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Year Of THE Rat
Chinese New Year festivities kick off around Sydney this weekend. See our comprehensive guide inside! Page 11-12
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city hub 23 JANUARY 2020
HubNEWS
Which city park is passing gas? (See p. 9)
The deadly quest for the ultimate selfie HubARTS David Suchet takes audiences behind the curtain during a once in a lifetime show (See p. 13)
Published weekly and freely available Sydney-wide. Copies are also distributed to serviced apartments, hotels, convenience stores and newsagents throughout the city. Distribution enquiries call 9212 5677. Published by Altmedia Pty Ltd. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy of content, we take no responsibility for inadvertent errors or omissions.
Diamond Bay, Vaucluse, where a woman fell to her death taking a ‘selfie’. Photo: Yudi/WikimediaCommons
ABN 52 600 903 348 Group Editor & Publisher: Lawrence Gibbons News Editor: Alec Smart Contributors: Alec Smart, Tara Wesson, Max Tillman, Ashna Bharkhada Cartoonist: Sam Mcnair Arts Editor: Jamie Apps Contributors: Erika Echternach, Irina Dunn, Madison Behringer, Mark Morellini, Olga Azar, Renee Lou Dallow, Rita Bratovich, Olga Sedneva Advertising Manager: Georgina Pengelly Cover Photo: Ben Halcomb. Paddy’s Market Lion Dancing Designer: Nadia Kalinitcheva Advertising: sales@altmedia.net.au Mail: PO Box 843 Broadway 2007 Email: news@altmedia.net.au, arts@altmedia.net.au Ph: 9212 5677 Fax: 9212 5633 Website: cityhubsydney.com.au If you have a story, or any comments you’d like to share with us: news@altmedia.net.au @CityHubSydney
By MAX TILLMAN 21-year-old backpacker has died falling from a cliff in Sydney’s east, marking the second tragic fall in five months, following the death of a 27-yearold Sydney woman in August of last year. Madelyn Davis, from Lincoln in the UK, died last Sunday morning after leaving a party with friends to watch the sunrise from a cliff face near Diamond Bay Reserve in Vaucluse. It is understood Davis scaled the protective fencing surrounding the cliff, and was attempting to take a selfie when she fell to her death at approximately 6:30am on Sunday. Davis’ passing comes five months after a 27-year-old Sydney woman lost her life at the same location on August 17th last year, with witnesses telling police she may have also been attempting to take a photo at the time. “The best we can do is warn people that jumping the fence does put their life at risk,” said Waverley Council Mayor Paula Masselos. “At the end of the day, it is up to individuals to abide by the rules.”
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Barriers to Entry
In June last year, Waverley Council passed a motion to crack down on thrill-seekers risking their lives for a selfie at Diamond Bay. The council had considered ways to restrict or deter movement around the area, including the installation of CCTV, better physical barriers and multilingual signage.
No selfie is worth risking
your life “We’ve increased range of patrols, we added height to the barriers, we’re actually reviewing some of the signage and we’re going to be making bigger signs,” said Masselos. “We’re also undertaking a risk assessment now as well as waiting for the police report.” In July 2018, further south, at Cape Solander, Kurnell, an American tourist fell to his death while taking a selfie just six weeks after another tourist slipped and fell from the same area.
The similar tragedies raise an important question of safety for tourists upon Sydney’s picturesque stretches of coastline, and whether the spectacular views are worth sacrificing for greater barriers of entry. To Waverley Council, striking that delicate balance between beauty and safety is one of the biggest challenges ahead. “We don’t want to have that area completely inaccessible or block it off, because it is beautiful,” Masselos said. So we want to make sure that whatever we do, we will keep the integrity of the beauty of the place.” Despite the best efforts of the council to deter thrill-seekers from failing to heed the warnings and scaling protective fencing, Masselos believes there is little else the council can do. “We’ve increased range of patrols as well, but we actually have people not listening to the rangers when they ask to move on. But short of that, I don’t know if there’s much more we can do actually,” said Masselos. “No selfie is worth risking your life.” city hub 23 JANUARY 2020
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HubNEWS
Greens MP pleads not guilty for disobeying police By ASHNA BHARKHADA SW Greens MP David Shoebridge pleaded not guilty at Manly Local Court on Thurs 16 Jan for failing to obey police orders at a climate change protest outside Kirribbili House last December. Shoebridge, along with ten other activists, was arrested on 19 Dec at a peaceful demonstration involving school-aged children who opposed Scott Morrison’s decision to take a vacation in Hawaii during Australia’s bushfire crises. It was “gross police overreach,” Shoebridge told reporters outside the court on Thursday morning.
