Podcasts about la mama theatre

Tai Snaith is back with Art Attack! She checked out the latest exhibition at the new Ordinance Gallery, Cardboards by Darcey Bella Arnold. The Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) Head of Percussion Peter Neville stops by to tell Richard about their festival, Sounds of Australia. It runs from the 28-30 November at the Abbotsford Convent. Tickets and info: https://abbotsfordconvent.com.au/whos-here/anam/ Caitlin Dullard and Nadja Kostich, the Artistic Directors & CEOs of La Mama Theatre & St Martins Youth Arts respectively, are in the studio to tell us about how they're working to fundraise, including their s2m sector pilot program. Brett Sheehy AO, Artistic Director, is on the line to give all the juicy deets on Adelaide Festival 2025! There's nods to the past and an embracing of the present, so something for everyone… start planning your roadtrip! Program available here: https://www.adelaidefestival.com.au/whats-on/Lucy Guerin, Tra Mi Dinh and Joel Bray on PIECES 2024, playing at UMAC (the new Union Theatre, Arts and Cultural Building at Melbourne Uni) for 4 special performances from 28 – 30 November. Tickets at www.umac.melbourne

Richard speaks to actor Tamblyn Lord on the Australian premiere of Philip Ridley's play The Poltergeist, at La Mama Theatre. Gertrude Studios curator, Dr Amelia Winata, introduces the 2024 exhibition. Giovanni Adams joins Richard in studio to discuss his role as Ike Turner in Tina, The Tina Turner Musical. Director Anna Reece gives an overview of the Perth Festival 2025 program. Finally, the cast of Your Name Means Dream, Caroline Lee and Lucy Ansell talk about performing the show at Red Stitch.

A childhood love of dance and a challenging homelife drove Rafael Bonachela to leave his native Spain at just 17 years old and seek his fortune in the dance studios and theatres of London. The celebrated choreographer was then beckoned to Australia, where he has led the Sydney Dance Company since 2009.Also, in The Audition, we meet a group of asylum seekers vying for a new life in Australia. The play was co-written by a group of established playwrights alongside writers with lived experience of displacement. And we meet high school students from Hong Kong presenting their own bilingual play inspired by classics from Spain and China.

In this unique episode, Patricia and her writing mentor, Catherine Filloux, interview Effy Redman about the gestational process for her memoir, Saving Face.   About Effy, our featured memoirist: Effy Redman's writing investigates the intersection of disability and identity, building bridges in minority communities. Drawing from her journey as a lesbian with Moebius Syndrome (a rare condition of facial paralysis), she writes into the experience of otherness, finding resilience beyond the shadows. Her first book—SAVING FACE—a memoir of living with physical disability—will be published by Vine Leaves Press in March 2024. Redman has  published work in The New York Times, Vice, Ravishly, Chronogram, Berkeley Poetry Review, and Iron Horse Literary Review, among other places. She holds an MFA in Memoir from CUNY: Hunter College, where she received an Honorable Mention for the Helen Gray Cone Fellowship, and a BA in Literature/Drama from Bennington College, where she was an Ellen Knowles Harcourt Scholar and a Bennington Scholar.   About Catherine Filloux, our cohost: For the past three decades, French Algerian American award-winning playwright, librettist and activist Catherine Filloux has been traveling to conflict areas writing plays that address human rights. Filloux's new play “How to Eat an Orange” opens this season at La MaMa Theatre in New York City, and her new musical “Welcome to the Big Dipper” (composer Jimmy Roberts, “I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change”) premieres Off-Broadway this season at the York Theatre in New York City; a National Alliance for Musical Theatre finalist. Catherine's new play “White Savior” is nominated for The Venturous Play List. Her many plays have been produced around the U.S. and internationally. She is the librettist for four produced operas, broadcast on Cambodian national TV, on Broadway on Demand, chosen for Opera News Critic's Choice; and “Orlando” is the 2022 Grawemeyer award winner--the first opera by a woman composer and woman librettist in the history of the Vienna Staatsoper. Catherine has traveled for her plays to countries including Bosnia, Cambodia, Guatemala, Haiti, Iraq, Morocco, Northern Ireland; and to Sudan and South Sudan on an overseas reading tour with the University of Iowa's International Writing Program. Filloux received her French Baccalaureate in Philosophy with Honors in Toulon, France, and is the co-founder/co-director of Theatre Without Borders. www.catherinefilloux.com   How to Buy Effy's Book: You can pre-order Saving Face at https://www.vineleavespress.com/saving-face-by-effy-redman.html. There are options here to purchase Effy's book on bookshop.org, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. Effy encourages readers to use bookshop.org, because this venue supports local bookstores.   Connect with Effy: Website: www.effyredman.com Instagram @effyredman38 Facebook: Effy Redman   ****   Ready to make a change? Book your free Explore Call with Patricia.   Patricia's 1:1 and group coaching programs are about becoming the active designer of your life through any transitional phase. Learn more at https://www.patriciacosulich.com.   Share this episode and tag us on social media! @patricia.cosulich & @the_transitions_podcast  

The award-winning French Algerian American playwright, librettist and activist, Catherine Filloux, has been, for the past 3 decades, traveling to conflict areas writing plays that address human rights and social justice.             Catherine's new play, “How to Eat an Orange,” will open at La MaMa Theatre in New York City, and her new musical “Welcome to the Big Dipper” (written with composer Jimmy Roberts of, “I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change” fame) will premiere Off-Broadway at the York Theatre in New York. It's a National Alliance for Musical Theatre finalist.             Catherine's play, “White Savior” is nominated for The Venturous Play List. Her many plays have been produced around the U.S. and internationally. I've read her play Lemkin's House and can tell you it's an intense and engaging exploration of the politics of genocide through the surreal landscape of the mind of Raphael Lemkin, the man who invented the word genocide.            Catherine's also the librettist for four produced operas, including New Arrivals, Where Elephants Weep, and The Floating Box. Her works have been played on Cambodian national TV, on Broadway on Demand, and chosen for Opera News Critic's Choice. And her opera, “Orlando,” is the winner of the 2022 Grawemeyer Award--the first opera by a woman composer and woman librettist in the history of the Vienna Staatsoper.             Catherine has traveled for her plays to countries including Bosnia, Cambodia, Guatemala, Haiti, Iraq, Morocco, Northern Ireland, and Sudan and South Sudan on an overseas reading tour with the University of Iowa's International Writing Program.             Catherine received her French Baccalaureate in Philosophy with Honors in Toulon, France, and is the co-founder/co-director of Theatre Without Borders. 

In this episode, we kickstart our 3rd Annual Audio New Play Festival with return playwright, Frazer Shepherdson, to talk through his audio play, Firespeak.Frazer (he/him) is an actor and theatre-maker who has trained with multiple, internationally recognized institutions including the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and the Victorian College of the Arts. Frazer has garnered many performance credits across screen and stage. Most recently he played Kostya in La Mama Theatre's production of 'The Seagull' (dir. Bagryana Popov). He has written, directed, and produced two original audioplays; ‘Whale Song' and ‘Firespeak', for the Theatre of Others audio-play festival. Both works received artistic grants. "Frazer has a very organic and considered approach to his work. He is an excellent team player exhibiting a capacity and sensitivity to tune into the work of the ensemble and bigger picture storytelling." - Daniella Farinacci, 2021Support the showPlease help us send BRIGHT LIGHT BURNING to COP28 in Dubai. Support us on our GoFundMe FundraiserIf you enjoyed this week´s podcast, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. To submit a question: Voice- http://www.speakpipe.com/theatreofothers Email- podcast@theatreofothers.com Support the Theatre of Others - Check out our Merch!Show Credits Co-Hosts: Adam Marple & Budi MillerProducer: Jack BurmeisterMusic: https://www.purple-planet.comAdditional compositions by @jack_burmeister

Helen Morse has performed in some of the most radical and feted Australian theatre productions of the past 50 years. As she prepares to feature in the Melbourne Theatre Company production of Caryl Churchill's play Escaped Alone, Helen reflects on her five decades in Australian theatre.Also, we hear a scene from Cactus, an acclaimed new Australian play about two teenage girls facing challenges that neither are yet prepared for, and we discuss the future of NICA, the National Institute of Circus Arts. Its parent university, Swinburne, has "paused" enrolments and is reassessing whether NICA aligns with its strategic priorities.

Great performers, writers and directors emerge from the smallest of theatres — venues where new talent is nurtured and writers and performers are free to learn the ropes and take risks. Liz Jones AO has been making that kind of theatre happen at La Mama for over 50 years. Now she is passing the torch.Also, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Tony Award-winning masterpiece Into the Woods returns to the Australian stage and we learn all about the legendary French actress Sarah Bernhardt who is being portrayed on the Melbourne Theatre Company stage by Kate Mulvany in the new play Bernhardt/Hamlet directed by Anne-Louise Sarks.

Great performers, writers and directors emerge from the smallest of theatres — venues where new talent is nurtured and writers and performers are free to learn the ropes and take risks. Liz Jones AO has been making that kind of theatre happen at La Mama for over 50 years. Now she is passing the torch. Also, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Tony Award-winning masterpiece Into the Woods returns to the Australian stage and we learn all about the legendary French actress Sarah Bernhardt who is being portrayed on the Melbourne Theatre Company stage by Kate Mulvany in the new play Bernhardt/Hamlet directed by Anne-Louise Sarks.

Rani Pramesti and Josephine Sheriff from NETFA speak to us about their podcast series on Female Genital Mutilation / Cutting / Circumcision (FGM/C), to mark the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM/C on 06 February 2023 in Australia. Content warning for difficult content related to FGM/C//Excerpts of Josephine's interview with "Badanya" from the NETFA podcast// Research midwife Robyn Matthews on her report into unsafe working conditions and critical burnout experienced by midwives in Victoria// Letitia Timas Petersen speaking on Indigenous Rights Radio about how Indigenous women transfer knowledge and customs// Liz Jones, Artistic Director of La Mama Theatre for five decades, on stepping down from the role, her legacy and passing on the torch to the next generation// SongsFree - SAULTTry a Little Tenderness - Pip MilletParty Tricks - Alice SkyePower - Joy Crookes

In 2002, John Waters' brash and big-hearted musical comedy Hairspray was adapted for the Broadway stage. It won eight Tony Awards, including one for its director Jack O'Brien. Twenty years on, Jack is at the helm of a new revival here in Australia.Also, award-winning playwright Christopher Chen shares his Top Shelf ahead of the Australian premiere of his play Caught and theatre-maker Elnaz Sheshgelani transforms Hamlet using the ancient Persian performance style Naghali.

In 2002, John Waters' brash and big-hearted musical comedy Hairspray was adapted for the Broadway stage. It won eight Tony Awards, including one for its director Jack O'Brien. Twenty years on, Jack is at the helm of a new revival here in Australia. Also, award-winning playwright Christopher Chen shares his Top Shelf ahead of the Australian premiere of his play Caught and theatre-maker Elnaz Sheshgelani transforms Hamlet using the ancient Persian performance style Naghali.

 7:00am  Acknowledgement of Country 7:01am  Welcome to Radiothon Chat 7:11am Claudia speaks with Richard Sawada, director of the 2022 St Kilda Film Festival about the audience response to the Festival and the value of 3CR and community radio in building awareness and community engagement. 7:15am Claudia speaks with advocate and disability support pensioner Kristin O'Connell from the Antipoverty Centre about the intense cost of living pressures experienced by those living on income support and low incomes, and the willingness of 3CR and community radio to engage with the complexities of the systems that create these pressures. 7:24am We speak with listeners Fiona Cameron, Sarah Gamble and Jim Craig who pledge their support for 3CR. 7:30am Former Wednesday Breakfast presenter Alice Golds joins us from London where the impact of Australia's hardline offshore detention policy is being seen in Britain's proposal to shift asylum seekers to Rwanda. 7:36am Jacob speaks with independent writer and commentator Joel Jenkins about his latest article ‘The Dutton-Kreuger effect' exploring the implications of Peter Dutton as the Coalition's new leader. https://joeljenkins.substack.com/ Twitter @boganintel  7:43am: Ella speaks Caitlin Dullard, CEO, La Mama Theatre about the impact of the pandemic on live theatre and the synergies of community radio and independent theatre-making. 8:00am Listeners Josh Miller and Alice Garner talk about the value of community media and authentic stories, and also pledge their support. 8:04 am Jacob speaks with radio host, founding member of AYWA Syndicaye and Puss Up Mirna Salaam. Mirna is the host of 3CR's Salaam Radio Show where she celebrates Arabic music every Sunday afternoon 4-5pm.  https://www.3cr.org.au/salaamradioshow 8:08am Former 3CR Breakfast presenter, Judith Peppard (now 3CR Communication Mixdown host) pledges her support for 3CR. 8:13am Claudia speaks with Michele Jarldorn, Chairperson, Seeds of Affinity: Pathways for Women about the way the organisation works with women who are transitioning from prison to community and the new programme being trialled inside prison to build early awareness of Seeds support services. Michele also reflects on her early memories listening to 3CR and the 3CR diary she purchased as a gift for Seeds founder Linda Fisk. 8: 20am Ella speaks with Maddie Gourlay,  coordinator of the New International Bookshop about their upcoming events and what it means to be radical. 8: 24am Listeners Declan Baker and Natalie join us to pledge support. A huge thank you to all our listeners and guests who have donated today or supported our show across the year. If you would like to pledge support for this year's Radiothon please do get in touch below.  Ways To Donate:Call the station 9419 8377SMS 0488 809 855Donate online at the Givenow https://www.givenow.com.au/cr/breakfast or head to 3cr.org.au/donate Drop into the station 21 Smith St, Fitzroy during business hours  

Playwright Damien Millar on directing Bertolt Brecht's ‘Mother Courage and Her Children' for a 2022 audience at La Mama Theatre; Belinda Collins, Creative Director of The Social Crew, is back to discuss ‘Under The Surface', a visual art trail in Gippsland; Co-Writer, Co-Director and Performer Nat Randall draws on elements of film and theatre to explore lesbian dynamics in ‘Set Piece' for RISING. With presenter Richard Watts.

