Melbourne Observer. February 13, 2019

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NEW WBIZ ★ LIFES TYLE ★ TR AVEL ★ FEA TURES ★ BARGAINS ★ SPORT NEWSS ★ SHO SHOWBIZ LIFESTYLE TRA FEATURES

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13 , 2019

VICTORIA’S INDEPENDENT WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

50TH YEAR OF PUBLICATION $2.95

STATE EDITION Vol 51 No 1722 SERVING VICTORIA SINCE 1969

including GST

ROMEO AND JULIET ● Ayesha Madon and Samuel Rowe in Romeo and Juliet at Rippon Lea House and Gardens. More details inside. Photo: Nicole Cleary

Great apartments in Cairns

Argosy On The Beach ● See Page 46

Book direct 07 4055 3333 www.argosycairns.com Turn to Page 25

Old Victorian Fencing 35 Moore Rd, Airport West Phone: 9335 2501 oldvictiorianfencing.com.au

Grosvenor in Cairns Holiday Apartments Fully Self Contained 1 and 2 bedroom apartments Looking to escape the cold this winter; then head on up to Cairns - always warm!

● See advert, back page

Visit www.grosvenorcairns.com.au or email info@grosvenorcairns.com.au

or ring 1800 629 179

Camberwell Sewing Centre

LATEST SPECIALS Turn to Page 28

Sellers of fine antiques, vintage and collectables at affordable prices.

Free shipping around Australia.

Contact us for details. www.marpleantiques.com.au Call Us: 0408 270 289 Email Us: admin@ marpleantiques.com.au

Page 2 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019

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Best Places

STOP - before you 'flick' the page over … read on (it's worth it)

ANOTHER AD….?

YEAH ... But a "great" little ad and worth reading!

NOW is the time to be planning and booking a holiday away from Melbourne … to the and sun of Cairns in Far North Queensland.. What a fantastic time to visit; You won't find any 'advertising hype' here … we don't need to talk like that; we just give you the plain, simple truth about what we offer - great accommodation in Cairns at a good price.

Choose from a 1 or 2 bedroom, fully self-contained apartment that is complete with a full kitchen, large living room, bathroom with walk in shower plus FOXTEL and air-conditioning.

FREE WiFi & FREE use of the 24/7 fitness center/gym across the road.

The pool is solar heated so even in winter when the temperature is down a bit the pool is still usable (21 to 25 degrees as opposed to 17 degrees in an unheated pool).

Adjacent to the pool is an undercover meals/BBQ area that has a shower room and bathroom.

SO … COME ON UP…. Contact us now!

Grosvenor In Cairns

GROSVENOR IN CAIRNS SPECIALS for Melbourne Observer readers only (must mention this ad when booking)

10% discount on whatever the price shown on our website is!

Our website prices are the "lowest" available (except for this special)

10% off - plus an arrival taxi transfer and a bottle of wine SO … visit our website …. Choose your holiday dates and Accommodation type … and then ring or email (don't forget to mention this Ad) … and we will take care of the rest for you! www.grosvenorcairns.com.au PHONE 1800 629 179 (Toll free call - within Australia only) 07 4031 8588 (from outside Australia ring 61 7 4031 8588) 07 4031 8521 (from outside Australia ring 61 7 4031 8521) Mobile 0403 15 0805 EMAIL info@grosvenorcairns.com.au (accounts/information) reception@grosvenorcairns.com.au (bookings) SEND MAIL PO Box 2735 Cairns, Queensland. 4870 STREET ADDRESS 186 to 188 McLeod Street Cairns (on the corner of Grove St)

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Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019 - Page 3

Killingworth Hill Cafe & Whisky Bar 36 Killingworth Rd, Killingworth (Yea) Open 11am-8pm Friday-Sunday

Closed Fri.-Sat.-Sun. Feb. 15-16-17 Today’s Menu Charcuterie Boards: Your choice of a meat platter, cheese platter, terrine platter or fish platter all accompanied with fresh home grown and made produce, for example, vegetables, gluten free pesto’s, chutneys, nuts, etc,

Fresh Gourmet Pizzas Fresh Homemade Pies Dessert: As per display cabinet Teas/Coffee: Assortment of Herbal Teas and classic Teas & Coffee, Cappuccino, Latte Mug Short/Long Black or Plunger Coffee

Don’t forget our Famous Devonshire Tea We strive for excellence, we do not rest until our best is better We guarantee our products 100%.

If unsatisfactory, please advise staff who will replace or refund immediately

Are you arranging a gathering of freinds, family or for a club? The team at Killingworth Hill Café & Whisky Bar will happily host your party Why not call us to discuss your requirements and make a booking?

Killingworth Hill Cafe & Whisky Bar Phone: 0455 266 888 www.killingworthhill.com.au

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Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13 , 2019 - Page 7

WIN TICKETS TO MURIEL’S WEDDING This Month’s Sale Item is a ready-to-hang Limited Edition Art Print of Melbourne in 1882.

This is a stunning Melbourne aerial view showing the historical development of the 1880's era. It is a beautiful reminder of our wonderful past and development.

Big, brash and very cheeky!

The multi award-winning Muriel’s Wedding The Musical is coming to Melbourne in March.

The Local Paper and Melbourne Observer have six double passes to give-away to readers.

The stellar creative team behind the critically acclaimed production is led by theatre director Simon Phillips, set and costume designer Gabriela Tylesova.

Post your entry to by first mail on Monday, February 25, 2019 to: Muriel’s Wedding Comp.

PO Box 1278, Research, Vic 3095

We have six double passes (great Stalls tickets) to give away to readers for Muriel’s Wedding The Musical at Her Majesty’s Theatre at 7pm on Wednesday, March 13.

To enter, complete the details on this entry form, and mail to ‘Muriel’s Wedding Comp’, PO Box 1278, Research, 3095 to reach us by first mail, Monday, February 25.

Only enter if you can attend.

Winners will receive their tickets by mail.

DAY

TELL US YOUR BIRTHDAY MONTH YEAR Not Compulsory

Name: .................................................................................................

Address: ................................................................................................ ............................................ Phone: ...................................................

Subject to Local Media Pty Ltd competition terms and conditions which may include publication of your name, address and birthday details

Page 8 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Observer Magazine

■ Abbott and Costello were one of the great American comedy teams in radio, film and television.

During the 1940s they were amongst the most popular and highest paid Hollywood film stars.

During the 1940s and 1950s almost every child in Australia saw them at the Saturday afternoon pictures and laughed at their comedy routines.

Louis Francis Cristillo was born in Paterson, New Jersey in 1906. Bud Abbott was born in 1895 in Asbury Park, New Jersey.

Bud came from a show business family; his parents worked for the Barnum and Bailey Circus.

The pair first teamed together in 1937 at a burlesque theatre on Broadway. Abbott was the perfect straight man and Costello was a clever comic.

They performed their famous sketch Who's On First on radio in The Kate Smith Hour in 1938.

I remember interviewing the famous singer Alan Jones (Donkey Serenade) many years ago and Alan told me that Abbott and Costellovirtually stole a film from him.

The comedy pair we signed to make a cameo appearance in One Night In The Tropics but the director loved their work and kept asking them to film more sketches - by the time the film was released Abbott and Costello were the stars and Alan's role had been heavily reduced.

Their next film Buck Privates, for Universal

Whatever Happened To ...

Abbott & Costello

By Kevin Trask of 3AW and 96.5 Inner FM

Studios in 1941, was a huge blockbuster at the box office. The Andrews Sisters hit song The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B was included in the film, and Abbott and Costello became international stars.

Their 36 films over the next 20 years included; In The Navy, Hold That Ghost, Naughty Nineties, Rio Rita, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein and Jack and the Beanstalk.

They were both family men but Lou was grief stricken when his young son died in a swimming pool accident in 1942.

During 1952 they filmed a successful television series. Lee Gordon brought Abbott & Costello to Australia in 1955 for a national tour and it was a disaster.

● Abbott and Costello

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

Bob Horsfall recalled being summoned to The Palais Theatre in St Kilda.

(They were there because the West Melbourne Stadium had burnt down) to sing on the Abbott & Costello Show with the Tunetwisters.

When he got there, Bob was told that the show had been cancelled because the ticket sales were appalling. Abbott & Costello did not see eye to eye on several issues during their partnership and in 1956 they were both almost made bankrupt over unpaid taxes. As their popularity faded they went their separate ways.

In 1959 Lou made his first film without Bud, The Thirty Foot Bride of Candy Rock and he also played a dramatic role in the television series Wagon Train.

Lou Costello died of a heart attack later in 1959 whilst performing in Las Vegas and Bud Abbott passed away from prostate cancer in 1974.

I really enjoyed Abbott and Costello and I have many of their films on DVD. - Kevin Trask Kevin can be heard on 3AW The Time Tunnel - on Nightline - Thursdays at 10.10pm with Philip Brady and Simon Owens.

And on 96.5 FM That's Entertainment - Sundays at 12 Noon. www.innerfm.org.au

Five-star wines stored in D-Division OK. With John O’Keefe It was a Pointless program ■ The TEN Network has canned further episodes of the prime-time show Pointless. I’m not surprised as ratings were pretty horrible .

As a replacement there’s a chance Family Feud may make a comeback. aB Question mark hangs over heads of co-hosts of Pointless, Dr Andrew Rochford and Mark Humphries.

The official line from TTen is that the Doc and Mark are working on ‘special projects’, aka getting paid without working.

RocKwiz axed

■ An oldie but goodie in Rockwiz will not reappear on SBS this year. The rock program first hit the black box in 2005 and continued for 13 seasons with regular shows and , specials.

There will be a final show with all your favourites later this year, date to be announced.

Sticky beaks

● What would famed criminals think if they turned-up at their old Pentridge Prison remand cells today, and found them stacked to the ceiling with five-star wines?

■ No doubt the crims who once ocEach 3m-by-2m cell-cum-cellar cupied the cells of D Division in can house up to 2000 bottles, depenVictoria’s tough Pentridge Prison had dent on the racking chosen, and Paul plenty of colourful names they assoand Michael have also installed backciated with the D in their block’s idenup state-of-the-art climate control to tification – and most of which, as a ensure best, constant year-round temfamily publication, we shouldn’t even perature and humidity. contemplate printing here.

“We’re anticipating high interest But today that D could well be for from those who may have downsized Drinks, as these cells take-on a new to inner city apartments and conselease of life as cellars, would you bequently lost cellars within former, lieve, for those with an appreciation larger suburban family homes,” Paul of fine wines. says.

And it’s thanks to a couple of en“And with Pentridge’s unique thick thusiasts, Paul Tardivel and Michael stone structure, you would think it had Woodworth who’ve recently acbeen purpose-built for this second life quired a string of the old Remand Cells now as wine storage.” at Pentridge, that closed as a prison Prices start from $115,000 with some 20-odd years ago. each cell-cum-cellar having strata title Cells that once played home to and 24hr swipe-card access. Plus such crooks as Squizzy Taylor, Chopowners will be able to showcase and per Read, Christopher Flannery and taste their collections with personal Ronald Ryan to name a few. guests whenever they wish, and share with David Ellis Paul and Michael believe that with a planned communal area to muse heir 500mm (nearly 20-inch) blue- and are now fitting them out with over their wines with other cellar ownstone walls, these cells are perfect for appropriate racking, ambient lighters. storing wines at stable temperatures, ing, and security including CCTV. - David Ellis

Struth

■ We humans are awful sticky beaks as we love peeking into other people’s lives.

Take the dozens of buses that shunt tourists around Hollywood peering into celebs’ backyard.

I have a friend who dines out about the day he saw the late Sammy Davis Junior hanging out his smalls to dry.

Every day buses drive up and down Sunset Strip, Beverly Hills and the like eyes peeled to catch stars shopping, in party mode , or just tooling around being famous.

Bus ride will cost you $ 52 , Myki cards not accepted..

Not asll plain sailing

■ On the surface it appeared all was a well-earned promotion for TV news reader Mike Amor’s return home from America to read the weekend news on Channel 7 .

Not so, as Mike has discovered his 11-year old son, Addison, is only permitted into Australia on a two-year bridging visa.

Addison is adopted and that’s where the problem starts and who knows where it will finish? Mike is a determined Dad to have Addison brought up an Australian.

90210 to return?

■ Word on the streets of Hollywood is the 1990’s teenage sitcom 90210 is about to make a comeback. Writers are making presentations to the studios outlining reboot plans involving majority of original cast.

Plans are sketchy but it can only work if original cast have found the secret potion to longevity, or will they play themselves as 40-year-olds.

Ambitious thoughts, and we’ll keep our eyes wide open. Wonder if Nat of the Passion Pit is part of the cast?

Billy coming back

■ Billy Ocean is planning a tour downunder. His plans include a show in Melbourne at the Palais, June19. Tickets at usuals.

- John O’Keefe

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CYNTHIA’S FACE-OFF including GST

● Cynthia Weinstein, sole director of CDC Clinics Pty Ltd

● Anthony Warlow and Gina Reilly will star in Sweeney Todd in Melbourne.

Sweeney Todd at Her Majesty’s

■ Anthony Warlow and Gina Reilly will star in a mid-year production of Sweeney Todd at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne, it was announced yesterday (Tues.).

Musical theatre favourite Anthony Warlow will take the lead role of Sweeney Todd.

Sweeney Todd is a powerful, dramatic and theatrical horror tale, set to music.

Gina Reilly will play thed manipulative and funny murderess, Mrs Lovett.

Music and lyrics are by Stephen Sondheim.

The Broadway show was originally produced

by Hal Prince.

The show last played in Melbourne in 2015 at the Arts Centre - Playhouse, with Teddy Tahu Rhodes in the lead role. It was part of a Sondheim Trilogy produced by Victorian Opera.

The title was also made famous by Johnny Depp in the 2007 film mystery, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who

first appeared as the villain of the Victorian penny dreadful serial The String of Pearls (1846–47).

The tale became a staple of Victorian melodrama and London urban legend, and has been retold many times since, most notably in the Tony Award–winning Broadway musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler.

Claims that Sweeney Todd was a historical person are strongly disputed by scholars, although possible legendary prototypes exist.

In the original version of the tale, Todd is a barber who dispatches his victims by pulling a lever as they sit in his barber chair.

His victims fall backward down a revolving trap door into the basement of his shop, generally causing them to break their necks or skulls.

Sweeney Todd was probably written by James Malcolm Rymer, though Thomas Peckett Prest has also been credited with it.

● COSMETIC SURGEON Cynthia Weinstein has been back at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal after further prohibition orders were issued by the Health Complaints Commissioner.

Ms Weinstein questioned if further interim prosecution orders could be issued against her.

Tribunal Senior Member Anna Dea, in a decision published on Thursday, adjudicated that the Commissioner had power to make a second prohibition order last November.

Ms Weinstein has previously been featured on A Current Affair, after it was alleged that she had disfigured patients.

Authorities had prosecuted Weinstein with 14 counts of claiming to be a registered medical practitioner at an Armadale, Melbourne clinic.

“Ms Weinstein is a former dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon. Her registration with the Medical Board of Australia ceased in 2010,” said Ms Dea’s decision.

“CDC Clinics Pty Ltd offers the services of cosmetic medical practitioners, nurses and laser therapists as well as non-cosmetic medical services.

“Ms Weinstein is a former dermatologists and cosmetic surgeon,” Ms Dea said.

The Tribunal was heard that a complaint was lodged in January last year, and the Commissioner made an interim prohibition order in respect of both CDC and Ms Weinstein.

The orders expired on January 31 this year, and a futher order was issued.

“Section 101 makes no reference to whther more than one IPO may be made and does not prohibiot more than one review by the Tribunal,” Ms Dea said.

Celebrity surgeon returns to Tribunal 3-year ban for psychologist ■ Vesela Popovski has been diqualified from being eligible to apply for registration as a psychologist for three years.

Ms Popovski was reprimanded after the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal heard that she had a sexual relationship with a patiet/former patient.

VCAT Deputy President Ian Proctor found a charge of “professional misconduct” proven.

Ms Popovski was found to have “transgressed the boundaries delineating the psychologist-patient relationship by engaging in inappropriate dual relationships including a social and/or close relationship and/or sexual relationship with her patient and/or former patient”.

The Tribunal was told that the male patient attended 12 consultations with Popovski, under two mental health care plans in connection with his family breakdown as associated symptoms of mixed anxiety and depression.

Ms Popovski began an intimate relationship with the patient before or just after his treatment ceased.

Ms Popovski had previously denied any social relationship with the patient.

VICTORIA’S INDEPENDENT WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

Page 10 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Melbourne

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Melbourne

Observer Confidential years $25,200 in penalties 50 inc orpor a ting the Melbourne A d vvertiser ertiser, incorpor orpora Ad Melbourne T ict orian Rur al Ne ws Trr ader ader,, V Vict ictorian Rural New and Melbourne Seniors News News..

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Our Team Editor: Ash Long Features Editor: Peter Mac Columnists: Len Baker (harness racing), Matt Bissett-Johnson (cartoonist), David Ellis (wine and travel), Rob Foenander (country music), Kerry Kulkens (astrology), Mike McColl Jones (life), Gr eg Ne wman (r adio ), T erry Radf or d Newman (radio adio), Terry Radfor ord (Court roundsman), Aaron Rourke (mo vies ), T ed Ry an (r acing), Jim (movies vies), Ted Ryan (racing), Sherlock (movies, DVDs), Cheryl T hr eadgold (local thea t rre e ), K e vin T hreadgold Ke Trrask ( sho wbiz), V eritas, G a vin W ood showbiz), Veritas, Ga Wood (Hollywood).

Honorary Reviewers: Juliet Charles, Martin Curtis, Sherryn Danaher e tte er Danaher,, P Pe Gr een, L yn Hurs t, K a thryn K eeble Lyn Hurst, Ka Keeble eeble,, Beth Klein, Ai Diem Le, Deborah Marinaro, David McLean, Graeme McCoubrie, Maggie Morrison, Jill Page, Elizabeth Semmel. Arts: Peter Kemp.

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Talk is cheap, gossip is priceless

■ Australian Corporate Bond Company Pty Ltd has paid $25,200 in penalties after the Australian Securities and Investments Commission issued two infringement notices for alleged misleading statements made in the promotion of Exchange Traded Bonds (XTBs) on its website between May to December 2017.

Following an investigation, ASIC was concerned that ACBC’s comparison of the key attributes of term deposits and XTBs represented an investment in XTBs as carrying an equivalent or substantially the same risk as investments in term deposits, while producing a higher return.

ASIC was concerned that the statements were misleading because the risks involved in an investment in XTBs are not equivalent to or substantially the same as an investment in a term deposit.

For example, investments in a term deposit of up of $250,000, are protected by the Australian Government’s guarantee for Authorised Deposit Taking Institutions whereas investments in XTBs are not.

Gina signs

Herbie plays here

■ Herbie Hancock will headline the Melbourne International Jazz Festival at Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall.

Bowl birthday ● Gina Reilly ■ The signing of Gina Reilly for a six-show season of Sweeney Todd at Her Majesty’s is a coup.

She will appear in the tragi-comic role of piemaker Mrs Lovett.

Best known for the hit TV comedy series Kath & Kim, Riley is an accomplished writer, actor, singer, comedian and producer.

She recently appeared in Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband for Melbourne Theatre Company.

Her musical theatre credits include Matron Mama Morton in Chicago, and Janet in The New Rocky Horror Show.

■ The Sidney Myer Music Bowl has been part of Melbourne’s entertainment scene since 1959, and this week it celebrate s60 years.

Officially opened by Prime Minister Robert Menzies in 1959, the Bowl has seen many of the world’s greatest entertainers perform live.

Red is speaker ■ Red Symons will be guest speaker at the invitation-only Australian Marquee Entertainment Luncheon Club on Tuesday (Feb. 19) at The Emerald Hotel, Clarendon St, South Melbourne, advises Jeff Joseph.

$15,800 presented

■ Freemasons continue to do some considerable work in Victoria. More than $2 million is donated to charities each year.

On Thursday at Ivanhoe Grammarians Lodge’s ‘Buckley Night’, a $5800 cheque was presented to the Banyule Children’s Gift Appeal.

This provides Christmas toys for young boys and girls, and gift cards for disadvantaged teenagers in the area. Sometimes it is the only Christmas gift that the kids receive.

A $10,000 cheque went to Ivanhoe Grammar School for the perpetual Rev. Peter Holloway prize that recognises excellent charity work by teenage girls and boys.

In future, the Lodge is expanding to focus its schools charity work to the 33 other schools in the Banyule municipality. Freemasons Foundation Victoria was generous in its major contributions to both presentations.

Your Stars with Kerry Kulkens ARIES: (March 21-April 20) Lucky Colour: Cream Lucky Day: Monday Racing Numbers: 9.6.2.3.

