You know Felicia Day, right? She’s one of the fledgling slayers in Season 7 ( – Buffy! – ) And she’s the laundromat girl in Joss Whedon’s Dr Horrible’s Singalong Blog; as well as being a major player in the future dreamworld (?) of the Dollhouse apocalypse/epitaph episodes. Well it turns out she’s also created her own webTV drama known as “The Guild“, all about a set of hard-core gamers who live in their rooms, surgically attached to their gaming equipment. It’s funny. The show went from being a web series to being on DVD. Go Felicia. Anything is possible these days.
Her character is a room-bound nothing-but gamer, just like Marigold in Questionable Content. Interaction between members of this World of Warcraft team is only online. Until something goes horribly wrong (in episode 1).
Playback tugs the heartstrings
April 25, 2011
i saw Playback down at Gasworks i think a few years back with Zeena, and then we went again last year. Zeena loves their work and persuaded me to come originally. i didn’t need any persuading the second time around. The performers bring audience stories to life in a series of structured improvisational activities, which is a clumsy way to say they act out stories from the audience.
i like the way the MC / conductor draws out the narrative threads, and then quickly throws it to the performers with a kind of code word. “Let’s do this as an escalating singalong” (or something). They always begin with easy things like ‘tell us about your day’.. and gradually move into the more involved stories.
At their April show, there were some good stories including one about an out-of-body experience.
The one that got me was an English woman who had just moved to Australia 6 months ago with her family, was feeling ungrounded and disoriented, not sure what to do next in her life, and was missing her daughter back in the UK. She didn’t give much detail for the players to work with, but they crafted a lovely piece. At the moment where her daughter called on the phone i felt the tears coming, and as i was sitting next to her husband i could hear him choking back the sobs too. (Then the slightly awkward bit after the show when you want to say something to them, but don’t quite manage it.)
So interesting to see the vulnerable bits of people’s lives played out in front of them. Part of the playback approach is to always do it with compassion, and that shows.
Links: Melbourne Playback.
Tasting Treasure by Roundangle
March 24, 2011
I love the work that Roundangle does. Their multi-sensory adventures are challenging and fun. This one was at the Melbourne museum, and made for the under-five crowd. So i invited Isabella and Lynne to join me and we had a lovely day.
At the beginning of the show, we were invited to crawl past the cardboard city, through the plastic-filled tent into the forest of the senses. Most adults thought this was a children-only affair, but Ilan and i agreed that we were definitely going to join in this adventure.
Plus the stage manager insisted that i “Crawl Through the Tent Michael!!”
(i paid my $2 and i’m not missing a single moment!)
They taught us the Indigenous phrase for ‘welcome to country’ – WoMinJaika – and as each group called out their part of the word, we were called to our part of the journey.
A forest fairy made us all into seeds, growing us with sun and water and love, sharing the treasures of native Quandong and Lemon Myrtle. An old woman of the mountains showed us how to make soup with Mountain pepper leaves and Old Man’s Weed.
A delightful honey bee took us into the flower forest and showed us how to sprinkle our pollen on the flowers. This was really fun.. huge flowers that opened up and produced fruit as we showered our pollen.
And then the spirit of the rocks, who brought his very small puppet mate along to share wattle seeds. (Really yum seeds and great puppet work!)
Afterwards Lynne said one thing she liked was that they weren’t doing that hyper-energetic, super-lively “children’s theatre” thing, but rather playing to a crowd of all ages, and telling warm engaging stories with a sense of kindness and humour. i think by the end of it, most of the adults had learned to join in as well.
i wish it was on again soon: i’d tell you to go and see it. Especially if you can take children along with you. Great work Roundangle people!
It’s A Pony
February 1, 2011
Ooh Look, Nathan and Shelley made a movie. It’s funny. Do we get to vote in Tropfest? Where are the other entries then?
It’s A Pony from Justin Batchelor- BATCHEDIT on Vimeo.
Shortlisted for TROPFEST 2011
with
Nathan Godkin
Glen Hancox
Lou Endicott
Troy Larkin
Pier Carthew
Bevan Sly
Shelley Lang
Five Friends take possession of a 97″ television from a dodgy Russian street side salesman. Hilarity ensues.
via Its A Pony on Vimeo.
Golden Globes, famous again thanks to outrageous Gervais
January 17, 2011
Hilarious. Ricky pushes all the wrong buttons for his opener at the Golden Globes. Nice work. i especially liked his comments about The Tourist, as he acknowledges the unfairness of the joke: “i haven’t even seen the film, but who has?” Implying the Globes run on bribery won’t get him any fans with his employers, but he brought plenty of his own special kind of boundary-crossing laughter. And let’s face it, everyone’s talking about it so they won’t mind too much.
i’m sure he really did have lawyers look at the scientology joke beforehand.
