The Planner

Sydney Morning Herald

Tuesday January 13, 2009

COMPILED BY RACHEL OLDING THEPLANNER@SMH.COM.AU 9282 3159

BEST THEATRE

British playwright Philip Ridley's production Vincent River comes to Australia after successful seasons in the West End and New York. It is a psychological thriller about grief and redemption after a murder in a public toilet. Teenager Davey is haunted by the memory of finding Vincent River's body so asks the victim's mother for help. She agrees but on the condition that Davey admits the part he played in the murder. There are cheap Tuesday tickets tonight as well as a show, beer and laksa offer.

Today, until January 31, 8pm, $17 ($21 for beer, laksa and show) plus booking fee, Old Fitzroy Theatre, 129 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo, 9380 5553, rocksurfers.org.

BEST EX-CHILD STAR

Who is Glace Chase? He describes himself as Dame Edna Everage for gen X-Y-Z and a cabaret icon. He is a post-punk, bipolar former child star who tears across the stage in his new show, I Am Glace Chase, in which he pulls apart the pompous and pious people among us and exposes the insides of today's crass and crazy celebrity culture.

Tonight, 7pm, $29-$23, Belvoir St Theatre Downstairs, 25 Belvoir Street, Surry Hills, 9699 3444, belvoir.com.au.

BEST DEATH-CORE

Sydney Festival's Late At The Garden series keeps the party going well into the night with eclectic and imaginative music from underground artists. Tonight features a performance by the Barons of Tang, an eight-piece ensemble from Melbourne who mix up traditional gypsy and tango music to create a lively genre they have called "gypsy death-core". The music is described as highly danceable and will surely have the dancefloor shaking until late.

Tonight, 11.30pm-1am, free, Famous Spiegeltent, Hyde Park North, corner College and Park streets, city, sydneyfestival.org.au.

BEST BIKE RIDE

Get your lycra pants on for a leisurely group bike ride this evening. Hosted by an online group of cycling enthusiasts, the social twilight ride will pedal at an easy pace from the city to Bondi, followed by a dip and then fish and chips on the beach. It is open to riders of any ability. Bring your cossies, too.

Tuesday, 5.45-8.45pm, starts outside the old GPO, Martin Place, city, free, 0413 189 976 or cityride@bikesydney.org, bikesydney.org.

BEST PERFORMANCE

Grace Jones, the headline act of this year's Sydney Festival, plays the second of her three solo shows tonight, performing genre-bending music from her back catalogue and material from her new album, Hurricane. The Jamaican-American superstar has been reaffirming her star status lately, after performing at Massive Attack's concert in London. The charismatic model, actress, performer, singer, producer, writer and enigma is playing her first Sydney dates in 20 years.

Tonight, 9pm, Enmore Theatre, 118-132 Enmore Road, Newtown, from $95-$85, 9550 3666, sydneyfestival.org.au.

BEST GREEN TOUCH

The Ropes Crossing community in western Sydney opens its doors for all wannabe greenies to attend a free home-design workshop. The one-hour session will introduce the basics of how to design a home for more comfortable day-to-day living using the latest eco-wise techniques. There will also be tips to improve the design of your existing home. Bookings essential.

Today, 7pm, free, Sales and Information Centre, Ropes Crossing Boulevard (off Forrester Road), Ropes Crossing, 1800 182 211.

BEST BAKED TREATS

Since the Middle Ages, artisan bakers have been trained to mix, ferment, shape and bake hand-crafted bread. It was a chance to experiment and be creative. Get a taste of this ancient art at an artisan baking workshop. The two-hour class includes hands-on lessons in mixing, shaping, fermenting, baking and the all-important taste-testing. Children's classes are also running throughout January.

Tonight, 6.30pm, $130 (includes all materials), Brasserie Bread Bakery, 1737 Botany Road, Banksmeadow, 9666 6845, brasseriebread.com.au.

BEST GOLF

Enjoy a post-work round of golf at one of the inner city's few public courses. Moore Park's Group One Championship course offers cheaper rates for twilight play during the week. The par-70 course is a challenge for beginners and experienced single-figure markers, presenting 18 holes and 60 bays. Alternatively, pick a spot in the triple-decker sandwich that is the largest driving range in the southern hemisphere. Bookings are not required for the driving range but recommended for the course.

Nightly, 4-10pm, $25-$22 for the green; $12.50 for small bucket of balls will get you on the driving range, 9663 1064, mooreparkgolf.com.au.

OUT OF TOWN

BEST COWS

Last year, 10 primary schools from the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions decorated blank, life-sized, fibreglass cows using an eco-theme, with the aim of raising environmental awareness through works of art. The winners of Picasso Cows have been crowned and the herd has moved to the green pastures of Hindmarsh Park, where it will be on display for two weeks in the PiCOWsso Art in the Park exhibition. After this, the painted cows will move north to the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

Daily, until January 22, 9am-4pm, free, Hindmarsh Park, Terralong Street, Kiama, 4232 3322.

BEST CAMP

Just outside the township of Berry, a giant swing, rock-climbing wall and low ropes course await adventurous kids looking for a day full of activities. The Berry Sport and Recreation Centre runs one-day camps for children aged seven to 12, filled with fun games and exciting, team-building challenges. Three- and five-day camps for the whole family will also run from Friday.

Today, tomorrow and Thursday, 8.30am-4.30pm, $42, Berry Sport and Recreation Centre, 660 Coolangatta Road, Berry, 4464 2258, www.dsr.nsw.gov.au.

BEST GALLERY

At Canberra's new National Portrait Gallery, there are two temporary exhibitions that reflect the faces of Australia. In Open Air, Australians are portrayed in environments that are of particular significance to them, going beyond a simple depiction of a face to embrace a whole identity. In My Favourite Australian, 20 unsung heroes were chosen by a public vote and then portrayed in a series of short, "moving" portraits by a number of Australian filmmakers and artists.

Daily, until March 1, 10am-5pm, free, National Portrait Gallery, King Edward Terrace, Parkes, Canberra, 6102 7070, portrait.gov.au.

WHERE TO TAKE THE CHILDREN

BEST MEGAPHONE

Children can sing, listen, call, climb and scream into 25 big, red, shiny megaphones in different shapes and sizes placed around Bennelong Point. The 10-day Megaphone Project is a multi-layered installed and performed work that highlights the links between listening and creating sound. Reminiscent of old tin-can phones, the megaphones allow children to experiment, run from horn to horn and follow their voice along the sound trail.

Daily, until January 18, 10am-6pm, free, Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Macquarie Street, city, 9250 7777, sydneyoperahouse.com.

BEST ART

Prams are welcome at the Museum of Contemporary Art's monthly Art Baby sessions, a social program for parents and carers with babies. Museum staff conduct a one-hour guided exhibition tour, which is followed by coffee and biscuits in the cafe. This month, the tour will go through an exhibition by Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare and a collection of the museum's new acquisitions. Bookings essential.

Today, 2-3.30pm, $12/free for babies, Museum of Contemporary Art, 140 George Street, The Rocks, 9245 2484, mca.com.au.

BEST KITES

A hands-on session for children aged four and over helps them master the art of flying a kite. The Kites and Cakes session involves a half-hour workshop followed by half an hour of practical tuition. There's also juice and cake.

Today and on Thursday, 10.30-11.30am, $19, Lilies on the Park, Bicentennial Park, Australia Avenue, Sydney Olympic Park, 9763 7833, sydneyolympicpark.com.au.

© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald

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