Cinema comes to life

AN ALBANY media company has designed and filmed an audiovisual display that will act as a cinematic backdrop to a theatre performance set to tour the state.

A Fortunate Life is a theatre show that will be performed live at cinemas in Albany, Midland, Busselton and Geraldton.

A filmic aspect of the show will play on the cinema screen behind the actors.

Albany-based Green Man Media was selected to be the audiovisual designer of the project and creative director Josephine Hayes said the innovative nature of the production was both a highlight and a challenge.

“Our involvement with this production is a landmark in the development of our new entertainment platform Cinemastage, which is a joint venture with Albany businessman and composer, Ronald Siemiginowski of Orana Cinemas,” she said.

“Cinemastage links audiences with live entertainment in cinemas throughout regional and metro WA, pushing the boundaries of the cinema environment and welcoming musicians, public speakers and theatre companies to integrate live footage and big screen backdrops into their performances.”

A Fortunate Life is an autobiography by Albert Facey, published in 1981, nine months before his death.

It chronicles his life in WA, experiences as a private during the Gallipoli campaign of World War I and his return to civilian life.

It was adapted for the stage by Theatre 180’s Jenny Davis and Stuart Lalusz and the footage captured by Green Man Media will re-create significant landscape scenes in the narrative.

“We are working to immerse the audience in this rich story – to deliver authentic visualisations of the environments that are key to Facey’s story and working closely with Stuart Halusz to form a visual style that compliments the live performance,” Hayes said.

“It’s a thrill to see our small team sink their teeth into this production, and to work with a passionate team of creatives in Perth who share our vision for storytelling.”

Halusz said A Fortunate Life was a perfect project for the evolution of Theatre 180, addressing their vision of bringing their work of an entirely WA project to a potentially greater audience in WA.

“Theatre also lives outside of theatre venues and I’ve always been passionate about site-specific works which extend the possibilities of audio-visual creativity as well as the talent of WA writers, actors, set and costume, lighting and sound designers,” he said.

“This exciting, new project marries the immediacy of theatre with the visual impact of cinema.”

The show will arrive in Albany in March next year and tickets are available from afortunatelife.com.au

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Nature inspires artists

BUNBURY and Busselton artists Anastasija Komarnyckyj and Ty Stedman launched their latest exhibition at Albany’s Blush Retail Gallery yesterday.

Near and Far will be on display until January 11 and reflects the pair’s connections with nature.

While Komarnyckyj wields a brush and Stedman a Nikon D850, the synergy between the mediums creates a colourful representation of water, land and water-based fauna.

Komarnyckyj drew inspiration from the Leschenault Inlet for her paintings, as she walks past it every day.

“I was a clinical nurse before, but this was always gnawing away at me,” she said, of her ever-present desire to paint.

“I work with the natural environment and looking at identity and culture, and I tend to look at things fairly intimately… I don’t do panoramic paintings.”

Stedman dangles himself out of planes to get his unique shots.

“I want to differentiate from drone shots … establish a better connection with the landscape,” he said.

“I really enjoy the abstract side of things and one of the challenges I like is getting something different from places lots of people have been before.”

Blush Retail Gallery is located on York Street.

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Performance to showcase dance

TICKETS are now on sale for Albany Academy of Dance’s annual end-of-year spectacular.

5, 6, 7… Dance will be performed at the Albany Entertainment Centre on November 30 and December 1 and feature the talents of the academy’s tap, ballet, jazz and contemporary students.

Owner and teacher Simone Newton said the family-friendly event had something for everyone.

“We’ve got everything from Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole to Billie Eilish,” she said.

“There’s a lot of 80s in there and Queen, bit of classical ballet … a real mix of things.”

Some routines included in the concert are the choreographic creations of resident dancer and former academy student Rita Bush, who was recently awarded a grant from Regional Arts WA to perform at Adelaide Fringe 2020.

Ms Newton said the concert was popular for friends and families of students as well as potential academy students.

“If you are interested in putting your kids into dance next year, now’s a great time to come and see what we are all about,” she said.

Tickets to the November 30 and December 1 shows at 2pm can be purchased online at albanyentertainment.com.au or at the AEC box office.

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Awarded play on way

A TONY award-winning play will be performed in Albany next year and auditions are coming up in less than a month.

Albany Light Opera and Theatre Company’s Airell Hodgkinson will direct Urinetown, a broadway musical that mocks bureaucracy, multinational corporations, social media and musicals.

Hodgkinson explained that despite its name, Urinetown in fact had very little toilet humour.

“It’s a political satire,” he said.

