Seeing red on Sunday

The sight of 5000 Santas should convince everyone that the Christmas season is here. This was the annual Variety Club's fun run from the MCA through Circular Quay and back again. Maybe even I could do that!. The event was to raise $250,000 to help children who are sick, disadvantaged or have special needs. And that's a good thing.

Meanwhile across town in Kensington, Hollywood great Mel Gibson took time off from filming Hacksaw Ridge which is being shot in Sydney to attend the launch of a new school at the National  Institute for Dramatic Art (NIDA) where he studied acting. Mel was joined by his co-star Teresa Palmer who also studied at NIDA. A few years ago Mel stumped up over $3M for the new NIDA building which is now one of the leading film & acting schools in the world. Above left  : the building Mel donated to NIDA

a night to remember

tSS has scored 2 tickets courtesy of Barry Humphries to the gala premiere of Dame Edna Everage's new stage spectacular this Monday night at the Sydney Opera House.

               This show should be something else-brilliant violinist Richard Tognetti and the highly acclaimed  Australian Chamber Orchestra will be performing along with Humphries, Dame Edna and Sir Les Patterson, Cultural Attache and Minister for The Yartz.
                One proviso, Barry has recommended we don't let the Dame know we are his guests The seats are in the front row and we could come in for a verbal bashing from Edna.

                 Sir Les will be singing some of his favourite songs from Slim Dusty country tunes to Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy". Humphries says Sir Les may even be joined by Dame Edna in a duet-  " if only to upstage the respected senior politician" whilst Humphries will conduct the orchestra. This we have to see. All 3 on stage at once.

                 Humphries has also advised Tognetti to take out extra insurance on the amazing gift he received 2 years ago from a mystery benefactor-a $10M valued violin known as a Carrodus-one of only four in existence. 
 "Sir Les has a particularly virulent strain of spittle that has been known to eat holes through the toughest timber" says Humphries. 
            Barry will also be performing Façade, Edith Sitwell’s eccentric nonsense poems recited over William Walton’s cheeky, jazzy, hummable instrumental backgrounds. Humphries says "expect anything in this show-anything is likely to happen"
             As to Sir Les Patterson who will be appearing in off-white tails, Humphries says " I've been quite surprised. There hasn't been one single objection to Sir Les taking the stage at such a cultural evening. Although there could be quite a body of objection afterwards".
         
  There are only 2 performances in Sydney and 2 in Melbourne with limited seats-so book early HERE.
        
As Humphries says :"this is a once in a lifetime event. And many may say after 'thank God for that' "
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## If a night with the Dame isn't your bag, how about former Australian Guantanamo Bay inmate Mamdouh Habib's one man show Waiting For Mamdouh which will be premiered next February as part of NIDA's  Short+Sweet theatrical festival.

   Habib spent nearly 4 years at GITMO before being released without charge and flown back to Australia by private jet. He says he was tortured in Pakistan with Australian and CIA agents watching on before being blindfolded and flown to Cuba.. He also says he has had 3 offers from the US to make films of his life but cannot travel abroad because the Australian government refuses to issue a passport despite him never having been convicted of a crime.
   Mamdou's play is a ten minute soliloquy performed in a cell onstage where he "tells the truth to the Australian people and the world." of his time in Cuba.

Ian's troubles...

He's one person the Shuttle admires more than many-the  6'3" former rugby league star turned actor, Ian Roberts.

They don't come much nicer than Roberts or with as much integrity. The sort of chap the term 'rough diamond' was invented for.

Currently studying at the National Institute of Dramatic Art  ( NIDA), the alma marter of the likes of Mel Gibson, Simon Baker, Judy Davis, Baz Luhrmann and Toni Collette, amongst a host of artists who have achieved international success, Robert's has already scored roles in Superman Returns , Little Fish with Cate Blanchett and the hit series about mobsters , Underbelly, A Tale of Two Cities. Some say it's harder to get into NIDA than the Britain's equivalent RADA.

Roberts, born in London, England and brought up in Australia became the star footballer for the
Manly rugby team and was renowned on the field as one tough guy.

In 1995 Roberts outed himself as gay, the first footballer to do so, and revealed football's worst kept secret. For years Ian had put up with homophobic taunts from opposing visitors at the football field although none would be foolish or brave enough to confront the brick-built Ian personally.
Rather than the expected backlash from the macho footie world, he received overwhelming support from colleagues.

Now he faces torment as he attends the inquest of the 17 year old Aaron Light, reported missing in 1997 whose body was found in a shallow grave alongside the inner city Alexandria Canal.

Light had been working as a male hustler at the infamous Wall in Darlinghurst. The Wall forms part of the convict built former jail that now serves as an art and fashion school. During the 80's and 90's it achieved a notorious reputation as a hustling ground for underaged prostitutes.

Roberts had befriended Light and was attempting to turn the young lad's life around as a mentor when he suddenly disappeared. Investigators have spoken to Roberts and have never had doubts of his intentions. In 2005 he told of the relationship with the murdered boy in the award-winning ABC's Australian Story.

But after a 2 year delay into Light's death, for Roberts the drama has become intolerable.

Yesterday at Light's inquest Roberts lashed out at an 81 year old man named as "person of interest' in the murder of the boy and had to be restrained by police.