The Original Guide to What’s On in Perth & Western Australia

Located just 30 minutes drive from Perth’s CBD, in the beautiful hills, bring your family and friends for the fresh country air, a picnic basket, and smell the sweet blossoms while you take your best photos of the stunning flowers!

FREE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE
-Bouncy Castles
-Tractor Ride (weekends only)
-Kids Veggie Planting
-Animal Farm (weekends only)

Activities open 9am - 3pm

Presented by Life on Hold Productions and directed by Sarah Christiner, Not About Nightingales is based on the true story of a prison scandal that shocked the US in the mid-1930s.

Inmates went on a hunger strike due to poor conditions and were locked in steam-heated cells as punishment.

The focus is on the politics of prison life, told through a love story, compelling dialogue, power-corrupted officials and the human condition.

Playwright Williams is most famous for A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and The Glass Menagerie, among his more than 100 plays.

Originally written in 1938, the first performance of Not About Nightingales wasn’t until 1998 in London after actress Vanessa Redgrave tracked it down.

It moved to Broadway a year later and picked up six Tony Awards, including best play.

“The play is episodic and bounces between locations in the prison with each scene announced as if it was a newspaper article,” Christiner said.

“It’s not a happy story but I believe it ends with hope – it’s open to interpretation what happens to the characters at the end.

“Conclusions are not certain and that’s something I really enjoy about the text.”

The main challenges, according to Christiner, are some of the surreal scenes in the show.

“They’re not like anything I’ve worked with before and I particularly wanted to do them justice,” she said.

“This has involved some musical direction and choreography to draw the audience into the prison space and life, actively bringing them in what’s going on.

“Not About Nightingales was Tennessee Williams’ first full-length play and it doesn’t have the mature editing of his more well-known later works.

“Working with the script to create a production that wasn’t too long, but also didn’t omit anything quintessentially Williams or relevant to the main storyline, was a challenge.”

Involved in theatre since 2003, Christiner has performed in a plethora of productions and has also done extensive tech work and stage-managing, recently extending her love of the performing arts to directing and setting up Life on Hold Productions.

In 2018, her company debuted with a production of A Clockwork Orange, followed by Animal Farm and The Other Side last year.

“I was stuck for inspiration on what show to produce in 2020 so I went to the State Library and randomly selected several plays to read,” Christiner said.

“Tennessee Williams is one of my favourite playwrights and I hadn’t heard of Not About Nightingales before.

“It had the classic Williams lyricism and interplay of realistic action with surrealist scenes but it was so much more visceral and violent than usual.

“The idea of trying to bring this prison experience, based on real events, to life excited me and offered new creative opportunities.”

Tennessee Williams’ Not About Nightingales plays at 7.30pm September 11, 12, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25 and 26. Tickets are $25, $20 concession – book at www.TAZTix.com.au or call TAZTix on 9255 3336.

The Last Drop Canning Vale is at 507 Nicholson Road.

One of WA’s most popular arts events, Margaret River Region Open Studios, will return in September after being forced to postpone due to COVID-19.

103 artists from around the region will be opening their studio doors to welcome in art lovers and share their passion.

The event, now in its seventh year, features painters, sculptors, illustrators, jewellers, printmakers, glassblowers, ceramicists, potters, photographers, furniture makers, woodworkers, textile artists, metalworkers, mixed media artists and upcyclers who share a love of this beautiful part of the world.

Roadtrip from Perth and make a holiday of it, going off the beaten path to visit studios of artists you know and love, and some new talent who might just be the next big thing! Renown artists participating include Leon Pericles, Rachel Coad, Lauren Wilhelm, Ian Mutch, Patricia Negus, Mary-Lynne Stratton and Christian Fletcher.

Originally born in Mt Lawley, The Bird in Northbridge invites you to a cosy night filled with music and candlelight. With a selection of great drinks and shaker fires, this is a great way to kick the mid-week blues. 

Dust off your dancing shoes and get ready to welcome back live music with the return of City of Fremantle’s Hidden Treasures. Now in its 10^th year, Hidden Treasures presents some of WA’s best musical talents performing live in some of the port city’s most evocative and tucked away venues. This year’s diverse line-up features Fremantle artists at its heart with a mix of old favourites and exciting up-and-coming bands. Join us every Thursday night in September for good times, warm fires and an epic return to live music. For more information and to purchase tickets visit hiddentreasuresfreo.com.au.