“It’s set in a post-apocalyptic world where the city has been in drought for 20 years and there’s mass water restrictions – you have to pay to pee.

“It’s a very vibrant show and all the characters are a bit wacky.”

Hodgkinson said there were lots of speaking and solo roles in the play appropriate for all ages and genders.

The music is “fun and funky” and the overall vibe of the show is “something a bit different”.

“I like shows that are a little left of centre,” Hodgkinson said.

“The arts should challenge people, in my opinion, and this show gets people thinking and talking.

“And there’s a beautiful love story in the middle of all the loonies.”

An information night for Urinetown will be held at the Albany Port Theatre on December 11 at 7pm followed by auditions on December 14 and 15.

The cast and crew will break over Christmas and return for rehearsals in late January, ahead of a show season in April and May.

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Talent shines through

LIFE-SIZE puppets, campfire singing and original scores will all be part of next weekend’s Let’s Shine Brightly theatre performance.

The Let’s Shine series began two decades ago when Albany Light Opera and Theatre (ALOTCo) member Janet McArtney decided to put on a production specifically showcasing the talents of people living with a disability.

This year’s Let’s Shine show will be the fifth in the series and feature many returning and new faces to the cast.

This year, McArtney is co-directing alongside fellow ALOTCo member Jill Larsen and the pair are excited for audiences to see the lineup.

“We have now completed our sixth rehearsal and it’s been hectic,” McArtney said.

“The Greatest Showman, YMCA, Sister Act and Queen tribute are looking fabulous as well as the 20 or so single acts in-between.”

Cast members Bayden Redshaw and Owen Cahill have produced a song in honour of the show – Let Your Light Shine Through.

They will perform it during the show.

McArtney and Larsen agreed that the most rewarding aspect of creating the show was seeing the “absolute joy” on the faces of the cast as they performed, as some have never been up on stage before.

“Each of us shines in a different way but this doesn’t make us less bright,” Larsen said.

“We all have different abilities and skills and Janet and I have done our best to allow for individual guest stars to shine.”

Let’s Shine Brightly will play at the Albany Port Theatre on November 30 and December 1.

Tickets are on sale now online and in-store via Paperbark Merchants.

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Keane launches third album

AFTER teetering on the edge of giving up her musical dream and career altogether, Albany singer-songwriter Simone Keane has found her mojo and released her third album.

Wild Thingz has been a collaborative effort, including local instrumentalists and talents Ellie Honeybone, Marie Limondin, Kiersten Fage, Mick Crannage, Giles Watson, Gemma Kiiveri, Andre Maujean, Brody Manson, Lauchlan Gillett and Alan McLean.

She described the album as completely different to her first one nine years ago, which she called “light and easy listening”.

“This is about the experiences that kick us in the guts, and about making something creative out of that,” Keane said.

“Rising up to express the things I find hard to put into words … it’s a bit more honest, heavy.”

Keane said she nearly pulled the plug on the entire album when it all became too hard.

She had withdrawn from the gigging scene to refocus herself but feels this new album was the exact way to lift the weight off her shoulders.

“It was something I had to do,” Keane said.

“I just had these songs coming out of me.”

Keane said Wild Thingz features “raw, haunting ballads, full productions of jazzed-up blues and a low-fi dance track”.

The launch is at the Albany Club this Saturday, November 23 at 7.30pm.

Entry is free and Keane hopes the family-friendly event will be both an album launch and a party.

Under 18s must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

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Mediums merge in The Index

THE work of five Great Southern artists from different mediums will converge next week in an exhibition at Denmark Community Resource Centre.

Photographer Nic Duncan, choreographer Annette Carmichael, textile artist Janine McCrum, sound designer James Gentle and sculptor Kevin Draper will feature in multimedia installation, The Index from Thursday, November 21 until December 1.

The Index will include photographs taken by Duncan of Carmichael in a variety of environments, to highlight sites of regeneration and industry.

McCrum’s textile art and Gentle’s “haunting” musical soundscape will provide the backdrop of the exhibition – a backdrop of hundreds of egg shells – while a variety of Draper’s sculptures will be seen in some of Duncan’s photos.

Carmichael described the exhibition as “a study on harmony and disruption created in response to escalating global levels of fear and terror”.

The Index has previously toured the Bunbury Regional Art Galleries and Esperance’s Cannery Arts Centre.

During the exhibition’s Denmark launch next Thursday, Carmichael will launch her company’s 2020 program and speak about the progress of one of her current projects, Chorus.

Ticket sales for the 2020 program’s performances will also launch on the night.

The exhibition opening commences at 5.30pm on November 21 and entry is free.

