fortyfivedownstairs Announces Upcoming Events, Heads To Helpmann Awards

fortyfivedownstairs is headed to the Helpmann Awards, Australia's major theatre awards, where their 2010 production Do Not Go Gentle.. is up for two awards; Patricia Cornelius, Best Play, and Anne Phelan, Best Supporting Actress.

This poetic and poignant play has now won an R.E. Ross Trust award; The Patrick White Award, the N.S.W. Premier's Literary Award, and is short listed for the West Australian Premiers Literary Award.... What next? The West End? The World? Watch this space!

Theatre:The Burlesque Hour Loves Melbourne
Finucane & Smith

A rave review from Alison Croggan (reviewer for The Australian from 2007 - 2010 ) on her site Theatre Notes.

"...sexy, hilarious, perverse, disturbing and liberatingly beautiful.... fearlessness, subversion, wit, mischief and intelligence" for the full review see here.

This week local favourite Meow Meow, returns to Melbourne from London's West End, to galvanise audiences with her own particular brand of subversion, plus a voice of operatic dimensions and a total absence of fear.

Then look out for the prodigious Constantina Bush and the Bushettes - be the first to see this extraordinary and hysterical indigenous performer ( 4 - 7 August) who is joined by singers Vika & Linda Bull on 5 & 6 August, and by the fabulous Pamela Rabe in Demon Goddess mode, on Sunday 7 August.

See our website for all the details and more special guests, and if you can't make up your mind what to do, call us for the special deal for two or more shows!

Season Friday 17 June - Sunday 14 August
Times: Thursday & Sunday 7pm, Friday & Saturday 7pm & 9:30pm
Tickets: Catwalk Full $65, Catwalk Conc $55, General Full $55, General Conc $45

Book online here or call 9662 9966

Large and Small Gallery: Bronwyn Raven Purrula
Painting
Until Sat 23 July

Bronwyn Raven Purrula has had a successful career as a performer and song writer, and began painting in 1996 when she went to live at Yulara and Mutitjulu in the Northern Territory. Her paintings are a tribute to her family, traditional land owners in Central Australia, who are also descended from William Liddle, of Scots descent, born in South Australia in 1888.

Visitors have responded extremely positively to these finely painted works, which detail her own experiences using the imagery she was taught by her elders.

Coming Up at fortyfivedownstairs

Large Gallery: Bronwyn Berman
The intelligence of the Heart
Tue July 26 to Sat August 6

Berman creates geometric, textural forms with natural and man-made materials, including bees wax, gold leaf, glass beads, echidna quills and more - creating a suite of abstract works which convey multiple meanings about culture, spiritual notions and our place here on earth.

Small Gallery: Zhao Hongiun and Ding Bifan
Landscape and Figure Painting from China
Tue July 26 to Sat August 6

Zhao Hongjun spent ten years devoting himself to painting an unknown small village, BanLaling in Liadong Province, and in complete contrast, he is now painting the metropolis of Shanghai.

Ding Bifan specializes in realistic figure painting. His lyrical paintings are full of unexpected leisurely delights. They convey an atmosphere full of poetic yearning in a manner that blends Chinese folk art and modernism.

Curated by Jade Yang and presented by MEOU Art Investments.

Theatre : Café Scheherazade
A fortyfivedownstairs production
Sat 20 August to Sun 11 September

We were all sad when the season of Café Scheherazade ended April - the cast had become a little family in the nearly four weeks they were here - so we are delighted that they have stayed together and we are able to present this beautiful production again in late August. Over 3000 people saw the first season, a remarkable number for our small venue, and a testament to the strength of
Thérèse Radic's play, based on Arnold Zable's spell binding novel of the same name, and directed by multiple Green Room Award winner, Bagryana Popov.

Dates: Sat 20 August - Sun 11 September*
Times: Tue - Sat 8pm, Sun 5pm, Matinee Wed 24 & 31 Aug 2pm, Matinee Sat 27 Aug & 3 Sep 4pm.
Tickets: Full $45, Seniors $40, Conc $37.50, Group(10+) $40
*No performance on Sunday 21 August

Book online or call 03 9662 9966 and become a fan of the return season on facebook here.

Chamber Music in the City at fortyfivedownstairs

On Sunday we were fortunate to host two international string quartets from the International Chamber Music Competitions in free recitals. A capacity crowd responded rapturously to the Finzi quartet (United Kingdom) and the Rusquartet (Russia). It reminded us again of just how good the acoustics are in our gallery and theatre .

If you missed the chamber music wehave more recitals coming up. Classical pianists Coady Green (22 August) and TriStan Lee ( 5 September) - both of them making welcome return visits from Europe while young contemporary composer Joshua Hyde will appear with a group of musicians on29 August. Keep an eye on our website for details.

Bookings for all fortyfivedownstairs shows: www.fortyfivedownstairs.com tel 9662 9966

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Since 2002 fortyfivedownstairs, a not-for-profit organisation, has offered an evocative urban space and a personalised servIce To an eclectic mix of artists for theatre, visual arts, forum, music and dance .

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