calexico - The Adelaide Fix

THE ADELAIDE
2010
FIX
E4
PAGE
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HEAW
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TO AN AWKION
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TO SEDUC
ISSUE 8
FRI MAR 5 - WED MAR 10 2010
RIP IT UP’S FREE GUIDE TO ADELAIDE’S FESTIVAL MONTH
On the street every Tuesday & Friday during the festivals
Variety is often said
to be the spice of
life, and therefore
US band Calexico
must be one of the
spiciest dishes on
the world music
menu. Formed back
in the ‘90s, the two
mainstays of the
act, Joey Burns and
John Convertino,
found common
ground in their love
of embracing all
sorts of music and
instruments from
around the world,
and together have
forged a unique
pathway that
similarly embraces
a massive variety of
sounds.
By Luke Balzan
Their folky-country-pop-rocky motif is
peppered with flavours from around the
world, including most notably the Middle
and Far East and Latin America. The
inclusion of mariachi influences marries
well to an alt.country style beautifully, and
is a great reflection on the band’s Arizona
homeland. Having played a huge variety
of shows and festivals around the world,
including a spot on WOMAD in the UK,
CALEXICO
the guys are super-excited to be playing
here as part of our own WOMADelaide
festival. Founding member Joey Burns
was definitely pumped to be coming to
Adelaide, and is particularly excited about
being a part of this year’s line-up.
“This line-up is really tremendous!” he
enthused as he called up while sitting at
his piano at home in Tucson Arizona.
“I can’t believe Ravi Shankar is playing this
festival! It’s a miracle. I saw him play in Los
Angeles at a festival, and it was so cool.
I’m a huge fan of his music! When I was
in college, I bought a sitar. I found one in
the classifieds, so I bought this sitar, and
had a crack at it, and I was able to write
some of music compositions for music
college on it. I think all of my classmates
were wondering what the hell I was doing,
as I was a classical bass player! But I was
always into these eclectic things.”
Joey definitely loves the eclectic edge
of world music, and he’s not afraid to show
it. For his thesis while he was in college,
he even had something a little special
prepared.
“For my performance major for my
thesis, I had to play a concert,” he recalls,
“and so I picked a jazz piece, I picked a
classical piece, I picked a baroque piece
different instruments backing the bass.
And then for the last piece, the bassoonist
in the orchestra, he and I did a duet for,
like, 20 instruments! But I think we only
got as far as 15 or something: we started
off with a Gregorian chant in the foyer,
so you couldn’t see us, but you heard this
reverby voice as we came walking in with
instruments, and set up and played this
piece.
Continued on page 8
MIRO
JULIA oZtEinterested in
“I’m n them cr y or
making out something
bringingir past and
t
from the bout unpleasan
a
g
e
in
s
talk
cau
nces be
experie e to provide
r
e
m
I’m th
ment; I’
enter tain to provide a
e
not ther Day expose.”
Woman’s on page 12.
re
Read mo
%$1.6$7$/.)5,1*(
Visit www.talkfringe.com and find out what’s happening when and where at this year’s Adelaide Fringe. Review and rate the shows you see,
or vote for your favourite for your chance to win $1,000. Take a peep at our photo and vox pop review galleries where you might even spot
yourself. Plus, don’t miss your chance to get last minute ticket specials or your bum on a seat at selected shows for just $10.
Check out our website and join the Adelaide Fringe festivities today!
VKEMGVU
The BankSA Support Act program is an inventive artist support scheme
designed especially to sustain artists. As the name suggests, BankSA
Support Act is aimed at supporting Adelaide Fringe artists to achieve a
higher profile in the lead up to and during the Fringe.
This year, in an effort to get more people to each event,
BankSA Support Act tickets are only $10.
With over 3,500 tickets at just $10, it’s really easy to get your
bum on a seat at this year’s Adelaide Fringe.
:$1772:,1"
This year BankSA TalkFringe has 3 fantastic ways to enjoy the fringe and WIN.
REVIEW
Become a member and rate and review shows that you see
to go into the running for a $1,000 prize. We are looking for
informative reviews of any and all fringe acts, so the more
quality reviews you write the better your chance of winning!
BLOG
The most informative and entertaining blog about your fringe
experience could also get you $1,000. Any topics from the
venues, the vibe, opening night, family weekend and the
Garden of Unearthly Delights is considered fair game.
VOTE
Members can also vote for their favourite Fringe Show. The
Show with the most votes will receive the prestigious “Most
Popular” at this year’s Fringe Awards. All people who vote
also go into the running to win $1,000.
%$1.6$)5((&21&(576(5,(6
Get down to the Garden of Unearthly Delights every Thursday to Sunday from 6-7pm,and check out the BankSA FREE concert
series. It’s a great place to chill out or heat up after work.
)5,'$<7+
0$5&+$730
6$785'$<7+
0$5&+$730
681'$<7+
0$5&+$730
ASHER TRELEAVEN
ASHER TRELEAVEN
ASHER TRELEAVEN
PERFORMANCE 1 SPONTANEOUS BROADWAY
PERFORMANCE 1 DAVID QUIRK
PERFORMANCE 1 CARMEN
PERFORMANCE 2 JEFF RAGLUS & VICTORIA GAYE
PERFORMANCE 2 LEIGHSTARDUST
PERFORMANCE 2 EMDEE
For more information about these artists visit www.talkfringe.com
YYYVCNMHTKPIGEQO
BSA03129G (02/10)
MARY TOBIN PRESENTS
3 OF THE FINEST & FUNNIEST INTERNATIONAL COMICS
SH W
The biggest late night
comedy lineup of the fringe.
You never know who
may appear and what
might happen!
CAREY MARX
(UK)
“..mixing his own blend of dark humour with
mischievous and gleeful delivery.”
★★★★ METRO
“Utterly brilliant” ★★★★ THE SKINNY
his
JASON COOK (UK-GEORDIE)
“a dark razor sharp wit. Offbeat and
irreverent... vivid comic scenarios...
punctuated by some gut busting one liners”
★★★★★ HERALD SUN
ELIS JAMES
E
(WALES)
’s
performing at this year
“of
“ all the newcomers
to find one with
ed
al, you’d be hard push
f
festiv
chrisma…
more charm or natural
a complete joy”
OUT
TIME
★
★★★
“Totally wicked , many
many hard laughs”
- TALKFRINGE.COM
‘The comedians on display proved why they are truly the ‘Best of the Edinburgh Fest’
- and undoubtedly one of the best shows at the Melbourne Comedy Festival too’
INPRESS, 2008
2010 Lineup is looking like a winner too!
THU 18 FEB - SUN 14 MAR
DOORS OPEN 7.00PM (NO SHOWS MONDAYS & TUE 2 MAR)
EVERY FRI & SAT NIGHT
AT 10.30PM
(DOORS OPEN 10PM)
18 FEB - 13 MAR
THE GOVERNOR HINDMARSH HOTEL
PORT ROAD, ADELAIDE
MARY TOBIN PRESENTS
JASON
COOK
AS SEEN ON:
THANK GOD
YOU’RE HERE
GOOD NEWS
WEEK & ROVE
MY CONFESSIONS
USA
EDDIE
IFFT
THINGS I SHOULDN’T
“brutally truthful
piece of comedy
delight.” Timeout
“...a genuinely
life-affirming
hour.” The Herald
“surely the most
raw, emotive and
tear-jerking
stand up you’ll
see.” Chortle
HAVE SAID
METRO
★★★★
“hilarious, incredibly smart, quick as a whip..
go be shocked, learn something”
“Ifft’s biggest defence is that his jokes are damn funny.
And they’re often funny for the very reason that he is so
gloriously uncompromising.” CHORTLE
“One of the funniest comedians on the circuit...
hitting new heights of comedic brilliance”
“At times he took us to places we didn’t want to go, but
even as the audience groaned in attempted protest,
they were still killing themselves laughing”
BEAT MAGAZINE
ADELAIDE ADVERTISER
TIMEOUT
18 FEB - 13 MAR
★★★★
“Ifft has star power.. so wrong he’s just right”
ADELAIDE ADVERTISER
18 FEB - 13 MAR 18 FEB - 13 MAR
DATES & SHOWTIMES VARY, PLEASE CHECK PROGRAM FOR FULL DETAILS
MERCURY CINEMA
MORPHETT ST,
ADELAIDE
BOOKINGS: adelaidefringe.com.au or 1300 FRINGE (374 643)
THE ADELAIDE
FIX
General Manager
Luke Stegemann
[email protected]
Editor
David Knight
[email protected]
Group Design Director
Emma Wagstaff
[email protected]
Graphic Designers
Spiros Giannos
[email protected]
Ed Schillace
[email protected]
Contributors
Scott McLennan, Robert Dunstan,
Belinda Pappalardo, Peter Drew,
Guy Masterson, Hannah Gadsby,
Catherine Blanch
Photographers
Benon Koebsch
Aaron Schintler
Advertising Enquiries
Advertising Manager
Paul Kitching
[email protected]
08 7129 1030
EDITOR’S NOTE
Two of the biggest musical festivals arrive in Adelaide this
weekend – WOMADelaide and Future Music. I am looking
forward to both events tremendously but since I rabbited
on about WOMAD last issue let’s turn our gaze to Future
Music, which is now the biggest electronic music festival
in the country and is expecting around 20,000 people
onto the Rundle and Rymill Park surrounds on Monday!
This is a massive number and props must go to the festival
organisers for gathering some of the world’s biggest acts
and making electronic music accessible to a huge number
of people. Even though the majority will be watching The
Prodigy and David Guetta, I will be at the smaller stage
grooving to some of my favourite techno artists such
as Booka Shade, Sven Vath and Dubfire. I’m not looking
forward to Tuesday…
WIN
THE FIX
COMPETITIONS
Take a late-night journey through the
looking glass into the dark, sensuous retreat
of The Grind Show. Host Sen Bednikov will
hold sway over a musical mash-up of gypsy,
klezmer, tango, samba and bossa nova, with
each night of The Grind Show promising
a different line-up. For your chance to win
tickets to the Fri Mar 12 or Sat Mar 13
performance at Lions Arts Centre at 11pm,
log onto <ripitup.com.au> and follow the
links. Competition closes on Thu Mar 11.
Project Manager
Tiffany Venning
[email protected]
Distribution
Karen Cini
[email protected]
Published by
Rip It Up Publishing Pty Ltd
Level 8, 33 Franklin Street
Adelaide SA 5000
Disclaimer
Opinions published in this paper
are not necessarily those of the
editor, nor the publisher. All
material subject to copyright.
