Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, May 23, 2012 - Page 71
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Review: La Mama’s Quartet/The Razor ............. Page 73 Radio Confidential: Stan Rofe remembered ......... Page 74 The Spoiler: Next week’s ‘soaps’ plotlines ................ Page 73 Jim and Aaron: Best DVD-film selections ...................... Page 77 Cheryl Threadgold: Community Theatre - it’s a wrap ........... Page 80 PLUS THE LOVATT”S MEGA CROSSWORD
NATIONAL INTEREST Reconciliation concert on Sunday
● Julia Blake as June Stewart, mother of murdered Australian journalist Tony Stewart, in National Interest, playing at the Fairfax Studio from June 6-July 21. ■ The Melbourne premiere of National Interest is being preThe journalists had been sent by their networks, Channel Seven sented from June 6 to July 21 at the Arts Centre Melbourne, and Channel Nine, to investigate decolonisation in East Timor Fairfax Studio. and the threat of invasion by neighbouring Indonesia. Written by award-winning playwright Aidan Fennessy, NaIt took one month for the families of the journalists to learn that tional Interest charts the incredible story of his extended family, their children were missing, and another month to confirm that they the Stewarts, whose 21-year old son Tony Stewart was one of were killed. the Balibo Five. And still, after two official inquiries (1999 and 2007), those reTaking on one of Australia’s most controversial issues, Na- sponsible for the murder of the Balibo Five have not been prostional Interest explores the nature of justice through the eyes of ecuted. those to whom justice matters the most. National Interest takes place in the living room of the Stewart On October 16, 1975, five Australian-based journalists, family, who are joined by the ghosts of Tony Stewart, Greg Greg Shackleton, Tony Stewart, Gary Cunningham, Shackleton and Gary Cunningham. Malcolm Rennie and Brian Peters were murdered on asJulia Blake portrays Tony Stewart’s mother June who, as signment in the town of Balibo, East Timor, at the hands of time flows back and forth from 1975 to 2007 and with memory the Indonesian military. fading, is forced to recount the events of her son’s murder yet again through an official inquiry, even though she along with everyone else already knows the truth. The cast features James Bell (Tony Stewart), Julia Blake (June Stewart), Grant Cartwright (Gary Cunningham), ■ Phoenix Theatre Company presents A Funny Thing HapMichelle Fornasier (Jane Stewart), Stuart Halusz (Greg pened On the Way To The Forum at Doncaster Playhouse, Shackleton) and Polly Low (Coroner Dorelle Pinch). 679 Doncaster Rd, Doncaster from Friday (May 25) until Venue: Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio Saturday, June 2. The show is directed and choreographed by Season Dates: June 6-July 21 Renee Maloney, with Katie Packer as Musical Director. Opening Night: Monday June 11, 8pm Cast includes Steven Keane, Rebecca Muratore, Nicholas Tickets: From $56 (Under 30s just $33) Barca, Dale Hall, Ross McKinnon, Don Harrod, Tamblyn Smith, Bookings: The MTC Theatre Box Office 8688 0800 or Bradl;ey Storer, Bianca Mason, Michelle Di Guglielmo, Lauren mtc.com.au; Arts Centre Melbourne 1300 182 183 or Zerbi, Ruth Spencer, Claire de Freitas and Jesse Gheller. artscentremelbourne.com.au
A Funny Thing ...
● Deborah Cheetham ■ Reconciliation is the theme and music is the medium for Monash University Academy of Performing Arts (MAPA) as it brings its National Reconciliation Concert to the Melbourne Town Hall on Sunday (May 27) at 2.30 pm. Led by the orchestra's new conductor Fabian Russell, Monash Academy Orchestra will be joined by indigenous artists: soprano Deborah Cheetham, and master didjeridu player William Barton This special concert takes MAO away from its home base at Robert Blackwood Hall on the Clayton campus of Monash University, and brings it to the civic heart of the city. Deborah Cheetham is a Yorta Yorta soprano, composer and author who has established her place as an artist in demand. Since her debut in 1997, Deborah has performed in theatres and concerts halls in Europe, America, the UK, New Zealand and her home base of Australia. She created Australia's first indigenous opera, Pecan Summer, which had its premiere last year, and an excerpt will be performed in this concert. Deborah was a 2010 finalist in Victoria for Australian of the Year, and has created Short Black Opera, a national not-for-profit opera company devoted to the development of indigenous opera singers. William Barton is one of Australia's leading didjeridu players and played his first classical concert with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra at the age of 17. He has played the didjeridu internationally, and was commissioned to write a didgeridu part for the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra's collaboration with composer Sean O'Boyle. William has also collaborated with noted Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe, and Sculthorpe's work Earth Cry will feature in this concert, as will a work by William and Matthew Hindson for orchestra, didjeridu, voice and guitar. Tickets for this concert are free, but they must be prebooked by visiting www.monash.edu/mapa or calling 9905 1111. - Julie Houghton