The Rabbit Sanctuary will bring adorable bunnies for adoption to the national Australian “Happy Place” – Bunnings. Photo: Region.
A psychological thriller in theatre, family-friendly ballets and bunnies at Bunnings – this week offers something for everyone in the Illawarra.
Retail therapy comes in the form of beautiful and functional works crafted by capable, Illawarra hands from local salvaged trees, hand-made ceramics at heavily discounted prices, and thousands of vinyl records.
There are celebrations of Science Week, a film festival devised for the two-wheel devotee and a drag circus like no other.
Here are our nine top picks for the week.
Multiple days
Gaslight
When: Friday 9 and Saturday 10 August, 8 pm and Sunday 11 August, 2 pm
Where: Wollongong Workshop Theatre, 190 Gipps Road, Gwynneville
Cost: $30 adult, $25 concession, book here.
Bella Manningham is on edge. She’s hearing footsteps in the night, pictures are moving by themselves and the gaslights in the drawing room dim without a touch. Her husband, who is constantly vanishing without a word, tells her she may be losing her mind, and she slowly begins to believe him. As her grip on reality begins to slip, she finds herself at the epicentre of a terrible mystery … This mind-bending 1930s Victorian thriller spawned the term “gaslighting”: a form of psychological manipulation that makes its victims question their own memory, perception and sanity.
Don’t miss this family-friendly ballet full of magic and wonder. Image: Supplied.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
When: Friday 9 August, 12:30 pm (school performance) and 7 pm and Saturday 10 August, 2 and 7 pm
Where: IPAC, 32 Burelli Street, Wollongong
Cost: Adult $58.10, child/concession $46, group 10+ $53.10, book here.
The Ballet Team presents The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, a family-friendly ballet adaptation of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s 1797 poem Der Zauberlehrling, featuring Illawarra dancers. This symphonic ballet full of magic and wonder follows a young apprentice more interested in daydreaming than actually completing chores. The apprentice gets into all sorts of enchanted trouble when his master, the Supreme Sorcerer, is called away on an important wizard summit. Getting a hold of an ancient spell book and magic wand, the apprentice gets lost in the sorcerer’s grand library, bringing to life all sorts of fictional characters that wreak havoc on the castle.
Saturday
Get set to see Illawarra woodworkers showcase their works using local urban salvage. Photo: The Hobbyist Timber Supply Store.
Celebration of Urban Salvaged Timber 2024
When: Saturday 10 August, 9 am to 4 pm
Where: The Hobbyist Timber Supply Store, Unit 4 – 11/19 Ruddock Street, Corrimal
Cost: Free entry.
For over 30 years PCA Traditional Furniture in Corrimal has been saving legally removed Illawarra trees from the chipper and landfill, converting them into furniture grade timber or “urban salvage” and providing these timbers to the region’s woodworkers and artisans. Those woodworkers will exhibit their works and demonstrate their skills at this special showcase. Now in its second year, the event is bigger, with more to see, learn and do.
Soul Clay Studios will celebrate its 7th birthday with up to 50 per cent off handmade ceramics. Photo: Soul Clay Studios.
Handmade Ceramic Open Studio Sale
When: Saturday 10 August, 9:30 am to 5 pm
Where: Soul Clay Studios, Unit 3, 51 Rowlins Road, Gerringong
Cost: Free entry.
This annual studio sale is an opportunity to meet the resident artists of Soul Clay Studios, who create handmade functional and decorative ceramics on-site for exhibition and sale. Watch them at work and purchase their beautiful creations at heavily discounted prices. The studio will be open to the public all day with lots of fun activities, demonstrations and handmade ceramics for sale. The lucky door prize is a two-hour wheel-throwing experience.
Expect over 20,000 records for sale across all genres. Photo: Kiama Record Fair.
Kiama Record Fair
When: Saturday 10 August, 10 am to 4 pm
Where: Masonic Hall Kiama, 46 Collins Street, Kiama
Cost: Free entry.
Get your crate-digging fingers limbered up – the Kiama Record Fair is back with over 20,000 vinyl records across genres spanning rock to funk, hip-hop and more. Local record sellers bring their specialist knowledge and collections to this relaxed coastal event. Entry is always free and the event is family and pet friendly. There will also be a special surprise guest.
Sunday
Bunnings and bunnies – a match made in heaven. Image: The Rabbit Sanctuary.
Bunnings Stores for Paws Day with The Rabbit Sanctuary
When: Sunday 11 August, 10 am to 2 pm
Where: Bunnings Kembla Grange, 640 Northcliffe Drive, Kembla Grange
Cost: Free.
The Rabbit Sanctuary is a not-for-profit, volunteer organisation where time never runs out for rabbits. Now this organisation’s dedicated volunteers will present a special opportunity to meet adorable bunnies up for adoption and learn more about bunny care. There will be bunny treats and foster and adoption information. Hop to it!
Monday
This is the biggest Australian drag tour of 2024. Image: House Jimbo.
Jimbo’s Drag Circus
When: Monday 12 August, 7 pm
Where: UniBar, Building 12, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Gwynneville
Cost: $84.62, book here.
Roll up, roll up and be prepared for a wicked night of clownery – this weird, wonderful and jumbo-sized production stars none other than All Stars 8 winner Jimbo. Don’t miss Canada’s crowned clown as she brings her acclaimed circus tour to Wollongong after delighting, shocking and titillating rapturous crowds across the US with her 57-city tour. Expect all of Jimbo’s iconic and outrageous characters, plenty of surprises, adults-only jokes and gravity-defying outfits, all in a huge production that brings the circus to some of Australia’s most beloved venues.
Gain insights into the incredible scientific discipline of physics. Photo: Science Space Wollongong Facebook.
National Science Week Public Lecture at UOW Science Space
When: Monday 12 August, 5 pm
Where: UOW Science Space, Puckey Avenue North, Wollongong
Cost: $5, book here.
Understanding physics leads to new technologies that enhance our lives. But how does physics work and what is it like to be a physicist? Join Professor Susan Coppersmith, Head of the School of Physics at UNSW and Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, for this talk open to everyone. Learn a little about quantum mechanics and, more importantly, what physicists actually do. Doors open at 5 pm, the lecture commences at 6 pm and each ticket includes a free drink.
Tuesday
The Big Bike Film Night
When: Tuesday 13 August, 7 to 9:30 pm
Where: Gala Cinema Warrawong, 204 Cowper Street, Warrawong
Cost: Adult $27, under 17 $18, under 12 $14, book here.
Cycle through 2.5 hours of the best, most thrilling and moving bike-related films, with everything a cycle-centric audience could want – action, drama, humour, and plenty of inspiration. This evening is unashamedly devised for the two-wheel devotee. The stellar line-up includes a mesmerising mountain bike adventure in Guatemala and Peru, heart-warming takes on local communities, how the simple joy of riding bikes can make a big impact, an ambitious ride that pushes a father and daughter to their physical and emotional limits, a fast-paced, fun, and feminist bike race film and inspiring journeys through colourful landscapes.
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