š Sunday Night In #17
Is there anything happening in Adelaide right now? It's hard to know š¤£
Sunday Night In brings you the news about South Australian books, theatre and stories that the algorithm doesnāt show you. No ads, no clickbait, and itās free!
Woah! What a week! Any ordinary week and the news wouldāve been dominated by the weekend announcement that Liv golf was here to stay, but in the parklands (or sort of in the parklands? I didnāt fully understand). But then that incredible move in Whyalla. My head is spinning! Itās lucky Iām not a news newsletter because thereās no way Iād be able to explain it.
For most of this week, Iāve had tech runs and been running lines, because the Adelaide Fringe is off and running.
š„ The evergreen issue of reviewers at the fringe was out of the blocks early precipitated by an invitation to reviewers from the Fringe and Mental Health Commissioner to an event titled The Impact of Reviews on Artist Wellbeing. There was a report by Walter Marsh in InDaily and a bit of follow-up commentary by Rainer Jozeps in yesterdayās InDaily. The piece by Rainer Jozeps gives a bit of an overview of reviewing (including making a few of those comments my son calls drive-bys), but doesnāt reflect on fringe reviewing specifically. I think thereās actually some really interesting, important and nuanced discussions underlying that, and Iāll return to them after fringe. I donāt have the cognitive space to collect my thoughts right now because ā¦
šŗ My Adelaide Fringe season starts tonight with two full houses. And then Iāll be straight back into rehearsals for The Forgettory and An Evening With the Vegetarian Librarian tomorrow all ready to open on Friday. You should come! Thereās still tickets, and Iād love to see you there.
In this weekās edition of Sunday Night In Iāve got a quick round-up of things that arenāt festival or fringe (yes, there are such things!). My friend Sarah has sent some excellent theatre highlights, and thereās more music from Hannah (donāt miss her suggestion of Adam Page - 9 to 9. This is true fringeāslightly quirky, high degree of difficulty, anything could happenāand I cannot wait to experience it).
Letās get started ā¦
Itās not all Fringe and Festival (yet), and hereās a few things that arenāt:
š Pink Shorts Press have started a newsletter and I love their latest issue Reading is Revolutionary.
š¬ Thereās an incredible workshop at The Mercury led by Sophie Hyde. Launch Lab: Directing by Sophie Hyde is only $75 and free for Mercury subscribers. I donāt even want to be a director, but Iād love to go.
āš¼ The regular workshop program of Writers SA continues, including the monthly Writerās SA Think Tank. This is a unique chance to get together with other writers in an informal but structured setting to test ideas, brainstorm new ones or hear what other people are planning.
āš¼ Also at Writers SA, their weekly writing session on Wednesdays from 1pm - 4pm continues. A bit of structure can make a huge difference if youāre just getting started or youāre getting stuck with a writing, and this is a great way to find some of that structure.
šØ Thereās a curatorial assistant job advertised at The Art Gallery of South Australia. It looks fantastic, doesnāt it? I think itās only open to current public service employees, but that might be you.
šØš Also at The Art Gallery of South Australia (though I found this in a separate piece of research) a Book Fair. All items $15 and under. I will most definitely be there.
š Thereās an article on the ABC āAdelaide Fringe provides temporary boost for struggling theatre industryā which misses the one crucial point that discussions about the South Australian arts so often do. Over the years, our political and policy focus has come to rest very heavily on the fringe without maintaining significant focus on our wider arts ecosystem. Iām not arguing for an either/or, Iām saying the āandā has not been given sufficient attention. I also have a lot to say about this, but might return to it in future (I guess because Iāll have less to do outside fringe š¤£).
šŖ Another great initiative from Windmill Theatre, their Little Board. An opportunity for young people in years 5 to ten to get new perspectives into art and theatre-making. Thereās a bunch of FAQs to explain more about it, and the applications process. Applications close early March.
Local news is getting harder to find, local news about the arts harder still. Sunday Night In connects South Australian artists with audiences and South Australian audiences with artists. Share this newsletter with anyone you think might be interested. Suggest they subscribe ā¦ itās full of great information and itās free!