Peep show, series 7 !!
December 26, 2010
Not sure how long this will stay on the youtubes: it’s an illegal upload, after all. But here’s the first half of the first episode of series 7. Mark and Jeremy are as awful as ever. We’re at the hospital. Definitely NSFW!!
There are many factors contributing to the comic genius of Peep Show. The awkwardness at the heart of the characters and every scene. The obvious chasm between how people want to be seen, and how they appear to the world around them. But mostly, the way people talk inside their own heads, blurting their hypocrisy and duplicity at us, and only momentarily concealing it from those around them.
i like the way Mark and Jeremy are portrayed thinking so very loud while other people are talking, drowning out the other’s voice – it’s ridiculous and self-absorbed.
..and then i catch myself doing it, in my own life. Whoops.
.
.
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They have a page on Wikipedia, so it must be real. And you can find plenty more illegally ripped video excerpts on the interwebs.
Music videos from Barkly St (wealth of nations)
November 16, 2009
Wealth of Nations – the fringe festival experience – is all over, but i managed to grab some photos and videos. Lachlan’s uploaded them to places like youtube and flickr.. and there they are.
Pete and the Tar Gang were one of my favourite performances from the season. Pete is such a bold character on stage, with his old sea shanties.
They played the following week at the Fringe Club in North Melbourne, and followed up with the Tar Pit Men’s Choir. One of the guys sang a truly amazing solo piece which got the whole crowd turning their heads (at the Fringe CLub). Talk about upstaging!
Mamushka were hilarious and jazzie. Aviva is so stunning up front, and when she pulls out that bass clarinet, you know you’re in for some rollicking.
(i saw them again last week at Open Studio.. without all the costumes. They leap from their circus jazz into a bit of rock thrash every now and then.. and back again. What a blast.. but why was nobody dancing?)
The Kurtletts of course were thoroughly gorgeous.. Kirri and Sofiya play so beautifully together.
Links:
- more videos from the Tar Gang, and their myspace
- mamushka on myspace
- sanctum theatre (main site, youtube, flickr)
Oh, and the photo slideshow, which has some of my photos mixed in with other people’s too.
united states of tara. wow.
October 23, 2009
Toni Collette you are the world’s most wonderful.
Just saw the finale of season 1, and i’m completely shredded.
Wow.
Who’s that Chik!
October 1, 2009
i’ve seen another amazing fringe show. Having a good season so far.
Candy Bowers in Who’s that Chik? (“A hip hop tale of a brown girl with big dreams”).. Candy B is probably best known as Rasheda Eda MC of Sista She.. and now she has ventured into the world of the solo show.
Hip hop superstar.
With sister Busty Beats on sound (and video perhaps).
i don’t want to give too much away, but this show draws on the lady’s life history. Hip Hop etiquette 101 meets Candy B’s ethnicity. If you’ve ever wanted to ask her, “So where are you from?” (Dandenong!) this show will give you the answer. She is not happy about the lack of cultural representation given to minority people and particularly people of colour. One act features Candy on fire (metaphorically?) with anger. This was really strong and emotional and courageous and beautiful and it hit me bang in the heart.
Full on. Go Candy.
..
“But where is your hair from?”
“Uh.. my head.”
..
Ooh look here she is in a preview:
and here’s some more publicity shots:
if that doesn’t convince you, please note that in the tags for that second video on you tube, the lady herself lists “velurejumpsuit” and “hoodie”
..
So anyway, What Was i Thinking sitting in the front row? All on my own?
i was thinking.. “this show is going to be righteous! and Somebody has to sit in the front row. What is wrong with you people!”
You do feel a bit vulnerable in that position, but fortunately for me when Candy singled me out for some audience participation, it was for the final dance, when my heart was already jumping from her “on fire” closing number.
Ka boom.
Sweet.
..
other links
- Candy B was on Q & A recently (vodcast links here).
- Melbourne fringe site Chik page.
- A recent interview at same same.
- Review from when the show was in Sydney.
..but wait here’s more.. an interview where she talks about a different show that i wish i’d seen now, where she had young people and senior citizens on stage in Footscray earlier this year:
Plus, one more.. via Defamer Australia: the Lionel Ritchie “All Night Long” video clip (which Candy incidentally showed as a video during the show).
Neon Toast for dinner and a dance
September 29, 2009
Neon Toast opens in darkness.. but i won’t tell you why. Let’s just say the lighting arrives unexpectedly.
There are plenty of surprises in this delightful piece from Brunswick trio Eleanor Riley, Kerrily Aitchison and Rachael Dyson-McGregor.
