Month: September 2019

SINCE ALI DIED REVIEW AVAILABLE ON SCENESTR

Posted on by Lloyd Marken

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The second week of September this year Karen and I were particularly lucky to be busy attending events for me to review. That Monday night we were in the Brisbane CBD at the Myer Centre for a preview screening of the hilarious Good Boys, Tuesday night we were at QUT’s Kelvin Grove campus to attend Truthmachine playing at the Theatre Republic as part of BrisFest 2019.

We closed out the week Thursday night back at the Theatre Republic to see Since Ali Died by Omar Musa. All of this was on assignment for the amazing Scenestr team. I’m in third year of working for them and I feel very blessed continuing to do this work while I’ve been busy with my full time job.

Also performing as part of the Brisbane Festival was Strut & Fret with their show Blanc de Blanc and comedian Sam Simmons who I was lucky to interview for Scenestr.

Since Ali Dead is for the most part a one-man show from rapper and spoken word poet Omar Musa, son of Malaysian immigrants who grew up in Queanbeyan. A brown Muslim boy who found something to be inspired by and comfortingly familiar in the proud iconic figure of sports and culture.

Afterwards there was a Q&A with Omar who talked about finding the right balance in his work between light and dark, friendly and provocative, funny and heartbreaking.

For me, he got it right and you can read more of my thoughts here http://scenestr.com.au/arts/since-ali-died-review-brisbane-festival-2019-20190913

Karen and I took in our surroundings afterwards at the Theatre Republic which had many different interesting displays which I enjoyed. I grabbed a toasted sandwich at the local bar they had set up and walked up the stairs into an eating area that sat on top of construction scaffolding while local musicians sang beautifully. I’m quite taken how simply spaces can be transformed and little moments can satisfy in big ways.

Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Karen in the House of Common Hopes. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Cab coming to pick us up. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
On top of the world. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Meatball sandwich. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
I can relate. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
The House of Common Hopes. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Before the show. Copyright Lloyd Marken.

Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Having started in 1993 they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland every month.

-Lloyd Marken

TRUTHMACHINE REVIEW AVAILABLE ON SCENESTR

Posted on by Lloyd Marken

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I returned to the Brisbane Festival in 2019 following the chance to attend and review Ode to Man in 2018. I was on assignment again for Scenestr magazine and found myself at the Theatre Republic at Kelvin Grove campus of the Queensland University of Technology. I’ve studied and worked at QUT over the years and always find myself a little happy to make the rare trip back.

Back up the other end of the hill to take in some American style deli sandwiches. Copyright Lloyd Marken.

Truthmachine itself has won awards and acclaim travelling throughout the country and I found lots of positive things to acknowledge in my review but I left a little disappointed. You can read my review here https://scenestr.com.au/arts/truthmachine-review-brisbane-festival-2019-20190911 and I’d be interested to hear your thoughts.

Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Having started in 1993 they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland every month.

-Lloyd Marken

GOOD BOYS REVIEW AVAILABLE AT SCENESTR

Posted on by Lloyd Marken

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Part of the fun of being a freelance writer is you grab your opportunities where you can with some unexpected surprises. On assignment for Scenestr, I attended Good Boys which had good talent involved and some funny trailers but I was cautious.

Thankfully Good Boys, primarily the work of Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, I really liked a lot. You can read my review here http://scenestr.com.au/movies-and-tv/good-boys-review-20190910

 

Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Karen and I at the preview screening of ‘Good Boys’. Copyright Lloyd Marken.

I’m grateful for opportunities I continue to have with Scenestr and really enjoyed the night. We were back at a preview screening in the Myer Centre and this time along with a complimentary glass of wine being offered was a cordial drink in a party cup. Hot dogs wrapped in pastry were dispersed through the crowd too and at this early evening screenings some food before you go in is much appreciated.

Of more importance, the film is one of the best gross out comedies I’ve seen in the past decade and an instant classic. I will be interested to hear what you guys and gals think.

Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Having started in 1993 they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland every month.

-Lloyd Marken

INTERVIEW WITH COMEDIAN SAM SIMMONS AVAILABLE ON SCENESTR

Posted on by Lloyd Marken

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The first time I came across Sam Simmons was late at night on the ABC where he had a running segment on a panel show called Dirty Laundry Live. The show covered entertainment news and satirically took on gossip media. Simmons was their LA correspondent in search of meeting actor Richard Dreyfuss amongst other things. It didn’t really matter because you never really knew what to expect from Simmons and that was part of his charm.

I enjoy his surreal comedy Sam Simmons and he is about to do his latest show 26 Things You’ve Been Doing Wrong with San Simmons at the Brisbane Festival which is already running in my fair city.

I was lucky enough to speak to Sam twice working for the great Scenestr magazine and as always the finished piece doesn’t reflect all we discussed but hopefully gets across a little bit about what makes him and his comedy so great. I have also tried to grow a little bit as a writer with this piece building on my recent secondment writing full time at the Queensland College of Teachers.

Let me know what you think, you can read the interview here http://scenestr.com.au/comedy/comedian-sam-simmons-is-doing-something-right-with-his-new-show-20190903

Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr. is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Having started in 1993 they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets.

They still publish magazines in print for Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland every month.

-Lloyd Marken