Adelaide Fringe is Here
And now to things Fringe (though there has been a lot of fringe already!). My focus remains on local artists, because thatās the remit of this newsletter. But Iāll be getting along to see plenty of visitors too. And as with the rest of the year, we try to bring you the stories the algorithm doesnāt show you.
If you missed the last few weeks, thereās some excellent suggestions here and here. Iām just adding one this week, and Iāll have a bigger list next week.
š¶ My friend is in the band Follow That Car, and they are so much fun. If youāre looking for a night of dancing get along to House Club Classics a celebration of house and club music from the 80s and 90s.
For this week Iāve got more suggestions from my knowledgeable friends with excellent taste. First up, my friend Sarah Kwong. Sarah and I have got to know each other across many years of fringeing together including sharing a theatre last year and bumping into each while we were bumping in and out. She is the founder of Wilde & Darling theatre productions and has a great eye for theatre. Hereās Sarahās tips:
ā¤ļøš” Oh My Heart, Oh My Home Casey Jay Andrews is one of the most extraordinary writers and performers you will have the pleasure of seeing. Her shows are always unique, introspective, and compelling, and her critically acclaimed piece āOh My Heart, Oh My Homeā is finally coming to Adelaide, along with another new work, āThe Quiet Earth Beneath.ā (From Tracy: keen readers will note that this falls outside our remit of local artists, but itās being presented in partnership with Joanne Hartstone one of our stateās most hard-working producersā¦plus, I agree with Sarah, these works will be extraordinary).
šŖ DOWNSTAIRS Isobel Pitt is a young artist from South Australia who has recently graduated from WAAPA, and brings her debut solo show to the Goodwood Theatre and Studios. An exploration of the experience of mental illness that promises to be both humourous and heartfelt, this is a chance to catch a rising star.
ā¤ļøš The Heart May Or May Not Go On A hilarious and honest tale of hurt and healing, the multi-talented Taylor Nobes is bringing her critically acclaimed one-woman show back for a full season this year, and itās not one to miss.
šø Distopia Written and performed by two of Adelaideās most talented musical theatre performers, āDistopiaā returns after a sell-out season last year. Hilarious, original, and genuinely touching, this is a must-see for any Disney adult, or anyone who has turned to fantasy when the real world got too hard.
ā¤ļø A Convict Named Phoebe Written and performed by another up and coming Adelaide artist Heather Watts, āA Convict Named Phoebeā promises to be a personal and profound exploration of an often overlooked part of Australiaās history.
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And for more from the music program, here are the final suggestions from my friend Hannah Homburg. A recent graduate from the Elder Conservatoriumās jazz program, she has already produced and sung in several of her own shows, and she knows a lot about the local music scene.
š¶ These are Hannahās picks, but Iām going to start with a reminder about her own show. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant: A Billy Joel Tribute presented by Hannah Homburg and Sammi Timke. A collection of all your favourites, celebrating the musical genius of Billy Joel accompanied by a wonderful band.
ā”ļøāļø āļø Adam Page - 9-9 A live performance and fluid piece of art, Adam Page uses audiences to influence his creations over twelve hours. From the program: āeach hour will reflect a different moment, experience and emotion, sparked by audience reactions and performer energy levels!ā (From Tracy: This is pure fringe! I am really keen to see this. I love that you can be part of it without committing to the full nine hours).
š§ Bewitched: The Rodgers and Hart Songbook featuring Millie Sarah is two nights only, an evening of sublime jazz from two outstanding composers.
š¤ Tiffany Gaze is presenting shows in a bunch of different styles and venues from burlesque to jazz to bossa nove. (From Tracy: I really love to see artists using as an opportunity to experiment and extend their work. Iām intrigued to see some of Tiffanyās performances).
Thank you for reading!
Thatās it for this issue. Iāll be back next week but until then: Read books! See theatre! Listen to music! Be part of a vibrant, thriving culture of arts.
Talk soon
Tracy xx
A disclaimer: I take a lot of care to make sure Iāve got details correct, but Iām often working on my phone or uploading things from word to substack and I spend a lot of time in places with terrible internet connections. So mistakes will happen. Please double check all of the details about events before you head out.
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