Lotto Numbers: 9.12.23.36.34.45.

Lots of long distance communication either by mail or phone and more work in your normal working environment also. It would be a good idea to look into your expenditure just now.

TAURUS: (April 21- May 20) Lucky Colour: Peach Lucky Day: Tuesday Racing Numbers: 5.6.2.3.

Lotto Numbers: 5.12.24.40.26.33.

People are talking about you and you could find yourself in a middle of a public problem. What you do now and how you react will have long lasting effects on your future in your career.

GEMINI: (May 21- June 21) Lucky Colour: Yellow Lucky Day:Wednesday Racing Numbers: 9.6.5.3.

Lotto Numbers: 9.15.26.35.36.3.

Problems in your love affairs could be affecting your working life.Also, try not to let people upset you unnecessarily. Possibility of collecting the proceeds of work done earlier.

CANCER: (June 22- July 22) Lucky Colour: Blue Lucky Day: Thursday Racing Numbers: 4.6.2.5.

Lotto Numbers: 4.12.25.29.8.4 Improvements in all aspects of your life including health matters. Energy levels should be higher and more interest in new ideas and a possibility of increased income also.

LEO: (July 23-August 22) Lucky Colour: Violet Lucky Day: Monday Racing Numbers: 4.6.5.2.

Lotto Numbers: 4.7.12.26.35.36.

Not a good time to let anyone talk you out of your own ideas- just push your own plans and you will succeed.

Plenty to do socially and more interest in your personality will keep you in the minds of people.

VIRGO: (August 23- September 23) Lucky Colour: Orange Lucky Day: Sunday Racing Numbers: 3.6.9.5.

Lotto Numbers: 9.5.12.24.45.40.

Keep a tight rein on your purse strings and keep your ideas of bargains small. You could suddenly come in contact with people you have not seen for many years.

LIBRA: (September 24- October 23) Lucky Colour: Green Lucky Day: Tuesday Racing Numbers: 8.6.5.2.

Lotto Numbers: 8.12.26.35.40.22.

Refuse to clean up after others or your health could suffer.

You could find your workload a lot heavier than usual and you will need to be self assertive.

SCORPIO: (October 24- November 22) Lucky Colour: Mauve Lucky Day:Wednesday Racing Numbers: 5.2.3.1.

Lotto Numbers: 5.12.23.32.20.3 Plenty of travel is indicated and you should be able to talk your way in and out of any sticky situations.

SAGITTARIUS: (November23- December 20) Lucky Colour: Green Lucky Day: Saturday Racing Numbers: 5.6.2.1.

Lotto Numbers: 5.12.45.40.9.7.

Go to the experts for any advice that you need otherwise anything you do of your own accord could blow up in your face.You may have to listen to the whims of others to get through the next few weeks without any problems.

● Simon Browning and Gerard Foley

Independently Owned and Operated

CAPRICORN: (December 21- January 19) Lucky Colour: Dark Blue Lucky Day:Wednesday Racing Numbers: 1.3.2.5.

Lotto Numbers: 1.12.15.26.36.37.

Home and family could be a nice and peaceful time and romantically you will have nothing to complain about.

Long distance visitors will arrive unexpectedly on your doorstep.

AQUARIUS: (January 20- February 19) Lucky Colour: Silver Lucky Day: Thursday Racing Numbers: 4.6.5.2.

Lotto Numbers: 4.12.26.35.5.1. may luck can come through real estate dealings. Your social life could be rather hectic and you may want some time to yourself but make sure you tell loved ones that you love them or they may feel neglected.

The Melbourne Observer is printed under contract by Streamline PressPty Ltd, 155 Johns o y, ffor or the publisher Johnstton S t, Fitzr Fitzro publisher,, Local Media Pty Ltd. ABN 67 096 680 063, of the registered office, 30 Glen Gully Rd, Eltham, Vic 3095. Distributed

by All Day Distribution. Responsibilityfor election and referendum comment is accepted by Ash Long.

Copyright © 2019, Local Media Pty Ltd. ACN 096 680 063.

PISCES: (February 20- March 20) Lucky Colour: Red Lucky Day: Monday Racing Numbers: 4.6.8.9.

Lotto Numbers: 4.12.26.39.8.33.

Check all travel plans before leaving. Any business schemes you have hidden should be brought out into the open. Romantic attractions are on the agenda.

● Val Fraser, Cr Peter Castaldi, Judy Thompson and Haydn Gregson

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What’s On Romeo and Juliet

● Ayesha Madon and Samuel Rowe in Romeo and Juliet at Rippon Lea House and Gardens.

Photo: Nicole Cleary ■ The Australian Shakespeare Company invites audiences to watch the world’s most famous star-crossed lovers under the stars, from March 4 – 21 in one of Victoria’s most beautiful estates; Rippon Lea House and Gardens.

Set in Verona, Italy, where ongoing discord between the Montague and Capulet families rages on, Romeo and Juliet is a compelling drama about two young lovers whose deaths unite their feuding families.

A timeless classic celebrating the joy of young love, the power of family, the value of friends, and the futility of hate. For never was there a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

Directed by Glenn Elston with music by Paul Norton, Romeo and Juliet celebrates the 30th Anniversary of Shakespeare Under The Stars.

Join the Australian Shakespeare Company as they bring Melbourne a new production of Romeo and Juliet.

Enjoy a night of theatre under the stars with a blanket, wine, and company.

Performance Season: March 4 - 21 Times: Mon. – Thurs., 7:30pm Tickets: $25 – $110 (please see booking link for full details) Bookings: 8676 7511 and www.shakespeareaustralia.com.au/shows/ romeo-and-juliet/ Venue: Rippon Lea House and Gardens – 192 Hotham St, Elsternwick (entry via main gate on Hotham St) - Cheryl Threadgold

No smoke, no mirrors

■ The Butterfly Club presents Richard Vegas’s production No Smoke No Mirrors, February 25-March 2 at The Butterfly Club.

It is an evening of magical entertainment from Australian magician Richard Vegas, who presents a performance of theatre, storytelling and a magical inquisition into the forces of chance, fate and synchronicity and their effect upon our lives, all examined through the prism of fantastical stories tall and true.

History is seeded with tales and enterprises of great pitch and moment that contain events of improbable coincidence, happenstance or incredible synchronicity, both fortuitous and disastrous; the question is how much of it is chance and how much is created through our own actions and intentions? Is it written? What are the odds?

Richard Vegas is a magician, illusionist and mentalist. He has toured internationally and performed throughout Australia at major venues such as the Sydney Opera House, Forum Theatre Melbourne, Tivoli Brisbane, State Theatre Sydney, Victorian Arts Centre and many more for everything from public, private and corporate events and headlining festival performances.

Richard Vegas is a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art and his skill and experience extends to professional production, performance and directorial work in film, theatre and television, Australian and international tours and festival performances as an actor, director, magician, MC and variety performer.

Performance Dates: February 25 to March 2 at 8.30pm Venue: The Butterfly Club, Carson Place, off Little Collins St. Tickets: $34-$27 Bookings: thebutterflyclub.com - Cheryl Threadgold

Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019 - Page 11 Melbourne

Observer

Showbiz News

Comedy Festival Get Sweaty

Blow By Blow comedy ■ Fresh from a soldout season and a nomination for Best Comedy at Melbourne Fringe 2018, comedian, writer and sex worker Bella Green is bringing her debut show Bella Green Is Charging For It. The show will be presented at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for the first time fromApril 1 – 10 at The Butterfly Club.

Charging For It takes a look at Bella’s life as a sex worker told through stand-up, sketch comedy and storytelling.

This show delves into the everyday minutiae of what goes into sex work, answering all the questions that you always wanted to ask but were too afraid.

Questions like; why is paying for sex so similar to ordering a salad?

What really goes on in a peepshow?

And how can you get away with wearing Uggs while being a cold, hard dominatrix?

Bella has worked in brothels and strip clubs, peepshows and dungeons, massage parlours and adult shops, but says her

● Comedian, writer and sex worker Bella Green. most degrading job so Charging For It is di- ly Club, 5 Carson far is still the three rected by Caitlyn Place, Melbourne months she spent Staples of sketch Tickets: $25-$34 working in a call cen- troupe Hit By A Blimp Bookings: http:// tre for one of the Big (nominated for Best www.ticketmaster.com.

Four banks.

Comedy, Melbourne au/Melbourne-InterForget inhibitions Fringe 2017). national-Comedyand shyness at the P e r f o r m a n c e Festival-tickets/artist/ door for this no-holds Dates: April 1 – 11 at 1091810 barred comedy show 10pm - Cheryl and join Bella for her Venue: The ButterThreadgold story about the mundane but hilarious world of sex work.

Bella Green Is with Matt Bissett-Johnson

● Cheryl (Mikayla Lynch) and Chardee (Alicia Norton) in Get Sweaty with Cheryl and Chardee.

■ Hitting the 2019 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Get Sweaty with Cheryl and Chardee fuses Aerobic Fitness and Comedy led by two self-proclaimed ‘semi-professional aerobic dance instructors’, is being presented from March 27 – April 7 at .

Despite not being born until the early 90s, Cheryl and Chardee are the 80s aerobic icons we didn’t know we needed.

After a sell-out season at the 2018Adelaide Fringe Festival, Cheryl (Mikayla Lynch) and Chardee (Alicia Norton) are an obscure yet endearing pair who’ll be turning up the heat at the Imperial Hotel.

A high-energy show particularly for those who watched aerobics growing up, (whether that be Jane Fonda, or Aerobics Oz style), anyone who is a fitness enthusiast, or people who aren’t afraid to not take themselves too seriously.

Gain a unique insight into the aerobic fitness industry as these two performers satire the work outs that we’re so familiar with.

Alicia Norton and Mikayla Lynch are recipients of the 2019 Tessa Waters Mentorship Program.

Performance Season: March 27 – April 7 (No Mondays) Venue: Imperial Hotel, Hooper Room, 2 Bourke St., Melbourne Bookings: https://www.comedyfestival. com.au/2019/shows/get-sweaty-with-cheryland-chardee-2 - Cheryl Threadgold

Melbourne Observations

TWO HEARTS ■ Two Hearts is a play about first love, presented by the Anchor Theatre Company from February 25-March 2 at The Butterfly Club.

Set on the third floor of an old townhouse in Carlton, the play will encourage audiences to reflect on their past relationships: what was right, wrong, wish to re-live a moment and what is best forgotten.

Short and bitter sweet, Two Hearts is for those of us who have lost love and want to find it again.

Two Hearts is written by Laura Lethlean, a young Melbourne playwright and a founding member of The Anchor theatre company.

Laura's work has been produced in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.

Laura’s play The Space Between the Fuel and the Fire was published by No Passport Press in 2016.

About the Anchor: The Anchor theatre company was co-founded in 2015 by three NIDA graduates; directors Jessica Arthur and Katie Cawthorne, and playwright Laura Lethlean. With a focus on hearing authentic voices on stage, the Anchor generates theatre that explores ideas that people are not always comfortable discussing, but are very comfortable judging.

Since its founding in 2015, The Anchor has produced work in Sydney and Canberra.

Although its founding members are from Melbourne, Two Hearts will be the first production in The Anchor’s hometown.

Performance Dates: February 25- March 2 at 7pm Venue: The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne (off Little Collins Street) Bookings: https://thebutterflyclub.com/ show/two-hearts - Cheryl Threadgold

Mike McColl Jones

Top 5

THE T OP 5 A WARD S SHO WS TOP AW ARDS SHOW THEY HA VEN'T C OME UP HAVEN'T COME WITH YET YET..

5. "Sexiest gall-bladder of the year".

4. "Overacting performance in a Reality show".

3. "Pathetic excuse by a politician".

2. "Advertising campaign of the year". (Not you Clive!).

1. "Political rort of the Year".

Page 12 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019

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Melbourne Obser ver - Wednesday, February 13, 2019 - Page 13

Observer Magazine

Stateside with Gavin Wood in West Hollywood

Whisky a Go-Go, 55 years on ■ Hi everyone, great to be back for another year, from my suite at the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Suites in beautiful West Hollywood comes this week's news.

Out and About

Music magic history

Magic Kingdom prices up

■ The Whisky is a beloved location on the Sunset Strip. 55 years ago the legendary 'Doors', fronted by Jim Morrison, were the house band.

Other bands performed there and it was a launching pad to the world. The Byrds, Janis Joplin, The Beach Boys, Martha and the Vandellas, Led Zeppelin and Frank Zappa were just a few of the bands that were featured and got their break at the Whisky.

Johnny Rivers recorded an album of live rock form the venue.

Now today's Whisky is a shadow of it's former self. A band has to pay and play for the privilege of doing a one hour set on the legendary stage.

The band has to sell 50 tickets for $10 each for the pleasure and on any given night you will see Mum and Dad carrying in the amplifiers of their rock and roll sons for their big break on stage at the Whisky.

■ Disneyland announced it is significantly hiking its already steep ticket prices once again, this time as it prepares to open its eagerly anticipated Star Wars expansion.

The cheapest single-day ticket for a "low-demand" day in the Anaheim park will now cost you triple digits for the first time $104.

The least expensive daily ticket to Disney World in Florida will be $109. The price of a ticket for a high-demand day is up to $149. The rates for annual passes and parking are, of course, also going up.

Hugh headlines

WeHo history ■ The Ramada West Hollywood, now run by Alan Johnson, sits on the site of the former Tropicana Motel on Santa Monica Boulevard (the famous Route 66).

The Tropicana was basic and affordable, the swimming pool was tiled in black and there are many stories of long, late night parties.

The motel was patronised by the rock and roll industry in the sixties and seventies. Jim Morrison of the Doors lived there and would often spend days sleeping off his Southern Comfort binges.

Chuck E. Weiss, Tom Waits were residents too. Frequent guests included Janis Joplin, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Cochran, The Beach Boys, The Byrds, Led Zeppelin, Guns and Roses, Martha and the Vandellas and Frank Zappa whose "freak outs" were legendary.

It was the first stop on the way up the rock and roll ladder as well as a place to stay once you'd made it.

The big record companies grew on Santa Monica Boulevard and Sunset Strip during this era and made LA the rock and roll recording centre of America.

Today, LA is still the recording capital of the world, rock stars live and record here, award ceremonies happen here and there is still a bustling club scene.

Musicians walk the streets with guitars, gigs are advertised with daily specials on restaurant boards, telephone poles are covered with tacked up concert news.

The Ramada Plaza Hotel and Suites built on this rock and roll site in the 1980s and is still a stop over for the entertainment industry as well as international leisure travelers.

Divorce in America

■ In New York and Mississippi, a spouse can sue a third party for being responsible for the failure of a marriage in cases of what's called "alienation of affection."

■ It's a law in Wichita, Kansas, that if a man mistreats his mother-in-law, it cannot be used as grounds for a divorce.

■ In 2012, an Italian man brought his mother along on his honeymoon. His new bride asked for a divorce three weeks later.

■ Only two USPresidents have known to have been divorced: Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump.

■ The world's oldest divorcées are a 99-year-old Italian man and his 96-year-old (ex) wife. He divorced her after 60 years of marriage when he found love letters she had written to her lover in the 1940s. They married in 1934 and divorced in 2011.

■ A prosthetic penis could cause tension within a marriage. In 2008, a woman asked for a divorce from her husband after his prosthetic penis extension snapped off during sex.

■ In America, the divorce rate peaked at 50 per cent in the 1980s. While the national divorce has declined, a first marriage is still between 40-50 per cent likely to end in divorce.

■ According to US statistics, if one partner smokes, a marriage is 75 per cent more likely to end in divorce.

■ Research shows that couples in Republican states are 27 per cent more likely to divorce than couples in Democratic states.

Couples in Republican states have historically married younger than their Democratic counterparts.

■ In ancient Chaldea, a man could get a divorce by writing a letter to his wife's father or by saying "Thou are not my wife."

However, if the wife ever said, "Thou are not my husband," she would be immediately drowned.

● Managing Director of the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Suites, Alan Johnson and I walked up to the Whisky, from the Ramada to check out the scene.

■ Tickets for Hugh Jackman: The Man. The Music. The Show at the Hollywood Bowl are now on sale.

Two shows, set for Friday and Saturday, July 19 and July 20 this year for your chance to see live the Academy Award nominated and Golden Globe and Tony award winning artist performing hit songs from The Greatest Showman, Les Miserables, The Boy from Oz and many more from Broadway and film, accompanied by a live orchestra.

Jackman said, "I've always felt strangely at home on a stage, no matter how big the stage is."

Jackman also said, "Never in my wildest dreams did I think when I turned 50 I would be playing Madison Square Garden or the Hollywood Bowl.

Tickets start at $29. The Hollywood Bowl is located at 2301 N.Highland Avenue. For information and tickets, visit hollywoodbowl.com or call +13238502000

GavinWood

From my Suite at the Ramada Plaza Complex on Santa Monica Blvd

IRS firepower ■ The Internal Revenue Service had in its weapons inventory 4487 guns and 5,062,006 rounds of ammunition as of late 2017, according to a report published this month by the Government Accountability Office.

Included in this arsenal, according to the GAO, were 15 "fully automatic firearms" and 56,000 rounds of ammunition for those fully automatic firearms.

The same report, Federal Law Enforcement: Purchases and Inventory Controls of Firearms, Ammunition, and Tactical Equipment, says that the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services had 194 fully automatic firearms and 386,952 rounds of ammunition for those fully automatic firearms.

"The term 'fully automatic' used in this report," says a footnote in the report, "encompasses a range of firearms classified as machine guns, including submachine guns, three round burst guns, and guns with a selector switch that can enable continuous fire."

www.gavinwood.us

● Hugh Jackman

Speak with Jennifer

■ If you are considering a move to Los Angeles or just coming over for a holiday then I have got a special deal for you.

We would love to see you at the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Suites, 8585 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood.

I have secured a terrific holiday deal for readers of the Melbourne Observer and The Local Paper.

Please mention 'Melbourne Observer' when you book and you will receive the 'Special Rate of the Day'.

Please contact: Jennifer at info@ramadaweho.com Happy Holidays, Gavin Wood

Page 14 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Observer Showbiz

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

Local Theatre with Cheryl Threadgold and team

Fiery fusion of burlesque, dance and circus acts

■ Inspired by a tale as old as time, re-told through the eyes of the Matador, this world premiere production features a fiery fusion of burlesque, dance and circus acts.

Set across a fiery Spanish sunset, this is a tale of forbidden love, carnal desires, passion and pain, a tale of a love torn bull and the seductive Matador.

The show takes us on an emotionally charged journey through love and it's many faces; from the first moments you lay your eyes on that someone special, the butterflies, the flirting and sometimes, the doubt.

A journey of self-discovery, identity and sexuality, of lust, sex and passion. The show also explores the trials and tribulations of love, from the pain of unrequited love to the effects of infidelity on a relationship.

Comprised of a cast of fourteen performers and a hostess, Matador features non-stop entertainment from start to finish. High energy commercial dance pieces, contemporary and ballet acts as well as Latin numbers, intertwine with burlesque acts, pole dancing and aerial and circus acts.

Performance Details: February 14 – March 2 at 8.30pm (Thurs – Sat) Venue: The Melba Spiegeltent, 35 Johnston Street, Collingwood.

Bookings: All tickets $69.90 eventfinda.com.au, 1800 710 499.

- Cheryl Threadgold

Cock

■ Sexual identity lies at the heart of Mike Bartlett’s Cock. John (Matthew Connell) is divided between his homosexual partner (Shaun Goss) and his female lover (Marissa O’Reilly).

The comic potential behind this ménage a trios is hilarious but it does provide the opportunity to explore the nature of love and the prevailing social pressures to conform to stereotypes – something that is present in both the heterosexual and homosexual communities.

Curiously, John’s partner, M, and lover, W, are ironically nameless as John struggles to find his own identity. The arrival of M’s father, F, affirms the accepted social order prevalent in society yet does little to help John fully realise who he is sexually and as an individual.

The pace and delivery of the staging, directed in-the-round by Beng Oh, accentuates the verbal dexterity of Bartlett’s writing.

This is a linguistic tour de force and the actors, without any props or scenic support hold the audience’s attention with bravura performances that reveal the intimacy, anxiety, fear and bewilderment they all go through when confronted with their own expectations, the respective desires of partners and the social pressure that delineates how one should behave.

The design (Emily Collett) and lighting (Andy Turner) are simple and direct. Again, the writing has been accentuated making any change of costume or mood lighting unnecessary.

This sparseness heightens the comic and makes the consternation more real and identifiable. We, as the audience, find ourselves facing the same dilemmas and challenges as the characters.

We question whether we shape our sexual identity or conform to the social agenda dictating our conduct. This makes Cock an important touchstone in any discourse about sexuality and individuality.

