Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2016 - Image by Claudio Raschella.
News
Robyn made a triumphant return to the stage on March 20, at the Odeon Theatre in Hobart, Tasmania. Her new show Mother Archer’s Cabaret for Dark Time, with longtime colleagues Michel Morley (piano) and George Butrumlis ( accordion) was greeted with cheers, tears and a standing ovation. It was part of Ten Days on the Island, the festival that Robyn created and in 2021 celebrated its 20th anniversary. The mixture of songs from the sixteenth century to the twentieth century demonstrated with gusto and poignancy how songs can tackle the hard times with insight and with genuine belly-laughs. The anniversary after-party was bubbling with enthusiasm and widespread commentary on just how great Robyn is sounding these days.
Mother Archer’s Cabaret for Dark Times will be performed at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival June 12,13 and 14 in the Dunstan Playhouse at the Adelaide Festival Centre, and then on June 23rd at the Melbourne Recital Centre. As a rollicking reflection on COVID lockdown this is a show not to be missed.
And don’t forget Robyn Archer: an Australian Songbook, the all new program commissioned by the Queensland Theatre Company and premiering in Brisbane November 20th.
Robyn’s collection of architectural maquettes, assembled for the first time for her 2019 Adelaide Festival show Picaresque, will soon go on show again for the young people’s festival Dream Big at the Adelaide Festival Centre in May 2021. On the occasion of this exhibition we will celebrate the digital re-release of Robyn’s children’s album Mrs Bottle Burps.
Rouseabout Records (Undercover Music) is in the process of the digital re-release of all of Robyn’s back catalogue and also ready around May will be her first two albums The Ladies’ Choice and The Wild Girl in the Heart. Check undercovermusic or music download sites such as Spotify. You’ll also find Robyn’s latest recording ( with George and Michael) there: Classic Cabaret Rarities.
On April 13th the University of South Australia bestows an Honorary Doctroate and Robyn becomes D. Univ of that institution along with her honours from the universities of Flinders, Adelaide, Sydney, Griffith and Canberra
Robyn Archer AO is a singer, performer, writer, artistic director and public advocate of the Arts.
She is currently:
- Performer, writer, director, public advocate for the arts
- Chair, HOTA, Home of the Arts
- Mentor, European Festivals’ Association Atelier
- Australia Book Review Laureate
Ambassador:
- Adelaide Football Club
- International Women’s Development Agency
Patron:
- Australian Art Orchestra (Melbourne)
- Brink Productions (Adelaide)
- Australian Script Centre (Hobart)
- Arts Law Society (Sydney)
Australia Book Review
Robyn has contributed to three podcasts by the Australian Book Review of Poetry for Troubled Times. Robyn leads off with a Brecht poem and then it’s a fabulous ride with terrific poetry and interesting readers. Her article On living in a time of Covid-19 is also a great read.
Music
Her latest album Classic Cabaret Rarities, and the 1980s Songs for Bad Times are on Spotify. The CD can be found through Undercover Music.
