Friday night in the festival city

This entry is from The Daily Telegraph's official Sydney Festival Blog.

Six hundred souls have crammed themselves into the big theatre at Carriageworks this evening to witness the opening night of Black Watch, a show straight from the National Theatre of Scotland.

“It’s the biggest audience we have played to,” the director told me just moments ago.

“And this venue is the best we have performed in. We want Carriageworks in Scotland. We need a Carriageworks! Maybe we should move the National Theatre here.”

Walking into the theatre, the audience are seated facing each other. It’s like a football stadium for the theatre. Lights are flashing back and forth across the stage, up into the rafters and into the crowd and it brings images of an Edinburgh Tattoo.

Black Watch is a piece that follows the lives of ten soldiers from the 42nd Regiment who are sent to the Iraq war. The story documents meetings between the men and a young playwright who wants to hear and write about their stories. It is needless to say that the profanities used when following Scottish troops is... well there are 273 c***s, and 576 f***s or f****ns.

Enveloped by this raw world are scenes straight from their experiences on the front, fighting with American troops. It is a real story, where three of the Scots lost lives and it follows the events leading up to their deployment, their arrival and then the weight of tragedy upon their shoulders.

It is a piece that is a huge spectacle on so many levels. The scenes, the choreography, the lighting and sound are so surprising that it the audience were gripped from the word go.

Michael from South Australia who flew into Sydney to see a whole heap of shows at the festival, said that this one is a “knockout”. He also added that Black Watch is the “best piece of political theatre seen in this country in the last twenty years”.

Ian and Sarah from the inner west of the city said that the show was “phenomenal”. Ian was one of many Scots who turned up to see the show from the national theatre which is only two years old. He just told me that his father had recommended the show after first seeing it in Glasgow.

I head up to the Becks Bar where a thousand gathered to hear the sound of Brazil, Uber Brazil and Monbloco. A huge Brazilian contingent of locals strutted their stuff, to the South American rhythms on what is quite a balmy night in Sydney

An alternative Brazilian group (above) set up outside the Becks Festival Bar with drums, whistles and trumpets a crowd surrounded them for a big street fiesta. They then headed through Hyde Park and into the night.

It’s Friday night in the festival city and it is going off.

The weekend approaches with zeal... And Nick's picks

This entry is from The Daily Telegraph's official Sydney Festival Blog.

It feels as though the Sydney Festival is about to shift into another gear, as a host of new shows and big events come onto the scene. It is Thursday after all, and most sensible people aren’t willing to get involved in too much madness during a school night.

So now that the weekend is upon us (yes, already) and despite the fact that the last four nights have each felt like a Saturday night to me, it’s timely to start working out what you are going to get amongst over the weekend.

I have been getting some key feedback from people on this experimental arts blog, and overwhelmingly, you want to hear more from the artists and you want more photos from the night.

So hopefully, last night’s post at the mad House of the Holy Afro captured it all a bit better.

My picks for tonight are:
Cannot buy my soul – The Songs of Kev Carmody

This is going to be one heck of a night tonight. It’s going to be a State Theatre and it’s going to be a celebration of one of this country’s renowned folk singers, Kev Caromdy (left).

And which musicians should be helping to celebrate Kev Carmody’s fine balladeering? Let’s start with Paul Kelly, then add in Dan Kelly, Tex Perkins and Clare Bowditch.
Throw into the mix Missy Higgins, The Drones, Sara Storer, the Pigram Brothers, Steve Kilbey and then the man himself, Kev Carmody and you are guaranteed an extraordinary night.

FBi 94.5 Night at Beck’s Festival Bar

The Beck’s Festival Bar has been pumping every single night so far. It is the venue where the young hot things of the city come out in their fashion parade of inner city chic to dance the night away to some of the best music around.

Funnily enough, I was there the other night, on the phone to Telstra who were trying to help me with something and the young operator who was in Northern Queensland suddenly stopped me.

“Is that Chromeo playing?’ he said.

“Umm, I think so, let me check,” I say as I pull out my festival guide. “Yeah, yeah it is.” My musical ignorance is astounding.

“That’s cool mate,” he says. “We don’t get any music up here”.

Indeed. So if you haven’t been to the Becks Bar yet, get down there. You could be in Northern Queensland after all.

About an Hour – Dance Screen

I know I keep plugging the About an Hour series, but it is seriously good. Another element to it is Dance Screen, a showcase of Australian choreography on film.

On at the Opera House on most days from 10am (check the website), Erin Brannigan has curated a fascinating exhibition that fills the foyer facing the Harbour Bridge.

Films showcase the collaborations between dancers showcasing the works of Gideon Obarzanek and Paul McNeil, Garry Stewart and Gina Czarnecki, Sydney Dance Company and Narelle Benjamin, Ros Warby and Margie Medlin and works by choreographer/filmmakers Sue Healey, Natalie Cursio and Kate Champion.

There are smaller individual booths for even more intimate experiences, as well as a multimedia audio-visual display. Definitely something to keep in mind if you are taking in the harbour one day.

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A few grumbles and a big cheer... and Nick's picks

This entry is from The Daily Telegraph's official Sydney Festival Blog.