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You can’t keep arresting
people for protesting, it’s not going to work “[The school kids] weren’t blocking traffic, they weren’t creating a public safety issue, they were exercising their right to demand to the Prime Minister to get back to work and address the climate crises.” Several people surrounded the courthouse to show their support, with many holding up signs defending the right to protest. Izzy Raj-Seppings, the 13-year-old girl
whose video went viral in December when she was threatened by police while protesting at the same demonstration, said, “I felt humiliated, I felt like I had done something wrong, I felt like a criminal. “You can’t keep arresting people for protesting, it’s not going to work, we’re going to come back louder and stronger,” she said. Angela Michaelis and Ellen Roberts, two activists arrested at the protest, pleaded guilty to the charges and were given a 9-month good behaviour bond without conviction. The others had their case adjourned, with most seeking legal advice on how to proceed. Shoebridge’s case was adjourned to January 31 at the Downing Centre Local Court.
Cracking Down on Protesting
Australia has seen many cases of protesters being threatened with penalties and imprisonment over the past year, especially those in climate demonstrations and vegan protests on agricultural properties. Freedom of expression rights in Australia came under “unprecedented pressure”
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city hub 23 JANUARY 2020
Climate protestors support Greens MP David Shoebridge outside Manly Court. Photo: Ashna Bharkhada
in 2019, according to Human Rights Watch. The Right to Farm bill, passed through NSW Parliament last October, received backlash from many animal rights’ activists who believed it would limit their right to protest. The controversial legislation criminalizes protests against farmers, charging disobeyers with a fine of up to $13,000 and 12 months in jail. When Extinction Rebellion made waves
through the country last year, many states adjusted their laws to penalize protesting behaviors. Police were granted new antiprotest powers that allowed them to “move on” protestors. Queensland police were given the right to search suspected climate change protestors. Hereafter protestors are likely to face arrest for a number of offenses while in the act of demonstrating, including resisting police, obstructing traffic, offensive conduct and unlawful assembly.
city hub 23 JANUARY 2020
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HubNEWS
Cameras come to City Council – finally By MAX TILLMAN he City of Sydney Council will begin live-streaming meetings from 10 Feb, ending an enduring debate that has seen independent and liberal councillors advocate for the technology within the chamber. Prescribed in December of 2018, the NSW Government’s Model Code of Meeting Practise required all local councils to begin live-streaming meetings “of which all members are councillors from December 2019.” According to a spokesperson for The City of Sydney, the council’s last meeting of 2019 fell before the state government’s deadline, meaning constituents would have to wait until February of this year for a live-feed of council business.
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A Town Hall Divided
While many councils across the state had already begun broadcasting their assemblies long before the State Government’s 14 Dec deadline including neighbouring Inner West Council that has been live-streaming meetings since 2016 - the City of Sydney has remained a house divided.
More Moore: from 16 Feb City of Sydney will live-stream their Council meetings. Photo: Hpeterswald/Wikimedia
Independent Councilor Angela Vithoulkas has long advocated for the introduction of live-streaming.
if only one person tuned into the live streaming, many more will have access to it after the date “Even if one person only tuned into the live streaming, many more will have access to the council meeting after the live date,” Cr Vithoulkas said. “It is
becoming more and more important for people to at least have one level of government in which there is full transparency as to what is going on.”
Lights, Camera, Faction
While the State Government’s Model Code of Practise has made livestreaming mandatory, the issue of full transparency to the public was not a new subject by any means. “I have been fighting to introduce the
live streaming of Council meetings since I was elected to The City of Sydney Council in 2016,” City of Sydney Liberal Councillor Craig Chung said. “The Clover Moore Party has rejected the idea time and time again.” The Lord Mayor’s Independent Team of Robert Kok, Deputy Lord Mayor Jess Scully, Jess Miller, and Philip Thalis make up half of the current City of Sydney’s councillors. Councillor Vithoulkas particularly highlights the power of this formidable voting bloc when suppressing previous motions for live-streaming council assemblies. “It’s sad that it had to come down to enforcement, because we’re very late to the party,” Cr Vithoulkas said. And while official statements from The City of Sydney make clear streaming equipment was installed in early December last year, Councillor Vithoulkas believes the gadgetry is only just arriving. “As I understand it, the infrastructure is being installed right now as we speak.”
