DARLINGTON CHAMBER MUSIC

Last month the wonderfully eccentric Trio Tiramisu delighted the Darlington audience with a programme which began with a Spanish Suite by Manuel De Falla, included Interludes by Australian composer Emma Jayakumar and ended with Walz 2 by Shostakovich.

The remarkable breadth of their repertoire was made possible by the arrangement expertise of Tommaso Pollio, Cathie Travers and Sophie Curtis. The joy in their performance was palpable and the audience responded enthusiastically.

Don’t miss the next concert in the W inter series

16 JULY @ 3Pm in the DA r L in G ton h ALL

On Sunday July 16 the Darlington Quartet - Semra Lee, Zak Rowntree, Sally Boud and Jon Tooby - will play Janacek and Haydn. Tickets available at the Little Nook Cafe, Darlington Liquor Store, the Darlington PO, online at humanitix.com and at the door.

Adult: $50/ Concession $45 Under 18: $25

Famed for their dynamism, energy and superb musicianship, the Darlington Quartet redefines the role of the string quartet in society through their visionary programming and electrifying performances. Renowned violinists Semra Lee and Zak Rowntree, violist Sally Boud and cellist Jon Tooby are all highly accomplished musicians with extensive performance histories across all aspects of classical music – as soloists, chamber musicians, orchestral section principals and mentors. The Darlington Quartet will lead WAAPA’s Classical String program, guiding and inspiring students to find their own unique voices, and helping them to establish their professional careers.

“We are beyond excited about joining WAAPA in 2023!” says violinist Zak Rowntree. “We can’t wait to work with the students and participate in the diverse range of performance opportunities that only WAAPA offers. “

Shakespearean Comedy Comes To The Marloo Stage

The name William Shakespeare is synonymous with some of the world’s most famous plays, characters and quotes. It is recorded that between 1590 and 1613, Shakespeare wrote some 37 plays. One of his 17 comedies is the classic tale of greed, trickery and jealousy ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ which is coming to the stage at Marloo Theatre this July, directed by Siobhan Vincent.

‘Much Ado’ as it is affectionately called, centres on Count Claudio (Thomas McCracken) who falls in love with Hero (Rebecca Haywood). Soon, deception is afoot as Hero’s cousin Beatrice (Jenny Howard) and the eternal bachelor Benedict (Andrew Govey) are both duped into believing that the other is in love with them. What follows is an entertaining recipe of love, deception, wit and revenge.

Cast member Jeff Watkins (most recently seen at Marloo in ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’ last year), who plays the dashing Don Pedro considers the play to be an interesting perspective into the drama of storytelling. “Most plots are dependant on deception misunderstandings and hidden truths” they said. “In this play, it’s almost like William Shakespeare us frustrated with the silliness of people’s discomfort with the truth” they continued. “Lies, misunderstandings and pranks form the basis of ‘Much Ado’ and truth wins out in the end” they concluded.

Lauren Buckels who plays Margaret in the show has marvelled at her fellow cast members. “I’m relishing mastering Shakespearean English and am amazed how when the actor understands what is being said, it becomes as if they are speaking plain English” she said. “I am thoroughly enjoying the company of my cast mates” she continued. “They are a lovely, talented group of people” she concluded.

Marloo is well known for producing theatrical seasons of great variety and 2023 is proving to be no different. Commencing with the family friendly ‘Wind in the Willows which was followed up by the historical WW1-set drama ‘Through These Lines’, a classic Shakespeare is yet another reason to warm yourself on a cold winter’s night by a trip to the theatre. Also well renowned as part of the Marloo show night experience are Amanda Moloney’s creative bar concoctions. For this season “a fruity wine to complement the orchards of Much Ado” has been promised.

Siobhan Vincent, director of shows such as ‘Popcorn’ and ‘Three Tall Women’ at Garrick Theatre, leads an experienced and talented creative team, whose strong vision will bring the iconic setting of Messina to life on Marloo’s vast stage.

“The longevity of Shakespeare derives from his deep understanding of the human condition and from his ability to merge tragedy, comedy and insightful comment” she said. “‘Much Ado About Nothing’ achieves it all. It is a delightful romp, with deep undertones that reveal corruption, sinister plots and deceit” she continued. “The language is unlike much of Shakespeare’s writing. Unusually, it is not written in the traditional iambic pentameter (poetry) but rather in prose, which renders it easy for the modern audience to understand” Vincent explained.

