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This is a book by Vicki Baum. It is Grand Hotel. The Grand Hotel in Berlin. In Berlin in the early 1920’s. The culture, the city finding its way to continue survival post the Treaty of Versailles through the weighted demands made on the German nation in reparation for its provocation of World War I and before the Weimar Government was buried in the Hitler led National Socialist agenda – the rise of the Nazi party. The events that happen to people in a big hotel do not constitute entire human destinies, complete and rounded off. They are fragments merely, scraps,…

More light reads. ALL THE TEARS IN CHINA, by Sulari Gentill I found an Australian crime writer that has a series of books – 11 books – written about the character of Rowland Sinclair, a wealthy Sydney artist. Sulari Gentill is the writer. Each book is centred in a different background. The one I read: ALL THE TEARS IN CHINA, is set in Shanghai in 1935. Sinclair’s brother, Wilfred, runs the family business – a wool business and is unable to attend an important international negotiation meeting in Shanghai and seconds his younger brother, Rowland, to stand in for him…

2019 was a challenging year for myself with a health issue intruding on my ability to see as much theatre as I usually do. Of what I did see here is my summary of the year. Griffin Theatre at the SBW Stables in the first part of the year produced some work that was of great import for our cultural discussion and maturing.Two Sydney Festival offerings: A re-presentation of a political ‘feminist’ hit called LOVE AND ANGER, written and starring Betty Grumble. SINCE ALI DIED, performance piece created and performed by Omar Musa – a re-presentation dealing with minorities trying…

A good year in the theatre – 2018. Not too traumatic. Many rewards. 1. New Australian Writing I liked a lot: MOTHER, by Daniel Keene, at the Belvoir Upstairs. Play has been around – first time in Sydney – one woman piece.BURIED, by Xavier Coy, at the Old 505. Two new one act plays of promise by a new writer. Also, well performed.SINCE ALI DIED, by Omar Musa, as part of the Bach Festival at the Griffin. Memoir Monologue written and performed by Award-winning Slam-Poet, Omar Musa. It is having a return season at Griffin in January. Highly recommend.HOME INVASION,…

This is not a blog concerning a Performance. This concerns the plans for two theatres in the Independent circuit in Sydney. On Sunday 25th November and 2nd December I attended the launch of two 2019 Seasons. It was quite a pleasure to see, at both, a majority of young artists and their supporters, present. I just thought to remark on the foresight and enterprise of LIMELIGHT ON OXFORD and THE KINGS CROSS THEATRE (bAKEHOUSE). Both organisations have planned 2019 with a generous sense of the development of the young artists in this city by giving the opportunity to create and…

Collaborations Theatre Group presents, MUM, ME AND THE  I.E.D., by James Balian and Roger Vickery, at The Depot Theatre, at 142 Addison Rd. Marrickville. August 15th – September 1. Here are some reviews of this production. They are fairly good! Kevin Jackson putting to practical test his beliefs and critiques, that he resonates about in viewing the work of his fellow artists. There is one more week to catch it. Please do. We are fairly PROUD of what we have all done. Writers. Actors and Creatives. It is interesting and consequently, sad, to experience the neglect by the major companies…