AN AWKWARD
SEDUCTION
The Wayward Beauties are proud to present
their maiden cabaret show, An Awkward
Seduction. On offer is a night of dirty
songs, stories and dance characterised by
fumbling charm and a daring new attitude
to burlesque. For your chance to win tickets
to the Fri Mar 12 performance at Nexus
Cabaret at 9pm, log onto <ripitup.com.au>
and follow the links. Competition closes on
Thu Mar 11.
CARMEN
make sure
you check out
ripitup.com.au
& onion.com.au
4 theadelaidefix.com.au
LAST FRINGE
ON THE ROOF
PAGE 8
This looks like being the last
Fringe for The Tuxedo Cat.
THE NECKS
PAGE 12
Robert Dunstan speaks to the
cult jazz trio about their role
in Food Court as well as their
own performance.
THE GRIND SHOW
Advertising Executives
Charlotte Chambers, Matthew
Pengilly, Tara McElhinney and
Tamrah Petruzzelli.
Production Manager
Karen Cini
[email protected]
CONTENTS
Flamenco star Yasmine Amber brings to the
stage her modern interpretation of the raw,
sensual tale of the gypsy Carmen. Sizzling
with passion and Spanish fire, this is Carmen
as you’ve never seen her before. For your
chance to win tickets to the Fri Mar 12
performance at Nexus Cabaret at 7pm, log
onto <ripitup.com.au> and follow the links.
Competition closes on Thu Mar 11.
ROSS NOBLE
PAGE 14
WHEN THE SEX IS GONE
When The Sex Is Gone is an award-winning
theatrical portrait of eroticism as told by a
broken-hearted hermaphrodite. Charlie
Martini and Alastair Astaire, a stripper and
boxer inhabiting the one body, muse over
a life lived in the dark belly of desire. For
your chance to win a double passes to the
Tue Mar 9, Wed Mar 10 or Thu Mar 11
performances of this hilarious, sleazy and
savage show, log onto <ripitup.com.au>
and follow the links. Competition closes
on Mon Mar 8.
THE DAY THE SKY
TURNED BLACK
Australia has many heroes from the
Anzacs to Mary MacKillop, and on 7
February 2009, many more were added
to the list. The Day The Sky Turned
Black, a new play written and performed
by Ali Kennedy-Scott, tells the stories of
everyday heroes who fought the fires
that became Australia’s greatest natural
disaster. For your chance to win a double
pass to the show on Tue Mar 9 at the
Metropolitan Hotel at 8.20pm or Wed Mar
10 at the Metropolitan Hotel at 8.20pm,
log onto <ripitup.com.au> and follow the
links. Competition closes on Mon Mar 8.
TOMMY LITTLE
From dwarf racing to heartbreak, it’s been
a big year for Tommy. This is your chance to
come, look back and have a laugh with one
of this country’s hottest young comedians.
For your chance to win one of five double
passes at The Tuxedo Cat on Mon Mar 8 at
9.45pm log onto <ripitup.com.au> and follow
the links. Competition closes on Sun Mar 7.
The very popular UK
comedian speaks to
Catherine Blanch.
DEAN & BRITTA
PAGE 17
Cult indie duo talk about
Andy Warhol and WOMAD.
ADELAIDE STREET
PERFORMERS
FESTIVAL
PAGE 20
The festival that highlights
street performance as an art
form is covered on page 20.
MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL PRESENTS
CULT AMERICAN COMEDIANS...
JAMIE KILSTEIN
[USA]
“Damned
funny”
Time Out
Sydney
ADELAIDE
FRINGE
DEBUT!
2-13 MAR • TUE-SAT 8.15PM, SUN 7.15PM
MIGHTY BOOSH REGULAR AND STAR OF CULT SKETCH SHOW SNUFF BOX
[USA]
TIX SELLING
FBEAQUSICTK!!
“Inspired
lunacy”
UKTV Weekly
9-13 MAR • 7PM PLUS FRI LATE 11PM
NOVA CINEMA 251 RUNDLE ST ADELAIDE • TIX FROM $19
BOOK NOW! ADELAIDEFRINGE.COM.AU • FRINGETIX 1300 374 643
BURLESQUE
BEAUTIES
If you’re into corsets, strip tease, balloons and feathers, curvaceous ladies and
all things cabaret, here’s another show at La Boheme that’s going to warm up
your Fringe experience. Burlesque Beauties is a bunch of sassy local ladies
getting glamorous. There’s Chrissie Brown – she used to be the shy, retiring
type until she found out how to move her hips; Carla Conlin has a voice that
will go inside you, searching for your soul until it finds it out; Alison Heuke has
honed her skills over the course of many comedy festivals, and Tammie Powell,
after years of dancing on podiums in hot pants, knows all about the arts of tease.
Go along and enjoy this vaudeville-style review based on ‘20s, ‘30s, ‘40s, ‘50s
burlesque cabaret – for four shows only.
Burlesque Beauties at La Boheme on Mar 7, 11, 13 and 14 at
7.30pm.
GRAB
BAG
This issue two Grab Bag artists answer The
Adelaide Fix’s questions before they perform
for free at The Famous Spiegeltent in Elder
Park on Fri Mar 5 and Sat Mar 6.
LOST AND FOUND
Since you are performing in The Famous
Spiegeltent, will you change your show at
all to suit the unique environment that is
the Spiegeltent? Ultimately our approach to
the show won’t change, however undoubtedly
the incredible performance space that is
the Spiegeltent will inspire us and affect the
approach to our improvisations.
Explain some of the material you will
be performing as part of Grab Bag? Lost
And Found is an improvised trio, so the show
is always different. The three of us have had
really diverse experiences and influences, yet
we share a common thread; that being the
love of music, of creating music with other
people and the love of the unknown!
If you could choose your own grab bag of
artists to perform for you and loved
6 theadelaidefix.com.au
ones at The Famous Spiegeltent. Who
would you choose and why? Henry Rollins
with the Wayne Shorter Quartet playing
simultaneously. Why? Why not!
What has been your most memorable
performance as part of an arts or music
festival? Playing in Manila where we were
treated like pop stars, with the audience
going nuts over anything and everything we
played. That doesn’t happen very often for jazz
musicians!
Will you be checking other shows as part
of the Festival while you’re in Adelaide? The
Wayne Shorter Quartet... the greatest exponent of
modern jazz on the planet, in my opinion.
After your Grab Bag performance
what exciting artistic endeavours are
happening for you in the short term?
Does having a beer count?
Seriously though, there are
a lot of exciting adventures
for us this year. London,
New York, Europe and new
albums being released.
Currently under wraps secret collaborations.
Lost And Found
perform at The
Famous Spiegeltent
on Fri Mar 6 at
11.30pm.
CASEY
DONOVAN
Since you are performing in The
Famous Spiegeltent, will you
change your show at all to suit the
unique environment that is the
Spiegeltent? It’s a brand new show, so
anything is possible...
Explain some of the material you
will be performing as part of Grab
Bag? A combination of new songs,
covers and booty shaking...
If you could choose your own Grab
Bag of artists to perform for you
and loved ones at The Famous
Spiegeltent. Who would you
choose and why? Beth Ditto, Mama
Cass and my step
dad! Haha - Beth
Ditto and Mama
Cass because these
women are big,
beautiful and sexy
and Beth knows
how to shake her
thing. And I would
have loved to see
Mama Cass at her
peak - god bless her
soul! And my step
dad Norm, ‘cause it
would be funny to
see him shake it with
the best of them!
Haha.
What has been
your most
memorable
performance as
part of an arts or
music festival? The
Woodford Dreaming
Festival, when the
kids kept calling out
my name and then
jumped up on stage
with me... they loved it and so did I.
Will you be checking other shows
as part of the Festival while
you’re in Adelaide? If I have a spare
moment, ‘cause I’m on stage each
night with The Sapphires.
After your Grab Bag performance
what exciting artistic endeavours are
happening for you in the short term?
Working with The Sapphires and starting
my big, beautiful and sexy shows! It’s going
to be a blast especially when b-b-bounc-er
comes out to play!
Casey Donovan performs at
The Famous Spiegeltent on
Sat Mar 6 at 11.30pm.
ART
GALLERY
UP
LATE
Open to 10pm
27 February – 11 March
Biennial exhibition | Restaurant | Bookshop
Come and see your Art Gallery in a different light.
Free admission.
SonoAdv – UPLATE000x
We’re staying up late so you can make the most of the Adelaide
Festival’s Northern Lights spectacular. Grab an ice cream on North
Terrace, explore the 2010 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art by night,
take a Twilight Tour of the exhibition at 6pm, relax with drinks, bar
snacks or supper in the Restaurant, and visit our brilliant Bookshop.
CALEXICO
WARM
YOUR
COCKLES
FOR FREE
This weekend’s BankSA
Free Concert Series
kicks off on Friday night
with a snippet of the hit
show from Spontaneous
Broadway.Write down
a song title and in no
time, stars including
Geoff Paine, Genevieve
Morris and Ross Daniels
will whip them into
a full blown musical
number. Bringing up
the rear on Friday are
Jeff Raglus and Victoria
Gaye. On Saturday night
the double bill features
David Quirk and Leigh
Stardust and Sunday
starts out with a bit of
Latin fire in the form
of flamenco dancer
Yamine Amber and her
electronica interpretation
of the gypsy classic
and finishes with a
performance from
Emdee. Making sure
both audience and
performers are all on
their toes this weekend
will be MC Asher
Treleaven, self-confessed
geek aficionado and
sometime carny.
Head to <talkfringe.
com> for a detailed
rundown of performers
featuring in the BankSA
Free Concerts and get
your Fringe warm up
for free.
8 theadelaidefix.com.au
Continued from page 1
Joey is often asked about where
so many of these influences,
particularly the Latin and mariachi
flavours come from.
“I think it just comes from having
grown up in southern California, he
admits, and just being open as a kid,
listening to all the records in my parents
collection, not just Elvis and Stones and
The Beatles, but listening to the records
they brought back from Acapulco
or New Orleans, all the interesting
jazz records they had, some of the
LAST
FRINGE
ON THE
ROOF
By Harry Starboard
The Tuxedo Cat in
Synagogue Place, one
of Adelaide’s venue
highlights, a focal point
for all kinds of quality
Fringe fun, is being cut
down in its prime to
give way for inner-city
development.
Last week Tuxedo Cat manager
Cassandra received news that had
been somewhat expected, but dreaded
– that after being on three-month
leases for the past three years, the
Adelaide City Council plans to close
down the multi-storey arts centre and
demolish the building to make way
for a 16-storey apartment complex for
international students.
This unique venue plans on going
out in style. A gala performance on
the rooftop of the legendary Tuxedo
Cat this Sunday will give punters and
interesting soundtrack albums; I was
really curious, and the vinyl records
were my window to the outside world.
