Openings

Wendy Whiteley & Anna Schwartz at the premiere

St George's Open Air Cinema at Mrs Macquarie's Chair with it's unsurpassed view opposite the Sydney Opera House is one Whisper's favourite spots on these warm, balmy evenings. Open air cinema takes us back to our childhood when we used to sneak into the local cinema. It had no roof mainly because it burnt off one very hot summer and they sensibly thought, "why bother replacing it?". We were of course so small at the time we could fit between the wooden boards that made up the walls and find an empty deck chair to take in the latest Hollywood flick. It may have been silent film.

 I digress- this was also the location to premier the new film Whiteley directed by James Bogle, a fascinating examination of the career of the late Aussie artist Brett Whiteley. The movie will be released in May and it's narrated by Wendy Whiteley, Brett's widow who has become keeper of the flame for one of the countries most famed painters. (pictures by William Yang)

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Warren Fahey

Picture right is actor Max Cullen preparing for his new role in Warren Fahey's new show Dead Men Laughing.

Fahey and Cullen toured Australia last year to huge acclaim with their show Dead Man Talking.

The new production tells of the lives of Australia's two greatest humorists, Lennie 'Lo' Lower, author of 'Here's Luck', and Roy 'Mo' Rene, star of vaudeville and radio's 'McCackie Mansion' - who are "stuck outside of Heaven's Gate" with the two just about saying or doing anything to get inside! 

 Warren Fahey is one of Australia's most renowned historians of folk music and folk lore. At a Kings Cross party a few moons ago we recorded Warren singing a song he claims was a favourite in the early colonies :  The Kings Cross Harlot's Ball. Here it is for your delight and for bookings for the new show go here.

Even more exciting news

If the thought of Jerry & Rupert's nuptials hasn't given you a heart starter, this news surely will:

As exclusively reported in LatteLife Newspaper - Southern Highland's edition ( which Whispers and the office cat proudly contribute to) the beautiful little town of Berry may become the home of superstar Leo DiCaprio:
    

"DiCaprio announces move to Berry NSW

Leonardo DiCaprio in a post Oscar magazine interview said that he was, “tired of the Hollywood lifestyle” and that he wanted to “live in a place where people were just people and whose sincerity you didn’t have to question”. He recently visited Berry while scouting out a film location with Martin Scorsese and, according to Scorsese, “Leo immediately fell in love with the relaxed lifestyle and the small town feel of Berry and that whole area and was telling everyone that he was going to move there.”

“I’ve accomplished a lot in my career and I feel like I just want to slow down a little bit and moving to a town like Berry in such a beautiful location full of beautiful people in a beautiful country is exactly what I want in my life right now,” DiCaprio said “I’m not giving up my career, I just want to move to a place that feels so different than what I’ve been used to all my life. For me, that place is Berry.” Here at LatteLife we think Leo needs to scout further South and move to Berrima or Bowral."

DiCaprio would join such names as Nicole Kidman and Miriam Margolyes and the late Lord McAlpine who all chose to spend most of their time in Australia's most beautiful rural retreat. And Berry? We can only think of actor Max Cullen who is a resident. Max is currently on tour with Warren Fahey in their hugely successful Dead Men Talking tour about Australia's legendary poets & writers Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson

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

Chiswick Turns Two

It's without a doubt one of Sydney's dining successes. Top chef Matt Moran's Chiswick in Woollahra turned 2 years old and they threw a small bash to celebrate.
Guests supped on apple and red basil martinis with fried zucchini flowers and mint- all picked from Chiswick's own garden that can be viewed from the restaurant. Now that is fresh and for a Tuesday night, the restaurant itself was packed.
And a scrumptious Bombe Alaska was dished up with guests helping blow out the candles.

Party host & Chiswick co-owner Peter Sullivan        Warren Fahey & Victoria Morish             Kerri-Anne Kennerley

Kings Cross Lights Up !

A party tonight on the new outdoor deck at the Mecure Hotel in Kings Cross kicked off the 2012 Kings Cross Festival that sees 4 days and nights of events in the one acre area that comprises the Cross, parts of Darlinghurst and Potts Point.

Stephan Elliott

Dozens of restaurants , coffee shops and retailers are joining in the celebrations along with pubs and nightclubs. At last count there were over 40 nightspots alone in the Cross and it's side streets. The change the Cross has been going through over the past 5 years has been remarkable. New apartment blocks are springing up like the old Metropole Hotel that has been transformed into million dollar luxury pads.

Glynis Trail Nash,Damien Woolnough,Jennie Brockie

Darlinghurst Road, a past base for drugs,criminal gangs, strip clubs and prostitution rings still has it's gaudy neon strip facade. Turn into elegant Macleay Street and it could be a tree lined boulevard in Paris with it's elegant Art Deco apartment blocks, restaurants , boutiques and decorating shops.

