Clover to The Rescue

  Sydney's esteemed Lord Mayor Clover Moore held a small shindig last week to farewell Town Hall worker Rachel Healy who is leaving to join theatre director Neil Armfield  (actor Geoffrey Rush's best pal) to work on the Adelaide Festival with Armfield. Left pictured are Armfield, Lord Mayor Clover Moor and Rachel.
Alas proceedings were drawn to a sudden halt when a party guest went crashing down in a faint perhaps overcome by the excitement of it all. Leaping into action Clover was by the side of the prone body in seconds and soon administering a cool clothe to the brow of the hapless guest. Below is a snap of all the drama taken by noted Sydney photographer and chronicler of this town's society, William Yang.

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 Australian cultural icon Dame Edna Everage has sent Whispers a doctored snap she also sent to Sir Ian McKellan for his 76th birthday. McKellan was so taken with it he is now using as his profile pic on Facebook.

 Meanwhile Dame Edna's manager Barry Humphries has been interviewed in The Guardian in his capacity as director of the Adelaide Festival with some comments to make about the noted Australian diplomat Sir Les Patterson pictured below next to Humphries.

And a Tale of Woe : singer and musician Sean Lennon currently on tour in the UK has posted a snap (right)  on his Facebook page of the empty spot in his band's van where their radio was stolen a few days ago in Shepherd's Bush while they were performing. At last estimate his mum Yoko Ono was worth a cool $500M.

Belvoir Celebrates it's Original Shareholders

above : Geoffrey Rush  Belvoir's original Artistic Director  Neil Armfield and the current one Ralph Myers

He may be  Hollywood Royalty these days but actor Georfrey Rush still finds time to assist local theatre and most especially at the Belvoir Street Theatre in Surry Hills where Rush got his start. Geoffrey was the MC for a special performance on Sunday for around a hundred Belvoir benefactors and original shareholders who clubbed together 30 years ago to get the theatre up and running. After a show that included a number of acts from early performers (one couldn't make it- superstar Mel Gibson) the crew walked down the road to the Belvoir's rehearsal space for a party.

actors at the Belvoir bash : Mike McLeish Julie McGregor and Simon Burke

Australian Of The Year....

He follows in the footsteps of Sir Robert Helpmann (right) and Paul Hogan to become the third actor to be declared Australian of The Year ten minutes ago at Parliament House In Canberra.

Our favourite Oscar winner-Geoffrey Rush receives a well deserved honour.
Below is part of the speech we recorded a few months ago when Geoffrey helped launch a book about the Belvoir Street Theatre where Rush along with his good friend director Neil Armfield got their start in the theatre.

exclusive: Geoffrey Rush Attends-Cate Blanchett Calls In Sick

 Theatre director Neil Armfield was able to call in some heavyweights to launch the new book about the Belvoir Street Theatre-Geoffrey Rush and David Wenham.

And Geoffrey is always happy to help the Belvoir-he's a member of the syndicate that owns the theatre that includes some pretty big names. Nicole Kidman, Mel Gibson, Sam Neill, Gillian Armstrong and Peter Carey are all part owners.

David Wenham & Bille Brown

Barry Humphries at Belvoir Street

25 Belvoir Street is a book of essays and historic snaps of the theatre. Contributors include Rhoda Roberts, Neil Armfield , Robert McFarlane and Ralph Myers and it's edited by Fairfax journalist David Marr.

It's on sale from tonight at the box office for $77 and there are a limited number signed by Rush and Armfield.

Below is part of Geoffrey Rush's speech which went on for nearly 20 minutes.

One great Belvoir Street supporter who decided not to attend knowing her presence would draw attention from the tome was Cate Blanchett.

On the weekend the News Ltd tabloids, the Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun and Rupert Murdoch's own baby The Australian tore into Cate because she is starring in a Climate Change series of adverts with actor Michael Caton.  

News Ltd's campaign against Blanchett was a spectacular low point for a bunch of tabloids that regularly sup in the gutter. The main gripe seemed to be that the actress is apparently worth $53M according to BRW's 2011 Rich List and that she was 'out of touch' with 'ordinary' Australians.

Emily Barclay & Geoffrey

Since Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced that Labor would be introducing a carbon tax News Corp have been beside themselves with rage-none of which surfaced when 4 billionaires last year mounted a deceptive campaign against a new mining tax (that would have cleared Australia's debts in four years) on the billions those magnates reap from mineral deposits owned by the whole country.   

News Ltd spouted the line of the mining magnates-that they would up stakes and go elsewhere, Which would be some feat with the wealth being actually in the ground here.

According to the tabloids Blanchett's appearance in the adverts had "sparked outrage in the community". And who was the 'community ?. The far right wing Australian Families Association (patron : Dame Elisabeth Murdoch) and nutbag politician Barnaby Joyce.  Missing in most News Ltd reports on the great Climate Change debate is that the tax raised by Labor will be distributed to working families to cover increased costs.

We think Cate may have the last laugh here.                     


** On Wednesday 8th June at the Belvoir the long awaited Benedict Andrews production of The Seagull opens. The Chekhov play stars Emily Barclay, Bille Brown, Judy Davis (Woody Allen reckons she's the greatest actress in the world) and David Wenham.

The season has already sold out but there is standing room available but get in quick:
Box office 612 9699 3444