Bangalow welcomes new theatre company!
The recently formed Bangalow Theatre Company get ready to stage their first-ever major production The Drowsy Chaperone at the Bangalow A&I Hall this week.
Hailed by New York magazine as ‘the perfect Broadway musical’, The Drowsy Chaperone, with music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, has won five Tony awards and is an affectionate parody of the American musical comedies of the jazz era. Featuring 20 cast members of actors ranging from ages 17 to 69, BTC fulfils its promise of fostering local talent with actors in the production hailing from Bangalow, Byron Bay, Mullumbimby, Lismore and Lennox Head. Earlybird tickets for The Drowsy Chaperone are just $25 per person and are available now from BTC website (bangalowtheatre.com.au/tickets). The performance commences at 7.30pm with pre-show drinks and canapés available from 6.30pm. New shows added: Friday 4 Dec from 7.30pm; Sunday 6 Dec – matinee from 2pm.
Amatori bring music to Mullum
Amatori Choir and Orchestra bring their 25-member classical choir and 12-member classical orchestra from all around the Byron Shire for a very special performance at St John’s School Hall in Mullumbimby, Saturday at 4pm. It will feature beautiful Baroque music and a Michael Leunig poem set to music. Other works on offer are Faure’s Requiem and Bach’s Concerto for Oboe, Flute and Orchestra. A bonus for opera lovers is Va Pensiero, the well-loved Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from a Verdi opera. Another bonus is that Ian’s children’s choir will sing as part of the Mullum concert. Tickets $25 adult, $15 concession, $5 child. Tickets at the door.
The Chanting Festival
Just when you thought it wasn’t possible for the Byron Shire to have one more festival we’ve done it again: The Festival of Chant. House of Bliss have been offering chanting evenings in Mullumbimby for more than three years. If you love an hour of chant, why not check in for the day! The festival begins at 11am, with continual chanting until 8pm. The musicians include our dedicated house band of Caroline Cowley, Sudeep, Dinesh, Erik and Armando, with local chanting artists joining forces during the day – including Amir Paiss, Sufi Soul Sangeet with Tahir Qawwal, Lou Vanstone, Sashini, Elias Harmony, Tarshito, Eltara, Rama, Lila Kirtana and Mal from Enchanted Kirtan and Amrita Devi with Shunya. This is a mandatory BYO-cushion event. Sunday at St Martin’s Hall in Mullum, 11am–8pm. Tickets at the door – $25/20 concession for the day.
Actors wanted for The Tempest
Lismore Theatre Company is calling for actors and singers to audition for Shakespeare’s The Tempest, the company’s contribution to the worldwide 400th Anniversary celebrations of the bard’s death in 1616. Auditions for all roles will be held on Saturday 5 December from 10am at the Rochdale Theatre, Ballina Road, Lismore. To register for an audition please contact Jennie Hicks via email [email protected] or on 0431 958 991.
Getting in the spirit
There’s a new time and a familiar place, and new directions, for the 4th Byron Spirit Festival in 2016. Momentum is flowing since achieving a new sister event, Hamptons Yogafest, held in Long Island, New York, in September. Now our local gathering of the healthy, exploratory tribes returns with first-time and former world-class yogis, philosophers, healers, leaders, musicians, dancers, artists, and gourmands, keen to share their knowledge and inspire all comers to their greatest potential. The festival is seeking stallholders at this time, and all applications are via the website. Please visit the website, sign up for the newsletter, join Byron Spirit Festival on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram for special offers, and all updates on the Spirit Tribe’s related activities and initiatives. Super earlybird tickets are now on sale, via the website: www.spiritfestival.com.au.
From children’s theatre to the Big Gig
Steve Philp may have started out in children’s theatre – starring in shows such as Barney the Dinosaur and Blinky Bill, The Wiggles and The Dorothy the Dinosaur Show, but eventually it was the twisted minds of adult audiences where he found his true calling. Moving into standup just less than a decade ago, Steve made the finals of competitions such as Triple J Raw and Green Faces and then quickly moved on the road touring the country for the last eight years with comedians such as Carl Barron, The Umbilical Brothers, Adam Hills and a number of international acts such as Arj Barker and Tom Green. He is the feature act at the Ballina RSL’s Big Gig comedy night this Thursday at 8pm. MC is Mandy Nolan and support is Paul McMahon!
Jonathan Atherton is back!
There is nothing like a Jonathan Atherton show – a relentless full-on comedy download. Atherton is a comedian made in the mould of greats like Robin Williams. Now a resident in Kuala Lumpur and known throughout Asia as The Laugh Guru, Atherton has worked his magic establishing the first-ever comedy clubs in KL, Cambodia and Vietnam. Fast on his feet, multi-lingual, multi-dimensional – and performing at the Byron Services on Monday 21 December with Mandy Nolan as MC and Anne Howe as support. Tix are limited and will sell fast. $25 at the club or book on 6619 0529.