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HubNEWS
Assange’s legal access limited
By TARA WESSON ikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appeared in Westminster Magistrates Court, London, on Jan. 13, where the Court heard that the Australian journalist’s defence team has had a lack of access to their client. This impacts on Assange’s right to a fair trial, ahead of his extradition hearing to USA in Feb 2019, and comes amidst concerns about Assange’s health while in custody at London’s Belmarsh Prison. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called for his immediate release on humanitarian grounds.
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has also been limited at Belmarsh prison, despite there being several empty rooms. Assange will fight extradition to the US where he faces 18 charges, 17 of them under the Espionage Act. UN Special Rapporteur Nils Melzer expressed his alarm last November “at the continued deterioration of Julian Assange’s health since his arrest and detention earlier this year,” saying “his life was now at risk”, and that Assange has showed “all the symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture.”
Assange’s father warned that
Slowly dying?
his son may die in prison The 48-year-old appeared subdued and uncomfortable, saluting his supporters and speaking only to confirm his name, date of birth and nationality. District Judge Vanessa Baraitser heard that lawyer Gareth Peirce was permitted only two hours with Assange since the last hearing, and that Assange had not yet seen three pieces of recently acquired evidence. Peirce added that she would struggle to submit this evidence to the prosecution
Assange has been denied access to his lawyers in Britain. Photo: Xavier Granja/Wikimedia Commons
for response, due to the “extremely worrying” delays and time constraints.
Interests of justice
Baraitser adjourned the hearing to 2pm that afternoon, granting Peirce an additional hour with Assange, as well as an hour on Thursday to finalise the exhibits presented to the prosecution on Friday.
“Can I make it clear that I have no desire to stand in the way of any lawyer having proper access to their client and it’s in the interest of justice that they do,” Baraitser said. “What I can do and say is to state in open court that it would be helpful to this extradition process that Mr Assange’s lawyers have the access to their client.” The court heard that access to Assange
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city hub 23 JANUARY 2020
At a hearing in Oct 2019, Assange seemed to struggle to say his own name, telling the court: “I can’t think properly.” Assange’s father also said he needed to “face the bitter truth” that his son “may die in prison.” British authorities have not responded directly to these allegations, but have denied any mistreatment. Assange’s next hearing is scheduled for 23 January 2020, where he will appear via video link from Belmarsh prison. The extradition proceedings will commence in February.
HubNEWS
Sydney Park is farting by ALEC SMART ike a cud-chewing cow belching ozone-depleting gases, Sydney Park, the former brickworks and garbage dump in St Peters, is burping and farting methane from landfill gas below again. Two areas in the park were fenced-off recently and the park’s managers, City of Sydney, are monitoring the emissions. Signs attached to the fencing warn: “Do not enter this area. This area has been fenced off for your safety as it may contain concentrations of methane gas. Methane can be flammable. Do not use lighters, matches or barbecues in this area.” Ironically, one of the enclosed areas includes a park bench popular with cigarette smokers.
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Landfill gases can rise to the
surface when cracks occur in the earth during dry weather
Methane is a colourless, odourless non-toxic gas, but it is highly flammable (the most common cause of deadly mine explosions) and can asphyxiate in closed confines where oxygen makes up less than 20%. However, exposure
Methane in landfill gases below Sydney Park can leach to the surface during dry weather. Photo: Alec Smart
to methane is considered low-risk to health in open spaces like parks, as it dissipates easily into the atmosphere and does not build up in concentrations.
History
The 41 hectares Sydney Park in St Peters began as a quarry and brickworks due to large concentrations of Wianamatta shale (fine-grained sediments), an important ingredient for brick-making clay. The heritage-listed chimneys and kilns crumbling on the north-western corner were part of the area’s major brick-making
businesses that from the 1870s supplied bricks to buildings across Sydney and continued until its closure in 1970. From 1948 to 1976 the massive clay pits alongside, which had been excavated for the shale, were utilised as a municipal dumpsite for household refuse. The area was then reclaimed, the tip covered with layers of construction rubble, soil and flora – the latter divided between grasslands and managed forests - and converted to parklands including lakes for birdlife and a sports oval. In 1991 it was declared a public park and
community groups were given permission to plant trees, although some of the first plantings were unsuccessful as methane leaching through the recently-lain ground soil contaminated the tree roots and killed many of the young saplings. Landfill gas is caused by the decomposition of organic materials (food and garden waste) and the excretions of microorganisms feeding on that waste, and typically blends with aromatic hydrocarbons, giving it a characteristic sickly-sweet scent.
