Metior Magazine - Edition #13 by Metior Magazine

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Murdoch Empire Telegraph & Indian Ocean Review

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Edition #3 May 2014

When All Else Fails...

Murdoch Empire Telegraph & Indian Ocean Review – Since 1975 Edition 3, May 2014 Metior acknowledges that this is and always will be Aboriginal land. Metior is a Murdoch University student publication. For latest Guild news, events and info go to www.the-guild.com.au Find us on Facebook & Twitter metiormagazine metiormagazine Want to catch up on previous issues? Go to www.the-guild.com.au/metior Editor Olivia Gardner

Cover Photo Adam Semple

Sub-Editor Madura McCormack

Photographers Adam Semple Ava Mandal Ellie Griffiths Kira Carlin Lisa Townsend Maria Bergwitz Vanessa Gudgeon

Graphic Design Karmen Lee Our talented team of writers... Jonathon Davidson Adam Semple Lisa Townsend Cecilia Allen Maria Bergwitz Dale Morey Red Lauren M Ellie Griffiths Troy Treeby Erina Kimura Jesse Gambit Blue

Keep an eye out for contributors meeting posters around uni at the start of next semester. Metior’s deadlines for the next editions of 2014 is 4th July If you’d like to contribute writing, photography, poetry, illustrations or ideas please email us at metior@the-guild.com.au Editor Olivia Gardner

Advertising Natacha Petersen

Email metior@the-guild.com.au

Phone 0450 958 071

Address Murdoch University Guild of Students 90 South Street, Murdoch WA 6150

Email n.petersen@the-guild.com.au

This magazine is printed using vegetable based inks onto paper stock which is manufactured from pulp sourced from plantation grown timber. Both paper manufacturer and printer are certified to ISO 14001, the internationally recognised standard for Environmental Management. Disclaimer Metior is published by the students of Murdoch University, under the governance of Murdoch University Guild of Students. Content should not be regarded as the opinions of the Guild unless specifically stated. The Guild accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of any of the opinions or information contained within the magazine.

CONTENTS Prez Sez ��2 Editorial ��2 Creative Non-Fiction Society’s Ugly Ducklings........................................................... 141 Features I Need Some Guidance ��8 DON’T PANIC! ��9 Urban Coe-Op ��12 Different Spokes, Different Folks ��15 Rabbithead ��18 University from a Japanese Female Perspective ��19 Welcome to WA, the Land of the Perpetual Election ��27 Fiction Moderation: Or, A Tale on Frog People Fucking.........................22 Opportunities �� 4 Giveaways/Freebies/Up for Grabs �� 5 Poetry The Girls of Winter ��23 Photography Adam Semple �� 6 & 14 Maria Bergwitz ��10 Lisa Townsend ��13 Vanessa Grudgeon ��16 Kira Carlin ��20 Ava Mandal ��24 Ellie Griffiths ��28 Recipe One Minute Mug Brownie ��33 Reviews Cinema ��31 Comedy ��32 Theatre ��32 Visual Art Brendan JB ��33 1

PREZ SEZ Words by Roland Belford So how about that budget hey?

The Liberal party claims that these measures are necessary to get government debt under control, but they’re liars because not only does their budget make an indistinguishable difference to the bottom line compared to Labor’s, it leaves us – the people – with a shitload of debt. And let’s face it, if the government was flush with money from a properly implemented mining tax, the Libs would’ve done all this shit anyway because they’re fundamentally evil people driven by a toxic ideology. We can continue taking to the streets in protest, but the (Rupert) Murdoch media will make us out to be violent ferals. We can send letters of sternly worded disappointment and disgust to Christopher Pyne, but I suspect he’s too busy crushing children’s dreams to read them.

Never before have the Australian people acted so hostile to a budget and it’s no wonder when you look at it. Now I only have half a page, so I’ll keep it to education matters. Straight up the government is reducing their contribution to the cost of university degrees, so that’ll push our personal debt up. Then they’re deregulating university fees and giving universities the chance to raise fees further, which is pushing our debt up more. If I were to predict the future, I’d guess Law at Murdoch would double, if not triple in price. Now, with that increased debt we’ve accumulated just by going to class – learning skills to make this society better – the government will charge a higher interest rate on that debt we owe them. So that’s more debt for us, and if you ever take some time off to start a family, or work overseas, or get injured, etc. the debt will just keep on climbing. And best of all, look forward to six months without government assistance if you’re under 30. Better have a job lined up the moment you finish your final exam, otherwise you’re out on your arse with decades of debt to pay off before you even think about buying a house.

So, if all else fails we could just move to Norway or Germany, where tuition is free for domestic and international students, the only financial burden being the cost of books, supplies and a token administration fee. Those countries were faced with the choice of being a society that valued education or an economy that punished people for learning. They chose education and so can we

EDITORIAL Words by Olivia Gardner Wowzers. Here we are at the end of yet another semester, and boy oh boy has it been a tough one.

breaking point, we’ve done what we can to create a neat little package that presents a solution or two, and at the very least a little escapism.

There’s nothing quite like this time of year when the weather changes, not just literally, but also in the sense of the sudden chill that rolls down the spine as you realise ‘oh dear god, my everything is due!’

When all else fails, we find a way. Or at least that’s how I feel most of the time, kudos to those who are on top of their game.

As the lore of nature goes, that swift change in temperature and the violent chill of stress swoops down upon us with a vengeance, grabbing us by the throat, and rendering us sick, sad and most likely locked in our bedrooms trying to pump out what we deliriously hope is our most profound work yet.

There is one last thing that I ask of you before we sign off for the semester, and that is to stay in touch… We want to hear from you over the break, not just the rad shit that you’re getting up to but also your ideas and (constructive) criticisms for the mag. Over the holidays we want to do everything we can, from the banal to the brilliant, to come back at you in semester two with a publication that endears to all. metior@the-guild.com.au is your port of call and S.S. Communication your awaited vessel.

Alas, it is not long now until this is all over, a distant and near forgotten memory. The theme for this edition is When All Else Fails… and that in no way applies to our grades! But is instead intended as a positive reinforcement, when you feel like you’re at your wits’ end with assignments and looming exams, when you’re almost at

On that terrible joke, it’s bon voyage, and see you on the other side.

Xo the Metior team.

