Legendary artistic director departs The Q
It’s recently been announced that inaugural artistic director of The Q – Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre and local arts legend, Stephen Pike, will be leaving his post at the Queanbeyan theatre.
Having been synonymous with The Q since it opened in March 2008, Pike’s tenure as artistic director has seen the regional theatre flourish and become established as one of the country’s finest regional theatres.
His connections in the theatre industry, his depth of knowledge and dynamic programming have seen a combination of popular crowd-pleasers and cutting-edge theatre draw audiences from across the Canberra region.
Other highlights of Pike’s time at The Q include his directorial efforts on a 2012 revival of Hair, and the musical Blood Brothers, for which he won a special mention in the Manning Clark House National Cultural Awards.
A man of many talents, he also gave a moving, critically acclaimed performance in Chess in 2010 in which he played the lead role of Anatoly.
In a letter farewelling Pike, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council Program Coordinator Steve White expressed gratitude for “his great influence on the direction of The Q”.
“We are sad to see Stephen leave … He has been such an important part of The Q family for so long,” he said.
“We thank him for sharing his knowledge and passion with us and for influencing and supporting so many young performers on their own performing journeys.
“Thank you, Stephen, we wish you well.”
DESIGN Canberra dates locked in
DESIGN Canberra will return for its seventh year in 2020; from 9 to 29 November the annual three-week festival will take over the nation’s capital.
Celebrating Canberra as a global city of design and a living design laboratory, the fast-growing festival – which attracted a record 114,770 people in 2019 – showcases the capital’s thriving design community.
In 2020, DESIGN Canberra will present more than 200 events, exhibitions, talks, tours, activations, markets, collaborations, and artists’ studios.
The 2020 program, details for which will be announced in September, will explore the festival’s relevant theme of ‘care’.
Canberra Theatre re-opens with Link Bar series
The first live performance held at the Canberra Theatre since it closed its door in March will be the finale of popular web series, The World From Here with Chris Endrey at the theatre’s Link Bar on 7 August.
The World From Here with Chris Endrey has been Theatre streaming service CTC@Home’s headline act, going live weekly on Canberra Theatre Centre’s Facebook page on Friday nights at 8pm, amassing more than 12,000 views over six weeks.
This special event, titled The World From Here LIVE + Endrey and Friends will celebrate the end of Canberra Theatre Centre’s makeshift digital season, CTC@Home.
This will be the first time the variety style show will be performed in front of an audience and will feature a special bonus concert.
A performance by Canberra street funk act Brass Knuckle Brass Band, also in the Link Bar, has been scheduled for 22 August.
Brass Knuckle Brass Band has opened for funk heavyweights Charles Bradley and Fred Wesley and played at Falls Festival and Woodford Folk Festival.
These shows have both been announced on the back of a Link Bar gig featuring Canberra Metal Band on 8 August, which quickly sold out after tickets were released on 20 July.
For more information and bookings, visit canberratheatrecentre.com.au