Elevated levels
A City of Sydney spokesperson told City Hub: “In December 2019, the City’s contractor detected elevated levels of methane gas at the top of one of the hills in Sydney Park. In January 2020, the City’s contractor detected elevated levels of methane gas in another small section of the park, in close proximity to the site detected in December. These areas have been fenced off. Landfill gases can rise to the surface on sites like these when cracks occur in the earth during dry weather.” Any queries, contact City of Sydney’s customer service team on 02 9265 9333
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Year Of The Rat Chinese New Year festivities kick off around Sydney this weekend. Check out our comprehensive guide!
By Madison Behringer his year, January 25 marks the Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or the Chinese Spring Festival. 2020 is the Year Of The Rat and celebrations are set to be in full swing in Sydney across the weekend. The Chinese New Year marks new beginnings and fresh starts in the ancient culture and their new year is celebrated across the world. The Spring Festival festivities will begin this Saturday with a range of events on offer throughout Sydney over the weekend.
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Paddy’s Market Haymarket Paddy’s Markets will begin their Lunar New Year events on Fri, Jan 24 right in the heart of the city. Paddy’s are extending their hours and will feature stalls, food and traditional Lion Dancing across the entire weekend. Paddy’s are looking forward to bringing on the Lunar New Year and Year Of The Rat with traditional celebrations and various Lion Dancing events from Friday through to Sunday. Jan 24-26. Paddy’s Market Haymarket, 9-13 Hay St, Sydney. Info: www. paddysmarkets.com.au
Lion Dancing at Paddy’s Market, Photo: Ben Halcomb.
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city hub 23 JANUARY 2020
Sydney Fish Market
Royal Botanic Garden
To bring in the Year Of The Rat and celebrate the Lunar New Year, Sydney Fish Market are offering an intimate and rare Twilight Dining experience. You’ll be able to experience the iconic seafood precinct by night and enjoy fresh oysters, rock lobster and delicious whole fish until 10pm on Fri, Jan 31. Traditional Lion Dancing will begin at 6.30pm and Sydney Fish Market are excited to celebrate the Spring Festival with Sydneysiders saying, “With red envelopes for the kids, it’s a fun evening out for the whole family!” Jan 31. Sydney Fish Market, Bank Street, Pyrmont. Info: www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au
From Jan 25 to Feb 9, Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden is hosting a range of events to bring in the Chinese New Year. From Lion and Dragon Dancing at The Calyx to Luna New Year Tai Chi classes, the Botanic Gardens are a go-to venue for new year celebrations. On Tue, Feb 4 an Astronomy event will be held at The Calyx featuring an exploration of Chinese astrology. The Oriental Garden within the Botanic Gardens will be open for visitors to explore, and across two weeks starting from Jan 25 the garden will host an Orchid Plant sale. Kids are also encouraged to visit the gardens over the Chinese New Year celebrations with Lantern Painting and summer holiday program Garden Grubs in full swing. If you get hungry along the way you can pop into Botanic House, where you’ll find a full dumpling menu across the entire Lunar New Year period. Jan 25–Feb 9. Royal Botanic Garden, Mrs Macquaries Rd, Sydney. Info: www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au
The Rocks Lunar Markets. Photo: Anna Kucera
After wandering through the Lunar Lantern Walk, visitors can make their way into the heart of The Rocks to explore and experience the Asian culinary delights and mouth-watering morsels on offer at The Rocks Lunar Markets. Prepare for a party on the streets and in your mouth with a range of exciting market stallholders to enjoy, surrounded by live music and lion dancing every Thur to Sun from Jan 30 to Feb 9.
Wine And Dine In the spirit of the Spring Festival, restaurants and bars across Sydney are featuring exclusive events and dining experiences across the Chinese New Year season. Aria restaurant will run a limited edition menu across the two week period with Executive Chef Joel Bickford taking a spin on the standard menu to align with the Chinese New Year theme of all things red. Guests can enjoy Oscietra Caviar, Abalone, Red Emperor, Maremma Duck and Gold Leaf and can opt for alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink pairings. In the spirit of the new year guests who spend over $500 will receive a $100 voucher in a red envelope, redeemable at Aria, Chophouse, Chiswick or Bea. To help celebrate Lunar New Year, and the Year Of The Rat, Hyde Hacienda Sydney Bar + Lounge will be ‘painting the town red’ from Jan 25 to Feb 9. With a traditional Bubble Tea cocktail and Chinese inspired
share plates added to the menu, the harbourside venue will be taking bookings in advance for the Spring Festival celebrations.
