Near Death Experience
The Doug Anthony All Stars original show at Lismore City Hall was postponed because of the flood but they’re back – with two shows! In the 80s and 90s, they terrorised the world with their infamous live shows; provocative, psychologically manipulative, gleefully tasteless – D.A.A.S. kicked political correctness out the door and gave it a damned good thrashing outside.
Their musical comedy is more wicked and dangerous than ever – an irreverent mixture of filthy faux pas, spirited singing, and social commentary – with two decades worth of fresh targets in sight.
Wracked by illness and age, this trio has no time to waste. Paul McDermott said, ‘Death approaches. We have nothing to lose.’ Speaking from experience Paul Livingston said ‘Death is coming, look busy!’
D.A.A.S revolutionised world comedy like nobody before or since. Now you can run screaming down memory lane with Australia’s most controversial comedy export.
Friday 14 July & Saturday 15 July, 7:30pm. Tickets $41-$47 + booking fee from Lismore City Hall lismorecityhall.com.au or 1300 066 772.
Clever and cheeky
Clever and cheekyFormer lawyer Chris Radburn is an Aussie comedian who has earned a reputation for clever and cheeky observations that are relatable, original and hilarious. Over the last 15 years, this funny Aussie bloke has performed at every major festival including the Sydney Comedy Festival, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Just for Laughs Comedy Showcase and Sydney’s World’s Funniest Island, to name a few and has performed internationally: America, New Zealand, Malaysia, on P&O Cruises in the South Pacific and as part of 3 Forces Entertainment tours to the Solomon Islands, Egypt and Dubai to entertain the Australian troops.
As an international finalist Chris appeared on America’s hit comedy show Last Comic Standing. Chris is an award-winning writer/actor/director with his short film Embellish and his two comedy web series The Guide to being a Successful Man and The Parents.
Chris Radburn headlines Comedy in the Garden at the Byron Bay Brewery on Friday at 8pm – the free monthly night of featured funnies. MC for the evening is the hysterical and Guinness Book of Records holder for longest comedy show (more than 36 hours) Lindsay Webb, a comedian renowned for his gift for crowd work, and support for the evening is the dry wit of our local comedy genius Ellen Briggs. This is going to be an incredible night of comedy.
What exactly do you mean?
What exactly do you mean?John Safran, a Paladin dwarf, and an ISIS supporter walk into a Catholic church. Neo-Nazis are on the same side as the Jews. Pauline Hanson denies she was ever against Asian immigration… Welcome to Australia 2016. If it sounds mad, that’s because it is. And funny. But apparently that’s a dangerous thing now too – as Safran has just found out.
Presented by Byron Writers Festival and NORPA, Safran reveals his alarming adventures in a weird world of misfits whose extremist views (and behaviour) have helped propel the rise of the alt-right. Welcome to a place in time where blond-haired, blue-eyed boys grow up aspiring to be ISIS freedom fighters, an Islamic preacher quotes Monty Python, and newly arrived immigrants oppose multiculturalism. Yep, that’s right. It all depends what you mean by extremist…
John Safran will be in conversation with arts journalist, provocative performance artist and producer Bec Mac discussing Safran’s latest book Depends What You Mean by Extremist.
In Depends What You Mean by Extremist, Safran unravels the complex tangles of race, religion, ethnicity and nationalism at play in Australia today. He calls out the contradictory and illogical arguments proffered by the extremists in our own backyard, while reminding us (with a raised eyebrow to the reader) of the vital and often dangerous role that humour and satire can play in tackling a seemingly global rise in hate, racism and extremism.
Depends What You Mean By Extremist: John Safran in conversation with Bec Mac. Presented by Byron Writers Festival and NORPA. Friday 4 August 6.30–7.45pm at NORPA at Lismore City Hall. Cost: $30. Tickets at www.norpa.org.au
Audition to be Marvelous…
The Marvelous Wonderettes is a musical comedy with a book by Roger Bean. The show, which uses pop songs from the 50s and 60s as a vehicle to tell its story, pays homage to the high school Songleader squads of the 1950s. When called upon to perform at their senior prom as a last-minute replacement, Springfield High Songleaders, Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy and Suzy, rally together to entertain their classmates in four-part harmony.
The songs they sing during the course of the musical include: Lollipop; Dream Lover; Stupid Cupid; It’s My Party; and It’s In His Kiss to name a few.
The play, which will show on September 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24 and rehearse Mondays and Thursdays 7–10 (and some Sundays), directed by Paul Belsham, requires a cast of four women/girls any age and will be held on Sunday 15 July at the Ballina Players Theatre, 24 Swift St, Ballina.
Bookings essential: contact Lynn on 0409 031 641.
Andrey Gugnin in Byron
Andrey Gugnin was born in 1987. He graduated from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory where he studied under Professor Vera Gornostayeva. Upon his graduation from the conservatory he was invited to be a regular participant of the Moscow Philharmonic Society program for promising young artists, The 21st Century Stars. Since 2016, he has been studying at the International Piano Academy Lake Como with Stanislav Ioudenitch and William Naboré.
Andrey was the prizewinner at the Allegro Vivo International Competition in San Marino (Italy, 2008), the International Competition in Cantù (1st prize, 2009), the International Stančić Competition in Zagreb (2nd prize and two special prizes, Croatia, 2011), the Ludwig van Beethoven International Piano Competition in Vienna (Austria, 2013) and the Valsesia Musica International Competition in Italy (1st prize, 2014), Cidade de Ferrol competition in Spain (1st prize, 2015). In June 2014, he won the Gold Medal and the Audience Award at the XVI International Gina Bachauer Piano Competition in Salt Lake City (USA).
In 2016, Andrey won first prize in the Sydney International Piano Competition, also taking the accolades for best overall concerto, best 19th- or 20th-century concerto, best violin and piano sonata, and best preliminaries round one recital. Subsequently, he received a number of concert engagements, including concerts with Valery Gergiev, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and was invited to record with Hyperion.
Andrey will play in Byron this weekend. The program includes:
Bach Adagio in G Major BWV 968
Franz Liszt from Transcendental Études S.139 No. 9 Ricordanza, No. 4 Mazeppa
Alexey Kurbatov Poem (2015)
Michael Kieran Harvey 48 Fugues for Frank Zappa No. 6: G-Spot Tornado (2009)
Stravinsky Trois Mouvements de Pétrouchka.
This Friday 6.30pm at the Byron Theatre.
