Well here’s a surprise blog entry: I’m not drunk, and have managed to get home before midnight. ‘Twas a tough run, though, with sleep dep contributing mightily to the battles of the day… well, that and getting inadvertently hit in the face by one of the cleaning staff at the Norwood Food & Wine thingy.
- Vs Macbeth
- En Masse
- Zack Adams: Love Songs For Future Girl
- Parasouls
A couple of notes that I’d not mentioned in the last couple of days: firstly, my favourite venue of the last couple of years, the Tuxedo Cat, will be losing its wonderful rooftop home after this year’s Fringe: the building is slated for demolition. My heart goes out to Bryan & Cass and the rest of the TuxCat crew – I loved that place (well, I still do love it, but… you know what I mean). Here’s hoping they can cultivate a similar venue elsewhere in 2011.
Saturday night led me to discover that Anniene was in town with her show, The Hamlet Apocalypse. Great talking to her again (or at all coherently, since our previous encounters have been of the inebriated variety).
Had a lovely little chat with Lili La Scala this arvo, too. She insisted that I “pull my finger out and write more.” Your wish is my command, Lili – tomorrow. Tonight is for sleep :)
Tuxedo Cat Café:
We have just emerged from another highly successful season of festival and cultural madness in Adelaide. The city has been alive with theatre goers or just those coat-tailing on the sheer buzz and excitement of it all.
One aspect that makes the Fringe Festival in particular occur so successfully in Adelaide is the heritage back drop of Rundle St and the make shift venues tucked away in lanes overflowing with character.
Synagogue Place is a unique precinct with a former synagogue,Gerard and Goodman’s building,art deco facades and the Freemason’s theatre at the northern end. Among all this are buildings which do not have grand architectural merit in themselves but are a vital part of this Bohemian-Grunge streetscape. One such building houses a market bazaar while providing three performing arts spaces throghout the Fringe. The roof top with the Tuxedo cat Bar and the accompanying theatre venue is magical in atmosphere. If this were in a similar location in Melbourne, perhaps London or Paris, its true worth as an iconic Fringe hub would surely be realised.
But what do we have as a proposal to replace it? – Yet another shiny, mundane characterless apartment block for students! If not resisted this will totally destroy the streetscape and rob it of realising its full potential an ongoing cultural and entertainment hub.
Let’s stop morphing this city into match box like buildings for student accommodation. There are more creative and enduring possibilities available for both providing adequate accommodation and maintaining a working heritage environment.