Wednesday Breakfast 30/3/22with Ella and Jacob // We hear from COP26 youth delegate Amelia Goonerage about some of the accessibility issues experienced at the United Nations climate conference in Glasgow last year, particularly how First Nations people fared at the negotiating table. // Dr Ariaan Purich from Monash University speaks on an ice shelf in East Antarctica the size of New York City that crumbled, and the recent heatwave on the continent. // Tim O'Connor from Amnesty International speaks on Australia's humanitarian intake and foreign aid announced in last night's budget. // Brendan Black and Martin Chellew speak on their new play 'Empathy Training', opening April 12 at La Mama Theatre for Melbourne Comedy Festival. //  Songs: Shina Williams and His African percussionists, Agboju Logun, Uyghur Muqam Ensemble -- Chabbiyat Tazi MarghulKing Sunny Ade -- Sunny Ti DeJoni Haastrup -- Greetings

Live on stage at Melbourne's iconic La Mama Theatre, newly rebuilt following a devastating fire, we look at the history of independent Australian theatre and its impact on our culture, and we discuss the path ahead for small theatres in the wake of the pandemic.

Live on stage at Melbourne's iconic La Mama Theatre, newly rebuilt following a devastating fire, we look at the history of independent Australian theatre and its impact on our culture, and we discuss the path ahead for small theatres in the wake of the pandemic.

Live on stage at Melbourne's iconic La Mama Theatre, newly rebuilt following a devastating fire, we look at the history of independent Australian theatre and its impact on our culture, and we discuss the path ahead for small theatres in the wake of the pandemic.

Join Luna and an incredible line up of artists, comedians and singers to celebrate her #1 Best Selling book Perfectly Imperfect. Out now on Amazon as well as signed copies and gift packs available. Get it now, www.moreconfidence.com.au/perfectlyimperfectbook Featuring: Roshani- From dirt poor beginnings in Sri Lanka to explosive multi-instrumental powerhouse, ROSHANI's music is as captivating and uplifting as her life story. Her father the village drummer, her mother the singer, impoverished and with no hope, had to give ROSHANI up for adoption. At 6 weeks old fate led her to the other side of the world, to a musical family living in music capital Tamworth. ROSHANI's music defies pigeonhole, timelessly crossing genre. Using loop pedals to lay down guitar, harmonica, keys, percussion and a voice that gives you goosebumps, ROSHANI developed her one-woman show while living in her van, busking on the streets and travelling wherever the wind took her. Fleassy Malay- Two times TEDx speaker and viral poet, Fleassy Malay is an Internationally renowned, evocative and powerful spoken word artist, speaker and coach. A global advocate for Women's rights, LGBTQI+ visibility, and a fierce voice for the power of authenticity and courage as a social change tool. Natalie Jeffreys- Natalie is a screen composer, singer-songwriter, and spoken word poet. She is particularly passionate about scoring female-led films. Her work includes collaborations with award-winning JMONK Vision on the online series Super Jenny (with La Mama Theatre), the short film River Hags, and sho Brigid Morgan- Brigid has been performing and teaching in the arts sector for over 20 years. Her passions include theatre, dance, circus, poetry and storytelling. She has presented original performance works at numerous festivals & seasons, including La Mama Explorations, Hillscene Live Artist Incubator, Sydney Fringe, Melbourne Fringe & Adelaide Fringe. Angel Faith- Performer, theatremaker and heartist from Melbourne. Quirky, irreverent and boldly authentic, Angela Faith is an actor, writer and improviser with a passion for comedy and spreading joy. Earlier this year she toured her first one woman show ‘Too Much' to Adelaide Fringe and Midsumma Festival and now, locked down in Melbourne, she spends most of her time training her boyfriend to bite her harder, and the rest processing all the feelings she used to party away. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/moreconfidence/message

Laura Barger from Yarn/Wire joins the Soundweavers team to chat about what it really means to proceed without a plan, auditioning and integrating new members, and the usefulness of the recording process for musicians. We discuss their collaborative project Be Holding with the poet Ross Gay, composer Tyshawn Sorey, and director Brooke O'Harra, and the first- to twelfth-grade students of Girard College. Laura shares about the ensemble's web series Feedback, in which they focus on the process of making new music. And, we speak about the Yarn/Wire International Institute, a tuition-free program serving both performers and composers. Yarn/Wire is a New York-based percussion and piano quartet (Sae Hashimoto and Russell Greenberg, percussion; Laura Barger and Ning Yu, pianos) dedicated to the promotion of creative, experimental new music. Pianist Julia Den Boer will join as guest artist for the 2021-2022 season. Described by The Brooklyn Rail as “fascinating and exciting, with playing that is precise and full of purpose,” the ensemble is admired globally for the energy and precision it brings to performances of today's most adventurous compositions. Founded in 2005, the ensemble seeks to expand the representation of composers so that it might begin to better reflect our communities and experience new creative potential. Yarn/Wire appears internationally at prominent festivals and venues including the Lincoln Center Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall, Rainy Days Festival (Luxembourg), Ultima Festival (Norway), Transit Festival (Belgium), Dublin SoundLab, Monday Evening Concerts (Los Angeles), Contempuls Festival (Prague), Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York's Miller Theatre at Columbia University, River-to-River Festival, La MaMa Theatre, Festival of New American Music, and London's Barbican Centre. Their numerous commissions include works from composers such as Enno Poppe, Michael Gordon, George Lewis, Ann Cleare, Peter Evans, Alex Mincek, Thomas Meadowcroft, Misato Mochizuki, Sam Pluta, Tyondai Braxton, and Kate Soper. The ensemble enjoys collaborations with genre-bending artists such as Tristan Perich, Ben Vida, Mark Fell, and Sufjan Stevens. Through the Yarn/Wire International Institute and Festival and other educational residencies and outreach programs, Yarn/Wire works to promote not only the present but also the future of new music in the United States. Their ongoing commissioning series, Yarn/Wire/Currents, serves as an incubator for new experimental music. The transcript for this episode can be found here. For more information about Yarn/Wire, please visit their website, Bandcamp, Yarn/Wire Feedback Series, and YouTube (Yarn/Wire International Institute).

 7.00am Acknowledgement of Country7.01am Covid update7.05am Claudia talks to Natalie Davey from the Elsternwick Park Association and local advocate Marcus Gwynne about the successful community campaign to transform a disused Elsternwick golf course into a wetland nature reserve, the regeneration of endangered species and the work of volunteers. 7.20am  Marcus Gwynne and Natalie Davey continue with the story of the community backed Elsternwick nature reserve, sharing information about the array of wildlife that will inhabit the environment and the role of volunteers in maintaining the space.https://www.elsternwickpark.org7.36am Alice speaks with Claire Hastie from the Long Covid Support Group UK about research into long Covid and the road forward.7.56am Ella speaks with Maria Hach, a senior policy and advocacy officer with Multicultural Centre for Women's Health, about the barriers facing refugeee and migrant women accessing health services.8.14am Claudia speaks with Theo Boltman, a young performer in La Mama Theatre's The Mermaid. The production is a contemporary retelling of Hans Christian Anderson's fairytale The Little Mermaid and is on the VCE playlist.

Theatre First Episode 298Stream podcast episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com (mobile friendly).Cactus – La Mama, Melbourne, Australia Everyone knows that friendships made in bathrooms are ones that last for life.”Cactus is a brutally funny and heartbreakingly honest coming of age story for anyone who is or ever has been… a teenager.Cactus follows Abbie and her best friend Pb as they navigate the last tumultuous year of high school. It's going well. I mean, they're still virgins, but it's going well. Milestones are being met. Exams are drawing near. Freedom is on the horizon. Then Abbie receives some unexpected news that turns her life upside down. She is suddenly & unceremoniously confronted with a world she wasn't ready for.For more information visit: https://lamama.com.au/whats-on/summer-autumn-2021/cactus-2021/ Theatre First RSS feed: https://rss.acast.com/theatre-first For more Theatre reviews from Alex, visit https://www.bitesz.com/show/theatre-first/  Subscribe, rate and review Theatre First at all good podcatcher apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, CastBox.FM, Podbean, ACast etc. If you're enjoying Theatre First podcast, please share and tell your friends. Your support would be appreciated...thank you. #theatre #stage #reviews #melbourne #australia  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the lead up to National Schizophrenia Week (23 to 29 May) tonight we'll be chatting to playwright Michel Toumey about living with Schizophrenia, and his debut play ‘Little Brother, Big Sister’ at La Mama Theatre in Carlton.

Catherine joins Regina to talk theatre writing and her inspirations and process. A VCA graduate Animateur, Catherine works as a writer, dramaturg, director, community theatre maker, producer and performer, with a range of experiences across several media including stage, radio, published prose and documentary film. Her practice is inspired by questions about empathy, interconnectedness, the dynamics of relationships and the spaces and obstacles between us. She lives in Dja Dja Wurrung country (Central Victoria), just outside a town with a name, but no shop, pub, tennis court or public phone (there are, however, magnificent eagles and a gorgeous river). In 2001 she co-founded Castlemaine's Barking Owl Theatre, co-creating many original and community-based works in their 8 years of activity. In 2009 Catherine won an AWGIE for Best Radio Adaptation for Aurora Calling: The Results of a Joint Observation, which was then the Australian nominee in its category at the Prix Italia International Media Awards. Her work has also won a George Fairfax Award (Precipice - 2009) and 2 Inscription Awards (Precipice and Getting Away From It All - 2009, 2006), along with several other national (Patrick White, Griffin and Hal Porter Short Story Awards) and international (Perishable Theatre International Women's Playwright) short-listings. She has been an Affiliate Writer at the Melbourne Theatre Company, a Resident Playwright at Griffin Theatre, Sydney, and commissioned by the Malthouse Theatre (2013) and ABC Radio National (2008, 2004). Catherine's work has appeared at/in the Castlemaine State Festival, ABC Radio National, La Mama Theatre, Griffin Theatre, Overland, and will be seen in the journal Antipodes. In 2017 her work, Dogged, received a National Script Workshop at Playwriting Australia.

7:00 - Paddy gives up the news headlines.  7:15 - Fernanda Melchor is the author of the powerful English-language novel Hurricane Season which was shortlisted for the 2020 International Booker Prize.The book deals with the issue of femicide in Mexico and the complexity ofunwanted teen pregnancy. Fernanda was part of a conversation on translated literature hosted by the Wheeler Centre in 2020. The discussion was led by Roanna Gonsalves who introduces the segment. 7:45 - May Day broadcast best film recommendations.  8:00 - Alice speaks with writer, director and producer NazAree Dickerson, on her upcoming show at La Mama theatre: Ngarngk: Giver of Life as part of the Yiramboi First Nations Festival. Ngarngk–meaning ‘mother’–puts women at the front in a powerful fight for culture and kin. 8:15 - Eiddwen is joined by Dr Jacoba Brasch from the Law Council discussing the 2020 Respect@Work report and the Federal Government recent announcement of its broad support for the 55 recommendations of the report. This interview  discusses sexual harassment in the workplace

Jim Daly, an Australian actor, director and author of the play "Katyn" talks about working on the project. The world premiere of the play at La Mama Theatre in Melbourne on March 3, 2021. - Jim Daly, znany australijski aktor, reżyser i autor spektaklu „Katyń” opowiada o pracy nad sztuką. Premiera spektaklu w La Mama Theatre w Melbourne 3 marca 2021r. (rozmowa w języku angielskim)

Lindy Hume, Artistic Director of Ten Days on the Island presents the festival’s 2021 program of pan-Tasmanian arts and culture. Taking place over three weekends, the festival connects regional communities and celebrates the island’s unique identity. Wemba Wemba artist Kelly Koumalatsos’ ‘Gung | create, make, do, love’ combines screenprinting with the traditional ‘uka ngalung wooleh’ (to paint with possum) technique. Inspired by the stories of her ancestors, the exhibition features three-dimensional Victorian era garments constructed from tissue paper and is on display at the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre in Melbourne Museum.Finally, Morgan Rose, co-director and creator of ‘Grand Gesture’ speaks to Richard ahead of their season at La Mama Theatre’s Love Fest. The show integrates excerpts from popular romcoms to interrogate the romantic expectations such films set and the effect they have on our understanding of love and relationships.

