Lawrence Mooney’s character party heads to town

Acclaimed stand-up comedian Lawrence Mooney is bringing to life some iconic characters for an hour plus of great laughs at the ‘The Full Moon Party’ at Wangaratta Performing Arts & Convention Centre on Friday 4 September at 8pm. Lawrence said this show is a coming together of his Front Bar characters, which airs on Seven, and Malcolm Turnbull all at one big party. “If you need a laugh this is the show for you,” he said. Lawrence has been playing with characters for years on The Front Bar. In the past couple of years he’s introduced audiences to Dr Tyler Wall, the AFL Mind Set Coach, French Chef de mission Jean Le Camembert and Port Adelaide tragic Gavin Muntberry, and now all of them are together at one party. Lawrence said the inspiration behind bringing the characters together for one show was from the audiences. “I was doing a show at the end of last year, Dead Set Country, and I could feel the audience wanting to see characters, it was a strong sense I had because some audience members were yelling out the names of characters,” he said. “So, I’d say who here watches the Front Bar, massive cheer, who’d like to see some characters, massive cheer. “Then I’d I slip some in and promised I’d be back next year with the full complement. “And here I am.” Lawrence said some of the characters love the spotlight and at times try to steal it from each other. “Malcolm of course can’t wait for other characters to finish before interrupting,” he said. “And some characters are more like Gavin. “The characters are interacting through the show too, so I manage transitions with a change in physicality and of course their voice. “Sometimes they start to meld and I have to let the audience know things are getting slippery.” Lawrence said the regions seem a little more relaxed than the city folk and that’s something everyone feels and recognise. “It’s more laid back and a lot less serious about itself,” he said. “You’re likely to get a bit more chin stroking in the big smoke. “Having said that my audiences are all a bit naughty and cheeky, that’s why they’ve come to see me.“ Lawrence loves performing live and he regularly tours the country to packed houses; over the journey he’s collected a few nods and gongs. He has been nominated for The Barry Award three times (Best Show at The Melbourne International Comedy Festival), he has also won Best Show at The Sydney Comedy Festival, Best National Act at the Perth Comedy Festival and Best Comedy Act at the Melbourne Fringe Festival. Lawrence said the audiences and the thrill of walking out to perform have kept live stand-up fresh and exciting for him after a career spanning over three decades. “It’s such a privilege and I consider myself very, very lucky,” he said. “What was an improbable career path has worked out and there are still pinch yourself moments when you walk into these beautiful venues and people have paid to come and see you.” Lawrence said he can’t wait to make Wangaratta laugh. “I love your corner of the world and I’m going to be there with bells on,” he said. For tickets and information, visit the Wangaratta Performing Arts & Convention Centre website www.wpacc.com.au or contact the Box Office on 03 5722 8105. * Take A Look Across The Arts Halos in the Shadows’ exhibition Wangaratta artist Joel Stevens' exhibition ‘Halos in the Shadows’ is on show at the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre Foyer Gallery until 2 September. The exhibition was created as a tribute to the family members who have stood beside him through two decades of living with mental ill health. Each work reflects on a particular relationship, acknowledging the quiet strength and enduring care that have shaped his journey toward wellness. * Exhibition showcases textile in small scale One of Wangaratta Art Gallery’s most popular exhibitions, Petite Miniature Textiles showcases innovative textile practice from across Australia, in small scale and is on display at Wangaratta Art Gallery until 13 September. This year, 46 works by 34 artists and groups were selected by guest curator Cara Johnson, artist and previous Wangaratta Contemporary Textile Award finalist which respond to the theme of 'in the detail'. * Ellen Lee documents the Banyula State Forest Keeping Time, a series of large-scale works on paper by artist Ellen Lee, spotlighting the Banyula State Forest in northern Victoria is on display in Gallery 2 until Sunday 18 October at the Wangaratta Art Gallery. The Echuca-based artist’s depictions of the Banyula State Forest emerge from a practice of sustained immersion in and careful observation of the site. She documents her experience of the reserve using watercolour, graphite, and pigment from organic matter such as leaf tannins and rust residue, building earthy, gestural pieces that map the rhythms of the bushland, from the echoes of birdlife to the contours of shadows. In this sense, Keeping Time represents the artist’s record of the subsuming, meditative effect of nature and its movements. In witnessing the Banyula State Forest through this lens, audiences are invited to connect with place by refocusing their attention to the constant, subtle transformations in the ecosystems closest to them. The official launch for Keeping Time and Tannic Bonds, another exhibition coming soon to Wangaratta Art Gallery, will be held on Saturday 19 September from 4:30pm, all are welcome.

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