GET ready to laugh, sigh and cry a little as four retired opera singers take you into the bittersweet world of facing up to age and mortality.

Written by Ronald Harwood and directed by Gwen Browning at Limelight Theatre, Quartet is set in an aged care home with Cecily, Reggie and Wilfred ready to celebrate Verdi’s birthday with an annual concert.

Reggie’s ex-wife Jean arrives and upsets the balance, continuing to act like a diva and refusing to sing – but the show must go on.

In 2012, a film adaptation was directed by Dustin Hoffman and starred Billy Connolly, Maggie Smith, Pauline Collins and Tom Courtenay.

“I loved the film,” Browning said. “For those of us in their 60s and above, the situation and state the characters are in is all too familiar. 

“I felt the play would appeal to our more mature patrons while also providing a good laugh for everyone.”

Involved with Limelight Theatre since 1983, Browning has performed – as she puts it – in “too many productions to remember”.

She was named best actress at Limelight Theatre in 1992, 1996, 2004 and 2006, also scoring the accolade at the 1995 State Drama Festival.

Browning has directed the plays Hotel Sorrento, Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Life x 3 and Talking Heads, winner of best production in 2012.

The main challenge with Quartet, she says, is working with a cast of only four.

“It goes without saying that a group of strong actors is essential,” Browning said.

“The actors must also be able to bounce off each other and work well as an ensemble.”

Quartet plays at 8pm September 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, October 1, 2 and 3 with a 2pm matinee September 26. Tickets are $21, $18 concession – email [email protected] or call 0499 954 016 between 9am and 12pm, Monday, Wednesday and Friday (or leave a clear message).

Limelight Theatre is located on Civic Drive, Wanneroo.

The tenth annual Perth Poetry Festival features four days of workshops, readings, talks, slams and poetry contests that bring together different poetic expressions, languages and traditions.

Local, national, and international poets are offered professional development opportunities to challenge their craft through networking and workshops, while a diverse range of events offer poetry enthusiasts a scene to explore.

Guest poets include Tony Curtis (Ireland), Judith Beveridge (NSW), Jeltje Fanoy (Vic) and local poets John Kinsella, Liana Joy Christensen, Renee Pettitt-Schipp, Neil J (Brillo) Pattinson and Christine Della Vedova.

Full program available at wapoets.net.au

SUSPENSE, mystery and murder come together at Stirling Theatre in The Small Hours, a thriller with international intrigue.

Written by Francis Durbridge and directed by Janet Brandwood, the play follows Sussex hotel owner Carl Houston who saves a passenger when their plane is hijacked after leaving Australia.

Houston nearly dies as he tries to learn why his travel bag is of interest to the police while also attempting to find out what a toy koala, his devious chef and the hijacking have in common.

Playwright Durbridge is an English author, best known for creating the character Paul Temple.

Janet has chosen to update the play from its 1980s setting to the present day.

“What directly inspired me was finding a copy of the script when I was in the theatre office,” she said.

“I previously directed Durbridge’s A Touch of Danger in 2011 and was familiar with his style. 

“My husband Tom also directed two of his plays at the old Stirling Theatre in Cedric Street. 

“I am a big fan of crime stories and have Agatha Christie’s entire collection of books, her biography and many of her plays – I have directed six of them.”

The main challenge with The Small Hours, according to Janet, is the set.

“The first scene is aboard an aircraft and we’ve been lucky enough to find two genuine airline seats,” she said.

“They’re on a small thrust stage, right in front of the proscenium, with the remaining scenes in the living room of a hotel.”

The Small Hours plays at 8pm September 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, October 1, 2 and 3 with 2pm matinees September 20 and 27. Tickets are $22, $20 concession – book through Morris News on 9446 9120 or at www.trybooking.com/BHPJF.

Stirling Theatre is on Morris Place, Innaloo.

The West Coast Pinball Festival is a fun community event held over 3-days in Perth focused on sharing the joy of playing pniball. General admission gets you hours of unlimited play on pinball machines from the 1960s through to the latest releases, including some exceptionally rare games.