Opportunities Metior wants you to excel in life, so here are a few opportunities that we’ve come across recently… Australia’s Funniest Shorts short film competition This is one for the aspiring film students and class clowns to get together and create some funnies. This competition is part of the 6th annual Rottofest that is happening September 19 – 21, 2014. Brief: Participants can submit up to three filmed sketches or comedy short films for a chance to win $500 or $1000 respectively. The funniest entries will be screened at Rottofest, Rottnest Island, WA. More details and entry form: www.rottofest.com.au Entry Deadline: August 15, 2014 ($30 entry fee) Governor-General’s Prize If you haven’t completely had it with essay writing for this semester, this competition is pretty “prestigious”. The chairman of the judging panel is someone named Honourable Justice Susan Kiefel AC. Sounds pretty legit. Brief: Open to all undergraduate students studying at Australian universities. Participants submit a 2500 word essay based one of the six questions across topics such as law, politics, history and social justice. Prize pool for winning essays is “in excess of $10,000” and includes an event at the High Court in Canberra on 1 December 2014. For more details and entry form visit: www.ggprize.com.au Deadline: June 30, 2014 at 5pm AEST (No entry fee) The Pocketbook- Zookal Scholarship for student entrepreneurs For the business savvy and market gurus of the future, this scholarship wants students to get involved in start-ups and entrepreneurship. Because we may very well graduate in a climate with zero paying job opportunities, the idea is to “start your own thing”. Brief: The scholarship is worth $1000 cash from Pocketbook and 4 free textbooks worth up to $1000 from Zookal. Participants are to write an essay titled “How I Hustled To Get What I Wanted” of any length. Entrants must be currently enrolled in a university or tertiary course and be aged 18 years or older. Scholarship not limited by grades, country of origin, or area of study. For more details and entry form visit: https://getpocketbook.com/blog/pocketbook-zookal-scholarship-student-entrepreneurs/ Deadline: May 14, 2014. Second intake commences right after. The 2014 Young Writers Innovation Prize All of you young and bright creative types have the opportunity again this year to unleash that alternative and original literary concept that surely lingers and stalks your creative conscious. Brief: All you have to do is submit an idea that demonstrates innovation in the field of literature and publication. Last year’s winners included a machine that writes poetry, a multi-lingual online magazine and also, a publishing house for long-form game critiques. First prize bags $5000, second grabs $1000, and the third place winner goes home with $500 to make their dreams come true. Catch is you must be under thirty. For more details and entry form visit: http://expressmedia.org.au/express_media/prizes-grants-moneyfor-writers/the-2014-young-writers-innovation-prize/ Deadline: June 13, 2014 at 5pm (AEST) Contribute to Metior Magazine Product placement never hurt anyone. Metior will be back kicking and screaming at the beginning of Semester 2, but that doesn’t mean we’re taking a break. If you’re interested to contribute ideas or want to lambaste the magazine, feel free to email us at metior@the-guild.com.au If you would like to contribute writing, photography or any other works to the magazine, these are the dates to take note of: Edition #4 Deadline: 4 July 2014 Edition #5 Deadline: 15 August 2014 Edition #6 Deadline: 26 September 2014

Giveaways/ Freebies Up for grabs Metior is throwing some free stuff at your face. We’ve got a few free tickets to a few snazzy events and figured we’d share them with you, in the spirit of true love. As advocates of the digital age, these giveaways are normally conducted via Facebook (www.facebook. com/metiormagazine) and Twitter (@metiormag). But since some of you may not have ‘liked’ or ‘followed’ us on that platform just yet, we’re reaching out to you the good old-fashioned way. How to win: Shoot us an email at metior@the-guild.com.au telling us what you think of the mag and what you’d like to see in the upcoming editions. More photography? More fiction? Are we good enough for you? We want to know. Winners for the Australian Tattoo and Body Art Convention will be notified via email and Facebook on June 4. Winners for ‘2 One Another’ and ‘House on the Lake’ will be notified via email and Facebook on June 11. 2x Double Pass to the Australian Tattoo and Body Art Convention The biggest tattoo and body art expo in the Southern Hemisphere is returning to Perth. In its second year, this event will showcase some interesting body art, custom motorcycles, pin-up models and burlesque performances. Double pass winners get access to the expo throughout its 3-day run from June 6-8 at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. 1x Double Pass to Sydney Dance Company’s 2 One Another 2 One Another, presented by the Sydney Dance Company, is a sensual study that explores the couple, the individual and the group. The performance was choreographed by Rafael Bonachela and features 16 contemporary dancers against a digital backdrop of motion design, with a soundtrack that ranges from Baroque to electronica. The performance runs from June 18-21. The double pass is for the opening night, June 18, 8pm at His Majesty’s Theatre. 1x Double Pass to Black Swan State Theatre Company’s House on the Lake House on the Lake is a psychological thriller about prominent lawyer David Rail, who awakes in a hospital room without knowing how he got there. With his memory tuned to reset every 15 minutes, his doctor scrambles to piece together the mystery that hides at its dark heart, a hideous crime. Presented by Black Swan Theatre Company, House on the Lake was written by Aidan Fennessy and stars Kenneth Ransom as David Rail and Marthe Rovik as Dr. Alice Lowe. The play runs from June 6-27. The double pass is for June 22, 6pm at Studio Underground in the State Theatre Centre.

