STROKE survivor and theatre-maker Gretel Burgess has been nominated as a finalist in the National Stroke Foundation’s Creative Award for her dance theatre work, “Stroke of Luck”, which we featured on the cover of “CityNews” recently. The finals on May 4 will be telecast live.
“THE Rocky Horror Show” is about to turn 50, having first been born in Aussie director Jim Sharman’s production at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in 1973. It’s since become a cult sensation on stage and screen, translated into 20 languages. Its anniversary production will be at the Canberra Theatre, September 29-October 7, with Olivier-winning performer David Bedella playing mad transvestite scientist Dr Frank-N-Furter.
AUSTRALIAN Dance Week is almost upon us and Ausdance ACT’s guest performers include former Canberran Jozsef Trefeli, a major exponent of folkloric and especially Hungarian dance. There’ll be a free Hungarian dance workshop and Jinx 103 performance in the Main Hall, Gorman Arts Centre, noon-2pm, April 29, followed by “Creature”, a 40-minute work about “origins” to be performed by Trefeli and Gyula Cserepes. Details at ausdance.org.au
ALSO free to the public is young Sydney pianist Tony Lee’s solo performance of Schubert and Bartok at the ANU Drill Hall Gallery, 12.30 pm, April 27 as part of Canberra International Music Festival.
A HIGHLIGHT of the music festival will be “Seeds of Life, featuring the Djinama Yilaga choir and clarinettist Oliver Shermacher, culminating in a performance of “Hillscape”, choreographed by Australian Dance Party’s Ashlee Bye, with a new composition by Dan Walker. National Arboretum, 11am, April 28.
“CRIMES of the Heart”, by Pulitzer Prizewinning playwright Beth Henley, is coming to Canberra Rep soon in a production by Karen Vickery. The story, set in Mississippi, revolves around three sisters coming together. It was released as a film in 1986, with Sissy Spacek, Diane Keaton and Jessica Lang, but Vickery thinks that was over-sentimentalised. At Canberra Rep Theatre, April 27-May 13.
THE Australian Catholic University’s Prize for Poetry is one of the richest in Australia with a pool of $18,000. It’s celebrating a decade this year. Canberra poets Geoff Page and John Foulcher are among the former winners. This year’s theme is “love”, but less the Keats kind and more the kind inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. when he said: “I have decided to stick to love… Hate is too great a burden to bear”. Entries to acu.edu.au
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