The Owl’s Apprentice to six towns in the region Quirindi, Gunnedah, Bingara, Armidale, Glen Innes and Tenterfield

Little Wing Puppets are on their way to North West New South Wales, bringing with them their shadow puppet show, The Owl’s Apprentice to six towns in the region Quirindi, Gunnedah, Bingara, Armidale, Glen Innes and Tenterfield.

The story is about the idea that owl’s aren’t born wise, they have to learn it from somewhere. A young owl named Poot Poot is sent to study at Owl school. On his journey he meets an Echidna, a Wombat, a Kookaburra, a Lyrebird, a Kangaroo and a Platypus who each share with him their own kind special kind of wisdom. But will he pass the final test and become wise enough to save the forest? The Owl’s Apprentice is an interactive show for families combining shadow puppetry and physical comedy.

A puppeteer of more than twenty years, Jenny Ellis, weaves the whole tale together with a single set of hands, often playing multiple characters at once. Jenny has a Post-Graduate Diploma in Puppetry from the Victorian College of the Arts, and has performed hundreds of shows in numerous festivals, theatres and country halls in every state and territory of Australia, as well as overseas.

Jenny Ellis, Artistic Director of Little Wing Puppets, said,

“We are thrilled to be coming to the North West. We believe that young people deserve equal access to the arts, wherever they live. We have demonstrated that with over 16 years on the road, taking shows to some of Australia’s most remote communities. We know that we can help shape young people’s lives by igniting their imaginations. In a time when there is so much time spent on screens, the simplicity of puppet theatre still retains a sense of magic. It’s amazing to hear a room full of children gasping and exploding into laughter over the antics of a puppet on stage. It’s still able to captivate their imaginations.”

This tour has been supported by Arts North West. See attached page for full details of the performances

Watch 1 min video: https://vimeo.com/73988806

ARTS NORTH WEST TOUR
THE OWL’S APPRENTICE – 2022

Monday 1 August, 2022 10:30am & 1pm
The Royal Theatre Quirindi
115 Henry St, Quirindi NSW 2343
Bookings: https://www.royaltheatrequirindi.com/
Phone: (02) 6746 1755

Tuesday 2 August, 2022 11am & 1:30pm
Civic Theatre Gunnedah
83 Chandos St, Gunnedah NSW 2380
Bookings: https://www.thecivic.com.au/live-theatre--events
Phone: 02 6740 2266

Wednesday 3 August, 11am
Roxy Theatre Bingara
74 Maitland St, Bingara NSW 2404
Bookings: https://www.roxybingara.com.au/little-wing-puppets-presents-the-owls-apprentice/
Phone: 02 6724 0066

Friday 5 August, 2022, 2pm
The TAS Hoskins Centre Armidale
Barney St, Newling NSW 2350
Entry Via Chapel Street
Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/CAHFO
Phone: (02) 6776 5800

Saturday 6 August, 2022 2pm
Chapel Theatre Glen Innes
143 Church St, Glen Innes NSW 2370
Bookings: https://giac.com.au/movie/owls-apprentice
Phone 6732 5688

Sunday 7 August 2022 10:30am
Tenterfield School of Arts
205 Rouse Street, Tenterfield
Bookings: http://www.tenterfieldcinema.com.au/event/the-owls-apprentice
Phone: 02 67366100

A SHOW RICH IN OUR COLLECTIVE AUSTRALIAN HISTORY

Circle the date for this powerful live show coming to theatres in our region in April.

Family secrets are revealed in double bill Stardust + The Mission – two original Australian stories about love, music, war and all the things that people leave behind...

STARDUST tells the story of bandleader and trumpet player Col Brain. Before he died, Col placed his most prized life possessions into a cupboard and locked it up, never to be opened again. But what was inside? Told by his grandson, award winning ABC presenter & performer, Joel Carnegie (below left), STARDUST is a heart-warming musical quest to uncover what Col wanted us to know about his life by the things he left behind.

THE MISSION follows “Fighting Gunditjmara” man Allan McDonald off to war. As one of the first Aboriginal soldiers from Victoria to enlist, Allan fought at Gallipoli and Beersheba, only to be denied a soldier’s settlement upon return and forced from his traditional land. Told by his great, great nephew, acclaimed Gunditjmara actor Tom Molyneux, THE MISSION tells the truth of Uncle Allan’s struggle; fighting for Country, for love, and for justice.