Music isn’t the only thing Joey is
passionate about, with strong political
and environmental ideas. In discussing
an interview he saw with legendary
Manu Chao, where Manu voiced his
concern about environmental issues and
water security, Joey is happy to sing the
praises of those who care for the future
of the environment.
“It’s all the more important to
performers a chance to begin their
farewells. Cassandra and Bryan have
been running the Tuxedo Cat since
2008, on limited season licences that
allowed them to open for the Fringe
and, more recently, Feast festivals.
But it seems having a charming,
unique and wonderfully friendly multipurpose venue that actively promotes
a wide range of arts and artists in
the East End is not compatible with
the Council’s broader development
plans for the Adelaide CBD. Having
nearly seen the hall of the nearby
Freemasons’ Lodge go the same way,
only to be saved by a leasing deal with
a venerable North Terrace institution,
alas there is no white knight for the
Tuxedo Cat.
“Why build a building that could be
done anywhere else in the city, in place
of an existing arts hub, in a footprint
that actually suits the landscape
better? There’s nothing unique about
apartment blocks, this venue really is
unique. There’s barely any venues like
this one even in Sydney or Melbourne,”
Cassandra stresses. And it has the full
support of the artists too. “Performers
really want to be here – what a great
little space! They all just love it here.
It’s not a pub, not a beer barn, it’s not a
functional centre, it’s actually a purpose
built, small independent theatre.”
While the line-up of artists for
Sunday night’s gig cannot be revealed,
Harry Starboard has heard some
get behind a festival like WOMAD,”
he confesses. “It celebrates various
country’s cultural identities and gifts
that they all bring. I’m so excited that
we’re playing this!”
Calexico play
WOMADelaide on
Fri Mar 5 in the
evening and Sat Mar
6 in the afternoon.
hugely impressive rumours, and
a night of superb entertainment is
assured. Spaces are limited with
only 80 tickets available at $20 each
– extraordinary value for the range
of artists and length of the show. All
proceeds, incidentally, will be going
to assist those Fringe artists who for
reasons of illness or otherwise have
had to cancel their seasons, in order
that they not end up out of pocket for
things such as venue hire. It’s all about
solidarity amongst the performers,
and the Tuxedo Cat strongly
recommends punters get in early and
pre-purchase a ticket as it promises
to be a sell-out belter. “It’ll be one big
party,” Cassandra promises.
In the meantime, those who would
like to have their say and believe the
Tuxedo Cat should be saved, not just
for being such a special venue but for
what it represents more broadly for
Adelaide, are encouraged to send an
email to: [email protected].
au or directly to the Lord Mayor.
WEEKLY FIX
CALENDAR
FIX
THE ADELAIDE
2010
10 theadelaidefix.com.au
FRI MAR 5
SAT MAR 6
WOMADELAIDE
BOTANIC PARK
FRANCESCA
MARTINEZ
THE
TUXEDO CAT
6PM
6PM
WOMADelaide kicks off its four
days of global festivities tonight
with Calexico, The Skatelites and
Nortec Collective all performing.
British comedian and star of
Ricky Gervais’ Extras; Martinez’
debut Adelaide season is
receiving rave notices.
SUN MAR 7
EDDIE IFFT
MERCURY
CINEMA
9.30PM
Eddie tells many wrong but
sidesplitting stories with this show
that involves perhaps the craziest
dog park story you’re likely to
hear.
MON MAR 8
FUTURE
MUSIC
FESTIVAL
RUNDLE &
RYMILL PARKS
The country’s biggest electronic
music festival rolls into town with
huge names such as The Prodigy,
David Guetta, Empire Of The Sun
and Franz Ferdinand headlining.
WED MAR 10
TUE MAR 9
RICH
FULCHER
NOVA EAST
END
DEANNE
SMITH
THE TUXEDO
CAT
7PM
7.15PM
The Mighty Boosh’s American
member heads to the Fringe
with his cult character Eleanor.
Helloooooooo.
Canadian stand-up DeAnne
Smith returns to the Fringe with
her new show Ballsy.
THU MAR 11
SCARAMOUCHE
JONES
HIGHER
GROUND
7.45PM
A sell out at the Edinburgh Fringe
seasons in ’08 and ’09 this is an epic,
poetic and moving piece of theatre.
FRINGE S
T
I
F
E
N
R
E
BE
$
47
98
Beck’s 330ml
Bottles Carton 24
OVER 60 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS IN SA
www.thirstycamel.com.au
HEAD OFFICE PH (08) 8361 7211
Specials valid 23/02/2010 until 14/03/2010 or while stocks last. Prices may vary in country/regional venues due to freight. Photos for illustration purposes only. LALQSMART13895
THE NECKS
Cult Sydney jazz trio The Necks (double bassist
Lloyd Swanton, pianist Chris Abrahams and
percussionist Tony Buck) are in town performing
in Food Court, an acclaimed theatre piece by
Geelong’s Back To Back Theatre as part of Adelaide
Festival. Following that venture, The Necks will then
conduct a one-night only gig on Sun Mar 7 at The
Famous Spiegeltent, as part of Adelaide Festival’s
Artists’ Bar.
By Robert Dunstan
The Adelaide Fix speaks to Lloyd
Swanton and asks how the theatrical
collaboration with Back To Back Theatre,
which features performers with some kind
of disability, had come about.
“Well, funnily enough Back To Back’s
director Bruce Gladwin had come to see
The Necks play a gig at the Spiegeltent
in Sydney as he’d been a fan for a while.
Coincidentally, Chris [Abrahams] and
Tony [Buck] had just seen Back To Back’s
Small Metal Objects [currently playing in
New York] and were raving about it and
saying it was one of the most incredible
things they’d ever seen.
“So it was a case of a mutual admiration
society,” Lloyd laughs, “and so Bruce
asked if we’d be interested in working with
Back To Back. But we told him that we
are completely improvised and wouldn’t
ever play the same thing every night.
We couldn’t be, ‘a band’ for the night. He
workshopped it – I think we’d sent him
about 20 live CDs – to get the performers
used to working with something different
every night.
“And we’ve since had several cracks at
it. We’ve done a Melbourne season and
had runs in Geelong, Sydney and Belgium
and we’re doing the Barbican Theatre in
London later this year and then Vienna
and Paris.”
Lloyd assures that it has all gone
swimmingly well at each performance.
“Oh, it’s great. And they are such an
incredible bunch of people – a very special
bunch of people I must say – to work with.”
The Necks have also just issued a
new album, Silverwater, and toured the
US and Canada earlier this year. Future
plans include performing at the Brighton
Festival in the UK in May at which they
will again be working with Brian Eno.
“Yeah, that will be This Is Pure Scenius,
which we did with Brian Eno in Sydney
Opera House last year at Luminous so it
will be great to do it again. And then we
do Food Court in London and then we’re
putting things on hold until early next year
because my wife and I are having a child.
“But Chris has a new thing going called
Roil with [drummer] James Waples and
[double bassist] Mike Majkowski and
he’s also off to Europe in April to do some
gigs with The Triffids as part of their It’s
Raining Pleasure tour.”
Back To Back Theatre’s
Food Court runs at Dunstan
Playhouse, Adelaide Festival
Theatre, on Thu Mar 4 and
Fri Mar 5 at 8pm and on Sat
Mar 6 at 6pm. The Necks
play The Famous Spiegeltent
from 9pm on Sun Mar 7.
The wonderful Julia Zemiro is the perfect host for the Festival’s
chat show with some of Australia’s most impressive musicians.
Smart, funny and with street cred, the RocKwiz host is able
to make her musical guests feel comfortable while going on
tangents with artists like Tim Rogers, Clare Bowditch, Megan
Washington, Paul Capsis and Robert Forster.
JULIA
ZEMIRO
By David Knight
12 theadelaidefix.com.au
“I’m not interested in making them cry or
bringing out something from their past and
talking about unpleasant experiences because
I’m there to provide entertainment; I’m not
there to provide a Woman’s Day expose,”
explains Zemiro. “I think fans would get angry
and the musicians would get angry if I did
that.”
The show’s title Julia Zemiro’s Comfort
Zone is a perfect summation of the
environment Zemiro creates with her
talented guests where the musicians have a
glass of wine in one hand, their instruments
surrounding them while having a relaxed
conservation with Zemiro in front of an
audience. Apart from the interview, each guest
will perform six songs including two covers.
“We ask them to choose two songs that
have influenced them somewhere in their
lives. Megan Washington did a Crowded
House song and a Rufus Wainwright song and
Clare Bowditch did a Radiohead song. We talk
to them about remembering when they were
15 or 16 and why it was so important to them
and that will automatically open up a window.
I think if they trust you they’ll open up more,
I don’t want to stuff up the trust they have in
me. I don’t want to make them squirm ‘cause
it’s live and if you’ve ever been dumped in that
situation that way – it’s hideous.”
Another interesting aspect to this show
is the musical challenge where the artist
must pick one of three songs to perform on
the night with the RocKwiz orchestra sans
rehearsal.
“They learn the chords but they don’t
actually rehearse it. We get to see them… it’s
not like a challenge exactly but I thought it
would be nice for the audience to get to watch
that process. Megan was amazing, she bossed
that band around like she was a bandleader for
years - it was brilliant.”
Zemiro says the season has been a delight
thus far but she is slightly nervous about one
upcoming guest, former The Go-Betweens
member and legendary Australian songwriter
and performer (and now writer) Robert
Forster.
“I’m probably the most nervous for Robert
Forster because he’s so smart and he’s so
switched on and I’ve read his book cover to
cover. With Robert he’s so switched on - god
knows what direction it will go in!”
Julia Zemiro’s Comfort Zone
is on at The Famous Spiegeltent
until Sat Mar 13 at 7pm.
ADFRINGE
LIFE IS
LIKE…
WITH GUY
MASTERSON
FISHING FOR
AUDIENCES...
We’ve put the nets out there, and are trawling
the city for the elusive theatre audience.
We’ve angled for critical approval. The shoals
are in the trap, the little fishes are nipping
at the bait... but what we really need is a
Piranha melee... this polite tasting before
ordering is not doing us any favours! GET IN
THERE ADELAIDE! Nibble, sample, order,
but GORGE! There are so many delectable
delights floating around! Make some choices!
I have to admit to being bemused. Watching
our audiences go from pillar to post is akin
to watching a shoal of jittery fish avoiding a
shark. From the Odeon in Norwood with VS
Macbeth, across to the Maj on Grote for The
Walworth Farce, up to us at Light Square
for Scaramouche Jones, across the park to
the Queens for King John, right out there to
the boondocks for Heroin(e) for Breakfast...
they don’t know if they are coming or going...