MONDAY December 7th7:00am Acknowledgement of Country7:12am  We revisit a speech given by Sharner Bremner during the Slutwalk Broadcast, talking about the Let Her Speak and Let Us Speak campaigns.7:22am Another from the Slutwalk Broadcast, Judith Peppard caught up with Jess Gleeson from Deakin University, she has been involved in and written about SlutWalk in Melbourne for seven years and tells us about her experiences.7:40am Continuing our coverage of 16 Days of Action Against Gender Based Violence, Claudia presents a discussion on sexual exploitation and abuse by international military and civilian peacekeepers. We hear from-Dr Jasmine-Kim Westendorf, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, LaTrobe University-Dr Helen Durham, Director of International Law and Policy, International Committee of the Red Cross-Professor Susan Harris Rimmer, Director, Policy Innovation Hub, Griffith UniversityThis discussion was part of the 2020 LaTrobe Asia discussion seriesIf you are interested in purchasing Dr Westendorf’s book, Violating Peace – Sex, Aid and Peacekeeping, it is available from Cornell Presshttps://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501748059/violating-peace/#bookTabs=13CR Subscribers are entitled to a 30% discount (Code 09FLYER) 8:15am Alice catches up with La Mamma Theatre CEO and Artistic Director Liz Jones about how La Mama is getting on post covid and their plans for the future. MUSICThe Avalanches- Since I Left YouPony Face- For Your LoveGrace Amos- Listen Real CloselyDRMNGNOW- Always Remember

 La Mama funding cutsThe show begins with Alice talking to Liz Jones, artistic director of La Mama Theatre, about federal funding cuts affecting the theatre and the wider arts community.Meditations in an emergencyHear the second part of Paddy's interview with Thich Phap Hai, a Buddhist monk and teacher, about meditation techniques to use in daily life.From music to foodContinuing with the community spirit of the Piano Project, Tempo Rubarto, a classical music venue in Brunswick, has set up a funding platform to support food relief during the Covid-19 shutdown. The owner, Melbourne doctor Georgie Imberger, developed the initiative as a way of supporting the community during this time of crisis. Claudia spoke with Tempo Rubarto manager Georgina Lewis, who explained how the fundraising campaign developed and  Ben Rodgers, executive officer of the Inner North Foundation, an independent charity providing the logistical support.Macroeconomics and Modern Monetary TheoryPaddy speaks to Professor Bill Mitchell about the economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis, and Professor Mitchell tells us what we can learn from how the government is using money to fix the problem.

Richard Tanter is a Senior Research Associate at the Nautilus Institute and Honorary Professor in the School of Political and Social Sciences at the University of Melbourne, where he teaches graduate and undergraduate subjects on Nuclear Weapons and Disarmament and Australian Foreign Policy. He joins us to talk about the role of Pine Gap in the Australia-US alliance and why Australia needs to pursue a more independent foreign policy Coronavirus and homlessness; Greg Denham's the Australian editor for the Law Enforcemet and Action Parnership (LEAP) newsletter. He's been involved in health promotion in the alcohol and other drug field for many years, from policing, HIV education, advocacy and more recently, street work. He tells us about the issues Covis-19 raises for people expeiencing homelessness and those who work with them. Save La MAMA: Alice Golds spoke with Liz Jones about the campaign to save creative and vibrant grassroots theatre spaces like La Mama Theatre in Carlton.More info about how to support La Mama ➡️ https://lamama.com.au/support-la-mama/

The new Australian musical Fangirls challenges negative perceptions of female fandom and places their passion and power centre stage, Grey Rock at this year's Melbourne International Arts Festival tells the story of a Palestinian TV repairperson secretly building a rocket ship bound for the moon, and choreographers Sue Healey and Gideon Obarzanek discuss filming dance to capture and push the boundaries of an ephemeral art form.

The new Australian musical Fangirls challenges negative perceptions of female fandom and places their passion and power centre stage, Grey Rock at this year's Melbourne International Arts Festival tells the story of a Palestinian TV repairperson secretly building a rocket ship bound for the moon, and choreographers Sue Healey and Gideon Obarzanek discuss filming dance to capture and push the boundaries of an ephemeral art form.

Richard conducts three interviews.1. Richard talks to Nicole Beyer of Theatre Network Australia about the Australia Council funding decision and the small- to medium-sized arts organisations that will miss out on funding.2. Richard talks to Simon Abrahams, the creative director and CEO of Melbourne Fringe, about some of the exciting events in this year's festival.3. Richard talks to writer Daniel Keene and director Beng Oh about Wild Cherries, a show about modern slavery that's coming up at La Mama Theatre.

Devra Aviva Seidel is a classical pianist, actor, singer and musical director. Favorite roles include Rosemary in How to Succeed in Business without really trying, Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof and Anne Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank. Devra appeared as the Challah Mom in an instructional video with the NYC Challah bake for kids and played a post apocalyptic scientist in the short film 'Seedling' with Mythic Bridge Inc. She is a frequent cabaret performer at venues such as the Triad Theater and Metropolitan Room and last summer had the opportunity to be a part of a show at the historic La MaMa Theatre. Devra has extensive experience as a musical director, accompanist and chamber musician and is currently working as a private vocal coach in New York. Ms. Seidel has a Bachelors' of Music from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and a Masters of Music from the Manhattan School of Music.   To check out Mikah Fashion click here http://bit.ly/MikahFranciska

Playwright Rory Godbold and Dr Carolyn Johnston from Melbourne Law School, discuss Victoria's new voluntary assisted dying (VAD) laws which come into effect this week. Rory's new play, When The Light Leaves, was inspired by his dad, Ray's advocacy for VAD and his wish to have greater control over his death from oesophageal cancer. It is now showing at La Mama Theatre. (Broadcast on 18 June 2019)

Playwright Rory Godbold and Dr Carolyn Johnston, Senior Research Fellow in law and biotechnology at Melbourne Law School, joined Amy to discuss Victoria's new voluntary assisted dying (VAD) laws that come into effect this week and Rory's new play on VAD at La Mama Theatre, When The Light Leaves.

Playwright Rory Godbold and Dr Carolyn Johnston, Senior Research Fellow in law and biotechnology at Melbourne Law School, joined Amy to discuss Victoria's new voluntary assisted dying (VAD) laws that come into effect this week and Rory's new play on VAD at La Mama Theatre, When The Light Leaves. Antony Dapiran, lawyer and author of City of Protest: A Recent History of Dissent in Hong Kong, joined us from Hong Kong to discuss the mass-scale protests against the government's proposed extradition bill, as well as the history of protest in the city. Plus Ben Eltham from New Matilda on the latest in federal politics.

One of David Bowie's last major projects before his death was the musical Lazarus — it's now come to Australia, for the next in our High School Playlist series we lay our scene in fair Verona and meet the star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet, and to mark one year since the fire that destroyed Melbourne's iconic La Mama Theatre, we visit the site with artistic director Liz Jones and company manager Caitlin Dullard.

One of David Bowie's last major projects before his death was the musical Lazarus — it's now come to Australia, for the next in our High School Playlist series we lay our scene in fair Verona and meet the star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet, and to mark one year since the fire that destroyed Melbourne's iconic La Mama Theatre, we visit the site with artistic director Liz Jones and company manager Caitlin Dullard.

Today we discuss infertility and the silence around it. We chat with Sonhara Eastman, creator of Black Girls Guide to Fertility. Here's a little more about our guest: Sonhara Eastman is a playwright and screenwriter originally from New York. She received her M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing at NYU Tisch, where she implemented the departments first-ever Black History Month Celebration through Art. Her plays are known for illuminating the black experience and include Pearl, and The Club. Sonhara’s plays have been workshopped at 7 Stages, The Classical Theatre of Harlem’s Playwrights Playground, Working Title Playwrights Ethel Woolson Lab at the Alliance Theatre (Black Box), The Goldberg Theatre at NYU, and the La MaMa Theatre. She was a finalist for the National Playwright’s Center Many Voices Fellowship and a semi-finalist for the Made in New York Writer’s Room Program, and the WeScreenplay Diverse Voices Competition. She has worked for numerous production companies such as NBC Universal, E! Entertainment, MTV, ESPN, Lifetime, Lionsgate, and most recently wrote and produced her highly-talked about Web Series, Black Girls Guide to Fertility, through her own production company. Sonhara is a member of the Writer’s Guild East and Dramatist Guild. Check her out: blackgirlsguidetofertility.com What are you waiting for? Listen, download, subscribe, comment and rate!!! (like for real, I need you to do that) and get in touch with me at www.vagesteem.com or on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/vagesteem instagram: http://instagram.com/vagesteem Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vagesteem Text us or leave a vm at 443-692-7802

The Aside Podcasts are a free resource supported by Drama Victoria - Australia's oldest Drama Association In this episode of The Aside we Interview Rosa Campagnaro and Jasper Foley two creatives behind 2019 VCE Drama Playlisted show 'Pinnochio' presented at La Mama Theatre in May. For more information on this show, to watch the trailer and listen to the original music compositions: http://www.makeascene.com.au/pinocchio-year-9-vce/ To book tickets through La Mama: http://lamama.com.au/2019-summer-autumn-program/pinocchio Follow Make A Scene on the socials: Facebook: makeascenetheatre Instagram: makeascene1 @jaspfoley Please feel free to email asidepodcast@outlook.com to ask a question. We will try answer on a future podcast.

The Aside Podcasts are a free resource supported by Drama Victoria - Australia's oldest Drama Association This is part 2 of 3 In this episode of The Aside we Interview Alex Menglet the director of 2019 VCE Theatre Studies Playlisted show 'Tchekov At The House Of Special Purpose' presented at La Mama Theatre from August 28 - September 8 2019. Contact La Mama for more! http://lamama.com.au Please feel free to email asidepodcast@outlook.com to ask a question. We will try answer on a future podcast.

The Aside Podcasts are a free resource supported by Drama Victoria - Australia's oldest Drama Association This is part 3 of 3 In this episode of The Aside we Interview Alex Menglet the director of 2019 VCE Theatre Studies Playlisted show 'Tchekov At The House Of Special Purpose' presented at La Mama Theatre from August 28 - September 8 2019. Contact La Mama for more! http://lamama.com.au Please feel free to email asidepodcast@outlook.com to ask a question. We will try answer on a future podcast.

The Aside Podcasts are a free resource supported by Drama Victoria - Australia's oldest Drama Association This is part 1 of 3 In this episode of The Aside we Interview Alex Menglet the director of 2019 VCE Theatre Studies Playlisted show 'Tchekov At The House Of Special Purpose' presented at La Mama Theatre from August 28 - September 8 2019. Contact La Mama for more! http://lamama.com.au Please feel free to email asidepodcast@outlook.com to ask a question. We will try answer on a future podcast.

There is a new webseries that has been all the buzz on Instagram, and its called Black Girls Guide to Fertility, created, written, and based on Sonhara' Eastman’s own battle with infertility. Black Girls Guide to Fertility tackles infertility in a profoundly intimate way that’s both dramatic and comedic without ever feeling rigid. It focuses on Ava, a 37-year old romance novelist, who faded into obscurity after finding love–and now finds herself on the rise again after self-publishing a diary detailing her fertility woes. Each episode is a recreation of Ava’s diary entry, adding a unique and compelling touch to the everyday struggle of infertility. I had the pleasure of prescreening the first two episodes and when I tell you, you do not want to miss this webseries. In this episode we discuss Sonhara’s vision, her personal infertility battle, and what is next with Black Girls Guide to Fertility. The webseries premieres on Friday, January 18, 2019 and if you are listening to this in real time that is two days away. Be sure to subscribe to their youtube page, and join us in the private Sisters in Loss community at sistersinloss.com for our Watch party on Tuesday, January 22 at 8pm EST. Sonhara Eastman’s BioSonhara Eastman is a playwright and screenwriter from New York. She received her M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing at NYU Tisch, where she implemented the departments first-ever Black History Month Celebration through Art. Her plays are known for illuminating the black experience and include Pearl, The Club, and Black Girls Guide to Fertility. Sonhara’s plays have been workshopped at 7 Stages, The Classical Theatre of Harlem’s Playwrights Playground, Working Title Playwrights Ethel Woolson Lab at the Alliance Theatre (Black Box), The Goldberg Theatre at NYU, and the La MaMa Theatre. She was a finalist for the National Playwright’s Center Many Voices Fellowship and a semifinalist for the Made in New York Writer’s Room Program, and the We Screenplay Diverse Voices Competition. She has worked for numerous production companies such as E! Entertainment, MTV, ESPN, Lifetime, Lionsgate, and the Comcast Network. Sonhara is a member of the Writer’s Guild East and Dramatist Guild.   Join the Sisters in Loss in DC for the Annual Sisters in Loss Brunch on Saturday, April 13, 2019! Tickets are on sale NOW! Book Recommendations and Links Below You can shop my Amazon Store for the Book Recommendations You can follow Sonhara on Social Twitter @SonharaEastman Instagram @SonharaEastman Facebook facebook.com/blackgirlsguidetofertility You can follow Erica on Social Join the Sister's in Loss Facebook Group Erica's Website Erica's Instagram Erica's Facebook Erica's Twitter

This week, Richard chats to the delightful Liz Skitch about her play Mothermorphosis at La Mama Theatre,Jakop Ahlbom re-defines the limittions of horror in Horroron at the Arts Centre, and Blasted cast membersEloise Mignon and David Woods pop by.