LINES

@myindexfinger

Photography by Adam Semple

I NEED SOME GUIDANCE Words by Madura McCormack

What week is it? Does anyone know? I think we’re almost at the end of semester one... How did that happen? I’m just so out of it. You know what would help though, those little booklets called Unit Guides they used to give out in Week One. Remember them? Those things gave us all the info we needed. Oh good times, good times… But I guess we don’t need to have that stuff on hand, I mean, it’s probably not important to be able to simply reach into your backpack and find out what assignment is due when. Pfffft, assignments, pffft, formalities. Apparently it’s just as easy to go online and get that information. I totally agree Murdoch. I love having my pick of the many available computers in the library, logging on, and waiting for the super quick internet to load MyUnits, before downloading the PDF version. Oh wait, silly me, I could have simply loaded it onto the tablet that myself and every other uni student can afford. “Alright guys, the details of the project are on page 17 of the unit guide, so please flip to the pa… Never mind, just remember to look it up on Moodle.” How about I flip you the bird. That Unit Guide is more essential than those ‘essential textbooks’ I pay a kidney for but never use. But apparently they’re not essential enough to be printed out for us students anymore. HECS no children, you heard the man, go online and look it up. Obviously apart from all students owning a tablet computer, all students will also diligently traverse the wondrous Moodle platform to read the Unit Guide. Newsflash, that doesn’t happen. Doesn’t Murdoch understand that University students have more pressing issues to attend to? There are Game of Thrones episodes to be streamed, selfies to be uploaded, snarky things to post on the MurdochConfessions Facebook page. There simply is no bandwidth left for Unit Guide perusal. I guess I’ll pay the 16 cents per two-sided page that it costs to print it out. Whoops! That goes against the whole idea of ‘sustainability’ does it not? Oh what a conundrum. Tut-tuts all around. Murdoch aims to be as green as Bush Court on a glorious spring day, saving the Earth one sustainable cut to student needs at a time. Why, Unit Guides are as much a waste of paper as sprinklers that water the pavement. How come we haven’t gotten rid of those? Maybe we should fertilize this whole business with those aromatic parcels the horses leave behind for the Vet kids. That sounds sustainable to me. But as always, Murdoch is as transparent as the pond of the Chinese Garden on campus. All that restructuring and mysteriously disappearing lecturers were explained to us in such a comprehensible way. Is ‘sustainability’ the new catchphrase for ‘we can’t afford that’? Quit your whinging kid, the end of hardcopy Unit Guides isn’t the end of the world. That’s true though. While it may be a pain to constantly have to go online and look it up, while it may cost a few dollars to print, the lack of hardcopy Unit Guides isn’t a major issue. However, if you keep cutting a few branches off a tree to make firewood, eventually you end up with nothing more than dying roots and a pile of ash. Does the axing of Unit Guides signal further cuts to be shouldered by students? That is, once Murdoch is done ‘slimming’ its staff population. But come now, this is all nothing but wild speculation. This is a student publication, we have morals and an obligation to not just sit here and do nothing. In the spirit of standing up for our rights and to banish the apathy stereotype, we must now formulate a solution! How do we get Murdoch to pull its crepes together and print us those Unit Guides on that crisp high quality paper strictly reserved for staff printers? The student body must band together and tell Murdoch Uni to shove a poodle up its Moodle and bring back hardcopy versions. Let’s all not hand in our assignments and use the excuse “I didn’t have my Unit Guide on me so I didn’t know it was due”. It might work. At least it’ll save me applying for all these extensions…

DON’T PANIC! Exam Preparation Words by Red Lauren M. According to various scholars throughout the long and weary history of academia, every individual has their own personal style of learning. With exams approaching faster than a train when you’ve dropped your phone on the tracks, knowing your learning style could take a huge chunk out of the time it takes you to review, revise and absorb the mountain of material needed for that passing grade this semester.

ing of words, remembering information…” They also tend to ‘think in words rather than pictures’. And are you naturally good at tasks that require speaking and listening? Go, auditory! Kinesthetic learners: What does that button do? Can I touch this? What does that feel like? What does education taste like? Kinesthetic learners are those annoying kids you knew as a kid, who learnt to ride their bike almost as soon as they were on it. Whereas visual learners tend to be more into the arts and performing, kinesthetic learners are a bit more Sporty Spice. Kinesthetic learning is all about interaction and expressing through movement. Kodesia states that people that learn through ‘doing’ “have skills demonstrated in physical coordination, athletic ability, hands on experimentation, using body language…” and basically just moving in general.

There are a billion and one different theories and models, and a billion and one models of those theories that we could look at, but the most popular and wide spread are the simplest, so that makes our lives a little easier, for now anyway. Neil Fleming, a highly reputed teacher in New Zealand, claims that there are three main types of learning: visual, auditory and kinesthetic. In other words, do you learn better with your eyes, your ears or your hands? When you’re aware of your learning style, figuring out what to do when you’re swimming under a pile of papers, notes and lecture slides gets a whole lot easier.

When studying for your exams this semester, it’s super important to know what your learning style is before setting out. There’s nothing more frustrating than spending hours and hours trying to plow your way through the rocky Himalayas of text books, when drawing a mind map would be far more effective, less time consuming, and even enjoyable as opposed to writing linear notes. Preparing for exams in general is much less stressful when you know that the method you’re employing is not only time saving, but also effective.

According to an article published by James Cook University of Australia in 2013, there are signs you can look for when trying to figure out what method of study to use and help to sweep the stress monster from underneath your bed in the lead up to exams. Visual learners: Tend to be the most imaginative of the three. If you have a colourful or artistic personality, this is probably the way to go for you. Shashank Kodesia of JCU wrote that visual learners tend to “have visual skills which are demonstrated in puzzle building, reading, writing, understanding charts and graphs, a good sense of direction, sketching, painting, creating visual metaphors and analogies (perhaps through the visual arts), manipulating images…” And that the more visual learners tend to ‘learn through seeing’, ‘think in pictures’ and ‘create vivid mental images to retain information’.

When you’re getting ready for exams, even if you’re desperately cramming, remember to listen to your brain and follow your learning method. Visual learners retain information through the use of note taking, diagrams, mind maps, brainstorming, and colour and shape coordination. Whereas auditory learners are great with lectures, presenting, reading or speaking aloud. Kinesthetic learners are do-ers. They learn by doing. If you’re trying to learn how to write a critical analysis, pick a text and write a critical analysis! There are always people willing to look it over and help you improve on your skills. Be it visual, auditory, kinesthetic, don’t panic and instead look, listen, or do.

Auditory learners: Are the people lectures were made for, especially before the age of PowerPoint Presentations and other visual aids. You’re in the zone when asked to present, and according to Kodesia, “have auditory skills demonstrated in listening, speaking, writing, storytelling, explaining, teaching, using humour, understanding the syntax and mean-

Kodesia, Shashank. ‘Visual, Auditory And Kinesthetic (VAK) Learning Style Model - JCU’. Jcu.Edu.Au, 2014. http://www.jcu.edu.au/wiledpack/modules/fsl/ JCU_090460.html.