15 Minutes from Anywhere Theatre Company. At Forty-five Downstairs, Flinders Lane Until February 10 at 7.30pm Midsumma Festival Bookings: 9662 9966.

- Review by David McLean

Truly Madly Britney

■ Directed by Hannah Fallowfield, Theatreworks and Stage Mom present the pre-

● Kelly Byrne (Matador) and Ned Zaina as the Bull in Matador opening February 14 in the Spiegeltent. miere of Truly Madly Britney written and produced byMelbourne playwrightAlberto DiTroia at Melbourne’s Midsumma Festival. It’s a Festival must-see.

Travelling from Australia to Las Vegas, longterm boyfriends and Britney Spears ‘tragics’, Steve (Adam Garner) and Adam (Nick Clark), spend their savings on a pilgrimage to see their idol.

Their dreams are dashed with flakey reports of Britney having broken her ankle Their meet ‘n greet tickets are cancelled.

Disappointment leads to desperation with Adam’s regret at having acceded to Steve’s idea to make the trip and Steve being driven to get tickets at any cost resulting to a rift between them.

The pair are mistaken by an American woman for Savage Garden which firstly they deny until they see advantage in assuming the band’s identity.

They meet a narcissistic woman (Louisa Wall) and her dying, teenage son (Karl Richmond) who still have two tickets for Britney’s meet ‘n greet.

Steve devises to woo them and to acquire the tickets, much to Adam’s chagrin.

A confused, vulnerable Adam falls under the influence of sexual predators and a psychotic landlord of confused gender identity (Alex Thew).

Touching moments between Steve and Adam and many farcical twists keep the audience in suspension and exuberant laughter throughout.

With no interval and many scene changes even the stagehands, an obvious addition to the performance, become increasingly comic.

Chanelle Macri, plays multiple roles complimenting this strong cast.

Alberto encompasses the broad spectrum of human frailties through satire making for a great piece of theatre.

- Review by Sherryn Danaher

In this condensed adaptation, Farrow’s skilful writing draws on Carroll’s love of word-play keeping the essence of the original story while engaging younger audience members through use of contemporary devices such as beat-box.

Farrow’s clever ploy to not over-simplifying the language to cater for the younger audience re-awakens the interest of adult members.

Georgina Walker, plays a credible, plainspoken Alice, grapples with the curiouser and curiouser, non-sensical wiles of the Wonderland folk who prove no help in solving her down the rabbit-hole identity crises.

The playful cross-casting the Queen of Hearts played by a male actor (Simon BurvillJones who also plays Cheshire Cat in puppetry) and the Mad Hatter by a female (Catherine Glavicic) works well with these two strong actors.

Liz Skitch maintains the momentum as the hyper-active White Rabbit especially effective in the Who Stole the Tarts court scene.

Anthony Craig performs in dual roles of the puppet Dormouse who continually falls asleep and supercilious Caterpillar are artful and only let down on the night by a slight delay in release of stage smoke when transformed into the butterfly.

My 11-year-old theatre companions’ favourite characters were Tweedle-Dum (Sarah Wallen) and Tweedle-Dee (Justine Anderson) whose chemistry delighted us all.

- Review by Sherryn Danaher

Les Miserables

■ Innovative, surprising, eclectic and fun, Homophonic’s short 2019 season at La Mama celebrating LGBT musicians and composers entertained, delighted and amused.

The professionalism of the musicians and vocalists (too many here to name in a limited review) was evident as was their infectious enjoyment when they negotiated the challenging rhythms of Tansy Davie’s Neon , a city soundscape or Gertrude ‘Ma’ Rainey’s Prove it on me blues.

The latter number, which concluded the evening, also encouraged audience participation.

A feature or the evening was not only the announcement that Homophonic would commission Australian works but also their playing of recently completed works by young local composers Naima Fine Fine and Louisa Trewartha.

The theatricality of the evening was in the variety of works; ensemble orchestrations, vocal arrangements, surprising instrumentations and challenging compositions.

Kazoos and washboards contrasted with bass flutes and xylophones.

■ Everything about the Young Australian Broadway Chorus production of Les Miserables impressed.

An arm of Stage School Australia, the chorus trains young people between 8-18 in musical theatre and given the quality of the performances, clearly the stars of tomorrow.

Director Robert Coates' s skill and theatre craft is evident and with a complement of talented creatives, this production is everything musical theatre should be - visually exciting, rousing and totally memorable.

It is beautifully executed - quite a feat given the size and age of its cast and the dedication and passion so evident in everyone on stage made for a totally absorbing production.

Les Miserables, based on a story by Victor Hugo, is about many things – justice, love, unrequited love ... all set against the backdrop of the republican uprising in Paris in 1832. Lots going on here.

From the rousing anthems to the heartbreaking ballads the quality and richness of the voices delighted.

Iconic songs, I Dreamed a Dream (Emily Svarnias), On My Own (Rhea Brendish), Empty Chairs and Empty Tables (Ben Gonsalvez), A Heart Full of Love (Brendish, Jasmine Arthur, Gonsalves) and Bring Him Home (Bryce Gibson), were delivered with tenderness and conviction - I doubt there was a dry eye in the house.

Brendish was a standout with her clear and effortless tones. Gibson, Nicholas Sheppard (Javert), Jordie Race-Coldrey (Enjolras) and Jasmine Arthur (Cosette) were stunning. Jackson Hurwood and Madeleine Horsey were hilarious as the conniving inn-keepers.

The dramatic highlights of the battle at the barricades and Javert's demise were cleverly done.

Sets (Dan Barber), lighting design (Linda Hum), orchestration (Justin Jacobs), sound (Marcello Lo Ricco), movement (Jacqui Green) and costumes (Jennifer McKenzie), lifted this production to a level way above expectation.

The orchestra was extraordinary and maintained both pace and exuberance throughout the demanding and lengthy score.

Having seen several professional productions over the years this youth production could stand proudly beside any one of them.

- Review by Beth Klein

● Georgina Walker (Alice) with Simon Burvill-Jones (Cheshire Cat) in Alice in Wonderland.

■ At Eternity’s Gate, Julian Schnabel’s biopic of the last years of Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh’s life, is a philosophical portrait of the artist seen through his paintings.

This is the Vincent of Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear. Willem Dafoe as Vincent delivers an intense passion and deserves the accolades he has received for his portrayal.

That said, it is jarring at first to reconcile the 63-year-old Dafoe with Van Gogh who died at 37.

Arriving inArles, in Provence, in 1888, Vincent is in search of light: “I’d like to find a new light,” Vincent tells his friend Paul Gauguin (Oscar Isaac), “for paintings that we haven’t yet seen.

Bright pictures, painted in sunlight.” Schnabel brings his painter’s aesthetic to the film.

The design is beautiful.

Near-perfect interior and exterior scenes recreate Van Gogh’s paintings as sets.

We are inside Vincent’s bedroom at Arles, watching him untie his laces, remove his old boots and rub his gnarled toes poking out through holes in his socks. ● Turn To Next Page

Homophonic

At Eternity’s Gate

Alice in Wonderland

■ Melbourne based Boyd Productions opened Lewis Carroll’s timeless classic Alice in Wonderland to a packed house at the Athenaeum Theatre, on January 10.

This one hour-long version of Alice is a predominantly Australian ensemble. Writer/director Penny Farrow has gathered an adept crew for a production which has performed in Los Angeles and New York since its Brisbane inception in 2016. This team comprises Gayle MacGregor (costume design), Dieter Barry Creations (puppetry), Jeremy Dehn (lighting design) Iceworks P/L and Penny Banners P/L (set construction) and several Australian actors and

Foremost, the musicianship was captivating as the works demanded complete attention to be executed expertly.

No one faltered. All delighted in each other’s capability. Instrumentalists and vocalists worked in harmony and the audience was enthralled.

– Review by David McLean

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019 - Page 15

Observer Showbiz

Local Theatre with Cheryl Threadgold and team ● From previous page We run with Vincent through the Wheatfield under Thunderclouds, follow his frenetic brush strokes as he paints Tree Roots, sit in a café in front of an empty bottle of absinthe staring at the face of L'Arlesienne. Madame Ginoux (Emanuelle Seigner).

With Benoît Delhomme’s ever-present handheld camera, situations come upon us vicariously through our position at Vincent’s point of view.

From a vast blue sky running through cornrows, to the asylum and the straitjacketed Prisoners Exercising; it is disconcerting, exhilarating and frightening and we know that it doesn’t end well.

By the time we get to Vincent’s death, there is a relief to be finally still, absolved of the relentless chase of demons, but also immense sadness at the waste and what might have been.

- Review by Kathryn Keeble

ing audiences a healthy sample of her classic songs and covers.”

Beyond the Beehive opens on Wednesday February 13 and runs for four performances.

Bookings recommended.

Performance Season: February 13 – 16 Venue: The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne.

Tickets: $34 - $27 Bookings: thebutterflyclub.com - Cheryl Threadgold

Yo, Carmen

Shrek The Musical

■ Theatregoers at the Frankston Arts Centre were again treated to quality New Year holiday entertainment from PLOS Musical Productions, this time with Shrek the Musical.

Fans of the Dreamworks Animation motion picture were delighted when the familiar characters appeared live onstage in this magical musical based on the book by William Steig, with lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori.

When the hermetic peace of green ogre Shrek’s swamp is disturbed by homeless fairy tale characters seeking refuge from nasty Lord Farquaad, Shrek finds Farquaad who offers a deal.

If Shrek rescues Princess Fiona from the fire-breathing dragon for Farquaad to wed, the fairy tale squatters may return to their homes and restore Shrek’s peace.

Befriending Fiona is a turning point for unsociable Shrek, who eventually discovers it is indeed a ‘big bright beautiful world’.

The words ‘fabulous’, ‘colourful’ and ‘energetic’ appear in my note-book to describe this great show directed by Danny Ginsberg, who with Joel Batalha co-conceived the impressive set.

Visually exciting choreography by Mon and Tess Sabbatucci, wonderful music from Tony Toppi’s orchestra, Daniel Gosling’s superb lighting and Brett Wingfield’s vibrant costume design all combined to create a top show.

Will Sayers (Shrek) skilfully portrayed the loveable ogre’s varying tones of mood, and versatile Nadia Gianinotti (Fiona) delivered a beautiful performance as Fiona. Her vocals with Ruby Molnar (Young Fiona) and Felicity Bertram (Teen Fiona) were particularly enjoyable.

Dynamic Luca Cirillo played Shrek’s personable mate Donkey, Aidan Niarros entertained as flamboyant Lord Farroud, and starof-the-future Ben Howell portrayed Young Shrek Guada Banez (Dragon), Angie Bedford (Gingy), Mark Mackenzie (Captain of the Guard), Elise Stevens (Mama Ogre) and Daragh Wills (Papa Ogre) were joined by the talented Ensemble to top off a terrific cast. An outstanding fairy tale character was Peter Jenkins (Pinnochio).

PLOS Musical Productions is one of the first theatre companies in Australia to present Shrek the Musical and have set a fine benchmark for others to follow. Congratulations to all involved.

- Review by Cheryl Threadgold

● Marina Posa in El Vito! at The Butterfly Club.

After living in Europe and traveling the world, Marina is now in Australia eager to share her love of different cultures and languages through song.

“In creating El Vito! I wanted to find a way to make all this incredibly beautiful music absolutely accessible to everyone. Julian my partner in crime is an amazing pianist, he moves me incredibly with his playing,”says Marina.

Performances: March 11, 13, 14, 15, 16 Time: 7pm Cost: $32-$25 Venue: The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne Tickets: thebutterflyclub.com - Cheryl Threadgold

■ Carol Whitfield returns to The Butterfly Club from February 13-16 to once again celebrate the talent of Amy Winehouse, taking audiences on a musical journey through her music, influences and legacy.

Carol believes that if asking most people what they know about Amy Winehouse, they'll mention her addictions, over-the-top beehive and eyeliner, and early death.

But beyond the tabloid coverage, Amy Winehouse was a masterful musician whose music drew on the rich history of jazz, Motown, 60s girl-groups, soul and hip hop, and influenced many who came after her.

Backed by a four-piece band, Carol Whitfield sings the Winehouse repertoire in a tribute to her early influences, her masterpiece album Back to Black, classic covers, and her iconic look.

Carol says “The tabloid coverage of Amy Winehouse's personal problems have largely overtaken her enormous musical legacy in the public mind.

“This show aims to redress the balance, giv-

● María Pagés in Yo, Carmen Photo: David Ruano ■ Arts Centre Melbourne and Arts Projects Australia present Yo, Carmen at Arts Centre Melbourne’s State Theatre from March 11 – 12.

María Pagés’ ode to womanhood uses flamenco with poetry in the reimagining of the story of Bizet’s heroine Carmen.

Accompanied by an ensemble of dancers and six of Spain’s most talented musicians, Sevilian dancer and choreographer María Pagés creates a bold and multi-faceted blend of Carmen and the songs that inspired it.

She reclaims and remakes the original story as a contemporary ode to the essence of what it is to be a woman.

A pioneer in contemporary flamenco, iconoclastic Seville-born dancer and choreographer María Pagés has challenged traditionalists with her sensual rethinks of Spanish dance, and her confrontations of hard issues.

She found international fame as a guest artist with Michael Flatley’s Riverdance, forming her own dance company in 1990 before going on to win a collection of international awards.

María Pagés and her company have been invited to perform on some of the world’s most prestigious stages including Radio City Music Hall, Sadler´s Wells, Théâtre National de Chaillot (Paris), the Kremlin Palace, Hong Kong Cutural Centre, Teatro BeauxArts (Brussels), Auditorio Parco della Musica in Rome and Komische Oper in Berlin.

Melbourne Season: March 11 – 12 Venue: Arts Centre Melbourne Bookings: www.artscentremelbourne. com.au - Cheryl Threadgold

● Carol Whitfield

■ The nerves were there when the performers took to the stage for opening night, yet by the end of the show singer, performer, Stewart Reeve was flowing with the ‘spirit’ of David Bowie, entertaining the large audience in the Spiegeltent.

Rebel includes various songs of the late David Bowie along with a live band and acrobatics.

Elaborate costumes, unique ‘circus’ skills, colourul, crazy eighties hair, platform shoes, unite to make a theatrical , authentic looking show.

I am not an aficionado of David Bowie , I know a handful of his songs, yet watching the audience sing along with huge smiles, having a great time it was clear this show hits the mark.

Reeve is a terrific singer /performer, yet there

Beyond The Beehive

Rebel

El Vito

■ Mezzo soprano Maria Posa asks if audiences ever had a dream? Wanted to follow your passion? But in the end a little voice in your head stops you from going for it? In El Vito!

Classical Theatre with a Latino flavour, Marina wants to sing for you and conquer that negative voice with her songs. Her one-woman show will journey with music from Brazil, Spain and France.

Opera singing without the Opera!

Instead of opera arias audiences are given catchy, passionate songs from Brazil, Spain and France.

In movie star style, Giada appears on film giving her point of view, “What is the point?” she asks.

● Stewart Reeve in Rebel.

Photo: Jodie Hutchinson was too much happening on stage for my front row view. It was distracting trying to watch the acrobatics, energetic Reeve and band.

Sitting further back or a larger venue may have prevented this. Reeve ‘broke the spell’ coming out of character at times to talk with audience.

This made the show it a bit disjointed. There was also some lack of polish in the performances and costumes of the acrobats.

Whether a fan of David Bowie, live music or circus this show entertains with a unique concept of visual and audio treats.

There are some very clever moments along with awe inspiring skills providing for a fun hour of entertainment.

Rebel was presented as part of the Midsumma Festival.

- Review by Elizabeth Semmel

Flawed-like a b-y

■ A lyrical evocation, BJ McNeill’s autobiographical account of his journey towards coming out and his affirmation of his sexual identity is both comic and poignant but there is also a sense of determination and anger in his account.

The episodes of his life are interspersed with choreographed sequences that employ exaggeration, dance and multimedia as he transitions between the stages in his life.

At such times he is supported by Rebecca Montalti and Mitchell Wilson, silent partners, who serve as figures off whom BJ can ‘bounce’.

The production is ‘handsome’ in its sequence which takes us from the comic to the tragic and a proud aggression.

Behind it all is the premise that there is no gay narrative for young men to follow in a homophobic society leaving individuals to negotiate their way towards an appreciation of their own identity.

Along the way, they face the prospect of rejection, self mutilation, possible suicide and victimisation.

BJ has counterpointed the darker moments with comedy finally resolving in a staunch affirmation of his identity where he confronts society’s narrative the only way he can – with an index finger raised in defiance.

Flawed-like a b-y was presented at La Mama Courthouse.

- Reviewed by David McLean

Melbourne

Observer Honorary reviewers

Honorary Reviewers: Juliet Charles, Martin Curtis, Sherryn Danaher, Peter Green, Lyn Hurst, Kathryn Keeble, Beth Klein, Ai Diem Le, Deborah Marinaro, David McLean, Graeme McCoubrie, Maggie Morrison, Jill Page, Elizabeth Semmel. Led by Cheryl Threadgold.

Page 16 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, F ebruary 13, 2019

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

Observer Classic Books

Bleak House - by Charles Dickens Egbert, my eldest (twelve), is the boy who sent out his pocket-money, to the amount of five and threepence, to the Tockahoopo Indians. Oswald, my second (ten and a half), is the child who contributed two and nine-pence to the Great National Smithers Testimonial. Francis, my third (nine), one and sixpence halfpenny; Felix, my fourth (seven), eightpence to the Superannuated Widows; Alfred, my youngest (five), has voluntarily enrolled himself in the Infant Bonds of Joy, and is pledged never, through life, to use tobacco in any form.”

We had never seen such dissatisfied children. It was not merely that they were weazened and shrivelled — though they were certainly that to — but they looked absolutely ferocious with discontent. At the mention of the Tockahoopo Indians, I could really have supposed Eghert to be one of the most baleful members of that tribe, he gave me such a savage frown. The face of each child, as the amount of his contribution was mentioned, darkened in a peculiarly vindictive manner, but his was by far the worst. I must except, however, the little recruit into the Infant Bonds of Joy, who was stolidly and evenly miserable.

“You have been visiting, I understand,” said Mrs. Pardiggle, “at Mrs. Jellyby’s?”

We said yes, we had passed one night there.

“Mrs. Jellyby,” pursued the lady, always speaking in the same demonstrative, loud, hard tone, so that her voice impressed my fancy as if it had a sort of spectacles on too — and I may take the opportunity of remarking that her spectacles were made the less engaging by her eyes being what Ada called “choking eyes,” meaning very prominent — “Mrs. Jellyby is a benefactor to society and deserves a helping hand. My boys have contributed to the African project — Egbert, one and six, being the entire allowance of nine weeks; Oswald, one and a penny halfpenny, being the same; the rest, according to their little means. Nevertheless, I do not go with Mrs. Jellyby in all things. I do not go with Mrs. Jellyby in her treatment of her young family. It has been noticed. It has been observed that her young family are excluded from participation in the objects to which she is devoted.

She may be right, she may be wrong; but, right or wrong, this is not my course with MY young family. I take them everywhere.”

We had never seen such dissatisfied children. It was not merely that they were weazened and shrivelled — though they were certainly that to — but they looked absolutely ferocious with discontent. At the mention of the Tockahoopo Indians, I could really have supposed Eghert to be one of the most baleful members of that tribe, he gave me such a savage frown. The face of each child, as the amount of his contribution was mentioned, darkened in a peculiarly vindictive manner, but his was by far the worst. I must except, however, the little recruit into the Infant Bonds of Joy, who was stolidly and evenly miserable.

“You have been visiting, I understand,” said Mrs. Pardiggle, “at Mrs. Jellyby’s?”

We said yes, we had passed one night there.

“Mrs. Jellyby,” pursued the lady, always speaking in the same demonstrative, loud, hard tone, so that her voice impressed my fancy as if it had a sort of spectacles on too — and I may take the opportunity of remarking that her spectacles were made the less engaging by her eyes being what Ada called “choking eyes,” meaning very prominent — “Mrs. Jellyby is a benefactor to society and deserves a helping hand. My boys have contributed to the African project — Egbert, one and six, being the entire allowance of nine weeks; Oswald, one and a penny halfpenny, being the same; the rest, according to their little means. Nevertheless, I do not go with Mrs. Jellyby in all things. I do not go with Mrs. Jellyby in her treatment of her young family. It has been noticed. It has been observed that her young family are excluded from participation in the objects to which she is devoted.

She may be right, she may be wrong; but, right or wrong, this is not my course with MY young family. I take them everywhere.”

I was afterwards convinced (and so was Ada) that from the ill-conditioned eldest child, these words extorted a sharp yell. He turned it off into

Charles Dickens a yawn, but it began as a yell.