The arts community rallies around La Mama Theatre after a devastating fire, Peter Carey's 1981 novel Bliss adapted for the stage, playwright Alana Valentine outlines her creative process in Bowerbird, and Claudia Lawson reviews Sydney Dance Company's ab [intra].

This week Kulja and Dylan speak with journalist Micheal Green and Shawfikul Islam about the SBS series Faces of Rohingya.Then, Dave Nichols from Melbourne University comes on the show to talk about the recent fire at La Mama Theatre.Finally, Noor Huda Ismail the founder of the International Institute for a Peacebuilding comes on the show to talk about recent terrorist attacks in Indonesia.

Australian poet, author and performer Koraly Dimitriadis is the author of the controversial Love and F**k Poems, a stunning book of poetry which has been translated into Greek with rights sold into Europe. As an opinion writer, she has contributed to publications such as The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, ABC, SBS, Daily Life, Rendezview and The Saturday Paper. Koraly has turned her poems into short films, called The Good Greek Girl Film Project, courtesy of an ArtStart Grant. In November 2016, Koraly's theatre show Koraly: I Say The Wrong Things All The Time, will premiere at La Mama Theatre, 205 Faraday Street, Carlton, from November 30th through to December 11th.Get to know Koraly's work at KoralyDimitriadis.com.What You'll Learn:1. What inspired Koraly to write Love and F**k Poems.2. Listen to Koraly read aloud three of her poems.3. What to expect at Koraly's upcoming show and where to book tickets. FULL TRANSCRIPT Elizabeth: Welcome to Writers’ Tête-à-tête with Elizabeth Harris, the show that connects Authors, Poets and Songwriters with their global audience. So I can continue to bring you high-caliber guests, I want you to go to iTunes, click Subscribe, leave a review, and share this podcast with your friends. Today I’m delighted to introduce poet, author and actor Koraly Dimitriadis. Koraly is the author of the controversial bestseller Love and F**k Poems, a stunning poetry book which has been translated into Greek with rights sold into Europe. She is an opinion writer and has contributed to publications such as Daily Life, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, ABC, SBS, Rendezvous, and The Saturday Paper. She has made short films of her poems called The Good Greek Girl Film Project, made possible with an ArtStart grant. This November, Koraly’s theatre show, Koraly: I Say the Wrong Things All the Time, will premiere at La Mama Theatre, 205 Faraday Street, Carlton, Melbourne, from November 30 through to December 11. Koraly Dimitriadis, welcome to Writers’ Tête-à-tête with Elizabeth Harris. Koraly:          Thank you for having me, Elizabeth. Elizabeth:      An absolute pleasure. Koraly, I’m a huge fan, and I love the poetry in your fantastic book Love and F**k Poems. A few things really impressed me about you. Firstly, the courage you show in writing so transparently about your life. Secondly, how you’ve handled the men who inevitably get the wrong idea about you. And thirdly, though some critics describe you as brash, you have a beautiful tender aspect. Can you please tell my listeners what inspired you to write your through-provoking book, Love and F**k Poems? Koraly:          I think it was a long journey of repression for me that led to writing the book, so I spent most of my life just doing what was expected of me by my culture and my family, and got married quite young at 22, not really knowing who I was, not having explored my identity or my sexuality. And all my creativity, because I was steered into a professional career as an accountant and a computer programmer, and so I lived a kind of repressed existence, both creatively, sexually, in many different ways, and my feminity as well… Elizabeth:      And certainly being an accountant would do that to you, wouldn’t it. Koraly:          Yeah well, it’s actually working as a computer programmer. I have an accounting degree. But yeah, I think it was definitely the birth of my daughter at around 27 and I started to question my life path and what I wanted to teach her, and what kind of role model I wanted to be for her. Did I want to teach her to do what everyone wanted her to do, or to be a strong independent woman that makes her own decisions and chooses her own life? And up until that point I hadn’t really made my own decisions. I felt like I was influenced and just did what people decided for me. And I was very suffocated. And a few years later when I kind of exploded out of my marriage and my culture and the creativity came along with that. And I was writing a lot – a lot - of poetry at the time. I was doing a course at RMIT, and particularly I was studying with Ania Walwicz, and I remember going along to the poetry class and saying to her, “I want to be a poet. Just teach me to be a poet.” And she’s like “I can’t teach you to be a poet. There are no rules in poetry.” And I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I was like “Are you for real? There’s gotta be some rules.” And her encouragement really liberated me and I started writing a lot of poetry. I mean it was all happening at the same time, like coming out of my marriage and my culture. And then I remember one day I went and saw Ben John Smith at Passionate Tongues. I don’t know if you know him. He writes a lot of sex poetry, and very honest, kind of Bukowski kind of poetry. And when I went there, I never thought “Oh! You can actually write sex poetry, write about sex.” I talked with him, and he was really another instigator in me – you can write sex poetry, you can write about sex. I had just left my marriage and was exploring my sexuality, and the poetry just came along with it. So from there I wrote Love and F**k Poems, the zine. Elizabeth:      Which is so great, and there are so many aspects to it, which we’ll get to in the interview. When you are writing, who or what is your major support? Koraly:          My major support? Sorry, what do you mean? Elizabeth:      So when you get into that zone of writing, do you draw on anything in particular? Do you draw on support from people, do you draw on support from coffee and chocolate? Koraly:          Well, I used to have a lot of sugar when I was writing, but I stopped eating sugar 2 years ago for health reasons. Elizabeth:      So what happened? Koraly:          I had some issues with my stomach, so it was really good for my health, and I haven’t turned back. I still have a bit of sugar, but not as much as I used to. But anyway, I probably draw on – I feel like writing is quite an isolating process and I don’t feel very supported when I’m writing; I feel alone. That’s what I would say, but that’s where the best poetry comes out. You’re actually face to face with your true, raw, honest self, and there’s a lot of fear there, but there’s also a liberation, going “This is who I am; this is how I feel”, and I’m going to turn this into a poem. Elizabeth:      And you do this so well. Koraly:          Thank you. Elizabeth:      So do you have a favourite poem, or is this like asking a mother if she has a favourite child? Koraly:          Umm, wow, that’s a really good question. Do I have a favourite poem. I guess I have poems that I think are my strongest poems, but no, I would say that I love all my poems equally, even the ones that haven’t been edited properly and might never see the light of day. And there are a lot of those. Elizabeth:      As I said, Koraly, I love all of your poems. However, I do have three favourites, one of which is Long Awaited Coffee Date. There is such an intensity within this brilliant poem. Can you please read it for our enjoyment? Koraly:          Oh, okay sure. Well no one’s ever told me that Long Awaited Coffee Date is their favourite poem. Elizabeth:      Well I’m unique … will tell you that. Koraly:          Okay. The Long Awaited Coffee Date When she steps out into the sinister night She knows he wants more of her So she leads him to a slim alley Down the bluestone where nobodies meet Their lips softly touching Hands slithering down skin His tongue in her mouth now Lips wide, senses ablaze And she knows she’s not going home Tonight.   It’s dark when they enter his place Quick to close the door, He nudges her flush to the wall A swift movement of her skirt He pulls down her underwear Locates her with his cock And already he’s inside Sighing in relief and ecstasy This f**k months overdue Her palms hit the wall He entwines his fingers with hers             Slowly moving inside her His lips and tongue on her ear She removes a hand to touch herself But his hand is quick to follow He tells her to let him do it But she pushes his hand away Because she’s climbing now And he’ll only delay it, ruin it   “F**king hell!” he curses “Why do you have to control anything Since the moment we met Why won’t you just let me f**k you Why don’t you just let ME f**k YOU!”   Elizabeth:      Wow. (Applause.) That’s so great. Going back to your book, in your acknowledgements for Love and F**k Poems, you thank a mutual friend of ours, the exceptionally clever editor and writer Les Zigomanis. Les has his own novel due for publication in 2017 with Pantheon Press, called Just Another Week in Suburbia. In the acknowledgements, I was intrigued to read the following: “Thank you to my editor Les Zigmanis for being the tough editor I needed who had every right to kill me during the editing of this book." (Laughter) So dramatic, Koraly! Can I ask what happened, without privacy invasion? Koraly:            Look, Les and I have an interesting relationship. Back in I think 2010, Busybird (Publishing) was the people who published a short story of mine. Elizabeth:      And what was it called? Koraly:          Blood Red Numbers, and it was about a psychotic computer programmer. (Laughter) Elizabeth:      Was it based on anybody in particular? Koraly:          Yes, I did draw inspiration from working in the corporate world as a computer programmer. Elizabeth:      I never guessed! Koraly:          Les and I formed a professional relationship at that point, and he had been following my trajectory on Facebook with Love and F**k Poems. By the way when I published the zine I didn’t expect anything to happen with Love and F**k Poems; I just wanted to have something to sell at my shows. Elizabeth:      Can I ask you explain what a zine is for people who … Koraly:          Ah okay, it’s kind of like … It gets its name from ‘magazine’, and it’s basically like a small kind-of magazine without you like, usually you can print off it at a photocopy place. It’s not a quality book. And I just started putting a couple of copies in Polyester Books and it just started selling really well. And so when I’d sold quite a few copies in bookshops, and I was saying to Les one day, I said “Oh, I’ve got to write my next book.” And he’s like “What are you talking about, you know? You’ve got to turn Love and F**k Poems into a book.” And I was like, “Oh okay. Do you want to edit it?” And he’s like “Yeah, okay.” Elizabeth:      He’s editing my next book too. Koraly:          Yeah. He’s a very – I guess ‘cause I’m quite raw and honest and he’s quite raw and honest in his editing, he doesn’t hold back … Elizabeth:      He calls himself ‘brutal’, actually. Koraly:          Yeah, yeah, so I think, because we are both raw and honest, it creates a kind of interesting dynamic. But that’s what you want. I mean, my director Olga Aristademi from Cyprus who’s directing my theatre show, she is also very raw and honest. And I think I really draw to people that challenge me and challenge what I’m doing, because I want to be a better artist. So Les is a great supporter of my work and he is always very helpful, and I really like working with him as an editor. Elizabeth:      You know, he’s wonderful. But I want to get back to that question, because I think you avoided the answer. Koraly:          Which one? (Laughter) Elizabeth:      You were saying that he had every right to kill you. Now being a nurse, I find that really difficult to cope with. Koraly:          (Laughter) I think I meant that in a tongue-in-cheek way because I go over things a lot and I want things to be perfect and I feel … Elizabeth:      Perfectionist. Koraly:          And so … and also because you know, I feel like he invests a lot of time in editing and I feel I owe him for that. And I have a lot of gratitude, so that’s how I show my gratitude, by saying that he should have killed me. (Laughter) Elizabeth:      We love gratitude, that’s for sure. Your brilliant show – Koraly: I Say The Wrong Things All The Time – will debut on November 30th. What can theatre-goers expect from the show? Koraly:          Well, this is the first time I’m putting on a full theatre show with sets and lights and sound and it’s a big team. There’s the people at La Mama and there’s my own team of lighting designer and set designer and all those people. I think there’s ten of us, even though there’s just me on stage. I’ve taken my poetry and turned it into a play, a narrative, a story. And as part of that it includes actual acting rather than just performing my poetry, and creating a story that people can go away and think about. I really want to connect with people, mostly women, but people in general that have problems, that struggle with being honest with who they are, and people around them. Because society does want to put us into pigeon holes, and I’ve experienced that before. Like I said, you know, my own experiences of – you know – being steered in particular directions and not being who I want to be. I want to inspire people to be themselves and to not be afraid to be themselves, and to know that, yes, it is difficult sometimes, especially in certain cultures and religions, to stand up and be who you want to be. And there are prices and sacrifices to be made, but it’s so worth it, because it’s your life. You only have one life. And why wouldn’t you want to live that life how you want to live it. Why do we have to live according to how other people expect of us? We should just live our own lives and be happy. So that’s what I want to inspire people to do as part of this work. Elizabeth:      And I find you incredibly inspiring, so thank you so much … being so courageous. Koraly:          Thank you. Elizabeth:      Another one of my favourite poems is My Words. Koraly:          Another person actually said that to me recently. Like, really? Like, it’s not one of my favourites. (Laughs) Elizabeth:      Yes.  And do you know why, Koraly? Because I feel it reveals your depth. Can you please share that with us? Koraly:          Ah, okay. Yes. I’m actually going to read that poem at a White Ribbon event tomorrow. Elizabeth:      Oh, wow. Koraly:          And also give a speech. And they want me to read that one too, and I’m like, “Oh, that’s interesting.” Elizabeth:      Do you want to talk a little bit about that event? Koraly:          Yeah, it’s just a event about violence – invisible violence against women, and how emotional manipulation can be a form of violence, and how do we empower women to stand up against that. And I’ll be sharing my story like I did with you, you know, what I experienced growing up. Elizabeth:      That’s wonderful, and again, very brave.  So My Words … Koraly:          My Words A long time ago when I was another person And I wore another face I wrote short poems to try and make sense of myself. One, with every wrong footing there is a right Two, two steps in the wrong path equals one in the right Three, do not abuse yourself for the blessing of a mistake Four, regret is a naïve word – pray for mistakes But that’s all bullsh** when your actions hurt people you care about Like I care about you. I have cried many tears in my life All about things people have done to me, and my hardships, and my sad, sad life I’m 32 years old, and tonight, for the first time, I’m crying tears for someone else. Pain I inflicted with my words Oh yes! My wonderful words, my powerful narcissistic words. Oh yes! I’m a poet, and don’t I do it so well. I can make the crowd collapse into silence, Like your silence, your hurt silence. I wanted to crawl into the phone, scoop up the pain in your chest, And bury it inside me Not just the pain I caused, but the other pain too, The pain you hide from me. I heard it clearly for the first time tonight. In my mind there is an image of the person I dream to be You make me want to be that person. Pity I had to hurt you to realize that, or to realize I care So much more than I thought I was capable of And so I write this poem, a pathetic attempt to make it better Even though the decision you made was actually best for me And you proved you cared more than my self-sabotaging mind allowed me to believe So here’s to my attempt to make it better Here’s to my bullsh** words; it’s all self-indulgent crap My actions hurt people I care about They can hurt people I care about … People I care about … Like I care about you.   Elizabeth:  Beautiful, beautiful. (Applause) Koraly:      Thank you. Elizabeth:  What do you do in your spare time to unwind, other than write poetry? Koraly:      (Laughter) Do single mothers actually have that time? Elizabeth:  I don’t know. Koraly:      I would say that I love to go out dancing. Elizabeth:  Oh wow, what sort of dancing? The Spanish Festival’s coming up this weekend. Koraly:      Umm, anything like – I mean I like dancing to alt rock. I also like dancing to techno music, just anything. Elizabeth:   You’re a dancing queen. Koraly:       I’ve been told I’m a good dancer by my director Olga as well, so … Elizabeth:   Pity we can’t see a demonstration on a podcast, Koraly. Koraly:       Actually I’ll be dancing in my theatre show. Elizabeth:   I’ll be there. Koraly:       So dancing I would say, and also … Elizabeth:    I might come up and join you on stage. (Laughter) Koraly:        Dancing and also spending time with family and friends and going and seeing bands, that kind of stuff. Elizabeth:    Any particular bands you love? Koraly:        I like going to the local pub and listening to whoever’s playing, Elizabeth:    Do you have a website or blog where my listeners can find out more about your work? Koraly:        Yes, I have a website: www-dot-Koraly-Dimitriadis-dot-com. I used to have a blog, but I’ve since closed it because, I used to blog quite a bit when I was kinda in that explosion phase. I was blogging a lot and I kept blogging up till a year ago when I started getting articles published in publications. And then I just wanted to focus my energy on writing articles, and so I closed my blog. But people can go to my website and there are links to all the articles that I’ve published, there. Elizabeth:    And there’s links to some film too, isn’t there. Koraly:        Yeah, there’s links to my films. Elizabeth:     That’s great, really great. Koraly, this is a signature question I ask all my guests: What do you wish for for the world, and most importantly, for yourself? Koraly:         I wish for no war, and for peace, and equality across races and gender and sexuality of course. And a brighter future for my daughter, a world that is more peaceful than what it is now, so I don’t have to worry about her when I’m gone. Elizabeth:     Can I ask how old is she? Koraly:         She’s 9. And also for myself, I would like to progress with my art and make a living from it. (Laughter) Elizabeth:     Yes, for sure. Koraly:         That’s what I would really like. So but also I would like to inspire women and empower women, and that’s ultimately why I do what I do and put myself on the line. Elizabeth:     I think you certainly do inspire women. Do you want to touch on some of the male reactions – I know you’ve had some fairly dramatic male reactions. And as much as we love men and admire them and so forth, sometimes I think they get the wrong idea, and need to be put on the straight and narrow with your work, so here’s your chance if you’d like to take it. Koraly:         I think actually in Australia, the men are quite well-behaved when it comes to my art. They will contact me and tell me they like my art but they won’t usually make a pass at me. Whereas in Greece and Cyprus the men won’t hold back and they will send me very explicit messages and they will make commentary on my body, and it becomes … And I think the reason for that is because women’s writing overseas is not very respected. In Greece and Cyprus, especially the fact that I write about sex, makes me even less respected and probably means that I just want to have sex and will you have sex with me, that kind of thing. I don’t get that in Australia. A train driver once wrote me a note about how much he likes my work, on a train technical form, and sent that to me, and I kept it. I thought it was quite funny. But you know he wasn’t making a pass at me. He was commenting on my work. And that’s fine – I don’t mind that. What I mind is when men comment on my body and think that I just want to have sex. I just ignore them, like, as if, you know. I mean, most of the poems in Love and F**k Poems are about one guy as well, so it’s not … you know … it’s not like … People get this idea that I’m like sexually wild or whatever, but it’s kind of the opposite, so … Elizabeth:      I think it reflects more so on themselves, maybe their hopes and wishes for their world. I want to wrap up with one of your poems which resonates so well with me and my female friends and my enlightened male friends, and the poem is Temple. Koraly:          Ah, Temple. Okay.                         Temple                         My body is a temple you shall not cross                         Unless you are worthy of my communion                         I have been angry, desecrated my spirit,                         But I needed to do that to arrive here.                         Because                         I deserve happiness                         I deserve love                         I deserve someone who will give to me                         Just as much as I give to them                         And I want it – I want love                         L-O-V-E                         Love.                         I want to embody ecstasy inside alleys                         In dark corners, underneath stars,                         Everywhere with my man                         Explore our darkness and our light                         And if you’re not looking for the same thing                         MOVE ON.                         And in the meantime, men can come, men can go,                         I’m not looking                         I’m happy on my own                         And I will worship my own                         Temple.   Elizabeth:    So powerful and beautiful. Thank you. I have tears in my eyes. Koraly:        Thank you. Elizabeth:   We look forward to your fabulous theatre show, Koraly: I Say The Wrong Things All The Time, at La Mama Theatre, on November 30 to December 11.  How do we book tickets? Koraly:       Through La Mama website. So if you Google “Koraly: I Say The Wrong Things All The Time”, it should come up. Elizabeth:    And look, I’d like to contest whether you do or not, because you say plenty of right things, Koraly (Laughter) Koraly Dimitriadis, thank you so much for guesting on Writers’ Tête-à-tête with Elizabeth Harris. And remember parents, when reserving your tickets for Koraly’s show, it is not a child-friendly show, so book your favourite person to mind your children, and come along and enjoy the genius of Koraly Dimitriadis. Thank you everyone for tuning in to Writers’ Tête-à-tête with Elizabeth Harris, and may all your wishes come true. Koraly:        Thank you for having me. [END OF TRANSCRIPT]

