www.MelbourneObserver.com.au
Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 21, 2018 - Page 49
Observer Showbiz
Local Theatre with Cheryl Threadgold and team BREXITER ■ Brexiter, produced by Fifi La Boom! Productions and hosted by The MC Showroom in Prahran can be seen from March 2-4. Based on a true story, this 60-minute production will feature singing, dancing, and anecdotes and will embodythe authentic cabaret style of the ages. Following her debut one-woman show, Songs and Sexcapades, Fifi La Boom! is back with a new show, telling audiences once again about how she Brexited from the UK and why she left the glamorous London lifestyle for Melbourne suburbia. Using an eclectic array of songs from Stevie Wonder to Jungle, Brexiter celebrates what makes this country so great, with the usual Fifi La Boom! comedy that will have you cringing or laughing at her ridiculous antics ... or both! The MC Showroom is a cosy performance venue in the heart of Prahran and the popular Chapel St precinct. With a smart layout and well-equipped facilities, it has numerous possible uses, be it creative workshops, drama classes, rehearsals, auditions, to name a few. The MC Showroom was co-created by Melbourne music producer Craig Bryant and multicultural communication expert, Mangmang Miao through their passion to offer both an accessible and high quality creative space for local talent. Their ultimate vision is to help launch successful creative productions with an affordable platform that encompasses the entire production process, in conjunction with the studios of Paxus Productions under the same roof. Performance details: March 2 – 4 at 7.30pm (doors open at 7pm) Cost: $26-32 Venue: The MC Showroom, Level 1, 48 Clifton Street, Prahran Tickets: www.trybooking.com/TUXW - Cheryl Threadgold
MUSIC BUS TOUR
● From Page 43 Arts Centre Melbourne is a fitting home for the Australian Music Vault. Much of the exhibition’s rich content is drawn from the Australian Performing Arts Collection, the nation’s leading specialist collection documenting Australia’s music, circus, dance, opera and theatre heritage. Established in 1975 and now formally recognised as a state collection, it consists of over 600,000 items including costumes, designs, programs, photographs, posters, personal memorabilia and archival material. The Melbourne Music Bus Tour, alongside the Australian Music Vault, builds on Melbourne and Victoria’s reputation as a cultural destination by exploring and celebrating Melbourne’s unique music history. There are music city tours on offer in cities such as London, New York, Seattle, Liverpool and LosAngeles- Melbourne now joins this list. Tour Dates: Saturday February 24, March 24, April 28, May 26, June 23, July 21 at 1pm Tour Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes. Please allow additional time in case of unexpected traffic Tickets: $60.00 Melbourne Music Bus Tour is all ages, however children must be accompanied by an adult. Please arrive at the Australian Music Vault 10-15 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time. The bus will return to Arts Centre Melbourne at the conclusion of the tour. Latecomers will not be admitted.