But this is the nature of festival, and for
our (sweeping generalisation incoming...)
ageing theatre audience, the effort can be
prohibitive; driving, parking, walking, no
assigned seating, no comforting interval, no
swish carpet underfoot... and venturing down
to the West End might seem like entering
the jaws of the shark itself to some... But it
IS safe, trust me... Come on in... you’ll love
it once you’re in! I just miss being one of
them... I miss seeing everything I want to.
With so much on and, with being on stage
at 9.30pm myself, it makes going along to
anything at prime time virtually impossible.
I’m not a precious performer who needs
half an hour in darkened silence to get into
character, but three minutes of relative calm
prior to the lights going down is a minimal
requirement. But with turn-arounds like ours
of an evening, even that is pushing it. But,
boy-oh-boy Adelaide, there is a lot of
good stuff in the offing, and I’d hate you to
miss it like me.
Guy Masterson is
presenting The Centre For
International Theatre at
Higher Ground, an exciting
programme of eight
internationally acclaimed
productions under one roof.
14 theadelaidefix.com.au
ROSS
NOBLE
Voted one of the
world’s 10 greatest
stand-up comedians
of all time by the
UK’s Channel 4, Ross
Noble could very well
be the king of adlib.
Previous sold-out
Fringe shows have
included Unrealtime,
Noodlemeister,
Randomist and Fuzzy
Logic. Now, after
extensive casual
research – in the form
of a six-week TV show
called Ross Noble’s
Australian Trip - and a
lot of time spent riding
around on his beloved
motorbike, Ross Noble
brings Things to the
this year’s Fringe.
By Catherine Blanch
On stage, you surround yourself
with big things; first huge bubbles and
now a 4-headed monster.
“I like to call that making the
effort,” Ross says over the phone.
“You can see heaps of stand-ups
with just a microphone and a curtain
behind them. I want the audience to
feel like they’ve actually been to see
something; I like it to look like a real
show – even thought it is essentially
me just talking bollocks for a couple of
hours [laughs]. It’s a little bit like that
rock‘n’roll thing,” he adds. “If you can
have a massive set, then why not?!”
I guess it does add the visual to the
audio entertainment.
“Because a lot of my stuff is quite
physical, I find that if someone is
going backwards and forwards on an
empty stage, it’s hard for people to
get a reference of how you’re moving.
Something more 3D allows people see
where you are, but that’s getting too
technical… at the end of the day it’s
just pretty cool to have a big monster
on stage.”
You used to sell balloons for a
travelling clown troop. Do you still
stilt walk?
“No, but once someone in the
audience had a pouch by their feet
and told me it was for his juggling
balls. He said he was just learning so
I tried to talk him out of if by telling
him that juggling was the saddest
thing ever; anyone that is highly
skilled at juggling is, quite frankly, a
sad loser [big laughs]. “He got really
aggressive and, as I knew he would,
threw the balls on the stage and dared
me to do it. I told him no because I
didn’t want to look like a loser, but
then the audience started heckling…
I did about 10 really difficult juggling
tricks,” he chuckles, “the audience
went ‘Yay’ and I just threw them back
at him and said ‘yeah, anyone who
juggles is a wanker [laughs!] No one’s
turned up with a unicycle yet.”
Can you ride one?
“Oh yeah!” Ross hesitates to
declare.
Due to popular demand, an extra
show has been added to your tour. You
must be happy about that.
“Yeah, more work,” he sarcastically
jests. “Just joking. It’s really good that
the people of Adelaide are into what I
do. I’m just glad we’re adding shows
and not taking them off [laughs!]”
Ross Noble performs
Things at Thebarton
Theatre from 8pm on
Wed Mar 10 until Sat
Mar 13.
QUICK FIXES
FRANK
WOODLEY
WORDS
THEY
MAKE WITH
THEIR
MOUTHS
By David Knight
One man. One show. Sixteen characters.
This would be a challenge for even the most
experienced actor but the writer and performer
of this show (Tim Spencer) is just 24 years
old and this is the first time his performance
of Words They Make With Their Mouths has
escaped his hometown of Sydney.
The one and only Frank Woodley
gets his Quick Fix on.
Ever yone does T-shirts, but what
would be the most appropriate
merchandise for your show?
I’ve organised to sell actual live
bewildered wilderbeests.
Most inappropriate comment made
by you? I was shooting a TV scene
playing a criminal and I was in character
and I called the actors playing the police
“Fucking Pigs”, only to discover they
were real police helping with traffic
control.
What strange tic do friends know
you by? I’m a fingernail chewer. The
worst part is I don’t restrict it to my own
fingernails.
What would you donate to the
comedy hall of fame? My nostrils.
What sound makes you happy?
Rather than playing CDs at home, I have
an electric clothes wringer and I put the
end of a roll of bubble wrap in and just
lie back and bliss out.
Celebrity meltdown prediction for
2010? The Dalai Lama is going to crack
and punch a panda.
What’s been your most philanthropic
act? I once gave someone the flu, asking
16 theadelaidefix.com.au
nothing in return.
If you were to start a cult what
would your followers have to do?
Live simply. Be kind to others. And have
plastic surgery to look like fish (I just
need to know who’s really committed).
If you had to get a tattoo that was so
deliberately bad it was actually good.
What would the design include?
Over my back, I’d get a photo realistic
tattoo of my neighbour (who I only
know well enough to say “hi”) … and
his girlfriend, so they notice it when I’m
mowing the lawn with my shirt off and
totally freak out.
If your show came with a
government health sticker, what
would it be? Don’t watch this show
while operating heavy machinery; it will
distract the other audience members.
Frank Woodley
presents
Bewilderbeest at The
Spiegeltent until Sun
Mar 7 at 8.15pm.
“In Sydney it was generally a
performance to friends and family,
so it was quite a warm and forgiving
audience,” explains Spencer. “In
Adelaide I don’t really know anyone,
so it’s been interesting to see what
strangers think of it and so far the
response has been overwhelming.
It’s great to have people come up
and say to me, ‘I know that person’.
That’s great - I love to have that
connection.”
Critics have agreed with
audiences with Words… receiving
four-star reviews and positive
notices.
“This is the first time I’ve done
this really. It’s bizarre in a sense for
one to be reviewed and two to have
people really connect with the work
in a way I’ve never seen before.
People don’t know who I am. They
don’t know everything that’s gone
into this work but they’re bringing
their own stories and their own
imagination to it.”
Words… tells the story of 16
different young characters on
one big night out and with these
characters Spencer explains the
stories of people from his generation
- the so-called Generation Y.
“I think it’s a lot of fun and it’s
not a hollow story. There is a lot of
background to it and I think that’s
quite interesting for a show about
young people that there is depth
and there is a history to base these
characters on.”
The catalyst for this show
originated when Spencer was
walking home on a Saturday night
and he passed a bunch of kids
outside a pub.
“There was bunch of rowdy
kids walking down the street and
somebody was being pushed along
in a shopping trolley and just general
mayhem. It occurred to me that it
was a really potent image of a story
of a Saturday night really and to a
larger extent of how the younger
generation tell their stories and how
we exist.”
Words They Make With
Their Mouths runs until Sat
Mar 13 at Iris Cinema on
Morphett Street.
DEAN
& BRITTA
The former Luna
duo of New Zealandborn Dean Wareham
(vocals and guitars)
and Americanborn Britta Phillips
(vocals, bass
and keyboards)
are coming to
Adelaide to perform
exclusively at
WOMADelaide at
which they will be
conducting their
own afternoon
show as well as
playing along to
two screenings of
13 Most Beautiful…
Songs For Andy
Warhol’s Screen
Tests on the Zoo
Stage at night.
13 Most Beautiful… comes from about
500 screen tests Warhol shot of people,
including Nico, Lou Reed, Dennis Hopper
and Edie Sedgwick, who visited his Silver
Factory between 1964 and 1966. Dean and
Britta were approached by the Andy Warhol
Museum to provide a soundtrack to the
artist’s screen tests.
“We said yes immediately and then both
thought, ‘Oh my God, what the hell have
we just done?’” Britta laughs. “We thought,
‘God, now we have to write some music’.
It was quite daunting. But Dean flew to
Pittsburgh and looked through about 150
of them. I think Warhol filmed close to
500 of them but not all of them have been
transferred to video. So Dean picked out a
few dozen and brought them home and we
started picking through them.
“But we mostly went for the Factory
regulars from that time rather than all
the celebrities who came through. So
we procrastinated for a while but then
we started reading up and watching
documentaries and tried to get a feel for
the people, time and place.
“A lot of the people who have seen the
screen tests before have said how well
By Robert Dunstan
it works. I’d actually seen some of them
before but it was in a museum with no
sound. And I was by myself so I found
it hard to just sit still and pay attention.
But in our case, watching it as an event
with other people makes it very intimate.
And there’s a kind of alchemy between
the music and the footage. Even though
we are not singing about any particular
person, the music magnifies the emotion
of the film.”
The duo, who recently signed
Melbourne band The Sand Pebbles to
their label, have since toured the project
around the US and over to Europe.
Lou Reed even attended a New York
performance.
“He came to our first New York show
in the Lincoln Centre and we were very,
very nervous because we perform a Velvet
Underground song, I’m Not A Young Man
Anymore, while Lou’s on screen,” Britta
laughs. “So to see him sitting right there in
the audience was a bit scary. But he came
backstage after the show and told us he
thought it was quite beautiful. We were quite
relieved. You wouldn’t want to get on the
wrong side of Lou.”
Britta, who toured Australia some years
ago with Ben Lee, says their afternoon
WOMADelaide performance will be a
normal Dean & Britta gig.
“The Warhol thing will be very
different,” she concludes. “And we’ve only
done it outdoors once before – on August
1 on Dean’s birthday in Brooklyn – and
it was actually my favourite one. So we’re
looking forward to doing it at an outdoor
cinema again.”
Catch Dean & Britta at
WOMADelaide on Sat Mar 6,
Sun Mar 7 and Mon Mar 8.
theadelaidefix.com.au 17
FORMAT &
BEFORE AND
AFTER SCIENCE
PETER DREW LOOKS IN-DEPTH AT TWO OF THE MOST
ANTICIPATED EXHIBITIONS TO RUN THIS FESTIVAL
SEASON. ONE DISAPPOINTS WHILE THE OTHER IS MORE
CAREFUL TO NOT BITE OFF MORE THAN IT CAN CHEW.
[BEFORE AND
AFTER SCIENCE]
Since being so impressed by the 2008
Adelaide Biennale of Australian Art I was
really looking forward to seeing the 2010
Biennale: Before And After Science. So
it’s with some reservation that I admit
it’s not the hottest exhibition in town.
