What’s on: From Big Brother to DreamBIG

A chilling production of Orwell’s 1984, soprano Greta Bradman in concert, British rock band The Animals, a showcase of SA screen talent, your last chance to see Mr Burns, the DreamBIG Children’s Festival and more.

May 05, 2017, updated May 15, 2017

The West End season of 1984. Photo: Manuel Harlan

1984 – Her Majesty’s Theatre

Set in a totalitarian state where Big Brother’s power is reinforced by propaganda and surveillance of citizens, George Orwell’s 1984 still holds a powerful place in contemporary culture. This stage production is based on an adaptation by British theatre-makers Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan and begins its Australian tour, spearheaded by the State Theatre Company of SA, in Adelaide. There are preview performances from Saturday at Her Majesty’s Theatre, ahead of the official opening next Tuesday. Click here to read InDaily‘s interview with cast member Terence Crawford, who talks about 1984‘s relevance in today’s world.

SASA screenings – Mercury Cinema

Following the South Australian Screen Awards gala tonight, some of the best shorts will be screened over six sessions at the Mercury Cinema on Saturday and Sunday. Expect a smorgasbord of dramas, comedies, music videos, documentaries, animations and more. The full program is on the Mercury website.

Mr Burns: A Post-Electric Play – Space Theatre

Esther Hannaford, with Paula Arundell and Jacqy Phillips, in Mr Burns. Photo: Tony Lewis

This weekend is your last chance to see this dark comedy, which takes place nearly a century into the future in post-apocalyptic America – “a world without power” – where The Simpsons become a new kind of global religion. Read CityMag‘s interview with cast member Jude Henshall here and read InDaily‘s review of the show here.

Greta Bradman – St Peter’s Cathedral

Soprano Greta Bradman, currently home in Adelaide recording her latest album, will perform a Mother’s Day concert at St Peter’s Cathedral, accompanied by principal organist Dr Josh van Konkelenberg. The songlist will include Dvorak’s “Songs My Mother Taught Me”, Henry Bishop’s “Home Sweet Home” and Gounod’s “Ave Maria”. Beginning at 2pm on Sunday, the concert will raise funds for the cathedral’s appeal to restore its almost 90-year-old organ. Bookings here.

The Animals – The Gov

British band The Animals – featuring original members John Steel and Mick Gallagher, along with Danny Handley and Scott Whitely – are touring the country with this greatest-hits show which promises a tracklist including “The House of the Rising Sun”, “We’ve Gotta Get Out of This Place” and “Please Don’t Let Me be Misunderstood”. Saturday’s show at the Governor Hindmarsh has already sold out, but tickets are still available for the Sunday performance.

Graduate Singers – Elder Hall

Adelaide’s Graduate Singers will present Lacrimosa – Mozart Requiem at Elder Hall on Saturday at 7.30pm and Sunday at 2.30pm. The choir will be joined by soloists Rosalind Martin (soprano), Catriona Barr (mezzo-soprano), Hew Wagner (tenor) and Lachlan Scott (bass) for the concerts, which in addition to Mozart’s Requiem will include Gustav Holst’s Two Psalms (with string orchestra), Antonio Lotti’s Crucifixus in eight vocal parts, and William Byrd’s Ave Verum Corpus.

Versus Rodin: Bodies Through Time and Space – Art Gallery of SA

This exhibition brings together key pieces by Auguste Rodin, the pioneer of modern sculpture, with more than 200 works referencing the human body by other modern and contemporary artists. Read more about the works and the artists here. Versus Rodin is at the gallery until July 2, with guided tours daily at 11am and 2pm.

John Schumann and Shane Howard – German Club

Australian singer-songwriters John Schumann (the former frontman of Redgum, best known for his Vietnam veterans’ anthem “I Was Only 19”) and Shane Howard (founder of folk-rock group Goanna) will appear in concert together for the first time at The German Club, 223 Flinders Street, on Saturday night. Doors open at 7pm; more info here.

DreamBIG – Adelaide Festival Centre

Last year’s DreamBIG opening event. Photo: Cath Leo

Formerly known as Come Out, the Adelaide Festival Centre’s DreamBIG Children’s Festival opens next week and features a range of free and ticketed events encompassing exhibitions, film and live performance. Highlights include the traditional singing opening event (from 11am on Thursday), where around 2000 primary-school children will chant, dance and walk across the Oval footbridge; comedy performance Mr Stink, based on the book by David Walliams; acrobatic quartet Arch 8’s Tetris, inspired by the classic electronic game; prize-winning play Gone Viral, which explores some of the tough issues facing young people, and the Big Family Weekend from May 20-21. See the full program for the May 18-27 festival here.

Spanish Film Festival – Palace Nova Eastend

More than 30 films – including comedies, dramas, thrillers and documentaries – from Spain, Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Colombia are screening at Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas as part of the Spanish Film Festival until May 14. See the full program here.

Cirque Africa – Glenelg

Popular Fringe act Cirque Africa is back in town for a series of shows at the Wigley Reserve in Glenelg until May 14. A mixture of dance, acrobatics and comedy, all with a distinctly African flavour, it’s a high-energy, all-ages show. Read InDaily‘s Fringe review here.

Henry V – Little Theatre

Director Megan Dansie’s vision for this University of Adelaide Theatre Guild production of Henry V is inspired by the use of drama therapy for survivors of post-traumatic stress disorder. It sees a group of patients and family members performing the Shakespearean play as they deal with the trauma of war, exploring its effect and the difficult moral decisions made in the heat of battle. There are performances at Little Theatre, The Cloisters, Adelaide University, until May 20.

Yidaki – Didjeridu and The Sound of Australia – SA Museum

This landmark exhibition has been created in collaboration with the Yolngu people, cultural custodians of the yidaki (didjeridu). It explores the cultural and musical origins of the instrument, as well as its power and meaning in Yolngu life. Read more here. The exhibition continues at the SA Museum until July 16.

Unsettled: Colonial Ruin in the Flinders Ranges – State Library

This exhibition shares stories from the Flinders Ranges through a mixture of media art, photography, archival imagery and documentary interviews. Unsettled includes striking portraits of Adnyamathanha people taken at the Nepabunna Mission by Charles Mountford in the 1930s. Read more here. Unsettled is at the Institute Gallery of the State Library of South Australia until May 17.