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One of Sydney’s most established vegan restaurants, Bodhi, will be bringing in the Year Of The Rat with a dedicated specials menu from Jan 25 to Feb 9 and will host a one-off celebration on Wed, Jan 29. The evening will showcase a traditional lion dance performance at 7:30pm and a ‘hungbao’ fortune packet for each dinner booking. A donation box will be available on the night with Bodhi matching donations dollar-for-dollar with all proceeds going to WIRES. “Chinese New Year is more than just a fun holiday and celebration,” Heaven Leigh, owner of the iconic vegan restaurant said. “It’s an incredibly important time to take stock of the year past, the year to come and the people we have in our lives. This year we have lost some loved ones and we have gained some new friends, making me reflect on the importance of relationships and the role these people play in our lives. Never has this message of family and friendships been more poignant. What else could be better than to celebrate the New Year than in the company of these very people?” Sydney’s Chinatown will also be a hive of excitement over the Lunar New Year, with a lantern festival being held in Circular Quay over the festive period and a street party held at Haymarket dubbed Lunar Lanes. Regardless of where you find yourself in Sydney over Chinese New Year, you’re guaranteed to find a festive event nearby to celebrate fresh starts and new beginnings over the Spring Festival period. Further Info: www.whatson.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au ABC SEAMLESS ROOFING DISCOUNTERS
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Coffin Ed’s NAKED CITY
HANDS OFF THE WOMBAT
D
uring the current bushfire season there was a warm and fuzzy story doing the rounds on social media that even found its way into the mainstream press. It was reported that wombats were leading other native animals into their burrows to escape the raging flames. Whilst other animals do sometimes make use of the maze of wombat burrows, the story was pure fiction - perhaps well-intended but a bit of feel-good nonsense compared to the grim reality of the bushfire toll. Wombats are often portrayed as big dopey animals that are happy to be handled by humans and can even be domesticated in certain circumstances. What’s not widely known is that they have been mercilessly killed and culled ever since the first white settlers set foot in this country. In Victoria, for example, they were classified as vermin in 1906 and a bounty system of 10 shillings a scalp introduced in 1925. Some 64,000 wombats were killed during the last 16 years that the system was in operation and as Barbara Triggs points out in her book The Wombat: “They were killed not only on and near farmland but also deep in the forests where they were doing no possible harm to anyone.” Culling is still widespread in Victoria.
THAT SNEAKY RABBIT
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city hub 23 JANUARY 2020
In 2018 some 3830 wombats were trapped and culled. Whilst some animals are relocated others have simply been shot. A furore arose last year when it was revealed rich tourists were being invited to a Victorian farm, owned by a Chinese businessman, to take pot shots at the species. This was the same businessman at the centre of the then investigation into links between casinos, namely Crown, and organised crime. Whilst not as extensive as Victoria, the culling of wombats still occurs in
NSW and other states like Tasmania., both illegally and through the issue of permits. There is a profound irony to the fact that pastoralists who have caused irreparable damage to the land by unnecessary clearing and the degrading of river banks in just a few hundred years are complaining about a species that has been digging holes for probably thousands. Just how many wombats perished in the current bushfire tragedy remains to be seen, as is the number that will not
By Sam Mcnair
#thatsneakyrabbit
survive because of loss of habitat. Ever since the first settlers shot them and ate them we have been slaughtering wombats in huge numbers. The rest of the world has been very generous in donating money to bushfire relief with many of those donations directed towards saving our native wildlife. Maybe if those donors were better informed about our disgraceful conservation record they would be less forthcoming with their donations. Finally, when it comes to future tourism we could well be in for a similar phenomenon that is happening in Cuba today. Ever since Obama softened US foreign policy towards the communist state there has been a considerable increase in tourists from all over the world. The suggestion is that many of these visitors are there to catch the last years of the ‘old’ Cuba, whilst the paint is still peeling off the buildings and you can still ride around Havana in a cannibalised 57 Chevy. The fear is that if Cuba opens up to the rest of the world and McDonalds and Starbucks move in, much of the country’s for-mer dilapidated charm will disappear. A flood of tourists could soon arrive in Australia, keen to see the very last of the koalas, quolls, wombats and other highly endangered marsupials in the wild. No doubt there will be some operators who will capitalise on this influx and offer the ‘extinction’ tour experience. “See them in the wild, before they all disappear” will be the pitch – the photo opp of a lifetime. “You might have missed the Dodo and the Tassie Tiger but be right there for the death of yet another species.”
