IT’S seen off covid, the cost of living crisis and a few changes of government, but you might not have heard of the Perth Folk and Roots Club. Founded by Perth muso Keith Anthonisz in 2012, the not-for-profit started out life at the Oxford Hotel and Mt Lawley Bowling Club, showcasing live music by folk…

A KOREAN grandma buying pot for her grandson, a fair dinkum spoof of Kill Bill, and missionaries coming face-to-face with a sarcastic God are some of the wacky goings-on at this year’s World of Dark Comedy. Featuring 14 short films from across the globe, the festival specialises in comedy with macabre overtones and ironic twists.…

THEY’RE middle-aged, loud and wear boiler suits. I’m not talking about some deranged Clockwork Orange fans marauding around Perth with rubber truncheons, but the founding members of rock ’n’ roll power trio Triple Engine. Seasoned rockers Chris Gibbs (guitar/vocals) and Craig Skelton (bass/vocals) have been performing in Perth for years and have played in more…

A VIBRANT modern performance that tramples the corn around gender will kick off a three day celebration of dance at the State Theatre Centre later this month. In the Closet was created by local choreographer and WAAPA alumna Natalie Allen, who wanted to explore what constitutes being masculine and feminine in the 21st century through…

A CHILDHOOD spent in the rural beauty of Nannup was the inspiration for Holli Scott’s latest album Weather and Weeds. The Perth jazz singer grew up in the sleepy WA town and its old railway bridges, wildflowers and majestic trees inspired songs with poetic lyrics and a bitter-sweet vibe. “I spent a lot of time…

MARIA MONTESSORI is a 2023 French–Italian dramatised bio-pic written and directed by Léa Todorov, which is showing as part of the 2024 Italian Film Festival.  In WA alone there are about 40 Montessori schools or early childhood centres, so there is an immediate audience for this historical drama about the founder of the Montessori Method,…

IT out performed Barbie and Oppenheimer at the Italian box office last year and there wasn’t a hint of CGI in sight. The period comedy-drama There’s Still Tomorrow smashed a bunch of records in Italy and amazingly it was the directorial debut of Paola Cortelessi, who also played the lead role. Set in postwar 1940s…

WITH the world’s eyes focused on Iran’s response to Israel’s latest drone attacks on Hezbollah, and memories of Mahsa Amini’s death at the hands of the country’s morality police still lingering, Iranian-Australian playwright and actor Elham Eshraghian-Haakansson’s latest work comes at an opportune time to understand a little more about a most complex culture. Eshraghian-Haakansson…

THE Beautiful Summer is a sensitive portrayal of a lesbian coming-of-age experience in Fascist pre-WWII Italy.  “Freely inspired by” the 1949 novel by Cesare Pavese, the story is of a naïve country girl moving to the big city, Turin.  Against the vague and undeveloped backdrop of Mussolini’s war preparations, the Penguin teaser says about the…

THE environmental impact of deep-sea mining was the catalyst for a fascinating percussion piece by Louise Devenish at this year’s Boom! Held over three days at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, the percussion festival has performances and workshops from some of the best drummers in Australia and around the world. A young innovative…