Royal Theatre Quirindi: Tuesday, 19 APRIL 2022

Crossing Theatre Narrabri: Wednesday, 20 APRIL 2022

Inverell RSM Club: Thursday, 21 APRIL 2022

Civic Theatre Gunnedah: Friday 22 APRIL 2022

Capitol Theatre Tamworth: Saturday 23 APRIL 2022

Roadshow coming to the rescue

Let’s face it – we could all use a laugh.

There’s no better time to come together and let off some steam with the Melbourne Comedy Festival. After so many delays due to COVID, the team is coming to Tamworth, Glen Innes and Narrabri with a roadshow attached to one of the three largest comedy fests in the world.

The NENW tour will be emceed by Sam Taunton, known as the ‘roving idiot’ on Channel 10’s The Project with his trademark captivating storytelling and quick-fire punchlines. He sold out his 2019 solo show, Straight From The Shoulder charming Australian audiences across the country, and it was this show that saw him win the Pinder Prize at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, which sent him across to a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe, as one of the hottest young voices on the Australian comedy circuit.

Joining Sam are stellar comedians Nikki Britton, Fady Kassab and Chris Ryan.

Described by Chortle (UK) as a comedian who can reduce her audience to constant waves of laughter, Nikki Britton is known for her appearances on Hughesy, We Have A Problem. She was a nominee for Melbourne Comedy Festival’s Most Outstanding Show Award 2021 and swept the 2020 Adelaide Fringe Best Comedy Weekly Award.

Lebanese-born, Sydney-based Fady Kassab won Australia’s most prestigious comedy competition, triple j’s RAW Comedy in 2019. His show-stopping performance, televised on SBS TV, sent his to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to participate in the Gilded Balloon’s long-running “So you Think You’re Funny?” comedy competition. That led to Fady as a selection for the “Best of Edinburgh Showcase Show”.

Former journo and described as one of the most exciting new voices on the comedy scene, Chris Ryan round out the comedy quartet. Her laconic take on life has catapulted her to spots in Galas at the Sydney (2019) and Canberra Comedy Festivals (2013, 2017, slated for 2020), Floriade Nightfest and TEDx Canberra. In 2019, Chris performed comedy for the Australian troops in the Middle East and toured across Australia with the Sydney Comedy Festival Showcase Tour, and she’s a regular on a several ABC radio shows.

It will be a night of stand-up, sketch, satire, silliness and song to satisfy all your comedy cravings!

Capitol Theatre Tamworth: Wednesday and Thursday, 10 and 11 November, 7.30pm, 02 6766 2028

The Crossing Theatre Narrabri: Friday 12 November, 7.30pm, 02 6799 6740

Glen Innes Chapel Theatre: Saturday 13 November, 8pm, 02 6732 1997

Audience 18+

Roadshow bringing the laughs back

MELBOURNE COMEDY FESTIVAL’S popular Roadshow is heading for the New England North West region to deliver a cracking good night of stand-up laughs from the experts.

The NENW leg of the tour will be emceed by teacher-turned-comedian and actor Ben Knight, who starred in ABC TV’s football-themed series The Warriors. Joining Ben will be comedians Alex Ward, Nikki Britton, Sam Taunton and Japan’s comedy export Takashi Wakasugi, whose act at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival was the insightful and uproarious Farm Backpacker (Subclass 417).

Described by Chortle (UK) as a comedian who can reduce her audience to constant waves of laughter, Nikki Britton is known for her appearances on Hughesy, We Have A Problem. She was a nominee for Melbourne Comedy Festival’s Most Outstanding Show Award 2021 and winner of Best Comedy Weekly Award at the 2020 Adelaide Fringe.

Sam Taunton is ‘roving idiot’ on Channel 10’s The Project with the trademark captivating storytelling and quick-fire punchlines that took him all the way to a sellout show at the Edinburgh Fringe.

A Queenslander now living in Melbourne, Alex Ward said: “2020 was a year for reflecting… mostly my own face in the laptop screen in bed”.

“I reflected on society, my dreams and how hard Zoom tried to ruin live comedy forever. Turns out they couldn’t touch us because we’re back. Can you believe it? Me, in the flesh, as you live and breathe!

“Despite the lockdown, I managed to achieve some great things in 2020. I wrote and co-starred alongside my dogs (my dogs were the leads) in a sketch for ABC’s At Home Alone Together series.

“I also baked not one, but two incredible cheesecakes. You could say it was a baking-pan-demic (that is an example of the kind of jokes you won’t be seeing at my show. It was a test, if you enjoyed that please re-think what you want to get from your life),” she said.