With the rise of nolstagic arcade culture, pinball has experienced a massive worldwide resurgence over the past decade, including right here in Western Australia. Supported by some of the biggest names in pinball including Stern Pinball and Macro Specialties, as well as local Aussies who tirelessly support the pinball community. 

You can Expect: Unlimited Free Play Pinball | Tournaments & Social Competitions | Awards, Trophies & Prizes | Vendors, Showbags & Merch | Buy & Sell 

The festival weekend is broken into Sessions. You can choose to purchase a single session pass or an entire weekend pass. For the pinball fanatics out there, this is a unique opportunity to come along and play some unique machines and rare titles you've always wanted to try. If you aren't into pinball but remember playing as a child, you may just find the old machine you loved at the Festival to enjoy!

For more details on ticket please visit the West Coast Pinball Festival Website

SINISTER undercurrents and gothic themes flow throughout Harbour Theatre’s latest show, as part of a dark coming-of-age story.

Based on the Swedish novel and film by John Ajvide Lindqvist and adapted for stage by Jack Thorne, Let The Right One In focuses on the bullied teenage boy Oskar who finds a friend in Eli, after she moves in next door.

Both are from dysfunctional families and support each other during a frightening time in Oskar’s life, as a spate of disturbing killings rock the neighbourhood.

But Eli has a hidden secret – she doesn’t go to school and never leaves her flat during the day.

Let The Right One In was published in 2004 and adapted into a film in 2008, followed by an English language adaptation in 2010 under the title Let Me In.

“The story proves that as long as you have someone to support you, you can survive anything,” director Jo Sterkenburg said.

“There are several underlying themes that many people will identify with and enjoy exploring.”

Sterkenburg said she saw the film several years ago and was captivated by its dark undertones and relatable story.

“After reading the book, I looked for the screenplay and, to my delight, discovered it was available to be performed,” she said.

“I have always been attracted to dark, gothic themes and have wanted to do something like this at Harbour Theatre for many years.

“I wanted a challenge, instead of the usual sort of play with a square set and lots of furniture.

“Let The Right One In is an opportunity for the audience to imagine the horror through atmosphere, sound and lighting effects and, of course, good acting.”

First becoming involved in theatre more than 40 years ago in Quairading, Sterkenburg joined Harbour Theatre in 1981 and has been involved as an actor, director, stage manager, lighting and sound operator and make-up artist in a plethora of productions.

She has also performed at Melville Theatre and has numerous best actor and supporting actor awards to her credit.

Most recently, Sterkenburg directed the bittersweet comedy Sex Cells and the short drama Early Frost.

Her latest show hasn’t been without its challenges, including COVID-19.

“We were two weeks into rehearsal and then everything went into lockdown,” Sterkenburg said.

“But my cast and crew have been amazing, still wanting to be involved months later, and are coming along to rehearsals with enthusiasm.”

Let The Right One In plays at 7.30pm September 18, 19, 23, 25, 26, 30, October 2 and 3 with 2pm matinees September 20, 27 avnd October 4. Tickets are $25.50, $23.50 concession and $20.50 students – book at www.TAZTix.com.au or call TAZTix on 9255 3336.

Note: the play contains strong language and supernatural themes and is not suitable for children under 14.

Harbour Theatre is located at 16 Lochee Street, Mosman Park.

Never let a wine list or waiter bamboozle you again. Get confident in your wine knowledge and start sounding like a pro!

A formal seated tasting experience, above the working winery surrounded by tanks, barrels and winemaking equipment. With a friendly casual vibe, there are no silly questions ....ask them everything you ever wanted to know about wine.

Learn about the difference between sweet/dry, what oak does to a wine and aged wines. You will get a very good understanding of the basics and be tasting like a pro in no time. There will be wine tasting throughout the class, so you can put your new knowledge into action.

Lunch Option- should you wish to stay a little longer and enjoy a relaxed 2 course lunch with sweeping views of the vineyard; one of Chef’s fabulous large shared platters between 2 people (your choice of 3) and a seasonal dessert. Select this option when choosing your tickets.