“They attend matins with me (very prettily done) at half-past six o’clock in the morning all the year round, including of course the depth of winter,” said Mrs. Pardiggle rapidly, “and they are with me during the revolving duties of the day. I am a School lady, I am a Visiting lady, I am a Reading lady, I am a Distributing lady; I am on the local Linen Box Committee and many general committees; and my canvassing alone is very extensive — perhaps no one’s more so.

But they are my companions everywhere; and by these means they acquire that knowledge of the poor, and that capacity of doing charitable business in general — in short, that taste for the sort of thing — which will render them in after life a service to their neighbours and a satisfaction to themselves. My young family are not frivolous; they expend the entire amount of their allowance in subscriptions, under my direction; and they have attended as many public meetings and listened to as many lectures, orations, and discussions as generally fall to the lot of few grown people. Alfred (five), who, as I mentioned, has of his own election joined the Infant Bonds of Joy, was one of the very few children who manifested consciousness on that occasion after a fervid address of two hours from the chairman of the evening.”

Alfred glowered at us as if he never could, or would, forgive the injury of that night.

“You may have observed, Miss Summerson,” said Mrs. Pardiggle, “in some of the lists to which I have referred, in the possession of our esteemed friend Mr. Jarndyce, that the names of my young family are concluded with the name of O. A. Pardiggle, F.R.S., one pound. That is their father. We usually observe the same routine. I put down my mite first; then my young

family enrol their contributions, according to their ages and their little means; and then Mr. Pardiggle brings up the rear. Mr. Pardiggle is happy to throw in his limited donation, under my direction; and thus things are made not only pleasant to ourselves, but, we trust, improving to others.”

Suppose Mr. Pardiggle were to dine with Mr. Jellyby, and suppose Mr. Jellyby were to relieve his mind after dinner to Mr. Pardiggle, would Mr. Pardiggle, in return, make any confidential communication to Mr. Jellyby? I was quite confused to find myself thinking this, but it came into my head.

“You are very pleasantly situated here!” said Mrs. Pardiggle.

We were glad to change the subject, and going to the window, pointed out the beauties of the prospect, on which the spectacles appeared to me to rest with curious indifference.

“You know Mr. Gusher?” said our visitor.

We were obliged to say that we had not the pleasure of Mr. Gusher’s acquaintance.

“The loss is yours, I assure you,” said Mrs. Pardiggle with her commanding deportment.

“He is a very fervid, impassioned speaker-full of fire! Stationed in a waggon on this lawn, now, which, from the shape of the land, is naturally adapted to a public meeting, he would improve almost any occasion you could mention for hours and hours! By this time, young ladies,” said Mrs. Pardiggle, moving back to her chair and overturning, as if by invisible agency, a little round table at a considerable distance with my workbasket on it, “by this time you have found me out, I dare say?”

This was really such a confusing question that Ada looked at me in perfect dismay. As to the guilty nature of my own consciousness after

what I had been thinking, it must have been expressed in the colour of my cheeks.

“Found out, I mean,” said Mrs. Pardiggle, “the prominent point in my character. I am aware that it is so prominent as to be discoverable immediately. I lay myself open to detection, I know.

Well! I freely admit, I am a woman of business.

I love hard work; I enjoy hard work. The excitement does me good. I am so accustomed and inured to hard work that I don’t know what fatigue is.”

We murmured that it was very astonishing and very gratifying, or something to that effect. I don’t think we knew what it was either, but this is what our politeness expressed.

“I do not understand what it is to be tired; you cannot tire me if you try!” said Mrs. Pardiggle.

“The quantity of exertion (which is no exertion to me), the amount of business (which I regard as nothing), that I go through sometimes astonishes myself. I have seen my young family, and Mr. Pardiggle, quite worn out with witnessing it, when I may truly say I have been as fresh as a lark!”

If that dark-visaged eldest boy could look more malicious than he had already looked, this was the time when he did it. I observed that he doubled his right fist and delivered a secret blow into the crown of his cap, which was under his left arm.

“This gives me a great advantage when I am making my rounds,” said Mrs. Pardiggle. “If I find a person unwilling to hear what I have to say, I tell that person directly, ‘I am incapable of fatigue, my good friend, I am never tired, and I mean to go on until I have done.’ It answers admirably! Miss Summerson, I hope I shall have your assistance in my visiting rounds immediately, and Miss Clare’s very soon.”

At first I tried to excuse myself for the present on the general ground of having occupations to attend to which I must not neglect. But as this was an ineffectual protest, I then said, more particularly, that I was not sure of my qualifications. That I was inexperienced in the art of adapting my mind to minds very differently situated, and addressing them from suitable points of view. That I had not that delicate knowledge of the heart which must be essential to such a work. That I had much to learn, myself, before I could teach others, and that I could not confide in my good intentions alone. For these reasons I thought it best to be as useful as I could, and to render what kind services I could to those immediately about me, and to try to let that circle of duty gradually and naturally expand itself. All this I said with anything but confidence, because Mrs. Pardiggle was much older than I, and had great experience, and was so very military in her manners.

“You are wrong, Miss Summerson,” said she, “but perhaps you are not equal to hard work or the excitement of it, and that makes a vast difference. If you would like to see how I go through my work, I am now about — with my young family — to visit a brickmaker in the neighbourhood (a very bad character) and shall be glad to take you with me. Miss Clare also, if she will do me the favour.”

Ada and I interchanged looks, and as we were going out in any case, accepted the offer. When we hastily returned from putting on our bonnets, we found the young family languishing in a corner and Mrs. Pardiggle sweeping about the room, knocking down nearly all the light objects it contained. Mrs. Pardiggle took possession of Ada, and I followed with the family.

Ada told me afterwards that Mrs. Pardiggle talked in the same loud tone (that, indeed, I overheard) all the way to the brickmaker’s about an exciting contest which she had for two or three years waged against another lady relative to the bringing in of their rival candidates for a pension somewhere. There had been a quantity of printing, and promising, and proxying, and polling, and it appeared to have imparted great liveliness to all concerned, except the pensioners — who were not elected yet.

I am very fond of being confided in by children and am happy in being usually favoured in that respect, but on this occasion it gave me great uneasiness. As soon as we were out of doors,

Continued on Page 17

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Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019 - Page 17

Observer Classic Books From Page 16 Egbert, with the manner of a little footpad, demanded a shilling of me on the ground that his pocket-money was “boned” from him. On my pointing out the great impropriety of the word, especially in connexion with his parent (for he added sulkily “By her!”), he pinched me and said, “Oh, then! Now! Who are you! YOU wouldn’t like it, I think? What does she make a sham for, and pretend to give me money, and take it away again? Why do you call it my allowance, and never let me spend it?” These exasperating questions so inflamed his mind and the minds of Oswald and Francis that they all pinched me at once, and in a dreadfully expert way — screwing up such little pieces of my arms that I could hardly forbear crying out. Felix, at the same time, stamped upon my toes. And the Bond of Joy, who on account of always having the whole of his little income anticipated stood in fact pledged to abstain from cakes as well as tobacco, so swelled with grief and rage when we passed a pastry-cook’s shop that he terrified me by becoming purple. I never underwent so much, both in body and mind, in the course of a walk with young people as from these unnaturally constrained children when they paid me the compliment of being natural.

I was glad when we came to the brickmaker’s house, though it was one of a cluster of wretched hovels in a brick-field, with pigsties close to the broken windows and miserable little gardens before the doors growing nothing but stagnant pools. Here and there an old tub was put to catch the droppings of rain-water from a roof, or they were banked up with mud into a little pond like a large dirt-pie. At the doors and windows some men and women lounged or prowled about, and took little notice of us except to laugh to one another or to say something as we passed about gentlefolks minding their own business and not troubling their heads and muddying their shoes with coming to look after other people’s.

Mrs. Pardiggle, leading the way with a great show of moral determination and talking with much volubility about the untidy habits of the people (though I doubted if the best of us could have been tidy in such a place), conducted us into a cottage at the farthest corner, the groundfloor room of which we nearly filled. Besides ourselves, there were in this damp, offensive room a woman with a black eye, nursing a poor little gasping baby by the fire; a man, all stained with clay and mud and looking very dissipated, lying at full length on the ground, smoking a pipe; a powerful young man fastening a collar on a dog; and a bold girl doing some kind of washing in very dirty water. They all looked up at us as we came in, and the woman seemed to turn her face towards the fire as if to hide her bruised eye; nobody gave us any welcome.

“Well, my friends,” said Mrs. Pardiggle, but her voice had not a friendly sound, I thought; it was much too businesslike and systematic. “How do you do, all of you? I am here again. I told you, you couldn’t tire me, you know. I am fond of hard work, and am true to my word.”

“There an’t,” growled the man on the floor, whose head rested on his hand as he stared at us, “any more on you to come in, is there?”

“No, my friend,” said Mrs. Pardiggle, seating herself on one stool and knocking down another. are all here.”

“Because I thought there warn’t enough of you, perhaps?” said the man, with his pipe between his lips as he looked round upon us.

The young man and the girl both laughed. Two friends of the young man, whom we had attracted to the doorway and who stood there with their hands in their pockets, echoed the laugh noisily.

“You can’t tire me, good people,” said Mrs. Pardiggle to these latter. “I enjoy hard work, and the harder you make mine, the better I like it.”

“Then make it easy for her!” growled the man upon the floor. “I wants it done, and over. I wants a end of these liberties took with my place. I wants an end of being drawed like a badger.

Now you’re a-going to poll-pry and question according to custom — I know what you’re agoing to be up to. Well! You haven’t got no occasion to be up to it. I’ll save you the trouble. Is my daughter a-washin? Yes, she IS a-washin.

Look at the water. Smell it! That’s wot we drinks.

How do you like it, and what do you think of gin instead! An’t my place dirty? Yes, it is dirty — it’s nat’rally dirty, and it’s nat’rally onwholesome; and we’ve had five dirty and onwholesome children, as is all dead infants, and so much the

better for them, and for us besides. Have I read the little book wot you left? No, I an’t read the little book wot you left. There an’t nobody here as knows how to read it; and if there wos, it wouldn’t be suitable to me. It’s a book fit for a babby, and I’m not a babby. If you was to leave me a doll, I shouldn’t nuss it. How have I been conducting of myself? Why, I’ve been drunk for three days; and I’da been drunk four if I’da had the money. Don’t I never mean for to go to church? No, I don’t never mean for to go to church. I shouldn’t be expected there, if I did; the beadle’s too gen-teel for me. And how did my wife get that black eye? Why, I give it her; and if she says I didn’t, she’s a lie!”

He had pulled his pipe out of his mouth to say all this, and he now turned over on his other side and smoked again. Mrs. Pardiggle, who had been regarding him through her spectacles with a forcible composure, calculated, I could not help thinking, to increase his antagonism, pulled out a good book as if it were a constable’s staff and took the whole family into custody. I mean into religious custody, of course; but she really did it as if she were an inexorable moral policeman carrying them all off to a station-house.

Ada and I were very uncomfortable. We both felt intrusive and out of place, and we both thought that Mrs. Pardiggle would have got on infinitely better if she had not had such a mechanical way of taking possession of people.

The children sulked and stared; the family took no notice of us whatever, except when the young man made the dog bark, which he usually did when Mrs. Pardiggle was most emphatic. We both felt painfully sensible that between us and these people there was an iron barrier which could not be removed by our new friend. By whom or how it could be removed, we did not know, but we knew that. Even what she read and said seemed to us to be ill-chosen for such auditors, if it had been imparted ever so modestly and with ever so much tact. As to the little book to which the man on the floor had referred, we acqulred a knowledge of it afterwards, and Mr. Jarndyce said he doubted if Robinson Crusoe could have read it, though he had had no other on his desolate island.

We were much relieved, under these circumstances, when Mrs. Pardiggle left off.

The man on the floor, then turning his bead round again, said morosely, “Well! You’ve done, have you?”

“For to-day, I have, my friend. But I am never fatigued. I shall come to you again in your regular order,” returned Mrs. Pardiggle with demonstrative cheerfulness.

“So long as you goes now,” said he, folding his arms and shutting his eyes with an oath, “you may do wot you like!”

Mrs. Pardiggle accordingly rose and made a little vortex in the confined room from which the pipe itself very narrowly escaped. Taking one of her young family in each hand, and telling the others to follow closely, and expressing her hope that the brickmaker and all his house would be improved when she saw them next, she then proceeded to another cottage. I hope it is not unkind in me to say that she certainly did make, in this as in everything else, a show that was not conciliatory of doing charity by wholesale and of dealing in it to a large extent.

She supposed that we were following her, but as soon as the space was left clear, we approached the woman sitting by the fire to ask if the baby were ill.

She only looked at it as it lay on her lap. We had observed before that when she looked at it she covered her discoloured eye with her hand, as though she wished to separate any association with noise and violence and ill treatment from the poor little child.

Ada, whose gentle heart was moved by its appearance, bent down to touch its little face. As she did so, I saw what happened and drew her back. The child died.

“Oh, Esther!” cried Ada, sinking on her knees beside it. “Look here! Oh, Esther, my love, the little thing! The suffering, quiet, pretty little thing!

I am so sorry for it. I am so sorry for the mother.

I never saw a sight so pitiful as this before! Oh, baby, baby!”

Such compassion, such gentleness, as that with which she bent down weeping and put her hand upon the mother’s might have softened any mother’s heart that ever beat. The woman at first gazed at her in astonishment and then burst into tears.

Presently I took the light burden from her lap, did what I could to make the baby’s rest the

prettier and gentler, laid it on a shelf, and covered it with my own handkerchief. We tried to comfort the mother, and we whispered to her what Our Saviour said of children. She answered nothing, but sat weeping — weeping very much.

When I turned, I found that the young man had taken out the dog and was standing at the door looking in upon us with dry eyes, but quiet. The girl was quiet too and sat in a corner looking on the ground. The man had risen. He still smoked his pipe with an air of defiance, but he was silent.

An ugly woman, very poorly clothed, hurried in while I was glancing at them, and coming straight up to the mother, said, “Jenny! Jenny!”

The mother rose on being so addressed and fell upon the woman’s neck.

She also had upon her face and arms the marks of ill usage. She had no kind of grace about her, but the grace of sympathy; but when she condoled with the woman, and her own tears fell, she wanted no beauty. I say condoled, but her only words were “Jenny! Jenny!” All the rest was in the tone in which she said them.

I thought it very touching to see these two women, coarse and shabby and beaten, so united; to see what they could be to one another; to see how they felt for one another, how the heart of each to each was softened by the hard trials of their lives. I think the best side of such people is almost hidden from us. What the poor are to the poor is little known, excepting to themselves and God. We felt it better to withdraw and leave them uninterrupted. We stole out quietly and without notice from any one except the man. He was leaning against the wall near the door, and finding that there was scarcely room for us to pass, went out before us. He seemed to want to hide that he did this on our account, but we perceived that be did, and thanked him. He made no answer.

Ada was so full of grief all the way home, and Richard, whom we found at home, was so distressed to see her in tears (though he said to me, when she was not present, how beautiful it was too!), that we arranged to return at night with some little comforts and repeat our visit at the brick-maker’s house. We said as little as we could to Mr. Jarndyce, but the wind changed directly.

Richard accompanied us at night to the scene of our morning expedition. On our way there, we had to pass a noisy drinking-house, where a number of men were flocking about the door.

Among them, and prominent in some dispute, was the father of the little child. At a short distance, we passed the young man and the dog, in congenial company. The sister was standing laughing and talking with some other young women at the corner of the row of cottages, but she seemed ashamed and turned away as we went by.

We left our escort within sight of the brickmaker’s dwelling and proceeded by ourselves. When we came to the door, we found the woman who had brought such consolation with her standing there looking anxiously out.

“It’s you, young ladies, is it?” she said in a whisper. “I’m a-watching for my master. My heart’s in my mouth. If he was to catch me away from home, he’d pretty near murder me.”

“Do you mean your husband?” said I. “Yes, miss, my master. Jennys asleep, quite worn out. She’s scarcely had the child off her lap, poor thing, these seven days and nights, except when I’ve been able to take it for a minute or two.”

As she gave way for us, she went softly in and put what we had brought near the miserable bed on which the mother slept. No effort had been made to clean the room — it seemed in its nature almost hopeless of being clean; but the small waxen form from which so much solemnity diffused itself had been composed afresh, and washed, and neatly dressed in some fragments of white linen; and on my handkerchief, which still covered the poor baby, a little bunch of sweet herbs had been laid by the same rough, scarred hands, so lightly, so tenderly!

“May heaven reward you!” we said to her. “You are a good woman.”

“Me, young ladies?” she returned with surprise.

“Hush! Jenny, Jenny!”

The mother had moaned in her sleep and moved.

The sound of the familiar voice seemed to calm her again. She was quiet once more.

How little I thought, when I raised my handkerchief to look upon the tiny sleeper underneath and seemed to see a halo shine around the child

through Ada’s drooping hair as her pity bent her head — how little I thought in whose unquiet bosom that handkerchief would come to lie after covering the motionless and peaceful breast!

I only thought that perhaps the Angel of the child might not be all unconscious of the woman who replaced it with so compassionate a hand; not all unconscious of her presently, when we had taken leave, and left her at the door, by turns looking, and listening in terror for herself, and saying in her old soothing manner, “Jenny, Jenny!”

Chapter IX— Signs and Tokens I don’t know how it is I seem to be always writing about myself. I mean all the time to write about other people, and I try to think about myself as little as possible, and I am sure, when I find myself coming into the story again, I am really vexed and say, “Dear, dear, you tiresome little creature, I wish you wouldn’t!” but it is all of no use. I hope any one who may read what I write will understand that if these pages contain a great deal about me, I can only suppose it must be because I have really something to do with them and can’t be kept out.

My darling and I read together, and worked, and practised, and found so much employment for our time that the winter days flew by us like bright-winged birds. Generally in the afternoons, and always in the evenings, Richard gave us his company. Although he was one of the most restless creatures in the world, he certainly was very fond of our society.

He was very, very, very fond of Ada. I mean it, and I had better say it at once. I had never seen any young people falling in love before, but I found them out quite soon. I could not say so, of course, or show that I knew anything about it.

On the contrary, I was so demure and used to seem so unconscious that sometimes I considered within myself while I was sitting at work whether I was not growing quite deceitful.

But there was no help for it. All I had to do was to be quiet, and I was as quiet as a mouse. They were as quiet as mice too, so far as any words were concerned, but the innocent manner in which they relied more and more upon me as they took more and more to one another was so charming that I had great difficulty in not showing how it interested me.

“Our dear little old woman is such a capital old woman,” Richard would say, coming up to meet me in the garden early, with his pleasant laugh and perhaps the least tinge of a blush, “that I can’t get on without her. Before I begin my harum-scarum day — grinding away at those books and instruments and then galloping up hill and down dale, all the country round, like a highwayman — it does me so much good to come and have a steady walk with our comfortable friend, that here I am again!”

“You know, Dame Durden, dear,” Ada would say at night, with her head upon my shoulder and the firelight shining in her thoughtful eyes, “I don’t want to talk when we come upstairs here. Only to sit a little while thinking, with your dear face for company, and to hear the wind and remember the poor sailors at sea — ” Ah! Perhaps Richard was going to be a sailor.

We had talked it over very often now, and there was some talk of gratifying the inclination of his childhood for the sea. Mr. Jarndyce had written to a relation of the family, a great Sir Leicester Dedlock, for his interest in Richard’s favour, generally; and Sir Leicester had replied in a gracious manner that he would be happy to advance the prospects of the young gentleman if it should ever prove to be within his power, which was not at all probable, and that my Lady sent her compliments to the young gentleman (to whom she perfectly remembered that she was allied by remote consanguinity) and trusted that he would ever do his duty in any honourable profession to which he might devote himself.

“So I apprehend it’s pretty clear,” said Richard to me, “that I shall have to work my own way.

Never mind! Plenty of people have had to do that before now, and have done it. I only wish I had the command of a clipping privateer to begin with and could carry off the Chancellor and keep him on short allowance until he gave judgment in our cause. He’d find himself growing thin, if he didn’t look sharp!”

With a buoyancy and hopefulness and a gaiety that hardly ever flagged, Richard had a carelessness in his character that quite perplexed me, principally because he mistook it, in such a very odd way, for prudence.

To Be Continued Next Issue

Page 18 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019

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Come and experience this unique and convenient location on the Sunshine Coast’s pristine coastline.

