A Year Without Summer review | Rising: Melbourne | Arts Centre Melbourne

Florentina Holzinger's A Year Without Summer takes its title from the extraordinary events of 1816, when the eruption of Mount Tambora in present-day Indonesia triggered a global climatic disaster. The resulting crop failures, famine and unseasonably cold weather led to what became known as the "Year Without a Summer", exposing both the fragility of human civilisation and the unpredictable power of the natural world.

Among those affected by this turbulent period was Mary Shelley, who spent the summer of 1816 confined indoors near Lake Geneva with Percy Bysshe Shelley, Claire Clairmont, and Lord Byron. Inspired by conversations of science, mortality and the possibility of creating life, Shelley began writing Frankenstein, a novel that continues to shape understandings of humanity’s relationship with technology and scientific ambition. Holzinger draws on this as the foundation for her production’s exploration of the body and its transformation through medicine and technology.

On the Origin of Faeces - Melbourne International Comedy Festival preview

She's previously regaled us with shows on parasites and bees but for this year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Alanta Colley is going to entertain us with ... shit. Yes, that's right, shit. On the Origin of Faeces will have Colley celebrating all that we excrete as she deep dives into our guts and bowels and open us up to how we see and think about our poo. The scientist/comedian has been working on this shit show for months and Colley is eagerly waiting to share her wealth of knowledge on the matter with Melbourne.

The question that most people will immediately have for Colley is why? What makes someone decide to research all things poo for a comedy show? "Purely for the challenge. I mean, has anyone written a joke about poo before? Is it even possible? " She asks. "Poo is a source of secrecy and shame for all of us, but in science we are having a poo Renaissance. After the 20th century being mainly about identifying bad bacteria and killing it, we're now realising how much bacteria is beneficial for us, that it plays a key role in our digestion, hormone production and moods, and we're just at the dawn of understanding how the gut talks to the brain. It's really fascinating, so this was a chance to sink my teeth into the latest research on faecal transplants, studies of the gut microbiome, and confront some of my own biases and fears on poo."

Days of our Hives - Melbourne International Comedy Festival review

Let's get one thing straight; Days of our Hives is not a show about bee puns. Performer and beekeeper Alanta Colley hates them. But when your entire show is about bees, it's not always easy to resist the sweet temptation of a pun, even if it sometimes really stings. Instead, Colley has crafted an entertaining show that leaves its audience utterly fascinated from the facts she presents on the weirdly wonderful world that bees inhabit while providing plenty of laughs.

Days of our Hives is part comedy show and part lecture on bees. Colley provides us with a wealth of information on bees, including the disturbing reality of how honey is actually made and that sometimes abstinence is the best form of safe sex, especially if you are a male bee. Colley uses a slideshow throughout to visually engage the audience and even throws in some home videos of her expertly at work as she searches for a missing swarm.

How Can You Sleep At Night? | Melbourne Fringe Festival interview

Write about what you know. That's exactly what Christian Taylor has been doing for the last seven years, even if he didn't know it at the time. In the premiere of his Melbourne Fringe festival solo show, How Can You Sleep at Night?, he opens up about his long experience with insomnia, as well as death and climate change.

"My insomnia isn't a case of having difficulty initially falling asleep, but instead I wake-up and fully regain consciousness anywhere between five and twenty times a night. This means I rarely hit REM sleep, and wake up feeling like I've been hit by a truck. There's usually a few months where I sleep okay, but then it comes back with a vengeance. Doctors deemed it wasn't physiological, but probably more psychological," Taylor explains.

Time-travelling with Night Terrace

Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of science fiction. I have never watched Dr. Who and even Star Wars has never really appealed to me. So when I came across the science fiction comedy audio series Night Terrace, I was a little apprehensive about whether this type of show would be geared towards me, however, halfway through the first episode I was very much hooked.

Created by Ben McKenzie, David Ashton, Petra Elliott, John Richards and Lee Zachariah, the story revolves around retired scientist Anastasia Black, who discovers her terrace home is able to travel through time and space. The first episode "Moving House" sets the scene with Anastasia meeting university student Eddie Jones and initiates us into the world(s) of Night Terrace while at the same time, throwing us into the adventures - and misadventures - they find themselves in.

30 Days of Vegetarian: Day 21 - Maximum Tolerated Dose

Day 21 was a very confrontational day mainly because of two things I watched.

Firstly, courtesy of the Humane Research Australia, I had the privilege of seeing a documentary that looks at animal testing/experimentation. The difference with this one is that it interviews people who have previously worked in animal labs and their experiences with that type of work as well as looking at a few animals' stories and where they ended up.

Shot from Maximum Tolerated Dose

The documentary is called Maximum Tolerate Dose and although the website is not that great to look at, the film is pretty intense. Fortunately, it does not get too graphic, aka Earthlings, but then I guess that is open to interpretation.

I was discussing it with a mate, and his reply was 'but that doesn't' happen in Australia" WRONG! We are the FOURTH country that kills the most animals each year for scientific experimentation. Every year, 6,000,000 million animals are killed for scientific research. And of that, only 10% are considered successful? Furthermore, when you consider how small Australia is compared to the top two countries of USA and China...well...that's even more disturbing.

I am not aware of when any future screenings being held are, but I've got one of the three trailers linked so have a look at it as an idea of what to expect.

My second viewing was a YouTube video by Animals Australia called "Make It Possible" which is a short video that looks at the horrors of factory farming. Pigs constantly impregnated and unable to move  and the pain and torture they go through just for our desire for meat. There is also a Make It Possible campaign to raise awareness for this issue and you can raise support by making a pledge of the following:

A) Refuse to eat factory-farmed animal
B) Eat fewer animal products
C) Go meat free
D) Donate

Needless to say I have chosen C. But to choose any of these would help in making these animals' lives that little bit better.

Both these things have pushed my belief that animal cruelty is a far too common occurrence and something people need to be aware. I've never felt more passionate about something than I have for this cause, and that's saying something.