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Food, Wine and Good Times

4 April 20252 November 2024 Monique Molnar

Brisbane Good Food and Wine Festival Rating

★★★★★

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Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of attending the Good Food and Wine Show at the Brisbane Convention Centre.

Featuring over 300 exhibitors from all over Australia, there was everything from artisanal goodies like breads, cheeses, delicious sweet treats, chutneys and spice mixes and everything in between. But if food is not your thing, there was also plenty of wine and spirits to be had from some of Australia’s top wineries, distillery and breweries.

The Brisbane Good Food and Wine Festival is truly a delightful celebration for food enthusiasts. But for me, this year’s highlight was the BBQ Ribs Masterclass. The session was both informative and hands-on, providing participants with insider tips on seasoning, marinating, and the perfect cooking techniques for tender, flavorful ribs.

The atmosphere was electric, with the aromas of smoky BBQ wafting through the air. Attendees had the chance to get up close and personal with the grilling process, learning the art of achieving that perfect char while keeping the meat juicy and tender for a melt-in-your-mouth experience.

But if BBQ Ribs are not your thing, fear not; there are plenty of masterclasses and cooking demonstrations to satisfy your every foodie desire. The camaraderie among food lovers added to the experience, creating a festive vibe that resonated throughout the event.

Overall, the BBQ Ribs Masterclass was a standout event, perfectly blending education with indulgence. Whether you’re a seasoned cook, a novice, or just a lover of all things food, wine, and good times, this experience will not disappoint. It offered attendees valuable insights and a deeper appreciation for all things produce, food, wine, and spirits.

There was so much to see and do we couldn’t actually fit it all in. The Brisbane Food and Wine Festival continues to impress, making it a must-visit for anyone who loves good food and great company.

The Festival is over for 2024, but be sure to mark your calendars for the 24th-26th October 2025 next year when the Good Food & Wine Show returns to Brisbane, or sign up for the newsletter to stay up to date @ https://goodfoodshow.com.au/. See you next year!

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Pymble Players: The 39 Steps

4 April 202531 October 2024 Melissa Marsh

Pymble Players 39 Steps Rating

★★★★★

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For their final production, before they move to Chatswood, the Pymble Players present The 39 Steps. David Allsopp directed Patrick Barlow’s 2005 play, which was adapted from John Buchan’s 1915 novel and, of course, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film.

If you are not already familiar with the story, let me assure you that you already know it even if you have yet to see it. The 39 Steps is easily where we get the plot of every spy thriller ever written. There is a beautiful woman with a mysterious accent who drags a hapless Englishman into a wild caper involving secret plans and hidden agents, which leads to a madcap chase across the Scottish moors. What is offered is a delightfully self-aware parody that the audience is invited to be a part of, and all of this is done by a stellar cast of only four actors.

Leading the cast and leading us through the story is Daniel Ferris as Richard Hannay. Richard, an average Englishman who was reluctantly dragged into the plot. At his side is Cassandra Gorman as Annabella, Margaret and Pamela, all of whom are very distinct from each other. The highlight of the evening, however, are Mitch Doran and Faith Jessel as our two clowns, playing at least 100 characters between them.

This rapid-fire performance required rapid costume changes, sometimes even on stage in the middle of dialogue, and all were done flawlessly without disrupting the comedic timing. If Ferris and Gorman form the structure of the play, Doran and Jessel are very much the energy.

Allsopp’s minimalist production design means the focus is almost entirely on our actors. I say “almost” because it is quite cheeky to see the stage managers directly interact with our cast, whether it’s a hand taking a prop or even two of them visible onstage with a fog machine and a pedestal fan.

The sound design brings richness to the performance, but even that is not above having a joke with us. When the phone keeps ringing after the character picks it up, was that deliberate or an opening night flub? I don’t care; either way, I’m laughing.

But I think what I admired the most was the real intimacy of the production, all the more emphasised by Pymble Players’ being in a small theatre. The action is not confined to the stage; the actors come through the audience and play part of the scene even directly in front of where I was sitting.

In the end, I think I enjoyed the play far more than I enjoyed watching Hitchcock’s film. Much has happened in the almost ninety years since the film first appeared. And while back then, Hitchcock played it completely seriously; now we can all have a lot of fun being part of the joke.

There are not many productions that can purport themselves to be “Hitchcock meets Monty Python” and can actually deliver on that promise. If you’d like to see it, I suggest you get in quickly as tickets are selling rapidly and it is easy to see why.

The season is almost SOLD OUT.

For a chance to purchase tickets to Pymble Players The 39 Steps please get to this link urgently @ https://pymbleplayers.com.au/the-39-steps

Session Dates/Times
November 1 Friday at – 8:00 PM
November 2 Saturday at – 3.00 PM
November 3 Sunday at – 3.00 PM
November 8 Friday at – 8:00 PM
November 9 Saturday at – 3:00 PM
November 10 Sunday at – 3.00 PM
November 13 Wednesday at – 8:00 PM
November 14 Thursday at – 8:00 PM
November 15 Friday at – 8:00 PM
November 16 Saturday at – 3:00 PM
November 17 Sunday at – 3:00 PM
November 22 Friday at – 8:00 PM
November 23 Saturday at – 3:00 PM
November 23 Saturday at – 8.00 PM

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Brolga: A Queer Koori Wonderland

4 April 202527 October 2024 Claire Mulcahy

Brolga: A Queer Koori Wonderland Rating

★★★★★

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Saturday, 26 October, saw Bay 17 at Carriageworks Redfern transformed into a psychedelic spectacle, the latest incarnation of multidisciplinary artist and Wiradjuri man Joel Bray’s Brolga: A Queer Koori Wonderland. The interactive dance party, running as part of the 2024 Liveworks Festival, promised to fill every nook and cranny of the space with ‘light, colour, projected image and ecstatic dancing bodies, inspired by First Nations stories of the dancing Brolga’.