SOCIETY’S UGLY DUCKLINGS Words and Photography by Maria Bergwitz Three friends sit silently side-by-side in the front seats of their van, all eyes glued to the windows, although the surrounding landscape submerged in nightfall gives away nothing. Except for the occasional tin horse flaring up for a split second when struck by the glare of their headlights, no sign of human presence is to be seen. Though, as they turn onto a dirt road, several sets of taillights appear in the distance, all hovering ghostly above the ground, beaming from within each their own whirlwind of dry soil. At its endpoint, a woman dressed in a skeleton onesie draws a line in the ground with a stick and welcomes them to Jilakin Rock City. “Once you cross this line, you enter the world of Blazing Swan where every-day worries and stresses become irrelevant to your existence.” Having crossed the line a few hours earlier, a lone girl wanders aimlessly around, ducking in and out of social circles. She marvels at all the non-judgemental minds, the immediate acceptance of anything different, and the genuine welcoming of anyone new, yet a strange sensation of misplacement keeps her moving. As she falls victim to her irrational emotions, she leaves her newly found friends at the Tiki Bar, heading into the darkness of the night. Just as she is about to delve into the vibrant realm of the camp next door, a ute blocks her way. Popping his smiling face out the window, the man behind the steering wheel invites her to come for a ride. As they drive along stretches of clear ground in between clusters of tents and vehicles in all forms and shapes, she recognises a familiar city-like structure where the themed camps become different suburbs, each with their own unique public space. Blasting through sound systems of all sizes, from small homemade set-ups to the world famous Funktion-One, an array of music is on offer, ranging from Drum ‘n Bass and Glitch Hop to Jazz and Heavy Metal. Other camps supply instruments for anyone to play with, share their extensive dress-up wardrobe, create art on faces, or give eight kinds of hugs, each in exchange for two compliments. In between walks a humble man handing out complement cards with a smile. Slowly, the notion of familiarity wears off. Whatever it is that the people have created within the confinements of Jilakin Rock City, it embodies a social existence she has never experienced before. The grounds hold no dominant centre of gravity as found in CBDs or main streets, places that have come to be the norm of where to socialise. An equivalent to such social hubs usually created by areas reserved for market stalls, food outlets or bars, is nowhere to be found. But the complete absence of monetary exchange is not a random coincidence. It is a conscious decision made by the organisers, who seek to eliminate the commercially sourced consumption component of socialising where human interaction is centred on the coffee we go out for, or the shopping mall we go to explore. It is a process of ‘de-commodifying’, both labour and products, stripping them of their monetary value in order to make them more equally available and to liberate people from market dependency. Enshrined in the ten principles, ‘decommodification’ forms part of a set of ethos underpinning the Blazing Swan way of life. As a ‘no vending’ event rejecting monetary values, the festival manifests a society free from financial restraints. Here, income levels become irrelevant in determining a person’s food intake or learning opportunities. It is a culture of participation rather than consumption, where the collaborative efforts of all festivalgoers make the event into what it is. All the things offered, from morning tea and midnight sangria to the various workshops teaching yoga and circus tricks, spring out of people gifting their time and skills in exchange for experience. The hierarchy of socioeconomic status dissolves. Lost in wonder about society and human nature, the girl had gone silent mid conversation. Mr Smiley Face had left her and so had the sense of misplacement. She had come to understand her decentralised surroundings as an environment with complete freedom of the self, where social trends that manifest city centres and form a basis for identity are non-existent. Gazing into the darkness of the night, breathing in a lungful of crisp air, a faint drum rhythm catches her attention. Drawn to its beat like a magnet to its polar opposite, she becomes part of a growing crowd gathering around the swan. Rising majestically in the middle of a field, the over 14 metre high wooden structure is surrounded by a mesmerising sight of fire dancers and drum circles. As the swan lights up, its flames licking at the limitless dark sky, she begins by letting go.

THE URBAN COE-OP

Words and Photography by Lisa Townsend Strolling past the unassuming facades of Wittenoom Street in East Perth, it is an absolute delight to my senses when I lay my eyes upon number 44. The Urban Coe-Op cheerily bursts out of the streetscape with its shocking pink bricks, vibrant potted succulents and an imposing but striking hand painted mural. What was once a rundown and disused warehouse has been imaginatively converted into an open and welcoming space where community members are encouraged to showcase their artistic talents, share their love of good food, and discover ways to live a sustainable life within their community.

tiny bit. It’s about a very quiet education. To teach people how you can eat from your courtyard, off a wall, or off a piece of concrete. It’s also about supporting local farmers,” she explains. As I speak with Mason, it is clear that she is passionate about sharing her knowledge and vision with the people of Perth so much so that that the whole project is being funded by her own savings, although she is trying to attract money from private investors. “I have no doubt it will be successful because of all the good things I want to do. It’s the hardest project I’ve ever done, but there’s not one negative thing I can say. In order to create something special you need to be very passionate about it and my passion is food, art, culture, and entertainment” she proclaims, exuding positive vibes. Her enthusiasm and optimism is infectious. It’s quite invigorating to be drawn into her world of possibilities and I become aware that this could be the start of something big.

Danielle Mason is the fearless entrepreneur who has conjured up the idea of transforming one single space and utilising its flexible and limitless potential to create a shared, cultural community hub. The hard work started eight months ago and although severely sleep deprived, Mason and her small dedicated team of volunteers are finally nearing the completion of the unique transformation of a disused warehouse. “Enquiries are being taken, we’re very excited and hope to be launching very soon,” Mason divulges with a smile.

As our conversation turns to what kind of events The Urban Coe-Op might hold, Mason’s excitement can hardly be contained. She explains that the potential is endless in a place like this, “you can do many, many things under one roof and I’ve just teamed up with HMS Pop-up Productions and we have big plans for ‘The Coe’.”

The warehouse space is vast at 600m² and practically everything inside has been up-cycled. This is the process of converting ‘rubbish’ or unwanted items and materials into usable pieces. Unwanted baths have been turned into sculptures, furniture has been constructed from discarded building materials, and old books and plants have become art. It is a unique space that Mason describes as “a really cool, hip New York style warehouse like the one where I lived and worked in San Francisco.”

Mason’s philosophy is that the space is available to just about anyone who wants to express their freedom or passion, all are welcome. “I want to do some wonderful art launches and some amazing supper clubs with candles and a big chandelier. I want to embrace the community with family events and I want cabaret shows and Saturday night dancing. I want to bring back that old school hospitality and customer service and make people feel fantastic. Mostly, I want the community to know I’m doing it for them and I’m not just the crazy lady in a hat from the colourful building,” she says.

Mason has already had much success in the food and hospitality industry. From running an award winning restaurant in Perth, to managing an organic food shop in San Francisco, she is eager to tackle this next challenge and tells me what inspired her to create The Urban Coe-Op. “When I came back to Perth, after living in San Francisco, I was quite horrified at Perth’s food prices and decided instead of sitting on my couch complaining, I’d step up and do something,” she regales.

“Ultimately, I want to save as many warehouses as I can and even introduce the Urban Coe-Op overseas where I can showcase Western Australian produce.” Then she stops, takes a breath, looks around the room and smiles, “but we have to finish this one first.”