Ignatius Jones & pal

Rebel Russell & Max Rendall

Over the next 4 days until Sunday there will be non-stop activities with a great artistic team under the umbrella of Ignatius Jones who has designed Sydney's famous New Year's Eve celebrations at the Opera House. Fashionistas Damien Woolnough and Glynis Trail Nash have organized a pop-up fashion store, Sebastian Goldspink is curating art shows while man about town Alex Zabotto-Bentley has created installations and window art in 22 store windows. Mandy Sayer and Madame Lash will be giving literary talks.

Margaret Fink & Warren Fahey

Legendary Les Girls performer Carlotta is presenting a one woman show while music legend Warren Fahey has organized several music events including buskers and a big show on Saturday night beginning at 6pm in Fitzroy Gardens with the great songbird Renee Geyer (the lurve Renee in Germany )                                                                                       
At the party tonight along with Lord Mayor Clover Moore were many from the diverse Kings Cross' community that numbers around 20,000 and makes it the most populous area in the country. 3 Hollywood Oscar winning filmsters : Margaret Fink , Rebel Penfold Russell and Stephan Elliot , SBS presenter Jennie Brockie and journalists like Melissa Hoyer, Richard Akland and Australia's top foodies Jill Dupleix and Terry Durack.
Go to the Kings Cross Festival website to get a full list of activities and travel arrangements.
Below : a time lapse video of Kings Cross by the creative team at Virtual Network : www.thevirtualnetowrk.com.au

In The Houses Of The Muses

Martin Browne, Susie Hagon,Ross Steele

Photographer Susie Hagon has published her second book of photographs: In The Houses Of The Muses.

It’s a collection of portraits of Australian identities and scenes from Alexandria in Egypt where Susie has been involved in the project Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the ambitious scheme to re-build the fabled Royal Library of Alexandria reputedly burnt to the ground by Julius Caesar in 48BC.

The project was the brainchild of Egyptian noble and Alexandrian born Prince Lorenzo Montesini, or to give him his full title : Prince Giustiniani, Count of the Phanaar, Knight of Saint Sophia and Baron Alexandroff.  

Hal Salter

John & Caroline Laws

A launch party organised by French language expert Professorr Ross Steele was held at the Wagner Gallery in Paddington and drew a diverse crowd including racing identity Angela Belle Sweeney, Prince Lorenzo, social figures like Robert Hampshire and Glen Marie Frost, renowned winemaker Brian McGuigan, artist Kerry Lester, folk song expert Warren Fahey, Caroline Laws (Susie’s mum ) and her step-father radio tsar John Laws. Antique dealer Martin Browne did the honours and launched the book.

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (by Susie Hagon)

Kerrie Lester

Angela Belle McSweeney

Contact the Wagner Gallery on 02)9360 6069 or go to Susie’s website to enquire about copies of the book.

The Kings Cross Harlot's Ball

We didn't make it to the Harlot's Ball but more of that later.

writers Louis Nowra & Mandy Sawyer

The Shuttle did however attend the launch of Mandy Sayer's latest work of fiction : Love In The Year Of Lunacy. It was held at an appropriate venue, the re-vamped Swans Club in Kings Cross in their bar, a haven of leather arm chairs and zebra print cushions.Mandy Sayer was brought up around the Cross and Darlinghurst-her dad was a jazz musician. She's married to writer Louis Nowra and together they make one of Australia's most formidable writing teams.

Nowra is the author of some of our most respected plays  The Marvellous Boy and The Emperor of Sydney and he's either won a host of awards or been nominated for them including the Miles Franklin. He's also written quite a few screenplays including the Hollywood epic K19 The Widow Maker and 2 of the top Australian films Cosi and Map of The Human Heart.

The Shuttle has only read one of Mandy's books-Velocity published in 2005-but it was hard to put down once started. Velocity was her second no-holds barred memoir and detailed life with her mother and her mum's abusive relationships and attempted suicides tinged with some wonderful and tender moments.

Love In The Year Of Lunacy is set in and around Kings Cross and Woolloomooloo during the 1940s and is described as:  "a moving, tender and compelling story of forbidden love set amid the devastation of war". After snapping up a copy at the launch we're looking forward to a jolly good read.

And the Harlots ?.

Our latest Hollywood discovery Jackie Weaver who is a pal of Sayer was to launch the book but got a sudden call to Los Angeles to sign for her first leading role starring opposite Rhys Ifans.

Into the breach stepped Australian folklore historian and musician Warren Fahey who can liven up any setting. As Mandy's book is set in the '40s Fahey sang us a ditty which he swore is from the era. It's full of dirty words but good fun. Listen below:

Love In The Year Of Lunacy is published by Allen & Unwin and is in book stores now.