(Almost) 10 Sights in 10 Nights

Gayle O’Leary wraps the 10 Nights In Port Festival

Or close enough.

I did my best and if you ask me, the 150th Catalpa Anniversary celebration at Kidogo on the Wednesday night right before should count.

*Music, poetry, storytelling, dance, and of course Guinness at the Kidogo Arthouse Catalpa night*

Seeing as it doesn’t, and I didn’t make it to In The Block Universe, which entailed donning white hazmat suits and sunglasses while bobbing up and down to live rap and strobelights in the town hall (a whole vibe you apparently had to see in real life to appreciate), I managed a humble eight sightings during the 10 night(ings).

This year’s 10 Nights in Port centred on the theme huddle, and opened at the Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre on Thursday 20 August with the exhibition launch of In Our Hands We Hold and Nullians.

Festival goers, for the most part, were treated to live music, dance, and performance. The Victoria Hall hosted several of the events and suited the atmosphere very nicely from our entry to the venue, the outdoor courtyard with firepit to discuss each show afterward, and of course the long narrow bar just before you head into the hall (narrowest bar in Perth?).

*Audience goers were guided down a trail winding around the Victoria Hall before entry…*

How is Krystallnacht (the Night of Broken Glass during 1940s Nazi Germany), the 1970s Chilean Revolution which overthrew a democratic government, Coogee Beach in 2006, and Edinburgh in 2026 all related? Why do so many people attempt Scottish accents? And what’s with the obsession with doughtnuts?

The “magical guide” has an astonishing singing voice. We found her breathtaking and charming in her mildly bumbling earnestness as a character, although that wore a bit thin with repetition. Noted strong repetition in this play.

There also featured a spiteful selkie, and a woman who could fly but only with her guts in a bucket. Yes.

In the end, I followed the storyline well enough but felt the links were a bit tenuous. And I’m never going to forgive anything less than a flawful attempt at accents, I’m afraid. Not when it’s Scotland. There must be a few Scots around fit for the stage in our port town? Hmmmm.

Pursuit of Happiness (1987) – screened by WA Greens at the Fremantle Workers Club

Scary how history repeats itself.

Pursuit of Happiness was filmed in Fremantle during the Americas Cup. The Cup promises revitalisation of the city but looming large in the background is the proposal for US nuclear submarines to berth off WA shores. Are the two linked? What would it mean for Australians?

Pursuit of Happiness features locals, some less experienced in acting than others, and includes Fremantle councillors and senator Jo Vallentine! Jo spoke tonight alongside MP Brad Pettitt and Sophie McNeill, urging us to be vocal and vigilant about what AUKUS means.

I enjoyed the film, meanwhile this served as my first introduction to the Fremantle Workers Club on Ellen Street. Good crowd. Great venue. Generous grub. It serves a tasty Guinness beef pie and pint of Guinness.

*Not part of 10 Nights in Port but it was fitting

Out Loud and On Screen: DADAA AN/OTHER Film Screening

A series of select-picked short films curated by Sarah Collins, made by individuals and groups living with disability or related disadvantage.

They are so impressive and deeply moving. Often I’d find myself laughing, but I didn’t expect to be tearing up.

The films included a mixture of long and short format in documentary, wistful drama, comedy, science fiction, surrealism, and animation.

Scotty K’s Garden (5:16)
Deus Ex Machina (4:48)
Hindsight (6:25)
Sugar Bird Lady (5:12)
Imposter (6:13)
La Echolalia (3:43)
Black Time White Time (11:36)
Sam (7:44)
The Audition (7:01)

More details about this wonderful film festival are available here. Absolutely do not miss out on the next one.

Tides

Experimental live music and coastal projections cast against the 400+ year old Batavia Shipwreck. We were able to move around to see how the light and imagery intersected with artefacts. Beautiful.

The music consisted of both “composed works and spontaneous improvisation” in response to setting by musicians Lucky Oceans which meant that no two performances are ever the same. The projected imagery featured works by Shipwreck Hunters Australia producer and director Brendan Hutchens.

*The mermaids above were spotted nearby

An abridged summary of womanhood and sisterhood since before the first bite of the apple.

It’s dark, humorous, visceral, and provocative. Shrieks and yelps punctured the stage alongside exaggerated limb jerking, graceful rhythmic lockstep, strong athleticism, and surprisingly catchy modern synchronised dance routines and hysterical mask use.

We got to sit on a cushion right by the stage which lent it an extra personal intense touch.

My friend was unsure but I loved it, especially due to the show coinciding with a full moon!

Lightnin Jack and Abbie May

A brief interlude from the Festival to enjoy toe-tapping blues at Clancy’s. We loved it. What powerful voices and instrumentalism.

Feast & Fire at Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre

But I had to scoot before I could get stuck into the roast pig or the incendiary sendoff of the stunning sculptures.

I had a raft to try and board.

*Many thanks to Ruaridh Atkins for kindly sharing the best snaps of the evening with me. Where there’s fire there’s smoke, and here where’s there’s embers it looks like starlight. R took the two vista shots of the sculptures alit and one of that incredible pig roast.

P.S. how cool is that ceramic dragon kiln which started belching fire as the night went on!

The Raft

A luxury cruise goes haywire, leaving few survivors to fend for themselves.

Circus WA performers aged 14 to 20 dazzled us with their proficiency in the air and on the ground. I was extremely fortunate to have a ground central seat right before the action. Lots of great humour, tension, and gorgeous costumes.

I felt a little starstruck to see the local legend Max Burton weave his magic into our ears again. Lucky us, where we got to watch the immersive live soundscape being crafted before our very eyes. Keyboard, guitar, and violin strumming for good measure nicely complemented performers imitating the whistling or wind and shriek of gulls, which then played via recording as the crew tumbled about within inches of the spectators.

The end