One of Mason’s dreams for the space is to use it as a platform to educate the community about sustainability, urban food production and micro gardening. “I just want to make a commitment to Perth, just a

For more information visit: http://theurbancoe-op.com.au

Different Spokes, different folks Words and Photography by Adam Semple Portland is a strange city, but what makes a city strange? I got an email from a friend the other day, it was a sentence long: “How is coffee/fixed gear/beards/nostalgia/retro/craft/Portland?” It’s this kind of succinctness that we hear so often, but what’s Portland really all about? Portland is a fascinatingly strange place, but it’s not the fixed gear bikes and tattoos that make it so. It’s easy to judge a city on what it produces, but discovering the causes of those cultural symptoms showcase what is truly brilliant about the city. As progressive cities go, Portland fits into the mould as a socially inclined place where people want to work together. There are many ‘co-op’s’ focusing on socially cooperative living, and volunteering time at your local co-op supermarket in trade for hugely discounted food isn’t uncommon. The social fabric of Portland stems from a love for the environment. The city is nestled on the periphery of a massive state park, and you can walk from downtown to seemingly endless hiking tracks in about 10 minutes. The North West of the USA has an outdoor vibe in general, which reflects within Portland with flannelette shirts and leather boots still being so fashionable, lumberjack-esque. Clothing re-sale shops are rife and vintage clothing flows from the desire to recycle anything possible. Composting and minimizing trash is obviously high on the agenda too, even their local fast-food chain Burgerville composts. People ride more bikes here than anywhere else in the US, because it’s good for the planet. Not polluting the earth has always been a big thing here, having said that, the stigma associated with hipsters on fixedgear bicycles started here too. If simplifying life by reducing the excess junk from your bike was key to that, fixed gear bikes let you lose the unnecessary twenty gears and excess breakable parts. In typical Portland fashion though, fixed gear bikes are now much less common than plain old vintage town bikes as people are discovering old and unused bikes ripe for refurbishment. These developments of craft mastery always catch on as trends because it becomes socially expected to subscribe. Sections of Portland are ultra-anti-conformist, but ironically the viscosity of its hipster culture extends from people exaggerating the culture and turning it into a fashion statement. The beards and tattoos and top button tightening come from the fact that it is trendy to be seen doing what is cool, and in Portland it is cool to ride bikes by default of it being uncool to drive a car. As Portland works constantly at removing itself from mass production, it has developed a love of craft mastery. This allure to proficiency seems inherent in the nature of people trying to avoid anything mass produced. As the idea of social co-operation and locally/ethically made goods has spread through Portland over the past few decades, it seems every industry has become highly specialised. The city absolutely adores coffee, has more than 30 local brewers of beer, and another hand-made craft store pops up each month. Partly due to the fact that Portland has a market for such artistry, but social progression is also about appreciating everything for the best it can be, opposed to its cost. Whether it is beer, boots, or bookshops, it evolves into an art form. Mass produced goods aren’t beneficial for the quality of that good, nor for the environment it’s produced in. Paying more to support a local blacksmith isn’t only about buying a superb knife, but also the fact that you’re supporting the ethos of quality over quantity. Portland leads by a lot of examples. It is the hipster capital of the world because it has combined environmental passion with the desire to rid itself of excess goods and mass-production. It hasn’t escaped social clichés though, so as many people idolize that bearded-barista-dripping-in-tattoo-confabulation, they tend to forget that Portland is really about loving the environment and making great things, as much as it’s about fitting in with a crowd by buying a shiny new bike. It’s no wonder that progressive Western cultures tend to harness similar social environments; developing a relationship with nature, mastering a craft, and expression through art, is all very satiating to the soul.

PHOTOGRAPHER Vanessa Gudgeon

RabbitHead

Words by Olivia Gardner & Photography by Simon Pynt Imagine a world of fairy-floss pink in a suburban landscape that is surreal yet all too familiar. Ever heard the turn of phrase sickening sweet? Well, this is but the cusp of Little y Theatre Co.’s devised play RabbitHead, a dark comedy on friendship and its insidious guests. Director Ian Sinclair stepped out of rehearsals to have a brief but insightful chat to us about the company’s up-coming performance. It’s hard to know where to begin when talking about RabbitHead, as the director himself struggled at first to find the words to contextualise this complex and alluring devised performance.

“You see this share house world that they live in. It’s also a world where there’s this motive of pests running through it. Like cockroaches and termites and rabbits and how they affect the house and how they affect the relationship as well, Sinclair elaborates, “for example, Violette has a rabbit called Rabbithead and the play begins with Rabbithead dying and they store it in the freezer and they have a burial for Rabbithead and it’s all very sweet and supportive and friendly but as the play progresses you also learn that Holly, the whole time, has been poisoning the rabbit in a passive aggressive way.

So let’s start with that, what is a devised performance? Sinclair explains, “it means that it’s written with me and the actors, and the set designer comes in and is helping create the world – everyone kind of improvises in the space together. Things kind of build one on top of the other rather than having a script and here it is… all the character and actor stuff is about making the world and the choices together as a group.” Actors Violette Ayad and Holly Garvey play best friends. “The show itself is about friends who have been such good friends for such a long time – it’s about when they both start to change, and split apart,” Sinclair describes. “It’s about responsibility and those times in life where it changes and you have to become responsible. It’s also kind of looking at how you can kind of do the worst things to your friends –I think – the worst things and the most horrible things you can often do are to the people you love the most really, and there’s the repercussions of that.”

Holly’s character slowly begins to morph into this Rabbithead out of guilt – so it’s also about the lies people keep from each other and how it sort of eats you from the inside out.” Most interestingly the play has been devised based on a colonial play called The Tramp by Barbara Baynton, a seminal female colonial writer. “That original story was about a woman who is kind of left on her own to look after her child and a tramp appears who kind of attacked her and tried to get into the house and there’s this slow build of making her feel scared and worried and alone. It’s very much about the Australian landscape and the bush is also a very scary place for her” explains Sinclair.

On stage you will find a fairy-floss machine from which the set evolves as the sugar is spun and used to create the girls’ environment, right down to their costumes and masks. “I think the sugariness and the sweetness is kind of symbolic of them themselves, this sweetness that people have, that love for each other and these ideas of what you’re going to be when you’re a kid and when you’re rich friends and you make up all these ideas of how you’re going to live, where you’re going to live and what you’re going to be – and when the world doesn’t give you that it can kind of turn sour – there’s a lot of things about secrets between friends, so they have a lot of secrets with each other,” Sinclair explains.

“So we kind of looked at what it is now to be a woman, but what is it now to be in that same environment but in the suburbs as well. She’s quite young in the text, so what is it to be the same age as us but now, and what are the impacts on that, what are social anxieties though technologies and all sorts of things like that as well.” You can catch RabbitHead at the Blue Room Theatre on the 14th of June.

