Archive for February, 2010

RAW: Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibition @ Drill Room, Parade Grounds

This annual exhibition of the best works from Adelaide’s major tertiary arts schools is a rich mix of paintings, photographs, ceramics, video and more. Highlights include:

  • Astra Parker’s Cell Formation Sculpture – a large egg-shaped steel mosaic beautifully created and wonderfully lit playing to Parker’s interest in perceptions of what is whole and what is separate.
  • Michelle Jones’ Consumed paintings – facial photographs scrunched up in five panels playing to issues of the environment and painting’s relationship with photography
  • Jamie Z’s Space Junk – 10 photographic panels depicting everyday disgarded items as space junk – defamiliarising the ordinary most effectively
  • Sophia Bersee’s MAN – playing since BC – nine plaster man like figures that at first blush remind you of Chinese terracotta warriors but which in reality are much more child like in form.

The Helpmann Academy is an important part of the Adelaide arts scene and this exhibition highlights the quality of output from our arts schools and the importance of encouragement. A visit during Writers Week is recommended.

Kryztoff Rating  4.5K

>> Check out more interviews, videos, feature articles and polished previews in our latest Fringe Guidehttp://www.kryztoff.com/fringe

“And the Little One Said”

In her show, “And the Little One Said” Jess Love delivers a playful and convincing solo performance, filled with acrobatics, humour and more than one outrageous surprise for the audience!

Something a little out of the ordinary, this show is good for shock value, and with only a few props, but more than enough kookiness, Jess manages to single handedly capture the audience’s attention with her inventive theatrics.

Underpinned by an effective choice of lighting and music, this show is refreshingly well organized and prepped, contributing to a great atmosphere throughout.

Violet Rapscallian – Bird Wizdom – Nexus Centre

This is what the Fringe is all about. Caberet on the edge that perhaps only an audience prepared to be challenged at this time of the year will appreciate. Anya McNicol-Windram and her usual Bird Wizdom crew (with further friends) tell ‘a true story about a person who does not exist’. The show gets no less silly from there. The stage is often packed, with the band jammed into the left corner and dancers filling the right half, Anya dominates the foreground while the whole thing seems to be effectively held together by Melanie Prior as the expressionless cello player with the claret lipstick. There is the usual Bird Wizdom stuff to enjoy – lyrics about rejection and isolation, the belly dancing and an intermission where the show seems to continue unabated. Bringing preconceptions of the way a show like this should go with you is a mistake for this thrives on the unorthodox and the total performance is a joy, nearing brilliance. While using a number of songs from their album, Eclection, a new gem for the stage is ‘The Stalker’.

Kryztoff Rating   5K

Emma Hack’s Exotic & Native Mandala With Broadhurst Delights – Festival Theatre Foyer

Internationally recognised multi-media artist, Emma Hack, displays a full array of her works over recent years in a captivating exhibition. Using body art as the starting point, she has created three unique photographic styles, the Broadhurst wall paper approach – models camouflaged with flora and holding fauna – the Mandala designs and panoramic bodies in the outback where her muses are painted up to give great effect to the landscape.

With each of the interior wallpapers taking between 8 and 14 hours to work up, these images are testament to her patience, determination and vision. The desert photos come from a five day trip from the Gawler Ranges to Ceduna with both models and Cirkidz acrobats. One can only imagine the trepidation for these extras as they set off and the demands they would encounter from Hack and the elements.

These are great works often inpsiring complete amazement and creating a sense of respect for the effort involved. A must see.

Kryztoff Rating  5K

Frock On – Heron Kirkmoe – Miss Gladys

The front window of Miss Gladys in Rundle St is the setting for a mixed media presentation of dresses and accesories. Interesting moments exist with ‘Catch of the Day’ the most fascinating – a black dress covered in vintage newspaper clippings from the 1970s.