Point of No Return launch ■ An indulgent culinary fund-raising event to be held in one of Wyndham’s finest homes on Friday, March 23 at 7pm will launch the 2018 Victorian tour of the locally written, multi-award winning play Point of No Return, written by Alaine Beek. Titled A Taste of Heston, the exclusive meal will comprise an eight-course Heston Blumenthal themed barbecue menu, presented by Bart Beek, Executive Chef for Everdure by Heston Blumenthal, in the stately Hopper residence at 456 Sayers Rd, Tarneit. Special features of the event will include specialty wines, auctions, raffle and a door prize. Tickets are limited to 75 guests. Point of No Return is an artistic project based in Melbourne’s west. It is presented by Essence Productions in conjunction with the Wyndham Theatre Company, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2018. Written for adults, the play will also target youth, reaching out to Victoria’s high schools. This unique and relatively unknown piece of Australian history is based on the true story of the British Empire’s first ever boys’ prison, Point Puer, located at Port Arthur, Tasmania, and attempts at rehabilitation of the youths in prison. The drama tells of the boys all belonging to a gang to survive and having a strong but difficult connection with their guard, Hawkins. However, a new young prisoner is introduced into the group and this brings changes in power status, dynamics and risks. The play is said to be about young men sur-
viving, belonging, loyalty and betrayal, and although brutal at times, is a story of hope. Beek wrote the play after visiting the prison some years ago. As the mother of a young teenage boy, she found much of what they had to go through to be unfathomable, yet real. The play has already won Judges’ Choice for Best Written Script, People’s Choice for Best Written Script and People’s Choice for Best Performed play in the 2014 National One Act Playwright awards. It was then developed into a full length play, and with a new cast of young professional graduates, has an exciting tour planned for July and August this year. Alaine Beek said it will be the first time these young graduate actors and crew from the west of Melbourne will have been involved in a professional tour, which she believes is necessary for the play to receive creditability and recognition. “This is an incredible artistic local Wyndham project which will showcase to the whole of Victoria and beyond, what amazing things we are doing here,” says Beek. The luxury barbecue event is being held to raise much-needed funds to support the tour costs. Event Details: Friday, March 23 at 7pm Venue: Hopper residence, 456 Sayers Road, Tarneit Cost: $190 per person Bookings: www.essenceproductions.com.au - Cheryl Threadgold
Latest shows, auditions SHOWS ■ Cardinia Performing Arts Company (CPAC): Annie Until February 24 at the Cardinia Arts and Cultural Centre, Lakeside Boulevard, Pakenham. Director: Lee Geraghty. Bookings: www.cardiniaperformingarts.com ■ Heidelberg Theatre Company: Crossing Delancey (by Susan Sandler) Until March 3 at 36 Turnham Ave., Rosanna. Director: Llaaneath Poor. Tickets: $27 Full, $24 Conc. Bookings: 9457 4117 or htc.org.au ■ Brighton Theatre Company: In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play (by Sarah Ruhl) Until March 3 at Brighton Theatre, Cnr Carpenter and Wilson Sts., Brighton. Director: Natasha Boyd. Bookings: 1300 752 126. ■ Malvern Theatre Company: Last Gas (by John Cariani) Until March 3 at Malvern Theatre, 29 Burke Rd., Malvern. Director: Helen Ellis. Bookings:1300 131 152 or www.malverntheatre.com.au ■ The 1812 Theatre: Calendar Girls (by Tim Firth) February 22 - March 17 at The 1812 Theatre, 3-5 Rose St., Upper Ferntree Gully. Director: John Mills. Bookings: www.1812theatre. com.au ■ Mordialloc Theatre Company: All the King's Women (by Luigi Jannazzi) Until March 3 at Shirley Burke Theatre, 64 Parkers Rd., Parkdale. Director: Barbara Crawford, Bookings: 9587 5141 or www.mordialloctheatre.com ■ Eltham Little Theatre: The Importance of Being Earnest (by Oscar Wilde) February 23 March 4 at The Eltham Performing Arts Centre, 1603 Main Rd., Research. Director: Brad Buckingham. Bookings: www.trybooking.com/ book/event?eid=344247 ■ The Basin Theatre Group: It's Never Too Late (by Ron Aldridge) Until March 10 at The Basin Theatre, Cnr Doongalla and Simpsons Rds., The Basin. Director: Christine Grant. Bookings: 1300 784 668 or www.thebasintheatre.org.au ■ Lilydale Athenaeum Theatre Company: Sylvia (by A. R. Gurney) March 1 - 17 at 39-41 Castella St., Lilydale. Director; Catherine
