Akmal pops your cork this New Year
This New Years Eve, do yourself a favour and find yourself at The Big Gig’s Comedy Festival. Starring Akmal, Joel Ozborn, Greg Sullivan and emceed by Mandy Nolan, this is going to be a night to remember. Movies, sketch, standup, TV appearances, radio DJ and talk-show host, improviser and a published author, Akmal is one of Australia’s most respected, successful and accomplished comics.
He displays an incredible ability to deal with hot topics in an hilarious and inoffensive way.
Akmal has a fascinating past, originally migrating to Australia from Egypt with his family nearly 30 years ago. He sums it up in his own inimitable style: ‘My parents didn’t tell us where we were going. We thought it was two hours away. Twenty hours later, we got off a plane. We were on another planet.’
This and many other bizarre incidents dot Akmal’s life – suggesting a career in standup comedy was pre-ordained, either that or he should have been committed early on. He is joined by Joel Ozborn, regular club favourite Greg Sullivan, and Mandy Nolan who promises to fire up with 2014’s Top Ten!
With dinner music by Lou Bradley and a gorgeous two-course meal, this dinner show will take you up to midnight – with free entry afterwards to the band downstairs. Fireworks on the River. This is the place to be. And it’s only $64.90 – if you book a table of 10 it’s $62.90!
Kicks off with dinner and music from 7pm.
For enquiries contact the Ballina RSL on 6686 2544 or go to their website: ballinarsl.com.au.
Summer Stories of Christmas
Local storytellers Jenni Cargill-Strong and Annie Bryant create Christmas and summer solstice magic at the Byron Bay Library from 10:30am this Saturday with free stories and songs for the whole family. Just in time for school holidays, the morning will celebrate the spirit of giving, gratitude, finding the light within and creating peace in the home throughout the holiday season.
Jenni Cargill-Strong has five award-winning albums of stories and songs for children including Molly Whuppie, The Mermaid’s Shoes, The Storytree & Other Nature Tales and, most recently, Reaching For The Moon & Other Wisdom Tales.
Annie Bryant has just released her third collection of seasonal songs and stories for children titled Jump In, and is the co-host of 99.9 BayFM’s storytelling program The Heart of the Story.
All ages are welcome and 3–9-year-olds will particularly enjoy hearing Christmas and solstice stories grounded in the Australian culture and our local environment. This is a free event and bookings are essential on 6685 8540.
What happens when 16 kids run away to join the circus
Artistic director Simon Adams is excited to present his premier show with the Circus Arts Performance Troupe All Of Me.
The cast of 16 have spent the year training in new disciplines and delving deeply into their own experiences to create a personal and touching narrative that combines physical theatre and acrobatics to explore the concepts of labels and stereotypes in their own lives.
Perceptions are challenged and individuality celebrated as our characters strive to connect to each other and their inner selves.
All Of Me also marks the final curtain call for three of Circus Arts’ Performance Troupe members who are leaving Byron Bay for adventures in the city. Fara, Mytharia and Kyaisha have shared blood, sweat and tears (and plenty of laughs) on the Circus Arts training floor over the last five years and are now taking their training further afield at NICA, Circus Oz and Circus Arts Gold Coast.
Celebrate their swan song, along with the rest of the talented cast, on Friday and Saturday at 7.30pm at Circus Arts Byron Bay.
Byron Entertainment Centre, Arts & Industry Park, Byron Bay. Adults $10, Kids $5. All Of Me ticket bookings: 6685 6566 or www.circusarts.com.au.
Art Alchemy
Last chance to see Geoff Cotton’s Seeing myself dead at Art-Alchemy exhibition, TransitioninG20’14 Day of the Dead – life death and politics. This quirky installation of 10 artists (eight also art therapists) exited Brisbane’s G20 with their Day of the Dead re-installed at 165 Brooklet Rd, Newrybar. Catherine Volkov, Kate Finnila, Kristy Thorburn, Debbie Tawhai, Fern Crowhurst-Waters, Silvia Herranz, Elise McKenzie, Carmen Nemet-Nicola Harris collaboration finishes Sunday 6pm.
Shorts Extension
Byron All Shorts celebrates the filmmaking talent of the northern rivers region and encourages audiences to experience the many amazing films and local stories that are produced here each year.
Filmmakers from across the region are invited to submit their short films of up to 30 minutes in length and from all genres.
Prizes and cash to the value of around $3k will include awards for Flickerfest Jury Award for Best Short Film, SAE Qantm Jury Award for Emerging Talent, SCCU Audience Choice and more prizes from Avid, In Your Face Productions, NRCF and Screenworks.
If you live in the northern rivers, or have produced a film in the northern rivers, or have made a film about the northern rivers you can enter Byron All Shorts. Finalists will screen on 24 January at Bangalow A&I Hall alongside the best in the world at Flickerfest. Entry deadline is Friday 19 December. Info and entry forms at www.iQ.org.au or 0414 779 881.
Paintings on Screen
The latest film in the Exhibition on Screen program, bringing blockbuster art exhibitions from galleries around the world to cinemas, is Rembrandt, filmed at the National Gallery, London and the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
In addition to showing the exhibitions’ paintings, the films take audiences behind the scenes to discover what lies behind each exhibition creatively and technically, and what the artwork reveals about the artist and the particular historical period.
Screening at Palace Byron Bay Cinema at 1pm on Sunday 21 and Wednesday 24 December. Tickets $15–$25 available at Palace box office or online at www.palacecinemas.com.au.
Feeling like a Tosca
Based on a melodrama originally written for Sarah Bernhardt by French playwright Victorien Sardou, Giacomo Puccini’s sexually explosive thriller Tosca depicts a corrupt police chief who sets his sights on a glamorous singer as he plots to destroy her lover, a politically rebellious painter.
Screening at Palace Byron Bay Cinema on Sunday at 1pm and Wednesday December 24 at 11am. Sung in Italian with English subtitles, this performance was captured live from the Bastille Opera House in Paris on 16 October this year.
Tickets $15–24 available at the Palace box office or online at www.palacecinemas.com.au.
Austen Tayshus
Lovers of the quick and sometimes diabolical wit of comedy legend Austen Tayshus can get his annual comedy download of the year that was when he performs at the Byron RSL on Monday 5 January with Mandy Nolan.
Tix are $20/25 at the club or can be booked on 6619 0529.
SNIPPETS
Lone Goat gallery
‘M’ – paintings, prints and assemblages by Turiya Bruce runs until 23 Dec at the Lone Goat Gallery, Byron Bay. The gallery also has an opening for ambassadors to be trained to assist in welcoming and providing information to visitors. Please register your interest at [email protected].
Carols
Carols in Burringbar Sun 21st 6.30pm in the park next to the Rural Fire Brigade. A barbecue also to raise funds for the RFB. Bring a rug or chair.
Mullum Library
School holiday activity at Mullum Library on Tuesday 23 December, 2pm. Places limited, book on 6684 2992. Contribute to our book of free-flowing verse.
Christmas lunch
An invitation to anyone who may be having Christmas lunch on their own to come and join with other folk at the Uniting Church Hall in Fingal Street, Brunswick Heads, from 12 noon on 25 December. It will be an alcohol-free area. Contact Robin 6685 1487 for further information.
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