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Page 20 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019

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M & A McCormack FUNERALS Also trading as Bamfords F.S. Murrindindi 1800 080 909 Family owned and operated

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Best Places

Page 24 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, Februar y 13, 2019

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Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019- Page 25

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Page 28 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019

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Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019 - Page 31

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Page 32 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019

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Observer Crossword Solution No 39 T O U G O R U N R E S P X I M A I N I M R A S R S H I N I T L E A D E B U L T E O P I N C A C I D E F R L O W E E D E C R L A K E K S C A R S O A U P U L P E P S C H O A I T W I N S K A E M C E P J A U N E T C R A V T T O B E Y R O S E N T M A D I E R A E N E W L

H A B I T N U T T I E R E

A

A

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W E N T R E E S E S S A Y

N E X U C T E A L H N L O O G N B A L O E K S A Y Y S O U T E H H O O S I T E L S C M O O N P E E O S I G N N T K N S O N T A R W E

S S N C O B Y O O K O A H A S M A B R G O C S H U R H E A S R S H U N E S P S A T H N O L S O G N Y U I D S A I N C U E O S H M D S

A A P P A L P E H S I D S S A G M A A E A G R E N N D A I S S L A L M A B B A D L E A G E A N D A S X E I O O U L S D E D S E T T E O S T

N O I N T E N H E R E F E R D R O S T O N O I N V E N A N T E H E T R A V A G E N R A D N I L A U U N D E D C U E A R S M S C E N T R A A R E S S E D S T M T M I N I H E A L R R H Y D E O H A E R W R U B A B A U B W J U T E A S A P M Y H E R O B N A R I D D E N B E S D L A D Y E E M O R P P B O L I S A T H E R K E T N C E S A H O A K R O A M E S P E C I W E R U N O O R R U P T S T O E N H E S I S

B O F A V Y N S C D T I S E T O R I P M C H E A I G I A T E N R R P A Y O B A L L D E N S H E O V E B A D R O L O D E E D D O D E P U O A T C H E E T R I B E D O C N A T A S L N L Y A T E E A M A R I I M C H U P U R T R E E T S A L I S F E D F E I A L R O L M S I

F I R T R E E

S E M U B E I D S L T E A S H

A I S P I C C I T R E D F L M Y I N N G A F O O X T T E P R I O D D E O R E C L C O E D A S S I B N G H

T A S T E S

P E L D E E C A O N R C I X E N O T S T E R O P E A T H O X R I D C I D S R E O M O A I T S T T S E P A I S R E E D

E T A R O N S C A A R I S B D O S G E V L E N R T E H E O N S T E M S S E W S E I N G H S T I N E O R N O E I R G H E T S S T N O W

M P A O B L F O R E C K K L O E S O

L O N E S I E R T E M L Y O S A T M I F H Y I L E L A V E A R M A D A R E O M B E A G B N E N D R I I G N O E G S L T Y P R E A D M E N M P S K A B S D E S O W N E R I M I L O I N D G E K R A N G P E R E P E E A E E L L K

Y E T N B A E N A E D V W A N S C I E N G A H O E M A I E M L E I D X I R R E S A R E S R O N S P Y A L L A T R A B A L G E E S I N F N O

E S I C C K U B S A L E L D G U E S A B R S A N T R M A C L E E A Q U N E S E T X E S S K R C E L G E A A S N E T S T E R W N

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Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019 - Page 33

Observer Victorian Sport Melbourne

Bad fall stops Adelaide feature event ■ South Australia’s premier race meeting of the season last Saturday featuring the South Australian Cup and both Derby and Trotters Cup was marred by a horrendous and spectacular fall in the Derby resulting in several horses coming down with a lap to travel and two reinspersons - leading driver Danny Hill (leg fracture) and Paul Cavallaro (possible broken jaw and bruising) taken to hospital.

Victorian hope Im Sir Blake (one/one) choked and crashed to the ground racing for the bell causing a chain reaction through the field as horses and drivers went in all directions in front of the crowd. The race was abandoned and will be held sometime in the future.

■ Victorian’s cleaned up the other two features – Brent Lilley and Gavin Lang combining to land the $60,000 South Australian Cup with former Kiwi Sicario (2nd up in Oz) and Andy & Kate Gath the $30,000 Trotters Cup with another ex-Kiwi McLovin who was making his first appearance on Australian soil.

■ At Echuca on Friday, Avenel’s Kima Frenning snared the $ Echuca Pacing Cup with ex-New Zealander Buster Brady, claiming his third cup victory since crossing the Tasman late last year.

Having already claimed both the Geelong and Cobram Pacing Cups, Buster Brady starting outside the second line whizzed around to lead within a lap, before toying with his rivals to score by a 7.1 metre margin over Shadow Reign which raced exposed from the bell, with NSW border hopper Gottashopearly (three back the markers) a half head away in third place after moving wide at the straight entrance. The mile rate 1-58.5.

Summer racing

■ Welcome to a new year of harness racing exclusive to the Melbourne Observer.

Over the holiday period there has been a plethora of outstanding races both in the country and at "Harness Headquarters" Tabcorp Park Melton - lets have a look at some.

The Inter Dominion held during November and December at Melton saw some outstanding racing at three different venues - Melton, Ballarat & Cranbourne culminating in the huge $500,000 Grand Final on Saturday December 15, the victor being the Kevin Pizzuto (NSW) trained 8Y0 Bettors Delight-Tara Gold stallion Tiger Tara, who with youthful Todd McCarthy blitzed his rivals to register a brilliant all the way 14.4 metre margin in advance of Our Uncle Sam to give NSW the quinella, with Kiwi trained Cruz Bromac third 1.4 metres away. The mile rate for the 2760 metre journey a track record 153.9.

Tiger Tara had also claimed the $200,000 Pryde's Easifeed Victoria Cup on October 13, defeating West Australia Chicago Bull and Carlas Pixel in a rate of 1-53.4 for the 2240 metre trip, prior to a nose second to Thefixer in the New Zealand Cup in November.

The ultimate for Tiger Tara was his outstanding victory in the 2790 metre $500,000 Del Re National A.G. Hunter Cup on Saturday February 2, again leading throughout to prevail by 14.5 metres over Our Uncle Sam and San Carlo, smashing his track record by seven tenths of a second to return a mile rate of 1-53.2.

Outstanding squaregaiter Tornado Valley trained by Andy Gath and driven by wife Kate also enjoyed a stellar few months, winning numerous high quality feature races and climaxing with the $150,000 TAB Inter Dominion Trotting Grand Final on December 15 - leading throughout to score by a neck from Sky Petite and Kiwi Speeding Spur in a mile rate of 1-59.5.

The highlight of Victoria's season for the trotters is without doubt the $250,000 Great Southern Star which was held at Melton on Saturday January 26 taken out by Ballarat trainer Anton Golino's 5Y0 Muscle Hill-La Coocaracha mare Dance Craze in a mile rate of 1-58.8. Driven by champion New Zealand horseman Mark Purdon, Dance Craze came from near last to make the final bend very wide, before charging home to gain the day by 1.4 metres from Kiwi Temporale and Sky Petite who was 1.4 metres

Harness Racing

Melbourne

Observer

len-baker@ bigpond.com

with Len Baker The provincial tracks provided some thrilling racing with San Carlo taking the $30,000 Yarra Valley Cup and Sky Petite the Yarra Valley Trotters Cup on November 8, Motu Meteor the St Arnaud Pacing Cup and Savannah Jay Jay the St Arnaud Trotters Cup on November 11. November 11 saw Rackemup Tigerpie successful in the Gunbower Pacing Cup and King Denny the Gunbower Trotters Cup, while Kiwi import Buster Brady captured the Geelong Pacing Cup and Endsin A Party the Geelong Trotters Cup on November 24.

On December 2, Motu Gatecrasher snared the Stawell Pacing Cup and Fratellino the Stawell Trotters Cup, while Destinee Jenilou greeted the judge in the Maryborough Trotters Cup on December 21. January 5 saw San Carlo claim the Bendigo Pacing Cup and Tornado Valley the rich Maori Mile.

At Cobram the next day, Buster Brady added another cup to his CV when winning the Cobram Pacing Cup as did Destinee Jenilou in the Cobram Trotters Cup. January 12 saw Kiwi visitor Im Pats Delight claim the Shepparton Pacing Cup, while on the same night, Red Hot Tooth snared the rich George Gath for the trotters.

January 13 was Hamilton Pacing Cup day and Wardan Express was the victor, with Alderbeck taking the Trotters Cup. The Ballarat Pacing Cup on January 19 went to Kiwi Thefixer, with Save Our Pennys taking the Cochran Trotters Cup. At Wangaratta on January 27, Belts snared the Wangaratta Trotters Cup, with the Pacers Cup being held later this month.

Two meetings

■ Two meetings in Victoria were held on Monday February 4 - the progressive Horsham club racing during the afternoon and Tabcorp Park Melton at night.

Monegeetta trainer/driver David Miles made the long trip to Horsham with happy results, as honest 5Y0 Art Official-Telern Hilda gelding Louis Sedgwick was successful in the Kerryn Manning Inductee Caduceus Club Living Legend Pace for C2 & C3 class over 1700 metres in a slick mile rate of 1-55.8.

Enjoying a beaut passage from the extreme draw one/one, Louis Sedgwick after easing three wide on the final bend, finished full of running to score by 2.3 metres from the front runner I Am Erik, with Madazalways (four back the markers) weaving in-between runners to finish third 3.3 metres away. It was Louis Sedgwick's 8th victory in 54 race appearances.

Trailed winner

■ Echuca's Ros Rolf snared the Go Hard Team Teal Vicbred Pace for C4 to C6 class over 2200 metres at Horsham with her bold home bred 5Y0 front running Grinfromeartoear-Cisstar gelding Franks Very Much. With Kerryn Manning in the sulky, Franks Very Much was fast away from gate four to lead and after being allowed to set the tempo at his leisure, safely defied all opposition to register a 1.8 metre margin over Kingofthestars (one/one - three wide home turn) and Miss Meteor which trailed the winner, finishing 3.8 metres in arrears of the runner up.

Used sprint lane

■ Dingee trainer Trish McVeigh did quaddie punters at Horsham no favours after winning the first leg - the 1700 metre Decron Horse Care Pace for C1 class with Clem McArdle, a 5Y0 gelded son of McArdle and Sheezalittlebeauty at Supertab odds of $32.30.

Driven by Burrumbeet's James Herbertson, Clem McArdle raced by the McVeigh family began fast to lead from gate five and never ever looked in any danger, safely holding his rivals off to score by 2.6 metres in a rate of 1-59 from Nelsondale along the sprint lane from three back the markers. Juliet Dreams (four back the markers) was third 2.5 metres away after making the home turn wide.

Raced exposed

■ At Melton, Woodstock part-owner/trainer "Rugged" Ronnie Francis was successful with Auckland Reactor-Shes Elegant filly Hecs Elect in the 1720 metre Melton Toyota 3Y0 Pace. One of four winners on the night for Gavin Lang, Hecs Elect's performance was extremely good after being taken back at the start from gate four to settle near last in the moving line with polemarker Allspark a odds-on favourite leading.

Moving forward three wide in the last lap, Hecs Elect was pushed four wide before joining the leader on the final bend. Dashing to the front shortly after Hecs Elect kept on running to record an impressive 10.5 metre margin over Final Chapter which raced exposed, with Allspark holding down third 3.2 metres away. The mile rate 1-56.3.

Celebration time

■ Croydon duo Brad and Kyal Costello would have been celebrating after A Rocknroll DanceEden Bromac filly Wanjiru saluted in the Garrards @ Melton 3Y0 Pace over 1720 metres, paying Supertab odds of $57.90. Responsible for an eye catching second at the same track a week earlier at odds of $67.00, Wanjiru possied three back in the moving line from gate five, easing three wide in the final circuit.

Although appearing to be under pressure on the final bend, Wanjiru rallied in the straight to hit the front halfway up the running, defying all challengers to register a neck victory in 1-56.8 from Headline Act out very wide from last, with the hot favourite Prosecco Boy (four wide last lap from the tail) third 5.4 metres back when first up since November.

Back on the list

■ Bendigo raced on Tuesday and Lancefield (Nulla Vale) trainer/driver Steve Cleave returned to the winners list after snaring a stable double.

First to arrive was 4Y0 Shadow Play-Maximum Joy gelding Mirakuru in the Schweppes Pace for C0 & C1 class over 2150 metres. A horse who showed heaps of potential last season, Mirakuru first up since June led throughout from gate two, accounting for Itz Queenofbroadway which trailed from gate five, with Another Sparky (one/one) third 21.6 metres back. The mile rate 1-59.8.

Five year old gelding and half brother Tre Cool (Village Jasper) was a big winner of the Alabar Bloodstock Pace for C0 & C1 class over 2150 metres when second up since July. Settling three back in the moving line from gate four with The Stags Roar leading from gate five, Tre Cool despite being four wide in the last lap sprinted like a gazelle to lead on the final bend, racing away to register a 8.6 metre margin in advance of The Stags Roar and Montana McLeod who was 2.4 metres back in third place after trailing the leader. Both winners are raced

by Steve and Cleave Racing Stables.

The Steve Cleave juggernaut continued at Bendigo on Thursday, when unhoppled 9Y0 ModernArt-Flamingo Rose gelding Springfield Tattoo scored a half head decision in the 2150 metre Bendigo Bank Claiming Pace. Moving three wide from mid-field in the last lap, Springfield Tattoo gained a last stride decision over the leader Strawberry Courage in a rate of 1-57.3.

Sulky Snippets This Week

■ Wednesday - Shepparton, Thursday Maryborough/Swan Hill, Friday - Melton, Saturday - Terang (Cup), Sunday - Bendigo, Monday - Cobram, Tuesday - Ballarat

Horses to follow

■ Puntarno Stride, Madazalways, Chrissy Divinyl, Blissful Stride, Jamieson Steele, Messeratti, Hot Breakfast, Jilliby Chevy, I Am Marquez, Majestic Cruiser, Hades Sky.

Slick mile rate

■ Astute Lara based trainer Dean Braun snared a stable double at Yarra Valley on Wednesday 5Y0 Bettors Delight-Kalypso gelding War Dan taking the Yarra Valley Party Hire Pace for C4 & C5 class over 2150 metres and new recruit Holy Basil the 1650 metre Thank You Dallas Sutton 3Y0 Pace on debut, both horses driven

by Greg Sugars.

War Dan first up since August exploded away from gate three to show his rivals a clean pair of heels, winning by 8.7 metres from Spinners Boy from last, with Christian Major (one/ on at bell) 3.5 metres back in third place. The mile rate 1-56.8. Holy Basil a Kiwi bred gelded son of New Zealand Cup winner Changeover andArtistic Lass began quickly from gate three on the second line to lob one/one before striding clear at the bell.

With the result never in doubt, Holy Basil scored by 2.6 metres in advance of Messerati (three wide last lap) from the rear, with Tidal Surge 3.2 metres away in third place after trailing the winner for the final circuit. Raced by Pauline McColgan and Tasmanian Troy Struthers, Holy Fire returned a slick mile rate of 1-54.2.

Punters dismayed

■ Ballarat also raced on Wednesday and many punters were dismayed after a false start was declared in the opening race - the DNR Logistics Pace for C1 class over 1710 metres. The reason being that as the start was effected the first time, the heavily backed favourite Pirate Bay led easily from gate three, with the second elect Somewhere Secret galloping wildly at the start.

Keeping in mind that the race started in the back straight, the horses were ordered to pull up entering the front straight supposedly due to the mobile barrier unable to speed clear, however the gate was on the outside of the track with the field appearing to have plenty of space to move past it.

It was a different story at the second attempt when Somewhere Secret began safely and was able to sit outside Pirate Bay to win narrowly but well by head in 1-55.7. Had the race gone ahead the first time, there is little doubt that Pirate Bay would have won. Just for the record, Steel Screens was third1.2 metres away.

Quinella snared

■ Kyneton hobby trainer Greg Leight snared the quinella in the Yabby Dam Racing Trotters Handicap for T2 or better class over 250 metres at Bendigo on Thursday with 8Y0 LawmanKellybrooke gelding Lawman at Supertab odds of $36.30 defeatingArrested ($38.90) in a shock result for punters. Taking a concession for Lack Laugher, Law Legend rushed home along the sprint lane from three back the markers to register a 1.8 metre margin over Arrested which led, returning a mile rate of 2-01.9. Jay Bee Flex after trailing Arrested was third 4.7 metres back.

Page 34 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Observer Victorian Sport Melbourne

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

Wine Column New farm series

VRC set to hit the button

■ Despite all the action that was going on at the time with the Darren Weir and Jarrod McLean cases, the VRC at gearing up for their big meetings at Flemington coming up next month.

On March 2, the Club will run the Australian Guineas, won last year by the Mick Price-trained three-year old, Grunt.

This year the stable is hoping to have a crack at the inaugural All Star Mile at Flemington, with Grunt.

Flemington will host the running of the timehonoured Newmarket Handicap over the 1200 metre dash up the straight six, and the Australian Cup on March 9.

The Club is offering over $11 million in prizemoney over March with some of the best sprinters and stayers in the land competing.

The three-year olds will have their chance to join the illustrious honour roll in the Guineas which includes subsequent champion sires, Zabeel, Flying Spur and Pins just to name a few.

A host of nominations have already been taken from Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania.

Australia's proven short-course horses will clash with rising stars of the sprinting ranks in the Newmarket Handicap.

The six-furlong dash is one of the most anticipated sprint races all year and last year saw some of the best sprinters in the land including the dual winner, Redkirk Warrior, and Merchant Navy, now racing overseas.

The TAB Australian Cup attracts some of the country's most prominent gallopers, with Harlem, for the Hayes-Dabernig camp, upsetting a top class field last year, that included genuine Group One performers, Gailo Chop, Homesman, Hartnell and 2016 Melbourne Cup winner, Almandin.

The Australian Guineas is on March 2, with the Newmarket and the Australian Cup on March 9, while the inaugural All Star Mile, will be run on March 16..

Golden Slipper

■ The James Cummings smart two year-old Tassort is the early favourite for the Golden Slipper to be run on March 23.

On the second line is the Magic Million winner, the top filly Exhilarates, just in front of her stablemate, Catch Me. The impressive filly, Loving Gaby, is on the next line, with another Snowden entry, Mclaren.

Victorian, Dubious on $17, and Brooklyn Hustle, not yet nominated is at $26.

Happy Chappy

■ Leading South Australian trainer, Phillip Stokes, one of the best in Australia, took over stables at Pakenham and is very happy with a few of his top horses go around in Victoria from there.

Stokes opened his stables at Racing.Com Park at Tynong and is loving the style of racing conducted in Victoria.

However, even with concerns of the way racing is going in South Australia, he still intends to have stables there.

Racing in South Australia has been on the back foot in recent months especially with the South Australian Government pulling the pin on helping the racing industry there.

This is apparent when you see the likes of Stokes and another leading trainer Tony McEvoy, setting up stables here in Victoria.

● Redkirk Warrior takes out his second newmarket Handicap.. Racing Photos prominent fixture on the Valley's racing calen- Chinese calendar. dar, supported by Racing Victoria and the VicAlinta Energy's Managing Director and torian State Government.

CEO, Jeff Dimery, said " We are delighted to These fun and food-filled nights combine partner with the Moonee Valley Racing Club to night racing with a colorful and exciting cel- celebrate the Chinese New Year, and look forebration of the most auspicious festival on the ward to a long and successful relationship".

Alinta Energy is a leading Australian energy retailer offering electricity and gas plans to more than 1.1 million Australians.

Ted Ryan

Sheeds and Ryan

■ I am happy to say that I will team up with Essendon great and football's top man, Kevin Sheedy, as a part of his team when he appears in his one-man show All about Football at Club Ringwood on February 27.

Kevin, who I have known for some time, kindly asked me to join him as part of the night.

It should be a great night, I have worked with Kevin on other sport nights and he is a very funny man.

Not only for his prowess on and off the footy field, he was a very good cricketer and played with Richmond in District cricket as a spin bowler.

As he put it he was on the verge of Test Selection, when he was called up to coach his beloved Bombers.

He is also big in horse racing having raced the brilliant sprinter, Bel Espirit, who won over a million dollars for Kevin and his other six owners.

This included a Blue Diamond Stakes win and a Doomben 10,000.

Bel Spirit sired the brilliant Black Caviar who won 25 races on end, and never defeated.

Kev also breeds them, and recently picked a good win at Moe with the Peter Gelagotis team with Ciccilolla.

I honestly don't how he keeps up the pace with the number of engagements he has listed.

I am keenly looking forward to the big night on February 27, it should be a fun night.

- Ted Ryan

Power pair

■ The Moonee Valley Racing Club has announced a three-year partnership with leading energy retailer, Alinta Energy.

The Club has announced that the big power company will be become the exclusive partner of the MVRC's Chinese New Year race meeting for the next three years, having had their first night out at the Valley recently.

