Arts in the city

• CAROLINE Stacey is working on a new play at The Street by Alana Valentine called “MP”. Stars are cabaret diva Geraldine Turner, Stephen Barker, Andrea Close, Leah Baulch and Soren Jensen. Valentine researched by interviewing politicians such as Julie Bishop, Kate Lundy and Vicki Dunne and journalists Annabel Crabb and Virginia Haussegger. In 1992, Tessa Bremner wrote and directed “Hot Property”, inspired by Greens Senator Christobel Chamarette, with another cabaret diva, Queenie van de Zandt, playing the lead. October 1-15, bookings to 6247 1223.

• GRUMBLE, grumble… why does Canberra have such theatrical clashes? On September 16, Rep (6257 1950) will have “Pig Iron” by John (Roy Slaven) Doyle, “Avenue Q” is at the ANU Arts Centre (6257 1950) and Free Rain Theatre’s Grease” opens at Tuggeranong Arts Centre (6293 1443).

• IAN Robertson is everywhere. Now he’s exhibiting 15 oil and acrylic vistas of Ramshead Range in the Snowy Mountains National Park at The Q, Queanbeyan, until September 17, Monday to Saturday.

• CABARET performers Melissa Langton, Libby O’Donovan and Mark Jones will take us through the best of Lennon and McCartney in “Get Back” at The Q, Queanbeyan, on September 15. You’ll probably sing along, yeah yeah yeah. Bookings to 6285 6290.

• IN “Two’s Company”, pianist Kathy Selby and cellist Emma-Jane Murphy will perform Mozart, Brahms, Sculthorpe, Rachmaninov and Schubert in the James O. Fairfax Theatre at the NGA, 7pm on September 12. Bookings to www.selbyandfriends.com.au

• THEN Aria-winning diva Katie Noonan will be at The Street Theatre on September 14, with The Sydney Symphony Fellowship Quartet. Bookings to 6247 1223.

• BELCONNEN Arts Centre is all go, with three simultaneous exhibitions running until September 18. You’ll see Kristin Morris’s oil-on-canvas self-portraits, Cary James’ portraits and figure work and Canberra printmaker Jo Hollier’s new prints and artist’s books.

• UNTIL September 11, you can catch all the following: “Staring into Space,” photographs by Helen Braund, Denise Ferris, Holly Granville-Edge, Cathy Laudenbach, Amy McGregor and Sharon O’Connor at M16 in Griffith; ANCA Gallery has “Showtime”, art by primary and pre-school children; in “Imminent Change”, at CSIRO Discovery, Susan Hey explores the Coppins Crossing area in encaustic, oil, acrylic, pastel, mixed media, lino print and embellished felt; and at Watson Arts Centre, Steve Roper is having “Too Much Fun” with “silly figures and scenes” – acrylics, oils, ink drawings and clay sculptures.