The Bubbles Festival: Two hours of bliss!

The Bubbles Festival

The Bubbles Festival Rating

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Who doesn’t like champagne, surely there can’t be anyone? The Bubbles Festival is currently touring around Australia spreading champagne love and we’re glad they are!

Devised by founder Natalie Pickett who created the idea during a meditation and so “divinely inspired”, it is a must for all lovers of the heavenly grape.

The event is an initiative of the Bubbles Review, supported by The Heart and Soul Group and is for people who like champagne and other bubbles! The Bubbles Review debunks the myths of champagne and makes the art of drinking champagne accessible.

The Festival is held at the iconic National Wine Centre, Adelaide which has the necessary ambience for a perfect two hours of education, tasting, giveaways and specials for the canny buyer.

The event begins with an introduction by Natalie Pickett herself who gives us an insight into tasting– picking the right glassware and how to taste (how the bubbles sound, the colour, the ‘nose’ or smell, the taste or where the champagne lands on the palate, and how it makes the consumer feel).

We also learn about the different methods of blending and the history of champagne. Natalie is the doyen of champagne and is a font of knowledge. I must confess, it took me all my strength not to taste the first offering before me on the table. I lasted till the tasting, some others didn’t!

We are then let loose to taste for ourselves, armed with tasting notes and our Riedel tasting glass, which we can take home as part of our ticket to the event.

There are representatives from six wineries scattered in the tasting room – George’s Folly, Goldings, Babo, Levrier, Kaeslar Wines and Champagne Abele 1757. The pace of tasting is just right, the representatives friendly and eager to share their stories (and wine) and the room is not too crowded.

The wines come from the Barossa Valley, the Adelaide Hills, Eden Hills, the Fleurieu, Italy and France. It is a world of wine for the discerning taster!

As well as the amazing selection of sparkling wines, there are canapes to encourage responsible drinking and to accentuate the flavour of the wines. The canapes are 5 star in presentation and taste and has something for every food group (great vegetarian options).

This was my first Bubbles Festival and it certainly won’t be my last! I increased my knowledge of champagne and tasting, met some fellow champagne lovers, enjoyed pairing restaurant quality food with wine and met the founder of the event, all packaged in the perfect venue for tasting!

The Bubbles Festival is a must for any lover of the grape. It is a heavenly two hours enjoying amazing wines. As Natalie says, it is a ‘Divinely inspired” event!

To book tickets to The Bubbles Festival next stop, please visit https://thebubblesreview.com/the-bubbles-festival/

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All About the Levkoviches Film Review

All About the Levkoviches

All About the Levkoviches Rating

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All About the Levkoviches is about love, inclusion, and the need to be accepted especially by your family.

It tells the story of a well-meaning but tenacious boxing coach, Tamás, who gets along well with everyone but his own son, Iván, who left the family and moved to Israel to join an orthodox community.

All goes well until Tamás‘ beloved wife, Zsuzsa dies unexpectedly, and Tamás tells his son that he can come and mourn in his house as long as he brings his grandson, Ariel with him. This, however, gives them a chance to settle their old grievances after years of not talking, and also helps Ariel deal with his own grief and his obsession that grandma’s spirit is still in the house.

It is an adroit combination of comedy and drama, and one of the few movies that offers something for everyone. The story, written by Bálint Csaba and director Adam Breier himself, is captivating and gives us a glimpse into the life of the Jewish community in Hungary, and the characters are definitely memorable.

Director Ádám Breier expressed his gratitude for the film’s reception, saying, “We are deeply touched by the number of people watching our film. It’s particularly gratifying that many have told us they’ve seen it multiple times or recommended it to family members,” as quoted in a press release by Mozinet, the film’s distributor.

The film provides a window into the lives of present-day Jews in Hungary, as well as the dilemma for a baal tshuvah (newly Orthodox) man who wants to keep the ties with his secular family.

 

While Tamás is grieving, the local Orthodox community supports Iván with traditional shiva practices, sensitively explored. There are some tender moments of humour among deeply emotional family scenes.