University from a Japanese female perspective Words by Erina Kimura ‘Murdoch Women’s University.’ This is your university name from today. Can you imagine your university with every class, lecture theatre and library full of only girls? I am an exchange student from Japan, where I come from my university’s name is ‘Mukogawa Women’s University and it is a women only university. In Japan, there are still many women’s universities. How is it different? Well, there are definitely many girls who suffer from trying to make boyfriends! While there are some disadvantages like romance, they have many advantages as well. For example, many classes are set for women’s needs or interests. I wouldn’t say all of the women’s universities are feminist, but I would say that one of the aims of women’s universities is for women to explore their careers. This is how Women’s Universities in Japan definite themselves (from the Mukogawa Women’s University homepage) • University for women to provide them high intelligence • University for bringing up women as ones who can contribute to the society • University for women to have rich and beautiful minds I had really interesting (but a bit tough) experiences through the life as a student of an all-female university. Unless we go to other places such as work for our part-time jobs, or club activities at the different universities, those who attend a women’s university rarely have the opportunity to meet with guys. I studied English in the U.S. for four months. It was a very nice opportunity and it helped me a lot, however, what you need to know now is that I just spent all day, every day with only girls for the four months. In Japan it was hard, but for those four months in the U.S. we had even stricter rules for our everyday life. About 250 girls went to the U.S. together at the same time. Where we slept, where we studied, wherever! Only girls, girls, girls! Moreover, as a rule from our universities, we were not allowed to exchange phone numbers, mailing addresses, and even Facebook with any guy at that time. It might sound very conservative. And it might have been so in some ways, but regardless, those four months brought me a new perspective for my life. For the four months, all of us spent our life without any men. Some who left their boyfriends in Japan had a harder time, but what I found through the exchange in the U.S. with only girls is how I want to live as an independent woman in the future. Without any consciousness, I feel like I used to live thinking of how others, particularly men, considered me. However, since my time in the U.S. with only girls, I experienced leadership and how much we – women – can dream of our future in society as independent and uninhibited individuals.

PHOTOGRAPHER Kira Carlin

MODERATION: OR, A TALE ON FROG PEOPLE FUCKING Words by Jonathon Davidson Picture a calm black ocean in the moonlight - it’s a full moon, by the way - and skimming along the surface are schools of tiny silver fish, their scales shimmering. They swim close to a grouping of ancient trees - let’s go with Redwoods - and amongst the tops of trunks that stretch to the bottom of the ocean, from a distance you can see hundreds of tiny glowing lights. Imagine plank bridges, buildings and platforms crafted from small pieces of wood over time. Picture a beautiful handcrafted quality to this place - an almost rustic feel - the lights are soft orange, and everything looks tranquil. Now picture little humanoids, something amphibious. A society of little Frog People in the trees. They stand upright on two skinny legs with skinny arms and big protruding bellies. So the Frog People, they live peacefully in their world of leaves and branches. Strict vegetarians and environmentalists, they take only what is vital for infrastructure. They have medicine, language, philosophy, mathematics and arts. There is no crime. So great has their utopia become that the Frog People evolved a collective consciousness. Eventually, all communication became telepathic. The concept of the individual collapsed under its own impossible weight. Advanced medicine increased health and life expectancy. They even formed their own religion based on the seasons and stars, then they abandoned it. In their tranquility, they spend most of their time on the harvesting of food, community participation and long sessions of heavy meditation. Offspring were learning more than they ever had before. In fact, most developing offspring let’s call them Froglets - have a comprehensive understanding of the universe before six weeks of age. Let’s get back to the lights. These strange little lights illuminating strange little walkways come from a manipulation of energy that only Frog People understand. In crafting their perfect world they have learned to have absolute love for one another. This love is so powerful it can be extracted in a form that emanates light and heat. So the lights are powered by love. However, despite best efforts, all of the lights began to die out. Nothing could be done. Together as one mind the frog people searched for an answer. They found it: They’d stopped having sex. Caught up in a perpetual age of enlightenment, they had long ago ruled sex as ultimately superficial bar reproduction. Thus breeding became regulated and organized. The Frog People saw themselves as one. There was no exclusive dual partnership. There was no nuclear family. Initially partners were chosen at random to ensure reproduction which mimicked biological intentions. This was short lived, largely due to inefficiency. Generations of In Vitro Fertilization came into play, conducted in artificial wombs at multiple sites throughout the treetop city. Technology advanced so dramatically that the process of aging stopped, and eventually reproduction ceased. In transcending the limitations of the physical flesh, spiritual love dwarfed the pleasures of intercourse. Together as One they had reached perfection and there was no need to continue reproducing. Interestingly, the dying of the lights coincided with another discovery - having developed at a pace far exceeding natural order, they had mutated their genetic code. The Frog People had all become sterile. In a rush to find a solution, they created the first Froglet in ten years. The offspring was born with no genitals at all. Then, the lights completely died out. Madness erupted. Without illumination to know the world around them, they had nothing. Within a matter of days, many returned to the old religion. Society regressed into division. The Froglet with no genitals was deemed the Anti-Christ. Believers said that Non-Believers were in lieu with the Anti-Christ and had to be eliminated. Non-Believers became fearful and paranoid of fundamental extremism and wanted it eliminated. The Anti-Christ Froglet was kidnapped and publicly executed, which was a turning point in the conflict. Something had to be done, and a small guerilla collective had the answer. With great effort amongst the hysteria, they organized an orgy. The biggest orgy the Frog People had ever seen. Every single Frog Person in a last ditch effort to re-fuel the lights and return to the way things were. The few who disagreed quickly succumbed to the pressure of the overwhelming majority. There was almost no hesitation. The orgy began with immediate intensity. Imagine a cascading blanket of beautiful stars and nebula lighting up the velvet blackboard hanging heavy over the dark sea. Picture the silver fish shimmering in the

MODERATION: OR, A TALE ON FROG PEOPLE FUCKING Words by Jonathon Davidson moonlight, picture these mammoth ancient trees that hold up a tiny wooden city. And imagine around one and a half thousand Frog People all writhing around on top of one another having sex in a mountainous pile. Succumbing to repressed desires, none of the Frog People even took note that their great plan had worked. The lights began to shine again. Blind with forgotten lust, they continued their orgy. The lights burned brighter and brighter until finally, it happened. The trees caught fire. The city began to burn, and before the orgy could end their pile had become surrounded by flame on all sides. Black smoke filled the air, choking and blinding the Frog People. The lights burned like napalm. As the supports of the city began to burn, entire neighborhoods went tumbling

far, far down into the ocean below. The Frog People were forced to either jump to their deaths or face the flames. As they fell to the inescapable waters, as they all eventually did, sharks began to appear, attracted by the smells of burning meat and body fluids. Those who survived the fall were torn to shreds. Almost as quickly as it began, it was over. The trees, scorched and dead, had nothing left to burn. The branches were stripped bare. The entire city, eons of development, lay floating in blood, slowly sinking. The sharks swam away. The embers went out and stopped smoking. Picture a calm black ocean, glimmering in the moonlight. It’s a full moon. Don’t picture anything else.