I’d like to put it down to the fact that no
exhibition could really do justice to the
history of science and the irreversible
effect it’s had on art but that isn’t the
whole truth. The fact is, while some of the
art works might be strong individually,
that strength is lost in the company of
works that really don’t hold their own
and often fail to connect with the theme
by more than the most tenuous strands.
But perhaps the great irony of Before
And After Science is that, through its
very failure, it might actually present an
excellent, if not unwitting, comment on
the effect that science has had on art.
As you walk from one cold, white room
to the next and examine yet another
interesting object that questions life far
more than it affirms life’s value, one
could be forgiven for longing after art that
shows some more unity or even dogmatic
certainty. But unity and certainty can
be ridiculed by a contemporary world
that worships the question mark above
all other icons. That’s why so much
contemporary art is so painfully light.
It’s a defence mechanism that amounts
to having as little tangible substance as
possible so that there’s simply nothing
there to criticise or attack. Can we really
blame science and the unstoppable
rise of rational thought for backing
contemporary art into this absurdly
esoteric corner? For the sake of finding
some poignancy in Before And After
Science I’d say that we can. But there’s
good news. If you find the exhibition as
disappointing as I did you can simply go
up two fights of stairs to check out the
new acquisition of Patricia Piccinini’s Big
Mother, which is better than the whole
Biennale put together.
Before And After Science runs
until Sun May 2 at the Art Gallery Of
South Australia
[FORMAT
FESTIVAL’S
STREET DREAMS]
It’s hard to keep describing Format
Festival as ‘underground’ when it’s
been so popular. But compared to how
mainstream the Garden Of Unearthly
Delights has become, Format Festival
really is the fringe of the Fringe. With 11
individual visual art exhibitions and a host
of live-music performances, workshops,
forums and film screenings there’s a lot a
of variety and a fast turn over so that each
time you stop in at the Peel Street venue
you’ll be sure to see something different.
Format’s run by the artists themselves
which makes it a little rough around the
edges but it also means that the audience
can be part of a growing community
rather than just another customer. That’s
especially
“But unity and certainty can be ridiculed by a
true for Street
contemporary world that worships the question Dreams, the
mark above all other icons. That’s why so much four-day urbanart segment of
contemporary art is so painfully light.”
Format Fest
18 theadelaidefix.com.au
that celebrates the global phenomenon
that is street art.
The flourishing of global street
art is largely due to the strength
in community that exists between
the artists themselves. This sense
of community is evident in the
organisation of Street Dreams as a
festival for the artists to celebrate their
talents while giving the wider audience
a chance to jump behind the scenes.
Don’t miss Saturday night’s (Mar 6)
Pimp My T-shirt Party for which all
attending must wear a plain white
T-shirt that friends and strangers can
lovingly deface as you take a break
from dancing. Street Dreams wraps up
on the Sunday with workshops on the
techniques of graffiti, stencils and pasteups held by seasoned street artists and
an open-invitation ‘Art Jam’ for anyone
who wants to flex their own creative
talents. It’s a difficult balancing act for
underground cultures to maintain the
integrity that’s born out of a tight-knit
community whilst letting the audience
in so that the culture might grow. The
task seems doubly difficult for street
art, which has always had a conflicted
relationship with its audience, for
obvious reasons. It’ll be interesting
to see how it works because events
like this one, which aim to change
the dynamic between the artists and
their audience, tend to have effects
that neither side could have predicted.
That’s what makes it so exciting.
Format Festival continues until
Sun Mar 14 at Peel Street (off
Hindley).
Apart from Nokia phones, Australians don’t get
much exposure to the goings on in Finland, or for
that matter, the rest of Scandinavia either! Metal
heads may be familiar with the odd Scandinavian
hardcore band, but the traditional sounds of that
part of the world don’t often make it to our shores.
LEPISTO
& LEHTI
All that’s about to change, as
WOMADelaide welcomes traditional
Finnish duo Lepisto & Lehti. Bearing the
unlikely instrumental combination of double
bass and accordion, this pair are sure to be
a crowd pleaser at the festival. I had a chat
to double bass player Pekka Lehti to find
out a little more of the story behind this
amazing act…
“My professional career started when
I was 17 years old,” Pekka begins, “and I
started to play with one of the best known
Finnish singer-songwriters, more of a
pop-rock-punk thing. Then, after about
10 years, I started to study classical, and I
was studying for a couple of years of that,
and then in a Finnish world music band,
Värttinä. We were with Värttinä in Australia
in the ’90s. They asked me to join, and
then I was interested more about the world
music and also Finnish music traditions,
and I started to listen to archive records
and so on. I met Markku Lepisto when
I was still in Värttinä, and then we were
flying with that band, because we did a lot
of touring, we were sitting in an aeroplane,
Lepisto and Lehti, and we started to talk
about music and afterwards we started our
duo. And now we are touring with this duo
and making our own music and our own
composition.”
The combination is definitely something
unique, even in the band’s traditional
Finnish scene.
“I don’t know any other duos where
there is a bass and accordion,” Pekka
By Luke Balzan
muses. “Many times when I say to
somebody that we have a band where
there is bass and accordion, people get a
little bit suspicious; ‘How that can sound?’”
he chuckles. “But when they hear, they
think it’s a two-man orchestra. We can fill
all the frequencies with harmony, with the
accordion and the double bass. This kind
of style, that we do in Finland, there are
musicians who do it, but I think we have
a quite unique sound, because I have, we
have so different backgrounds. Markku
has a really strong traditional background;
he learnt to play accordion from older guys
in his village, and he started to play at four
years old, and he learned it by ear from the
older, traditional guys. My background is in
more urban music, with pop rock and that
kind of thing. I started with the new-wave of
punk rock when I was 14. I think that there
is a good combination that we have such
different backgrounds.”
The pair are very excited to be coming to
Australia to play in WOMADelaide.
“I am happy to come back to Australia
with the duo, and also to get some sun,
because in March, it’s dark here!” Pekka
laughs about his Finnish homeland.
Lepisto & Lehti play
WOMADelaide on Sat Mar 6
and Mon Mar 8.
18 FEB - 13 MAR
8.30PM
ARTS THEATRE,
53 ANGAS ST
BOOKINGS 1300 374 643 (1300 FRINGE)
adelaidefringe.com.au
arjbarker.com
theadelaidefix.com.au 19
ADELAIDE
STREET
THEATRE
FESTIVAL
We’ve all averted our eyes
and clutched on to our
change while walking past
them, plucking their guitars
balefully, drowsily hitting a
xylophone or singing out of
tune. They’re buskers and they’re often a bit shit.
Time to lift your game, grade two violin kids. The
singing, dancing, juggling, tumbling and crowd
pleasing antithesis of that kind of screeching noise
is coming to the city this weekend for the Adelaide
Street Theatre Festival. Thirteen handpicked
acts from around the world will appear at three
locations across town from Fri Mar 5 to Mon Mar 8
for the Adelaide Street Theatre Festival. Adelaide
Street Theatre Festival coordinator Louise Clarke
says her performers are seasoned entertainers
who have been honing their craft for years.
FRASER
HOOPER
What’s the craziest thing that has
been placed in your hat while street
performing? “I’ve had phone numbers,
some illegal substances and the most
annoying thing, religious literature. I did
a festival once and I used to work under
the name Strawberry, because Fraser
means strawberry, and some lady kept
leaving handkerchiefs embroidered
with strawberries in the corner in
the hat. I was quite excited to finally
meet her, but she wasn’t as beautiful
as the strawberries. I’ve still got those
handkerchiefs, though.”
Can you make a living travelling
the world and performing your art on
the streets across the four corners
of the globe? “Yes, all the street theatre
people are seasoned professionals;
we do this all over the world. We’ve
got mortgages, cars, houses, just like
everyone else; we’re all making a good
living. We do lots of other festivals as
well, busking festivals around the world.”
Where was the most memorable
place, city or landmark where you’ve
performed? “I have performed so many
different places… there are some great
festivals around the world, like this
one and the one in Christchurch. I’ve
performed on the QE2; I have performed
at Festival Hall in London and on a train
between London and Disneyland in Paris.”
Apart from performing, another
skill you need as a street theatre
artist is drawing a crowd. What are
some surefire ways to get an audience
to watch you perform on the street?
“I think you’ve got to be charming in the
beginning. Lots of people have different
techniques, some people create a big
commotion in the beginning so people
think it’s an exciting happening, other
people gently persuade people that they’re
going to miss something fantastic if they
don’t stay. I give people tickets and show
them to their seats.”
So this is the street theatre festival –
would you have a problem if someone
described you as a busker? “No. Some of
my favourite acts in the world are buskers.”
“The term busking is far too general
and it refers to too many different
genres, like just going out on the
street and strumming away on a
guitar,” Clarke says. “Street theatre
is the opposite of that, it’s more
professional and polished. These
performers travel around the world to
international street theatre festivals,
they’ve been honing their craft for
years and they often perform in
theatre venues too.”
The festival includes Bendy Em, a
contortionist who can fold herself into
a 16-inch Perspex box balanced on
a seven foot rig; Mario Queen of the
Circus, a Latin lothario who juggles
while exuding universal sex appeal;
Fraser Hooper, a clown who pays
tribute to the great silent comedians
with a contemporary edge; and
THE
STRONG
LADY
What’s the craziest thing that
has been placed in your hat while
street performing? “I have had phone
numbers. I recently had this guy stand up
the back and be really annoying for the
whole performance. Then he gave me his
number. I’m married anyway. Weird.”
Can you make a living travelling
the world and performing your art on
the streets across the four corners of
the globe? “Absolutely. I perform full time
and have been making a living with this
show since 2007.”
Where was the most memorable
place, city or landmark where you’ve
performed? “Probably Italy in the Cinque
Terre, those lovely little seaside towns. But
I must say that I was here two years ago
performing and some of the best street
shows I’ve done have been in Adelaide.”
The Adelaide Street Theatre Festival is on from Fri Mar 5 to Mon Mar 8 in various
locations around Rundle Mall, Rundle Street and East Tce.
20 theadelaidefix.com.au
Klirr De Luxe, who makes ordinary
objects such as plates and chairs
entertaining.
“It’s going to be fantastic,” Clarke says.
“Expect to see high-skill acts, comedy,
lots of crowd interaction and some really
beautiful moments.”
So if the Adelaide Street Theatre Festival
performers really can raise the bar
beyond singing in a boater hat while
picking cans out of rubbish bins, just
how much should audiences give them?
“Think about it like this, if you
were doing that show, had spent
years learning your skills, from the
performance skills to being able to
attract and hold an audience, what
would you want from the crowd?
Entry to the Adelaide Street Theatre
Festival is free and exit is as much as
you would like to pay.”