Kryztoff Rating   2.5K

Into The Fringe – Gary Cockburn – Cibo – Rundle St

Gary Cockburn’s images from the 2009 Fringe are worthy of not only a visit but a far greater presentation. From 15,000 photos, here are about 20 that capture all sorts of moments – rehearsals, the prop room, audience reactions, getting the lighting right, even an actual performance. The images are beautifully shot, capturing decisive moments in colour with wonderful use of light and emotion. With such a massive project set for himself the temptation must have been strong to just find something interesting, snap and move on to the next event. Not so for Cockburn, as these are carefully thought out across a range of venues and styles. One can only hope the Fringe itself will look to acquire many of these images as a faithful record of its 2009 festival and present widely. Enjoy the Cibo coffee while viewing.

Kryztoff Rating  5K

Ferris Wheels & Fairy Floss – Cassie Flanagan and John Willanski – Exeter Hotel

This 2 part exhibition is images of the travelling show ground – Cassie Flanagan’s colourful photos and John Willanski’s computer generated silhouettes and ink drawings. The former are dominated by images of a cowboy and fairy floss hat, the best of which is ‘Watching the Acrobats’. The latter are highlighted by white on black on white figures of ‘The Jester’, ‘the Acrobats’ and the ‘Trumpet Player’. Not the best.

Kryztoff Rating 2K

RAW: The Sapphires

The Sapphires is Australia’s theatrical answer to the American film Dreamgirls.

Set in the late 60s, four indigineous sisters, Gail, Kay, Cynthia and Julie, with powerful, soulful voices embark on a tour in Vietnam, entertaining the troops. Predictably, there are a number of love interests, references to drugs, racism and the War.

Sure the plot is thin at times, and the nods to complex issues, like racial tension, the Vietnam War, lack real substance, but that’s not what The Sapphires is all about. It’s all about fun. It’s a great crowd-pleaser.

Christine Anu, Casey Donovan, Kylie Farmer and Hollie Andrew sparkle as The Sapphires – their soulful vocals fill the Scott Theatre. Hear those fantastic vocalists sing motown classics, including Aretha’s R-E-S-P-E-C-T and I Heard It Through The Grapevine and much, much more.

As part of the Adelaide Festival of Arts, shimmy on down to the Scott Theatre.

Kryztoff Rating: 4K

>> Check out more interviews, videos, feature articles and polished previews in our latest Fringe Guidehttp://www.kryztoff.com/fringe

RAW: The Servant of Two Masters

The Servant of Two Masters presented by the Adelaide University Fringe Club is a slightly confusing but nevertheless entertaining story. Showing at the Armoury Lawns behind the Adelaide Museum, the talented cast rely on voice projection to enable the audience to hear. It was at times difficult to hear what each character was saying, therefore, making it a little hard to follow what was happening in the plot. With entertaining pauses, audience acknowledgments and a great enthusiastic cast, the play had the audience laughing the majority of the way through. Shown in a beautiful location, the cast made use of the Museum’s stairs and balcony to add an element of surprise. Although a little long, the soap opera come comedy had me laughing and smiling.

Kryztoff Rating: 2.5K

>> Check out moe interviews, videos, feature articles and polished previews in our latest Fringe Guidehttp://www.kryztoff.com/fringe

RAW: Sam Simmons- Fail

Sam Simmons is an oddball.

Original, nostalgic and random are words that describe his fringe show Fail. The show jumps around with Sam dancing one minute and reading a story from a Heinmann Atlas the next.

The show is slightly autobiographical and fans of Simmons will be able to recognise his ‘where did that come from?!’ humour. However, those not familiar with Sam’s work on Triple J and ABC may become a little confused.  

The show features one very attractive cabbage, vintage slides and lists of things Sam has failed at.  Audiences are even able to leave the show with ideas on how to cure boredom, such as inner mind quiz shows and one very special game titled ‘carpet or floor.’ If you find Sam Simmons’ other work hilarious, then you’ll love this hour long show.

Kryztoff Rating: 4K

>> Check out more interviews, videos, feature articles and polished previews in our latest Fringe Guidehttp://www.kryztoff.com/fringe