SHOWS ■ Strathmore Theatrical Arts Group (STAG): Wait Until Dark (by Frederick Knott) March 1 11 at the Strathmore Community Centre, Cnr Loeman and Napier Sts., Strathmore. Director: Rhys Purdey. Tickets: $20/$15. Bookings: 9382 6284 or www.stagtheatre.org/reservations ■ Beaumaris Theatre: Chicago March 2 - 17 at Beaumaris Theatre, 82 Wells Rd., Beaumaris. Director: Debbie Keyt; Musical Director: Rhonda Vaughan; Choreographer: Camilla Klesman. Bookings: www.beaumaris theatre.com.au
AUDITIONS ■ Strathmore TheatricalArts Group (STAG): Play It Again Sam (by Woody Allen) Audition dates on website www.stagtheatre.org. Director: Lee Cook. Full details www.stagtheatre,org ■ The 1812 Theatre: Dial M For Murder (by Frederick Knott) March 4 at 7.00pm at The 1812 Theatre, 3-5 Rose St., Upper Ferntree Gully. Director: Chris Procter. Enquiries: 9754 3081 ■ Brighton Theatre Company: Forget Me Not (by Tom Hollway) March 4 at 2.00pm, March 5 at 7.00pm at Bayside Cultural Centre, Cnr Wilson and Carpenter Sts., Brighton. Director: Annie Blood. Enquiries: 0427 848 118 ■ Peridot Theatre: 84 Charing Cross Road (adapted by James Roose Evans from the book by Helene Hanff, March 4 at 1.00pm and March 6 at 7.30pm at the Unicorn Theatre, Mt Waverley Secondary College, Lechte Rd., Mt Waverley. Director: Horrie Leek. Enquiries: 0412 474 255. ■ Warrandyte Theatre Company: Doubt (by John Patrick Shanley) March 18 at 4.00pm, March 20 at 5.00pm at the Mechanics Institute Hall, Yarra St., Warrandyte. Director: Susan Rundle. Enquiries: 0416 298 136 ■ Peridot Theatre: The Shoe-Horn Sonata (by John Misto) March 25 at 6.30pm, March 27 at 7.30pm at the Unicorn Theatre, Mt Waverley Secondary College, Lechte Rd., Mt Waverley. Director: Alison Knight. Enquiries: a8knight@bigpond.net.au - Cheryl Threadgold
PAULA ARMSTRONG
● Paula Armstrong ■ Paula Armstrong is well reputed in the world of non-professional theatre for initiating innovative projects and making them happen. Paula says she loves creating events and opportunities that bring creative people together. She has enjoyed success as a playwright, actor and director and been involved in various aspects of theatre for over 30 years. She says, however, that she still feels like a novice. Her first full length modern-day comedy/ drama/farce was Katerina in 2007, which made its successful debut at STAG (Strathmore Theatrical Arts Group) in November 2009, and had another airing at Eltham Little Theatre in 2013. Paula’s short plays A Criminal Mind, Just One and The Other Sister, have been shortlisted and performed in various festivals including Boardshorts at the 1812 Theatre, Play Six and various Short and Sweet festivals in Australia and New Zealand. The one act play version of Criminal Minds won the 2010 Boroondara National Playwright Competition. Another of Paula’s successful projects was as producer and creator of the highly successful Ten Minute Quickies – a 10-minute play competition that enjoyed five seasons between May 2009 and May 2016, when presented at Eltham Little Theatre. Paula is currently working with ARK Theatre’s Jimmy Dunne and Rosey Cullinan on the birth of a fresh new concept on the short play circuit. Merging the One Act Play festival concept with a writing competition, ARKfest have paired original scripts from writers from all over Australia with Victorian theatre groups and ensembles, including 1812, Hartwell, Euroa Little Theatre and Gemco to name a few. Actors will have five minutes to set up, perform in 10 minutes and then strike the set. The festival runs over March 24-25, with two plays from each heat going into the finals on the Sunday evening. Patrons can enjoy a barbecue lunch between heats with a glass of wine or some organic coffee. The event is sponsored by the Healesville RACV Country Club. ARKfest judges include Stephen Barber, Terese Maurici, Jennifer Paragreen and Cheryl Threadgold. Event Details: ARKfest Short Play Festival, March 24 – 25 Venue: Lilydale Heights Performing Arts Centre, 17 Nelson Rd, Lillydale. Tickets: From $10 Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/ book/event?eid=344224& - Cheryl Threadgold