Don’t miss the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow at a venue near you:

TAS Hoskins Armidale: Tuesday June 15 (02) 6776 5800

Glen Innes Chapel Theatre: Wednesday June 16 (02) 6732 1997

Gunnedah Civic Theatre: Thursday June 17 (02) 6740 2100

Tenterfield School of Arts: Tuesday June 29 (02) 6736 6100

Inverell RSM Club (Inverell Cultural Group): Wednesday June 30 0428 753 244

Capitol Theatre Tamworth: Thursday July 1 (02) 6766 2028

Royal Theatre Quirindi: Friday July 2 (02) 6746 1755

Crossing Theatre Narrabri: Saturday July 3 (02) 6799 6740

Audience 18+

SOONCHILD IN THE SADDLE FOR SADIE’S WILD RIDE

Photo: Shootin’ Sadie creator and actor, Natasha Soonchild. Image supplied by Natasha Soonchild.

A HOMEGROWN night of Wild West-inspired theatre created by Nundle-based artist Natasha Soonchild is set to tour the small halls of the New England North West from late April, brought to audiences by Arts North West On Tour’s annual Pocket Productions program.

Soonchild will hit the stage in the title role of Shootin’ Sadie, an acclaimed one-woman show written and developed in Nundle and directed by Gwenda Blackwell.

A multi-talented performing and visual artist, Soonchild will inhabit multiple characters for the production, narrating Sadie’s story of adversity and triumph through the entertaining and accessible prism of the Wild West genre.

“We’re saddling up and getting ready to hit the road with Shootin’ Sadie in just a few weeks!” Soonchild said.

“Sadie’s journey is one of adversity and strength revealing the moral compass that guides her conscience. She has true grit.

“I’m lucky enough to have special guest musician John Krsulja performing as the opening act for the show. I’ve seen John in rehearsals and he is bringing something super special to the evening!”

An established acoustic musician from Nundle, Golden Guitar-winning Krsulja will perform a blend of Folk, Rock and Country in his pre-show set.

Wild Ride

First stop on Sadie’s wild ride will be the DAG Sheep Station, Nundle on Saturday April 17, after which the show will continue to The Australian Poetry Hall of Fame at Guyra on Thursday April 22.

A year since the Hall reopened, owner James Warren is excited to be presenting Shootin’ Sadie as the first touring production at the town’s revived Arcadia Theatre.

“After a 50-year pause as an entertainment venue, the town of Guyra once again has a community entertainment and arts hub which Shootin’ Sadie will help revitalise,” he said.

To book for the Guyra performance, head online to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/147473522275 or contact the venue on 0423 478 656.

Moving audiences

The Shootin’ Sadie tour comes just five months since Arts North West On Tour brought Country Witches Association to the region, a tour of raucous comedy and original song from acclaimed performers Mandy Nolan and Áine Tyrell.

Keeping the performing arts venues of the New England North West from going dark is a mission for Arts North West’s touring coordinator Michael Burge.

“We’ve all endured the pandemic with strict limits on the performing arts,” Burge said.

“It’s heartening that we have now reached a time when venues can play to full capacity, although it’s critical that COVID-safe operations continue.”

“I saw Hell Ship at the Chapel Theatre Glen Innes this month, a one-man show written and performed by Michael Veitch, a whole year since the original tour had to be postponed.

“Michael’s play was a gripping and very moving theatre experience, and audiences across our region gave Arts North West On Tour the same feedback.”

“Arts North West On Tour is committed to attracting excellent touring shows. We encourage New England North West residents to support their local venues by following them on social media and keeping abreast of what’s coming soon to a theatre near you,” Burge said.

The Shootin’ Sadie Tour

Contact each venue for more information on performance times and ticketing.

Saturday April 17 DAG Sheep Station Nundle 67693486

Thursday April 22 Australian Poetry Hall of Fame Guyra 0423 478 656

Friday April 23 Currabubula Hall 0427 000 633

Saturday April 24 Kelvin Hall 1800 KOALAS

Thursday April 29 Yetman Hall 0400 970 866

Friday April 30 Deepwater School of Arts 0431 269 104

Saturday May 1 Uralla Central School 0412 424 718

Sunday May 2 Sunnyside Hall Tenterfield 67363500

Gripping voyage of the human spirit

Hell Ship: The Journey of the Ticonderoga

ONE OF Australia’s most compelling maritime stories, in which the power of the human spirit emerged during a colonial plague, comes to life in a one-man show touring the stages of the New England North West region across March.

