character who will become an icon for the show itself.
Tyler Coppin as the child catcher will create a new class of nightmare. He weaves all the evil intent of Danny DeVito’s Penguin with a spiderlike grace that loops lightly through mind and memory, sewing seeds of discontent and a longing for darkness. Some people will simply find him terrifying, others terrific. Certainly a lot of the ladies and more than a few of the men commented on the way his leggings offset a lovely set of calves and well-built thighs.
The saccharine sixties are still present in the goody two shoe Potts family who dominate the first half using a mould that has been broken for ever by Brad and Janet in the Rocky Horror Show. The kids are disarmingly cute and the male and female leads suitably charming. David Hobson slips easily from great moments of pathos to light hearted dance numbers. Rachael Beck is as Truly Scrumptious as her character and not really stretched by the material.
The sets are stunning. The European town squares, castle and sewer provide a gothic contrast to the rustic and steam punk England so well characterized before the intermission. The scene below the sewer and the child catcher’s arrival in the midst of town are images that will be last beyond the tunes and storyline of the show itself.
Chitty is such a large car that she renders the Lyric theatre stage small. The encore requires the whole cast to assemble in the first metre and a half so that chitty can strut her stuff. She is the most expensive stage prop in the history of British Theatre!
It is the longest running musical ever to play at the London Palladium and was nominated for three Olivier Awards, five Tony Awards, ten Outer Critics Circle Awards and four Drama Desk Awards. Only in Brisbane until December 22 this is a must for musical lovers and a delight for anyone who can afford it.
Local member Jackie Trad has denounced the decision to extend sand mining on North Stradbroke Island.
The Newman LNP Government last night passed legislation to extend sand mining on North Stradbroke Island for another 22 years in a morally corrupt cash for legislation deal said Jackie Trad, Labor Environment Spokesperson and Member for South Brisbane.
“The maps in the legislation, length of lease terms and environmental authority were all requested in a May briefing note from Sibelco to the Newman Government,” Ms Trad said.
“Every single request in this submission from Sibelco was granted in this legislation.”
“The Government accepted the economic and scientific advice of Sibelco without question and failed to do any independent analysis into the impacts on tourism as the Island’s largest employer”
“I have never seen legislation drafted this way at the explicit request of a mining company who stands to make $1.5 billion by their own figures.”
Ms Trad said the Bill followed $91,840 in electoral support from Sibelco to the Premier’s campaign in Ashgrove at the 2012 State election and meetings held directly between the Premier and the head of Sibelco.
“The Premier is yet to rule out having discussed electoral support at these meetings,” Ms Trad said.
“The Newman LNP Government have broken their election promise to consult with Island residents and the indigenous native title holder the Quandamooka people about a transition away from sand mining.”
Ms Trad said the legislation also seeks to remove the appeal rights of the native title holder without consultation.
“The Premier before the election said he was greatly concerned about the appeal rights of a mining company who were operating on expired mining leases but shows no regard for the democratic rights of the Quandamooka people.”
Ms Trad said the extension of sand mining for another 22 years has the potential to permanently damage the Island’s aquifer including the unique natural asset of Blue Lake.
The removal of the mine path from the legislation at the request of Sibelco will also threaten koala and glossy black cockatoo habitat.
“The damage to tourism and the environment from this legislation cannot be reversed and no independent economic or environmental assessment has taken place,” Ms Trad said.
“The Newman LNP Government has effectively sold off one of our greatest tourism assets and the world’s second largest sand island in a morally corrupt cash for legislation deal.”
“Queenslanders have not seen anything like this since the era of Joh Bjelke-Petersen.”
Sizzling sex spices up the Opera Queensland 2014 program
Westender has assiduously attempted to attend every season opening in postcode 4101 in an attempt to keep up with the inside goss on what’s coming up in the Arts during 2014.
The good news is that there is so much planned for the new year that we’ve barely managed to keep up. Here’s what we’ve found out so far.
That’s the bad news as well. If you have the inside running on future events in the Arts Feast that is 2014 on this side of the river, let us know through the comments page at the bottom of the page.
A free screening of Kinseki (I Wish) on November 28th
Film lovers can win tickets to the prestigious Asia Pacific Screen Awards in Brisbane next month at free open-air screenings of past nominees.