Daniel reviews La Mama Theatre's production The Fever, by Wallace Shawn (of Toy Story and Princess Bride fame).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard speaks to the cast of a brand new Australian production,Lifetime Guarantee. Charles Purcell, Julian Dibley-Hall and Izabella Lena star in this satirical, modern-day comedy, written by Ross Mueller and directed by John Sheedy, dealing with issues of modern-day property development and our relationship to objects.Lifetime Guarantee is showing at Theatre Works in St Kilda from9th - 26th of February.On the other end of the theatre spectrum, Humphrey Bower has developed a new, solo adaptation of Homer's TheIliad,aspart of Stork Theatre's Melbourne Homer Fest. The Rage of Achillesturns the focus to human tragedy within war, stripping back Homer's epic poem to the story of Achilles. Richard and Humphrey discuss questions of male rage, our attraction to war and the relevance of this ancient piece of literature to modern times.The Rage of Achilles is showing at La Mama Theatre from the 7th - 19th February.Richard's final guest,Penny Byrne,is a sculptor and visual artist working with ceramics, among other things. Her upcoming exhibition,Brutal, uses reworked porcelain figurines to create new sculptures, dealing with contemporary global humanitarian issues. The result isconfronting yet familiar, with a sombre political commentary.Brutalis running at Linden New Art in St Kilda until the 8th of March.

Continuing Richard's exploration of the current Midsumma Festival program, this week's podcast features an interview with Tom Halls and Yvonne Virsik, whose production Sad Digger Mad Mary is showing at La Mama Theatre in Carlton. Sad Digger Mad Mary is a one-person show, presenting a man struggling with his return to society from the war, and the unlikely visitor who guides him out of his hermitude. Richard is also joined by the Director of the biennial Castlemaine State Festival, Martin Papen, discussing the significance of place and environment to Martin's final festival as Director. Wrapping up the podcast are performance artists Luke George and Daniel Kok, whose intriguingly titled show Bunny is a part of the much-hyped Asia TOPA festival. The 2-hour performance piece is described as "safe, sane and consensual", and this segment may leave you hanging out to seeBunny.

La Mama Theatre’s The Masque of Beauty seems to have taken its name from Ben Johnson’s courtly masque composed in 1608. However, in Peter Green’s ‘Renaissance Cabaret’ we certainly feel far away from the England court, even if he uses a few Shakespeare passages on one of his literary medleys. Green’s writing, and indeed Faye Bendrups’ directing, both take Australian audiences to very different theatrical territory than they might be used to. True to the form of a masque, this show is a meandering hour of live music, dance pieces, dramatic scenes and chorus style songs, which historically would espouse the most famous figures of the day. On this particular outing, to the Italian court, we encounter three formidable sisters-in-law – the notorious Lucrezia Borgia, the sharp-witted Isabella d’Este, and the worldly Elisabette Gonzaga – as well as the controversial Pope Alexander VI, his son, and Lucrezia’s brother, Cesare Borgia, the Monna Lisa (“constipated for over 500 years”) and a very nervous young Leonardo da Vinci. This production might have done away with some big hallmarks of the masque – the actual masks, the decorative sets and the audience participation – but aside from that, it really does feel like a journey back to the 16th century. 21st century audiences are very used to narrative-based entertainment, and to more visual forms of storytelling, whereas the figures displayed here are introduced much more through monologue than dialogue. Even the grim ensemble songs feel much more like an Ancient Greek chorus than an exchange played out in song. In these parts of the show, the four voices of the cast - Maria Paula Afanador, Madeleine Field, Claire Nicholls and Jessica Greenhall – seem to blend into the one entity. The dances and the more physical scenes function more as further illustrations of the figures than as a way of driving forward a story. I call them ‘figures’ instead of ‘characters’ because they are far from being active players in a dramatic narrative. The Masque of Beauty is, throughout, a consciously historical work. More specifically, this is revisionist history, and the sardonic kind at that, based on rumours and re-evaluations. This piece is undisguisedly looking backwards, and makes no attempt to make us feel like we are looking forwards as though we and the performing ensemble don’t know what’s coming. The cast and creatives are certainly in the know, but unfortunately, for the most part, their audience is probably not nearly as knowledgeable about it all. The commentary on Leonardo and the Mona Lisa works because this is a part of Italian history that is very much general knowledge. As for the three noble sisters-in-law, as fascinating as they seem, and as exuberantly as they are portrayed, they aren’t really part of the public consciousness. The production team might now know almost everything there is to find out about them, and they certainly seemed to find their commentary on them amusing and compelling, but I’m not sure that a lot of their audience will. It’s definitely a more obscure part of history, something the La Mama staff seemed to have picked up on. At the box office, each audience is member is given a Wikipedia blurb on each figure in the story, which helps a little but it still takes more than a couple of hastily read paragraphs to achieve that same level of familiarity. I’m sure those who know the history of the Italian royals will appreciate what this talented team manage to do with them, but those who don’t are never really brought up to speed at any point here, or at least not in any helpful way. There is often a large disconnect between what you are being told on stage here and what you are being shown. When the exposition becomes particularly intricate and hard to follow, it is very easy to be distracted by the other stagecraft elements and miss certain factual details. You can definitely feel that this is set in a world of seduction, corruption, manipulation and murder, but it’s very hard to be clear on who is doing what to who, and why. Seeing as there is no real narrative movement anyway, or even much thematic movement here, those who aren’t already familiar with all of these people will probably feel start to feel a bit restless. It’s definitely a treat for any Renaissance aficionados but will probably be quite unmemorable for anyone else. Written by Christian Tsoutsouvas