The brolga, known as the ‘dancing bird’ holds a lot of cultural significance for Indigenous Australians. Bray stated before the event that many Indigenous stories about the brolga describe its ability to shape, shift, and transform. He sees this as particularly symbolic for queer, gender fluid Indigenous people. Traditionally, corroborees were events where community members had the opportunity to share songs and dance in a ritualised setting. Brolga: A Queer Koori Wonderland can be seen as a contemporary incarnation of those corroborees performed for millennia.

Kicking off at 9pm, our self described ‘Aunty for the evening’ (and clad in an amazing silver outfit) gave the Welcome to Country, reminding us that we were on Gadigal land – land that had never been ceded. We were also reminded of Redfern’s importance in the history of Blak culture and resistance and so it was very symbolic that this night was able to take place there.

Set up around the cavernous space was a floor-to-ceiling screen displaying rainbow images reminiscent of an acid trip. Next to this, a crafting table filled with glitter, masks, glue, and tape encouraged partygoers to adorn themselves for the night ahead—a nice touch for those who might have overlooked wearing a costume out. It also provided an opportunity for early arrivals to chat and perhaps make new friends.

For the next six hours, Bay 17 truly became a wonderland. Drag performer and Miss First Nation 2017 winner Josie Baker sizzled as she danced and sang for the first performance of the night. Highlights of the party included amazing performances from queer artists, including drag performer Felicia Foxx and the gender-ambiguous DANDROGYNY. Compelling music from DJ Jonny, BVT, SOVBLKPSSY, Basjia and Crescendoll kept everyone on the dancefloor well past midnight.

In a deliberately interactive experience, partygoers were encouraged to roam freely, watch video installations, and take time out from the dance floor in the chill-out room, replete with bean bags and lounges.

Brolga: A Queer Koori Wonderland proves that Indigenous culture in Australia continues to thrive and transcend boundaries. Hopefully, we will see the dance party back in Redfern next year for another night of vibrant queer celebration.

This show is part of the Liveworks Festival 2024, which will be hosted at The Carriageworks Performance Space from 23rd to 27th October.

Follow the link to book in for this or any other shows during the festival @ https://carriageworks.com.au/events/liveworks-festival-2024/

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The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave

4 April 202524 October 2024 Isobel Knight

The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave Rating

★★★★★

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‘The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave’ is a dance and movement work that pulses with all the varied energy of an hours-long dance floor. Created in Auckland by queer, indigenous director Oli Mathieson, three dancer-choreographers in the cavernous Bay 21 at Carriageworks create such a concentrated swirl of storytelling movement that the audience cheers and hollers at the most striking moments.

Lucy Lynch, Sharvon Mortimer and Oli Mathieson move in mesmerising unison for the majority of the piece, making their moments of breaking out of it exhilarating. Stylistically, dance forms from the rave and techno worlds need personality, not just precision, and they bring it in spades. Their sneaker-clad feet hit the floor in such tight rhythm that the beat feels like it could be coming from their steps, not the booming sound system.

The lights hang low and blue as the trio begins in the far corner, moving even as we enter. People have their phones out filming and taking photos as we find places to watch from; the program encourages this. The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave doesn’t let up the pace once.

The soundtrack is the entirety of ‘Nocturbulous Sounds’ by Suburban Knight, an album with no breaks that flows through gritty beats from across the techno spectrum, harsh and pulsing in turn. The movements, as they take us through the experience of a 3-day rave over the course of an hour and a half, follow this same arc: elbows and limbs are thrown with both abandon and precision, sweat towels are lowered from the ceiling, and there’s crawling, rolling, grabbing each other’s hands like a life-raft. Their dancing makes you want to dance.

The sweat rolls off each performer, and the red cups they grab twice throughout the show to hydrate are thrown offstage to keep dancing. The minimal props feel mainly like tributes to different rave subcultures rather than specific features and are less important than the bodies manipulating them.

Of the Liveworks program in 2024, ‘The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave’ is one of the sexier, more high-octane offerings. There are strobe sequences, a brief and striking use of black light and transcendent performances from the three dancers. There is a wild commitment to every movement, and Lynch, Mortimer and Mathieson seem to have both the soundtrack and their choreography in their bones rather than brains. The delivery of the show is slick, despite relishing in the essence of the dirty dance floors it was inspired by, and absolutely transporting.

This show is part of the Liveworks Festival 2024, which will be hosted at The Carriageworks Performance Space from 23rd to 27th October.

Follow the link to book in for this or any other shows during the festival @ https://carriageworks.com.au/events/liveworks-festival-2024/

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