Apart from performing, another
skill you need as a street theatre artist
is drawing a crowd. What are some
surefire ways to get an audience to
watch you perform on the street?
“Having fun. Sometimes it’s hard when
you’re first trying to start a crowd, it can
be a bit daunting, but I find I really love
doing this show so I figure if I’m enjoying
myself other people will be curious and
come along too. So I put some music on
that I really like and I have a bit of fun and
mostly people will want to be a part of that.”
This is the Street Theatre Festival –
would you have a problem if someone
described you as a busker? “I’m not
so big on the terminology. I wouldn’t call
myself a busker, I think there are different
skills involved, but I have respect for
buskers and if someone calls me a busker
I would have no problem at all.”
REVIEWS
THE WAU WAU
SISTERS’ LAST
SUPPER
MY NAME IS
RACHEL CORRIE
UMBRELLA REVOLUTION,SUN FEB 28
AC ARTS (TAFE SA) - STABLES,
SUN FEB 28
Even before the show had begun, the hilarity
had started. Handed sacrament at the door
and then ushered to our seats, it didn’t take
long for the Wau Wau Sisters to get most of
their gear off in a dancing acrobatic frenzy,
and then after some hilarious crowd-warming
banter, get them back on in the same fashion.
Being sacrilegious has never been so
funny – or so raunchy. These two country
and western singers don’t understand
the word subtle – their song Jesus Is
Cumming is only the tip of the iceberg
of their hilarious debauched ways. Their
acrobatic skills are dazzling and every
‘apostle’ they collected from the audience
was a willing participant. Bread was broke,
wine was shared, nudity was common
and the capacity crowd loved absolutely
every second of these fabulously raunchy
women. I bet God wishes she was there!
Daniel Clarke directs the marvellous
Hannah Norris in this superb effort.
For 90 minutes the audience shares
Corrie’s views and thoughts on a range
of topics gleaned from diaries, emails
and letters. Norris is convincing in
this impressive solo performance.
The atmospheric lighting and sound
help create Rachel’s world, both at
home in the USA and in Palestine.
This play serves to remind that, no
matter who holds the moral high
ground, all who perish in conflict are
children, parents, siblings and friends.
It also demonstrates what can happen
when you grab a tiger by the tail. That
Rachel Corrie died in the most awful
of circumstances should never be
forgotten. This performance will
ensure that you won’t.
Final Word: Outrageous!
Catherine Blanch
Final Word: Absorbing.
David Robinson
THE WAU WAU SISTERS’ LAST
SUPPER CONTINUES AT
UMBRELLA REVOLUTION UNTIL
SAT MAR 13.
MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE
CONTINUES AT AC
ARTS UNTIL SUN MAR 14.
THEATRES
HOLDENSTREETTHEATRES.COM
34 Holden Street Hindmarsh
NEXT TO SOCCER STADIUM
(Free Parking)
HEROIN(E)
FOR BREAKFAST
FRANCESCA
MARTINEZ
TUXEDO CAT, FRI FEB 26
A sign of good comedy is if you find
yourself still thinking about some of the
jokes hours or even days afterwards;
Francesca Martinez is a comedian who
will definitely make a lasting impression.
Francesca has cerebral palsy, or CP as
she calls it, but any initial discomfort at
seeing her being helped to the stage
quickly disappears as she reassures the
audience that she is sober, and launches
into a routine which shows that a lifetime
of living with the condition has given
her a unique and edgy comic view of the
world. Whether it be to witness a triumph
of the human spirit, or just because she
is so bloody funny, this is one comedy
routine you must see. You will be poorer
than the price of a ticket if you miss it.
Final Word: Brilliant!
Adrian Miller
FRANCESCA MARTINEZ
CONTINUES AT TUXEDO CAT
UNTIL SUN MAR 7.
EKATA: MUSIC
VOICE DANCE
NEXUS CABARET, THU FEB 25
Shanti Shanti…a hybrid of flamenco, belly
dancing and Indian sacred dance, Ekata
is a hypnotic journey of song and dance
and you can’t help but feel a strong sense
of sisterhood even if you are a bloke!
Ekata features a strong band of multiinstrumentalists ranging from double
bass, oboe, Middle Eastern flute, guitar
and octave mandolin to lots of percussion
and outstanding vocal technique in
various guises. The Tibetan singing bowl
was our favourite and set the perfect
ambience. The synthesis of dance styles
DIESEL
SOLO
THE ADELAIDE FIX
By Philip Stokes. Holden Street
Theatres & Horizon Arts Ltd in Assoc.
with Richard Jordan Productions Ltd
& Ralph Dartford Associates.
(UK) THEATRE
Sex, drugs and Marilyn Monroe.
Heroin puts the great back into
Britain. FUNNY AND IRREVERENT.
FEB 15–MAR 14 TIX FROM $15
FRI 12 & SAT 13 MARCH
GARDEN OF UNEARTHLY DELIGHTS
THE SPIEGELTENT
RUNDLE PARK, EAST TERRACE, ADELAIDE
Tix: 1300 374 643 or ADELAIDEFRINGE.COM.AU
dieselmusic.com.au | myspace.com/officialdieselmusic
theadelaidefix.com.au 21
THE ADELAIDE FIX
REVIEWS
celebrates femininity in all its forms, the
costumes outstanding, unique and various
according to the style of dance. It’s local
but it’s celebrating a world of culture,
belly buttons, hand cymbals, white sage,
candles, and mysticism! Om…
Final Word: Hypnotising.
Clayton Werner & Sandy Klose
THE TOKYO
SHOCK BOYS: 20TH
ANNIVERSARY
SHOW
THEBARTON THEATRE, FRI FEB 26
The Boys’ latest show featured longtimefave stunts - and, forgivably, technical
issues. Gyuzo, Danna, Sangojugo and
Nambu (the most assaulted) took to the
stage in the stiflingly hot Thebby and set
about their nicely ramshackle, sometimes
deliciously amusing and frequently eyewatering business: Danna breaks cacti
between his buttcheeks; darts-in-the-bum
and stapling currency to Nambu’s head
are surefire showstoppers; the set-piece
where Gyuzo applies superglue to his
hands and (almost) lifts a steel barrel is
exceptionally painful-looking; and the
famous highlight where a rope’s attached
to Nambu’s scrotum and then pulled by
Gyuzo on a motorbike provoked shrieks
of horror. However, while some new
additions failed to quite click, as when
Gyuzo, as Michael Jackson, emerged
strapped to two dummy Michaels
and needed to be assisted when the
discomfort became unendurable, the
Boys needn’t have been as disappointed
as they apparently were at the end,
because the audience had a, um, ball.
Final Word: Ouch!
Mad Dog Bradley
LA PETITE MORT –
THE ORGASM
THE PROMETHEAN, THU FEB 25
A one-woman cabaret show with piano
accompaniment, this is both a collection of
great songs and an edifying and amusing
lesson in how the female orgasm has
been misunderstood over the years. In
the name of research Isabel Hertaeg has
delved back into the history of all things
sexual, and turned her findings into an
entertaining romp. Raunchy but never
sleazy. Songs range from Tom Waits to
classical to country and western and a few
other styles thrown in for good measure.
Some puzzling stagecraft; I was never
quite sure that pianist Geoff Urqhart’s
discomfort was an act - and a somewhat
limp ending stops this from being a totally
satisfying experience – but you will want
to join Isabel’s salute to all who have come
before.
Final Word: Stimulating.
Adrian Miller
LA PETITE MORT – THE
ORGASM CONTINUES AT THE
PROMETHEAN UNTIL FRI MAR 12.
CATH STYLES
IN LOVE AND
MARRIAGE
THE MAID, THU FEB 25
How much more original material could
you possibly find to say about love and
marriage? Apparently absolutely none.
Cath Styles has a hypnotic, rhetorical
delivery and an inclusive manner, so
many of her sentences seek to gain your
assent, ending in “Right?” or “Don’t
you?” that it feels like a positive thinking
seminar. The audience, tonight 90 percent
female with a couple of other halves in
tow, giggled away enthusiastically at the
start. It’s a very personal show, short on
quotable funny lines, but with just enough
amusing, self-deprecating content to tickle
you along. No advocate for marriage, she
insists she married accidentally. There
are exaggerated examples of sluttish and
slummy-mummy behaviour, but she’s a
nice girl really ending with sentimental
exhortation to work on our relationships
and value our partners which pings you
straight back to the self-help event.
Final Word: Dull.
Julia Chamberlain
THREE BIRDS – FEAT.
LIZ STRINGER, JESS
MCAVOY & LEAH
FLANAGAN
WHEATSHEAF HOTEL, THU FEB 25
OFTEN I FIND
THAT I AM NAKED
BY FIONA SPROTT
LE CASCADEUR, SUN FEB 28
All Jezebel wants is to be loved
unconditionally and not to feel so
isolated, but when ‘The One’ comes
along she doesn’t know what to do or
how to react. This well crafted black
comedic piece of genius theatre has
everything you could think of, from
live music to cheesy pick-up lines and
22 theadelaidefix.com.au
a guide to the dos and don’ts of the
dating world, it’s one that will have you
both in fits of laughter and cringing
in horror. The performances by Jo
Thomas and Sam Clark are outstanding
and bring so much energy to the show
as they bounce around the stage. This
is a story about alcohol, sex, love, life
and loneliness, often in that order, that
is captivating and stimulating in more
ways than one.
Final word: Intriguing.
Sarah Mena
These enormously talented three women
between them have decades of experience
as performers and songwriters.
Structuring the performance into two sets,
a mellow and introspective first half and
a more lively second half, they exchange
ukulele, banjo, bass, percussion and
various guitars throughout, and delight
the senses with beautifully blended
harmonies. Given that all have distinctly
different personalities and perspectives
this is one of the pleasures of a combined
performance of these gifted ‘Three Birds’.
Liz Stringer oozes down-to-earth passion
with her blues and bluegrass tinged tunes.
Leah Flanagan incorporates indigenous
island roots with a huge vocal range
that soars from sweet to gutsy and Jess
McAvoy offers her emotionally driven
songs with a funky and syncopated edge.
The fitting finale is a collaboration song,
co-written by all three.
Final Word: Sublime.
Jenna Bonavita
BEST OF THE FEST
LATE SHOW
THE GOV, FRI FEB 26
There was a misogynistic theme running
through this show. Peter Berner rose
above it. Daniel Townes told how he’d
been accused of it. Carey Marx tried to
obscure it with a sort of clever defence
of using offensive language that was still
in the end just offensive. Lindsay Webb’s
opening line was “I can see your vagina”
to a woman seated at the front - though he
is skilled at building a funny set around
audience interaction. It was the late show
and much of the crowd were boozed, so
any reference to sex or vaginas brought
guaranteed laughs. There were funny
moments, but Berner aside, this show
would be a huge hit at local footy clubs - a
sad indictment. Still, the crowd laughed
uproariously all the way through.
