And back again...

After three weeks and forty five articles later my stint with The Daily Telegraph festival blog has come to a thankful end.

I am now back to the reality of nuts and bolts arts and theatre in Sydney and I’m pretty excited about it all.

There’s a great amount of exciting local theatre happening which will make for an adventurous year. It is my suspicion that the theatre company that doesn’t throw down the gauntlet and take risks will this year be left behind. But who will that be??

Tonight is the launch of the Imperial Panda Theatre Festival. The fact that it’s called the 'Imperial Panda Theatre Festival' is enough to have me hook, line and sinker. Added to the mix is that it is presented by a company named 'Cab Sav'. How marvellous.

These guys are putting together single nights of one off shows in a heap of galleries and warehouse spaces throughout Surry Hills and the Inner City. The blackeratti of the fashionista ranks will no doubt be in attendance (and shoeless), but it should be fun.

You can check out their programme HERE.

The Griffin Theatre recently launched their 2008 programme. Nick Marchand, who recently took over after the reign of the reserved David Berthold, has delivered an exceptional vision for the year that keeps the spirit of the 'new writing theatre company' flowing.

One of the successes enjoyed at the intimate Kings Cross theatre has been the expansion of the playwrights residency to target younger writers - Jonathan Gavin, Tommy Murphy and Caleb Lewis have all excelled under the programme.

Griffin are this year investing in playwrights Nicki Bloom, Jonathan Gavin, Sue Smith and Rick Viede. Each of them will present short plays throughout the year in readings directed by Tanya Goldberg, Lee Lewis and Nick Marchand.

The first play to take off in the Stables is the return season of China by William Yang. A Performing Lines production, China has already moved audiences at Performance Space, Campbelltown Performing Arts Centre and now comes sweeping into the Cross. It's an excellent choice and finishes at the end of next week.

Ben Packer directs again after that. As you may be aware, I was a huge fan of his Mercury Fur last year. It was a play that divided audiences vehemently (my favourite type) and this looks to be another rough-and-ready Brit grit play - Motortown.

More info on their programme can be found HERE.

Darlinghurst Theatre Company launched their six month programme last week. It’s a programme that is a little underwhelming on paper - but that of course could change.

What does stand out is a new play by Pulitzer prize winning writer Paul Zindel, And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little. Directed by the charismatic Nicholas Papademetriou, it could be a great night.

You can find the rest of the programme HERE.

Old Fitzroy and B Sharp are yet to launch their programmes – or if they have, I haven’t been told about it.

What I do know is that B Sharp finally found an Executive Producer. God knows why no one at the Sydney Morning Herald or The Daily Telegraph didn’t write about it. I did keep saying to them “Are you going to write about it? Are you going to write about it?” But no response, so it is left to me.

The brilliant Annette Madden, who is a keen and talented actor in her own right, transfers across from administering Stalker Theatre, ERTH and Kantanka - companies who are all resident at CarriageWorks.

She is an exceptionally good producer who people rave about. She will be an extremely valuable asset to BSharp and we at SAJ wish her well.

News on the other launches will come in over the next few weeks. But if there are any shows you are aware of that I don't know about or haven't covered and seem of interest, send me an EMAIL.