Thursday, July 14, 2011

Kiehl's Since 1851



Kiehl's Lip Balm #1

* Relieves chapped or cracked lips
* SPF 4 sunscreen
* Not tested on animals

A favourite with Kiehl’s patrons all over the world! Helps to comfort dry lips whilst offering protection from the drying effects of wind and cold weather. Contains SPF4.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Bell Shakespeare presents

Faustus
After Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
Adapted and directed by Michael Gow


Faustus is a brilliant man. A scholar. But there’s smart and then there’s
smart. In his insatiable thirst for knowledge, Faustus goes in search of magic. But when he summons the evil Mephistophilis, we soon learn the limits of his mortal comprehension.

Faustus tries to make Mephistophilis his servant, but Mephistophilis works only for the Devil. Blinded by greed, Faustus proposes a trade: his soul in exchange for 24 years with Mephistophilis.

The Devil says yes.

The cooling-off period expires. The contract is binding. Suddenly, Faustus is headed for an eternity of horror with no clause for salvation.

Starring John Bell as Mephistophilis and Ben Winspear as Faustus, Michael Gow’s startling adaptation of Christopher Marlowe’s play takes a closer look at temptation and the price we pay for instant gratification.

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Sydney Theatre Company and Commonwealth Bank present

The White Guard
by Mikhail Bulgakov
In a new version by Andrew Upton


Few citizens of the Soviet Union would have been audacious or foolhardy enough to write a letter of complaint to Stalin but in 1930 writer Mikhail Bulgakov did just that. After years of being harassed by the Communist censors, Bulgakov requested employment in a theatre or permission to leave the country. Although Stalin isn’t generally remembered for receiving complaints affably, Bulgakov received a personal telephone call in which the dictator suggested he apply for a job in one of the state theatres. Stalin was a fan of
The White Guard. So much so he had been to see it over 15 times.

Stalin’s enthusiasm was matched by the Russian people’s and the play’s early success is testimony to its brilliance. It is a drama that has endured the test of time and its most recent revival, at London’s National Theatre last year, received 5-star reviews in which Andrew Upton’s adaptation of the play was described as "Thrilling, darkly comic and often deeply moving..." by The Daily Telegraph (UK). In 2011 we mount our own production of Andrew’s adaptation of
The White Guard.

Set in the Ukraine, where the Russian Revolution is sweeping towards Kiev, the play follows the Turbin family as they gather in their home to prepare for the Bolsheviks’ arrival. With the city in chaos, the time has come for its residents to fight or flee. Turbin brothers Alexi and Nikolai have resolved to stay and fight for The White Guard but with Russia broken up into pieces, battling to pull it back together will not be a straightforward task.

As the men ready themselves for the fight, their consistently pragmatic sister Lena strives to maintain calm and order in a home as chaotic as the streets outside. Friends dash in, opportunistic suitors swing by and a sweet, bumbling family member descends unannounced. However, amid all of these arrivals, Lena will also be confronted with a painful and conspicuous departure...