“The story revolves around two principal characters, Benedict and Beatrice, - an avowed bachelor and a determined spinster. Their verbal interchanges and sparring are legendary. The wit and humour extend to the comedic knockabouts, the fumblings of the constabulary, and the intrigue of dark plots, bribery and corruption” Vincent said. “We live in a period in which gender and racial equality are of paramount importance and the subject of discussion. How strange that so little has changed over 400 years, and that Shakespeare should have been so incisive and prophetic in his understanding of these human foibles and frailty” she continued. When asked what audiences should expect from the show, Vincent said “prepare to be at turns rolling with laughter or moved to tears by this iconic comedy.

Much Ado About Nothing opens on Friday July 7th, running until Saturday July 22nd. Tickets can be booked at www.trybooking. com/CHTLZ and this is one not to be missed.

By Chris McRae

Your Hall, Your Community, Your Stories

The date of the hall Centenary is getting nearer, and a small group is working to develop the content and programme for this celebration to be held on Saturday 19 August, 2.30pm5.30pm. As mentioned in this issue’s Editorial, Sally Herzfeld is putting together a book of memories. Any information for the book can be sent to alisonherzfeld@gmail.com or her letterbox 9 Gladys St, Darlington. DHG Archivist Lyn Myles is also happy to collect your information myleslc@bigpond.com or phone 9298 8604. We want the book to include photos and memories of the Hall, especially doing things in the old hall before the new hall was added in the 1960’s. We anticipate the book will be made available on our website.

Your memories may include that a copper was needed to be boiled to make a cup of tea and coffee. Events held included concerts, Fancy Dress Balls, performances by the Theatre Players, as well as serving as a meeting place for many organisations. In more recent times, the Hall was used for Circle Dancing, Quiz Nights, Yoga classes, exercise classes and more. Your old photos may provide a wonderful part of the story of the hall and the people of Darlington from times past. We’d love to hear from you!

My husband Denis and I recently took some time to visit Geelong – the town where both Denis and I grew up. Looking around our old landmarks, we were astounded to see the Church halls where we had many meetings, the Youth Club, and the tennis courts have all been overtaken by housing and in one case, by a cars sales lot! This reinforced to me the need to have a vital community that supports our wonderful open spaces and Village Hall and that we work together to maintain these facilities in the long term. We look forward to hearing from you with your memories, from any era from the Hall’s inception to our present day.

Chair Val Shiell

Archivist Lyn Myles decided to do some Troving to research the early years of the Hall and the activities that occurred there. “I was struck by current times mirroring the past as I learnt the early decades of the 1920’s and 1930’s involved many activities to raise funds for the hall, which was purchased by a committed group of residents when the vineyard was subdivided and sold around 1918. Similarly, the recent building of the Pavilion and Community Garden was undertaken with funding obtained by a group of committed locals to provide these facilities for its residents. The early fundraiser activities reflected the times, consisting of golf dances, horticultural shows, Kids fancy dress, smoke socials, picture shows, concerts, plays, badminton dances and Glee Club. However they had the same focus which was to fund the much needed facilities for the community. An article in the Swan Express dated November 1937 mentioned a concert program and two plays held in the hall had raised £7 for the Darlington Hall Committee to reduce the Trustee’s overdraft loan on the hall building. Thankfully the dedication of the Darlington community to preserve the hall and recreational areas for future generations has not diminished over time and hopefully this will continue into the future.”

The photograph below is of an event held in the 1950s in the Lesser Hall. The person in the middle marked with the cross is Gwen Owen. Do you recognise anyone in this picture?

Vale Darlington Resident Tom Herzfeld

The Darlington History Group was saddened to hear of Tom’s passing on the 6th June. Tom was born in 1936 in Berlin and two years later Kristallnacht occurred, a turning point that made Germany a dangerous place for people of Jewish background. To escape this, his parents and the family moved to Thailand. Tom was later sent to Guildford Grammar School where he stayed as a boarder for six years and went on to UWA where he graduated as a Civil Engineer. Tom applied his knowledge to civil project management throughout WA, including the Ord River Scheme and the building of the Indian Pacific Rail terminal. He helped Sally in the development of Helena College and was involved in Local, and State Government.

We have lost a wonderful contributor to our community, and the History Group is so grateful to Tom for his talk in 2021 about his life and family background. We treasure those memories. Our deepest and heartfelt sympathy to Sally and all members of Tom’s family.

Tom and

Herzfeld April 2021.

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