La Mama Theatre’s The Masque of Beauty seems to have taken its name from Ben Johnson’s courtly masque composed in 1608. However, in Peter Green’s ‘Renaissance Cabaret’ we certainly feel far away from the England court, even if he uses a few Shakespeare passages on one of his literary medleys. Green’s writing, and indeed Faye Bendrups’ directing, both take Australian audiences to very different theatrical territory than they might be used to. True to the form of a masque, this show is a meandering hour of live music, dance pieces, dramatic scenes and chorus style songs, which historically would espouse the most famous figures of the day. On this particular outing, to the Italian court, we encounter three formidable sisters-in-law – the notorious Lucrezia Borgia, the sharp-witted Isabella d’Este, and the worldly Elisabette Gonzaga – as well as the controversial Pope Alexander VI, his son, and Lucrezia’s brother, Cesare Borgia, the Monna Lisa (“constipated for over 500 years”) and a very nervous young Leonardo da Vinci. This production might have done away with some big hallmarks of the masque – the actual masks, the decorative sets and the audience participation – but aside from that, it really does feel like a journey back to the 16th century. 21st century audiences are very used to narrative-based entertainment, and to more visual forms of storytelling, whereas the figures displayed here are introduced much more through monologue than dialogue. Even the grim ensemble songs feel much more like an Ancient Greek chorus than an exchange played out in song. In these parts of the show, the four voices of the cast - Maria Paula Afanador, Madeleine Field, Claire Nicholls and Jessica Greenhall – seem to blend into the one entity. The dances and the more physical scenes function more as further illustrations of the figures than as a way of driving forward a story. I call them ‘figures’ instead of ‘characters’ because they are far from being active players in a dramatic narrative. The Masque of Beauty is, throughout, a consciously historical work. More specifically, this is revisionist history, and the sardonic kind at that, based on rumours and re-evaluations. This piece is undisguisedly looking backwards, and makes no attempt to make us feel like we are looking forwards as though we and the performing ensemble don’t know what’s coming. The cast and creatives are certainly in the know, but unfortunately, for the most part, their audience is probably not nearly as knowledgeable about it all. The commentary on Leonardo and the Mona Lisa works because this is a part of Italian history that is very much general knowledge. As for the three noble sisters-in-law, as fascinating as they seem, and as exuberantly as they are portrayed, they aren’t really part of the public consciousness. The production team might now know almost everything there is to find out about them, and they certainly seemed to find their commentary on them amusing and compelling, but I’m not sure that a lot of their audience will. It’s definitely a more obscure part of history, something the La Mama staff seemed to have picked up on. At the box office, each audience is member is given a Wikipedia blurb on each figure in the story, which helps a little but it still takes more than a couple of hastily read paragraphs to achieve that same level of familiarity. I’m sure those who know the history of the Italian royals will appreciate what this talented team manage to do with them, but those who don’t are never really brought up to speed at any point here, or at least not in any helpful way. There is often a large disconnect between what you are being told on stage here and what you are being shown. When the exposition becomes particularly intricate and hard to follow, it is very easy to be distracted by the other stagecraft elements and miss certain factual details. You can definitely feel that this is set in a world of seduction, corruption, manipulation and murder, but it’s very hard to be clear on who is doing what to who, and why. Seeing as there is no real narrative movement anyway, or even much thematic movement here, those who aren’t already familiar with all of these people will probably feel start to feel a bit restless. It’s definitely a treat for any Renaissance aficionados but will probably be quite unmemorable for anyone else. Written by Christian TsoutsouvasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Thursday night I showed up at La Mama ready to see The Ribcage Collective’s new work of experimental theatre. The Ribcage collective are a collaborative group of young theatre makers from varied theatrical backgrounds. For a second year running they have written, devised and performed works of immersive, sight-specific theatre at La Mama in Carlton. Their previous show was described by ArtsHub as “an intimate theatrical experience enough to reawaken a childhood sense of play”. That sounded pretty good to me. At the beginning of the evening we found out the recent arts funding cuts had just forced the closure of Platform Youth Theatre, the organisation that had brought these performers together. The kind of theatre we were about to see – youth-driven, experimental – is becoming harder and harder to make, even though it seems essential that young people have opportunities ambition, funded work. The show was based around a new Australian myth written by the group. It followed a family through three generations and a lot of hardship – from earth to hell and back again. The myth was told by a woman dressed as the sun; a “very wordy sun” as my viewing companion put it. The sun was so wordy that neither of us were able to follow the story, although that didn’t necessarily matter, we were told, because the three acts that made up the bulk of the work were also designed to be experienced separately. The audience was split into two, each group led by a guide through three site-specific pieces. The stories were vivid, each with a unique sense of place and drama. In one, a woman seems to be drowning in a bath of silver while another woman looks on, calmly smoking a cigarette. In another, a brother and sister quarrel as they are trapped in their dead fathers home. In my favourite story, a young boy philosophises with his fish, only to find the fish has come alive and is gyrating on his bed in a slinky dress. All of the stories had a great sense of playfulness and surprise. Moments like the fish coming alive, or a woman being dunked in silver liquid, were thrilling to watch. The spaces – some more ‘traditional’ than others, were cleverly used. A hole in the ceiling of one space allowed the silver liquid to be dunked secretly, a decrepit staircase became a dramatic entrance way. Some moments in the piece did feel little heavy-handed. Metaphors were either obvious – a chain is passed from actor to actor ‘linking’ the 3 pieces together – or too abstract and complex to be accessible. “What did the silver stuff mean?” someone asked later. Talking to audience members afterwards, there was a general sense of confusion – what did that mean? How did the stories link together? We couldn’t figure it out. It was a relief to slip into the Q+A session afterwards and find a panel of enthusiastic performers keen to answer our questions. It because clear how much thought had gone into every element – the metaphors may have been confusing, but that wasn’t because they lacked depth. Hearing the performers talk afterwards somehow made the work as a whole more enjoyable for me. Their thoughtfulness and passion redeemed the show’s weaker moments. It was during the Q+A that I realised we were in the company of a school group: young girls about to go into Year 12 drama. They asked about the world beyond high school plays and the performers willingly shared their knowledge. It was the innocent being led by the less innocent, a charming moment slightly overshadowed by the recent funding cuts. One performer said “There aren’t many opportunities left, so you’ve really got to put yourself out there.” Another chimed in “but if you do, you will find people willing to help.” And, if there is hope that courageous youth theatre will not only endure, but thrive, the Ribcage Collective are certainly a shining example. Written by Beth Gibson.

On Thursday night I showed up at La Mama ready to see The Ribcage Collective’s new work of experimental theatre. The Ribcage collective are a collaborative group of young theatre makers from varied theatrical backgrounds. For a second year running they have written, devised and performed works of immersive, sight-specific theatre at La Mama in Carlton. Their previous show was described by ArtsHub as “an intimate theatrical experience enough to reawaken a childhood sense of play”. That sounded pretty good to me. At the beginning of the evening we found out the recent arts funding cuts had just forced the closure of Platform Youth Theatre, the organisation that had brought these performers together. The kind of theatre we were about to see – youth-driven, experimental – is becoming harder and harder to make, even though it seems essential that young people have opportunities ambition, funded work. The show was based around a new Australian myth written by the group. It followed a family through three generations and a lot of hardship – from earth to hell and back again. The myth was told by a woman dressed as the sun; a “very wordy sun” as my viewing companion put it. The sun was so wordy that neither of us were able to follow the story, although that didn’t necessarily matter, we were told, because the three acts that made up the bulk of the work were also designed to be experienced separately. The audience was split into two, each group led by a guide through three site-specific pieces. The stories were vivid, each with a unique sense of place and drama. In one, a woman seems to be drowning in a bath of silver while another woman looks on, calmly smoking a cigarette. In another, a brother and sister quarrel as they are trapped in their dead fathers home. In my favourite story, a young boy philosophises with his fish, only to find the fish has come alive and is gyrating on his bed in a slinky dress. All of the stories had a great sense of playfulness and surprise. Moments like the fish coming alive, or a woman being dunked in silver liquid, were thrilling to watch. The spaces – some more ‘traditional’ than others, were cleverly used. A hole in the ceiling of one space allowed the silver liquid to be dunked secretly, a decrepit staircase became a dramatic entrance way. Some moments in the piece did feel little heavy-handed. Metaphors were either obvious – a chain is passed from actor to actor ‘linking’ the 3 pieces together – or too abstract and complex to be accessible. “What did the silver stuff mean?” someone asked later. Talking to audience members afterwards, there was a general sense of confusion – what did that mean? How did the stories link together? We couldn’t figure it out. It was a relief to slip into the Q+A session afterwards and find a panel of enthusiastic performers keen to answer our questions. It because clear how much thought had gone into every element – the metaphors may have been confusing, but that wasn’t because they lacked depth. Hearing the performers talk afterwards somehow made the work as a whole more enjoyable for me. Their thoughtfulness and passion redeemed the show’s weaker moments. It was during the Q+A that I realised we were in the company of a school group: young girls about to go into Year 12 drama. They asked about the world beyond high school plays and the performers willingly shared their knowledge. It was the innocent being led by the less innocent, a charming moment slightly overshadowed by the recent funding cuts. One performer said “There aren’t many opportunities left, so you’ve really got to put yourself out there.” Another chimed in “but if you do, you will find people willing to help.” And, if there is hope that courageous youth theatre will not only endure, but thrive, the Ribcage Collective are certainly a shining example. Written by Beth Gibson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosts Christian and Jim are joined by Chris Hosking, The Ribcage Collective's Co-Artistic Director for their upcoming immersive theatre production. It will be running at La Mama Theatre until September 11th. Tickets and more information available: http://lamama.com.au/2016-winter-program/the-ribcage-collective