Created by a formidable Australian artist: actor, writer and broadcaster Michael Veitch and brought to the region by Arts North West On Tour, Hell Ship: The Journey of the Ticonderoga is a gripping night of live theatre with epic themes that modern audiences will find resonance within.

Based on Veitch’s 2018 book of the same name, this play is set in the spring of 1852 when the clipper Ticonderoga set off from Liverpool to the colony of Victoria, carrying many Scots Highlander families to the New World.

“On the voyage, however, disaster struck when a deadly typhus epidemic erupted throughout her decks, taking scores of her passengers,” Veitch said.

“On the high seas, an epic struggle of life and death played out.” Michael Veitch

According to Veitch’s research, a hero emerged in this unfolding tragedy: the ship’s surgeon, a young man on his maiden voyage, ably assisted by a brave young woman passenger.

“The couple survived the tragedy, and were soon married,” Veitch said.

In Hell Ship, the playwright takes on this doctor’s role, retelling this long-forgotten episode half a century after the event.

The drama is made all the more powerful by the fact that this courageous couple were James William Henry Veitch and Annie Morrison, Veitch’s very own great-great grandparents.

“Hell Ship is the story of a disaster, and the strength of the human spirit; a family story, but one which brings the history of so many of our brave but forgotten forbears to life,” he said.

Veitch is familiar to audiences from his years on comedy shows Fast Forward, Full Frontal and The D-Generation.

Reviewing in Stage Whispers, Cathy Bannister wrote: “Veitch’s story-telling style is tremendously warm and engaging. The character he draws is not strictly natural, but a beautifully drawn caricature, full of life and compelling to watch. He has captured a certain musicality of the language as it was written and presumably spoken in the 1800s—those long, rhythmically complex sentences that went out of vogue in the 1900s. He delivers these lines with comedic timing, moving into rapid fire urgency as the horror of the situation becomes apparent. As an audience, we come to empathise with ship’s inhabitants as we imagine the truly horrific conditions and awful inevitability of what would happen.”

Opening at the Crossing Theatre, Narrabri on Thursday March 18, Hell Ship is part of the region’s fortnight-long Create Festival, before touring to the Capitol Theatre, Tamworth on Wednesday March 24; Gunnedah’s Civic Theatre on Thursday March 25; the Royal Theatre, Quirindi on Friday March 26; Inverell’s Town Hall on Saturday March 27, and The Chapel Theatre Glen Innes on Sunday March 28.

Head to The Arts North West On Tour website for more information: http://www.artsnw.com.au/anw-on-tour-shows

THE NEW ENGLAND NORTH WEST LOCAL ARTS COMMUNITY NEEDS YOU

It’s spring, and as the New England North West region begins to emerge, Arts North West understands that we find ourselves in a ‘brave new world’ of social distancing, hand sanitising and ensuring we sign in when enjoying a piece of entertainment away from home.

The great news is that there are events out there for us all to enjoy despite the challenges, from performing arts tours to exhibitions, literary events and so much more but the long-term wellbeing of the artists and arts-workers of our region relies very much on us all showing up.

The Arts North West on Tour network is really looking forward to welcoming the Country Witches Association, to New England North West Pocket Production venues.

From one half of the team that brought Women Like Us to our region in 2019, this community-building comedy/music show draws Country Women’s Association members every time it tours the bush.

Irish folk musician Àine Tyrrell and Australia’s beloved comedian Mandy Nolan whip up plenty of audience participation via a meeting ‘agenda’ that is a riotous and heartfelt homage to the CWA’s role: bringing support, connection and hysterical observations of everyday dilemmas.

This is a Covid safe, 18+ women’s show but men who love listening to women are totally welcome.

Bonshaw Hall: Wednesday November 18, 2020. Bookings: 0427 749 978

Royal Theatre Quirindi: Thursday November 19, 2020. Bookings: 6746 1755

Gunnedah Town Hall: Friday November 20, 2020. Bookings: 6740 2230

Deepwater School of Arts: Saturday November 21, 2020. Bookings: 0431 269 104

Tenterfield School of Arts: Sunday November 22, 2020. Bookings: 6736 6100

There has never been a time when it’s more important that we follow through on our bookings, because venues are likely to have put on extra staff, and numbers are likely to be capped, so if we cancel or don’t show our place might not be reallocated at short notice.

The Arts North West on Tour network has a fantastic line up of shows planned to tour the New England North West next year, so follow Arts North West on Facebook to stay up to date.

Please contact Mandy Nolan via 0422 701 680 for information regarding the Country Witches Association tour.