The Chinese New Year theme race meeting began in 2016 and has since grown to become a

● Harlem proves tioo good in the Australian Cup last year. Racing Photos

● Jacob Stein :"The farm is my break from the winery."

Photo: A Davenport.

■ Mudgee's Robert Stein Wines has introduced a new, funkily packaged range of wines that celebrates the property's livestock.

The range includes the Robert Stein 2018 Farm Series Riesling, 2018 Farm Series Rosé and 2018 Farm Series Semillon Riesling Gewurztraminer, with all three retailing for $18.

The new wines were inspired by the farm that surrounds the vineyard and winery.

"The farm is my break from the winery.

It's a bit of a hobby that ensures my sanity, especially around vintage and bottling time," said winemaker Jacob Stein.

"We breed a range of animals on the farm.

From our free-range berkshire pigs, angus cattle, dorper sheep to the ISA brown chooks, it's quite a menagerie and a real passion for me."

Much of the produce from the farm is used in the winery's restaurant, Pipeclay Pumphouse, which overlooks the vineyard, as well as for the Pipeclay Produce small goods.

"These new wines are from the near perfect 2018 vintage - a cold, dry winter followed by a relatively dry summer with lovely ripening conditions. While the crop levels were down we were still in a good position to make these new wines."

WINE REVIEWS Robert Stein 2018 Farm Series Rosé($18): I'm an unashamed fan of this dry, lightish style of rosé that seems to be emerging from all over the place in Australia. They have a fresh, simple fruitiness that goes just so well with the lifestyle and climate we enjoy for so much of the time in so much of Australia.

This version is made from early-harvested merlot and shiraz, and has been fermented on skins for just long enough to give the wine a lovely blush of pink.

Robert Stein 2018 Farm Series Semillon Riesling Gewurztraminer ($18): The fragrant Gewurz-traminer variety dominates this white blend despite being third in the pecking order, and you'd have to be a great fan of its intense, perfumed flavours to really enjoy this wine.

I confess that I'm not in that category but can see that many imbibers would be, and it has the spiciness to go very well with Thai food.

WINE OF THE WEEK Robert Stein 2018 Farm Series Riesling ($18): Jacob's German forebear Johann Stein played a significant role in introducing riesling vines to Australia and Jacob has certainly confounded me by elevating the status of this delicate white variety so much in the warm red-dominated climate of Mudgee.

The wines produced from the variety, and exemplified here, are a refreshing citrusy joy.

They can be enjoyed on their own and as accompaniment to dishes such as fresh garden salads, white-fleshed fish and oysters.

Buy more of wines such as this, and less Kiwi sauvignon blanc. I'm sure you'll enjoy the difference.

- John Rozentals

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

Melbourne Obser ver - Wednesday, February 13, 2019 - Page 35 e urn lbo Me

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ver N ser O Ob TI C SE 3

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Thea tr e: You Chose Poorly ..................................... Page 3377 heatr tre: Arts: Nation Gallery of Victoria event ......................... Page 37 Music: Rob Foenander’s weekly column ......................... Page 36 Jim and Aar on: Top 10 lists, best movies ............................ Page 38 Aaron: Cheryl Threadgold and team: Local theatre news ........... Page 39 PL US THE LLO OVATT”S MEGA CRO PLUS CROSSSWORD

ENLIGHTEN ME A LITTLE St David’s Day concert

● Chloe Harris ■ The Melbourne Welsh Male Choir is marking St David’s Day with a concert at MLC’s James Tatoulis Auditorium, 7.30pm on Saturday, March 2.

The stage will be decked out with the national flag of Wales - a red dragon on a green and white background plus, of course, an Australian flag.

The 50-strong choir will be joined by acclaimed Welsh baritone, Andrew Jenkins, 2018 Blue Riband winner at the Welsh National Eisteddfod, and Melbourne mezzo soprano, Chloe Harris, a recent graduate of the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Music (First Class Honours) and the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships.

St David is the patron saint of Wales and St David’s Day falls on March 1, the date of his death in 589. The feast has been regularly celebrated since the canonisation of David in the 12th century at a peak time of Welsh resistance to the Normans. However, it is not a national holiday in the UK or even a bank holiday in Wales despite numerous campaigns.

St David’s Day has been celebrated in Australia since at least the 1840s. In Melbourne, the 1865 festivities had the Cambrian Society President B. G. Davies, MLA fulminating: “I am aware that many taunts and jeers are directed at Welshmen for so warmly adhering to the customs and traditions of their motherland … The English have their Shakespearian festivals, the Scotch their meetings in memory of Burns, and the Irish delight in commemorating their St Patrick … so why should not the sons of dear old Cambria meet in honour of their patron saint, and hold converse in the immortal language he so nobly uttered?”

(Leader, March 4, 1865) Choir spokesperson, Gwyn Harper, said that nearly a century and a half later, St David’s Day is relatively unknown compared to, say, St Patrick’s Day which falls 16 days later in March.

“Melbourne Welsh Male Choir hopes that its concert will go some way to boosting the profile of this important celebration of Welsh culture,” Gwyn said.

“Of course, you don’t have to be Welsh to enjoy our St David’s Day performance. What defines the Melbourne Welsh Male Choir is the richness and harmonies of the combined voices. The choir embodies the great strength of the Welsh choral tradition which goes back to the late eighteenth century.”

The St David Day’s concert features songs in Welsh such as Gwahoddiad, songs in Welsh and English such as Tydi a Rhoddaist and others in English, including Take Me Home (written by homesick Welsh miners in Newcastle, NSW) and a bracket of Les Misérables standards. The concert will culminate in Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, the Welsh national anthem.

Turn To Page 36

● Reeni Inosha in Enlighten Me A Little ■ Reeni Inosha brings a unique Australian lens to her Sri Lankan heritage in her one-woman show Enlighten Me A Little, playing from April 8 -14 at Tasma Terrace.

It’s a familiar story: girl wants to meet boy.

Or rather, girl’s mother wants girl to want to meet boy.

Or, if we want to be strictly accurate, girl’s mother lectures girl on her “depreciating market rate” as a woman, and sets up secret online campaign to find Sri Lankan men to propose to girl, without girl’s knowledge, and girl turns the results into hilarious theatrical comedy production.

Reeni Inosha is new to the Melbourne comedy scene.

Her 2018 Melbourne Fringe season opened to sold-out houses and incredible critical reception, and it’s easy to see why.

In Enlighten Me A Little, Inosha delivers stories, characters and anecdotes from her Sri Lankan upbringing in suburban Melbourne with the warmth and confidence of a performer who’s been treading the boards for years.

From playing a real estate agent touring her audience through her “slowly depreciating body”, to playing her most memorable online marriage proposals, to rattling off Sri Lankan phrases while embodying her own mother, Inosha's character work is second to none.

Complimented by lightning-fast crowd work and brilliant stand-up, this production is sure to delight Melbourne audiences.

Inosha is an example of how the Melbourne International Comedy Festival supports strong and diverse new voices, and gives them a chance to play to wide, international audiences. ● Clare Barron "I'm proud to be surrounded by hilarious non-white comedi■ Maybe this is the year, this is the moment, this is the ans. We bring a unique deep perspective to our storytelling.” dance where your lives will start. says Inosha.

Clare Barron’s prize-winning play Dance Nation makes “ While our experiences may differ from most comedians, it its Australian debut in March as part of the Melbourne still affects people because our lives are relatable and encourInternational Comedy Festival. ages viewers to examine the world they've been raised in.

Directed by Maude Davey (My Life in the Nude, Retro “I'm proud to be part of changing the comedic landscape and Futurismus), Dance Nation follows a troupe of pre-teens hope more South-Asian women join the stage in years to come.” as they navigate the hyper-sexualised, ultra-competitive Enlighten Me A Little is a one-woman 50-minute storytelling world of competition dance. and sketch show held during April 8-14 at Tasma Terrace. BookIn this world of sequined leotards and six-foot trophies, ings highly recommended. the dancers themselves – their needs, their hopes, their Performance Dates: April 8-14 fears – matter least.

Time: 7.30pm Dance Nation is a comical and excruciating look at the Cost: $19-$25 moment when girls become aware of their own power – Venue: Tasma Terrace, 6 Parliament Place, East Melbourne and of its limits.

Tickets: comedyfestival.com.au/2019/shows/enlighten-mePerformed by a cast of mature women, the dissonance a-little - Cheryl Threadgold between a 13-year-old’s dreams and what they will ultimately achieve is stark.

Barron’s writing is said to remind audiences of the ferocity of the children they once were.

■ Actor Craig McLachlan, 53, is due to appear at the Performance Season: From March 12 (Previews), Mel-bourne Magistrates’ Court Mr McLachlan, 53, for a March 16 (Opening Night) – April 14. hearing after being charged with common law assault, Venue: Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre, Rear 2 Chapel St., attempted indecent assault and eight counts of indecent St Kilda. assault. He was excused from appearing at Court last FriBookings: www.redstitch.net 9533 8033. day (Feb. 8).

- Cheryl Threadgold

Dance Nation

April 5 court date

Page 36 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, Februar y 13, 2019

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Observer Showbiz

Country Music, Radio, Theatre, Almanac

Barbara and Camp Dogs

Crossroads

By Rob Foenander info@countrycrossroads.com.au

Black Sorrows

■ Iconic Australian band The Black Sorrows will release their new album Citizen John on Friday, March 29.

The groups front man Joe Camilleri says the new album is about perpetual change.

He adds: “I'm not a heritage act, I've never been a heritage act. I've always been a constant player.” The music legend has recorded a career total of 49 albums and this is his 21st year with the group.d Friday

Chain returns

■ The originators of Oz-Blues, Chain are back to rekindle the spirit of the sixties and seventies plus bring a thoroughly modern approach with the tight sound for which they are known. Renowned for their onstage chemistry and their unique blues/rock style of music, Chain is a great musical experience and non-stop entertainment.

Performing at the Caravan Music Club, Bentleigh East, Friday, March 8. Doors open 8pm. Tickets at Trybooking.

RCH fundraiser

■ The ninth annual Royal Children's Hospital fundraiser will be held once again at Flanagan’s in Traralgon on April 7 from 12 noon. Raffles, prizes, auctions plus an afternoon of country music and country rock will be showcased. Artists giving their time for the cause include Bill Rowley, Brian Barker, Sandy Rasmussen, Bryce Wright, Evan Platschinda and Yesteryear the Band. Entry is free. Congratulations to Dawn O’Connell and the Our Kinda Country team on their recent Australia Day Community Service Award. They're involved with numerous fundraising efforts including this one.

- Rob Foenander

■ Barbara and the Camp Dogs in the Merlyn Theatre at Malthouse, is directed with brilliance

by Leticia Carceres with well hidden control of what could have been chaos unconfined.

The website's description was: "Barbara fronts a pub rock band with cutting wit, diabolical rage and unrepentant sexuality. She may be fun, she may be dangerous, and she may be speeding headlong towards a dead end.”

For those of us in the audience who had been next door to the Beckett Theatre to the opening of Underground Railway Game from the visiting New York company Ars Nova, aN in-yourface confronting and blisteringly honest examination of American race relationships (and I use the word relationships deliberately) when I finished my review thus: "I was exhausted by laughter and shocked to be confronted by my own prejudices".

To those of us who had been there were confronted again last night by home grown shame.

Barbara, played with white hot authenticity

by Ursula Yovich and Rene her cousin (Elaine Crombie) front a female rock group with the throw away name Camp Dogs.

The plot? Disarmingly simple. Rene's mum is very, very sick so Barbara and Rene decide to fly to Darwin to pay what might be a death bed visit but on arrival discover Mum has discharged herself and returned home to Katherine.

So Barbara and the Camp Dogs becomes a road trip and a rock opera and like most road trips, much more than geography is discovered; much that is painful.

Ursula Yovich's portrayal burns with unconsummated rage ; program notes from her give an accurate description: “Barbara was pissed off, ramped up, foul mouthed, shamelessly sexual, flirtatious and dangerous ".

Rene attempts mediation, trying to focus Barbara on visiting the dying woman who became her mum when she was abandoned.

For many of us in the audience it was hard not to wince and curl with shame, but there was relief with moments of rueful laughter tempered by the shock of recognition .

Although it's only February I think it very possible Barbara and the Camp Dogs will be in my 10 best shows for 2019.

Playing the Merlyn Theatre Malthouse , 113 Sturt St. Southbank till March 3.

Book 9685 5111 or online - Review by Peter Green

At Castlemaine ■ Spread across multiple venues throughout Castlemaine, including the 1931 art deco Castlemaine Art Museum and the old hospital, this year’s Castlemaine State Festival visual arts program, being presented from March 22-31

r Obser vbeiz On This Day Show

Wednesday Thursday February 13 February 14 ■ Singer Tennessee Ernie Ford was born in 1919. He died aged 72 in 1991.

TV personality and actor Stuart Wagstaff was born in Wiltshire, England, in 1925.

English singer Robbie Williams was born in 1974 (45).

Actor George Segal is 85 (1934).

■ Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14.

US entertainer Jack Benny was born in 1894.

He died aged 80 in 1974.

Sports caller Norman ‘Nugget’ May was born in Melbourne 91 years ago.

The late Florence Henderson (Carol in The Brady Bunch) was born in 1934.

Melbourne Arts brings together contemporary artists from around the globe alongside highly regarded national and Castlemaine-based artists.

For the first time, the Festival is partnering with long-term supporter and higher education partner La Trobe University to deliver the visual arts program.

With the engagement of the La Trobe Art Institute as official program curator, this year the Festival offers an exciting cross section of contemporary arts and interdisciplinary discourse never before seen, featuring exhibiting artists, lectures and field talks.

Castlemaine Festival Director Glyn Roberts said the visual arts program will shine a light on the district’s own ample and varied cross media art community as well as drawing big international artists to the region.

“The Festival’s arts series covers a variety of related themes including globalisation, ecology and the environment, the impact of colonisation, cultural exchange and collective memory. These themes are present across the whole Festival program and we invite audiences to explore Castlemaine to experience this in a visual sense,” said Glyn.

From South Korea via Berlin, Jazoo Yang will be addressing themes of loneliness and alienation in our hyper-connected world.

Jemila MacEwan moved from Melbourne to New York seven years ago. Her practice involves painting, sculpture, video installation and performance.

Melbourne-based sculptor Kylie Stillman is best-known for her wood carvings and book sculptures, exclusively using found materials.

From Sagamihara city, just west of Tokyo, Taichi Nakamura utilises watercolour, oil and collage across his abstract landscapes focusing on issues of ecology, land management and changes in the environment.

The Festival celebrates its community with internationally renowned Castlemaine artists including Melinda Harper who will be continuing her investigation of Modernist abstraction via embroidery, geometric abstractionist Justin Andrews, landscape painter and photographer Michael Wolfe and multi-media artists Hayley West, Michael Graeve and Eliza Jane Gilchrist.

The Castlemaine State Festival runs from March 22-31. For the full program of events, tickets and further information visit www.castlemainefestival.com.au - Cheryl Threadgold

Welsh Male Choir ● From Page 35 Traditional festivities include wearing daffodils and leeks, recognised symbols of Wales and St David respectively but Gwyn says the choir has drawn the line at wearing leeks.

“We appreciate the historical origins of this custom – apparently Welsh troops were able to distinguish each other from a troop of similarly-dressed English (perhaps Saxon) soldiers by wearing leeks on their helmets.

“We like to eat them but they’re a bit smelly for a concert performance. A daffodil looks much more attractive in the button-hole, especially when teamed with our yellow ties,” Gwyn said.

Gwyn, who is aged 79, was born in Wales and migrated in 1968 to be with his Australian-born fiancée.

He was recruited into the choir in 1992 by his daughter’s Welsh-language tutor and served a number of years as President.

“My father’s parents were Welsh but my mother’s were English so we spoke English at home.

“Learning Welsh is compulsory in primary school in Wales, which is how I learned it.

When I left Wales, only seven percent of the population spoke Welsh. Now it’s around 19 per cent, largely thanks to S4C Welsh television,” Gwyn said.

“In the choir, we all have to learn the songs by heart, since we do not use music on stage.

“That’s a big challenge, especially for the majority choir members who don’t speak Welsh.

“Still, the brain workout plus the physical demands of singing all helps to keep us young, at least young-at-heart, since the average age of choir members is well over 60.”

David Ashton-Smith , who became the choir’s director in early 2016, will conduct the concert.

Andrew Jenkins and the choir will be joining with three other Welsh choirs for the Gymanfa Ganu, an afternoon of hymns and music at St Michael’s Church (rather than the Welsh Church in LaTrobe St which is too small for the numbers attending), corner Russell and Collins Sts, 3pm-5.30pm, Sunday, March 3.

Date: Saturday March 2 at 7.30pm Venue: MLC – James Tatoulis Auditorium, 207 Barkers Rd, Kew Tickets: $15-$38 Bookings: 9800 3889; 0413 488 569 or https://www.trybooking.com/book/ event?eid=451785 - Cheryl Threadgold Melbourne

Observer

Friday Saturday February 15 February 16 ■ Australian entertainer Roy Rene ‘Mo’ (Henry van der Sluys) was born in Adelaide in 1892. He died aged 62 in 1954.

Graham Kennedy was born in 1934. He died aged 71 in 2005.

Football identity Neale Daniher was born in Ungarie, NSW, in 1961 (57).

■ Singer, and politician, Sonny Bono was born in 1935. He died aged 62 in 1998.

The late Patty Andrews, a member of the Andrews Sisters, was born in 1918.

US tennis player John McEnroe was born in Germany in 1959 Actress Lisa Loring was born in 1958 (61).

Sunday Monday February 17 February 18

Tuesday February 19

■ Folk poet Andrew ‘Banjo’ Paterson was born in NSW in 1864.

He died aged 76 in 1941.

British actress Patricia Routledge was born in Cheshire, England, in 1929.

US singer-songwriter Gene Pitney was born in 1940. He died aged 66 in 2006.

■ English actor Dick Emery was born in England in 1918. He died aged 65 in 1983.

Actor Lee Marvin was born in New York in 1924. He died aged 63 in 1987.

Prince Andrew was born in 1960 (59).

Actress Zoe Carides was born in Sydney in 1962 (57).

■ Sports commentator Rex Mossop was born in 1928.

He died aged 83 in 2011.

Director-producer Milos Forman was born in Czechoslovakia in 1932 .

Artist and musician Yoko Ono was born in Japan in 1933 (86).

Actor John Travolta was born in 1954 (65).

Thanks to GREG NEWMAN of Jocks Journal for assistance with birthday and anniversary dates.

Jocks Journal is Australia’s longest running radio industry publication.

Find out more at www.jocksjournal.com

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019 - Page 37

Observer Showbiz

TV, Radio, Theatre

Best Cabaret

● Cat Sanzaro (left), Sean Sully, Ryan Smith, Sarah Wall and Jake Edgar. Photo by Matthew Howat.

Artwork by Max Kaskamanidis.

■ Have you ever wanted to meet some of the most beautiful creatures that live in the ocean?

Creatures of the Deep is a documentary style cabaret set under the sea. With the help of narrator Jacques Cousteau-esque, audiences will be taken on a journey beneath the surface to meet a plethora of wild sea creatures who are given a voice to share their unique perspective of the world below the waves.

Picked Last For Sport is a new production company, co-founded by Ryan Smith and Sarah Wall, that endeavours to create environmentally sustainable theatre.

All costumes and props from this cabaret were sourced from recyclables and upcycled goods and one dollar from every ticket will be donated to the Australian Marine Conservation Society to help protect the Great Barrier Reef.

Creatures of the Deep debuted at the Melbourne Fringe Festival in 2018 and won best cabaret at MFF. Picked Last For Sport are excited to be back at the Butterfly Club for the Sustainable Living Festival and to share this wonderful cabaret with a wider audience.

Creatures of the Deep will be performed

by Jake Edgar, Cat Sanzaro, Ryan Smith, Sean Sully and Sarah Wall.

“With our combined love of theatre and the environment we wanted to create something that would start a conversation about conservation and leave a lasting impression through music and creativity” said Sarah Wall.

Dates: February 18 – 23 (except Feb.19) Times: 7pm each night. Show duration 60 minutes Venue: The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place off Little Collins Street, Melbourne.

Tickets: $34 Full - $30 Concession - $27 Members - $27 Groups (6+) - $25 Early Bird Bookings: https://thebutterflyclub.com/ show/creatures-of-the-deep-2019 or 9660 9666.

- Cheryl Threadgold

NGV event

■ The Krystyna Campbell-Pretty Fashion Gift: NGV opens Victoria's own walk-in wardrobe of Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Balencialaga and more.

