Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 
– SA Museum

A stunning selection of images capturing the beauty of the natural world will go on display at the South Australian Museum from today in the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year exhibition. Justin Gilligan from New South Wales was last night announced as the overall winner of the 2017 competition with an underwater photo (above) capturing the moment a Maori octopus selected its prey from a crowd of spider crabs. The exhibition will continue until September 24. See a selection of finalists’ work here.

ASO’s Portraits & Variations – Town Hall

Featuring guest conductor Matthew Halls and flautist Geoffrey Collins, this Adelaide Symphony Orchestra Master Series concert will comprise three well-known works – Brahms’ Haydn Variations, Beethoven’s Prometheus: Overture and Elgar’s Enigma Variations – alongside a new flute concerto from Australian composer Ian Munro. There will be two performances at the Town Hall tonight (Friday) and Saturday. Click here to read a Q&A with Halls giving insight into the masters’ works and the life of a well-travelled conductor.

South Australian Living Artists (SALA) festival

Afterdark: SALA in the Port, from 5pm tonight in Port Adelaide, will feature an “art crawl”, where people can follow pink lights highlighting the 13 venues hosting SALA exhibitions, as well as food trucks, live music and other activities. It’s also the SALA Open Studio weekend, where the public can see artists at work, with other events including the opening of the Governor’s Sculptural Garden and the second of the Adelaide Fringe SALA street art tours. The 2017 SALA Festival features 660 free exhibitions across Adelaide and regional SA, with the work of SALA featured artist Christopher Orchard on show at BMGArt and the Art Gallery of SA. SALA continues throughout August, with the full program here.

Frenzal Rhomb / Josh Pyke – The Gov

Australian punk-rock band Frenzal Rhomb are celebrating 25 years in the music biz with a national tour that comes hot on the heels of new release Hi-Vis High Tea, with a gig at the Governor Hindmarsh tonight. If you prefer your music a little more on the mild side, ARIA-winning singer-songwriter Josh Pyke will play a two-set show at The Gov next Thursday (August 17) as part of his 10 Years Of Memories & Dust tour. Pyke will perform his album Memories & Dust in full, alongside a second set packed with “fan favourites”.

AdYO’s Rosin Eating Zombies from Outer Space – Dunstan Playhouse

This fun concert with see conductor Martin Butler and Adelaide Youth Strings musicians aged eight to 12 take on “pop favourites, a song that sounds like a jumbo jet taking off and a scary film score with some very interesting strings techniques”. There will be two daytime performances at the Dunstan Playhouse on Saturday, with a free kids’ corner in the foyer where children can create their own alien. Details here.

ASQ’s Homeward – Town Hall

The Australian String Quartet’s 2017 national season performance features three works exploring themes of exile and return, and taking inspiration from the old world and the new: Benjamin Britten’s String Quartet no 1, Australian composer Paul Stanhope’s String Quartet no 2 and Dvořák’s String Quartet no 13. It will be at the Adelaide Town Hall next Tuesday, August 15 (details here).

The White House Murder Case – Holden Street Theatres

This satirical political thriller, written 40 years ago but set 40 years in the future, unfolds against the backdrop of a pending presidential election: “The USA is at war with Brazil when there is a catastrophic blunder on the battlefield, followed by a bizarre murder in the White House.” It’s being presented by Red Phoenix Theatre, whose artistic director Michael Eustice describes it as one of the funniest plays he’s ever read. Performances are at Holden Street Theatres until August 19.

Cry God for Harry – Space Theatre

Adelaide’s Independent Theatre director, Rob Croser, draws on four of Shakespeare’s history plays – Richard II, Henry IV Parts 1 & 2 and Henry V – for this production, which charts the education of Henry V at the hands of his two “father figures”. Starring Will Cox as the wild young prince who frequents London’s taverns, Cry God for Harry is playing at the Space Theatre until August 12. Details here.

Ramsay Art Prize – Art Gallery of SA

The work of the 21 national finalists in the inaugural Ramsay Art Prize is on show until August 27. The $100,000 prize, which is supported by philanthropist organisation the James & Diana Ramsay Foundation, is open to Australian artists under 40 working in any material or process, with finalists’ work including paintings, installations, ceramics, video and mixed media. It was won by Sydney-based artist Sarah Contos with a “colossal 20th-century quilt” (read more here).

Sydney Dance Company’s Frame of Mind – Her Majesty’s Theatre

This double bill features Sydney Dance Company artistic director Rafael Bonachela’s Frame of Mind, performed to a dramatic contemporary-classical soundtrack by Bryce Dessner, recorded by San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet, and Adelaide choreographer Gabrielle Nankivell’s Wildebeest, which was nominated for a 2017 Helpmann Award. There will be three performances at Her Majesty’s Theatre, on August 17, 18 and 19. Take a peek at what’s in store here.

The Summation of Force & a e i o u – Samstag Museum

SA photographers Trent Parke and Narelle Autio’s multi-channel video project The Summation of Force explores the world of cricket and was filmed almost entirely in the couple’s backyard with their two young sons. Also currently showing is Michelle Nikou: a e i o u, a survey of the work of the SA contemporary artist and Samstag Scholar. Both exhibitions run until September 1. Read InDaily‘s interview with Parke and Autio here.

On screen

See InDaily’s reviews of the latest films screening in Adelaide:
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Atomic Blonde
War for the Planet of the Apes
The Beguiled
Baby Driver