Things to do in Canberra this week (4-10 November)

What are your plans over the next week? As the weather gets warmer, the days get longer and the sun shines brighter (if it ever stops raining, that is), there are so many events to keep you occupied and out and about.

Where will you go first?

The Wharf Revue: Looking for Albanese

When: Running at 7:30 pm daily, until 5 November
Where: Canberra Theatre Centre, Civic Square London Circuit, Canberra
How much: $89, plus transaction fee. Tickets at Canberra Theatre Centre.

It’s a new dawn, a new day, and a new captain at the helm of the ship of state. And what a state we’re in!

Inflation, rising interest rates, conflict in Ukraine, climate disaster, culture wars, COVID-19-20-21-22-23 and a looming World War Three – could things get any worse? Absolutely – Neighbours has finished!

But here’s one way to make things better: book your tickets to the Wharf Revue’s Looking for Albanese. Inspired by the new national spirit of optimism that lasted for a week, the team are as keen as mustard to tackle the big-picture issues (see above). The world is grim – what better time to laugh?

Great Southern Land – Icehouse in concert

When: Friday 4 November, 6 pm to 10 pm
Where: National Museum of Australia
How much: Tickets from $90 and can be purchased here.

One of Australia’s most iconic bands, Icehouse, is headlining an outdoor concert under the stars at the Museum this November.

Icehouse has been around for almost 40 years, has eight Top 10 albums and dozens of Top 40 singles. They’ll be supported by William Barton, Frente, Dale Huddleston, the Riverbank Band and more.

Point & Shoot Australian Veteran Photography Expo

When: Friday 4 November from 3 pm to 8 pm, and Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 November from 10 am to 4 pm
Where: 34 Geelong St, Fyshwick
How much: Free.

A photographic exhibition titled ‘Point and Shoot’ showcasing imagery from Australian Defence Force (ADF) Veterans will go on display online and in Canberra from 4 until 6 November.

Showcasing career imagery and accompanying stories from Australian veterans, this exhibition brings a voice to the unique stories of all serving personnel. It provides a rare glimpse into the life and experiences of fellow Australians who have served their country.

Now in its third year, Point & Shoot Veterans Photographic Exhibition is coming to the national stage in 2022. Covering military service from post-World War II onwards, Point & Shoot commemorates many modern conflicts, peace operations and service. The exhibit will feature 60 veteran images taken within Australia or on overseas operations, with all images cleared by Defence media and approved for public display. The exhibition comprises imagery taken by Australian veterans, reflecting on their careers.

Gordon Community Day

When: Saturday 5 November, 10 am to 1 pm
Where: Gordon Community Centre
How much: Free entry.

Held as part of many exciting events from the SouthFest in the Suburbs Festival is the Gordon Community Day!

Come along to the Gordon Community Centre this weekend to celebrate five years of the community centre! For three hours, there will be plenty of fun for you and the family to join in on, including a bake sale, kids activities, a book sale, a sausage sizzle, and a plant sale; Anglicare will be having a pop-shop op-shop, and there will be a celebration for the opening of the Little Luxton Café.

Bill Bailey – En Route To Normal

What: Bill Bailey – En Route To Normal
When: 6 to 7 November 2022, 7:30 pm
Where: Canberra Theatre Centre, Civic Square London Circuit
How much: $89.90 – $99.90 plus transaction fee. Tickets at Canberra Theatre Centre.

How did we get here? How do we find our way through this? And exactly who are we again? In Bill’s new show, EN ROUTE TO NORMAL, Bill ponders these and other questions that this moment in history has thrown up and tries to see a way through the strange unreality of our new world. With Bill naming the show before we’d even heard of COVID-19, EN ROUTE TO NORMAL has become not just a funny, heart-warming mix of stories, music and history, but a personal mission to find our way through these strange times!

With his trademark blend of satire and surrealism, stories and dismantled jokes, crowd sing-alongs, weird instruments and musical showstoppers, don’t miss this legendary comedian, musician and actor back on stage.

Australian cybernetic: a point through time

When: Wednesday, 9 November from 6 to 7 pm
Where: The National Library of Australia and live-streamed on the Library’s Facebook page.
How much: Free. Bookings essential. No bookings are required to watch the online stream.