Final Word: Sexist.
Michael Coghlan
BEST OF THE FEST LATE SHOW
CONTINUES AT THE GOV UNTIL
SAT MAR 13.
WORDS THEY
MAKE WITH THEIR
MOUTHS
IRIS CINEMA, SAT FEB 27
Sixteen characters and one man to
perform them all sounds damn impressive
if you can pull it off - and impressive it was.
A group of people leave a pub and walk
down a street and their stories that unfold
are sometimes sad, sometimes funny
but always honest. This piece of theatre
is thoughtfully constructed in a way that
will have you riding every emotional
wave. Spencer, writer and performer, is a
remarkable storyteller, and as he chops
and changes between characters and
narrates the intertwined love and life
stories of each of his energetic individual
characters, he delivers a piece of theatre
that should not be missed. If you don’t
see anything else at this year’s Fringe,
see this!
Final Word: Outstanding!
Sarah Mena
WORDS THEY MAKE WITH THEIR
MOUTHS CONTINUES AT IRIS
CINEMA UNTIL SUN MAR 13.
VIGILANTELOPE
PRESENTS TALE OF
THE GOLDEN LEASE
THE POD, THU FEB 25
Everyone from God, Shiva, The Rainbow
Serpent and Satan want the lease to Earth,
so four men in black T-shirts and shorts
change hats and characters to depict the
quest. Joel Tito, Vachel Spirason, Pat
Miller and Tim McDonald travel through
space, explore the Anus of Time and see
some serious shit! Absolutely hilarious
aerobic style dancing, singing, puns
galore and references to characters you
will know and love or hate, it is a must-see
romp through Heaven and Hell!
Final Word: Heavenly.
Karen Bailey
VIGILANTELOPE PRESENTS
TALE OF THE GOLDEN LEASE
CONTINUES AT THE POD UNTIL
SUN MAR 14.
GERALDINE QUINN SHUT UP AND SING
TUXEDO CAT, TUE MAR 2
She’s no longer Fifteen, the biological
clock’s going TiK ToK and she’s yet to
enjoy The Fame, but Geraldine Quinn’s
dissection of modern pop is a Boom Boom
Pow success. Brilliantly spoofing Taylor
Swift (an Aileen Wuornos-worshipping
psycho), Ke$ha (afflicted by both brain
damage and STIs) and Shakira (Spanglish
non sequiturs = pop success!), Quinn’s
rapid musical wit makes it impossible to
catch all the hilarity (did she really just
sing ‘A meal is better when it’s split’ in
her ode to camel toe? Ewww!). Backed by
Bowie/Beyonce costuming that bravely
flaunts her lovely lady lumps and more
euphemisms than a Carry On box set,
Quinny has a crack at everyone from
ABBA to GaGa. A projection of the firecrotched singer’s lyrics would enhance
the production, but with dance moves
including the ‘tomato sauce bottle opened
by vagina’, this is a chart-topper.
Final Word: Poptastic!
Scott McLennan
GERALDINE QUINN PERFORMS AT
TUXEDO CAT UNTIL SUN MAR 14.
THE FUNNY SIDE OF
PRESTIDIGITATION
CAOS ENTERTAINMENT
COMPLEX, FRI FEB 26
Pip Comic Illusionist’s wit is as quick
as his sleight of hand in this vastly
entertaining show. Card tricks, balloon
animals, disappearing (and reappearing)
banknotes and other feats of legerdemain
amaze and amuse alongside a steady
stream of banter and hammed up rivalry
between the stage magician and his
delectable assistant Miss Olivia. With lots
of volunteers from the audience required
throughout the show, it’s easy to become
part of the performance and get a close up
look at how the magic happens (although I
think I might have accidentally sabotaged
one of his routines while I was on stage,
sorry). The ace up Pip’s sleeve might be
that distraction and misdirection are so
much easier when the audience has tears
of laughter running down their face.
Final Word: Bewitching.
Owen Heitmann
THE FUNNY SIDE OF
PRESTIDIGITATION CONTINUES
AT CAOS ENTERTAINMENT
COMPLEX UNTIL FRI MAR 5.
THE MAD MAX
REMIX
THE HIVE, MON MAR 1
This is the sort of show you‘ll probably
find yourself telling everyone you
know to go and see, even if it‘s just so
that you can laugh about it with them.
Even funnier ‘ha ha‘ than the original
trilogy was funny‚ strange, The Mad
Max Remix is a trio of live performers
adding voice-overs to a mashed up
hour-long version of the three Mad
Max films, with a fourth adding live
music and sound effects. No cow is
sacred as clips from Lethal Weapon,
Gallipoli, Tina Turner music videos
and a whole bunch more get tossed
into the mix. The result is surprisingly
coherent, with the crazy narrative
only stretching the imagination
slightly further than the original story.
Some may even find it slightly more
plausible. The performances are spot
on and it‘s an absolute cracker of a
production. Not to be missed.
Final Word: Hilarious.
Troy Foster
THE MAD MAX REMIX
CONTINUES AT THE HIVE
UNTIL SAT MAR 13.
theadelaidefix.com.au 23
GARDEN OF
UNEATHLY DELIGHTS
PHOTOS BY AARON SCHINTLER
FOR MORE
PHOTOS HEAD TO
RIPITUP.COM.AU
24 theadelaidefix.com.au
23rd February - 14th March
The Metropolitan Hotel
BOOK NOW by phone or online
1300 FRINGE (374 643), adelaidefringe.com.au
theadelaidefix.com.au 25
PETER’S
PICS
Peter Drew highlights the best visual
art to check in and around the
festival month.
PIXEL
WORKSHOP
THU MAR 11 3PM – 5PM
FORMAT, PEEL ST (OFF
HINDLEY)
Since the golden age of pixel
art was ushered in by the
Commodore 64 a worldwide
community of artists are
keeping the spirit of retro
computer art alive with bold
colours, supersized pixels and
the spirit of digital youth. Join
artists Dan Monceaux and
Emma Sterling for a primer
in how to make pixel art with
cheap consumer electronics
and free software tools. From
your PC desktop to the Rundle
Lantern, it’s a contemporary art
niche of surprising scope.
MOMENTS IN TIME
CONTINUES UNTIL
SUN MAR 14
EDGEWATER GALLERY
87 CARLISLE ST, ETHELTON
Moments In Time is a collaborative
exhibition between two well-matched
26 theadelaidefix.com.au
artists, Mark Lobert and Jamie Daddo.
Lobert’s passion and vitality for life are
evident in his expressionistic paintings
that employ bold colours and rich
textures. Through his skill in painting
to drawing, with a look at creating
landscapes on vases, Daddo’s work
brings to life his own rich inner world
with a sharp sense of honesty.
STRANDS OF
COUNTRY
CONTINUES UNTIL
SAT MAR 13
FABRIC OF LIFE
141 MELBOURNE ST,
NORTH ADELAIDE
SMALL
WED MAR 10 – TUE MAR 16
MAGAZINE, CLUBHOUSE
LANE (OFF HINDLEY)
The works exhibited in the latest
offering by artist collective Twopercent
have been selected for their ability to
go beyond the gallery walls and live
From the southern ocean to the
northern seas and across the desert,
Aboriginal artists practice contemporary
textile art. This exhibition presents a
broad sample of work from three centres
of contemporary textile art; Ernabella
Arts from the central desert, Babbarra
Arts from Arnhem Land and Kuju Arts
from Port Lincoln.
in the home. The 16 featured artists
were asked to contribute works smaller
than 60cm square. Artists were asked
to consider the artwork’s place within
the home rather than the gallery.
Small goes against the grain of much
contemporary art in the sense that it
explores the notion of artwork as an
object of desire, and the compulsion to
possess and collect.
P
O
T
S
S
S
E
PR
UNENLIGHTENED & ALONE
CIRCUS
((((The Advertiser
“Mesmerising, heart-stopping”
“Very alluring”
“You’re in the presence of real talent”
“New star James Kingsford-Smith blends dance,
gymnastics, performance circus and psychology
in a contemporary theatre context” M/C Reviews
The Garage International @ NACC
176 TYNTE STREET,
NORTH ADELAIDE, 5006
2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th March at 7.00pm
9th,12th,13th,14th March at 8.45pm
Adult $25 Concession $20 (plus service
fee) Special Rates on Tuesdays
Tickets at:
www.adelaidefringe.com.au ,
1300 374 643
OR www.TheGarageInternational.com
08 8267 1575 (no service fee)
Box Office:
Wellington EU Cellars, 2-8 Wellington
Sq, North Adelaide
LEOF KINGSFORD-SMITH
Mission of Flowers
WRITTEN BY
GERRY GREENLAND
Awgie Nominee
Glen Eira Award Winner
DIRECTED BY
DAMIEN LAY
Astra Award Winner
ACS Award Winner
Logie Award Winner
STOP PRESS
“Mission of Flowers”
at the 2010 Adelaide Fringe Festival:
“There are little gems that appear at every fringe and
this is one of them”
“Engaging performance that will move you.”
Glam Adelaide
“Engrossing ... Deserves to be seen”
Adelaide Theatre Guide
“Gripping” Adelaide Advertiser
“Uplifting, intriguing theatre... Kingsford-Smith does
a mighty job.”. Sunday Mail
“Exceptional...Superb...Gripping”
“Lancaster certainly wasn’t a noble hero and
Kingsford-Smith does the perfect job of portraying
his flaws while still keeping you on-side”
RIU publishing
JAH’Z CAFE
A captivating story of love,
intrigue, adventure and loneliness
www.greenroompresents.com
www.missionofflowers.com
(30 metres from Palace East End Cinema)
7 Cinema Place (off Vaughan Place)
Rundle Street, Adelaide 5000
20th Feb to 13th Mar at 5.30pm.
No performance on Tuesday nights.
Full $25.00 Concession $20.00
Book online at www.adelaidefringe.com.au
or phone 1300 374 643
BOB’S
FIX
by Robert Dunstan
PIMP MY
SHETLAND
WITH HANNAH GADSBY
I took the room with the double bed. I pretended to be
in a conundrum and I phoned Dave Thornton. “Listen
Dave, there is quite clearly a good bedroom and a bad
bedroom.” What could the man say? He wasn’t arriving
in Adelaide for another four hours. Did he expect me
to take the room with the two single beds? I am not the
martyr I used to be and this is a good thing. If Jesus
had taken a few more years this whole sorry mess could
have been avoided. As the youngest of five children I
have always looked down to find my place in the world
and up until recently I would have assumed my place
in the inferior room. I would have dutifully unpacked
my meagre belongings and then lay, unrollingly, on the
child’s bed. I would not have needed blankets because
I would have been as snug as smug bug wrapped in
self-sacrifice. Not any more. That kind of warmth is like
wetting the bed: balmy at first then cold and undignified.