HubARTS
Minnesota trio Tiny Moving Parts redefine the family band. (See p.14)
Bran Nue Dae
Photo: Prudence Upton
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mbarking on its 30th anniversary tour, hit musical Bran Nue Dae has begun its 2020 season in Sydney at Parramatta’s Riverside Theatres. Legendary Australian actor and TV presenter Ernie Dingo returns to the role of Uncle Tadpole, which he first performed in the original 1990 tour of the produc-tion. Presented by Opera Australia and Sydney Festival, Bran Nue Dae captures life in 1960s Western Australia. This year’s tour of Bran Nue Dae features three generations with original Kuckles member Stephen Pigram joining the cast again as part of the band, bringing along his two daughters Naomi and Ngaire as Associate Producer and the role of Aunty Theresa, respectively. Stephen’s
grandchildren will also perform as part of the ensemble. Australian singer/songwriter Marcus Corowa stars as Willie alongside theatre newcomer Teresa Moore, a recent WAAPA graduate playing the role of Willie’s love interest, Rosie. A range of young Australian talent make up the remaining ensemble.
The Life Of Us
Ben Bennett & Ashleigh Taylor
I
magine having early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and being involved in a new relationship. Now imagine that new relationship being long distance. How hard it must be to remember words, details, faces and time differences. The Life Of Us is a musical with heart that deals with these questions and more. It’s based on the book by Ashleigh Taylor, with music and lyrics by Ben Bennett of Muriel’s Wedding fame. In fact, these two began collaborating on this musical from the moment they met and have managed to get themselves noticed in L.A. before the show has had its run. Their production is the only new Australian musical to ever have been chosen for a workshop with American Society Of Composers, Authors, And Publishers (ASCAP).
“I had a dream,” Ashleigh explained. “I had this idea for a musical a very long time ago and when I shared the idea with Ben he loved it. Originally it was about how the show should look but then became something much more. It became very true to life as we had our own longdistance relationship.” Life Of Us definitely has much to offer. The idea of incorporating the very real dilemma of early-onset Alzheimer’s into a musical is sure to resonate with anyone who’s forgotten what it’s like to be young and in love and for those of us struggling to remember why they walked into a room. (RLD) Until Feb 9. Hayes Theatre Co, 19 Greenknowe Ave, Potts Point. $52-$59+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.hayestheatre.com.au
Recognised as the world’s first Aboriginal stage musical when it premiered in 1990 to outstanding reviews, Bran Nue Dae is a coming of age musical for the entire family. (MB) From Jan 16, Riverside Theatres, Corner of Market and Church Street, Parramatta. $59-$99+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.brannuedaemusical.com.au
Poirot And More: A Retrospective D avid Suchet, who is best known for his role as Agatha Christie’s Belgian Detective for the past 25 years, is set to return to the Australian Stages in the Poirot and More: A Retrospective show. Behind the detective and the many faces such as Lady Bracknell and Freud, Suchet is renowned for being able to become the character and taking on the personalities of some of television, film and theatre’s most fascinating characters. Suchet shares how he immerses himself into the different characters, saying, “a part of being a character actor is that you have to learn as best as you can, who you are. Then study the character and try to change as much of those qualities for myself to become as near as I can to the person I am going to be depicting.” Suchet believes that it is inevitable that “one’s personality would show in their characters. But using a quality of yourself that is similar is when any audiences that
knows you could see you.” Take your seat at this once in a lifetime event as we go behind the curtain with this legend. (KC) Feb 23. Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $64.95-$259.90+b.f. Tickets & Info www.sydneyoperahouse.com
Songs For Nobodies