Featuring a rare suite of Gabrielle Chanel's little black dresses, the deftly draped haute couture gowns of Madame Grès and Yves Saint Laurent's ground-breaking women's tuxedo Le Smoking suit, from 1967, The Krystyna Campbell-Pretty Fashion Gift showcases more than 150 garments from Parisien haute couture and international fashion houses that have been generously gifted to the NGV by leading philanthropist Krystyna Campbell-Pretty.

Exhibition: March 1 - July 14.

National Gallery of Victoria 150 St. Kilda Rd, Melbourne - Peter Kemp

You Chose Poorly

● Alanta Colley and Ben McKenzie in You Chose Poorly.

■ We make an infinite number of choices evAlanta Colley, a science communicator and ery day - in relationships, in finance, in Buzzfeed comedian with a degree in public health. Her quizzes. But how do we make them - and why debut solo show Parasites Lost sold out at the are some of them so terrible?

2017 MICF, and has since been performed to To find out, from April 1-7 at Campari House sold out rooms at the Sydney Science Festival, in Hardware Lane, Melbourne, science come- Fringe World, Adelaide Fringe, and for the dian Alanta Colley and ‘geek comedy’s patron Gates Foundation in Seattle. saint’ (T-Squat magazine) Ben McKenzie emHer follow up show, Days of our Hives, bark on their first collaboration: a comedy ex- played to more beekeepers than any other show periment using sketch, stand-up and gentle (and at the festival. highly ethical) audience participation, gathering Alanta also produces and hosts the Sci Fight data each night and across the season to explore science comedy debates regularly in the psychology behind the bad decisions we all Melbourne, and took them on their first national make. tour in 2018. She keeps bees and secrets.

Presented as part of the Melbourne InternaBen McKenzie is an actor, comedian, writer, tional Comedy Festival, Ben and Alanta will game designer and nerd for all seasons. adventure into our cognitive biases.

Since his last solo show, Ben McKenzie Is They’ll unpack the complex ways humans Uncool, he’s performed nerdy impro comedy can believe two entirely contradictory things at Dungeon Crawl to huge crowds at games expo the same time.

PAX Aus, travelled through space and time with They’ll take a look at how we imagine our- Susan from Neighbours in the award-winning selves paragons of virtue, while also maybe hav- audio comedy Night Terrace - soon to air intering crashed a trolley into that Tesla in the super- nationally - and started the monthly Terry market carpark and definitely not leaving a note. Pratchett book club podcast Pratchat, now in Not that you can prove it. How well do we its second year. really understand ourselves?

Performance Dates: April 1-7. Time: 7.15pm Join Alanta and Ben as they dive into our Cost: $20-$25. Venue: Campari House, 23-25 psyches, paddle about in the collective subcon- Hardware Lane, Melbourne. scious, and sun themselves on the deck chairs Tickets: www.comedyfestival.com.au/ of our hopes and fears, all in the hope that we 2019/shows/you-chose-poorly might, one day, know thyself.

- Cheryl Threadgold

Neil Triffett: Misery ■ Tasma Terrace presents a production of Neil Triffett: Misery from April 15-21 at 10pm Neil Triffett, creator of Netflix’s EMO the musical, features in this all-new comedy cabaret through the issues of mental health, relationship breakdowns, sexuality, and, of course, death.

Neil Triffett: Misery is a comedy show aimed at anyone grappling with why they’re miserable and what they can do about it.

Neil says some people are always miserable. When life is going well, they’re miserable. When life is going badly, they’re miserable. Neil is one of those people.

After years of being an ambassador for misery, Neil has grown suspicious. Where does all this misery coming from?

Neil Triffett is an awardwinning filmmaker and musical comedian whose satirical

● Neil Triffett feature film EMO the Musical exploded on the international festival circuit, playing from Edinburgh Film Festival to the Berlinale, and is currently available worldwide on Netflix.

His staged works have had sell-out seasons at La Mama and he has performed cabaret sets in venues all across Melbourne. This is Neil’s first full-length solo show.

Blending the tragic and comedic, and new songs like It’s Your fault that I’m Gay, I hate you a little less and I’ll say I love you (if you pay by credit card), Neil Triffett says that Misery will make audiences laugh, groan, and look at misery in a different way.

“There’s a point when even being miserable can become tedious” says Neil, “So I wanted to look into it.

“Does the universe have this uncanny ability to rain down misery all the time? Is this happening to everyone? Do I even have a right to be miserable about things?”

Performance Season:April 15 -21 at 10pm Venue: Tasma Terrace, 6 Parliament Place, East Melbourne.

Tickets: $25/$22 B o o k i n g s : www.comedyfestival.com.au/ 2019/shows/neil-triffett-misery

Sweet Phoebe

● Marcus McKenzie and Olivia Monticciolo in Sweet Phoebe.

Photo: Teresa Noble.

■ Perhaps best described as an ‘acquired taste’, Michael Gow’s Sweet Phoebe is a curious work that was first produced in 1994.

Fraser (Marcus McKenzie) and Helen (Olivia Monticciolo) are a seemingly conventional couple caught up in the demands of their careers until they are asked to look after a dog, Phoebe, for friends. What ensues is an unravelling of sorts.

Their preoccupation with the dog causes them to lose focus with their careers and with each other. Their disciplined and controlled existence fractures.

Gow, however, reveals this not through dialogue, as such, but through dissertations by each character. Supposedly, the audience witness the chaotic mental state of Fraser and Helen.

The challenge for the audience is to find points of reference with which to relate. The issues and characterisation established in the opening scenes are not necessarily relevant as the play progresses.

And there isn’t a story to follow. A dog is lost and chaos ensues as Fraser and Helen lose control of their lives recounting, as they do, their epic efforts to find Phoebe.

Gow could be playing with theatrical convention and, perhaps, the director, Mark Wilson, could have directed the scenes to show a greater incremental progression in the breakdowns of Fraser and Helen.

Unfortunately, it was difficult to find that thread of consistency that would hold everything together.

Not even the enthusiasm and proficiency of Marcus and Olivia serves as a sufficient strand to give this piece the continuity an audience looks for.

Reception to the play has varied with some describing it as baffling. Other productions have played up the comedy. Whatever the case, approach with caution.

Performance Season: Until March 3 Venue: Red Stitch Actors Theatre, Rear 2 Chapel St, St Kilda East Bookings: https://redstitch.net/bookings/ - Review by David McLean

At Collingwood

■ Over the last seven years Editions has become the go-to event for Victorian printmakers. The exhibition celebrates tradition while embracing contemporary innovations within the printed form. This exhibition provides a platform for artists from emerging to more established to explore print processes and approach to image-making.

Exhibition February 14 - 24.

TacitArt Galleries 123a Gipps St, Collingwood - Peter Kemp

Page 38 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Observer Showbiz

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

Movies, DVDs with Jim Sherlock, Aaron Rourke What’s Hot and What’s Not in Blu-Rays and DVDs FILM: A STAR IS BORN: Genre: Drama/Music/Romance.

Cast: Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper, Sam Elliott, Alec Baldwin.

Year: 2018.

Rating: MA15+ Length: 135 Minutes.

Stars: **** Verdict: Seasoned musician Jackson Maine discovers-and falls in love with-struggling artist, who has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer, until he coaxes her into the spotlight, and as her career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as he fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.

Almost as old as Hollywood itself, this classic tale of love, success and tragedy is back again in its fifth big screen incarnation, and is sure not to disappoint, as Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper ignite the screen with an over-powering chemistry and energy that is so uniquely its own, yet so deeply rich and respectfully drawn and driven by its own cinematic historical tapestry, most strikingly from the 1954 Judy Garland version.

On screen, Bradley Cooper's career defining performance as Jackson Maine may be waning, but here, behind the camera he also makes a startling directorial debut that ranks alongside other actors turned director including Clint Eastwood (Play Misty For Me), Robert Redford (Ordinary People), Kevin Costner (Dances With Wolves), Charles Laughton (The Night of the Hunter), Dennis Hopper (Easy Rider), George Clooney (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind), Ben Affleck (Gone Baby Gone) and Orson Welles (Citizen Kane).

Already established as a supremely talented actress, Lady Gaga lights up the screen as only she could, and with this third music adaptation, the second rock-based music version, Cooper also stuns with a magnificent singing voice, all filmed live, matching the powerhouse Lady Gaga word-for-word, note-for-note, throughout a terrific, killer soundtrack!

Retaining the tone and spirit of its predecessors, Bradley Cooper has captured lightening in a bottle in re-creating this classic Hollywood fable for the new 21st Century generation, an intelligent, respectful, rousing, poignant, pulse-pounding and heart-wrenching story that is a tremendously rewarding experience, and will be well rewarded come Oscar time, however, as good as this is, the 1954 Judy Garland version remains unbeatable!

FILM: THE INSULT: Genre: Drama.

Cast: Adel Karam, Kamel El Basha, Rita Hayek, Christine Choueiri, Camille Salameh (Lawyer), Diamond Bou Abboud (Lawyer/Daughter).

Year: 2017.

Rating: MA15+ Length: 112 Minutes.

Stars: ***½ Review: In today's Beirut, an insult blown out of proportions finds Tony, a Lebanese Christian, and Yasser, a P alestinian refugee, in court, from secret wounds to traumatic revelations, the media circus surrounding the case puts Lebanon through a social explosion, forcing the two to reconsider their lives and prejudices.

Extremely well made Oscar nominee for best Foreign Film and multiaward winner, is a gripping personal, political and courtroom drama that uncoils meticulously and intensely like a snake ready to strike a blow at any moment, as the trauma, beliefs, history and dramatic events unfold.

Highly impactful and stimulating without sentimentality, superbly written and directed with great care, and excelled with excellent cinematography, the cast from the streets to the courtroom and powers that be are all equally compelling in every moment, most notably the two wives who become embroiled among the shattered pieces.

Supremely paced and edited, the written word and performance has rarely been more expressive with more potency and impact, an intelligent, complex, ambiguous and thought provoking maelstrom of a story that delivers with a force that is felt long after the end credits have concluded.

FILM: GHOST STORIES: Genre: Drama/Horror.

Cast: Martin Freeman, Andy Nyman, Paul Whitehouse, Amy Doyle.

Year: 2017.

Rating: M. Length: 98 Minutes.

Stars: *** Verdict: A sceptical professor and television presenter whose show is devoted to debunking fraudulent psychics, embarks on a trip after finding a file with details of three unexplained cases of the paranormal or supernatural.

Well made and witty little British made creep-show is more a psychological psycho-thriller than flat out horror or gore fest, and will keep your interest throughout as the spooky events unfold in this trilogy of ghostly twists and turns, and even though it does falter at points, there's a lot in here of the unexplained to put you on edge and keep you there, most notably the story of the night-watchman in a disused and rundown asylum.

Effectively co-directed by co-star Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson, both making their theatrical feature directing debut, and even though there's really nothing altogether original or new here, it plays with the genre resulting in moments of great effect, and all involved seem to be having a good time, most notably on-screen with British veteran Martin Freeman as a seemingly mild-mannered financieraccountant who gets a visit from a poltergeist.

More reflective of such British classics as "Dead of Night" (1945) and the Amicus, and to a point some of the Hammer Horror films, of the 1960s and early 1970s, this is a welcome addition to a well worn genre that succeeds for the most part in raising a few goosebumps and shortening your nails, just like the very ghostly "thingsthat-go-bump-in-the-night" sub-genre that inspired it.

Rourke’s Reviews At Eternity’s Gate

■ (M). 111 minutes. Opens in selected cinemas February 14.

Vincent van Gogh has been the subject of many a film, most notably in Vincent Minnelli's Lust For Life (1956) and Robert Altman's Vincent & Theo (1990), although I always like to mention Martin Scorsese's turn as the revered artist in Akira Kurosawa's Dreams (1990).

The latest to hit screens is At Eternity's Gate, with Willem Dafoe playing the tortured painter, and under the intimate, uninhibited guidance of former painter-turned-filmmaker Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell And The Butterfly), manages to give audiences a fresh perspective on this much-written about person.

Set during the artist's later years, particularly his self-imposed exile in Arles and Auvers-Sur-Oise, we see van Gogh struggle and suffer to try and understand the true meaning of what he's creating, and the 'fever dream' that overwhelms him while he is painting.

While familiar relationships are covered, such as van Gogh's deep bond with his brother Theo (Rupert Friend), and the at-times volatile encounters with Paul Gauguin (Oscar Isaac), what makes this film so fascinating is the way Schnabel utterly submerges the audience into van Gogh's frame of mind (with the camerawork sometimes resembling a possession horror movie), and the ultra close-up manner in which we experience the painter's highly variable reactions to his works (a scene involving Mads Mikkelsen as a bemused priest is a perfect example).

Dafoe is extraordinary as van Gogh, and totally earns his Oscar nomination (I would love to see him win, but like last year, I think he will be sadly shortchanged).

Other recognisable faces in a strong supporting cast include, Isaac, Mikkelsen, Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner and Niels Arestrup.

RATING - ****

If Beale Street Could Talk ■ (M). 119 minutes. Opens in selected cinemas February 14.

After delivering the exceptional Moonlight, which 'eventually' won Best Picture following the notorious Beatty/Dunaway mix-up, writer/director Barry Jenkins returns with If Beale Street Could Talk, and categorically proves that his previous effort wasn't a flash in the pan.

Set in 1970's New York, the story centres on Tish (KiKi Layne, in a star-making performance), a 19year-old who has become pregnant to her childhood friend Fonny (Stephen James).

The news is warmly greeted by Tish's parents, Sharon (Regina King) and Joseph (Colman Domingo), but is ridiculed by Fonny's bible-belt mother (Aunjanue Ellis), who blames Tish

Aiming for a place of their own, Tish and Fonny look with little success, the colour of their skin being a barrier every time.

Their world is turned upside down when Fonny is arrested for a rape he didn't commit, and this family-to-be have to put any kind of normal life on hold as they have to contend with a cruel system that wears its prejudices on its sleeve.

Adapting the celebrated 1974 novel by James Baldwin, Jenkins explores the hardships experienced

by African Americans with an effectively suppressed rage, but never forgets the two people at the centre of the story, and his delicate, poetic treatment of Tish and Fonny's relationship is what makes the film truly soar.

The acting is superb (Layne and James are very unlucky not to receive Oscar nominations), all reacting brilliantly to Jenkins' spassionate screenplay, and its all beautifully shot by James Laxton (Moonlight).

Will definitely be one of the best films for 2019.

RATING - ****½

Velvet Buzzsaw

■ (MA). 113 minutes. Now streaming on Netflix.

A rather awkward mix of art world satire and familiar horror tropes, the new film from writer/ director Dan Gilroy (Nightcrawler) offers mildly amusing entertainment, but isn't as biting or outrageous as it should have been.

Jake Gyllenhaal plays the aptly named Morf, a renowned art critic who can make or break an artist's career with one review.

Though sure his opinion is his own, Morf carefully works between a number of powerful art curators and dealers, including Rhodora (Rene Russo), Jon Dondon (Tom Sturridge) and Gretchen (Toni Collette), ensuring he has access to all the best galleries, parties and works.

When aspiring gallery worker Josephina (Zawe Ashton) accidentally stumbles upon the paintings of an old, recently deceased painter, she not only sees this as her chance to graduate to the big leagues, but to also become incredibly rich.

But as the intense, surreal works begin to do the rounds, a mysterious, supernatural force seems to take hold of those who gaze upon the paintings, leading to a number of bizarre and bloody deaths.

The modern art world has always been a fairly easy target for satire, and Gilroy doesn't really add anything genuinely fresh, and feels like the poorer cousin of Ruben Ostlund's far superior, Palme d'Or winning The Square.

Gyllenhaal, like he was in Bong Joon-ho's Okja, seems to be enjoying himself, and Russo offers one of her better performances in recent years. Collette is typically mannered and over-the-top. Kudos to Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood) who gives the film an attractively sterile sheen.

Top 10 Lists FEBRUARY 10-16 THE AUSTRALIAN BOX OFFICE TOP TEN: 1. THE MULE. 2. GREEN BOOK. 3. GLASS. 4. INSTANT FAMILY. 5. BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY. 6. AQUAMAN. 7. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD. 8. MARY POPPINS RETURNS. 9. BEN IS BACK. 10. STORM BOY. NEW RELEASES AND COMING SOON TO CINEMAS AROUND AUSTRALIA: FEBRUARY 7: CAPHARNAUM, COLD PURSUIT, ESCAPE ROOM, MARIA BY CALLAS, ON THE BASIS OF SEX, THE COMBINATION REDEMPTION,WHITE BOY RICK. FEBRUARY 14: ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, ARCTIC, AT ETERNITY'S GATE, HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U, IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK, WHAT MEN WANT. THE DVD AND BLU-RAY TOP RENTALS & SALES: 1. A STAR IS BORN [Music/Drama/ Romance/Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Sam Elliott].

2. HALLOWEEN [Horror/Thriller/Jamie Lee Curtis, Will Patton].

3. BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE [Crime/ Drama/Thriller/Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson].

4. FIRST MAN [Biography/History/Drama/ Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke].

5. HUNTER KILLER [Action/Thriller/Gerard Butler, Gary Oldman, Michael Nyqvist].

6. VENOM [Action/Sci-Fi/Horror/Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams].

7. DON'T WORRY, HE WON'T GET FAR ON FOOT [Bio/Comedy/Drama/Joaquin Phoenix].

8. AMERICAN ANIMALS [Thriller/Evan Peters, Blake Jenner, Ann Dowd].

9. ALPHA [Action/Drama/Jens Hutten, Kodi Smit-McPhee].

Also: IN LIKE FLYNN, GOOSEBUMPS 2, JOHNNY ENGLISH STRIKES AGAIN, NIGHT SCHOOL, CRAZY RICH ASIANS, LADIES IN BLACK, THE NUN, CHARMING, DESTINATION WEDDING, A SIMPLE FAVOUR. NEW HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK: BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY [Biography/Music/ Drama/Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Mike Myers].

WILDLIFE [Drama/Carey Mulligan, Jake Gyllenhaal, Bill Camp].

ZOO [Family/Drama/Penelope Wilton, Toby Jones, Art Parkinson].

30 NIGHTS OF SEX [Comedy/Mandy Kaplan, Dan Fogler].

BLUE IGUANA [Action/Sam Rockwell, Simon Callow, Phoebe Fox].

DVD AND/OR BLU-RAY NEW & RE-RELEASE CLASSIC MOVIES HIGHLIGHTS: DON'T LOOK NOW [Horror/Drama/Thriller/ Donald Sutherland, Julie Christie].

NEW RELEASE TELEVISION, DOCUMENTARY AND MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS: CASTLE ROCK: Season 1.

Z NATION: Season 5.

- James Sherlock

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

Melbourne Obser ver - Wednesday, February 13, 2019 - Page 39

Observer Showbiz

Local Theatre with Cheryl Threadgold and team ELECTRIC LONELINESS ■ Night Creatures’ debut production, Electric Loneliness, is being presented at The Butterfly Club until February 16.

A vaudevillian modern folktale that explores contemporary themes of isolation, human connection, and depression, this original story follows Octavia, a multi-limbed chanteuse trapped alone at the bottom of the ocean, and a Lonely Man on a quest to find where he belongs in the world.

Told through an eclectic mix of reimagined tunes, from Cole Porter to the Bee Gees to Daft Punk, join these unusual but relatable characters on their adventures as they meet gloriously strange creatures and attempt to learn how to keep clam and carry on.

Night Creatures is a new Melbourne based production company formed by Alexandra Aldrich, Joachim Coghlan and Owen James.

NIDA Acting graduate and two time Green Room Awards nominee Alexandra Aldrich has appeared in many Melbourne theatre productions including Dracula, Dangerous Liaisons, and Salome with Little Ones Theatre, The Moors and Eurydice with Red Stitch, and productions across both Australia and Edinburgh for Bell Shakespeare, Essential Theatre and Sly Rat. Joachim Coghlan is a VCA Music Performance graduate who has performed in many musical theatre and operatic productions, such as Elegies for Angels, Punks, and Raging Queens (2017), and his original musical, Gouti: The God of Them All, for the Melbourne Fringe Festival.

Owen James is a passionate theatre maker having composed the score in Rainbow Man for Goodnight Darlings (2017), directed Chicago for Fab Nobs Theatre (2017), and performed as a pianist and accompanist throughout Melbourne.

Performance Dates: Until February 16 Time: 8.30pm Cost: $34-$25 Venue: The Butterfly Club, Melbourne Tickets: thebutterflyclub.com

Q ■ Opening Night at the Carlton Courthouse for Q from playwright/director Aleksandr Corke.

Brecht once said "Great men borrow; genius steals" and knowing Brecht he probably nicked that as well .

"Genius” and "great" may not yet apply to Aleksandr but my suspicions are that he is well read like many writers; and like all writers draws promiscuously from anywhere and everywhere.