Hosts Christian and Jim are joined by Chris Hosking, The Ribcage Collective's Co-Artistic Director for their upcoming immersive theatre production. It will be running at La Mama Theatre until September 11th. Tickets and more information available: http://lamama.com.au/2016-winter-program/the-ribcage-collectiveSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There will be some mildly sexual language and content throughout this review. If that might be a problem for you, tune out for the next five minutes or so - but, you'll be missing the breakdown of a great show. A live band of sorts, and performance goes with the music Duets is a show that will probably take you out of your theatre-comfort zone, unless you usually attend shows that include women performing suggestive acts with a banana and a tomato, or men in sequined morph suits gyrating to music, wearing enormous strap on dildo's. It is the second in a series of productions by performance troupe The Stain. Jo Franklin, in an interview with La Mama, suggested that the Stain's full title and job description should be 'performance art live music ensemble'. Duets is directed by Maude Davey, and the brainchild of the Stain core group Francesca Sculli, Jo Franklin and Gen Berstein. They are accompanied in the show by Harpist Genevive Fry, performance artists Sarah Ward, The Huxley' and Paula Russel. This is complimented with a haunting soundscape from Nat Grant, lighting design by Simon Coleman and set construction and props by Herbz. The bio for the performance reads that it is set in 'an underground world marred by the spoils of life'. The set reminded me of the party Neo attends in the first Matrix movie, as he follows the figurative white rabbit. Dark, smoky, sweaty, and indeed, this world the Stain are about to take us into with Duet's is very alike to falling into a bizarre wonderland. Plastic sheets, the kind Bateman lines his apartment with in the famous American Pyscho murder scene, canvas the walls of the small theatre. The chairs for the audience are essentially a part of the stage. The drum kit and mics are so close to the front row that there is a very vague distinction between audience member and performer, especially when the performers make a point of roaming behind and into the audience at times, demanding your attention. There is a fantastic light show, and the dancing lasers scramble your conception of any stability or normality in the universe of the show. Francesca and Joe, the key performers and singers, do not merely sing, standing still behind a mike, but gyrate, stare, gesture. There is a comedy to their performance, but also a deep seriousness, and the atmosphere is thick with an almost undetectable tension - I found myself deeply immersed in their world, the world of the steamy club party and exploration of sexuality, interrogating aspects of it constantly. It is very clear that you are being taken out of your world and plonked down into a place which remembers and mimics things that are present in our own - love, sex, television, pop music, dance - but is not really them, rather, it is a place that subverts them, makes them ugly, beautiful, sad, silly, elegant or deranged, most obvious in their many adaptations of popular songs, warping and moulding music from artists such as Gotye and Rihanna. It is over the top, confronting, but given that life can so frequently be overwhelming and bizarre in all its aspects, I believe Duets captures and champions this fact. The show bears watching a second time - I do not think I gleaned too much of their message from the first viewing, perhaps so overwhelmed and engaged with the theatre of it all, and the sheer fun of listening to good, interesting live music. What I do know is that Duets is trying, both lightly and desperately, to examine the intensity of a human connection. And, while I believe they examine this most overtly through a sexual connection, this I can believe is also highly symbolic of other modes of desire, and the accompanying human flaws and compromises that can ruin any fantasy. The element that moved me the most was Paula Russel's dancing. She dressed in a white flowing garment, and danced wildly around with a silly glint in her eye, beckoning us through the door and to our seats for the evening. She served as a kind of glorified roadie, changing over instruments and clearing the stage in a hyper energetic, twirling fury. In the dying moments of the play, she appeared on stage, after all the other performers and musicians had vacated it. I only expected her to do something silly, light, comedic, to see us off for the evening. I was so presently surprised when she presented us with a full ten minute, highly choreographed dance, that was elegant, fractured, quietly sad but also defiantly optimistic It's importance was accentuated given her capacity in the performance leading up to this point had been secondary, a relief character of sorts - a character that had been there from before we had even sat down, a person we had taken for granted and assumed to be unimportant. It was wonderful to have these expectations subverted, in that she proved to be one of the most compelling aspects of the performance, in my mind. Catch Duet's at La Mama theatre, where it is showign until the 14th of August. Bookings and more info at lamama.com.au. Written by Jim ThomasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There will be some mildly sexual language and content throughout this review. If that might be a problem for you, tune out for the next five minutes or so - but, you'll be missing the breakdown of a great show. A live band of sorts, and performance goes with the music Duets is a show that will probably take you out of your theatre-comfort zone, unless you usually attend shows that include women performing suggestive acts with a banana and a tomato, or men in sequined morph suits gyrating to music, wearing enormous strap on dildo's. It is the second in a series of productions by performance troupe The Stain. Jo Franklin, in an interview with La Mama, suggested that the Stain's full title and job description should be 'performance art live music ensemble'. Duets is directed by Maude Davey, and the brainchild of the Stain core group Francesca Sculli, Jo Franklin and Gen Berstein. They are accompanied in the show by Harpist Genevive Fry, performance artists Sarah Ward, The Huxley' and Paula Russel. This is complimented with a haunting soundscape from Nat Grant, lighting design by Simon Coleman and set construction and props by Herbz. The bio for the performance reads that it is set in 'an underground world marred by the spoils of life'. The set reminded me of the party Neo attends in the first Matrix movie, as he follows the figurative white rabbit. Dark, smoky, sweaty, and indeed, this world the Stain are about to take us into with Duet's is very alike to falling into a bizarre wonderland. Plastic sheets, the kind Bateman lines his apartment with in the famous American Pyscho  murder scene, canvas the walls of the small theatre. The chairs for the audience are essentially a part of the stage. The drum kit and mics are so close to the front row that there is a very vague distinction between audience member and performer, especially when the performers make a point of roaming behind and into the audience at times, demanding your attention. There is a fantastic light show, and the dancing lasers scramble your conception of any stability or normality in the universe of the show. Francesca and Joe, the key performers and singers, do not merely sing, standing still behind a mike, but gyrate, stare, gesture. There is a comedy to their performance, but also a deep seriousness, and the atmosphere is thick with an almost undetectable tension - I found myself deeply immersed in their world, the world of the steamy club party and exploration of sexuality, interrogating aspects of it constantly. It is very clear that you are being taken out of your world and plonked down into a place which remembers and mimics things that are present in our own - love, sex, television, pop music, dance - but is not really them, rather, it is a place that subverts them, makes them ugly, beautiful, sad, silly, elegant or deranged, most obvious in their many adaptations of popular songs, warping and moulding music from artists such as Gotye and Rihanna.  It is over the top, confronting, but given that life can so frequently be overwhelming and bizarre in all its aspects, I believe Duets captures and champions this fact. The show bears watching a second time - I do not think I gleaned too much of their message from the first viewing, perhaps so overwhelmed and engaged with the theatre of it all, and the sheer fun of listening to good, interesting live music. What I do know is that Duets is trying, both lightly and desperately, to examine the intensity of a human connection. And, while I believe they examine this most overtly through a sexual connection, this I can believe is also highly symbolic of other modes of desire, and the accompanying human flaws and compromises that can ruin any fantasy. The element that moved me the most was Paula Russel's dancing. She dressed in a white flowing garment, and danced wildly around with a silly glint in her eye, beckoning us through the door and to our seats for the evening. She served as a kind of glorified roadie, changing over instruments and clearing the stage in a hyper energetic, twirling fury. In the dying moments of the play, she appeared on stage, after all the other performers and musicians had vacated it. I only expected her to do something silly, light, comedic, to see us off for the evening. I was so presently surprised when she presented us with a full ten minute, highly choreographed dance, that was elegant, fractured, quietly sad but also defiantly optimistic It's importance was accentuated given her capacity in the performance leading up to this point had been secondary, a relief character of sorts - a character that had been there from before we had even sat down, a person we had taken for granted and assumed to be unimportant. It was wonderful to have these expectations subverted, in that she proved to be one of the most compelling aspects of the performance, in my mind. Catch Duet's at La Mama theatre, where it is showign until the 14th of August. Bookings and more info at lamama.com.au. Written by Jim Thomas

Theatre company 'Make a Scene' alongside the La Mama Learning Company are currently presenting their interpretation of Carlo Goldoni's masterpiece 'The Servant of Two Master's. It is showing at Australia La mama theatre in Carlton until July 31st. The cast includes Christian Bagin, Sharon Davis, Roby Favretto, Irene del Pilar, Freya Pragt, Lelda Kapsis and Darcy Kent. Many actors play both a primary and a secondary or extra character, and the lightning quick costume changes became just as fun as the play itself, as I tried to keep track of everybody, the frequent use of masks as props making this an even greater and more interesting challenge. Goldoni's 18th century play has been translated and directed by Rosa Campagnaro, who has studied in depth the nuances of commedia dell'arte, or the Italian tradition of comedic improvisation. While 'The Servant of Two Masters' is not necessarily part of commedia dell'arte canon, given that it is scripted in depth, in her version Rosa has encouraged her actors into acts of improvisation which in my opinion gel wonderfully with the feeling of the play and add exponentially to the wild silliness of the whole affair. For example, the night I attended (the 17th of June), Brighella the innkeeper began to recite a menu to the audience, but got his mains mixed up with his entree. Truffaldino the servant, who was sharing the stage, leapt in using his outrageously coy Italian accent, 'come on man, you're a professional. You can't even get this right? Let's start the scene again'. After a quick argument in character, Brighella walked off stage left and reappeared, completely composed, and the scene continued, this time getting the dishes in the correct order. I can't stress the fact that everyone is in their own roles perform excellently, and throughout the play every character made me laugh out loud with wordplay, physical slapstick comedy, hugely exaggerated ego's, excellently crafted accents and the obvious chemistry the exhibit in their on stage relationships with each other. For me, the pinnacle of the comedy in the play was Campagnaro's plotting and the actors execution of the famous dining scene, in which Truffaldino is simultaneously serving his two masters unbeknownst to the masters themselves. The direction was ambitiously high, demanding perfect timing, high energy and on the momentum of the scene. That is, if one performer drops the ball, the whole thing loses all its power, but, the quicker, louder and riskier the scene is, the more hilarious it can be. It was perfectly executed. The audience did not stop laughing for the full five minutes of the scene. While every performer in this play did a brilliant job, the star of the show was Christian Bagen as Trufaldino , the eccentric, rude, hilarious and endearing Servant. Bagen presented his character as he is meant to be, and stole the spotlight with perfect comedic timing, improvisation, maturity and charm. It is a light hearted, entertaining play as a whole. However Campagnaro has emphasised themes of sexuality and feminism in her version of the play, themes that are partially addressed in the original given a large part of the plot being devoted to a woman, dressed as a man, searching for her lost lover incognito, and the gender-based power she comes to control in her camouflage The themes have been drawn out gradually over the course of the play, and they include women's sexual libertarianism, the ridiculousness of gender stereotypes, and the sad cruelty of these stereotypes being enforced. Furthermore, the fact that so many of the antiquated social codes designed to oppress women are present in Goldoni's 18th Century play live on in our modern society is another well deserved and well calculated jab. So, Campagnaro's 'The Servant of Two Masters' champions the women and condemns the fact that their qualities and capabilities, their power, is negated by a social code that when broken by the women in the play, seems bizarre that it had ever existed. And yet, none of these characters are white-washed. Both the men and women of the play have very real, repulsive human flaws, which somehow makes them that much more sympathetic. And indeed, this play opens a discourse on feminism that is based largely in laughter - in the ridiculous, the silly, which can so often help us examine and access serious matters with an open mind. Once again, The Servant of Two Masters is running until the 31st of July, so not much time left. Head to lamama.com.au for more info and booking details. Written by Jim ThomasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Theatre company 'Make a Scene' alongside the La Mama Learning Company are currently presenting their interpretation of Carlo Goldoni's masterpiece 'The Servant of Two Master's. It is showing at Australia La mama theatre in Carlton until July 31st. The cast includes Christian Bagin, Sharon Davis, Roby Favretto, Irene del Pilar, Freya Pragt, Lelda Kapsis and Darcy Kent. Many actors play both a primary and a secondary or extra character, and the lightning quick costume changes became just as fun as the play itself, as I tried to keep track of everybody, the frequent use of masks as props making this an even greater and more interesting challenge. Goldoni's 18th century play has been translated and directed by Rosa Campagnaro, who has studied in depth the nuances of commedia dell'arte, or the Italian tradition of comedic improvisation. While 'The Servant of Two Masters' is not necessarily part of commedia dell'arte canon, given that it is scripted in depth, in her version Rosa has encouraged her actors into acts of improvisation which in my opinion gel wonderfully with the feeling of the play and add exponentially to the wild silliness of the whole affair.  For example, the night I attended (the 17th of June), Brighella the innkeeper began to recite a menu to the audience, but got his mains mixed up with his entree. Truffaldino the servant, who was sharing the stage, leapt in using his outrageously coy Italian accent, 'come on man, you're a professional. You can't even get this right? Let's start the scene again'. After a quick argument in character, Brighella walked off stage left and reappeared, completely composed, and the scene continued, this time getting the dishes in the correct order.  I can't stress the fact that everyone is in their own roles perform excellently, and throughout the play every character made me laugh out loud with wordplay, physical slapstick comedy, hugely exaggerated ego's, excellently crafted accents and the obvious chemistry the exhibit in their on stage relationships with each other.  For me, the pinnacle of the comedy in the play was Campagnaro's plotting and the actors execution of the famous dining scene, in which Truffaldino is simultaneously serving his two masters unbeknownst to the masters themselves. The direction was ambitiously high, demanding perfect timing, high energy and on the momentum of the scene. That is, if one performer drops the ball, the whole thing loses all its power, but, the quicker, louder and riskier the scene is, the more hilarious it can be. It was perfectly  executed. The audience did not stop laughing for the full five minutes of the scene. While every performer in this play did a brilliant job, the star of the show was Christian Bagen as Trufaldino , the eccentric, rude, hilarious and endearing Servant. Bagen presented his character as he is meant to be, and stole the spotlight with perfect  comedic timing, improvisation, maturity and charm. It is a light hearted, entertaining play as a whole. However Campagnaro has  emphasised themes of sexuality and feminism in her version of the play, themes that are partially addressed in the original given a large part of the plot being devoted to a woman, dressed as a man, searching for her lost lover incognito, and the gender-based power she comes to control in her camouflage The themes have been drawn out gradually over the course of the play, and they include women's sexual libertarianism, the ridiculousness of gender stereotypes, and the sad cruelty of these stereotypes being enforced. Furthermore, the fact that so many of the antiquated social codes designed to oppress women are present in Goldoni's 18th Century play live on in our modern society is another well deserved and well calculated jab.    So, Campagnaro's 'The Servant of Two Masters' champions the women and condemns the fact that their qualities and capabilities, their power, is negated by a social code that when broken by the women in the play, seems bizarre that it had ever existed. And yet, none of these characters are white-washed. Both the men and women of the play have very real, repulsive human flaws, which somehow makes them that much more sympathetic.    And indeed, this play opens a discourse on feminism that is based largely in laughter - in the ridiculous, the silly, which can so often help us examine and access serious matters with an open mind. Once again, The Servant of Two Masters is running until the 31st of July, so not much time left. Head to lamama.com.au for more info and booking details. Written by Jim Thomas

La Mama Theatre is an ideal place to host the Australian premiere production of Lars Noren’s Courage to Kill. This tense two-hander, sometimes three-hander, from Sweden’s most celebrated playwright definitely works best in an intimate venue. It is one of those many plays that take place entirely in a domestic setting, in this case inside a young man’s apartment that he is forced to share with his father. While in some plays this makes the home seem like a bigger, grander place for having been the site of so much drama, Noren, and indeed set designer Charlotte Lane make it feel as though the walls are closing in on its inhabitants, largely because those walls are covered in sticky-taped newspaper clippings that keep being added to. As the audience takes their seats, director Richard Murphet places the son, Eric (Luke Mulquiney) at his desk and has him sort through the clippings while smoking a cigarette, in the manner of the classic film noir detective. He might have the jaded look, the unhealthy lifestyle and the rotating roster of young female lovers, but he’s a self-confessed coward, and a waiter, though a very attentive one apparently. However, none of this hospitality is afforded to his new housemate. His usually absent father, Ernst (Stephen House) has fallen on hard times. With nowhere else to go, Eric takes him in, more as his prisoner than anything else. While Ernst tries to make up for lost time, Eric tries to heal himself by punishing his father for what those years of parental neglect have done to him. Much of the play is a dance between pointing fingers and self-blame, between hurling insults and self-loathing, as the pair of them are sickened by the weakness they see in each other, and even more so when they see that same weakness in themselves. After the interval, Eric’s new exotic young lover, Radka (Tamara Natt), comes to have dinner with them, an event that Ernst has long been looking forward to. With fresh eyes, she witnesses how harsh Eric is with his father, and how manipulative Ernst is with his son. She hears how quickly calm words turn into snarls, which then turn into barking shouts, which then turn into a silence that is finally broken by more calm but wounded words. Their similarities are what strikes Radka the most. In the heat of the moment, Eric struggles to muster the courage, or the nerve, to do the right thing, while Ernst often can’t, or won’t, control his urge to do the wrong thing. Eric couldn’t save a woman he saw being violated because he hesitated before delivering that punch to the head to the man who was attacking her. On the other hand, Ernst, as Radka finds out, would have more likely been the violator. Either way, the same damage is done. She ultimately realises that she is not safe with either of the two sides of this terrible coin. All three cast members do an outstanding job. House is perfect as the ageing failure of a parent who invites both pity and scorn. Natt gives an entertainingly exaggerated performance as the siren-like voice of reason who drives the true selves of these two men right out of their self-righteous exteriors. Malquiney seems also a few steps removed from realism in his portrayal of the unhinged son tormented by the need to make his father proud, even one as flawed and wretched as Ernst is. However, despite the efforts of these fine actors, and the ominous sound design by Adam Casey, this production is inbuilt with a highly melodramatic ending that runs more on poetic logic than character believability, unlike the rest of the play, which is largely realistic. Perhaps it is a fault in Marita Lindholm Gochman’s otherwise solid translation of the original Swedish text, but this play’s abrupt conclusion just doesn’t feel earned. However, if Noren hadn’t forcibly accelerated the proceedings at the end there this production may well have outstayed its welcome. Courage to Kill finishes more or less after it’s said everything it has to say, which is a hell of a lot, and all of it is richly engrossing. Review written by Christian TsoutsouvasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