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the first screening would be in the Chinatown Mall at 7pm, Thursday 21 November and feature Gattu from India. Nominated for Best Children’s Feature Film in 2012, it follows the story of a young street kid in a small town where kite-flying is the local obsession.
“Starring Mohammad Samad as Gattu, the Hindi film was produced by the Children’s Film Society, India, and has received much critical acclaim, including recognition at the Berlin International Film Festival last year,” Cr Quirk said.
“The Asia Pacific Screen Awards are the region’s highest accolade in film, recognising and promoting cinematic excellence and cultural diversity of the world’s fastest growing film region: comprising 70 countries and areas, 4.5 billion people and responsible for half of the world’s film output.
“The 2013 winners will be announced at a gala red carpet event at City Hall on 12 December but prior to that there will be a number of free public screenings.”
Gattu will be followed by a free public screening in the Chinatown Mall on 28 November of Kinseki (I Wish), a film from Japan nominated for Best Children’s Feature Film in 2012.
“Directed by Kore-eda Hirokazu, Kinseki is a beguiling tale of two young brothers trying to reunite their family and will appeal to all ages,” Cr Quirk said.
“Then on 5 December, Shui Yuet Sun Tau (Echoes of the Rainbow), a film from Hong Kong nominated for Best Children’s Feature Film in 2010 will be shown.
“Those who attend these films in Chinatown Mall will have the chance to win double passes to attend the awards ceremony on 12 December.”
Cr Quirk said other free open-air community screenings would take place at South Bank Parklands on Saturday December 7 (Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga-Hoole) and December 22 (Happy Feet Two).
Details on screenings are available at http://www.asiapacificscreenacademy.com/unlisted-pages/community-film-screenings/
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards were established in 2007. They are now managed by economic development board Brisbane Marketing in a unique collaboration with Paris-based UNESCO and FIAPF-International Federation of Film Producers Associations.
Photo: Buzz Chung stars as ‘Big Ears’ in Echoes of the Rainbow
On Monday 25th November, community members from across Brisbane are invited to join in the activities helping to raise awareness and important funds for White Ribbon. All attendees at the events will participate in the ’My Oath’ campaign for White Ribbon, by ’swearing’ to stop violence against women.
White Ribbon Day is the world’s largest male-led movement to end men’s violence against women. It is an annual campaign that recognises the positive role that men play in preventing violence against women. It fosters and encourages male leadership in the prevention of violence against women, based on the understanding that most men are not violent. This campaign is a means for men to speak out against violence against women, and to safely and effectively challenge the attitudes and behaviours of a minority of men who use or condone violence against women. Women also support White Ribbon by encouraging the men in their lives to make a commitment to promote positive attitudes and behaviours towards women, as well as intervening safely to prevent violence against women when needed.
’One in three Australian women has experienced physical or sexual violence in her lifetime,’ says Kylie Robertson of Brisbane Domestic Violence Service. ’This could be your mother, sister, daughter or friend. So by supporting these events you will be joining us on the path of prevention and change.’
Community members, services and organisations from across Brisbane have joined together to host these events.
In North Brisbane the Northside Alliance Against Domestic and Family Violence (NAADV) will be holding an event at Bunnings Carseldine, 1925 Gympie Road. Highlights include an all day sausage sizzle, speakers at 10.00am and visit from the Queensland Police and Fire Services, so bring along the kids.
In Central Brisbane the Brisbane Family Violence Network (BFVN) will be holding an event at Reddacliffe Place (outside the Treasury Casino) at 11.00am. The Walk in Her Shoes event asks men to literally undertake an obstacle course in womens shoes. This is no easy task, however it does promise to be a lot of fun and importantly to get the community talking about domestic and family violence.
More details about these events can be found on the Brisbane Domestic Violence Service website www.bdvs.org.au
These events will be one of many events taking place across Australia to raise awareness for White Ribbon Day, 25 November, the UN Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. White Ribbon merchandise will be available at the events to purchase.
White ribbons and wristbands will be available at a number of stores around Australia, as well as online. To find out which stores, visit www.whiteribbon.org.au. For more information about White Ribbon Day visit www.whiteribbon.org.au.
You can also take part in the ‘My Oath’ campaign by visiting www.whiteribbon.org.au/myoath and swearing never to commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women.