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REVIEW: Theatre group filled with passion

THE thing I love about the Plantagenet Players amateur theatre group is their energy.

No matter what the topic of the show is and no matter if someone keeps stumbling on their lines, everyone up on stage wants to be there.

You can see their passion for theatre blazing in their eyes and as an audience member, it is really enjoyable to watch people do what they love.

Sure, there’s a few fourth-wall breaks, prompt-prompting and cheeky winks to family members, but that’s what makes a Plantagenet Players performance special.

It’s their trademark.

Don’t get me wrong – I love theatre shows with all the bells and whistles, but there’s something about a group of people from all corners of the community, getting together to have a laugh, dress-up and just have fun.

That was exactly the case on Friday night when I jumped in the car for an evening trip to Mt Barker to watch Hatches, Matches, Dispatches (and other life snatches!).

Now, I wasn’t too sure what to expect with this production.

I’m pretty hard to impress but the Players had done so before, so I had my fingers crossed that I was in for a good night.

Well, I think the laughter flowing through the crowd around me answered that question.

In traditional Players fashion, the show was comprised of multiple skits, some short and some long.

Each joke was well thought-out with some punchlines weaving through an entire segment before cleverly tying up.

What I love most about shows like this is that, no matter what’s going on in your life, you can rely on the Players to keep you entertained and laughing for a couple of hours.

The theatre itself has a warm and welcoming atmosphere about it, and, of course, you can’t miss the light supper at half-time.

I don’t know what it is about country folk, but they always put on a scrumptious spread of homemade tucker.

It’s the country touch.

If you want to get in on the action, the Players have two more performances this weekend, November 8 and 9, at 8pm.

Get in quick to secure the last few seats by calling 0447 656 105 or by popping into Bub 2 Mum on Lowood Road.

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Hidden talents revealed in doco

ASPIRING filmmakers Bayden and Dylan Redshaw are hoping to lift the lid on how people with a disability live by producing a short film based on Albany theatre production Let’s Shine Brightly.

Produced by Albany Light Opera and Theatre Company, Let’s Shine Brightly is a variety performance starring people living with a disability to give them the opportunity to showcase their public and hidden talents.

The Redshaw brothers have been associated with the company for some time now and were approached by show director Janet McArtney to create a behind-the-scenes documentary film.

It’s all part of a CarersWA campaign called Disabling the Label, aimed at educating mainstream audiences about all the things people living with a disability can do.

“The people in Let’s Shine are very raw, real people, very genuine people; they’re just enjoying themselves and they aren’t here for show, because they’re trying to showcase their talents,” Bayden said.

“So filming them and interviewing them has been quite a natural thing.

“No one shies away from the camera or acts fake when they see it’s recording.”

Bayden said it was a privilege to participate in the project, particularly alongside his brother, as he himself has dealt with disabilities in the past.

He never let them hold him back and he said it’s much the same for other people with a disability – he wanted to highlight that perseverance and drive.

Naomi Lake is performing in Let’s Shine Brightly and will feature in the Redshaws’ documentary, and said she loved being involved.

I love to showcase my hidden talents but coming together? That’s a beautiful thing,” she said.

“To see other people’s hidden talents too… that’s what I love.”

Let’s Shine Brightly will play at Albany Port Theatre on November 30 and December 1 and tickets are on sale now from Paperbark Merchants.

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Sneak preview of theatre offering

PATRONS have the opportunity to get a preview of an upcoming theatre production at this weekends Albany Agricultural Show.

Let’s Shine Brightly, a variety show produced by Albany Light Opera and Theatre Company (ALOTCo), will play on November 30 and De- cember 1 at Albany Port Theatre.

The show has been designed to showcase the talents of people living with a disability.

Emily O’Brien is part of this year’s cast and will be performing her tribute to the Village People’s YMCA at 1.30pm on Friday at the stage located near the food pavilion within the Albany Show showgrounds.

She said she was excited yet terrified to perform at the Show.

But she won’t be alone on the stage – as well as a small ensemble dancing behind her, Ms O’Brien will be performing closely, very closely, with four other dancers.

So close, in fact, you might say they are attached to her.

The unique puppet set-up has been created by ALOTCo’s Sandy O’Doherty and Ms O’Brien felt proud to be chosen to wear it.

“It’s been inspired byan America’s Got Talent performance,” she said.

“When Janet [Let’s Shine Brightly producer] said I could use it for the show, I was gob smacked!”

So don’t forget – Friday at 1.30pm, on the stage near the food pavilion, is where you will find Ms O’Brien performing with her puppet and real co-dancers at this weekend’s Albany Agricultural Show.

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