Women Like Us Halls of Shame & Byron show!
It’s been two-and-a-half years on the road for Women Like Us comedians Ellen Briggs and Mandy Nolan who have chalked up an impressive 72 shows performing to almost 20,000 people from Moree to Melbourne, Townsville to Tamworth, Bundaberg to Brisbane and Surfers to Sydney.
They call themselves ‘the bogan woman’s thinking woman and the thinking woman’s bogan’.
Women Like Us guarantees two hours of non-stop laughter with crowds declaring it the funniest show they’ve seen. The most common refrain is: ‘I can’t believe you girls aren’t on TV!’ TV wouldn’t handle Women Like Us. It has to be seen to be believed!
Women Like Us is at the Pottsville Community Hall on Friday 12 January, Uki Hall on Saturday 13 and Byron Services Club on Monday 22 January. All shows at 8pm and all shows $30 with tickets available at womenlikeus.com.au
Starlight Festival shines
Discover four transformational days with more than 80 workshops, talks, sound healing, yoga classes and more at the Starlight Festival this year.
Featured this year are:
Crystal Armonica – a transformative and transcendent experience. The crystal armonica is a rare celestial instrument of 30 pure quartz crystal bowls invented by Benjamin Franklin in 1761.
Jo Kelly is an award-winning singer/songwriter and qualified ayurvedic practitioner. Jo was awakened to her spiritual path in 2005, by Sri Ravi Shankar, where she discovered pranayama, chanting and devotional music.
Mark Wiseman brings a modern approach to meditative singing-bowl sessions. Mark thrives among nature and his music takes great inspiration from the energies of the world around him.
Dini Martinez is known globally for her authentic, free-spirited and inspiring workshops and retreats. Her practice emphasises breath, flow and philosophy.
Christina Covington is an ayurvedic lifestyle consultant, counsellor, healer and medicine woman. She is a successful businesswoman, mentor and mother of two. Passionate about encouraging the embrace of life as a sensual, abundant activated queen.
And there’s Chocolate Yoga!
Experience the medicinal properties of ceremonial-grade cacao moving through your body in a specially designed kundalini yoga practice, involving ceremony, pranayama, asanas, dance, relaxation, chanting and meditation.
When: 4–8 January. Where: Bangalow (A&I Hall & surrounding pavilions)
Price: $20 admission. 4-day pass $50. Locals 2-for-1 day 4 & 5 January.
Tickets at the door or online: www.starlightfestival.com.au
Country Club Comedy welcomes Steve Allison!
After two months’ hiatus Country Club comedy is back! Featuring Steve Allison as the January headline with S Sorrensen as support and Mandy Nolan as MC!
Steve Allison has that rare gift of walking into a room and making everyone his mate. Steve Allison was born into show business. With a natural sense of humour and quick wit, Steve’s show is a well-crafted mix of snappy one-liners, hilarious stories, funny home truths and current topics. It’s Aussie humour at its best.
Now in demand on the growingly popular Comedy Cruises, this is a chance to catch Steve on land. Steve is joined by support act, the hilarious dry poster boy for pissed-off ageing, S Sorrensen, and the outrageous wit of Mandy Nolan.
Tuesday at the Ocean Shores Country Club. Free. 7pm
Workshops for young people
Kickstart the year with creativity and develop your performance skills at NORPA this January.
NORPA is offering three exciting theatre workshops for young people aged 8–18 with leading Australian theatre practitioners and educators Barry Lang, Kate Walder (ATYP) and Ajita Cannings (NORPA).
Stepping into images with Barry Lang
Bridge the space between imagination and physicality by exploring the intersection of image, movement, music and text. Explore collaborative strategies for theatre-making and creating images that emerge from young people’s concerns and interests.
Not a Word with Kate Walder
For 12–15-year-olds
Explore how much you can say without actually saying anything. Discover how physical theatre can help us express a range of emotions and explore clowning and mask work.
Empowered playmaking with Ajita Cannings
For 8–12-year-olds
This workshop holds children’s natural joy and inherent inquisitiveness as performers and creators at its heart. An exciting and safe environment explore performance.
Each workshop runs over 22–25 January.
10am–4pm
Lismore City Hall
Cost: $260 per student / $240 earlybird price if paid by 7 January.
A limited number of financial-hardship scholarships are available.
For more information and to book visit www.norpa.org.au or contact Ajita Cannings on [email protected]
Glittery Clittery
The All-Singing, All-Dancing, All-Slaying Fringe Wives Club are bringing their hit debut show Glittery Clittery to Brunswick Picture House this January! Part explosive physical-comedy-cabaret, part interactive club night, this sequin-covered, champagne-fuelled, cosmic feminist extravaganza is guaranteed to blow your minds and your pants!
Fri 5 Jan – 7pm – Adult $30 | Concession $25
Tickets at brunswickpicturehouse.com
The Mermaid Experience
Ballina Players have done it again! Bringing The Little Mermaid to life onstage! There is more to this classic tale than froth and bubbles. There is wisdom, like loving someone how they are instead of how we want them, or not blaming all humans for a few wicked ones.
The Little Mermaid runs at Ballina Players from 12 till 21 January. Details and booking information on the website www.ballinaplayers.com.au or via Facebook. Tickets can also be purchased from Just Funkin Music in River St, Ballina.
Laugh it Up with Charlie Pickering
Edgy, polished and inventive, Charlie Pickering is one of the most exciting names in Australian comedy. Charlie is a political junkie,
law graduate, and was the voice of his generation as a regular team captain for Generation X on Network Ten’s quiz show
Talkin’ ’bout Your Generation. He was also on your TV screen every weeknight for five years as co- host of The Project,where the day’s news is dissected, digested and re-constituted by some of Australia’s funniest and smartest.
He’s joined by Damian Power as support and Ellen Briggs as MC – this is one cracker of a show.
Byron Brewery.
Thursday 18 January
Doors 7pm.
Show 8pm.
$25.
Tix on trybooking.com/SLDY
The big man of comedy’s Byron pilgrimage
There are few comics with the tenacity and killer instinct of Austen Tayshus. The comedy superstar, who first came into being in 1981, has the ability to take a room hostage just with his tongue. He’s the closest thing the Australian comedy scene has to its very own Bill Hicks.
In 1983 he released the highest-selling Australian single of all time Australiana – selling more than 200,000 units and going double platinum. In fact three decades later, it’s still the highest-selling single in Australian recording history.
Austen Tayshus headlines at the Byron Services Club on Monday 8 January 2018 with Mandy Nolan as MC and support. Doors 7pm. Show 8pm. Tickets $20/25 at the club or online at mandynolan.com.au