It is first in, first served when you’re amongst equals.
But what if we’d have arrived together? How would we
The sounds of the planet
come to Botanic Park when
WOMADelaide takes place
from 4.30pm on Fri Mar 5 and
then continues until about
midnight on Mon Mar 8. You
have to go home at night
though for a bit of kip. And I
feel that the ticket price for
a weekend pass represents
very good value because I’ve
divided the number of acts
appearing (46) by the price of a
pre-purchased weekend ticket
($265) and calculated that it
works out at $5.76 per act. And
that doesn’t even include the
free roving stuff from Three
Men In Tub, Slack Taxi,
Strange Fruit, Barking Spider
Theatre Company and others.
So, I reckon that paying $5.76 to
see Poh Ling Yeow at Taste The
World (high noon on Sun Mar
7) is good value in anyone’s
cookbook. And some of the acts
play more than once.
A lot of friends, who can’t
quite afford a weekend
pass and who are
not into a mob of
horses kicking a
piece of leather
around at
Morphettville,
have decided who’d get the adult bed? What issues do
you consider? I am significantly wider than Dave and
so my turning circle covers too large a surface area
to be satisfied by a single bed. But by the same token
Dave is quite tall and the lack of support would wreak
Victoria Park or Cheltenham,
have elected to attend
WOMADelaide on Monday
if only to see virtuoso sitar
player Ravi Shankar (who
turns 90 next month) and
daughter Anoushka (Norah
Jones’ half-sister). The
prospect of seeing Ravi
Shankar perform for the first
time – I obviously don’t get
out quite as often as I should
– reminds me of that great
rock’n’roll moment in August
of 1971 when Ravi took to
the stage of Madison Square
Garden in New York to play a
concert organised by himself
and George Harrysongs to
aid East Pakistan refugees.
Ravi had spent some time
tuning his multi-stringed
instrument and after
completing the arduous
task was greeted by a huge,
rather overly appreciative
roar from the crowd.
The rock’n’roll moment
happened when Ravi
responded with, ‘If you
enjoyed the tuning so
much then you will really
appreciate the performance’.
I wonder if that will
happen on Monday.
havoc on his ankles. If I’m honest, though, the real issue
is who is the most likely to need the extra space for
extracurricular pursuits? If that’s the case then the only
people who can truly decide who should get the dance
bed are the AdeLadies. I am just glad I arrived first.
THE FLYING PENGUINS
The quest for fame is
never an easy one –
especially when New
York City, whiskeyloving housemates,
wannabe actors and
porn are thrown into
the mix. But such life
experiences were
in fact the catalyst
for London-based
acting trio The Flying
Penguins’ first codevised production
Fame Or Fries.
By Marija Filipovic
“A young, naive girl’s quest to find
acting fame in the big city is a pretty
classic and recognizable story, and
one that we’ve all sort of had to face
28 theadelaidefix.com.au
once graduating from drama school,”
starts Avena Mansergh-Wallace.
“It’s just different in that all the
experiences are heightened. We poke
fun at the eccentrics – we magnify life’s
absurdities.”
Hailing from Australia, Canada and
Ireland, Lucy Rasheed, Rosie Tross and
Avena Mansergh-Wallace graduated
from the London School Of Dramatic
Art in 2009 and from the outset knew
it was going to be a tough road in the
acting world.
“We’ve all been there – we’ve all been
told that, ‘You’re nothing and nobody
wants you’. Especially coming straight
out of Drama school it’s pretty clear
that no director or production company
is waiting for you and it’s a big scary
world”, explains Lucy. “We weren’t about
to sit and wait for things to fall into our
laps and beg casting agents for roles,
so we just sort of got together and said
‘yeah, let’s do this ourselves.’ So we
went away, wrote Fame Or Fries and
that’s when we got the ball rolling. It’s
empowering and that’s why we did it.
There’s a sense of freedom involved.”
Fame Or Fries follows the trials and
tribulations of country bumpkin Brenda,
chasing her acting dreams in New York,
and running from her redneck roots
in Mud Lick, Arkansas. Along the way
she’s accosted by a myriad of quirky
characters and errant souls and finds
herself in some compromising positions
and unsavoury places. Despite the fast
pace of the big city and crazy characters,
the show takes a much more simplistic
and raw approach with a small stage, few
props and cosy audience.
“You often see bigger productions
with massive light shows, complex
music and big stages; it’s nice to be
able to turn that on its head and strip
it back to nothing,” explains Avena.
“Surprisingly, it makes it easier to
perform without props. Really, they are
nothing.”
“The Adelaide Fringe has been
such a buzz for us. It’s amazing and
the crowds are just so positive and so
receptive to the comedy,” concludes
Lucy. “It really is a down the rabbit-hole
experience into a cartoon-mad world and
the Fringe really has been a good hub
for that madness.”
Fame Or Fries is on at
The Barn at the Maid And
Magpie on Fri Mar 5 at
6pm.
THE
ADELAIDE
FIX’S
Mesa Lunga
Tapas Bar Y Ristorante
Eat, drink and share the good times…
WHERE TO
EAT GUIDE
Bringing together the laid-back
sophistication of a distinctive lounge bar,
with an intimate and elegant restaurant
celebrating modern Australian cuisine.
95-97 Gouger Street, Adelaide
Telephone 8231 6023
www.figristorante.com.au
ADVERTISING FEATURE

Open Tuesday 6pm
& Wednesday through to
Sunday12pm till late.
Mesa Lunga
Tapas Bar Y Ristorante
corner Morphett and
Gouger Streets, Adelaide
Call 8410 7617
www.mesalunga.com

118 Hindley Street, Adelaide - Ph 8212 9099
DINING & IMBIBING
Open Tuesday to Saturday:
Bar - 4pm Tapas - 5pm Restaurant - 6pm
High Tea: Saturday - 4pm
Reservations Essential
www.theapothecary1878.com.au
TAPAS : SANGRIA : PAELLA : SALSA
FLAMENCO : JAM NIGHT


Open Thursday - Sunday
www.tapasonhindley.com.au
147 Hindley St, Adelaide
ph. 8212 0222
2010
Enjoy a cold drink and alfresco
dining whilst watching the sunset
over the Marina
6-10 Adelphi Tce, Glenelg North
(opposite the Buffalo Sailing Ship)
Open 7 days 6am - 9pm
Breakfast Lunch & Dinner
Phone: 8350 5160 www.haveninn.com.au
THE ADELAIDE FIX’S WHERE TO EAT GUIDE
Farm Direct,
Restaurant Quality meats
Norwood
08 8332 2538
Unley
08 8271 7286
Central Market
08 8231 4700
www.feastfinefoods.com.au
30 theadelaidefix.com.au
Fairview
08 8251 8025
Multicultural Tapas Lounge Bar
Modern Contemporary
Mediterranean food
Matched with original Australian Art
112-114 Wright Street Adelaide | 8231 7411
Mon - Wed: 7am to 5pm, Thurs + Fri: 7am to late
Sat: 8am to 2pm + 6pm to late
www.jamthebistro.com
“A restaurant
like no other
in Adelaide”
John McGrath
from
The Adelaide Review
TUESDAY TO FRIDAY
- MIDDAY TO LATE
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
- 6PM TO LATE
email. [email protected]
phone. 8231 3939
12 LEIGH STREET, ADELAIDE
Restaurant
Cellar Door
Bar
Expresso
19 Gouger Street in the Adelaide CBD
Open for Lunch and Dinner
Telephone: 84107880
www.aramisvineyards.com
The LADY DALY
BISTRO
BEER GARDEN
GAMING
TUES NIGHT
all you can eat char-grilled ribs
WED NIGHT
$10 schnitzel
THURS NIGHT
Ladys night $2 bubbly
126 PORT ROAD HINDMARSH
8340 4600
www.theladydaly.com.au
“a breath of
fresh air on the terrace”
Mirage is the newest and hottest
addition to the Adelaide lounge bar scene
Modern European cuisine promoting
South Australian produce
Extensive premium spirit and
cocktail range
Breakfast - Dinner - 7 days
Lunch Mon-Fri
92 North Terrace, Adelaide p 08 8231 2600
www.gotomirage.com.au
[email protected]
Bar - Restaurant - Accommodation
- Functions - Gaming
CLASSIC HEARTY DISHES IN THE
HEART OF THE CITY
$10 Schnitzels Sat, Sun & Monday
Open Lunch (excluding Sat)
Dinner Daily
AMBAR LOUNGE
Inspired Cocktails, Boutique Wine
& Mediterranean Fare
2-4-1 Rustic Pizza 5-8pm Wed-Fri
Open Lunch & Dinner Wed- Fri
www.ambassadorshotel.com.au
107 King William St, Adelaide, p: 8231 4331
We welcome you to Australia’s first
Argentinian Restaurant.
OPEN 7 DAYS LUNCH AND DINNER
Our specialities include the Ageing Process
of all meats butchered on premises daily combined with
our best kept secret Gaucho’s ‘chimmichurri sauce’.
HOTELMETRO.COM.AU
46 GROTE ST,ADELAIDE 8231 5471
2010
108 Gouger Street, Adelaide
P: 8231 3223
www.thegreekmezze.com.au
AMBASSADORS
HOTEL
Contemporary Australian hotel style food,
ranging from $10 to $25
Opposite the central markets and Her Majestys theatre.
Bookings welcome. Check out our menu at:
open 7 dinners &
6 lunches every week
The Greek Mezze
prides itself
in producing
all dishes on the
premises starting
with individual
ingredients
and creating an
authentic
greek cuisine
91 Gouger St Adelaide, ph. 8231 2299
www.gauchos.com.au
#ONTEMPORARY
-ENUIN
´´S
RETRO
ENVIRONMENT
$AYSLUNCHDINNER
!LLDAY&RI3AT3UN
"EERGARDENAND
!LFRESCO$INING
,IVE'ROOVE!WARDWINNING
#OCKTAILS,ARGESTRANGEOF
3PIRITSAND,IQUEURSIN!DELAIDE
Crown & Sceptre Hotel
308 King William Street Adelaide,
Phone: 8212 4159
www.sceptre.com.au
corner Morphett and Gouger Streets, Adelaide ph. 8410 7617
Eat, drink and share the good times…
THE ADELAIDE FIX’S WHERE TO EAT GUIDE
theadelaidefix.com.au 31