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abaret superstar Bernadette Robinson is returning from a sold-out season on London’s West End, bringing her hit play Songs For Nobodies back home to Australia for a limited season. First performed 10 years ago, Songs For Nobodies was specifically written for Robinson by Australian playwright Joanna Murray-Smith and is directed by Simon Phillips. In the one-woman piece, Bernadette switches characters and roams the stage both singing and performing monologues as five mid-20th-century divas, Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf and Maria Callas, and five ordinary women. “Switching characters in the play is great, I love doing it, because it’s exciting. I really love performing the characters, I’ve got lots to play with,” said Robinson. Songs For Nobodies is a deeply personal play and has been a long time in the making. “I think lots of people could almost perform this piece but when I asked her [Murray-Smith] to put the operatic parts in I did that because I just thought ‘no one else is going to be able to do this’. This one is really something that we worked on literally for years before it came about.” Audiences can expect a moving and enthralling performance from Robinson, and she hopes that they will want to return for a second time to see it all again, “I hope that audiences will want to come back again, which often does happen because it’s quite intricate and people just think ‘wow’ and they pick up lots more the second time again. Audiences will be moved, it’s exquisite writing, it’s funny and moving and interesting and lyrical and poetic and the songs are great. And I think I do a really good job!” (MB) Until Feb 9. Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $69-$129+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com city hub 23 JANUARY 2020
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HubARTS REVIEW
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he Genesian Theatre delivers yet another delightful vintage-styled comedy crime thriller. The Ladykillers was adapted from the famous ‘50s-era British film by Irish comedian Graham Linehan, who also co-created Father Ted, Black Books, and The IT Crowd. It has the same absurd, character-based humour as those popular comedy series. Five hapless criminals, led by the wily Professor Marcus (Marty O’Neill) try to pull off a bank robbery, using an innocent old lady, Mrs Wilberforce (Pamela Whalan), as an unwitting accomplice. Prof Marcus rents an upstairs room at Mrs Wilberforce’s home, then brings in his gang of criminals: young, wired Harry Robinson (Doug Wiseman); muscleman simpleton, One-Round (Paul Rye); distinguished but closeted
The Ladykillers
Major Courtney (Stephen Doric); and impatient, kill-hungry Louis Harvey (Barry Neilson). The gang pretend
to be a string quartet, replete with instruments. Things don’t go quite as planned, and we’re led through a
Tiny Moving Parts By Jamie Apps ypically when we think of family bands we jump to siblings or parents with their children. Minnesota trio Tiny Moving Parts, though, are a family band of a different kind. The band consists of brothers Matthew and William ‘Billy’ Chevalier alongside their cousin Dylan Mattheisen. Despite this slightly unconventional family lineup, Mattheisen told City Hub that without their close family connection the band would cease to function. “We’ve been around each other ever since we were toddlers… We’re like a tripod, we need all three of us to make it work well.” As the group geared up for just their second visit to Australia, but first as a headline act, Mattheisen reflected on the band’s early years and goals. “Our biggest goal back in the day was to book a full DIY US tour playing basement shows, coffee shops and whatever we could,” he recalled, “We did that in 2013, so each year we’ve just set new goals and kept writing new records.” Last year Tiny Moving Parts released their fifth full-length album, entitled breathe. This new record sees the group taking their music to another level as they explore themes rooted in mental health, anxiety and mortality.
series of slapstick gags and hilarious twists. As ever, the Genesian team has gone to a lot of trouble with the set and costumes, reproducing the lounge room and upstairs bedroom of Mrs Wilberforce’s home, with periodappropriate props and a wonderful backlit window that opens - as the sound effects suggest - onto a railway track below. Costumes are detailed and they even have real violins and a cello. For an amateur theatre group, the actors are very good, with a perfect sense of comic timing and great rapport with each other and the audience. A truly entertaining night out. (RB) Until Feb 15. Genesian Theatre, 420 Kent St, Sydney, $30-$35+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.genesiantheatre.com.au
Mat Ward Filter Bubble
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Whilst Mattheisen realises it is a cliche to say that “it’s an outlet” for himself to write about these topics he can’t argue the benefits it has had one his own mental health. On top of the personal benefits, Mattheisen and his cousins have also witnessed the impact their music is having on members of their fanbase. “To have people screaming the words to these songs with us is a very special connection that you really can’t describe. Seeing that inspires me to keep writing about these really personal and emo-tional things because it’s obviously helping people.”