Breakfast Option - Perfect for early birds, enjoy a fabulous a la carte menu for breakfast, your choice of tea or coffee over looking the vineyard followed by the 101 class. Breakfast from 9am with class starting at 10:30am

The Friends of ANZAC Cottage will be acknowledging the International Day of Peace at its ANZAC Afternoon on Sunday September 20 from 1:30pm to 4pm.  On this occasion, the focus will be on the personnel from the defence and police force peacekeepers who have been deployed to international troublespots throughout the world to assist communities to rebuild their lives after conflict.  There will be activities, storytime and games for families to explore and support the concept of peace.

ANZAC Cottage is situated at 38 Kalgoorlie Street, Mount Hawthorn and entry is free with afternoon tea available for a gold coin donation with cool drinks and icecreams for sale.   For more information please email Anne on [email protected] or call 0411 44 55 82.

Anna Amalia, Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach ruled from 1758. Under her urbane rule, the small duchy became a cultural mecca. She instigated the birth of Weimar classicism by gathering together the leading intellectuals of Enlightenment Germany; music, literature, and drama flourished. The Musenhof (Court of the Muses), as her court came to be called, included Goethe, Herder, and Schiller. Lucy Mervik presents songs to poetry by these Titans, plus ravishing music by the Duchess herself.

Lucy has been a regular principal artist with West Australian Opera since moving to Perth. After graduating from London’s Trinity College and from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, she sang principal roles and concert solos in the Barbican Centre, across the UK and in Germany, France and Spain.

Our aim with our House Concerts series is to give an intimate concert going experience, much like it would have been in the time of Bach and Handel. Married with delicious Swan Valley wine from our wonderful partners at Faber Vineyards, these programs will have something for everyone.

We believe that this kind of concert, held within the communities of Perth will help to bring people together in the way in which only music can.

Address is provided on ticket purchase as these events are being held in private homes.

Performers: Soprano Bonnie de la Hunty, Theorbo player Matthew Jones and Violinist Helen Kruger

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Ricky is a defiant young city kid who finds himself on the run with his cantankerous foster uncle in the wild New Zealand bush. A national manhunt ensues, and the two are forced to put aside their differences and work together to survive.

Director: Taika Waititi

Cast: Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rima Te Wiata, Rachel House, Rhys Darby, Oscar Kightley

Genre: Adventure | Comedy | Drama

Rated: PG

Consumer Advice: Mild themes and coarse language

Run Time: 1h 41m

Year of Release: 2016

What We Do in the Shadows

Vampire housemates try to cope with the complexities of modern life and show a newly turned hipster some of the perks of being undead.

Director: Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement

Cast: Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement, Jonny Brugh, Cori Gonzalez- Macuer, Stuart Rutherford, Ben Fransham, Jackie van Beek, Elena Stejko

Genre: Comedy | Horror

Rated: M

Consumer Advice: Horror themes, violence, sexual reference and coarse language

Run Time: 1h 26m

Year of Release: 2016

Danish rockers, D-A-D 35th Anniversary World Tour this September!
For this special occasion and D-A-D’s first Australian Tour since 1990 they will perform all their Greatest Hits - Sleeping My Day Away, Girl Nation, Jihad, Laugh And 1/2, Bad Craziness, It’s After Dark, I Want What She’s Got and heaps more!

D-A-D have continued a schedule of consistent touring performing to thousands of fans. With only a single line up change over 20 years ago, in a career spanning almost 40 years, the live chemistry of the band is unparalleled!

Journey through songs about the Irish countryside - to 18th century Italian opera houses - to romantic Viennese and Parisian salons- to 1940s jazz - Broadway - and beyond....

Bonnie has performed Baroque & Classical opera, oratorios & song recitals across Australia and Europe.

Bonnie de la Hunty is a soprano with a particular love for Baroque and Classical era, and art song, repertoire. She divides her time between Australia and Europe. Bonnie’s ongoing love of Irish folk music began as a child, when at the age of 11, she sang in The Chieftains’ Perth concert.

Dancing in the dark can give us the opportunity to free ourselves from the instinct to fit in. There is no one watching us, no one judging us and we can move the way our body wants to move. There is no right or wrong way to dance and it doesn’t matter what you look like, it only matters how you feel.

What to expect:
Meet on the Regal Theatres’ stage, where they’ll go through a quick welcome and warm up with the lights on for you to get acquainted with the space. They will then turn the lights down low and get down to dance! They'll have non-stop bangers ready to go in a playlist to keep you grooving. At the end they'll put on some mood lighting to take us through some stretching to cool us down. The space will have markers so you will have no trouble going to the toilet or getting assistance if you need.

