Culture

  • Rough Justice

    Rough JusticeBy Terence FrisbyDirected by Maeliosa StaffordEnsemble Theatre, Milsons Point (Sydney)Reviewed by Tony Smith Why would any man — anyone — claim to have killed his infant son when he had not? Terence Frisby's courtroom drama poses

  • Life of Riley: The Olympic spirit

    The Olympic spirit With time on my hands and the decks clear for a fortnight, the 26th Olympiad was something I thought I must see. It took a bit of wrangling to get a seat but I am only 2.365 metres from all of the action (I measured it

  • John Dengate's political satire

    The Follies of PolliesCD by John DengateReviewed by Alex Bainbridge I first saw John Dengate perform live in 1987 at the National Folk Festival in Alice Springs. He presented a workshop titled: "No matter how you stir the dunny can, the shit always

  • The folklore of the Sydney Push

    Sex and Anarchy: The Life and Death of the Sydney PushBy Anne CoombsViking, 1996, 340 pp., $29.95 (pb)Reviewed by Phil Shannon The Sydney Push is a conspicuous, if ill-defined, part of Australian social folklore. From the late 1940s to the early

  • Women and leadership

    Leading WomenBy Eva CoxRandom House, Australia, 1996. 326 pp., $19.95Reviewed by Melanie Sjoberg Society has changed considerably in the 25 years since Eva Cox became involved in the women's liberation movement. The strong activity of the second wave

  • Well-organised Pandemonium

    Biting PavlovBy Philip DeanDirected by David Peachey and Ken StockPandemonium Theatre ProductionsWarren Street Theatre, BrisbaneReviewed by Lynda Hansen This production, performed in a beautiful old church in Spring Hill by amateur theatre group

  • Challenging myths about women

    Challenging myths about women Lip ServiceBy Kate FillionHarper Collins. $16.95Reviewed by Trish Corcoran As the cover of Lip Service reads, it is about "the myth of female virtue in love, sex and friendship". Canadian feminist author Kate Fillion

  • Report of Redundancy Unit

    Subject: Melbourne Sympathy Orchestra The unit attended a performance of Schubert's Unfinished Symphony, and observed the following: 1. For considerable periods, the oboe players had nothing to do. Their number should be reduced and their work

  • A reasoned attack on censorship

    In Defence of PornographyBy Paul WilsonUNSW Press Ltd, 1995. $5Reviewed by Patricia Brien In Defence of Pornography deals with the issues surrounding censorship in relation to pornography. Paul Wilson discusses the difficulties inherent in defining

  • Rites of passage in Nicaragua

    Desperadoes FlamingoBy Joseph O'ConnorHarper-Collins, 1995, 426 pp., $14.95Reviewed by Tony Smith An indisputable sign of special talent in a writer is the ability to juggle several complex themes simultaneously. On those grounds alone, Desperadoes

  • Left on-line

    Birzeit University web site (http://www.birzeit.edu/) — Birzeit University, in the West Bank, has a long history of involvement with struggle of the Palestinian people. Birzeit University is known worldwide for its commitment to the principles of

  • A musical celebration of the weed

    Hemp, the Illicit MusicalDispensary Cafe, Enmore (Sydney)Uuntil August 10Reviewed by Brendan Doyle The Dispensary Cafe is one of those rare venues in Sydney where you can sit at a table with friends, imbibe a wine and enjoy a range of entertainment,