THEY may not be classically trained, but for sheer joie de vivre the Djuki Mala dancers are in a class of their own. The troupe’s Fringe show starts with a potted Aboriginal history, pre-white “invasion”, up to the stolen generation. “Despite the past we are still here, we have survived. This is us,” the audience…

Pack your bags for an inspiring weekend in the beautiful southwest at the Nannup Music Festival from 2 to 5 March 2018. Now in its 29th year, the family-friendly festival is a colourful celebration of original music, art, nature, community and diversity. The festival is operated by a passionate and dedicated team of locals from…

THERE’S plenty of titillation in the outrageous cabaret show Club Swizzle, and the audience showed its approval by jumping up to dance at the end. The show was being held at Perth’s hottest new venue, which is also the coolest—the old Ice Cream Factory on Roe Street. Compère Rueben Kaye was wickedly funny with his…

NORTH Perth singer/songwriter Davey Craddock has gone all “gnarled” and dark in his second album One Punch. It’s a stark departure from his debut City West, which had a classic Aussie country sound. “There are no love songs, no country songs in One Punch,” Craddock says. The songs examine men’s relationships with other men. “Or…

COULD 21-year-old Ellen-Hope Thomson be Perth’s next impresario? She’s already established her own contemporary dance company, Fonder Physical Theatre, and is set to premier her third Fringe Festival show, Here Moving. The WA Academy of Performing Arts graduate has a penchant for straightforward names, and says she chose Here Moving, “because we are here and…

IT’S been about two years since video shop owner Mel McInerney took a wage, but she refuses to close, despite living in an online age. She says customers taking out a membership at Network Video in Mt Hawthorn often ask: “You’re not going to close on me are you? The last few stores I signed-up…

THERE’S a quite a lot of Scott McArdle’s childhood in his latest production, Josephine. The Perth writer/director says he wrote the play for kids and has firsthand experience of the pain they can face growing up. When McArdle was 11 his school mate died, a grandparent died, and then his parents divorced. “Loss was a…

SIMON Taylor took his dad to see the new Star Wars on Monday night, flipping the family tradition that saw father take son to see the original trilogy back in the day. Now all grown-up and a major player in the Aussie comedy scene, Taylor wants to give something back to his dad, who talked…

MY interview with Sophie Hopes began with an in-depth analysis of Japanese Green Tea. Not exactly an orthodox topic for an up-and-coming rockstar, but then again, the lead singer/guitarist of Tired Lion is no ordinary muso. The Voice caught up with her during a period of limbo, as she enjoyed a well-earned break from life…

FRINGE World 2018 was launched this week with more than 750 free and ticketed events from January 26 to February 25. There’s something for everyone with comedy, circus, theatre, music, dance, cabaret and more from local and international performers. From Arnhem Land, Djuki Mala’s fusion of traditional Yolngu and pop culture is pure infectious fun,…