Bring whatever mood you come with, and together you'll shake off any bad vibes and leave in a better mood then when you started. This is an opportunity to lose yourself in the music.
Bring a water bottle, comfortable clothes, and ear plugs if you have any sensitivity to loud music.

Humans have been dancing forever, however it is only recently that research is starting to show us why. The neurological benefits of dance can be as important as the known physical benefits and may even have clinical applications. Dance helps our neurological and physical health by:
- triggering neurotransmitters to release feel good chemicals such as dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine that can help relieve stress and anxiety.
- releasing endorphins that create satisfaction, euphoria and even increase our pain tolerance.
- improving balance, co-ordination and special awareness.
- improving muscle tone and cardiovascular health.

Whether you come for stress relief, physical exercise, or just for pleasure, Dark Dance can benefit you in ways you didn’t even know you needed. 

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, their heritage listed Art Deco auditorium has been lying neglected for months. With restrictions in WA starting to ease, they figured they should activate this world class performance venue for the community! Perth has some exceptional talent that has been cooped up in bedrooms and backyards across the country side. They want to see those skills that have been honed in isolation over the past few months!

WED 9th September - MUSIC – Give us some tunes! Musicians, covers, originals, bands, solos, duos, instrumentalists. 

WED 16th September - WORDS – Storytellers, stories, jokes, stand up comedy, poetry, slam, prose, monologues, hip hop.

WED 23rd September – PERFORM – Performers, flow artists, dancers, skits and actors. Movement and performance based arts and party tricks. Anything and everything from dancing, juggling, poi, fire twirling, circus, improv, skits and mini performances! 

WED 30th September - MUSIC –  Musicians: bands, covers, originals, solos, duos, instrumentalists. 

This is an inclusive event, please bring an open attitude and warm vibes ready to embrace and support all of the gifts the community has to offer!

Their licensed Attic Bar will be serving up some tasty beverages so you can sit back and enjoy something we all craved over COVID – live performance! This is a free community event presented by SubiAction and supported by the City of Subiaco. Doors open at 6:30pm, performances from 7pm. 

As a child visiting Paris, Christophe Rousset demanded to be taken to the gorgeous Baroque palace and gardens of Versailles, now a byword for lavish ornamentation and luxurious decorative arts. It was the beginning of a brilliant career, and the inspiration for what has become his life’s work in the music of this era, first as a prodigious harpsichordist and then, since 1991, as the leader of his own extraordinary ensemble: Les Talens Lyriques. To experience their performance is to understand why the French gave us so many words like ‘élan’ and ‘panache’ – words which equally describe the stunning virtuosity of Australian soprano Siobhan Stagg, their featured soloist on this tour.

Experience funk, soul, ska, world with a dash of psychedelic with Steve Hensby and his band, on the 24th of September at The Village Bar. The band's self-titled debut featured danceable folk music from different parts of the world fused together to make a gypsy-circus style album.

Sci Fi Electro Metal Robot Rockers POWERMAN 5000 (USA) Tour Australia for the First Time Ever to Celebrate the 21st Anniversary of Tonight The Stars Revolt! (When Worlds Collide, Supernova Goes Pop, Nobody's Real)

Tonight The Stars Revolt! has sold over 1,000,000 copies. With cyberpunk imagery, catchy riffs, funky beats and rap rock vocals, Powerman 5000 bridged the gap between Nu Metal and Industrial Metal and packaged it up in a retro-science fiction b-movie aesthetic that separated them visually and musically from their peers. It was an album that has a timeless appeal that sounds as catchy and fun in 2020 as it did over 2 decades ago.

The uber-talented supervillains of the Heavy Metal scene POWERMAN 5000 bring their trademark high energy fun and good times to Australia to Celebrate the 21st Anniversary of Tonight The Stars Revolt! playing When Worlds Collide, Supernova Goes Pop, Nobody's Real and more from the album + extra set of hits – Bombshell, Super Villian and How to be Human.

Free opening event for Subi Lounge Series featuring a duo of Major Swing Project. The first of two performances with the latter on the 26th of September showcasing the full band. Think gypsy swing street vibes.