Between freezing weather and end-of-semester exams, it’s no wonder some of us are feeling gloomy. Luckily, OTR is here with some lively arts events to beat the winter blues away. (Image supplied: ©sarymsakov via Canva.com)
By Alana Pahor | @Alana_Pahor
Skeletal trees, sleet grey skies, chattering teeth and fading sunlight … they can only mean one thing: June has arrived.
The first month of winter means to make us as gloomy as possible, bringing plummeting temperatures as well as end-of-semester deadlines and exams.
To top it all off, HECS-HELP debts were indexed by 7.1 per cent on June 1, adding $1775 to the average student loan.
As we sit shivering at our desks, leafing through study material and sighing at our snowballing student debt, it becomes incredibly tempting to drop out of university and run away to a tropical island.
Hold off on buying those plane tickets, though; while we can’t wipe away your student debt, OTR has compiled a list of feel-good arts events to help you beat the winter blues and take some well-deserved study breaks.
Visual art/film
Ramsay Art Prize 2023 is showing at the Art Gallery of South Australia until August 27, featuring prize-winner Ida Sophia’s performance-based video, Witness, along with works from 27 finalists.
If you’d like to deep-dive into the exhibition, gallery director Rhana Devenport is hosting a Tuesday Talk on the Ramsay Art Prize on June 13.
Frida & Diego: Love & Revolution is also showing at the gallery from June 24 to September 17, featuring over 150 iconic works from Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, along with other Mexican contemporaries.
Kahlo and Rivera are one of the most beloved and influential artist couples of the 20th century; their radical art fuses traditional Mexican folk art and international modernism.
In 21st century art, Vasl is showing at the Kerry Packer Civic Gallery from June 7 to June 30.
The exhibition includes painting, performance, installation and video works from Australian and international artists, which explore identity, cultural connectedness and the everyday.
If you’re after something a little different, the State Library of South Australia’s Art of Taxidermy Display is on exhibit until July 6.
The display features taxidermy specimens prepared by Jo Bain, a 3D design specialist from the South Australian Museum, along with taxidermy books and memorabilia.
Festivals/markets
What better way to cosy up with good food, drinks and entertainment than with the Adelaide Cabaret Festival?
The world’s biggest cabaret festival is running from June 9 to June 24 and will feature stellar acts from local, interstate and international performers.
The festival kicks off with Broadway Barbara from June 9 to June 10. The show, which is debuting in Australia after sold-out performances in the United States and London, recounts Broadway Barbara’s whirlwind life through comedic song, story and dance.
Does Freddie Mercury and cabaret sound like a good mix? If so, you might be interested in Rizo’s Prizmatism, showing from June 21 to June 24.
Rizo’s performance, which has been described as “Edith Piaf meets Freddie Mercury”, promises to combine rock and roll, vintage pop and comedy into a colourful, seductive cabaret experience.
If you’d like to soak up the cabaret atmosphere without denting your wallet, Piano Man looks like the way to go.
The Festival Theatre’s resident piano man Trevor Jones is performing at the Quartet Bar every night from June 9 to June 24.
No night will be the same, with anything from classic ballads to chart-topping hits being played at his audience’s request.
Talks/plays/workshops
In the theatre world, Jonathan Larson’s Tick, Tick… Boom! Is running at the Queen’s Theatre from June 27 to July 1.
The autobiographical musical — which many will recognise from its Netflix adaptation starring Andrew Garfield — follows composer Jon through New York City as he debates his life and career choices.
At the Arts Theatre, Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband is showing from June 22 to July 1.
The witty play immerses its audience in elegant Victorian society, where they watch Sir Robert Chiltern and his relations comedically try to navigate blackmail, hypocrisy, corruption and love.
For all the journalism students and AI haters out there, broadcaster Tracey Spicer AM’s talk Man-Made is on at UniSA’s City West campus on June 21.
In her talk, Spicer will refer to her new book, Man-Made, to discuss how modern technologies like AI are embedding biases of the past into the future.
On a lighter note, Holden Street Theatres is hosting Poetry with Purpose on June 24.
The event will showcase spoken word poetry from local writers, with all profits going to the Drop In Care Space, a community centre for LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent and disabled individuals.
Music/concerts
The music scene this June is a mixed bag, catering to most music tastes.
Australian indie-folk duo The Dreggs are playing at Hindley Street Music Hall on June 24, touring their new single “For Your Love”.
If rock is more your style, The Church are also performing at Hindley Street Music Hall on June 10 as part of their Hypnogogue World Tour.
The band will play songs from their new album, The Hypnogogue,as well some of their classic hits.
Over at Thebarton Theatre on June 27, R&B singer-songwriter Billy Ocean is returning to Adelaide for the first time since his sold-out 2019 tour.
The show will feature global hits “Love Really Hurts Without You”, “Caribbean Queen” and “When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going”.
Saving the most intriguing for last, the Adelaide Concert Orchestra is performing Candlelight Orchestra: Tribute to Queen at the Adelaide Town Hall on June 16.
The show promises a magical, candlelit night featuring orchestral renditions of some of Queen’s greatest songs, including “Another One Bites the Dust”, “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Don’t Stop Me Now”.
Hopefully, with a few of these events, some good company and a warm drink, you’ll start to feel a little less gloomy.
Stay tuned for our July edition! Until then, we wish you good luck with end-of-semester deadlines and exams.
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