A series of diverse dance pieces touching on life in a bakery, urban dating, the thrill of the chase. Such a beautiful sense of nostalgia in some of the scenes. Although there’s no time setting, it feels like the past, with jazz from the twenties and a bath before dinner. Gorgeous humour in the words and movement. Sifting flour through socks as all three women move so gracefully.
i really enjoyed this show.
Anytime Place has a strong record for astounding performance..
and Neon Toast builds on that tradition.
.
Links:
- Melbourne fringe festival show page.
- Don’t just take my word for it: Also reviewed over at Simple Things, and the Arts Hub.
Wealth of Nations approaching (a festival show)
September 22, 2009
“You are invited to join Sanctum Theatre and Fenestra Productions in celebrating the 233rd anniversary of Adam Smith’s seminal work, Wealth of Nations as part of this year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival. The ship may be sinking, the ‘invisible hand’ might have lost its grip on the invisible wheel, but there is an alternative. For two weekends in September Sanctum and Fenestra break away from the globular economic system to realise Smith’s ideal of a true and unfettered market on a small patch of turf in Brunswick – ‘Wall Street on Barkly’.”
Lachlan read us the Business Age yesterday, because the economical journalists there had noticed the number 233 in connection with Adam Smith. They suspect theatrical shenanigans. They would be correct: here comes the Nut Economy. The roller coaster of free trade.
- Opening Thursday 24th September. 6 evenings only. (1, 2 + 3 October still to come!)
- Music, performances and more. Street hawkers, snake oil merchants.. etc:
- Mamushka (Thursday 1st October!)
- Suitcase Royale, the GFC dj masters (Grand Funk Connection).. Pete & the Tar Gang.
- Visit Sanctum Theatre dot org for full details.
Here are some photos from the previous incarnation back in May ’09
Oh and here’s the official publicity line: ‘Merchants of mania, hawkers of hubris, snake oil salesmen and peddlers of useless pendants’ peddle their wares in the Wealth of Nations market place. Do you have anything to offer? Come up with a product and a pitch, fill in a Trader’s Application form, get in for free and earn your peanuts to buy drinks for the evening. Get your Trader’s Application form from Sanctum Theatre.
WARNING: MAY CONTAIN PEANUTS!!
Each night will feature a different band and guest performer. Bands include:
- Pete and the Tar Gang, Sex on Toast, Mamuska
- The Kurtletts, Minstrels of the Revolution, The PANTY CHRI$T$
Guest performers include
- Suitcase Royale, Daniel Oldaker, Cabaret Existenz, The Gibbon Twins
- The Sewell Family Cabaret, An Inconvenient Spoof, The R.S.P.F.C.L.B.H.M
How exciting! Can’t wait.
mary and max is a corker
May 19, 2009
Sweet, beautiful and gut-wrenching. Adam Elliot knows how to explore the mad side of life.
i thought for a moment the constant narration would be too much, but i got over it. How else can you tell the story in a claymanimation?
In the end, this story draws you in so well. The claymation is so invigorating and kitsch. The Glen Waverly curtains, the boots hanging over the power lines, Vera testing the sherry, Dad stuffing his birds in the shed .. Damian with his trips to Mikenos and his NZ pen-pal.
And the heart-stirring madness of Max the New Yorker who has anxiety attacks whenever Mary asks him a difficult question.
Really touching.
So fitting that Barry Humphries is the narrator. The madness of Melbourne.
i went along to the fundraiser for Pacific Black Box. Heck why not spend 6 extra dollars to support Georgie and her NGO on their mission to teach young adults on the Carteret Islands. They must be doing something right if the students are winning international awards, right?
i give it 4 and a half stars. Must see.
Links:
- ..plus, guess what, they opened Sundance !!
- There are extra bits on the wibsite.
- Margaret liked it more than David did.
life as a trekker .. on the stimulation train
May 14, 2009
Last week Tim and i hit the city for an early movie ..
11am in the central place, the new beginning/ prequel version of star trek, with Sylar Guy as Spock. Ooh he’s a good actor.
The action is non-stop.
i’ve never ever cared about the original star trek characters, but this remake brings everyone back to life. Superbly!
.
.
Then a whole day of mooching around the city looking for new and exciting ways to stimulate the economy:
- the latest buffy comic at minotaur (Dawn is still suffering from that awkward spell by the jealous thricewise)
- some music including the latest spoonbill venture at collectors corner (can’t wait to listen !)
- lovely smelly things from the body shop.
oh yeah, i’ve been at the forefront of the GER (global economic recovery). Spending my way to freedom. Woohoo. On the Stimulation train. Oh yeh.
mm. Retail therapy .. much needed.
Ooh look here’s Zachary officially denying that he’s in the film.
photo credit: TCM Hitchhiker