The Girls of Winter Words by Dale Morey The girls of winter have arrived and their warm breath heats the fingers of frost held frozen to my heart. The faint scent of skin left lingering on my bedsheets reminds me of a face and name which I try not remember. Her chilled face flushed with cold the last memory before I sleep. Lips parted, quivering trembling with the lack of heat. And a feeble ray of light passed across the dewy leaves plays along my lovers face caressing her as I have done. The cold press of fingertips on firm and youthful skin reminds me of that winters breeze passing through your golden hair, as it carried your sweet perfume, mixed with a thousand others Across the university. A thousand other faces I’ll never wake 23 to yours again.

PHOTOGRAPHER Ava Mandal

Gratitude Minor (on kindness) Words by Jesse Gambit Blue

I saw a picture not too long ago lamenting the scarce supply of human kindness and suggesting that people are now so unused to displays of it that when it is shown and in generous fashion, it’s often mistaken for flirtation and mixed signals are enough to crash cars.

es and a shared cigarette under the eaves of locked down shop fronts, hair nervously tucked behind ears.

Rudeness and the mere forgetfulness of invisible suffering are culprits, sure. But I’m much more inclined to think it is indifference.

Sometimes they have to reach pretty far to find their bottoms but the efforts are commendable.

I see elderly couples come through my workplace and walk out holding hands and pinching each other’s bottoms and thought “well shit, that’s kind of nice, really.”

I see teenaged kids on buses trying to think of something cool to say to their crush and they are visibly planning for the worst case scenario, and it is heartbreaking. We expect to be crushed, to be shut down, to be humiliated. There is less hope.

Indifference toward others, apathy, misanthropy, it’s fraying the connections between us. There are fewer ‘thank yous’ in place of ‘first ins’. Instant gratification means younger generations are becoming accustomed to ‘right now’, regardless of the previously instilled virtues of patience and kindness in a world in which change can shatter worlds in a heartbeat.

Music is one thing which binds, the song Wake Up by Arcade Fire always leaves me floored and with a sense of responsibility to be a better regenerative effort of myself each morning when my hair is a big slice of Bellatrix and I have yet to find my elbow.

People in coffee queues in the morning are either the most forgiving or vilest of human beings.

I am an eternal optimist which seems a little futile sometimes but I suspect that comes from seeing and experiencing a lot of dehumanizing and upsetting things; though fostering a more altruistic attitude is not, I don’t think, wholly dependent on exposure to them.

Triple shot, five bucks to move faster, breathe in, no obituary. We are in such a rush we fail to notice a dropped gaze, scarred wrist or anxious fidgeting indicative of four nights on synthetic sleep and the fragility of a fledgling relationship.

An awareness of others is hard to develop when you are swamped with deadlines, essays, corporate hellishness and the unrelenting demands of society, and taking the time to engage fully with another person at a party or in a café or on the side of the street can be considered pointless or a waste of your time, but that’s the crux of it.

We meet thousands of people. We engage, we extract details, we file them away and some may remain in a cerebral corner pocket for the next decade but those five minutes spent cradling a glass of cheap red in a cluttered room while dismantling somebody completely with a hug create a chain reaction, whether romantic or otherwise.

We are placing value on people depending on how they can best serve us. We want to hang out with the popular kids in high school just to see what it’s like to be held in such ‘high esteem’.

A bitter word to someone is the footnote of a previous conversation ended before you got the chance to be honest.

We want the career which impresses our families because working a job we hate to achieve the respect we crave seems a viable means to an end.

If we can somehow eradicate the bitterness and try to briefly entertain the notion of verbal armour over a heart, perhaps the world will become a little less cruel?

Essentially, there are always going to be a few assholes in the world and they will not always be avoidable (or conveniently flammable), but it seems important to allot a few minutes to the people you encounter during your day based entirely on that they are human beings deserving to be seen and heard.

I’ve spent countless nights on trains watching people fall hard, biting their lip over a carefully chosen word or a blurted confession amongst the debris of a CBD-epressing nine-to-fiver week riddled with memos and crashed programs and smiled in spite of myself.

Or, to paraphrase a brilliant quote I love: “everybody has problems. Try not to be a dick.”

I’ve seen strangers fumble through awkward exchang-

WELCOME TO WA, THE LAND OF the perpetual election Words by Troy Treeby You’d be forgiven for thinking that West Australian voters might be feeling a sense of democracy overload by now.

Court declared the 2013 Senate election void, paving the way the Western Australian Governor to issue writs for a fresh Senate election to elect six senators to represent WA.

The April 5 Senate re-vote marked the fourth time in the space of a year that West Australians faced the polls, after the original Federal Senate election was declared void forcing a re-run.

In making his decision Justice Haynes said that those electors whose votes had been lost had effectively been disenfranchised and that the only proper course would be to call a fresh election.

This came off the back of first the State election in March 2013, the September Federal poll, and then October’s local government elections.

And for those four weeks of the election campaign the nation’s eyes were firmly fixed on our sunny shores in a way that is not likely to be repeated again.

The original poll on September 7 saw the Greens’ Scott Ludlam narrowly miss out on a Senate spot, with the Liberals picking up three seats, Labor two and the Palmer United Party’s Dio Wang grabbing the final seat.

For once in an election, Western Sydney, normally the prime battleground between Labor and the Coalition over Howard’s “battlers”, didn’t rate a mention.

During the early stages of counting it looked like the final two Senate spots in WA were going to come down to the Sports Party’s Wayne Drupolich and the Greens’ Scott Ludlam.

It was the one – and perhaps only – time that the whole country was entirely focused on the issues facing WA, and while some lamented the fact that we had to vote again, I was just happy things were finally getting heard over here.

However, the distribution of preferences saw the balance shift back in favor of Labor’s Louise Pratt and the Palmer United Party’s Dio Wang, who ended up taking out the last two seats ahead of Drupolich and Ludlam.

The big winners out of the Senate re-vote were the voters who turned up and thumbed the major parties in droves with big swings away from Labor and the Coalition towards the Greens and the Palmer United Party.

The Greens and the Sports Party petitioned the Australian Electoral Commission for a recount which was initially knocked back, however, the decision was appealed and the AEC agreed to hold a recount of the Senate vote.

The final results saw the Liberals finish up with just over 34 per cent of the vote, Labor with around 21.5 per cent, PUP with 12.3 per cent and the Greens bagging 15.6 per cent of the vote.