La Mama Theatre is an ideal place to host the Australian premiere production of Lars Noren’s Courage to Kill. This tense two-hander, sometimes three-hander, from Sweden’s most celebrated playwright definitely works best in an intimate venue. It is one of those many plays that take place entirely in a domestic setting, in this case inside a young man’s apartment that he is forced to share with his father. While in some plays this makes the home seem like a bigger, grander place for having been the site of so much drama, Noren, and indeed set designer Charlotte Lane make it feel as though the walls are closing in on its inhabitants, largely because those walls are covered in sticky-taped newspaper clippings that keep being added to. As the audience takes their seats, director Richard Murphet places the son, Eric (Luke Mulquiney) at his desk and has him sort through the clippings while smoking a cigarette, in the manner of the classic film noir detective. He might have the jaded look, the unhealthy lifestyle and the rotating roster of young female lovers, but he’s a self-confessed coward, and a waiter, though a very attentive one apparently. However, none of this hospitality is afforded to his new housemate. His usually absent father, Ernst (Stephen House) has fallen on hard times. With nowhere else to go, Eric takes him in, more as his prisoner than anything else. While Ernst tries to make up for lost time, Eric tries to heal himself by punishing his father for what those years of parental neglect have done to him. Much of the play is a dance between pointing fingers and self-blame, between hurling insults and self-loathing, as the pair of them are sickened by the weakness they see in each other, and even more so when they see that same weakness in themselves. After the interval, Eric’s new exotic young lover, Radka (Tamara Natt), comes to have dinner with them, an event that Ernst has long been looking forward to. With fresh eyes, she witnesses how harsh Eric is with his father, and how manipulative Ernst is with his son. She hears how quickly calm words turn into snarls, which then turn into barking shouts, which then turn into a silence that is finally broken by more calm but wounded words. Their similarities are what strikes Radka the most. In the heat of the moment, Eric struggles to muster the courage, or the nerve, to do the right thing, while Ernst often can’t, or won’t, control his urge to do the wrong thing. Eric couldn’t save a woman he saw being violated because he hesitated before delivering that punch to the head to the man who was attacking her. On the other hand, Ernst, as Radka finds out, would have more likely been the violator. Either way, the same damage is done. She ultimately realises that she is not safe with either of the two sides of this terrible coin. All three cast members do an outstanding job. House is perfect as the ageing failure of a parent who invites both pity and scorn. Natt gives an entertainingly exaggerated performance as the siren-like voice of reason who drives the true selves of these two men right out of their self-righteous exteriors. Malquiney seems also a few steps removed from realism in his portrayal of the unhinged son tormented by the need to make his father proud, even one as flawed and wretched as Ernst is. However, despite the efforts of these fine actors, and the ominous sound design by Adam Casey, this production is inbuilt with a highly melodramatic ending that runs more on poetic logic than character believability, unlike the rest of the play, which is largely realistic. Perhaps it is a fault in Marita Lindholm Gochman’s otherwise solid translation of the original Swedish text, but this play’s abrupt conclusion just doesn’t feel earned. However, if Noren hadn’t forcibly accelerated the proceedings at the end there this production may well have outstayed its welcome. Courage to Kill finishes more or less after it’s said everything it has to say, which is a hell of a lot, and all of it is richly engrossing. Review written by Christian Tsoutsouvas

A Room of One’s Own is an extended essay written by Virginia Woolf. It is based on a series of lectures Woolf gave at two women’s colleges at Cambridge University in 1928. The lectures employ a fictional narrator and narrative and they explore the idea of ‘women and fiction’. It argues space for women writers, both figuratively and literally, in the world of literature that is often dominated by men. Sentient Theatre’s inaugural performance of A Room of One's Own is directed by, and translated and to stage, by Peta Hanranhan. Virginia Woolf's essay was beautifully bought to the stage in this production performed by Anna Kennedy, Jackson Trickett, Carolyn Bock and Marissa O’Reilly The ideas and arguments were successfully portrayed and it was amazing to see how relevant Virginia Woolf's writings are still today. However, I felt it often delved too deeply into the intellectual and the academic in an attempt to make it more accessible to people unfamiliar with the ideas and arguments of Woolf's work. It was extremely wordy, visually quite still and unchanging, and I often found myself drifting off into my own thoughts. I would have loved to see a change in mood and energy in this piece to keep the audience drawn into the world of the play. Overall this play was very thought provoking and explored a very beautiful and important text. A Room of One’s Own is showing at La Mama Court House in Carlton until May 8th. Review written by Ebony Beaton Review read aloud by Janet KelsoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Room of One’s Own is an extended essay written by Virginia Woolf. It is based on a series of lectures Woolf gave at two women’s colleges at Cambridge University in 1928. The lectures employ a fictional narrator and narrative and they explore the idea of ‘women and fiction’. It argues space for women writers, both figuratively and literally, in the world of literature that is often dominated by men.  Sentient Theatre’s inaugural performance of A Room of One's Own is directed by, and translated and to stage, by Peta Hanranhan. Virginia Woolf's essay was beautifully bought to the stage in this production performed by Anna Kennedy, Jackson Trickett, Carolyn Bock and Marissa O’Reilly The ideas and arguments were successfully portrayed and it was amazing to see how relevant Virginia Woolf's writings are still today. However, I felt it often delved too deeply into the intellectual and the academic in an attempt to make it more accessible to people unfamiliar with the ideas and arguments of Woolf's work. It was extremely wordy, visually quite still and unchanging, and I often found myself drifting off into my own thoughts. I would have loved to see a change in mood and energy in this piece to keep the audience drawn into the world of the play. Overall this play was very thought provoking and explored a very beautiful and important text.   A Room of One’s Own is showing at La Mama Court House in Carlton until May 8th. Review written by Ebony Beaton Review read aloud by Janet Kelso

Content warning: contains swearing. Review by Ebony Beaton Fucking Parasites directed by Adam J A Cass, is a grim look into the world of two teenage girls who are imprisoned in an immigration processing centre and waiting to find out if they have been granted refugee status after fleeing from their homelands with their parents. They spend their time playing and parodying adults in their lives, such as nurses, their parents and lawyers. It is written by Swedish playwright Ninna Tersman, she wrote it about 10 years ago and was inspired by her experience in Sweden with refugees as well has her experiences while traveling New Zealand, and is based on interviews with asylum seekers, refugees, migration board officers, lawyers, doctors and policemen both in New Zealand and Sweden. I really enjoyed Adam J A Cass’s and this casts interpretation of this text. The set was quite abstract and stark, pastel blue boxes as rooms with small passages ways to each painted on the floor, with furniture and objects in the space being made of Lego-like blocks, and four hanging fluorescent light blubs hanging from the roof. Lots of the props including water and medication were made of Lego which I thought was a very beautiful idea. There was an eerie drone through the whole piece, stopping at different times, creating a moment of intense alertness and tenseness. This all added so much and really spoke to the piece in an interesting way. Weather it was intentional or not the sound scape made the piece feel longer than it was, I wonder if this element was intentionally woven into this piece, to make the audience feel more immersed and speak more deeply to the idea of waiting for asylum, the sound was created by one of the Actors Elizabeth Esguerra. The script was very sombre and does not give the audience the happy ending they want, I felt leaving the play very hard because we did not achieve resolution, but perhaps that was the effect the playwright wanted. Elizabeth Esguerra and Asha Khan both performed well and matched each other’s energy. Adam J A Cass’s direction and interpretation of the script was simple and clean, and very immersive and consuming. Fucking Parasites opened the day after the Papua New Guinea Prime minister announced that the detention centre on Manus island was unconstitutional and that the Australian government must make other arrangements for 850 asylum seekers, much like the characters in this play, their fate still unknown. I don’t know if this play can change the views of people who disagree with bringing and settling asylum seekers in Australia, but at the very least I hope it can spark a conversation. Fucking Parasites is showing until May 8th at La Mama Theatre, Carlton.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Content warning: contains swearing. Review by Ebony Beaton Fucking Parasites directed by Adam J A Cass, is a grim look into the world of two teenage girls who are imprisoned in an immigration processing centre and waiting to find out if they have been granted refugee status after fleeing from their homelands with their parents. They spend their time playing and parodying adults in their lives, such as nurses, their parents and lawyers. It is written by Swedish playwright Ninna Tersman, she wrote it about 10 years ago and was inspired by her experience in Sweden with refugees as well has her experiences while traveling New Zealand, and is based on interviews with asylum seekers, refugees, migration board officers, lawyers, doctors and policemen both in New Zealand and Sweden. I really enjoyed Adam J A Cass’s and this casts interpretation of this text. The set was quite abstract and stark, pastel blue boxes as rooms with small passages ways to each painted on the floor, with furniture and objects in the space being made of Lego-like blocks, and four hanging fluorescent light blubs hanging from the roof. Lots of the props including water and medication were made of Lego which I thought was a very beautiful idea. There was an eerie drone through the whole piece, stopping at different times, creating a moment of intense alertness and tenseness. This all added so much and really spoke to the piece in an interesting way. Weather it was intentional or not the sound scape made the piece feel longer than it was, I wonder if this element was intentionally woven into this piece, to make the audience feel more immersed and speak more deeply to the idea of waiting for asylum, the sound was created by one of the Actors Elizabeth Esguerra. The script was very sombre and does not give the audience the happy ending they want, I felt leaving the play very hard because we did not achieve resolution, but perhaps that was the effect the playwright wanted. Elizabeth Esguerra and Asha Khan both performed well and matched each other’s energy. Adam J A Cass’s direction and interpretation of the script was simple and clean, and very immersive and consuming. Fucking Parasites opened the day after the Papua New Guinea Prime minister announced that the detention centre on Manus island was unconstitutional and that the Australian government must make other arrangements for 850 asylum seekers, much like the characters in this play, their fate still unknown. I don’t know if this play can change the views of people who disagree with bringing and settling asylum seekers in Australia, but at the very least I hope it can spark a conversation. Fucking Parasites is showing until May 8th at La Mama Theatre, Carlton.

Adelaide has a solid arts scene. Our guests tonight have cut their teeth here and now produce theatre that impresses the world. Andy Packer from Slingsby and Chris Drummond from Brink Productions take us through a story of sweat and tears to facepaint and spotlights and finally to the doom of unprecedented arts funding cuts (this last topic has been held back for a sealed section coming out on the weekend). Most importantly, we learn about the many ways the arts support our community, directly and indirectly. Our SA Drink of the week is courtesy of Coopers - the iconic stout fuelled Chris and Andy in their early days of creativity at La Mama Theatre. In IS IT NEWS, Nigel tests us on the theme, Theatre. George Inglis merges health funding with the arts. We tip our hat to sponsor, Audible. You can get a free audio book by going to audible.com.au/adelaide. We explain it in the first part of the show. In music, we hear a song written for a Brink Productions play, When The Rain Stops Falling. In the Made To Move Minute, Myth Busting - No pain The Ultimate Gain? In the Adelaide Visa Council, a defendant from last week returns for a reversal. But first, David Washington from In Daily presents his midweek news wrap, Talk Of The Town. Support the show: https://theadelaideshow.com.au/listen-or-download-the-podcast/adelaide-in-crowd/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jon Polito is an actor in theatre, movies, and television. From the historic La Mama Theatre in New York, to many Coen Brothers movies, to Gangster Squad, Jon and Tom talk about Villanova theatre, Dustin Hoffman on the set, and magical opportunities onstage. Enjoy!

Tonight tex and Jason are chatting about Gay Mens Groups and Programmes in Melbourne along with HIV and health news. Following on from this Darren Vizer will be chatting about the new play he has produced called No One Likes Me, showing @La Mama Theatre in Carlton soon.