Zoltán Bezerédi’s Tamás is a wonderfully drawn character and the original grumpy old man, but his heart is in the right place with his care for his estranged son and his grandson. His scenes with Ariel, his grandson are touching, especially when he is teaching him to box.

Tamás Szabó Kimmel’s Iván is torn between orthodoxy, his love for his wife, mother and trying to do the best for his son. The scene when he slaps his son across the face is confronting, but almost understandable.

Leo Gagel’s Ariel is the ‘meat in the sandwich,’ divided between the love for his father and his love for his grandmother. The connection he builds with his grandfather is instrumental in reuniting his father with his grandfather.

All About the Levkoviches teaches us a particularly important lesson, which is that everyone grieves in their own way, whether they are old, young, or deeply religious. Learning to respect this is not always easy, but it has the power to mend broken relationships.

To book tickets to this or other films click https://www.jiff.com.au/

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The Cram Collective Presents: FAG/STAG

FAG/STAG

FAG/STAG Rating

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The CRAM Collective’s latest production of FAG/STAG is a winner! (CRAM stands for Create, Revise, Augment and Merge). They are a comparatively young company in every sense of the word and definitely a company to watch. Focussing on film and live theatre, they are developing a dedicated following, as indicated by the full house I attended and other full houses during the season.

FAG/STAG – “This rare breed of heterosexual human male enjoys the company of homosexual human males in preference to or en liu of, perhaps selectively, other heterosexual males.” – Urban Dictionary

This production explores what it means to have a best mate when you’re stuck being your worst self.

It features Corgan and Jimmy who are BFFs. Their lives are filled by Tinder, Grindr, white lies, big nights and too many pints. Lawn bowls, Donkey Kong, wiping vomit into the shower drain. Unanswered texts, bad sex, moving back in with Mum and Dad. In the month preceding the wedding of Corgan’s ex-girlfriend the two struggle to get their life in gear enough to even hire a suit.

The Howling Owl is a unique venue, right in the middle of the CBD and the home of Adelaide’s Premiere Gin Den as a bonus, this boutique theatre is the perfect setting for an up close and personal glimpse into the lives of two very different young men at an age when youth is beginning to diminish, and the realisation of adulthood is creeping in.

Jeffrey Jay Fowler and Chris Isaacs have crafted an extremely incisive script which is sure to resonate with young adults and those of us who can remember when we were that age.

 

Connor Reidy’s direction gives us an intimate look at the lives of two men whose bond is their friendship. Together with his cast and creatives he has focussed on their inner thoughts (voiced to the audience). Using 3 stools, a couple of bottles of beer and two Nintendo handsets, his direction takes us to the highs and lows of friendship especially when complicated by sexual orientation. The play also deals with the confronting topics of self-harm and drug use.

Reidy’s direction is supported by Antoine Jelk’s creative sound design linking the scenes, and Aaron Herczeg’s atmospheric lighting which perfectly sets the mood.

Henry Cooper and Connor Pullinger inhabit their characters of Corgan and Jimmy. They are totally believable and relatable to the audience. United by their love of Donkey Kong and friendship, they pour out their souls to us, the audience. They show us the good, bad, and ugly sides of friendship while drawing us into their lives.

I particularly enjoyed Jimmy’s love/hate relationship with his ‘ex’ and the melon air freshener in his car that serves as a reminder of their time together. I also enjoyed Corgan’s addiction to Tinder and his ‘swipe right’ girls, and the acceptance of his friend’s sexuality.

Both the actors give highly polished, emotional performances that begin as stand up but quickly dive deep into inner thoughts and feelings taking us on a wild ride!

FAG/STAG is sixty minutes packed with laughs, sighs and maybe some tears, that will leave you questioning relationship with your BFFs and your role in making these friendships meaningful and lasting! Bravo CRAM Collective!

The season is short and some sessions are already sold out. For remaining tickets, book quickly @ https://www.thecramcollective.com/

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King Lear: Presented by The Theatre Guild

King Lear

King Lear Rating

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The University of Adelaide Theatre Guild have placed their production of King Lear in a post-apocalyptic dystopian setting which is set amidst the madness of a world in ruins more than reminiscent of the Mad Max series. I would not have been surprised if Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) walked in to play the old deranged king, there are a number of parallels.