After touring Australia as a support act for Luca Brasi in 2018 Mattheisen said Tiny Moving Parts couldn’t be more happy to return. “We never thought we’d play outside of the States ever. So the fact that this is our second time com-ing to Australia, let alone headlining, is very very wonderful.” Jan 25. Lansdowne Hotel, 2-6 City Rd, Chippendale. $46.87+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.thelansdownepub.com.au Jan 26. The Metro Lair, 624 George St, Sydney. $44+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.metrotheatre.com.au
at Ward has just released Filter Bubble, a future drum and bass album. The artist mashes jungle with future bass to create an entirely unique genre that’s all his own. The album is politically provocative by being critical of the corporate media, leaving listeners with disturbing truths to grapple with. Filter Bubble’s electric instrumentals lends the collection of songs a markedly techno-inspired sound. You Say What You Like Because They Like What You Say is far and away the best single on the album, setting itself apart with its upbeat flavour. Overall, the music is edgy, daring and new, forcing anyone who hears it to admire Ward for being bold enough to produce it. (EE) WWWW
HubARTS
Hellfire Club Burns Out S ydney’s Hellfire Club, one of the longestrunning fetish party nights since 1993, has closed its doors after 26 years and 10 months, with the venue blaming the closure on the city’s lockout laws. Hellfire Club opened more than 20 years ago, as a refuge for those who originally didn’t fit in with mainstream society and those who felt alienated. For some it was dressing up, for some it was BDSM. There were also people with bizarre fetishes, or those just looking to spice up their love life. “We ran underground events where you usually knew somebody or heard about or joined via a
group. It was often a starting point for people to begin to explore their fetish, ” said Jackie, Hellfire promoter. The venue had seen appearances from Madonna and trained Richard Roxburgh for his role in Passion, which involved a story of a man who was into BDSM. The crowd on the final night was seen to have evolved to people from all over Australia and from the whole rainbow of sexualities too - gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people. Sadly, though, the venue ultimately decided it was time to take a rest and recuperate, as “in the last two years, we moved the club five times. The lockout laws have decimated venues that run
Bad Boys For Life F
asten your safety belts and get set for the ride of your life as Bad Boys For Life crashes into cinemas 17 years after the second instalment. Once again Jerry Bruckheimer serves as producer, while Martin Lawrence and Will Smith reprise their roles respectively as Miami narcotics detectives Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowrey.
There’s plenty happening on screen to keep ardent fans of this franchise interested, as Mike tries to coax Marcus out of retirement to solve one last case involving a Romanian mob boss who is exacting revenge for the death of her husband. This buddy cop film is an incredibly loud, vastly entertaining and violent action-packed film with
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It’s beautifully made and the recreations of the original children’s show set and portrayal of Mr Rogers are said to be exceptional. But the lack of familiarity and therefore, connection with the story may rob some viewers of the empathy required to really enjoy this film. (RB) WWW
parties of our size,” Jackie ex-plained, “We got hit with a $20,000 bar minimum and a small fetish club can’t make that. It’s impossible.” (KC)
octane-charged high-speed car chases, death-defying stunts, and a high body count interweaved with laugh out loud one-liners and a great soundtrack. The twist in the finale as bulletproof Mike fights the villain whom he ‘eloquently’ describes as ‘the fucked up me’ welcomingly negates the marketing that this is the final instalment in the trilogy. (MMo)
A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood his film is probably deeply nostalgic for several generations of Americans. It’s based on the host of an extremely popular children’s television show, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, which ran from 1968 to 2001. Tom Hanks plays the impossibly affable Fred Rogers during the latter part of his career. He’s fragile, very slow and deliberate in speech, and still making his TV show. A reporter from Esquire magazine, Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) is sent on assignment to interview Mr Rogers. Vogel - based on real-life journalist, Tom Junod - is cynical, grudging, and clearly has some buried emotional issues to deal with. The film is a slightly fictionalised version of their true encounter. As it focuses more on the Vogel character, with Mr Rogers acting as a catalyst for some emotional detoxing.
Photo: Chantel Bann
Underwater W
hat did the rat say when it walked into a wall? “Damn!” Such is the banal dialogue in the new sci-fi blockbuster wannabe, Underwater. The film is supposed to be an homage to Alien, but without the tension, the drama or the threedimensional characters in conflict not only with the creature but with each other as well. In short, Underwater is set in a drilling station under the sea which is hit by a tidal wave following an earthquake on the surface. The characters must escape before everything goes into lockdown but their escape is thwarted by an underwater creature that looks like a cross
between an Egyptian mummy and a huge slimy leech. Anyway, like the creature in Alien it grows and grows until it’s way too big for anyone to handle. This is when Kristen Stewart and Jessica Henwick strip down to their underwear and save the one remaining male of the team. Why? Well, that’s anyone’s guess. The only real horror in Underwater is the script. (RLD) W
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