illuminate ‘24

Photography | Brian Rope

illuminate ‘24 | Friends Photographic Group

ANBG Visitor Centre Gallery | 28 November – 15 December 2024

Exhibitions staged in the Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG) Visitor Centre Gallery seek to explore the Australian environment through a range of creative artforms. illuminate ‘24 is the 11th annual exhibition by the Friends of the ANBG Photographic Group.

Most of the exhibits were judged for the David Cox memorial awards in a Flora category with " Grevillea" as the chosen species and a Fauna category. Canberra Times photographer Karleen Minney and I were invited to select three winners in each category (authors were not identified to us until after we had made our decisions.) 

We looked for artworks that stood out for us, distinguishing them from an overall high-quality selection of images displaying the wonderful native flora and diverse fauna, mostly with abundantly rich colour.

The Fauna Award went to Simone Slater for a delightful artwork titled Two’s company. It is a simply delightful montage of six images all featuring the same fauna – a variegated (or spotted amber) ladybug generally loved for its cuteness. Here are just three of the images. Go and see the exhibition if you can, to enjoy the complete montage.

     Two’s company 1 © Simone Slater

Two’s company 4 © Simone Slater

Two’s company 5 © Simone Slater

Slaters’ excellent photographic skills are very much evident in this work.

Second in the fauna category was Kerry Boden’s The Circular Showdown featuring a very different type of fauna – Gippsland Water Dragons. The title is spot on. The ANBG website tells us that water dragons are fast runners and strong climbers, who will quickly disappear into the bushes when scared, but if you are quiet and patient you may see them communicating to each other with little arm-waving movements. These two are communicating with each other in a very different way – the dust is flying as they circle around chasing each other. Boden has captured the event most effectively.

The Circular Showdown © Kerry Boden

Third in fauna category was Pink petals and native wings by Debbie Howard. The composition of this shot and the rich complementary colours in it draw the eye. The circular soft focus yellow shape in the background (presumably the centre of another flower) could almost be the sun. The native Halictidae lasioglossum bee can be clearly seen and is positioned well in the composition.

Pink petals and native wings © Debbie Howard

The Flora (Grevillea) Award also went to Simone Slater. Washed Out is a monochrome image with spectacular detail, both of the Grevillea lanigera (also known as a Woolly grevillea) and of the water droplets on its surface. It stands out both because it is monochrome and because of those details. The composition is also unusual with the main subject being “attached” to the top left corner of the image and the remainder being shades of grey and black. All of that combines to create an artwork that stands out.

Washed Out © Simone Slater

Second in the Flora (Grevillea) award was given to The critically endangered Tumut Grevillea with pollinator, White-naped Honeyeater. This image by artist Pam Rooney includes fauna with the flora. The honeyeater has been captured in a splendid position performing its important role as a pollinator. One eye seems to be looking directly at the camera’s lens.

The critically endangered Tumut Grevillea with pollinator, White-naped Honeyeater © Pam Rooney

The third placegetter in Flora (Grevillea) was Impression, Grevillea 'Coconut Ice'. Fanny Karouta-Manasse, unlike most other exhibitors, is showing an image which has not gone in close on some detailed section of the flora. Rather, this is an image of a largish area of a very hardy Grevillea before a background of trees. What also makes it stand out from the crowd is that it has a look and feel reminiscent of a watercolour painting. The word “impression” in the title fits the image perfectly.

Impression, Grevillea 'Coconut Ice' © Fanny Karouta-Manasse

The exhibition successfully displays, in print, numerous aspects of Australia’s beautiful natural environment as seen through the lenses of the exhibitors’ cameras.

All the prints are worthy of close examination, and I encourage readers to visit and see for themselves if possible.

This review is also available on the author's blog here.

 

BLOODY MURDER - Canberra Repertory Society

 

Holly Ross - Arran McKenna -Stuart Roberts - Steph Roberts - Antonia Kitzel - Glen Brighenti 
in "Bloody Murder"

Written by Ed Sala – Directed by Josh Wiseman

Set designed by Josh Wiseman – Costumes designed by Suzan Cooper

Lighting designed by Nathan Sciberras – Sound designed by Neville Pye

Rep Theatre Nov.21 to Dec. 7th, 2024.

Performance on Nov.28^th reviewed by Bill Stephens

Canberra Repertory is offering a perfect antidote for pre-Christmas malaise with a deliciously silly but brilliantly conceived and performed production in which the characters, rather than the actors, rebel against the material.

The actors certainly don’t because they get the joke and give every appearance of revelling in the opportunities offered by Ed Sala’s witty script, to tantalise the audience with the endless farcical twists and turns.

Riffing on the popularity of Agatha Christie type murder mysteries, Sala has concocted a play utilising the tropes associated with this genre.

Set in the isolated country mansion of Lady Somerset whose guests include stock characters; a retired major, a once-famous actor, a sweet ingenue, a mysterious countess, a faithful maid, a police inspector, a passing motorist, a nun and a worthless nephew.

Inevitably there is a murder, actually several, each heralded with a black-out to hide the dastardly deed from the audience who wait to find out who has survived.

