On Saturday, the 22nd of April, I left the house to see my first real comedy show. I took a friend who is a seasoned comedy show watcher along with me, and headed out for a night of unexpected pleasures. PO PO MO CO, shortened from Post Post Modern Comedy, is a queer acting troupe….
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Aisling Philippa discusses ‘Upfront’, the all-female lineup at The Melbourne International Comedy Festival, with host Geraldine Quinn. * I’m gonna ask the really obvious question: explain Upfront to someone who’s never heard of it. I think the standard reply when people look puzzled when I say ‘Upfront’ is, ‘It’s the all-female-lineup flagship event’ during the…
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Over the next few weeks, we’ll be introducing you to our stellar line-up of judges for the 2017 Rachel Funari Prize for Fiction. Today, meet writer Sarah Kanake. * What are you working on in 2017? I have just started my second novel, ‘Lazarus’. It’s set in 1978 (at the close of whaling) in a…
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Over the next few weeks, we’ll be introducing you to our stellar line-up of judges for the 2017 Rachel Funari Prize for Fiction. Today, meet author and journalist, Gabrielle Tozer. * What are you working on in 2017? I’m tinkering with a middle-grade novel and planning out my fourth YA novel. I’m also busy with…
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The Bachela-la-la – Impromptunes What: Australia’s top improvised musical comedy troupe, Impromptunes, returns from Edinburgh Fringe with a brand new show, based on popular reality TV show “The Bachelor”. When: 8 – 13 Nov Cost: $25-32 Where: The Butterfly Club, Melbourne Morgan Stern – Gina Schien What: Pills. Neon Tertras. Beatles. Bedlam. Morgan Stern is a story of two…
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Ilana Charnelle: A Class Act What: This show is a visual album with a difference. The visual elements are played out on stage, weaving together Charnelle’s stunning music with unspoken narratives and beautiful imagery. When: 19–23 October, 7pm. Where: The Butterfly Club, Carson Place, Melbourne. Cost: $25-$32 IMA Annual Party and Opening, Nicholas Mangan, Limits to Growth What: The…
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Walking through ‘Material Poetics’, I feel as if one hand is brushing silk, stone, water, melted butter and sandpaper, the other catching a breeze infused with ideas and emotion. In literary terms, poetics give intensity to the expression of feelings or ideas. For these artists, everything material has poetic potential. This exhibition explores the…
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This past weekend, the National Young Writers’ Festival was held alongside This is Not Art (TiNA) in the little city of Newcastle. The festival gets bigger and better every year and I had the privilege of seeing some amazing up-and-coming writers and artists discuss their craft, and the issues that pertain to that. Festival highlights…
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‘Becoming Bette’ is a one-woman show by artist and performer Elizabeth Scales. Hailing from Brisbane, she brings her show to Melbourne for a pre-Fringe festival viewing. Held at the Butterfly Club across the weekend of the 10th and 11th of September, Scales’ viewing was a cozy and intimate one. The show is a semi-autobiographical story…
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Shannon Murphy is an award-winning film and theatre director, with short films like the Cannes-screening Kharisma and Love Me Tender to her name. Film editor Lauren Strickland chatted to her about her filming in Canberra, working with all-female casts, and her latest film, Eaglehawk. * How did you get involved with Eaglehawk? It was…
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Alison Whittaker’s debut collection, Lemons in the Chicken Wire, is a refreshingly authentic and accessible new addition to the Australian poetry landscape. The collection is grounded in simplicity yet explores complex issues such as sexuality, racism and family negligence. Whittaker, who received the State Library of Queensland’s black&write! Indigenous Writing Fellowship, also explores the history…
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Friday the 13th of May was a bad day for arts organisations in Australia. All over Twitter were bursts of emotion like fireworks – pledges of people subscribing for the first time to the likes of literary journals ‘Meanjin’ or ‘Voiceworks’, in a show of support after announcements of cuts to funding. If you aren’t…
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We have recently been hit with the difficult news that arts funding for small to medium arts organisations, especially ones that help young people and emerging creatives, has been slashed. The already lacklustre monetary distribution to the arts in Australia is now seriously dwindling and in danger. So, what are we to do? We keep…
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If you’re looking for something to do in Melbourne, The Butterfly Club is a great place to go if you’re after hilarious night out with talented and devoted performances. This week from the 24th – 28th you can catch an exciting show that’s all about transporting the audience to those glamorous Hollywood years of old…
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