All aboard for history on the tracks
Take your seat under the stars as NORPA’s Railway Wonderland brings Lismore’s beautiful, disused train station back to life. Drama, dance, song (a choir no less!) combine to tell a magical story inspired by the region that will transport you across time from 1940s to the present day. Watch it all unfold from specially constructed seating built over the (no longer in use) railway tracks.
The last train left the platform of Lismore, north coast NSW, in May 2004. Like so many regional towns in Australia, the train station was a thriving centre of activity and the lifeline of the community. The history of the Northern Rivers region is written on its tracks. Lismore’s train station is steeped in the stories of regional Australia.
NORPA have created an entire experience around the show with an outdoor bar and street diner. Railway Wonderland pulls into Lismore train station in October 22 and departs on November 7. All aboard!
Tickets: www.norpa.org.au or 1300 066 772
FREE tickets for Echonetdaily subscribers!
Go to www.echo.net.au/giveaways to enter.
Cats sing and dance in Byron
Bright Lights Performance School students will perform CATS The Musical – Abridged Edition at the Byron Theatre. Directed by Rebecca Balfour and choreographed by Lee Purdie, CATS is based on the universally popular poetry of T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. CATS tells the story, in song and dance, of the annual gathering of Jellicle cats at The Jellicle Ball, where one special cat is selected to ascend to the Heaviside layer and come back to new life. Come along and enjoy our talented performers as they present an enchanting blend of fantasy and drama through the fusion of music, movement and verse.
A true musical theatre phenomenon with the beautiful music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Broadway standard costuming, produced by the students themselves.
For two shows only this Sunday 2pm and 6.30pm. Tix available online byroncentre.com.au or call 6685 6807.
Gotta love a Pirate story
The brilliant new product of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance plays The Byron Theatre for one night only! This great opera boasts a local connection with Joshua Bloom as the Pirate King.
The Pirates of Penzance tells the story of the pirate apprentice Frederic and his love for Mabel, the daughter of Major-General Stanley who has the famous tongue-twisting patter song ‘I am the very model of a modern Major-General’.
Olivier award-winning designer Alison Chitty designed the set and costumes. Lighting is by Paul Pyant with choreography by Francesca Jaynes. David Parry conducts. The cast includes Andrew Shore as Major-General Stanley, Robert Murray as Frederic, Jonathan Lemalu as the Sergeant of Police, Rebecca de Pont Davies as Ruth, Joshua Bloom as The Pirate King, Claudia Boyle as Mabel, Alexander Robin Baker as Samuel, Soraya Mafi as Edith, Angharad Lyddon as Kate and Lydia Marchione as Isabel.
Tickets are $25 adult – $20 concession. Saturday October 24 with a 7.30pm start. The Byron Theatre 6685 6807 and byroncentre.com.au.
Dream Emporium
With just two weeks to go until the opening night of Shearwater’s Wearable Arts Performance Event 2015, High school students at the Mullumbimby Steiner School are busy putting the finishing touches on sets, costumes, choreography, songs and stagecraft, and the excitement is palpable.
Wearable Arts is a major event in the high school’s performing arts calendar, showcasing costumes created by Shearwater students, staff and the wider community, in a highly professional, choreographed production that encompasses design, music, dance, drama and technology.
This year’s production, Emporium of Dreams, the school’s twelfth, has attracted more than 40 entries from as far afield as Tasmania. A record number of schools have also entered costumes.
The show runs over four nights from Wednesday, November 4 to Saturday, November 7, in the Shearwater School Hall. Performances starts at 8pm. Dinner and refreshments are available before the show from 6.30pm. Tickets are $30 adults and $20 students or $80 for a family of four (two adults and two children), and are available for sale now via www.shearwaterperformingarts.com. Not recommended for children under 8.
Day of the Dead
We all know Byron is a great place to live, but according to the Natural Death Care Centre it is also a great place to die as we have one of the most informed and empowered communities in the country when it comes to death awareness.
This is the time of the year the NDCC holds several events as part of their annual Day of the Dead celebrations. The Day of the Dead Ceremony will again be held at the Crystal Castle on Sunday November 8 at 4pm, it’s free and all are welcome. This will be followed by the one night only showing of the documentary film Zen and the Art of Dying at Pighouse Flicks on November 10 at 6pm.
As part of their educational services there will also be Funeral Masterclass and Deathwalker Training workshops.
See their website at naturaldeathcarecentre.org for more details or contact [email protected].
To the Summit of Freedom
For six years Freedom Summit has been empowering the public through education.
Gathering together a panel of local and international speakers, Freedom Summits is the perfect opportunity for them to share their knowledge and perspectives in an uncensored open forum. These inspiring men and women ‘walk their talk’, caring deeply about the future of the planet and embodying their beliefs.
This year’s Summit offers another amazing opportunity, with an engaging selection of international and local speakers covering a diverse range of topics, an interesting array of exhibitors, the evenings will be filled with music, local organic food and treats and wonderful coffee and chai!
Speakers at the event include Daniel Pinchbeck, Kip Andersen, Ken O’Keefe, Max Igan, Jamie Catto, Gary Gorrow, Lyn White, Gunham Badi Jakamarra, Geoff Lawton, Dane Wigington, Damon Gameau and many more.
Organisers of the Freedom Summit feel blessed to have amazing talent join their event. Each day you can enjoy the stories of wonderful people through song or artistic creations. Natalie Rize, Carlie and Yosi, Free Like Me and Christian Palmer are just some of the great performers and artists you will see at the event this weekend.
This Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Cavanbah Centre on Ewingsdale Rd, Byron Bay.
www.freedomsummits.org