It all starts off very predictably, but the brilliance of this production is how cleverly and hilariously the expectations of the audience are turned on their heads.

With his first production for Canberra Repertory, Josh Wiseman has introduced himself as a director to watch. His production is meticulously rehearsed and impressively detailed. He obviously possesses the ability to inspire his cast and production team to offer their best work.

His setting is beautifully realised and decorated with a collection of elegant objects that indicate the enthusiasm of his properties team in sourcing exactly the right piece. It also tests the alertness of the audience in noticing subtle changes to the setting the play progresses.

Susan Cooper’s stylish costumes cleverly indicate the personality and purpose of each character, avoiding any confusion whenever one of the carefully cast actors changes character, while thoughtful sound and lighting contributions from Neville Pye and Nathan Sciberras add to the pleasure.

With a play that could easily have been spoilt by mugging, Wiseman has been able to guide his actors to pitch their performances at exactly the correct level, and, miracle of miracles, every word of dialogue was perfectly articulated and easily heard without the actors resorting to shouting.

Antonia Kitzel - Glen Brighenti - Stuart Roberts - Holly Ross in "BLOODY MURDER".

Leading the excellent cast Antonia Kitzel sets the tone and anchors the production with a strong confident performance as the indomitable Lady Somerset, leaving Steph Roberts to hog the laughs with a brilliant turn as the less-than-diligent maid, Jane.

Holly Ross manages two contrasting roles, the butter-would’nt -melt-in-her-mouth ingenue, Emma, and the mysterious red-sequin gowned Countess, with admirable aplomb.

Arran McKenna is suitably pompous as The Major, while Stuart Roberts oozes louche charm as the once-famous actor, Devon Tremaine. Glenn Brighenti does well in dual roles as Lady Somerset’s worthless nephew as well as the ever- probing Chief Inspector Phelps.

Watching this clever sextet mine the laughs working in perfect unison for meticulously timed pratfalls and cleverly conceived comedy business, evidenced the attention to detail that has been lavished on this production.

If there is a criticism it lies with the author who spends rather too much time towards the end of the play complicating an already complicated premise.

Apart from this quibble it would seem churlish not to rate this superbly presented and delightfully entertaining production among those of Rep’s best.

 

                                                         Photos by Ross Gould

JACKIE LOEB AT THE STREET - Street Theatre, Canberra.

 

               Performance on November 29th reviewed by BILL STEPHENS

 .

In 1998 Jackie Loeb performed her show ‘Limited Social Skills’ for a three-night season at The School of Arts Café in Queanbeyan. Back then Jackie was attracting attention as an emerging cabaret and television artist, already writing and performing on the popular satirical television sketch comedy series Full Frontal.   

In the interim between that appearance and last night’s performance in the Street Theatre as part of the SpringOUT Festival, Jackie Loeb has carved out an impressive career both in Australia and around the world with her highly original brand of comedy.  

The winner of the 2011 MO Award for ‘Achievement of Excellence in Live Comedy’ and nominated for a MO Award for ‘Best Comedy Act’ in 2012, she was crowned winner of the prestigious MO Award for ‘Best Stand Up Comedian’ in 2016, while distinguishing herself as a versatile actor, vocalist, musician, voice over talent and writer.

Her one-woman show ‘Jackie Loeb Sings The Worst Songs Ever Written’ opened the door to an International career when she was nominated for the Best Comedy Award at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, which led to appearances in comedy venues across America and on NBC’s Last Comic Standing filmed in Miami and appearances on the UK comedy series The World Stands Up for Paramount TV.

Basing herself in Los Angeles, Jackie performed in comedy festivals and clubs across the US, while also maintaining a busy career in Australia performing as the resident female voice-over artist for the Comedy Channel, and a regular guest on The Today Show, Good News Week, Spicks and Specks, The Playlist and Australia Versus.

While the need to care for an elderly parent may have put a brake on her international career, Jackie’s comedic and musical skills have lost none of their lustre as she demonstrated in last night’s performance at The Street.

Surprising her audience by dropping to the floor to bust a few breakdance moves, before claiming to be Raygun’s coach, she launched into her first song, ‘I Was Born This Way’ before describing herself as a ‘K Mart Identifying Lesbian’ and launching into a series of smart, sharp, wry, wise and hilarious observations about anything and everything.

Topics ranged across people and their dogs, crowd-funding, begging, vapes, being 50, reverse sexism and cancel culture. Observations about living in Los Angeles provided the opportunity to display her mastery of accents as well as a show highlight with her side-splitting rendition of an all-inclusive Christmas Carol.

Her re-working of the Bob Geldof song ‘Feed the World’ provided the opportunity to flash her mimicry skills by reproducing the voices and singing styles of Tracy Chapman, Macy Gray, Shakira, Tina Turner, Cher, Sia, Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga.

While some tantalisingly short riffs on her electric guitar suggests that Loeb still has a few more strings to her talents, it was interesting to observe that she has retained that essential uniqueness that set her apart from the others way back in 1989.

                                          All photos by Nathan J. Lester for SpringOUT.

          This review first published in the digital edition of CITY NEWS on 30.09.24