That's Entertainment

There's been a few festivals on lately and as is my habit, I went to some of the offerings. This year however, rather than making my choice based on reading the programme with price at the forefront (I was economising last year), my selection was made on Triple R interviews. Yes folks, I am a supporter of the Melbourne community radio station Triple R and it is the most fabulous thing since sliced bread as far as I am concerned. My morning begins with the Breakfasters gently shaking me awake before the real alarm barks at me to stop lazing around and get up. Saturday morning eases into activity with the eclectic mix of music on Vital Bits and Sunday lazes around till midday with information by osmosis on Radio Marinara, Radio Therapy and Einstein A-go-go. Thanks to The Breakfasters too I can while away a rather dull double train ride with information of things to fill my spare time and enrich my life, like...

Philip Escoffey's Six Impossible Things Before Dinner at the Melbourne Fringe Festival. It was very entertaining I have to say and just the ticket to cheer us up in a trying week of freezing cold and no electrons in the house. It's a long story but the power accidentally got cut off in the coldest week of Spring. Anyway, Philip Escoffey does not claim to read minds but he does do some pretty wicked tricks that suggest to his audience he does. And I was one of the audience members to have my mind read...well sort of, it was a trick after all because if he had been reading my mind, he would have seen only blank space between these blonde ears. It was however very entertaining and clever and his show gets my recommendation.

Second Triple R recommendation for something to do on a Sunday night was Mal Webb and Adam Page's musical gymnastics with loopback machines and more instruments than two people should be able to play in a million years. Yes, these two were completely, spontaneously impressive on trombone, saxophone, paper fan, nose flute and tin whistle to name but a few. Mal's vocal ability with sound effects was also pretty impressive as they jammed for two and a half hours. Mal's songs too were very funny and acrobatic with words.

Triple R also offered a Black Cab performance in their performance space which as a new subscriber, I was welcome to on my own merits rather than as an invited plus one. Yay, for my Radiothon inspired subscription.

On Sunday afternoon Lauren and I wandered down to Federation Square for a dose of Melbourne Arts Festival with Living Room on the big screen. It featured photos people had sent in of them at home in their living spaces. It was pretty cool to recognise all the neighbourhoods featured now that I am a local and I thought that my living room photo could easily have featured alongside the rest. My living room would have fitted in perfectly.

The big show of the week however was Debbie and me going to 'Chicago' at Her Majesty's Theatre. I was captivated. It was a truly great show, better than Wicked and all it had was one set and one costume each. Pretty low budget on effects but it made up for it with big voices and big acting to keep me spellbound. All in all, well worthwhile arty couple of weeks.