Australian cybernetic: a point through time is a new exhibition at the ANU that revisits both exhibitions and introduces reflections on contemporary approaches to cybernetics underway at the ANU.

To showcase this, ANU’s Design Convenor at the School of Cybernetics, Andrew Meares, will be discussing how cybernetics investigates the interdependencies within and between systems and how we can use this knowledge to ask questions and build intentionally towards the futures we want to see.

Chalkface

When: 9 to 12 November, 2 pm and 8 pm
Where: Canberra Theatre Centre, Civic Square London Circuit
How much: $89 to $109 plus transaction fee. Tickets at Canberra Theatre Centre.

What happens in the staff room stays in the staff room.

Played by the fantastic Catherine McClements, Pat is a jaded, stalwart primary school teacher who isn’t afraid to voice her opinions: all kids are terrors, the school’s a zoo and her colleagues are nitwits.

Enter Anna, played by Stephanie Somerville, who is bright-eyed, idealistic and just out of university. Anna’s going to change the world, one gold star at a time.

As you might suspect, these two don’t quite see eye to eye. In a hilarious new black comedy from the brilliant mind of Angela Betzien, audiences will get a sneak peek into one of society’s biggest mysteries: the teachers’ staff room.

North America x Braddon Merchant

When: Thursday 10 November, 6:30 pm
Where: Braddon Merchant, 1 Elouera St, Braddon
How much: $170 per person; book your tickets here.

Join Braddon Merchant for their next wine dinner on Thursday, 10 November, as we head north to explore the renowned wine regions of the US and Canada.

Presented in partnership with Cuttings Wine Merchants, with guest speaker Justin Walters, this dinner will feature five regionally inspired courses, all individually plated and carefully paired with fine wine sourced from small-scale producers across California, Oregon and Ontario.

In a Braddon Merchant first, three courses will be accompanied by a horizontal tasting of varietals, allowing guests to experience the intricacies of each region’s terroir and compare winemaking styles.

Cut-out-and-keep: magazines and the popularisation of Australian art in the 1950s and 1960s

When: Thursday, 10 November, from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Where: The National Library of Australia and live-streamed on the Library’s Facebook page.
How much: Free. Bookings essential. The online live stream is available on Library’s Facebook page.

Join Dr Kate Warren as she presents her 2022 National Library Fellowship research into mid-century Australian magazines and their engagement with the visual arts.

This presentation will focus on how magazines appealed to audience engagement through their materiality and their use of developing printing technologies. Artwork reproductions boomed during this time, and magazines actively encouraged their readers to materially intervene in their publications: for example, by cutting out articles and reproductions to be framed, scrapbooked and inserted into the personal domestic spaces that these magazines also helped to construct and define. As such, magazines sought to influence broader social ideas around the popularisation and perceived value of Australian art and culture.

The Wiggles – Holiday Party Big Show Tour!

When: Thursday 10 November 10:30 am, 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, and Friday 11 November, 10:30 am and 12:30 pm
Where: Canberra Southern Cross Club, Woden, 92-96 Corinna St, Phillip
How much: $42.05. Tickets at Ticketek.

The Wiggles are coming to the Capital for one of their biggest parties of the festive season.

Kicking off their national tour this November at the Canberra Southern Cross Club, the two-day Holiday Party Big Show will see The Wiggles switch their big red car for a bright red sleigh to celebrate the holidays.

After three decades, the end-of-year show has become a beloved tradition for families around the country. Anthony, Simon, Lachy and Tsehay will be joined by John, Caterina, Evie and new Blue Wiggle Lucia, following in her father’s footsteps, the original blue Wiggle, Anthony. Lucia will be joining him live on stage in the Capital, wearing a matching blue skivvy.

Noiseworks – Take Me Back Tour

When: Thursday, 10 November at 7:30 pm
Where: Canberra Theatre Centre, Civic Square, London Cct
How much: $79 – $89 plus transaction fee. Get tickets here.

In honour of their guitarist Stuart “Chet” Fraser, who passed away in 2019, 80s rock legends Noiseworks are back with the original members.

In tribute to Chet, Jack Jones (former Southern Sons front-man) has joined the band on their national Take Me Back Tour. This will be Noiseworks’ only Canberra show, playing their classic hits ‘Touch’, ‘No Lies’, ‘Hot Chilli Woman’ and, of course, ‘Take Me Back’.