There is a growing rift happening between a select few and the rest of the people who are attending the Sydney Festival events. I managed to find two of them last night at La Clique who are unhappy with the lack of ‘proper’ theatre and music in this year’s festival line-up.

I am not sure where it all comes from, but I suspect it is certain sections of festival going people who have a shared nostalgia for the days when Leo Schofield and Brett Sheehy were the festival directors. They were the days when chamber music and good old text based theatre were the big hit numbers.

I have a different recollection of those days, and am firmly planted in the camp relieved by current artistic director Fergus Linehan’s vision to create not only an exciting festival, but an energy that fills the streets. It’s a less dusty and more accessible programme that makes The Arts sexy, beautiful and brazen.

And besides, you can get your fill of chamber music and drawing room theatre any day of the week – can’t you??!

My tips for today are:

Ngapartji Ngapartji

I saw the pitch of this production (left) at the Company B launch, and I can safely say that this play will not only be challenging but will make you feel warm and part of a much greater story.

The marketing says “Spinifex man Trevor Jamieson leads an ensemble cast of performers, including elders and young people from the Pitjantjatjara community, in this intensely moving story of his family.”

From the Pitjantjatjara language, Ngapartji Ngapartji means roughly “I give you something, you give me something”. I was told by a colleague that the translation doesn’t truly honour the brevity of what that ‘something’ is but I am sure that you if get to go to this show, you may get a better idea.


Eat Drink Talk Art at The Mint

Arts journalist and TV presenter Caroline Baum has a chat with Nacho Duato, the Spanish choreographer behind the beautiful Three Works and Alas. It’s actually a really nice way to spend your lunch hour, so head over the cool shade of The Mint and hear one of the most revered choreographers currently around.


Tanja Liedtke - construct

Yesterday I recommended another About and Hour Movers and Shakers show and today I urge you all to try and get down to the Opera House (or Parramatta Riverside later in the series) to see another.

From the late Tanja Liedtke, construct was her final dance piece and not long before her appointment as head of the Sydney Dance Company.
For so many reasons, but simply just to see what a wonderful talent and creative powerhouse this woman was, get your tickets and go and see this show.





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La Clique brings tears to the eyes

This entry is from The Daily Telegraph's official Sydney Festival Blog.

After only three nights, the Spiegeltent in Hyde Park was packed (below) as Sydney Festival audiences gathered to witness the vaudeville circus troupe La Clique.

A favourite from last year’s festival, the Spiegeltent is the perfect home for this phenomenal show. A vaudeville act in the very best tradition, the performance is made up of vignettes of freakish talent.

From Mario, the Queen of the Circus who performed the most hilarious parodies of Freddy Mercury to Amy G the roller skater girl.

The crowd favourite tonight was by far Captain Frodo – a self described ‘rubber-man’ with such physical skill he can contort through two tennis racquets in the most hilarious way that left the audience in tears.

But just as you think there wasn’t anything more that this marvellous troupe could perform, the second half produces another favourite to swoon audiences, Yulia Pykhtina, a hoola-hoop magician (top).

Speaking to audience members as they walked out, ear to ear in smiles, it was clear that this show captures the childhood heart.

Ecki from the Eastern Suburbs after having only booked tickets at the last moment today, thought that “it was better and more original than Cirque du Soleil.”

Tom of Redfern, thought it was “stupendous with a wet yet dry sense of humour”.

There were some grumblings from certain audience members who were disappointed at the lack of a more traditional arts festival programme. Mark of Paddington said that “the whole Sydney Festival seems to be a whole lot of circus’, and this show was probably one of the better ones”.

But Mark was very much in the minority. The crowd who are currently now hanging around to dance and celebrate more are a testament to that.

The official Daily Telegraph Sydney Festival blog is brought to you by Next G Telstra Wireless and Samsung.

The Lei’s Come out for Brian

This entry is from The Daily Telegraph's official Sydney Festival Blog.

It was a packed house at the State Theatre tonight, as young… and many older fans of Beach Boy Brian Wilson came out to cheer and dance to the songs that two generations know and love.

Hawaiian shirts and lei’s were out in force (Cass of North Curl Curl, left and Luitz and Matt of Manly, below)

The first half of the concert was a trip down memory lane as Wilson and his brilliantly talented ten piece band performed greats such as I Get Around, Good Vibrations, Barbarella and God Only Knows – to name just a few.

The second half was dedicated to a performance of his new album That Lucky Old Sun.

It was a standing ovation for Wilson which then led to an encore that delved back into the great songs that the great song-writer is infamous for.

Jelle of Manly said that ‘it wasn’t the same as when we saw them when we were young,’ which provoked a reply from his mate Nick who said, ‘well, neither are we!’

For Karen and Eileen of Rozelle, it was ‘absolutely fabulous – you had to be here’.

And Judy of Vaucluse said that ‘I’ve been a Beach Boy fan for years. It was wonderful’.

If you saw Brian Wilson, tell us what you thought.


The official Daily Telegraph Sydney Festival blog is brought to you by Next G Telstra Wireless and Samsung.