It was during the course of this recount, that it was discovered the AEC had lost almost 1400 votes from booths in the electorates of Pearce, Forrest and Moore, that had previously been counted but could not be located during the recount.

This translates into a negative swing of around 5 per cent for the two major parties, part of a longtime downward trend in their share of the vote. So what does all this mean for students? Are we feeling better represented as a result of these multiple elections? Or does it not even rate a mention in between the more prosaic concerns of assignments and exams?

Despite the loss of the votes the AEC had no choice but to declare a result on the basis of the recount, so on November 2, it was announced that the Liberal’s David Johnston, Michaela Cash and Linda Reynolds, Labor’s Joe Bullock, Sports Party’s Wayne Drupolich and the Greens’ Scott Ludlam were elected to the Senate.

The answer to that question depends on your political persuasion and perhaps even your faculty. Do elections really matter? After four in a row I think West Australians are in a pretty good place to judge and time will tell how things pan out for us students.

Interestingly it was actually the AEC that petitioned the High Court to find out whether the election results could stand. Sitting as the Court of Disputed Returns, the High

PHOTOGRAPHER Ellie Griffiths

FILM REVIEWS 52 Tuesdays Words by Cecilia Allen 52 Tuesdays is an Australian drama film written by Sophie Hyde and Matthew Cormack. The film centres on sixteen-year-old Billie (Tilda Cobham-Hervey), whose life begins to change when her mother Jane (Del Herbert-Jane), reveals plans for gender transition. Billie is more affected by her mother’s request for her to live with her father for the year and it’s at this point that the once close mother and daughter relationship becomes limited to just Tuesday afternoons. As the film progresses and Jane – who becomes James – deals with the hard and unexpected issues involved with gender transition, Billie sets out discovering her own sexuality and independence. The film’s creative process is perhaps its most interesting aspect, considering the structure was decided before the story and characters. Sophie Hyde’s directorial debut is a piece of work with a revolutionary filming technique. 52 Tuesdays was filmed over the course of a year, once a week, every week, only on Tuesdays. Shooting was cut-off at midnight of the day, and whatever was etched on the reel is what happens in the story. The performances are led by non-professional actors. Del Herbert-Jane, who plays James, began as a collaborator for the film and was later asked to act. The film details the actual gender-transformation of Del Herbert-Jane but via fiction. The rare film-making techniques bring an authenticity to an already emotional story; however, I believe this has a negative effect on the stories continuity and narrative, which weaken as the film progresses. The story is sound but it requires work. Nonetheless the film was able to entice enough emotion and the performances were convincing enough to hold the film together.

17th Annual Spanish Film Festival Words by Cecilia Allen The 17th annual Spanish Film festival promised the perfect opportunity for cinema goers to be enriched in some Spanish Culture. The festival offered an impressive and award winning array of films, showcasing 30 of the best Spanish and Spanish-speaking Latin American films. The Festival’s opening night featured the film Living is Easy with Eyes Closed, a coming-of-age tale. The film’s title comes from John Lennon’s song Strawberry Fields Forever. Antonio is a school teacher in the small Spanish town of Albacete, who uses Beatles lyrics to teach his students. When Antonio learns that John Lennon is visiting he decides to undertake the journey to meet his hero. Along the way Antonio meets two runaways and as they travel across the wonderful backdrop of Spain to reach their destination, they will learn more about themselves and one another then they ever could have predicted. Living is Easy with Eyes Closed is a charming film with outstanding performances. Amongst the award- winning films, Cannibal is one worth watching. Carlos (played brilliantly by Antonio de la Torre), works as a skilled tailor in Granada, one of Spain’s small and quiet towns. Carlos is a quiet man who keeps to himself, rarely interacting with anyone. But Carlos has a secret – he is serial killer who targets eastern European women who have no papers. His life of strict routine is interrupted when Nina the Romanian twin sister of one of his victims turns up on his front door looking for her sister. The film is slightly long and although lacking overt drama, it is a brilliantly crafted psychological thriller borrowing themes from the film noir genre. The mountainous region of Granada offers a breathtaking and ominous backdrop for where Carlos harbours his victims – and eats them too. From dark comedies, intense psychological thrillers and fantasy, the Spanish Film Festival immersed the audience in the beautiful culture of Spain and Latin America.

COMEDY REVIEW One Man Show- Andrew Hanson and Chris Taylor at Perth Comedy Festival Words by Cecilia Allen Perth International Comedy Festival has entered its third year. The festival has hit the Astor theatre and various venues in Mount Lawley, showcasing some of the best comedic talents. The festival allows for comedy fans to jump from show to show, indulging in as many as they like. This year I had the pleasure of seeing Chris Taylor and Andrew Hanson as they presented their oddly titled One Man show. Chris and Andrew made names for themselves on the Chasers War on Everything. As they said some know them as those ‘chaser guys’ or more simply ‘those pricks’. They hit the stage live to showcase an array of brand new sketches and songs. One Man Show is not stand-up but a mix of character monologues, sketches and songs as well as some satire and social critique. People who have really annoying Facebook statuses were just some to be made fun off. It was a full house and the performance had the audience in stitches the whole time, at one point Chris himself even broke character to have a quick giggle. The show was different to that of their TV series, as Hansen and Taylor have forged a style of their own. They tend to favour musical comedy – as they well should, they’re both damn good at it! I would love to see these two write a musical theatre piece, their talent and creative minds together would produce something quite extraordinary.

theatre REVIEW Bye. Gone. Words by Ellie Griffiths Although it is said a lot, it isn’t said enough. The choices you make today, shape your future, for the better or worst. Released around the ANZAC long weekend, members of Second Chance Theatre took their audiences on an unforgettable journey to Alaska, where the two main characters’ ‘ghostings’ (visions from the past) visited them. A simple, yet surreal backdrop of white sheets covering the stage was all that was needed to create this story. The sheets not only helped to symbolise Alaska, they created the image of a house that has been boarded up, abandoned, the furniture covered by sheets. The audience was surrounded by the howls of wolves, whispers of the wind and a theatrical version of the Northern Lights, thanks to the keen ears of sound designer Aiden Willoughby’s and lighting operator Bella Doyle’s acute vision. Daley King, as the Old Man, and Nic Doig, as the Young Man, together helped narrate and direct the story for the audience to understand: “You can’t run away from the pain!” Through the reflection, played by Andrew Dawson, audiences breathed the emotion the characters felt about their guilt, pain, and regret from the choices they’ve made in life. Written and directed by Scott McArdle, Bye. Gone. is a fantastic play that had viewers buzzing the second the lights came up, leaving its audience with deep-seated reflections about making the right choices in life.

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