fortyfivedownstairs Presents MANBETH, 7/15-8/1

Since 2002 fortyfivedownstairs, a not-for-profit organisation, has offered an evocative urban space and a personalised service to an eclectic mix of artists for theatre, visual arts, forum, music and dance .

Ignore the freeze with the exciting events coming up at fortyfivedownstairs in the next few weeks.

Theatre: MANBETH
Band of Creatures and OpticNerve
15 July - 1 August

Opening tomorrow, Thursday July 15, Manbeth promises to set audiences alight with a dazzlingly physical re-telling of the famous Shakespearian story.

This performance was shown to a sell out audience at fortyfivedownstairs during our first Searchlight festival in 2009. This collaboration between the new company Band of Creatures and Tanya Gerstle's Optic Nerve Performance Group is returning for three fast and furious weeks this month.

There's no point pretending that these ten exciting young actors are not pretty good to look at, but they are also the very best of recent graduates from VCA, NIDA and WAAPA. Manbeth is a ferocious tale of murder, greed and ambition, and these young actors give a visceral performance, still in the original Shakespearian English, but performed with a physical strength that brings the battlefield vividly to life. Note: Partial nudity and strong adult themes: recommended for a mature audience.

Season 15 July - 1 August
Tuesday - Saturday 8.00pm, Sunday 6.00pm
Full $27 / Conc $23

These are the last few days for our current exhibitions:

Gallery: The Sound Playground
Presented by Bus Projects and Craft Victoria
6 - 17 July

An exhibition and performance series featuring quite remarkable sound sculptures and sonic installations which can be "played" - don't miss your chance to be a creator yourself - this is an exhibition you are encouraged to touch!

There will be another performance involving the creators of the sound sculptures from 5.15 - 7.15 Friday 16 July, tickets $15

Gallery: Surreal Reality
Geoff Falk
6 - 17 July

Geoff Falk's series of aerial views of land presents us with another way of looking at our environment and the impact of Western cultures on the way we live. Sometimes reminiscent of the way one looks from a plane at a tiny road snaking across hundreds of miles of country, past toy sized settlements glimpsed for a moment, Falk uses colour and linear perspectives to great effect.

Music: Is this what you believe?
Monday 19 July, 7.30pm

Composer and double bass player Nick Tsiavos returns with the second of his brilliantly original contemporary recital series.

Nick is performing with soprano Deborah Kayser, percussionists Eugene Ughetti and Peter Neville, and saxophonist Adam Simmons. This is the third appearance at fortyfivedownstairs of this outstanding group and their extraordinary blend of sound, alternately challenging and transcendent.

Full $28 / Conc $20

Gallery: The Unshaped World II
Judy Holding
20 - 31 July

Leading artist Judy Holding has been a regular visitor to the Northern Territory escarpment near Cannon Hill for the past thirtyfive years. She has developed a distinctive visual language to depict this spare land, which is still so rich in imagery and emotion. Using water colour, drawing and collage, Holding creates images of seductive colour and movement, a strongly personal response to the country that she loves and knows so intimately.

Gallery: Crossing Between Cultures
Tamirat Gebremariam
20 - 31 July

In the small gallery Ethiopian born artist Tamirat Gebremariam will show a series of small, abstract works made in response to the devastation caused by the 2009 bushfires.

Music: Coady Green
Monday 26 July, 7.30pm

A stunning classical piano programme focusing on Liszt is being presented by young London based Adelaide pianist Coady Green. Green has been studying in Britain and comes to us from a series of recitals in Africa and Armenia.

For details of his recital see our website www.fortyfivedownstairs.com

Full $30 / Conc $25

Watch Out For:
Do not go gentle..., Patricia Cornelius' major award winning play, with a fantastic cast of senior actors, opens on August 6. Directed by Julian Meyrick, this is a work which is both poetic and poignant, and we are very proud to be presenting this world premiere, featuring Paul English, Jan Friedl, Rhys McConnochie, Terry Norris, Anne Phelan, Pamela Rabe and Malcolm Robertson. I know it's a cliché, but it's true - tickets are selling very quickly, and we confidently expect to sell out!

For some wonderful insight into the work from the writer, Patricia Cornelius, read the recent article on Do not go gentle... on Artshub.

Do not go gentle...
Friday, 6 August - Sunday, 29 August 2010
7.30pm Tuesday - Saturday, 5.30pm Sunday
Book online or give us a call on (03) 9662 9966

Melbourne International Arts Festival
This year the fabled, fabulous Moira Finucane returns to fortyfivedownstairs with the astonishing Carnival of Mysteries (see our website, or the MIAF programme) Bookings are now open for the performances, which begin on Wednesday 6 October and continue until 30 October.

Carnival of Mysteries
Wednesday 6 - Saturday 30 October 2010

Visual Artists and all those interested in the visual arts...
Don't miss out on our upcoming forum:The Artist's Survival Kit, 2 - 4pm, Saturday 14 August. Speakers include: Marcus Westbury (arts writer - The Age), Tom Lowenstein (arts accountant and collector), Bernadette Alibrando (curator) and Christopher Koller (artist).

Entry is only $10 / $5 and includes a glass of wine.

Bookings for all fortyfivedownstairs shows: www.fortyfivedownstairs.com tel 9662 9966

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