Full Points for Byron Ballet Gala
Byron Ballet Company performs a spectacular gala at the Byron Theatre on Saturday. The programme includes the comedic family ballet Coppelia (Act 2 ), variations from special male guests and a contemporary piece to the sensual Ravel’s Bolero. Two shows, at 2pm & 7pm – come and support your local ballet community. Book at http://byroncentre.com.au/whats-on or call Byron Community Centre 6685 6807.
Drawing Raw
In The Raw is a life drawing experience that features 2 life models posing for hour-long periods, where the artist can relax into their own creative space with chilled tunes in the large back room at the Byron Bay Brewery. With over 20 years experience in life drawing and a past career as a visual artist, Ilona Harker wanted to put her knowledge and her history of coordinating Dr Sketchys in Byron to create a classic art class with a twist. Starting at 6pm – 9.30 the first Thursday of each month, beginning September 3. $20.
Lawyer turned comedian Chris Radburn holds court at the Big Gig
Former lawyer Chris Radburn is an Aussie comedian who has earned a reputation for clever and cheeky observations that are relatable original and hilarious. Chris has appeared as a comedian on over 15 TV shows including the NRL Footy Show, NBC’s Last Comic Standing, CNN International, Stand up Australia, Thursday Night Live, Getaway, Joker Poker, and the Sydney Comedy Festival Gala and performed overseas in America, Malaysia, Solomon Islands, Egypt, Dubai and New Zealand. Chris is very busy on the Australian comedy circuit and was this year invited to perform for the prestigious Montreal Just for Laughs showcase in Sydney. He was also handpicked to support US comedy superstars Weird Al Yankovic and Rob Schneider on their Australian tours. Over the last 10 years Chris has performed at the Sydney Comedy Festival Melbourne International Comedy Festival & Bangalow’s Big Joke Festival, Woodford Folk Festival and Sydney’s World’s Funniest Island. As a multi-talented performer Chris is also an actor broadcaster and writer. Chris is joined by support act Texan boy wonder, Joe Schaffer. Joe was the creator of the award winning comic strip Slow Children at Play, and was the writer and editor for The Daily Texan and Lawless Comix. Over the past 6 years, Joe has stepped out from behind the pencil to behind the microphone, sharing his unique insights with the world. MC is the larger than life Mandy Nolan, who keeps the show and audiences rolling along! Thursday at 8pm at the Ballina RSL. Free Show.
Trying Comedy For the First Time!
They’re back. The next crop of Mandy Nolan’s stand up comedy Virgins. Bigger, bolder and brasher than ever. For the past six weeks Mandy Nolan has been teaching the gentle art of stand up to 15 brand new initiates. This bumper crop of comics ranges from a social psychologist to an environmental entenpreneur from an IT expert to a Ad & Music Video creative to an actor to a lawyer to a prosecutor and beyond. In fact, with 15 new people ready to take up the challenge, Mandy Nolan has been impressed with their diversity and their enthusiasm. ‘This is a very funny group of people. I love teaching classes like this. Every now and then I’ll get these groups that have this incredible dynamic, where everyone is so different and strong. It’s a real pleasure teaching them. They’re naturally funny. The students in this class have the most amazing life experiences and perspectives that really influence their on stage routines. We have all ends of the spectrum covered!’ Mandy has been teaching stand up comedy through Byron Shire ACE for over 18 years. She teaches students how to get in touch with their challenges to reframe their problems, and make long lists of what irritates! ‘I encourage people to focus on things that annoy them – I guess I am asking them to be their less evolved selves! Very often though its those little things that get under everyone’s skin that have the most comedy mileage!’
With Mandy Nolan as MC, the comedy graduates fly in the face of fear at the Byron Services’ Club Pandanus Lounge on Monday at 8pm. Tix are $10/15 and can be purchased at the door or booked on 6619 0529.
Moonlight and Magnolias for Players
Moonlight and Magnolias, Ballina Players latest production, takes a comic look at the behind the scenes of one of the most beloved and successful films of all time.
Hollywood director David O Selznick (Peter Harding) is determined to turn the epic novel Gone with the Wind into a great movie. He sacks his writer yet again and goes into lockdown for one week with producer Victor Fleming (Mike Sheehan) and sought after screen writer Ben Hecht (Trevor Stone). They must produce a script in that time with a writer who has not read the book.Ron Hutchinson’s Moonlight and Magnolias, which is based on real events, explores the week’s chaos. Selznick and Fleming frantically and hilariously attempt to play the characters and cover the plot using dialogue from the book, while Hecht argues as he types. Scarlet O’Hara has never before looked like this.
Moonlight and Magnolias will be staged at the Players Theatre from September 4 to 19. Evening performances will commence at 8 pm and Sunday matinees at 2 pm. Opening night patrons will receive a complimentary glass of champagne.
Book online at www.ballinaplayers.com.au or at Just Funkin Music, 6686 2440.
Talking About Death
Death is one of those subjects that so many of us struggle to talk about. Many of us don’t bother to think about what death means to us until we are dealing with it close up. Cape Byron Playback Theatre Company have teamed up with the Natural Death Care Centre to bring you another Death Café experience with a difference. Death Cafés have been happening in the Shire for a several years; they are part of a global movement to bring people together for more open, informative and often lively conversations about death. It’s aim is to increase awareness and familiarity around dying and loss, and to encourage people to make the most of their lives. Dying To Talk is on Saturday at the Mullum Drill Hall. Doors open and food available from 6 – 9pm. Mullum Community Gardens will have delicious food for sale. Tickets are $10 from Mullum Book Shop, Byron Bay’s Mary Ryan or online at www.trybooking.com/148260. It’s an intimate venue and space is limited to 80 people, so get in early.
Flick Your Shorts
Celebrating its landmark 25th year, Flickerfest, Australia’s leading Academy® Award accredited and BAFTA recognised Short Film festival, and Australia’s largest short film competition, is now accepting entries from Australia and around the world, for its 2016 Festival.
Flickerfest will screen for 10 days under the summer stars at Bondi Beach in January 2015 with selected highlights heading off after the festival around Australia on a 50 venue national tour.
Flickerfest remains a platform for celebrating the most entertaining and innovative short film making from around the world, judged by a panel of leading industry experts.
Flickerfest 2016
25th International Short Film Festival
(deadline 30 September 2015)
Call for Entries Now Open Online at flickerfest.com.au/entries
Wild Things
Wild Things will descend on Ocean Shores this coming Friday, invading the Public School for the exciting opening night of the Ocean Shores Art Expo.
A wild night is expected, with 700 or more entries in the Wild Things exhibit, ranging from sculpture, through photography to acrylic and oil paintings.
‘Judging by the names of the works coming in, it promises to be an incredible show of talent,’ said secretary of the art expo committee, Mary Bernard.
‘This year’s theme is particularly exciting and we are curious to see what the artists have captured.’ Dress as a wild thing for the opening on Friday at 7pm with the expo running through Saturday and Sunday, in conjunction with the school’s Festival of the Imagination.