The play Q involves a man named K (do I detect a nod to Kafka's The Trial and Joseph K ? ) Q is told by two bureaucrats he's dead and their job is (with the help of his red file - of course) to construct his perfect afterlife.

After some time K ends up in a room with five others (all with their red files) waiting to be passed through to their afterlives.

While in the room the behaviour from some recalled elements of Sartre's play Huis Clos (frequently wrongly translated as No Exit when in French it is a legal term akin to In Camera) especially when the character Garcin who exclaims in final frustration "Hell is other people".

As I noted earlier, the playwright is also the director of Q (the title a pun?) Some writers make a success of directing their work.

On Opening Night I thought that Aleksandr had done well but there was too much of the text.

The program lists a dramaturge but I wished she had wielded the blue pencil more frequently.

The ideas are interesting and performances, with a few exceptions, good. But I can't say more because actors were listed by name not character, and no photos attached to their bios.

- Review by Peter Green

Nightsongs at MC Showroom ■ A genuinely different evening of theatre, song, and story telling will be presented on Saturday (Feb. 16) at the MC Showroom.

First, Natasha Moszenin, a Melbourne music theatre creator, is performing her acclaimed show Nightsongs, with her talented ensemble, Claire Nicholls, Jai Luke and Lara Vocisano at 5pm and 8pm.

More than a dozen songs of love and loss, dreams made real, dreams abandoned, and the loss that feeds on chances missed.

Natasha hopes this one-off piece of music theatre will resonate with audiences long after the echo of the last song has faded.

On the same evening, at 6.30pm, Leo Taylor (aka Professor Zen) is presenting his solo spoken word show Our Little Evening Of Misery, a poetic and darkly humorous view of the world we live in, presented for lovers of the spoken word.

Topics include: How not to sell your screenplay, Life is nature’s way of keeping the meat fresh, The bible as historical fantasy, Killing those we love, Better hide the baby while they’re breaking down the door, and his Amnesty Inter-

● Leo Taylor national prize winning poem Somethin’s Goin On. Performance Date: Saturday, February 16 Times: Nightsongs at 5 pm and 8 pm; Our Little Evening of Misery at 6.30pm Tickets: $24 Venue: The MC Showroom, 1/48 Clifton St., Prahran Bookings:www.themcshowroom.com/ event/our-little-evening-of-misery/ - Cheryl Threadgold

Latest shows, auditions SHOWS

SHOWS

■ Peridot Theatre: Brilliant Lies (by David Williamson) Until February 18 at the Unicorn Theatre, Lechte Rd., Mt Waverley. Director: Damian Jones. Bookings: 0429 115 334.

■ Geelong Repertory Theatre Company:Angels in America Part One (by Tony Kushner) Until February 16 at 15 Coronation St., West Geelong. Director: David Postill and Scott Bradley. Bookings: 5225 1200.

■ Williamstown Little Theatre: Body Awareness (by Annie Baker) Until February 23 at 2-4 Albert St., Williamstown. Director; Kris Weber.

Bookings: 0447 340 665; www.wlt.org.au ■ Mordialloc Theatre Company: Good People (by David Lindsay-Abaire) February 15 - March 2 at Shirley Burke Theatre, 64 Parkers Rd., Parkdale. Director: Helen Ellis. Bookings: 9587 5141 or www.mordialloctheatre.com ■ Heidelberg Theatre Company: Lost in Yonkers (by Neil Simon) February 15 - March 2 at 36 Turnham Ave., Rosanna. Director: Gayle Poor. Bookings: www.htc.org.au (03)9457-4117.

■ Eltham Little Theatre: Hotel Sorrento (by Hannie Rayson) February 15 - March 2 at Eltham Performing Arts Centre, Main Rd.., Research. Director: Kath Buckingham. Bookings: http://www.elthamlittletheatre.org.au ■ Malvern Theatre Company: Mr Bennet's Bride (by Emma Wood) February 15 - March 2 at 29 Burke Rd., Malvern East. Director: Susan Rundle. Bookings: 1300 131 552.

■ Brighton Theatre Company: After Miss Julie (by Patrick Marber) February 15 - March 2 at Brighton Arts and Cultural Centre, Brighton.

Director: Loretta Bishop. Bookings: 1300 752 126.

■ The Basin Theatre Company: Murder by Natural Causes (adapted by Tim Kelly from the play by Richard Levinson and William Link) February 15 - March 9 at The Basin Theatre, Cnr Doongalla and Simpsons Rds., The Basin.

Director: Bob Bramble. Bookings: 1300 784 668.

■ Peridot Theatre: Play-reading of Crimes of the Heart 20 February at 7.00pm at the Unicorn Theatre, Lechte Rd., Mt Waverley. Director: Beth Henley. Admission: Free. Bookings: alialight8@gmail.com ■ The 1812 Theatre: Breaking the Code (by Hugh Whitmore) February 21 - March 16 at 3-5 Rose St.., Upper Ferntree Gully. Director: Malcolm Sussman. Bookings: 9758 3964.

■ Strathmore Theatrical Arts Group (STAG): Outside Edge (by Richard Harris) February 28 March 3 at the Strathmore Community Centre, Cnr Loeman and Napier Sts., Strathmore. Director: Robert Harsley.Tickets: $20/$15. Bookings: 9382 6284 or www.stagtheatre.org/reservations

■ PEP Productions: Altar Boyz February 22 March 2 at the Doncaster Playhouse, 679 Doncaster Rd., Doncaster. Director: Melanie Xavier. Bookings: pepproductions.org.au 0418 549 187 ■ Ballarat Lyric Theatre: Jeckyll and Hyde February 28 - March 10 at Wendouree Centre for Performing Arts, 1220 Howitt St., Ballarat.

Director: Stephen Armati. Bookings: wcpa.com.au 5338 0980.

■ CPAC (Cardinia Performing Arts Company): Strictly Ballroom (Based on Baz Luhrmann movie) February 23 - March 8 at Cardinia Cultural Centre, Lakeside Blvd., Pakenham. Director: Lee Geraghty. Bookings: 0407 090 354 www.cardiniaperformingarts.com ■ Gemco Players: Extinction (by Hannie Rayson) March 8 -23 at 19 Kilvington Drive, Emerald. Director: Sharon Maine. Bookings: www.gemcoplayers,org.

AUDITIONS ■ Mooroolbark Theatre Company: Key for Two (by John Chapman and Dave Freeman) February 14 at 7.00pm at the Mooroolbark Community Centre. Director: Alison Allan. Enquiries: 0401 623 508.

■ Melbourne French Theatre: Panic Hits The Ministry (Panique Au Ministere) (by Jean Franco and Guillaume Mélanie) February 16 at 2.00pm, February 18 at 7.00pm at 203-205 Canning St., Carlton (Cnr Neill St.). Director: Donald McManus. Enquiries: 9349 2250.

■ Brighton Theatre Company: I Hate Hamlet (by Paul Rudnick) February 17, 18 at 7.00pm at Bayside Cultural Centre, Brighton. Director: Alan Burrows. Enquiries: 0412 077 761 aburrow1@bigpond.net.au ■ Mordialloc Theatre Company: Buying the Moose (by Michael Wilmot) February 17 at 2.00pm, February 19 at 7.30pm at the Guide Hall, Glebe Ave., Cheltenham. Director: Peter Newling. Enquiries: 0419 205 200 or peter.newling@gmail.com ■ Warrandyte Theatre Company: The Lady from the Sea (by Henrik Ibsen) February 19 at 8.00pm, February 23 at 4.000pm at Warrandyte Mechanics' Institute Hall, Warrandyte. Director: Grant Purdy. Enquiries: 0412 121 631 or grant_purdy@me.com.

■ Dionysus Theatre:Arete Epsilon - A Season of Original One Act Plays (various authors and directors) February24 at 10.00am and 11.00am at Cube 37, Frankston Arts Centre. Enquiries:

PEOPLE SUCK ■ Written by award winning Canadian writing team Megan Phillips and Peter Cavell and performed originally in Toronto with a number of Second City Alumni, People Suck, a Musical Airing of Grievances, is being presented by The Butterfly Club in Melbourne from March 11-16.

This will be the theatrical debut of upcoming Melbourne Company Salty Theatre, cofounded by Melbourne theatre, dance and cabaret veteran Sarah Louise Younger and Canadian theatre and screen vet Ashley Taylor.

Together, this duo has taken on the ugly, outrageous and offensive thoughts and actions that human beings find themselves exploring daily.

Taylor has more than 20 years of theatrical experience as an actor in Canada at the reputable Stratford Festival (Alice in Alice Through the Looking Glass) and Shaw Festival (Pal Joey, Pygmalion) as well as for Mirvish Productions and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Really Useful Group (The Sound of Music) plus multitudes of other professional theatre and film projects across the US and Canada (Belle, Beauty and the Beast; Cosette, Les Miserables; Little Bear; Goosebumps).

Younger is an alumni of the Arts Academy and has performed professionally across Australia and New Zealand in WildWorld – The Cat Stevens Story as well as productions of The Rocky Horror Picture Show; City of Angels and Force Majeure’s Nothing to Lose (Sydney Festival and Carraigeworks) to name a few.

With a cast of five that includes Taylor and Younger as well as Zac Alaimo (Original Cast of Wake, Adelaide Fringe), Tim Lancaster (Titanic, StageArt) and Georgie Potter (Chicago), their over-the-top and deeply twisted comedic and vocal performances will leave you wanting more of this irreverent musical.

Choreography is by Brendy Ford (The Places We’ll Go, produced by Queenie Van de Zandt, directed by Max Lambert) and Musical Direction by David Youings (We Will Rock You, Altar Boyz).

Dates: March 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 Time: 8:30pm Cost: $26-35 Venue: The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne Tickets: thebutterflyclub.comz - Cheryl Threadgold

DRACULA ■ Comedy duo Innes Lloyd present their new show at this year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival, from March 25 to 31 at The Butterfly Club.

This time around they will be presenting their own unique interpretation of a story that has been adapted, parodied, sequelled, theatre restaurant-ed and, frankly, done-to-death, the literacy classic, Dracula.

The duo says for the most part, cinema and film versions of Dracula have always presented female characters in a rather unflattering light, meaning they are there merely to be lusted after or eaten.

However in the original text the protagonist is Mina and she is no fragile, delicate English Rose.

Oh no, she is a brave, calculating and fiercely intelligent woman in the oppressive Victorian era.

So in a move to correct this historical misrepresentation Innes Lloyd have invited local actor Jennifer Speirs (The Heart Awakens and the Nerd-Out podcast) to take on the leading role of Doctor Mina Harker.

Performance Season: March 25-31 at 8.30pm every night Venue: The Butterfly Club Bookings: https://www.comedyfestival. com.au/2019/shows/innes-lloyd-presentsdracula - Cheryl Threadgold

www.MelbourneObserver.com.au

Page 40 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019 Melbourne

Observer

Lovatts Crossword No 39 Across

Across

1. Difficulty (of assignment) 6. Put oil on 11. Balance out 15. Staff members 20. Scruff (of neck) 21. Rock music style, ... metal 22. Spy, ... Hari 23. See 92ac 25. Favour 26. Scours 27. Gowns 29. Lull 32. Hairless 34. Exclusive English school 36. Recline (3,4) 39. Boot-shaped country 41. Basil sauce for pasta 43. Din 46. Goes by horse 48. Strong point 49. Chief 51. ... & ahs 52. Catalogues 55. Disfigure 56. Captures (criminal) 59. Jemima Goldsmith's ex, ... Khan 61. The A of AM 62. Thaw 63. Sports award 64. Disburdens 67. Windpipe 68. Thorny 70. Japanese religion 71. Barbaric 72. Deep wounds 73. Alleged assassin, Lee Harvey ...

74. Roman garments 75. Glow with (health) 77. Distend 78. Introduction (4-2) 79. Philippines capital 82. Invaded 86. Snooker foul 87. Ali ... & The 40 Thieves 89. Remunerates too little 92 & 23ac. Knuckle of veal stew (4,5) 94. Extreme 96. Scan 98. Animal enclosure 100. Laughing scavenger 101. Company emblem 103. Cogwheel 105. Undersized 106. Cultural symbol 108. Loathsome 111. Furtive glance 112. Moon shape 114. Surround 116. Volcanic flow 119. Early Peruvian 120. Cummerbund 121. Fair-haired lady, ... blonde 123. Imminent 124. Pre-dinner snack, ... d'oeuvre 125. Stripped 126. Strain 127. Bears (costs) 130. Post-graduate business degree (1,1,1) 131. Unrelenting 135. Burglary 138. Short skirt 139. Entertainer, ... Harris 141. Alternate, every ...

144. Unwanted plant 146. Donkey 147. Cure 148. Pole 149. Deciduous trees 150. Or near offer (1,1,1) 151. Jane Austen novel 152. Bomb hole 153. London's ... Park 155. Swirl 157. Small hound 158. ... Eildon 160. Hawaiian greeting 161. Wear away 162. Lifeless 163. Tick over 165. Mediocre (2-3) 166. Massage 167. Play on words

168. Remove errors from 169. Automobiles 171. Addis ..., Ethiopia 172. WWII German sub (1-4) 175. Yawns 176. Baghdad is there 179. From Sydney or Perth 180. Rope-making fibre 182. Head cook 184. Take no notice of 185. Flesh of fruit 186. Jet-bubble bath 188. Quickly (1,1,1,1) 189. Fulfilled (demand) 190. Source 191. Mother sheep 193. Mentally sound 194. Unhappily 196. Brave man 197. Wild goat 198. Waters (garden) 200. Colleges 205. Much ... About Nothing 207. Arrange in print 210. Tormented by nightmares (3-6) 211. Chattering idly 212. Identical sibling 213. Not stereo 214. Crack army force (1,1,1) 216. Infatuated, ... over heels 218. ... & twos 219. Korean karate, tae ... do 220. Female boarding house proprietor 224. Songwriter 227. The M of YMCA (3'1) 229. Mexican currency 230. Judge 231. Make speech 232. ... & evens 233. Scamps 235. Reception host 237. Pant 239. Actress, ... Russo 241. Inuit canoe 244. Type of marble 246. Elvis Presley's daughter (4,5) 249. Globes 252. Excursions 254. One or the other 256. Latter-day Saint 258. Consolation 259. Inflexible 260. Tomato sauce 263. Possessor 264. Cowardly 265. Liquid units, fluid ...

267. Say from memory 270. Illusion 271. Necessitates 272. Acorn bearer (3,4) 273. Cut of steak 274. Follows orders 277. Wander 279. Native of Aberdeen or Inverness 281. Festivities 284. Fragrant flower 286. Prompted (actor) 288. Was expert (in) 292. You 294. Hereditary unit 295. Nervous 298. Dressmaker 300. Unnourished 301. Valuable possession 303. Assortment 306. Concert venue, ... Square Garden 308. Actress, Miranda ...

309. Overtake 311. Continue doggedly 314. Secret store 315. Blows up 316. Suspect's excuses 317. Native American tent 318. More than half 319. Join register 320. Nevada city 321. Recently married folk 322. Dissertation 323. Moaned wearily 324. Famous (4-5)

Down

Down

1. Cycling's ... de France 142. Stewardesses 2. Cremation vessels 143. Thefts 3. Nun's attire 145. Wear best clothes (5,2) 4. Outdo 151. Magic potions 5. Snooty person 154. First appearance 6. Granny Smiths or pippins 156. Downward distance 7. Dorks 159. Also titled (1,1,1) 8. Ahead (2,5) 164. Meadow (poetic) 9. Queen's ceremonial chair 169. Manages 10. Outlaw 170. The Constant Gardener actor, ..

11. Pearl-bearer Fiennes 12. Conifer (3,4) 173. Expresses sorrow over 174. ... speak louder than words 13. Lodge firmly 177. Stands on hind legs 14. Samples 178. Search 15. Deserve 181. Overturned 16. Artist, ... Picasso 183. Stiffly 17. Beginning 187. Study of body tissue 18. Mediterranean volcano 192. Heftier 19. Unwell 195. Myths 24. Salt Lake City state 199. Become rusty 28. Dublin republic 201. Cries like crow 30. Test 202. Pig noise 31. Cocktail, ... colada 203. Devonshire tea cake 33. Rosebush pests 204. Holy book 35. Hollywood's movie accolades 206. Lukewarm 37. Note well, nota ...

207. Vagrant 38. Havana is there 208. Cupid 40. Tokyo Bay port city 209.

Former lovers 42. Ringworm 213.

Move listlessly 44. Available (2,4) 215. Pale-looking 45. Screen legend, ... Loren 217. Study table 47. Islands 221. Bus terminus 48. Brown skin marks 222. Sufficient 49. Rocket, guided ...

223. Louts 50. Ratty 224.

Shakespearean king 53. Experienced hand 225.

Horse-taming display 54. Visual symbolism 226.

Computer input device (1,1-3) 57. Moving onwards 228. Removes surgically 58. Sleighs 234. Pleasant tasting 60. Crazier 236. Meal courses 63. Perplex 238.

Chopping tool 65. 12 o'clock 240.

Persona ... grata 66. Long narrative 242.

Worshipping 68. Brazilian soccer great 243. Pilot's emergency aid, ... seat 69. Fertile soil 245. Pest 76. Encroachments 247. Annoying 79. Inflatable vest, ... west 248. Influence 80. Naked models 250. Bemuse 81. Ill-gotten cash, filthy ...

251.

Set free 83. Savoury jelly 253.

Ireland's ... Fein 84. Furnishing scheme 255.

Promissory notes (1,1,2) 85. Alsatian or labrador 257.

Porridge cereal 88. Booklets 258.

Match before final 90. Household dirt 261.

Comprehend (4,2) 91. Competent 262. Zoom 93. XVII 265.

Greatest in age 95. Pub drinks 266.

Opted 97. Schedules 268. Earth lumps 99. Antiquated 269. Rowing teams 100. Detect sound 275. Genuine, ... fide 102. Says yes to 276.

Snow monster 104. Land measures 278.

Concerning 107. Quoted 280.

Terminating 109. Alpaca relative 282. Long time 110. On an occasion 283.

Termites, white ...

111. Twosome 285.

Rope tangle 113. Horridly 287.

Hate 115. Goaded 289. Profane oaths 117. Throat-clearing noise 290. Declare to be true 118. Grain husks 291. High standards 121. Devotee 292. Ribbed 122. Stockpiled 293. Leg joint 127. Wooden peg 296. Written composition 128. Small streak 297. Trap 129. Backpackers' accommodation 299. Merit (5,6) 302. Steeple top 132. Insistently 304. Horrify 133. Directed 305. From Athens 134. Vestige 306. Stingy 135. Strictness 307. Sketched 136. Capital of Pakistan 308. On Her Majesty's Service 137. Casual (remark) (1,1,1,1) 138. Indian prince 310. Pack (cargo) 140. Large fruit bat (6,3) 312. News 141. Bone specialist 313. Sea bird

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Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2018 - Page 45

Horses

Page 46 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019

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Rural News

SUMMER IS HERE, ORDER YOUR TANK NOW

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Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019 - Page 47

Page 48 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, February 13, 2019

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Learning to Ride

Balance Bikes from Ivanhoe Cycles Balance Bikes (also called training bikes) are pedalless bikes designed to provide fun and exercise and to teach the basic skills of steering, balance and co-ordination.

They are suited to a child from 2 to 5 years of age.

The child simply sits astride the balance bike and "walks" while steering with the handlebars.

It effectively allows them to learn balance without having to learn to pedal at the same time. It cuts the learning "gradient" down. They are also called pre bikes or first bikes.

Balance bikes are becoming increasingly popular, as it is so much easier to learn to ride. Learning to ride can be achieved at their own pace. A less confident child can “walk� it around for as long as they like, then

when ready, they can gradually lift their feet and scoot along until they are ready to simply push off and just roll along.

More confident kids will be flying around with huge smiles in no time at all.

Because they have a sturdy aluminium or steel frame and well constructed wheels they are virtually trouble free, and can be passed down from child to child.

BYK E250L PURPLE $219

GIANT PRE BIKE - RED $199

Mongoose Lilgoose WNR Girls Balance Bike 12 Inch $179

Byk E250L Purple - Girls 14inch Balance Bike

12 inch boys balance bike that is a perfect gradient for learning to ride a real bike

The low stand-over height makes it very easy to get on and off the bike,

LIL ZOOMER BALANCE BIKE - GREEN $99

BYK E200L $189

Little Zoomer Balance Bike in any colour. A fun way to teach balance and coordination! Suitable 2-4 years.

Byk E200L. Balance Bikes make it so much easier for your child to learn to ride.

MONGOOSE LILGOOSE WNR BOYS BALANCE BIKE 12 INCH $179 The Mongoose Lilgoose Balance bike is not only one of the cutest designs we've seen on a training bike.