Director Brant Eustice says, “There is enormous joy to be found in Shakespeare’s universal themes and a brilliance in his writing which not only allows, but also encourages theatregoers to continue exploring the depth, complexity and beauty of his stories in new styles. Due to a global calamity, civilisation as we view it has collapsed and has returned to the ways of a distant past. We find ourselves in a world which is slowly trying to rebuild itself.”

This production succeeds in most ways, but does not always achieve Eustice’s aims.

For those who don’t know the play, King Lear is based on the legend of Leir of Britain. Lear decides to divide his kingdom among his three daughters, but he is deceived by the flattery of Goneril and Regan, who turn against him, and he banishes the loyal Cordelia, who loves him. Lear becomes mad and wanders in a storm, while Cordelia returns with an army to restore him. The play ends with the deaths of Lear and his daughters.

According to the esteemed critic Frank Kermode, “the play…offers neither its good characters nor its audience any relief from its cruelty”. I disagree with Kermode in that while cruelty is more than evident, there is an abundance of humour in the play which Eustice highlights.

Every centimetre of the Little Theatre is used to advantage and thanks to Eustice’s direction, the scene changes are quick and efficient, and the characters are well developed.

His direction is complemented by Kate Prescott’s set design, Lisa Lanzi’s costume design, Richard Parkhill’s moody lighting, Sean Smith’s sound design. Michael Green’s original haunting music and Anne-Louise Smith’s hair teasing and primping.

This production features 16 performers, some playing multiple roles.

Michael Eustice joins an illustrious list of actors to play Lear; Orson Welles, Christopher Plummer, Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi, and Glenda Jackson to name a few. Eustice’s Lear is bombastic, demanding and convincing in his decent into madness. His scene with the dead body of Cordelia is memorable.

Sharon Malujlo’s Kent holds the narrative together, especially when in disguise and provides comic relief to the more sombre sections of the play.

Robert Baulderstone’s Edgar is compelling to watch. His physicality is wonderful and his voice crystal clear. His ‘naked’ scene is a highlight of the play!

Sean Flierl’s Edmund is appropriately villain-like as he plots against his father and brother. His swordplay with Edgar is frighteningly realistic.

Geoff Revell as Fool steals every scene with carefully delivered wisdom and the occasional breaking of the fourth wall to include the audience. I loved his scene with Lear on the mezzanine level of the theatre.

As the three daughters, Georgia Stockham as Goneril, Rebecca Kemp as Regan and Rhoda Sylvester as Cordelia all deliver solid work, but there were some problems with diction and projection at times that resulted in some of the dialogue being lost when their backs were turned or voices raised.

Tracey Walker is a commanding Albany with one of the clearest Shakespearean deliveries I have heard.

Director Brant Eustice replaced Mick Young (who had to withdraw due to illness) as Gloucester gives us a moving performance, particularly in act 2 when his eyes are gouged out.

Imogen Deller-Evans, Mike Leach, Harry Passehl, Tony Sampson, Tom Tassone, and Lizzie Zeuner complete the cast playing multiple roles.

Being a long play (even with cuts), it might have been advisable to start this production at 7pm.

King Lear is one of the Bard’s greatest works and the University of Adelaide Theatre Guild’s production is well thought out and delivers some fine performances. I think the Bard would approve of the new setting!

Barry Hill OAM

For Tickets:-
https://www.adelaide.edu.au/theatreguild/

Ticket Information
$25 Full Price
$20 Concession / Tertiary Student

Performance Dates
Friday 16 August at 7:30pm
Saturday 17 August at 7:30pm
Sunday 18 August at 4pm
Wednesday 21 August at 7:30pm
Thursday 22 August at 7:30pm
Friday 23 August at 7:30pm
Saturday 24 August at 7:30pm
Sunday 25 August at 4pm

Venue
Little Theatre
The Cloisters, Victoria Drive, University of Adelaide
Please allow extra time for parking, especially when there is an event at Adelaide Oval.

Duration
2.5 hours plus interval

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